"Did you finish talking with my dad?" Nyla asked.Damon glanced down at her and replied, "Yes.""I'll go in and say a few words to him, and then we'll head back," Nyla said."Alright," Damon agreed.Nyla entered the hospital room. To her surprise, Harrison's expression was less distressed than before. Though still stern, he seemed to have softened considerably."Dad, please reconsider going abroad for treatment. If you really don't want to go, I won't force you," Nyla said.Harrison looked up at her and said coldly, "No need to reconsider. I know what I want. As for you and Damon… I suggest you think it through. After all, he's Clark's uncle."If you're with him, you'll face not only public gossip but also opposition from the Sumners. The path with him will be much harder than it was with Clark."Nyla was taken aback by his response. She wondered what Damon had said to change Harrison's attitude so drastically."I've thought it through, Dad," she replied."As long as you've t
Nyla glanced at Cindy, who was clearly struggling to maintain her composure while attempting to apologize. The scene struck Nyla as somewhat amusing."Mrs. Sumner, did you really expect to come here, apologize, and ask me to drop the lawsuit after publicly accusing me of assault?" she asked.Cindy's expression faltered for a moment as she clenched her fists to suppress her anger."Nyla, I admit I was wrong. I'm apologizing now. Can't we just put this behind us?" Cindy asked."Sure," Nyla said, nodding. "But you need to issue a public statement clarifying that I didn't assault you and that it was you trying to tarnish my reputation. I'll drop the lawsuit if you do that."Cindy froze. They had come to resolve this privately, not to make it public. Releasing a statement would only highlight her attempt to malign her former daughter-in-law."Nyla, can we find another way to resolve this? We can negotiate," Cindy suggested."Embarrassed, are we?" Nyla's smile remained, but her eyes w
As they walked into the living room, Damon broke the silence. "Why did you accept the money instead of insisting on a public apology?"Nyla replied, "Even if she apologized, it wouldn't be sincere. Clark managed to persuade her to apologize privately because he doesn't want this to go public. If I had kept insisting, it would have only backfired."Damon studied her. "So, your goal was always just the money?"Nyla nodded. "Yes. If I had asked for the money myself, Clark might have accused me of extortion through his lawyers."Damon fell silent, his gaze distant as he pondered this. When he didn't speak again, Nyla turned to head back to her room.After a few steps, Damon's voice, tinged with resignation, came from behind her. "Nyla, if you just wanted the money, you didn't have to scheme like that. You could have told me directly. I could have helped you."Nyla paused and looked back at him, her eyes filled with an unreadable emotion. "I'm scheming against Clark. He's your family.
Damon patted her head and said softly, "If I haven't earned your complete trust, then I still haven't done well enough."Nyla looked up at him, about to speak, when his phone suddenly rang."Did you change your ringtone?" she asked, noticing that Damon's phone sounded different from usual.Damon didn't answer. He picked up his phone and walked aside to take the call.For some reason, Nyla felt a wave of unease wash over her, and she couldn't help but frown.Soon, Damon ended the call and returned to her."I have to go out for a bit. You should go to sleep," he said.He turned to leave, but Nyla instinctively grabbed his hand. "Is it something important? Can you stay and keep me company? I…"She struggled to find a reason to keep him around.Was it just her inexplicable anxiety?The reason seemed a bit absurd even to her.Damon's gaze softened, and he nodded. "If you're scared, I can have the driver pick up Valarie to keep you company."Nyla opened her mouth, then slowly sho
Nyla looked down and said slowly, "It's nothing. I just wanted to check on how things are going since you didn't come back last night."There was a brief pause on the other end before Damon's deep voice came through. "I'm almost done with everything. I'll be back tonight."Nyla subconsciously tightened her grip on the phone. "Alright, then let's have dinner together tonight.""Okay, I'll see you then," Damon replied.…After ending the call, Damon looked at the woman sitting across from him with tears in her eyes. He said coldly, "Rebecca, it's over between us. I'll book a flight for you shortly."Rebecca paused in wiping her tears and looked up at Damon. "I don't want to leave! I wasn't planning to leave when I came back to the country."Damon's frown deepened, and his entire demeanor turned cold. "Do as you wish, but we're done.""If you didn't care about me, you wouldn't have come to see me last night. You still love me, don't you?" Rebecca asked, her eyes filled with love a
If they hadn't been at a couple's restaurant, sitting on the same side of the table, and if Damon hadn't been serving her food, Nyla might have convinced herself that the woman was merely a business partner of Prospectus Technology.She put down her phone and lowered her head, her expression somber.The moment she saw the photo, she had the urge to call Damon and confront him, but she managed to calm herself at the last moment.Nyla was merely using Damon. Even if he was involved with another woman, what right did she have to question him?After all, she hadn't planned on being with him forever, had she?Her phone buzzed again, with Valarie sending several more messages.Valarie: [I looked into it. The woman's name is Rebecca Austen, Damon's first love. After receiving a full scholarship, she went abroad, and they lost touch.]Valarie: [Not many people knew about their relationship back then. After she went abroad, no one dared to mention her in front of Damon. If I hadn't inves
Between adults, the meaning of such a statement was often implied.Damon was indifferent. "It's too late to go up now. Get some rest."Rebecca was a bit disappointed but forced a smile. "Alright. Be safe going back."…When Damon returned to the villa, it was already past 10:00 p.m.After changing his shoes and entering the living room, the maid approached him."Mr. Sumner, Ms. Jayston waited a long time for you to return for dinner. In the end, she went upstairs without eating," she reported."Okay, I understand. You can go rest," Damon replied."Alright," the maid said and left.Damon rolled up his sleeves and went to the kitchen to prepare a plate of sandwiches, which he took upstairs.When Nyla heard the knock on the door, she assumed it was the maid and got up to answer it.Seeing the tall, familiar figure at the door, she was momentarily stunned and almost shut the door.Damon used his foot to block the door, looking apologetic. "Nyla, I'm sorry I came back so late."
Damon stared at her blankly. "Rebecca, you never used to play these petty games."Rebecca hesitated for a moment before slowly withdrawing her hand. She replied calmly, "You used to never refuse me.""I told you, I have a girlfriend now," Damon stated firmly.Rebecca looked up at him and asked, "Do you love her?"Damon remained silent.Rebecca felt a glimmer of confidence and said, "If you really loved her, you would admit it without hesitation."Damon frowned. "Rebecca, I didn't admit it because I don't want to hurt you."Rebecca's smile faltered. After a moment, she softly said, "It's fine if you love her. You'll fall in love with me again."Damon wanted to tell her that he wouldn't fall for her again—that for him, they were long over. But seeing the sadness on her face, he couldn't bring himself to say it."Let's go," he said, turning toward the hospital exit.Rebecca caught up with him, trying to walk beside him as she used to. He stepped back slightly."Rebecca, while I