Nyla turned and noticed Melody's starry-eyed expression, her surprise evident. She knew Gabriel was good-looking.Back in high school, when people found out she was his sister, many girls had asked her to pass love letters to him.Initially, Gabriel would just toss the letters in the trash with a scowl. Eventually, he became so fed up that he warned Nyla to stop collecting them or he would tell Harrison.Nyla hadn't heard from Wren about any relationships he might have had while being abroad these years.Nyla shook her head. "I don't know about that. If you're curious, though, I can try to find out for you."Melody hugged Nyla excitedly. "Nyla, you're the best! If I end up with him, I'll definitely owe you one!"While they were talking, Gabriel returned with his food. He sat down next to Nyla and began eating quietly.On the other side of the table, Melody gazed at him with starry eyes, almost drooling.Noticing Melody's obvious infatuation, Nyla cleared her throat softly to re
Nyla clenched her hands at her sides and looked down, pretending not to see Damon. As she walked past him, her heart raced, fearing he might do something to draw attention.His gaze had been unsettling, after all.It wasn't until she exited the dining hall that she felt the weight of his stare lift. With a sigh of relief, she frowned. They were no longer together, so why did he still look at her like that?Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to stop thinking about it. They no longer had any connection, and it was best to treat future encounters as if they were strangers.Soon, Melody and Gabriel left the dining hall and headed back to the lab building with Nyla. Nyla showed Gabriel to his desk and briefly explained the storage of experimental drugs before retreating to her own space for a nap.…The afternoon passed quickly, and just before the end of the workday, Melody came over to Nyla and whispered, "Nyla, remember to ask your brother if he has a girlfriend! Whether I
Hearing the anxiety in Melody's voice, Nyla couldn't help but smile. "Don't worry. If he really dislikes someone, he won't even speak to them."Melody said, "He's my first crush, so naturally, I'm a bit anxious. I hope I didn't disturb you.""No, don't worry. I'll try to create opportunities for you two to be alone," Nyla reassured her.Melody was deeply touched. "Oh, Nyla, you're the best!"After exchanging a few more comforting words, Nyla ended the call. She set her phone down and reflected on how even someone as carefree as Melody could feel insecure about matters of the heart.Upon thinking about her own recent breakup with Damon, Nyla's expression grew somber. She took a deep breath, forced herself to move on, and prepared for bed.…The next morning, as Nyla walked into the office, she felt the eyes of her colleagues on her. Once she reached her office, Melody hurried over, her tone filled with anger. "Nyla, did you break up with Mr. Sumner because of his ex?"Nyla was
Noticing Spencer's silence, Damon frowned. "Is there something else?"After a moment of hesitation, Spencer spoke up. "Mr. Sumner, I think you should reconsider. The rumors circulating in the company are just hearsay. You could issue a statement prohibiting discussions about your personal life, but there's no need to clarify your relationship with Ms. Austen."If all the employees learned that Nyla had dumped Damon, it might cause an even bigger stir.Damon was silent for a few seconds before replying in a deep voice, "Fine, we'll handle it your way."Soon after, the CEO's office issued a statement banning employees from discussing Damon's personal life. Anyone caught doing so would be terminated.…Nyla and Melody were busy with experiments all morning and didn't check their phones until lunchtime. It was then that Gabriel informed them of the situation.As Gabriel spoke, he kept a close eye on Nyla. When he saw that Nyla's expression remained calm and indifferent, he looked aw
Gabriel smiled. "Mr. Sumner, what brings you here unexpectedly?""I'm here to check on your upcoming work plans," Damon replied.Gabriel was momentarily taken aback. "Mr. Sumner, you don't need to come in person for something so minor next time. Just have Mr. Hogg give me a call, and I'll report to your office."Spencer looked down, pretending not to hear and wondering whether Gabriel was genuinely that oblivious.Damon had come personally to see Nyla. How could he be concerned about a researcher's work progress otherwise?Damon's expression darkened. "So, you plan to report here?""Of course not. Our office is over here. Let me take you there," Gabriel said, leading Damon toward his office.As Damon passed by Nyla, the air seemed to freeze with his icy demeanor.Nyla pursed her lips and turned her gaze away.Damon's footsteps halted. He turned coldly toward her. "Do you not want to see me, Ms. Jayston?"Not wanting to stir up trouble, Nyla shook her head. "No.""Then why do
Finally, Damon shifted his icy gaze from Nyla and turned to Gabriel. "Let's go."Gabriel nodded and led Damon toward the office, leaving Spencer behind.Once the two men had entered, Spencer turned to Nyla. "Ms. Jayston, don't take Mr. Sumner's words to heart. He actually—"Before he could finish, Nyla interrupted, "Mr. Hogg, I won't take it to heart. I'm just working at Prospectus Technology, not one of its employees. Besides, aside from any mistakes in my work, Mr. Sumner has no right to dictate how I should act."Spencer was at a loss for words and could only sigh in response.A few minutes later, Gabriel and Damon emerged from the office.Nyla ignored them completely and walked straight to her own office.Damon's expression darkened, but he remained silent.After Damon left, Gabriel returned to Nyla's desk. "Nyla, I'd like to talk to you."Without looking up, Nyla replied, "If it's about what just happened, there's no need to discuss it. I don't think I did anything wrong.
Nyla's voice was impatient, indicating she didn't want any contact with him.Damon's gaze dimmed. "I understand. I'm here for personal matters. I'm currently downstairs at your hotel."Nyla let out a sarcastic laugh. "If it's personal, then we have even less to discuss. I'm not coming down, so please leave."With that, she hung up.When Damon tried calling back, he found himself blocked, and his expression darkened. Since she wouldn't come down, he decided to find her himself.As he was about to get out of the car, his phone suddenly rang. When he saw it was Rebecca, his grip on the phone tightened.After a moment's hesitation, he answered.Moments later, Damon's black Maybach pulled away from the hotel.…By 8:00 p.m., Nyla was watching a drama when a photo message from Melody popped up on her phone.Nyla paused the video and opened the message. After seeing the photo, she involuntarily frowned.Melody: [Nyla, Mr. Sumner is outrageous. Just a few days after breaking up with
Damon's gaze hardened. "Nyla, I know I have no right to ask anything of you right now. In three months, I'll tell you everything.""There's no need. I'm not interested. I just hope you'll stop looking for me," Nyla said, then walked past him and left.…In the following days, Damon did not come looking for Nyla again, but gossip about him and Rebecca spread like wildfire throughout the company.At first, Melody would get upset, but seeing that Nyla genuinely didn't care, she stopped bringing it up in front of her.Nyla's life gradually returned to normal. Besides going to work, she spent her time having real estate agents show her apartments. Staying in a hotel long-term wasn't convenient.…After work on Friday, Nyla was about to leave when Gabriel stopped her."Nyla, have you been looking for a place recently?" he asked.It wasn't surprising that Gabriel knew. Nyla often browsed through listings from real estate agents during lunch breaks and used apps to search for places o