"I don't want to choose either. Just stop the car now. I want to get out," Nyla said.Damon calmly resumed driving. "Since you don't want to choose, I'll do it for you."Nyla was so frustrated she almost laughed. She knew that no matter what she said, Damon wouldn't let her out of the car. Resigned, she turned her gaze coldly toward the window.In less than half an hour, they arrived at the hospital.Damon carried Nyla inside. Resisting was pointless, so she remained silent and expressionless.…After the examination, the doctor assured them there were no major issues and prescribed some medication for internal and external use.As they were leaving the hospital, Damon tried to carry Nyla again, but she stepped back to avoid him."Thanks for tonight, but I'll take a taxi home," she said coldly.With that, she picked up her medication and turned to leave the hospital.Damon followed her silently. As they approached his car, he stopped her and said, "I'll take you home."Nyla
Nyla pressed her lips together and called him. "I'm still out. There's no need to bring me anything next time."After a few seconds of silence on the other end, Gabriel's gentle voice came through. "Alright. It's already past 10:00 p.m. Do you need me to pick you up?"Because of what Wren had said, Nyla wasn't eager to have too much contact with Gabriel. She declined, "No, my friend is giving me a ride. If there's nothing else, that's it."She hung up, and Valarie looked at her with curiosity. "Who were you talking to?""My stepbrother," Nyla answered.Valarie's eyes widened in surprise. "He's back? When did that happen?"Since Valarie used to visit Nyla's home often, she had met Gabriel several times."Just a few days ago," Nyla replied."Oh, he seems to be quite concerned about you now. I remember when I used to visit you. He was pretty aloof," Valarie remarked."Yeah. By the way... I said I'd cover the bill tonight, but you ended up doing it. Send me the bill, and I'll reim
"Thanks, but there's no need. In the future, let's try to keep our interactions to a minimum. I don't want to be insulted anymore," Nyla requested coldly.She was about to walk past Gabriel when he stopped her."Nyla, I apologize on behalf of my mother for what she said. I've spoken to her, and she promises not to contact you again. Please don't be angry, okay?" Gabriel asked."If she truly believes she was wrong, then you wouldn't be the one showing up here tonight," Nyla replied.Gabriel frowned and asked softly, "If she came to apologize in person, would you forgive her?"Nyla's displeasure was evident. She didn't understand why Gabriel was so insistent that she forgive Wren.Wren was just her stepmother—their interactions had been minimal, and there was no need to force a reconciliation."I won't forget what she said to me, and I can't forgive her. If there's nothing else, don't come looking for me again," she said.Without giving Gabriel a chance to respond, Nyla opened th
Damon's expression remained indifferent. "The day she returned to the country and contacted me."Nathaniel's body trembled slightly. He took a deep breath and said slowly, "Is it because Rebecca only has three months left that you broke up with Nyla and got back together with her?"Damon frowned. "I haven't reconciled with her."He had only promised to spend these three months with Rebecca, but he had no intention of resuming their relationship."So, you don't have feelings for her anymore?" Nathaniel asked."From the moment she chose to go abroad, there was no chance for us anymore," Damon replied.Nathaniel's hands clenched at his sides, and his expression grew intense. "But she still loves you. That hasn't changed. And she only has three months left to live. Can't you at least give her some false hope?""No. That wouldn't be fair to Nyla," Damon said.He had asked Nyla to wait for three months and had promised not to reconcile with Rebecca. Even if Nyla didn't believe him, h
The blaring car horns from the back snapped Nyla back to reality. She quickly pulled over to the side of the road.Her hands were shaking as she picked up her phone.The call was still connected, and Valarie's anxious voice came through. "Nyla, what happened? Are you okay? Are you on your way to work? I shouldn't have told you this now!"Nyla wiped her misty eyes and replied quietly, "I'm fine. My phone just fell.""I'm glad you're okay... I really shouldn't have called you now..." Valarie's voice was filled with regret.In her anger upon seeing the news, she had called Nyla impulsively. She deeply regretted it now, fearing she would never forgive herself if something happened to Nyla."Yeah, I need to get back to driving. Talk to you later." With that, Nyla ended the call.Taking a deep breath, she opened a web browser to search for news about Damon and Rebecca. Every link was about their official reconciliation.[Prospectus Technology's CEO Damon Sumner Finally Gets His Happy
"Who are you to stand up for her?" the woman demanded, struggling to free her arm from Gabriel's grip but failing."I don't need to explain my relationship with her to you," Gabriel replied coldly. "What you did to her was caught on surveillance. I'll take her to get checked out, and then the lawyer will discuss medical and emotional compensation with you.""Oh, she hit me too! I can get checked out too. It's no big deal!" the woman retorted defiantly.Gabriel's eyes grew colder. He leaned in close, his voice a threatening whisper meant only for her ears. "You'd better pray she's okay. If she's hurt, I'll make sure you regret this."The woman shivered at the genuine menace in his tone, sensing he wasn't merely making empty threats.Frozen in fear, she watched as Gabriel released her and swiftly picked up Nyla in a bridal carry, heading toward the door.Nyla was surprised by Gabriel's assistance, especially after their conversation the previous night.As they reached the door, sh
Soon, Spencer returned with a report. "Mr. Sumner, this morning Ms. Jayston had a confrontation with one of Prospectus Technology's employees at the elevator. She was pushed and fell. Gabriel took her to the hospital."Damon frowned. "What happened? Why was there a confrontation?"Spencer hesitated before cautiously replying, "It seems related to your reconciliation with Ms. Austen… Here is the surveillance footage. You can take a look."Damon took the tablet and watched the video. His face darkened with anger."Fire the employee who caused the trouble," he ordered."Mr. Sumner, wouldn't that be too harsh? After all, Ms. Jayston also slapped the employee," Spencer pointed out.Damon's expression remained icy. "If I recall correctly, I issued a statement previously prohibiting discussions of my private life."Seeing the fury in Damon's eyes, Spencer quickly agreed, "Understood. I'll take care of it immediately."…News of the employee's termination soon spread throughout the co
After graduating from university, Caroline went to Northornia for further studies, while Nyla returned to Saintornia. It had been over four years since they last met.Nyla responded warmly and asked for the hotel's location before finding a nearby restaurant known for its specialty dishes.…When Nyla entered the restaurant around 6:00 p.m., she spotted a short-haired woman with a youthful face waving at her from a window seat. "Nyla, over here!"Seeing Caroline's smile, Nyla felt as if she had been transported back to her university days and couldn't help but smile in return.Caroline had been a top student who continued her studies directly after earning her master's degree. She had come to Saintornia with her advisor for a conference.After Nyla took her seat, Caroline smiled and said, "Nyla, you haven't changed much since university.""It's you who haven't changed. Seeing you reminds me of the days you used to help me with experiments," Nyla replied."Don't mention it. You
"Why are you here so early?" Damon asked.Upon seeing the dark circles under his eyes, Nyla's heart ached. "Spencer told me about your schedule this morning. Buddy and I missed you, so we came by."Damon walked over. "Yeah, I have to head to a meeting soon and won't have much time to spend with you two.""We understand," Nyla said softly.Damon gave her a brief hug before crouching to embrace Mason. "If all goes well, I might finish early tonight and be home for dinner.""Okay. I brought you breakfast. Eat something before your meeting," Nyla said with a gentle smile.As Damon ate, Mason and Nyla watched him."You've gotten thinner. Are you not eating properly?" Nyla asked, concern evident in her voice.Damon sipped his coffee and reassured her, "It's fine. Things will calm down soon."Just as they were finishing, Spencer entered to remind Damon about the meeting."Bring the materials to the conference room. I'll be right there," Damon instructed.Once Spencer left, he turne
After Gabriel stormed out, Tim couldn't hold back his laughter. "Haha, Gabriel's expression just now was priceless. I was going to leave him hanging, but he insisted on throwing money at me. He really set himself up for failure."Damon didn't comment.Tim finally stopped laughing and cleared his throat. "You've got an evening flight to catch, right? Let's handle the contract now."Damon walked over and sat across from him, pulling out the contract. "I've already marked the sections that need revisions."Tim took the document, reviewed the highlighted parts, and immediately called his assistant to revise them. Once corrected, the updated version was printed, signed, and stamped.By the time everything was finalized, over an hour had passed.Satisfied, Damon tucked one copy into his bag and stood up. "If any issues come up, let me know."Tim nodded. "Sure."As Damon reached the door, he paused and turned to Tim. "By the way, Gabriel doesn't let things slide. You outmaneuvered him
After a brief moment of anger, Gabriel regained his composure, his gaze turning cold. "Damon, Mr. Westcott assured me he wouldn't partner with Prospectus Technology. Otherwise, he wouldn't have signed this contract with me. Stop lying."Damon remained unfazed and spoke calmly. "Believe me or not, it makes no difference to me."With that, he turned and continued into Tim's office with Spencer following close behind.Gabriel stared at Damon's retreating back and instructed his secretary, "We're going back inside. I need to see for myself whether Damon or Tim is lying to me."Trailing Damon, Gabriel stormed into Tim's office.Seeing both men enter together, Tim raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. "Mr. Sumner, Mr. Hackett, what brings the two of you here together? Is there an issue with your contract as well, Mr. Hackett?"The subtle emphasis on "as well" struck Gabriel like a ton of bricks. His expression darkened."Mr. Westcott, you assured me at the restaurant that you wouldn't c
"Mr. Westcott, I'll return the money to him right away," Crystal said quickly.Tim waved dismissively. "No need. Tomorrow, go to the finance department and collect 8,000,000 dollars. After that, you don't need to come to the company."Crystal's face turned pale. She knew all too well that this sum of money was a breakup fee."Mr. Westcott, I truly realize my mistake. Please, give me another chance..." she pleaded, reaching out to grab his sleeve.The moment she saw the cold look in his eyes, her hand froze mid-air, and she dared not move any closer.Tim stood tall, looking down at her with an icy expression. He spoke slowly. "You should be grateful to Mr. Hackett. If he'd only given you a few hundred thousand, that's all you'd be getting from me as well. But 15,000,000 dollars in total for three years? I'd say that's more than enough."He added, his tone final, "I don't want to make this uglier than it has to be. Let's part on good terms."Crystal's face went ashen. She wanted t
"Would you happen to have a moment later? I'd love to discuss something," Gabriel asked.Tim smiled. "What a coincidence. I suppose I can spare a few minutes for a chat.""Excellent," Gabriel replied.Standing, Crystal smoothed her dress. "I'll freshen up."She knew better than to linger during Tim's business discussions."Your lipstick needs touching up. Take your time," Tim said mildly."Of course," Crystal answered.She found a quiet spot and sat for over half an hour, waiting until she received a bank notification confirming a deposit of 7,000,000 dollars.Satisfied, she returned to the table, only to find Tim dining alone."Tim, when did Mr. Hackett leave?" she asked, quickening her pace to sit across from him.Tim continued cutting his steak with deliberate precision. "No talking while eating."Although his tone was calm, Crystal had been with him long enough to sense his simmering anger.She pressed her lips together, instinctively explaining, "Tim, I'm sorry. Mr. Ha
By midday, Tim still refused to see Gabriel.Gabriel, considering taking a break and returning later, received a call from his secretary."Mr. Hackett, I found out Mr. Westcott has a girlfriend. Perhaps she could help arrange a meeting," his secretary said.A spark lit in Gabriel's eyes. "Send me her details right away."The secretary quickly forwarded the information.Tim's girlfriend, Crystal Glasco, came from an average family and worked as his assistant.Her background was straightforward—a bachelor's degree and a job at the Westcott Group right after graduation, where she became Tim's assistant.Their relationship, however, was more about Tim keeping her than about them being equals. That said, their three years together suggested Tim held some level of affection for her.After reviewing the details, Gabriel immediately called his secretary back. "Find a way to contact Crystal. I need to meet her today."…At around 8:00 p.m., Crystal entered an upscale restaurant in Cap
Under Tim's leadership, the Westcott Group maintained its position as one of the top four families in Capitarnia, leaving the other three far behind.After reading the file, Gabriel closed it and asked coldly, "I asked you to arrange a meeting with Mr. Westcott. What's their response?"The secretary hesitated. "Mr. Hackett, Mr. Westcott's secretary hasn't responded. It seems they aren't interested in meeting with you."Gabriel wasn't fazed. The document made it clear that Tim was proud and highly selective in his dealings. Such a person wasn't easily approached.For Damon to even gain the Westcott Group's consideration, he must have put in significant effort.Still, there was an opportunity as long as the contract wasn't signed."No need to wait for a reply. I'll go to the Westcott Group myself tomorrow morning," Gabriel said."Understood, Mr. Hackett," the secretary replied.…At 7:00 a.m. the next day, Gabriel was already standing outside the Westcott Group. The sun hadn't f
Damon nodded. "Got it. Have the PR department continue contacting major media outlets to remove any negative commentary about Prospectus Technology. We can't let this situation escalate further."In the business world, public opinion could be lethal. Most people were naturally inclined to follow the crowd. Without knowing the full picture, they could easily be misled.If the narrative that Prospectus Technology's chips were faulty spread too far, restoring their reputation later would require monumental resources. It was critical to stop this from snowballing now."Understood, Mr. Sumner. By the way, how's the deal in Capitarnia coming along?" someone asked.Upon hearing that, Damon's previously tense expression relaxed slightly. "Progress is decent. Barring any unforeseen issues, we should be able to sign the contract in a couple of days."The group on the call let out a collective sigh of relief.Once the deal was signed, Prospectus Technology would recover some of its losses
"We can sign an agreement if you're still worried. I promise never to challenge your custody of Wilhelm in my lifetime," Jane assured.Seeing her determination, Gabriel remained silent.Noticing his hesitation, Jane gripped the armrests of her wheelchair tightly. "Gabriel, you're already hesitating, even though you haven't remarried yet. How can I believe you'll treat Wilhelm fairly in the future?"Gabriel's gaze turned cold. "No matter what, Wilhelm will be better off with me than with you. When and how much of the shares I give him is my decision, not yours."With that, he turned to leave.As he reached the doorway, Jane's voice echoed behind him. "If you don't transfer half your shares to Wilhelm, I won't leave the country!"Gabriel paused, then glanced back at her mockingly. "Whether you leave or stay means nothing to me. And why would you think your refusal to leave is a threat to me?""Gabriel, you're a bastard!" Jane shouted.Gabriel smirked and left without another word