Surprise flickered in Nyla's eyes when she saw the latest luxury bag of the season in Michael's hands."Why would he suddenly send me a purse?""Mr. Sumner said you weren't in a good mood, so he wanted to send you a gift to cheer you up."Nyla didn't particularly desire luxury bags, but since Clark sent it, she had no reason to refuse. She nodded and took the purse from Michael."Alright. Please thank him for me."Seeing that Nyla didn't seem particularly thrilled, Michael tentatively asked, "Mrs. Sumner, you don't like the bag?""It's fine. I prefer gold over bags, though."After all, gold had better liquidity and could also be crafted into beautiful jewelry.Michael was stunned, not expecting Nyla's preferences to be so plain and blunt."Alright, understood. I'll let Mr. Sumner know. I'll head back to work now."After seeing Michael off, Nyla returned to the living room, placed the bag on the table, and took a few photos to send to Valarie.Valarie: [?]Nyla: [Help me che
Nyla paused as she was about to pick up some food, then looked down. "There's nothing I want."Earlier this year, Clark had promised to take time off to celebrate her birthday with an island vacation, something she had always wanted to do. Only a few months later, it seemed he had completely forgotten about it. This was just as well—it would make it easier for her to deal with him without any unnecessary feelings of sympathy."Then I'll have to think carefully about what to get you. If there's anything you want, you can always tell me.""Sure."After dinner, Clark told Nyla to watch TV on the sofa while he cleaned up the dishes. Previously, when they wanted some alone time, they would give the service staff a few days off, and Nyla would cook herself.Nyla nodded and left. In the past, she would have taken pity on him for being tired after a day's work and cleaned up herself. Now, she no longer felt that way.After cleaning up and wiping down the table, Clark washed his hands in
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone before Genevieve's voice came through."Alright, the police might call you to the station tomorrow to take your statement. Make sure your phone is available.""Okay. Thank you for handling this, Genevieve."Genevieve sighed and said earnestly, "Nyla, you're still young. Unlike me, you don't think about the long-term consequences when making decisions. But sometimes, giving others a chance is also giving yourself a chance.""I understand. But I can't be lenient with everyone. If Mr. Sumner hadn't been there today, I might have been disfigured."Moreover, this issue could affect her job. If she got fired from Park Pharmaceuticals because of this, what pharmaceutical company would hire her in the future? It was not that she wasn't willing to let Mabel off, but the latter wasn't willing to let her off.Genevieve realized she couldn't persuade Nyla, so she said nothing more and hung up.Nyla put down her phone, thinking abou
"Ms. O'Neill, we need your assistance regarding today's lab explosion at Park Pharmaceuticals. Please come with us."Mabel was panicking, her body trembling uncontrollably."What do you mean... What does the explosion have to do with me? Why do you need my help?""You'll find out the details at the police station, Ms. O'Neill.""I'm not going! I didn't do anything wrong. Ask me whatever you need to here!"Seeing Mabel's agitation, the two police officers exchanged a look. One of them spoke sternly. "Ms. O'Neill, if you refuse to cooperate, we will have to use force."The officers' solemn expressions made Mabel uneasy.While she hesitated, Lucia spoke up from across the room. "Mabel, it's just a routine investigation. Go with them. It won't be a big deal. I'll go with you."Seeing Lucia's cold expression, Mabel reluctantly nodded. "Alright."…At the police station.Mabel was taken to give a statement, and the officers asked Lucia to wait outside.Unable to sit still, Lucia
Nyla's eyes lingered on the stain, her gaze betraying a hint of mockery. "It must be tough for you, finding time to flirt with other women and still managing to drop by the police station to see me."Clark was taken aback and frowned. "What do you mean?"Nyla's expression remained indifferent. "Next time you want to act all caring, at least wipe off the lipstick on your collar first. Otherwise, it just looks ridiculous."Without waiting for Clark's reaction, she hailed a cab and left.Clark glanced down at his collar, his expression darkening when he saw the lipstick stain. He tried calling Nyla to explain. After several unanswered calls, her line eventually went straight to voicemail. Clearly, she had blocked him.His gaze grew cold upon realizing their relationship, which had just started to improve, had once again hit rock bottom. He sped off toward Nyla's apartment complex but was interrupted by a phone call halfway there. Whatever was said on the other end made his grip on th
"Okay."As Spencer walked out of the office, he couldn't help but frown, pondering Damon's attitude toward Nyla.Earlier today, Damon had immediately called Nyla to question her about the suits, clearly irritated by her attempt to distance herself from him. Considering Nyla was Damon's niece-in-law, Spencer hoped he had overthought the matter....After breakfast, Nyla headed straight to Park Pharmaceuticals.After giving her statement last night, Genevieve had messaged her, saying she could return to work today and that the company would handle the situation with Mabel.To her surprise, a middle-aged man stopped her at the entrance of Park Pharmaceuticals. His face was dark and lined with exhaustion, his eyes bloodshot, and his hair disheveled. He looked at her pleadingly."Ms. Jayston, please, I'm begging you to let my daughter go. My wife was in a car accident and is still in the hospital. I haven't found a job yet, and if my daughter stays in jail, our family will fall apart
Sasha couldn't help but speculate. Normal people would run from danger, but Damon had run toward it to protect Nyla.Nyla was taken aback, then frowned. "You're overthinking it. He's my uncle.""What?!" Sasha's voice shot up, drawing the attention of everyone in the R&D department. Her face turned red, and she quickly lowered her head.She whispered, "Are you serious? You don't even share the same last name. Are you lying to me?""Why would I lie? I can't go into details, but nothing could happen between us. He doesn't like me that way."Despite Sasha's lingering doubts, she could only nod at Nyla's confident assurance. "Alright then.""Stop gossiping and get to work," Nyla said as she turned on her computer to read some research papers.The morning passed quickly. Just before noon, Nyla received a call from Wren."Wren, what's up? Is there something wrong with my dad?"Wren's gentle voice came through the line. "No, he's stable. Do you have time for lunch today? Let's meet up
If Harris Pharmaceuticals hadn't gone bankrupt, Clark wouldn't have dared to flaunt his affair so brazenly.Wren looked at Nyla with guilt. "Your father and I owe you an apology. You've been through so much, bearing this burden alone. It must have been really tough."Nyla shook her head. She wasn't as upset now as she had been when she first discovered Clark's infidelity. "I'm fine. I took a chance, hoping he wouldn't betray our relationship. I just lost the gamble."She had no regrets about her choice because she had chosen the Clark who once loved her, not the deceitful man he had become."It's okay. You'll find someone better in the future."Nyla smiled faintly. Whether she found someone else or not didn't matter. She just wanted to get the divorce and claim her fair share of the assets. "Wren, please don't tell my dad about the affair. His health isn't good, and I'm afraid he won't be able to handle it."Wren nodded. "I understand. Don't worry."After Nyla and Wren finished
"Grandpa, the hackers attacking our firewall are gone now. The firewall is fixed, and the company is operating normally again!" Theo exclaimed.Pedro remained calm. "I see. You can go back to work now."Theo was momentarily taken aback. "Grandpa, aren't you surprised?""I'm just tired. I'll head home now," Pedro replied.Seeing Pedro stand up to leave, Theo quickly stopped him. "Grandpa, since you're here, stay a bit longer. There are a few documents I don't quite understand. Could you help me out?"Pedro sat back down on the sofa upon noticing Theo's serious expression. "Bring them over."…An hour later, Pedro's face turned beet red with anger as he glared at Theo. "You're a complete failure! I regret handing the company to you. I might as well have given it to Jane!"Although Jane lacked boldness, at least she wouldn't make these rookie mistakes like Theo.Theo's face darkened. "Grandpa, how long has Jane been with the company, and how long have I been here? Isn't it normal
Pedro's expression changed slightly, and he instructed, "I'm on my way. Have the tech department fix it right away!"…By the time Pedro reached the company, more than an hour had passed.Theo sat in his office, fuming, demanding that the tech department resolve the issue within the next half hour.His secretary, visibly trembling, turned to leave but stopped to greet Pedro as he arrived. "Mr. Wilkie, you're here."Pedro nodded. "Get back to work."Once the secretary left, Pedro entered the office and shut the door behind him. "What's going on? It's just a firewall, and it still hasn't been fixed?"Theo's face remained furious. "Ugh, they're all useless—getting paid so much but can't do anything when it matters!"Pedro sat down on the sofa, his face hardening. "If it's not fixed in another half hour, I'll handle it myself."Theo sat across from him, scratching his head in frustration. "What can you do? I don't get it. The firewall was fine before, but now it's under attack out
Drake's smile deepened. "It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that I can help both you and the Wilkie Group.""I asked, why should I trust you?" Pedro repeated."I can invest 10,000,000 dollars into the Wilkie Group right now, no strings attached," Drake said, pulling out his phone and making a call. "Transfer 10,000,000 to the Wilkie Group immediately."Not even 20 seconds after ending the call, Pedro's phone rang."Grandpa, someone just transferred 10,000,000 dollars into the Wilkie Group's account!" Theo exclaimed.Pedro's expression shifted, his voice steady yet wary. "Do not touch that money. Wait for my instructions.""Understood," Theo replied.Hanging up the phone, Pedro glanced at Drake. "Come inside. We'll talk."Inside the study, Pedro closed the door and turned to face Drake. "I believe you're capable of helping me deal with Damon. But I need to know—why are you going after him? Otherwise, I can't trust you."If this man were a plant sent by Damon to trap hi
"You're saying... we should team up with other companies to go against Prospectus Technology?" Theo asked.He frowned as he looked at Pedro. "But Prospectus Technology helped the Wilkie Group before. If we turn around and attack them now, won't people think we're ungrateful?"Pedro let out a cold laugh. "I gave Damon a chance—he chose not to take it. If that's the case, I have no choice but to be ruthless. The Wilkie Group must reclaim that 10% stake!"The thought of that stake being in Damon's hands felt like a sword hanging over Pedro's head, keeping him awake night after night.Initially, he had offered to buy back the shares, but Damon had refused, driven by greed."But—" Theo began."No buts! Do you want the Wilkie Group to end up under the name 'Sumner'?" Pedro leered at Theo, his face contorted with fury.Theo quickly said, "Grandpa, of course, I don't want that. But the Wilkie Group has just stabilized. If we rush into alliances with other companies, it may create future
"Rain boots?" Damon guessed."No," Nyla replied curtly."Galoshes?" Damon tried again.Nyla didn't bother responding."Knee-high socks?" Damon ventured."No! They're torn socks! Didn't you see the little ripped parts I drew?" Nyla cried."I thought those were just wear and tear," Damon reasoned.For a moment, Nyla doubted her artistic ability. Was she really that bad at drawing?"Damon, be honest with me. Are my drawings really that abstract?" she asked.Damon hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "Not exactly. Some words are just harder to draw. Maybe try simpler ones next time."Mason, unbothered, chimed in, "Daddy, stop sugarcoating it. Her drawings are abstract."Damon glared at him. "Be quiet."Mason crossed his arms. "Fine. But I'm definitely not playing Pictionary with Mommy again!""Then I'll play with her!" Damon countered.Mason and Nyla were both speechless.Truthfully, Nyla didn't want to play this game anymore, either. She quickly said, "Alright, it's get
Damon let out a chuckle, his expression full of mockery. "A better life? Then where were you when the Jaystons went bankrupt? Why didn't you take her to Meristate to live this so-called better life then?"Let's not pretend—your real reason for coming back is obvious. No need to spout these hypocritical lies."The other end of the call fell silent.Alexander hadn't expected Damon to uncover his real reason for his arrival to Saintornia so quickly.After a long pause, he finally spoke. "Even if my motives aren't entirely pure, taking her and Buddy to Meristate would undeniably offer them a better life, wouldn't it?""A better life? Or a life of constant fear? I won't let her become a pawn in your family's power struggles. If you want to take her and Buddy, you'll have to go through me first," Damon gritted through his teeth."If she comes to Meristate with me, she'll have a strong chance of inheriting the Nixon fortune. Mr. Sumner, you haven't even asked Nyla how she feels—how do y
Nyla knew she wasn't some extraordinary beauty, and she had a child.Yet, as she thought about Drake's previous investigations into her and his ties to the Nixons, her brow furrowed. A fleeting thought crossed her mind, but it vanished before she could grasp it."Nyla, how about I ask Tom about this another day?" Valarie suggested.Although Nyla didn't want anything more to do with Tom, she couldn't bring herself to care when it came to Nyla."No need," Nyla replied. "Didn't you say Damon was the one who saved you yesterday? He might know. I'll ask him.""That works," Valarie said.Afterward, Nyla lost her appetite and barely ate before parting ways with Valarie and heading to Prospectus Technology.…When Spencer saw her, he looked visibly surprised. "Ms. Kinsey, what brings you here? Mr. Sumner is in a meeting right now, but you can wait for him in his office.""Alright." She nodded and entered Damon's office. She hadn't been seated long when he returned."Nyla, what are yo
Nyla looked at Theo with confusion. "Mr. Wilkie, we're not close, and I don't think I can help you with anything.""Ms. Kinsey, you're the only one who can help me." Theo gazed at her intently, speaking slowly. "Before Jane went abroad, she sold her 10% stake in the Wilkie Group to Mr. Sumner for a low price of 7,000,000 dollars."Now, I want to buy those shares back from him. Could you help me by talking to him? I'm willing to pay 30,000,000 dollars for the shares."His expression was earnest, but Nyla frowned. "I don't understand business matters, and I don't have the power to intervene. You should discuss this with Damon."Theo sighed deeply."My grandfather has already met with Mr. Sumner. He wants us to buy the shares back at market price, but the Wilkie Group nearly went bankrupt recently."We're just starting to recover and don't have that kind of money. That's why I'm asking you to help us plead with Mr. Sumner."If you're willing to help, Ms. Kinsey, I'm prepared to tra
Nyla turned on her heel and walked out.If Emerald had genuinely been unable to see her because of some life-threatening circumstances, Nyla could have understood.But judging by the photo, it was clear that Emerald had been living a good life.For Alexander to claim that Emerald "missed her" felt like a cruel joke. That supposed longing wasn't even worth the price of a plane ticket.Back in her car, Nyla sat quietly, forcing herself to calm down before starting the engine and driving away.Not long after she left, Alexander pulled out his phone and made a call.There was a note of helplessness in his voice as he spoke. "Aunt Emerald, Nyla seems very resistant to the idea of going to Meristate."A cold, distant female voice answered on the other end. "No matter what it takes, you must bring her back.""I understand," Alexander replied with a sigh. "But you've really given me quite the challenge this time.""I'm busy. Figure it out yourself," the voice snapped before promptly h