Richard sneered, "Naturally, I have my own plans too."Cyrus finally realized Richard had used him. Richard had intentionally allowed him to go abroad to find Sean, only to have him bring Sean back and then discard him."Dad, you'll regret this someday!" Cyrus snarled.Richard didn't bother to look at him anymore. He glanced at Frank, who immediately ordered the guards to take Cyrus away.Soon, Cyrus' furious shouting grew quieter until it completely disappeared.Sean also tried to leave, but Richard's men held him back. His face paled as he looked at Richard with anger. "Mr. Sumner, what is the meaning of this?"Richard sat down with a smile. "Dr. Merritt, don't worry. I can offer you double the benefits my son promised you. But the condition is that your hypnosis must be successful. If anything goes wrong—such as the patient turning into an idiot—you might find it very difficult to leave here."Sean had come for the high treatment fee, so hearing Richard's offer to double the
Richard's expression was cold. "What do you know? Just do as I say! It's her honor that she can help the Sumners one last time after her death!"Seeing Richard's resolute demeanor, Frank chose not to argue further and left the study.…That evening, Damon received another call from the Summer residence. This time, it was Richard himself on the line, not a maid."Come back immediately," he ordered.The commanding tone made Damon's eyes narrow. "I'm busy. If it's not something important, please stop calling me.""Very well! Fine!" Each of Richard's words dripped with anger. "It seems your mother's illness doesn't matter to you! Let me ask you, are Nyla's belongings important to you?!"Damon tightened his grip on the phone. "Her belongings?!"Hearing the agitation in Damon's voice, Richard felt reassured that his decision was right. That woman would only cost Damon his life if he kept thinking about her!With that thought, Richard's earlier hesitation transformed into resolve. "Y
Damon's steps abruptly halted as he turned to Sean, his eyes flashing icily. "What did you just say?"A chill ran through Sean under Damon's penetrating gaze, but he maintained his warm smile. "Mr. Sumner, I just want to discuss your mother's condition. Mr. Richard is currently upstairs with your mother and will be down shortly. I won't keep you long."For some reason, Damon found himself moving closer to Sean. He took a seat across from him and asked, "What do you want to discuss?"Sean said, "Mr. Sumner, you may not be aware, but your mother has been having trouble sleeping lately and has developed a sleep disorder. For someone her age, this is quite dangerous..."At first, Damon could follow what Sean was saying, but gradually, he found it harder to concentrate, and his eyelids grew heavier.Fifteen minutes later, his head drooped, and he slumped onto the sofa, unconscious.Seeing that Damon had fallen asleep, Sean looked up and said, "Mr. Richard, we can begin the hypnosis pr
There was a flicker in Spencer's eyes, but he remained silent.Richard paid no mind and continued. "If remembering something is more painful than forgetting it, then it's better not to remember. At least that way, one can live a bit more happily. What do you think, Mr. Hogg?"Spencer finally understood Richard's plan. "So you brought in that hypnotist to deal with Mr. Damon?"Richard smiled. "Mr. Hogg, that's a harsh way to put it. I simply want my son to stop suffering."Spencer's eyes narrowed. "Have you ever considered what Mr. Damon thinks about this?""He's obsessed with Nyla right now. If I asked him, he'd never agree. But look at how thin he's become. If he keeps tormenting himself like this, his health will fail in a few years. Do you expect me to watch my son die young over a deceased person?" Richard grew emotional as he spoke.Spencer wasn't interested in arguing—it wouldn't change anything, and he knew he couldn't make Richard listen."What do you want me to do?" he
"Mr. Damon…" Spencer called out.The moment Damon turned around, Spencer's steps faltered.The look in Damon's eyes was completely different from the blank, lifeless gaze he had after Nyla's fall into the ocean.Now, his eyes were cold and distant, reminiscent of the ruthless and decisive CEO of Prospectus Technology from before.It was clear that Richard's hypnosis had worked."What's the matter?" Damon asked.Richard sat across from Damon, his gaze fixed darkly on Spencer. He planned to handle any inappropriate remarks from Spencer privately if necessary.Spencer stood still, his eyes lowered, and remained silent.Compared to the emotionless Damon he had encountered after Nyla's death, Spencer found this version of Damon to be preferable.For the living, perhaps forgetting was indeed the better option.As Spencer remained silent, Damon frowned slightly.Richard's expression darkened, and he signaled to Frank beside him. If Spencer mentioned Nyla in front of Damon, his men
Nyla hurriedly left before Caroline could respond.As she rushed off, Caroline couldn't help but sigh.It would take an hour to get from the conference center to the kindergarten, and it was already almost 4:30 p.m.Nyla pressed the button for the elevator and began rummaging through her bag for her phone and car keys.When the elevator doors opened with a ding, Nyla walked in with her head down and didn't notice the man in a suit walking out at the same time.She bumped into him unexpectedly and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry. I didn't see you there."Since she was looking down, she didn't catch a glimpse of his face, only noticing that he was quite tall—despite wearing high heels, she barely reached his shoulder.The man didn't respond and simply brushed past her.Nyla didn't think much of it. She stepped into the elevator, pressed B1, and finally found her keys and phone.Just as the elevator doors closed, she looked up and saw the man's back. His well-tailored black suit,
Nyla glanced at Mason, who was waiting at the table for dinner, and hesitated."Caroline, I really don't have time tonight. The nanny is on leave, and I'm not comfortable leaving Buddy at home alone," she explained."Why don't you bring him along? I can look after him for a while. Once you're done with the investor, you can take him back home," Caroline offered.Hearing Caroline's urgent tone, Nyla realized it would be difficult to avoid tonight's party.She bit her lip and said softly, "Let me ask Buddy."After ending the call, Nyla walked over to the dining table and crouched down to face Mason. "Buddy, Mommy needs to go to a celebration party tonight. I'm not comfortable leaving you at home alone. Would you like to come with me? It won't take long."Mason looked at her, thought for a few seconds, then nodded. "Okay."He jumped off his chair and headed to his bedroom.Nyla followed him and watched as he grabbed his portable language practice tape from his room. She felt a bit
As they chatted, the door to the venue suddenly swung open, plunging the room into silence.Someone stood up first, walking excitedly toward the entrance. "Mr. Sumner, I can't believe you're here!"Nyla turned around. The moment she saw the man at the door, her face went pale, and she froze in place.Her first instinct was to run.Remembering that Mason was still in the hotel, she quickly grabbed her phone from her bag and called Caroline.Mason looked almost identical to Damon. If Damon saw him, he would immediately realize Mason was his son. If Damon decided to fight for custody, she knew she wouldn't stand a chance."Caroline, take Buddy and leave right now!" she urged, her voice trembling.Caroline's confused voice came through the phone. "What happened?""I'll explain later. Just get him out of here!" Nyla pressed.Hearing the panic in Nyla's voice, Caroline didn't ask any more questions. "Okay. I'll take him out right away."After hanging up, Nyla finally let out a brea
Theo's expression darkened as he stepped forward, looking down at Jane. "Say that again!"Jane raised an eyebrow. "What? You can't take it? Want to make a move?""You!" Theo clenched his fists, and for a moment, he was tempted to strike Jane."Enough!" Pedro's sharp voice echoed. "Isn't this enough chaos? Keep quiet, both of you!"Theo's expression changed, and he took a deep breath, saying nothing more.Jane knew she was no longer in line to inherit the Wilkie Group. She had become a mere pawn, no longer of any use to Pedro, so there was no need to pay her much attention.She glanced at Pedro, her voice flat. "Grandpa, you called me here today just to talk about Gabriel being arrested?"Pedro frowned. "Gabriel's arrest will damage the Wilkies' reputation. Stay home for a while and finish your travel documents. I want you to leave the country."Jane sneered. "Got it."She knew she was now a discarded pawn in Pedro's eyes. Of course, he would want her to leave as soon as possib
If Falcon didn't make contact within a month, it would mean something had happened to them."Alright, I understand," Spencer replied.He turned and left the office, sighing once outside. He could only hope they couldn't reach Falcon because of some kind of accident, not something worse.Once the office door closed, Damon's gaze darkened.If he wasn't mistaken, Falcon had likely been found by the Nixons, though Damon wasn't sure whether they were alive or dead.The Nixons, the hidden power behind Drake, were far bigger and more mysterious than he had imagined.While he was lost in thought, his phone suddenly rang.Upon seeing that it was Gabriel, his expression immediately turned cold.As soon as he answered, Gabriel's furious voice came through. "Damon, are you really going to drive me to the brink?"The legal team from Prospectus Technology had filed a lawsuit against Nyce Tech for illegally stealing trade secrets and submitted evidence of other criminal activities to the cou
"It's going alright. We're slowly getting back on track, but I'm still worried. I don't know if this is the right call," Damon answered.Using the money in Mason's account might save Prospectus Technology, or it could drag him further into trouble.Nyla looked at him, her voice soft. "Right or wrong, it's the only option right now. We'll just have to take it one step at a time. It won't be any harder than it is now."If Prospectus Technology went bankrupt, they didn't know how Gabriel would retaliate against their family. As long as the company remained intact, they would be safe."I'll protect you and Buddy, no matter what. No one will hurt you," Damon vowed.He had already decided that if things went south, he would find a way to get Nyla and Mason to safety.The oil was reaching temperature as they spoke.Nyla dropped the meatballs in. "Don't worry so much. We'll be fine. The three of us will be alright."Damon walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her with a hum.
Not long after Tom left, Gabriel's secretary rushed into the office, panic in his voice. "Mr. Hackett, I can't find where the money for Prospectus Technology came from. It's as if it just appeared out of nowhere. I—""Get out!" Gabriel's bloodshot eyes and contorted face radiated fury, making him look terrifying.The secretary froze, then quickly turned and left, shutting the door behind him.It was over.With Prospectus Technology saved, Gabriel had lost his leverage over Damon. And with it, Gabriel's chance of being with Nyla was gone too...."Mr. Sumner, with this new investment, the company will be back on track soon. I'll start reaching out to the employees who left. If any of them are willing to return, we can reinstate them right away," Spencer said with a smile in Damon's office."Got it. Go ahead and handle it," Damon replied."Understood!" Spencer chirped before exiting the room.Damon opened a file on his desk, but his thoughts kept wandering.He wasn't sure if us
Nyla went upstairs while Damon returned to his study.Instead of diving into his paperwork, he sat at his desk, wrestling with the dilemma of whether to use the money in Mason's account to save Prospectus Technology. Hours later, he made a decision....The next morning, Damon left for the office after breakfast.Meanwhile, Mason was heading upstairs to change when Nyla called him back. "Buddy, starting today, you don't need to go to school. You'll stay home with me for a while to study instead."Mason blinked in surprise. "Why?"Nyla stroked his hair, her tone gentle. "I'm not working right now, so I can help you practice writing at home. We'll do this for a while before you go back to school. Does that sound good?"School wasn't that important to Mason, so he nodded easily. "Okay."Relieved that he didn't press for more details, Nyla let out a soft sigh. Lying to kids could be exhausting.At the office…Damon had just stepped in when Spencer arrived, his expression grim.
Mason hadn't expected his master to say they'd meet in person soon."Of course. Have I ever lied to you?" the young man replied."No!" Mason chirped.After hanging up the phone, the thought of meeting his master lifted Mason's spirits. He jumped off the toilet, phone in hand, and walked out of the bathroom.Back in his room, a knock came at the door."Buddy, are you in there? Can you open the door? Daddy wants to talk to you," Damon said.Hearing Damon's gentle voice, Mason hesitated briefly but eventually opened the door."Daddy, if you're here to ask about my master like Mommy, I'm not going to tell you," he stated.Damon smiled, reaching out to pat Mason's head. "Don't worry. I'm not going to ask. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. Mommy and I talked earlier, and she won't press you on it anymore either. She was just worried, that's all.""My master wouldn't hurt me!" Mason defended."I know, Buddy. Mommy's just concerned about you. She already feels bad
Nyla had wanted to discuss things properly with Mason, to make him open up slowly and tell her the truth.Now, she felt the urgency to figure out how that money had come about as soon as possible.She rarely spoke so sternly to Mason, so he was startled and dropped the block on the floor.Mason's eyes were red, but he stared at Nyla defiantly, refusing to speak.Nyla pressed, "Buddy, who is this master of yours?"Why would they give Mason so much money out of the blue?"I won't say!" Mason responded firmly.Nyla's brow furrowed in anger as her patience wore thin. "If you don't tell me, I'll take away all your electronics starting today."Mason yelled, "I hate you, Mommy! You're not the loving mommy you used to be anymore!"After shouting, he spun on his heel and ran upstairs.Moments later, the slam of his door echoed through the villa.Hearing the commotion, Damon emerged from the study and walked into the living room. He saw Nyla standing there, visibly upset."What happe
Damon had never met anyone from the Nixons, but it was clear they had ties to both Drake and Mason.He sensed it wouldn't be long before he encountered someone from this enigmatic family. When that moment came, he hoped to finally uncover their motives for involving Mason.…That evening, when Damon returned to the villa, he called Nyla into the study."I have something important to tell you," he said, his tone serious.Noticing his expression, Nyla looked puzzled. "What is it? Does it have to do with the money in Buddy's account?"Damon nodded. "Yes. Five years ago, shortly after Rebecca returned to the country, a mysterious group abroad began investigating you."Later, I discovered that the person behind the investigation was Drake Mummery, a senior executive at MK Company in Meristate. He's connected to the Nixons—a powerful family in Meristate."Today, I found out that all the money in Buddy's account came from someone within the Nixons."Nyla's face turned serious, a mix
Mason nodded. "I know. That's the money I earned myself.""You earned?" Nyla repeated.The couple stared at Mason in disbelief. How could a five-year-old possibly earn that kind of money?Damon frowned and crouched beside him. "Buddy, do you know there's 1 trillion dollars in that account? Do you understand how much that is?"Mason shook his head. "No... but it really is the money I earned."Damon asked, "Then tell Daddy, how did you earn it?"Mason hesitated, his expression conflicted. "Daddy... can I not tell you?"He had promised the person who helped him earn the money that he wouldn't reveal anything about it."Buddy, if you don't tell us, we can't be sure if this money is really yours," Damon replied gently but firmly.Mason thought for a moment before shaking his head again. "I can't say."Damon was about to push further when Nyla placed a hand on his arm, stopping him.She turned to Mason, smiling softly. "Okay, if you don't want to tell us, we won't force you. Go ba