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
Nyla didn't dwell on it and continued the conversation.After talking for a while, Damon weighed his options and decided to invest in Nyla's lab.By the time the party ended, it was already past 10:00 p.m.Nyla and Edgar stood at the entrance, bidding farewell to Damon and the other investors.…The secretary Damon had brought along was Luca Fleming. He had been with Prospectus Technology for four years and had been trained by Spencer, so his working style mirrored Spencer's.On the way back, Luca couldn't help but comment, "Ms. Kinsey is not only beautiful but also very capable. She must have a lot of admirers."Damon, engrossed in his documents, glanced up at him. "Are you interested in pursuing her?"Luca quickly waved his hands. "Oh, no, not at all! Someone like her would never go for someone like me."At least he had some self-awareness.Damon gave no further response and returned his attention to his files.He didn't disagree with Luca's assessment. Given the income Ny
If it weren't for Caroline, Nyla wouldn't be where she was today.Five years ago…After falling into the sea, Nyla miraculously survived when a kind stranger rescued her. At that time, she didn't want to return to Saintornia or have any ties with her past. Thus, she reached out to Caroline, who took her away.It took three months for her to fully regain her emotional stability.By then, everyone she knew in Saintornia believed she had died. She decided to take her mother's surname, and as for the baby she was carrying, he also miraculously survived.For the next few months, Nyla stayed in the apartment Caroline rented for her, preparing for her exams while managing her pregnancy.It wasn't until the following year that she had the opportunity to reapply for graduate school. From that point on, she juggled her studies and raising her child.…These past few years hadn't been easy, but Nyla felt content. If Damon hadn't suddenly reappeared, her life would have continued on its pe
Mason nodded. "Yes, I missed you."Oliver's smile widened, his gaze softening even more. "I missed you too, and I brought you a gift."As he spoke, he pulled out a set of books from behind him, almost as if performing a magic trick."Last time I saw you, you were reading this series at home, so I bought the original edition while I was abroad. Do you like it?" he asked.Mason's face lit up with joy. "Thank you, Uncle Oliver!"He eagerly took the books and flipped through them, his usually calm expression finally revealing the youthful excitement of a child his age.Nyla smiled wryly at Oliver. "You didn't have to go through all that trouble. That must have been expensive."Since moving to Capitarnia five years ago, it hadn't taken long for Oliver to find her.Over the years, he had helped her immensely—allowing her to focus on her work while keeping Mason's existence hidden.Like Caroline, Nyla owed Oliver so much.It wasn't that she hadn't noticed Oliver's feelings—she knew.
Erin's face lit up with joy. Just as she was about to say something, she noticed that Damon had suddenly stopped walking.Puzzled, she looked up and saw him staring ahead. She followed his gaze but saw nothing unusual."Damon, what's wrong?" she asked."Nothing. Weren't you hungry? Let's go," he replied, his tone calm.They entered the restaurant, where a server led them to a private room.In the room next door, Oliver handed the menu to Nyla."Nyla, why don't you pick what you'd like to eat? Tonight's dinner is on me to celebrate your success in developing the new drug," he said."You already got gifts for both me and Buddy. I should treat tonight, especially since I just received a bonus," Nyla replied.Oliver relented. "Alright."Nyla ordered a few of the restaurant's signature dishes and handed the menu back to Oliver. "Why don't you choose a few more?"After the orders were placed, Oliver looked at her and said gently, "You've spent the last few years pouring most of you
Erin found herself in a daze as she stared into Damon's calm eyes.She remembered how he used to look at Nyla—his gaze filled with warmth and tenderness. It was a stark contrast to how he regarded her.In the three years they had been engaged, Damon had never looked at her like that.When he glanced her way, his expression remained calm, indifferent, and distant—as if he were above it all.Sometimes, Erin wondered if he had agreed to the engagement merely because he saw her as a suitable match.Pushing aside the chaotic thoughts swirling in her mind, she spoke softly. "It's nothing. I'm probably just tired from the flight."She sat beside Damon, biting her lip before finally summoning the courage to ask, "Damon, how about we get married this year? Now that you've taken over the Sumner Group and everything is stable, I really want to get married."Damon didn't answer right away. Instead, he asked coldly, "Why the sudden rush to get married?"He had only gotten engaged to Erin to
Before Damon got engaged to Erin, he had already realized that he had no physical desire for any woman. Even if a woman stood naked in front of him, it did nothing for him.He later consulted a doctor, who suggested that it might be a lingering effect of the car accident he had been in. The doctor had even recommended trying adult films, but that didn't work either.Not only was there no physical reaction, but Damon also felt nothing emotionally.After trying for a while, he accepted his reality and decided marriage wasn't in the cards for him.He had assumed he would never be interested in women—until that day in the elevator when Nyla bumped into him. Suddenly, he felt electrified by the contact.At first, he thought it was just a fluke. However, when he saw her again at the celebration party, he felt something strange stir inside him.He couldn't quite identify what it was, but instinctively, he wanted to resist it. Yet despite his resistance, his eyes were drawn to her.Damo