Nyla wanted to decline, but with the car already in motion, any further refusal would seem suspicious.She reluctantly fastened her seatbelt, feeling tense throughout the 30-minute ride. She had hoped to limit her interaction with Damon, but things seemed to be heading in the opposite direction.When the car finally stopped at the hospital, Nyla felt as though she could breathe again. She quickly stepped out, saying, "Thank you, Mr. Sumner, and thank you, Mr. Fleming."Luca smiled warmly. "You're welcome, Ms. Kinsey."Nyla hurried to the emergency area, searching for Mason.After a short while, she found him sitting on a hospital bed with a bandage on his forehead, still oozing a little blood. She rushed over, worried."Buddy, are you okay?" she asked.Mason pouted but managed not to cry when he saw her. "Mom, I'm fine. I didn't cry today. The nurse said I was really brave.""You were very brave, Buddy. Good job!" Nyla praised, feeling a sense of relief wash over her.Turning
Damon's expression was icy, his voice devoid of emotion. "You must be mistaken.""I'm serious! I didn't have time to take a picture because I was in a hurry, but I swear you'd be shocked if you saw this kid. I even wonder if he could be your long-lost son!" the other party exclaimed."If that's all, I'm hanging up," Damon said."Wait, wait, wait... About the amusement park project that Prospectus Technology is bidding on—any chance I can still get in on that?" the other party asked."Come to the branch office tomorrow," Damon replied curtly.Then, he hung up. Just as he was about to set the phone down, another call came in.He glanced at the screen and saw it was from Erin. His expression darkened, but after a moment of thought, he answered. "What is it?""Damon, forget what I said the other day. Since you're not ready for marriage, I won't push you. Besides, my career is taking off right now. We can talk about marriage later, okay?" Erin proposed.Damon remained silent. In tru
Realizing that she hadn't spent much time with Mason over the past few years, Nyla decided to take two weeks off to be with him.After arranging her leave, she returned to the hospital room, where Pauline quickly stood up. "Ms. Kinsey, Buddy said he wanted some soup. There's no time to cook it now, so I'll grab some from the eateries by the hospital. Do you want anything?""I'll have the same as Buddy. Have you eaten yet?" Nyla asked."I already ate. I'll go get breakfast now," Pauline replied.Nyla sat down next to Mason and felt his forehead. His fever had gone down, and she finally felt a sense of relief. "Buddy, is there anything you want to do or anywhere you'd like to go? Mommy has the next two weeks free, so I can spend time with you."Mason's eyes lit up for a moment but quickly dimmed as he lowered his head. "Mommy, you don't have to take time off just for me. I..."Nyla gently held his small hand, her voice soft. "Buddy, Mommy works hard so that I can spend time with yo
Luca caught a glimpse of Mason's profile and felt a strange sense of familiarity. He couldn't quite place where he had seen it before. Before he could look closer, Nyla had already put the mask on Mason.Standing up, Nyla faced Damon, trying to appear calm. "Mr. Sumner, Mr. Fleming, what a coincidence."Damon nodded. "The company has an amusement park project, so we're here to do some research."As he spoke, his eyes drifted to Mason, whom Nyla was holding by the hand.Mason looked up at him, and for a brief moment, their eyes met.Damon felt an odd, indescribable sensation. He usually didn't care for children, finding them a hassle, but there was something about Mason that stirred none of his usual annoyance."This child…" he began to say.Nyla instinctively pulled Mason behind her but quickly realized how overprotective she was being. She forced a smile to maintain her composure. "He's my son. He's a bit shy... Well, since you're here on business, I won't hold you up. Goodbye.
That was the first time Mason had seen his mother angry. Although the kids and their parents had apologized afterward, the incident had left a shadow in his heart. He wished he had a father—someone who could handle these situations instead of leaving it all to Nyla.Oliver had always been kind to him, and Mason thought he wouldn't mind if Oliver became his father. But deep down, what he truly wanted was his real father.Seeing that stern-faced man at the amusement park today, Mason had felt a strange connection.He thought they looked alike.When Nyla had suddenly made him put on a mask, he had noticed the emotion in her eyes—it had reminded him of the guilty look the kids in kindergarten had after doing something wrong.That's when Mason began to wonder whether he might actually be that stern man's son.Nyla turned around, her expression tense. "Buddy... why would you ask that? I told you before, your dad went somewhere far away...""Then why were you so scared when you saw tha
Spencer: [Ms. Kinsey, Luca just told me you have a child.]Nyla stared blankly at the message for several minutes before finally replying.Nyla: [Location.]After ensuring Mason was asleep around 9:00 p.m., Nyla asked Pauline to stay with him before getting dressed to go out."Ms. Kinsey, where are you going so late?" Pauline asked."I have some things to handle at the lab. I'll try to be back before midnight," Nyla replied.Pauline nodded. "Okay, just be careful."…By the time Nyla arrived at the agreed-upon location with Spencer, it was close to 10:00 p.m.Entering the restaurant, she spotted Spencer waving at her. Her expression hardened as she walked over to sit across from him."Mr. Hogg, I'm here. You can tell me what you want now," she said directly.Spencer was taken aback by the Nyla before him—so different from five years ago.While her features hadn't changed much, she now radiated confidence and composure. Dressed in a luxury tailored suit and silk blouse, she
After saying that, Nyla stood up and left.Once her figure disappeared from view, Spencer dialed a number. "Find out which kindergarten Nyla's son attends and get a photo for me."Although Nyla insisted that the child had nothing to do with Damon, Spencer felt he needed to verify it himself for peace of mind. If the child truly wasn't related to Damon, he wouldn't bother her again.After leaving the restaurant, Nyla calmed down and immediately called Oliver."Oliver, I need a favor," she said.…For the next several days, Nyla focused on spending time with Mason and didn't concern herself with anything else.On the last day of her break, while practicing writing with Mason, she received a call from Edgar asking her to attend a dinner the following night.Nyla frowned. "Professor, you promised me before that you wouldn't schedule dinner events for me. I've made it clear I just want to focus on my research."Sensing her cold tone, Edgar quickly reassured, "Nyla, this dinner is w
"So I should give up my career just to avoid an ugly situation because you don't want me near Damon?" Nyla smiled, but her eyes were icy. "Ms. Hulle, don't you think your ego is a bit inflated?"Erin's expression darkened. "I didn't expect you to become so sharp-tongued after five years. But have you considered that your sharp tongue might hurt those around you?"A hint of sarcasm flashed in Nyla's eyes. "Ms. Hulle, has your romantic life made you foolish? This is Capitarnia, not Saintornia. Our lab has numerous research achievements, and any one of them would attract countless investors. Do you really think the Hulles can control everything in this country?"Nyla was baffled by Erin's audacity to claim she could easily bring down their lab. Had she even researched who was backing them?"Hah! What good is talking big? I'm giving you one last chance. If you don't leave voluntarily, whatever happens next won't be something I can control!" Erin warned."Idiot!" Nyla muttered.She di