Seeing Mason's pale face, Nyla lost her will to scold him. After all, the root of the issue was her decision to hide Damon from Mason, which led him to seek out Damon for confirmation."Let's go," she said, taking Mason's hand and turning to leave with Oliver.…Back on the top floor, Damon stared icily at Spencer. "So you've been investigating Nyla and her child these past few days because you suspect Buddy might be mine?"Spencer bit his lip, realizing he could no longer hide the truth. He nodded slowly. "Yes...""Just because he looks like me, you think he's my child? You've been with me for years—you know better than anyone who I've been involved with," Damon demanded.His piercing gaze held Spencer in place, giving him no chance to escape.Damon had indeed connected the dots regarding Spencer's investigation, suspecting that Mason might be his son. Yet, he was sure he didn't know Nyla—she had never been part of his life.Suddenly, a thought struck Damon. He remembered the
Oliver dropped Nyla and Mason off at home.Noticing Nyla's pale face and the lingering fear in her eyes, he spoke softly. "Nyla, don't think too much about it. You got scared today. Just rest, and we can talk about everything tomorrow."Nyla forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm sorry for taking up so much of your time today. You should get back to work."She had initially told Oliver not to come because she remembered he had meetings, but the day had stretched much longer than she had expected.Seeing the fleeting guilt in her eyes, Oliver replied firmly, "Nyla, you and Buddy are important to me. It's not an inconvenience.""I know, but I don't want to be a burden. Being together should mean supporting each other, not just you helping me all the time," Nyla said.Oliver felt a mix of frustration and sympathy. He thought Nyla was struggling to accept his support because she hadn't fully accepted him. After the scare she had had today, he didn't want to pressure her further."We'll talk abo
Mason dropped the cutlery he was holding, staring blankly at Nyla."Buddy, when I told you that your dad passed away, it was because he and I separated. But he never wanted to abandon you—he didn't even know you existed. Now that you know the truth, you can choose to stay with me or go to him," Nyla explained.As Mason began to understand, Nyla gave him the choice. After all, for a child who had never experienced a father's love, it was natural for him to want a dad.Ever since Mason started kindergarten, she had realized she couldn't replace that role, which was why she had considered trying with Oliver—she wanted to give Mason a complete family.Nyla expected Mason to think it over, but instead, his lips trembled, and he burst into tears."Mom, do you not want me anymore?" he cried.Taken aback, Nyla found it somewhat amusing. She quickly got up, wiped his tears, and squatted beside him, gently saying, "How could you think that? Mommy loves you the most."Through his sobs, Mas
Meeting Damon's accusing gaze, Nyla felt a strange sense of amusement. He had been the one to force himself on her back then, and now, with his memory gone, he had taken on the role of the victim?"Mr. Sumner, you claim Buddy is your child. What evidence do you have?" she asked.Damon's demeanor turned icy. "The fact that he looks almost exactly like me is proof enough."Nyla smiled. "But a judge won't rule you as Buddy's father based solely on that."Her sarcastic smile darkened Damon's expression. He grabbed her hand, his eyes cold. "Nyla, do I need to show you the paternity test results before you'll admit it?"Nyla pulled her hand away. "Mr. Sumner, if you had a paternity test, you wouldn't be here talking to me. You'd be at the courthouse filing a lawsuit, wouldn't you?"Damon fell silent for a few moments, his voice tight with anger. "Don't worry, you'll soon receive a subpoena. I won't let my child stay with a manipulative woman like you!"Nyla's hands clenched at her sid
In the next moment, Damon pushed Nyla away, his expression dripping with disdain. "Ms. Kinsey, even if you're throwing yourself at me, I won't let you off easily."Nyla's face flushed with anger.Throwing herself at him? What gave him the impression that she wanted to seduce him?She raised an eyebrow and gave him a once-over.Her scrutinizing gaze made Damon frown instinctively, his face darkening even further."Mr. Sumner, not a single part of you meets my standards, and your temper is dreadful. Rest assured, even if every other man on Earth disappeared, I wouldn't be interested in you," Nyla declared.Damon let out a cold laugh. "A man like Oliver is definitely more suitable for you. After all, he's someone who bends to your every whim."He couldn't understand how someone as successful as Oliver could fall for a woman like her.Nyla's expression hardened. "You have no right to judge Oliver.""Oh? Just one comment and you're so protective of him. It seems you really do like
Soon after, Nyla dismissed the idea of marrying Oliver just to prevent Damon from taking Mason. It wouldn't be fair to Oliver at all.No matter what, she refused to hand Mason over to Damon.…In the following days, Damon did not appear before Nyla again. Rather than feeling relieved, her mood grew heavier.On Friday, as the workday came to a close, Nyla had a premonition and felt increasingly restless.Her anxiety peaked when she received a call from Pauline, who informed her that Mason was not at kindergarten and that he had been picked up by his father.Nyla was taken aback. She forced herself to stay calm, replying, "I understand. You go home first. I know where he is."After hanging up, her hands trembled as she dialed Damon's number.She called several times, but he deliberately ignored her. Gritting her teeth, she continued to try.Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he answered."What is it?" Damon asked."Damon, where have you taken Buddy?! Bring him back imm
Damon's expression darkened significantly. "If it weren't for you hiding Buddy's existence, I wouldn't have missed these years of his growth."Nyla, your selfishness is the reason it took us this long to find each other. I won't hand my child over to a woman as selfish as you!""You have no right to call me selfish! Since you won't return Buddy to me, we have nothing more to discuss. I'll see you in court!" With that, Nyla turned and left.Damon glared at her retreating figure, filled with disgust and anger. He had never encountered such an ungrateful woman.His phone rang, and he picked it up to see that it was Spencer."Mr. Sumner… Buddy has been crying for Ms. Kinsey and refuses to eat anything. His eyes are swollen," Spencer informed him.Damon's expression remained taut and cold. "Let him starve if he doesn't want to eat!""But if he keeps crying like this, it's not going to help…" Spencer tried to reason.After a moment of silence, Damon replied coldly, "I'll be there rig
Nyla scoffed. "Damon took my son without my consent and now wants to fight me for custody? He's dreaming!"Gerrard adjusted his glasses and handed her a document from his briefcase."Ms. Kinsey, this is the paternity test report showing that Mason Kinsey and Mr. Damon Sumner are father and son. He has the right to contest custody," he said.Nyla didn't take the document. Instead, she looked at Gerrard with a poker face. "That paternity test was done without my consent. I won't acknowledge it!"Gerrard remained calm. "Ms. Kinsey, this paternity test holds legal validity. My client is prepared to file a lawsuit. Of course, it would be best to resolve this peacefully, but if that's not possible, he will have to pursue legal action."Regardless, Damon was determined to fight Nyla for custody of Mason.Nyla nodded. "Fine, let him file a lawsuit."With that, she walked past Gerrard and left.Gerrard called Damon to update him. "Mr. Sumner, Ms. Kinsey still refuses to agree. It seems
Valarie widened her eyes in surprise. "Alright, but there are a lot of questions here. It might take me a day or two to finish. You're not in a hurry, are you?""No rush, but the sooner, the better. I really appreciate your help," Damon said.Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, Valarie smiled. "It's no trouble at all. I'm happy to help with the wedding preparations."After parting ways with Damon, Valarie returned to her office.As soon as she sat down, her phone rang. It was Brandon."Valarie, what did my uncle want? Did he give you a hard time?" he asked.Hearing the tension in his voice, Valarie set the file down. "Why would you think he would give me a hard time?"There was a brief silence before Brandon spoke again, his voice low. "I was worried he might blame you for my decision to leave the Sumner Group.""You're overthinking it. He asked me to help with something unrelated. If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up," Valarie replied."Valarie—" Brandon began.Before he co
Damon lowered his head to look at Mason and took the drawing from his hands.The picture showed a family of four—him, Nyla, Mason, and a little girl—standing under a bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds.Damon smiled and pointed to the little girl in the drawing. "Who's this?""That's my little sister. I hope Mommy gives me a baby sister," Mason said earnestly."What if it's a baby brother instead?" Damon asked.Mason paused, then nodded confidently. "If it's a brother, I'll protect him too."Damon's smile deepened at Mason's innocent expression. "Well, it looks like our Buddy is growing up. You're already thinking about protecting your little sibling.""Daddy, when are you and Mommy going to give me a little sibling?" Mason asked."Soon. It won't be long now," Damon answered.Mason's eyes widened with excitement. "Really? Daddy, you're not lying to me, are you?""Of course not. When have I ever lied to you?" Damon asked.Mason huffed. "You've lied to me plenty of times.
"I've got it. You can let go. I promise I won't drop it," Stefan's roommate reassured him.Stefan's fingers tightened briefly before he slowly released his grip. "Yeah."His roommate carried the cake over to the others, calling them to share. He kept a piece for Stefan.That piece remained untouched until Stefan went to bed.…Over the next few days, Brandon appeared at the Weir Group every day. Sometimes, he brought food; other times, flowers.Valarie was beyond annoyed. She'd told him repeatedly to stop pestering her, but he refused to listen. Eventually, she ignored him altogether.On Friday evening, Valarie spotted Brandon's car parked by the curb as soon as she stepped out of the office.By then, she was used to seeing him there. She walked directly to her car, pretending he didn't exist.Just as she reached it, Brandon called out from behind, "Valarie."Valarie pressed her lips together and turned to face him. "What do you want?""Valarie, are you free tonight?" he ask
As Stefan stared at the candle, an unreadable emotion flickered in his eyes. He pressed his hands together, closed his eyes, and made a wish.After a moment, he opened his eyes and blew out the candle. "Thank you, Veevee.""No need to thank me. But I'm curious—what did you wish for?" Valarie asked.Stefan smiled. "If I tell you, it won't come true, right?""Fair enough. Here, this is your birthday present," Valarie said.When Stefan saw the black box she handed him, he looked surprised. "Isn't the present all those clothes?""Those were just extras. This is the real gift," Valarie replied.Stefan hesitated, taking the box. "Can I open it now?"Valarie nodded. "Of course."He carefully untied the ribbon and lifted the lid. As soon as he saw what was inside, shock flashed across his face."This is..." he murmured.Inside the box was a key."I bought you an apartment near the university. That way, you won't have to stay in the dorms anymore," Valarie explained.Stefan immedia
Michelle reached for her phone on the table.Just before her fingers could brush it, Jayden's hand shot out faster, snatching it away.She looked up at Jayden, her teary eyes flashing with defiance. "Give me back my phone!"Jayden took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "Michelle, it's not too late to stop. If you really did send Stefan to get close to Valarie, then tell him to back off."Michelle nodded. "Fine. No matter what I say, you won't believe me. So, let's say I did send him. What are you going to do? Tell Brandon?"Jayden fell silent, unsure of how to respond. Before coming here, he hadn't even considered what he would do if Michelle was behind this.Would he tell Brandon? Or pretend he didn't know?"Whether you were behind this or not, you need to call Stefan and tell him to stop seeing Valarie. If Brandon finds out about your relationship, he won't believe anything you say again," Jayden warned.Michelle's eyes filled with disappointment. "So, you don't believe me eith
It usually took Stefan ten minutes to walk from the dorm to the school gate, but today, he made it in just five.The moment he saw Valarie, a wave of happiness surged inside him.He knew it now. He had truly fallen for her."I had some errands nearby and happened to pass by your school. Then I remembered I still had something to give you," Valarie explained.Stefan raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What is it?""You'll find out later. Let's eat first," she suggested.Stefan nodded. "Okay."…Neither Valarie nor Stefan noticed Jayden, who had secretly taken a photo of them from a distance.Behind Jayden, Yale frowned. "Jayden, isn't it a bit inappropriate to secretly take photos of Valarie?"Jayden glanced at him. "What's wrong with it? She's the one sneaking around on Brandon, having dinner with another man. I'm just taking a picture. What's the big deal?""But Valarie and Brandon broke up. She's free to date whoever she wants now. Besides... that guy could be her younger bro
"What's up?" Jayden asked."You free for dinner tonight?" Yale invited.Jayden checked his schedule—no meetings, no social engagements.Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "Who else is coming?""Just the two of us," Yale replied."Alright, send me the details," Jayden said.…That evening, Jayden pulled up in front of a high-end restaurant in Saintornia.As he stepped out of his car, Yale's voice came from the side. "Jayden, what a coincidence. We arrived at the same time."Jayden looked over, then waited for Yale to catch up before they walked inside together.Once seated in a private room, Jayden studied Yale. "You asked me to dinner alone. There must be something you want to talk about."Yale chuckled. "Can't hide anything from you. Let's order first."After placing their orders and the server left, Yale leaned back and met Jayden's gaze. "What's your plan with Michelle and Brandon? Are you really trying to set them up?"Jayden's fingers tightened slightly around his glass. H
At present, nothing mattered to Brandon except Valarie. If Jayden insisted on forcing him to see Michelle, their friendship might not survive.Yale nodded. "Got it. I'll mention it, but I won't push it if he doesn't listen."He and Nolan had a clear view of the situation and weren't planning on getting too involved. They didn't want to end up stuck in the middle, trying to please both sides and failing.…The news of Brandon stepping down as CEO of the Sumner Group spread quickly through Saintornia.As soon as Michelle heard about it, she called Jayden."Jayden, I just saw online that Brandon resigned as CEO of the Sumner Group. What's going on?" Her voice trembled with worry.There was a brief silence on the other end before Jayden responded in a low voice. "I don't know yet. I'll ask around.""Jayden, do you think it's because of that exposé you had someone post online? Maybe you should have them take it down. I want to see him, but I don't want him to leave the Sumner Group
Valarie opened the door and stepped out.After she left, Brandon pulled out his phone and dialed Yale. "Got time for a drink tonight?""Sure. But last I checked, Valarie keeps a tight leash on you. You sure you can go drinking?" Yale asked.Hearing the teasing in Yale's voice, Brandon lowered his gaze. "She doesn't care what I do anymore."She didn't even want him now, so why would she care if he went out drinking?"Alright then. I'll call Nolan and Jayden. You and Jayden need to settle your beef anyway. You two fighting online all the time is just making people laugh at you," Yale grunted.Brandon frowned. "If you invite him, I'm not going. I don't want to see him."If Jayden showed up, the first thing he'd do was try to convince him to see Michelle. And right now, just hearing her name annoyed him.If it weren't for Michelle, things wouldn't have spiraled so far between him and Valarie."Fine, fine. I won't call him. See you at the usual place," Yale said."Yeah," Brandon h