As soon as Aubrey Jane Keith spotted Nyla, she set down her coffee and waved her over with a smile. "Nyla, over here!"Nyla sat down across from her. "Ms. Keith, I'm sorry for being late. There was traffic."Aubrey Jane looked at her with a warm gaze, as if she were a younger family member. "No problem! I'm not busy today. What made you want to meet for coffee?"Noticing Nyla's hesitance, Aubrey Jane grew more intrigued. "What's wrong? It's rare to see you like this."Taking a deep breath, Nyla replied, "Ms. Keith, I actually wanted to ask for your help."Surprised, Aubrey Jane raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"It must be important for Nyla to bring it up to her.They had met at a drug research conference, where Nyla had saved Aubrey Jane after she fainted due to low blood sugar. As they got to know each other better, Aubrey Jane grew fond of Nyla. They not only shared interests but also similar life experiences.Aubrey Jane had struggled in her younger days while raising her so
With that thought in mind, Erin looked at Aubrey Jane with growing eagerness. "Ms. Keith, are you here shopping?"Aubrey Jane smiled, but her gaze was noticeably distant. "No, I'm here to meet a friend. Ms. Hulle, if there's nothing else, I have a meeting soon. Let's chat another time."Seeing her about to leave, Erin quickly spoke up. "Ms. Keith, I heard that the Keithstone Group has a resort project, and the partnership hasn't been finalized yet—"Aubrey Jane interrupted her with a polite smile, "Ms. Hulle, we just confirmed our partner for the project. I'm sorry. We'll work with the Hulle Group if there's a chance next time."Erin stood frozen for a few seconds, trying to process what she had just heard. "Ms. Keith, may I ask which company you're partnering with?"A flash of displeasure crossed Aubrey Jane's expression. "I'm afraid that information is not convenient to share right now, Ms. Hulle. Goodbye."Once Aubrey Jane disappeared from view, Erin quickly realized she neede
Damon narrowed his eyes, about to speak, when Erin quickly said, "I won't disturb you then. Remember to drink the soup on the table and don't work too hard."She turned and hurried out, her steps frantic, as if something were chasing her.Damon's gaze grew colder as he watched her leave. Regardless of Erin's consent, he was determined to end their engagement.Spencer walked in with some documents, and Damon instructed, "Forget about the Keithstone Group resort project proposal."Spencer was taken aback. "Mr. Sumner, we've been preparing that proposal for over half a month, and it's nearly finished. Besides—""The Keithstone Group has already confirmed their partner," Damon stated.Spencer swallowed the rest of his words and nodded. "Understood."As he left the office, he informed another secretary to stop working on the proposal when his phone rang. Seeing it was Richard, he tightened his grip on the phone and frowned.Why was Richard contacting him out of the blue?Spencer we
Oliver's gaze darkened as he replied, "Got it. I'll head over right now."The expressions of the shareholders turned grim. It was clear that these business partners were here to discuss terminating contracts."Mr. Raynor, if you can't persuade the partners to change their minds, you should resign today, or I'll contact your father to see if it's time for him to consider replacing you with someone more suitable!" one of the shareholders threatened.Oliver's gaze turned icy as he glared at the shareholder who had spoken.The man was momentarily intimidated, his face paling slightly, but he quickly regained his composure and retorted, "Mr. Raynor, looking at me like that won't help! I'm doing this for the good of the company!""Honestly, I've always known these rich heirs don't know how to do business. Letting them take over the company would be a disaster!""Right? We're only here because we don't hold as many shares as he does.""If this keeps up, I might consider selling my shar
As Fred listened to the others praise him while criticizing Oliver, he felt immense satisfaction. Over the past few years, Oliver had done an admirable job running the company, and Fred had not found an opportunity to unseat him as CEO.With this latest mistake, Fred was determined to take advantage of the situation and claim the position for himself.No... He intended to make the Raynor Group change its name to Burridge!"I can help the company through this crisis," Fred said. "But if Mr. Raynor has another impulsive moment that harms the company's interests, there might not be anyone to cover for him next time.""Mr. Raynor did lead the company through significant growth in the past, but someone who would jeopardize the company's survival over a woman is unfit to be a leader. Don't you all agree?"The shareholders, no fools themselves, quickly understood that Fred wanted to replace Oliver.With Fred's 30% stake, he was indeed the most viable candidate to succeed Oliver as CEO
Oliver frowned. "Dad, let me explain. I—""Shut up!" Hugh snapped, cutting him off. "I'm here to clean up the mess you made. Since you clearly lack the ability to manage the Raynor Group, it's better to let someone more competent take over than to watch you destroy the company."Oliver stared at his father in disbelief, unable to process what he was hearing."I've worked hard for the company these past few years, and you're kicking me out over one mistake?" he asked, his voice heavy with frustration.A flicker of emotion crossed Hugh's face before he turned away, his expression hardening."If this were just a simple investment failure, I wouldn't be so severe. But the fact that you caused such heavy losses over a woman is something I absolutely cannot tolerate!" Hugh said.The room fell into an uneasy silence. The shareholders, stunned by the intensity of the confrontation, held their breath. Most had only suggested Oliver resign in the heat of frustration, hoping to give him a
When Oliver received Nyla's call, he was in the middle of packing up his personal belongings. Despite working at the Raynor Group for five years, there wasn't much that was solely his.His voice, as always, was gentle. "Nyla, what's wrong? Shouldn't you be in the lab right now?"Nyla felt a sting in her nose, and her voice grew hoarse. "Oliver, did you get forced out of the Raynor Group because of me?"Although she tried to keep her emotions in check, Oliver could still hear the slight tremble in her voice, as if she were on the verge of tears.He remained silent for a couple of seconds before replying softly, "This has nothing to do with you. I've been wanting to take a break for a while, and now's as good a time as any.""Liar!" Nyla snapped.She wasn't naive. She knew how much effort and ambition he had poured into his work—things he never openly shared.Taking a deep breath, Nyla spoke softly but firmly. "Oliver, I'm sorry. This is my fault. I'll find a way to make it right.
As soon as Gerrard finished speaking, he felt the temperature in the room drop several degrees.Damon's expression had darkened noticeably.Still, Gerrard asked, "You really don't remember anything? Nyla was your nephew's wife. Even if you don't remember her name, surely her face should have left an impression."Nyla was beautiful—the kind of beauty that was hard to forget. Although Gerrard had only met her once, her image remained vivid in his mind.Damon's face grew colder as he tried to recall the name and face of Clark's ex-wife. Yet, his mind was blank.In his memory, Clark had brought his wife to family gatherings after their marriage, but right now, he couldn't recall a single detail about the woman. Even the events of Clark's marriage and divorce felt hazy.Damon had never been close to Clark.After Damon's car accident, Richard had sent Clark abroad for some mistake, and Damon had stopped paying attention to him. He had only learned about Clark's divorce much later. Sin