Nyla lifted her head to speak, but Clark grabbed her hand and smiled. "Grandma, we're working on it!"Nyla tried to pull her hand away, but Clark's grip was too tight.If he wouldn't let her be, she wouldn't make it easy for him either. She turned to Marie. "Grandma, I'm looking for a job right now, so having children might have to wait."The room fell silent.Clark's grip on Nyla's hand tightened painfully, and she winced.Damon glanced at Clark's hand on Nyla, noticing the bulging veins, then looked away indifferently.Clark’s aunt, Anne Sumner, sneered. "Nyla, don't blame me for being blunt. You've been married for years. How can you not have a child yet? If it weren't for Clark insisting on marrying you, do you think your family could have ever married into the Sumners?"You should be grateful. If you don't want to have Clark's child, there are plenty of women who do. If someone else steps in, you’ll be the one looking foolish."Besides, Anne thought, "Who knows if Nyla is
Clark stiffened abruptly, his expression darkening instantly. He tightened his grip on Nyla's chin before slowly releasing her and turning to face Damon.Meeting Damon's amused gaze, Clark forced a smile. "No. Uncle Damon, did you need something?"Damon smiled. "Your grandma sent me to call you both for dinner.""Thank you, Uncle Damon.""No trouble at all. But remember, this is the family home. Be mindful of your actions." As Damon spoke, he briefly glanced at the red mark on Nyla's chin, mockery evident in his gaze.Seeing Damon's eyes linger on Nyla, Clark frowned and stepped in front of her. "I understand, Uncle Damon."His tone and expression were not pleasant, and his gaze toward Damon betrayed a hint of wariness.Damon smirked and casually looked away. "Alright, let's go eat."After Damon left, Clark reached out for Nyla's hand, but she dodged him, walking away without a backward glance.Clark quickly caught up, gripping her hand firmly. "Behave, or I'll talk to your fa
Clark grabbed his phone, glaring at the message with a dark expression. He and Jordyn had always used protection, so either she was lying, or she had tampered with the condoms. Either way, it crossed a line for Clark.He called her directly. "Where are you right now?"Jordyn felt a pang of bitterness when she heard the anger in his voice. "Clark, I'm pregnant. Aren't you happy at all?"Clark let out a cold laugh. "Are you sure it's mine?""Clark, you're the only man I've ever been with. Wouldn't you know better if it's yours or not?"Her tone was accusatory, with a hint of grievance, but Clark just felt annoyed."Get rid of it."The only woman he wanted to have children with was Nyla. Women like Jordyn, who threw themselves at him, were just for fun. He never took them seriously."No, this is our child. I'm keeping it."Clark frowned in irritation. If he had known she was so troublesome, he wouldn't have touched her. "I'm asking one last time, where are you?"There was a brie
Jordyn's sobs stopped abruptly, her eyes filled with grievance. "Clark, my feelings for you are genuine."The thought of her scheming made Clark feel a surge of disgust. "What’s your ‘genuine feelings’ worth?"He pulled out a bank card and tossed it on the table, his expression cold. "There’s 300,000 dollars on this card. Take the money and get an abortion. Otherwise, I’ll have my bodyguards drag you to the hospital. You know what to choose."Jordyn hesitated for a moment, then grabbed the card with trembling hands and ran out of the restaurant in tears.Clark called his bodyguards to make sure they followed her to the hospital, then hung up in frustration. Upon seeing the photo of Nyla on his screen saver, his expression softened. Without much hesitation, he called her.It rang for a long time before she answered."What do you want?"Nyla's cold tone was like a bucket of ice water, instantly cooling Clark's previously warm heart from thinking of her. He clenched his phone tight
Clark froze for a moment and instinctively said, "But you always buy these flowers when you go to the florist."Nyla looked away. Clark had probably forgotten that he had given her Juliet roses the day he confessed. It didn't matter anymore. If he could betray their relationship, it was no surprise that he couldn't remember such a small detail."That was in the past."She walked past him directly to the bedroom. She could feel his gaze on her, but she no longer cared if her words hurt him.After changing clothes and coming downstairs, the housekeeper had already set dinner on the table. "Mr. and Mrs. Sumner, dinner is ready."Nyla nodded and went straight to the table, starting to eat without even glancing at Clark.Clark frowned but said nothing, silently sitting across from her.The housekeeper, Patricia Bambra, noticed the tension between them and guessed they had argued. She picked up the flowers from the coffee table, smiling at Nyla. "Mrs. Sumner, should I arrange these fl
Clark's commanding tone made Nyla instinctively frown. "Whether you agree or not, I'm moving out."Nyla's indifferent tone fueled Clark's anger even more. His voice rose. "Don't forget, your father's medical expenses—"Before he could finish, Nyla coldly interrupted, "Clark, if I remember correctly, your Uncle Elijah's son is returning from studying abroad soon. You wouldn't want your affair to be known to the Sumners at this time, would you?"Elijah Sumner, Clark's second uncle, wasn't very capable, so Richard had invested a lot in Elijah's son. After all, the Sumner Group was so big that they couldn't give everything to Clark.Over the years, Clark had always performed well in front of Richard. Now was a crucial time. He couldn't let Nyla tell Richard about his affair.Nyla had also considered this point in her choice to move out at this time.There was silence on the other end of the phone. After a while, there was a low laugh. "Nyla, I never realized before that you were a ra
On Monday morning at eight sharp, Nyla arrived punctually at Park Pharmaceuticals.The HR completed her onboarding and showed her around the company, familiarizing her with the departments' locations. Afterward, she was escorted to the office of the R&D department manager.The R&D manager, Genevieve Reeve, was a woman in her 40s with a neat short haircut. She was not one to smile easily, giving off a serious vibe."Have a seat," she said after Nyla sat down. "I've reviewed your resume. You achieved quite a bit during your school days, but you haven't been in the lab for the past few years. You'll start as an assistant.""Okay."Genevieve approved of Nyla's calm composure without any hint of dissatisfaction. She liked subordinates who were down-to-earth. So far, Nyla seemed reliable.Genevieve stood up and addressed Nyla. "Let me introduce you to your colleagues."She led Nyla into the R&D department and raised her voice. "Everyone, hold on a moment. We have a new member in our d
Genevieve looked at Nyla. "Have you gained anything in the lab these days?""I've observed that the current focus in the lab is on developing drugs for cardiovascular diseases. The progress of drug development is about 50% complete, and we're preparing for the experimental stage using mice."Upon hearing that, Genevieve's expression brightened slightly, and her gaze toward Nyla carried a hint of approval. "Well done. How about your learning progress with the lab equipment?""It's coming along."On the side, Lucia frowned at Nyla. "Nyla, I know you're eager to conduct experiments, but experiments are serious business. There are several instruments we haven't used recently. How can you say you've almost learned them?"Nyla commented flatly, "I've used these instruments during my university years.""You said it yourself, that was years ago. You haven't been in a lab for quite some time. You need to learn everything again from scratch. We're dealing with drug development here. There'
Mary pulled a document from her bag and handed it to Emerald. "You can check it carefully—it has Edward's signature."Emerald's expression remained cold as she took the papers. Sure enough, Edward's signature was on the last page.She slammed the document onto the table. "I heard Edward's health has been declining. Does he still have the energy to authorize you to attend the meeting?""Of course. After all, Brian lost a leg and can't inherit the Nixons anymore. But Vik is still perfectly fine. As Edward's son, he has every right to the family legacy," Mary announced.Emerald's face twisted with anger. "Mary, if you say one more word about Brian, I'll tear your mouth apart!"Mary chuckled. "Emerald, I'm just stating facts. Why are you so mad?""Shut up!" Emerald hissed.Tension crackled between them, but the other Nixon members quickly grew impatient.Cortez frowned. "Are we holding this meeting or not? If not, I'm leaving. I didn't come here to watch you two argue."Suppressin
Mary looked at Vik expressionlessly. "Of course. He was ready to make you pay for Brian's leg. Do you still see him as your father?"Vik's expression shifted. After a long pause, he finally spoke. "But... he used to treat us well..."Although Vik had been deeply disappointed when he discovered that Edward was willing to sacrifice his leg for Brian's, he still couldn't bring himself to harm his father.Mary let out a cold laugh. "He did treat us well in the past, but didn't we treat him well, too?"She had been with Edward since she was 20, willingly playing the role of the woman he kept outside his marriage. She had once believed that Edward truly loved her.But today, she had come to a painful realization: no matter what, she and Vik would never compare to Brian and Emerald in Edward's heart.Even after Emerald and Brian drugged him and nearly killed him, Edward had chosen to stand by them. If that were the case, then Mary wouldn't hesitate to be ruthless either.Vik couldn't a
The day Vik was locked up was the longest and most agonizing of his life. He no longer wanted to live in constant fear. If they kept fighting with Emerald, they could end up dead.Mary looked at him. "Vik, do you really think Emerald will let us go? Do you think you can hide the truth about Brian's accident forever?"Vik's face went pale, and his entire body trembled. "Mom... I don't know what to do. I don't want to fight anymore. I'm scared."Mary stepped closer, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Vik, look at me."At her commanding tone, Vik summoned the courage to lift his head."The only thing we can do now is fight Emerald and Brian," she said."If we succeed, you'll never have to worry about Brian finding out about the accident because I won't let him live. If we fail, then the outcome will be the same as if we hadn't fought at all."She paused. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Think carefully about whether you want to fight."Vik swallowed hard. After a long
"You!" Edward was so enraged that he fainted on the spot.Mary sat down in a chair, her expression calm as she dialed a number on her phone. "Bring Vik back."Mary had already received word when Vik was taken by Emerald's men. She hadn't acted immediately, planning instead to use the situation to test Edward's feelings toward Emerald.To her surprise, Edward showed no concern for her or Vik.After hanging up, she glanced at Edward, still unconscious on the bed. As she thought about all the years she had spent with him, her gaze grew colder.Soon, the doctor knocked and entered. "Ms. Jewell, did something happen to Mr. Nixon?"Mary looked at the doctor, her voice cold. "From now on, I don't want his health to improve. You know what to do."The doctor's eyes widened in shock, but he quickly nodded. "Understood, Ms. Jewell.""Good. You can go now," she dismissed him.…An hour later, Vik was brought into the hospital room by Mary's men. He took a deep breath and pushed open the
Mary smiled. "Guess."Edward narrowed his eyes and tried to press the nurse's call button, but Mary quickly grabbed his hand to stop him."Edward, don't you think you've been too heartless toward me and Vik?" she asked calmly."Mary, Vik is my son, and so is Brian. If Vik caused Brian to lose a leg, don't you think he should pay for that with his own leg?" Edward shot back."You have two sons. One has already lost a leg. Are you really going to make the other one disabled too? If I were you, I'd make Vik your only heir—train and support him," she countered.Edward scowled. "Call Vik back here first, then we'll talk about the rest."Mary smirked and said slowly, "No need. As long as you're alive, you'll still be able to help me and Vik. How you stay alive, though, doesn't matter."She called out to the door, "Daniel, come in here."Daniel Belcher pushed open the door, looking surprised when he saw Mary holding Edward down on the bed."Ms. Jewell, what's the matter? Why did you
Edward did not believe Mary's explanation. He stared at her blankly, his face expressionless. After managing the Nixons for so many years, his cold gaze carried an undeniable pressure.Mary's anxiety was palpable. She nervously shifted her gaze, unwilling to meet his stare.The silence stretched on until Edward finally broke it, his voice chilling. "If you don't tell me, I'll have someone investigate."Mary panicked. "No! Please, don't!"If anyone discovered that Vik was responsible for Brian's car accident, Vik's life would be ruined. And Edward would never forgive him.But now, Mary had no choice but to tell Edward the truth. If she kept lying, Edward would surely see through it. She was trapped in a no-win situation."Since you don't want me to investigate, then tell me the truth," Edward demanded.Taking a deep breath, Mary hesitated for a long moment before finally giving in. She spoke slowly. "Brian had an accident and lost one of his legs."Edward's eyes widened in shock
Delia stared at Emerald, her eyes wide with disbelief, filled with confusion and helplessness. "I just wanted to move out. When did I say I wanted to sever ties with you?""Moving out is the same as severing ties, isn't it? I told you I wouldn't give you another penny. After you leave, are you really going to stay in contact with me?" Emerald asked.Delia was momentarily choked by Emerald's words. It took her a while to respond. "I just want to become independent, not sever ties with you."Of course, deep down, she also wanted to prove that the man she loved wasn't wrong. She had decided long ago that she would never marry anyone but Andre.Emerald didn't look at her and said nothing further.Delia sat down, continuing to stare at her. "Mom, how did you suddenly collapse and end up in the hospital? Do you have any test results? Let me see them."Emerald's tone remained cold. "Don't worry. I'm not going to die.""Mom, don't say such ominous things!" Delia whined.Emerald pursed
Emerald shook her head, wanting to refuse, but suddenly her vision went black, and she fainted.When she regained consciousness, she found herself in a hospital room. She stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, recalling how she had collapsed in the study earlier.Fully awake now, she sat up slowly and noticed an IV in her arm. She couldn't help but frown.The door to the room opened, and Filipe walked in.When he saw that Emerald had woken up, a look of relief flashed in his eyes. "Madam, you're finally awake! You've been unconscious for an entire day!"Emerald could hardly believe what she was hearing. Her frown intensified, and she asked, "How could I have been unconscious for so long?""The doctor said you've been sleep-deprived for a long time, and with the recent emotional strain, it caused you to cough up blood.“From now on, you need to get at least eight to ten hours of sleep each day, or your health will continue to decline," Filipe explained.Emerald's face darkened
"We'll see how long you can hold out!" Emerald challenged.Delia sneered. "Fine, you said it. Don't go back on your word!""Don't worry, I won't." With that, Emerald turned sharply and walked away.Once in her study, she sank into a chair. Her icy expression slowly turned to one of exhaustion.She had spent years fighting to become the head of the Nixons. But now, one of her children had lost a leg in a plot, and the other was infatuated with a man utterly unworthy of her.For the first time, she felt like a failure.Even though she had finally gained control of the Nixons, what was the point? She was still alone.Lost in thought, Filipe hurriedly knocked and entered. "Madam, Mr. Jayston was secretly taken from the hospital!"Emerald's angry voice echoed. "What were those people at the hospital doing? How could they let him be taken, with so many people watching?"Harrison was her only leverage over Nyla. If he disappeared, she would lose control of Nyla. But, as she considere