Damon glanced at Brandon coolly as he replied, "You're not seeing things. This is my son.""Your son?! Since when did you have a kid this old?!" Brandon exclaimed.He stared at Mason in shock before his gaze shifted to Nyla. His brow furrowed as he suddenly recognized her. "Wait... you are... Nyla Jayston?!"Brandon had only met Nyla a few times before. Since he wasn't great with faces, he hadn't formed much of an impression of her, especially after learning that she had fallen into the sea.If it weren't for the fact that Nyla was Valarie's close friend—and he had been pursuing Valarie for five years, knowing she visited Nyla's grave every year on her birthday—he probably would have forgotten about her completely.Nyla was surprised he remembered her and smiled. "Hello, Mr. Brandon.""Hello, hello!" Brandon replied, but as he spoke, a realization struck him.His eyes widened as he turned to look at Damon. It took him a moment to recover. "Uncle Damon, you really kept this under
Seeing Damon's confident demeanor, clearly having a plan in mind, Brandon finally felt a sense of relief."Okay, I get it. But Clark and Uncle Cyrus have gone too far. They'll do anything to get their hands on the Sumner Group," he grumbled.Damon remained indifferent, commenting, "It's not surprising. People will risk everything for money. If they don't bring me down, they'll never get the Sumner Group."Even though Damon was right, Brandon still believed that Cyrus and Clark were far too ruthless. If Clark hadn't cheated back then, he wouldn't have been kicked out of the Sumner Group. Meanwhile, Brandon wouldn't have had the chance to become the company's CEO.If one wanted something, one should work for it. Trying to take the easy way out would only lead to self-destruction.After wrapping up their conversation, Brandon lingered for a little while longer before leaving.Later, after putting Mason to bed, Nyla came downstairs to get some water.Seeing only Damon sitting on the
Valarie figured the woman Brandon mentioned was probably just a stand-in Damon had found to replace Nyla.She didn't care how Damon regained his memory after losing it for five years—what he was doing was clearly an insult to Nyla. She wasn’t going to let this go easily.Brandon wasn’t surprised by Valarie’s reaction. After all, if someone suddenly told him that a person who had been dead for years was still alive, his first reaction would be disbelief too."Valarie, I’m not joking. I really—" he tried to explain.Before he could finish, the call ended abruptly. When he tried to call back, he saw that the line was busy.Brandon frowned, thought for a moment, and turned his car around. He drove straight to Valarie’s place. Since she didn’t believe him, he was going to take her to see Nyla himself.…After hanging up, Valarie tore off her face mask and took several deep breaths to calm herself down. She quickly changed into an outfit and drove off.Not long after leaving her hous
Brandon clenched his jaw, resolute. "Uncle Damon, Valarie really misunderstood. You're the bigger person here. Don't hold a grudge against her."Valarie broke free from Brandon's grip, stepping forward to face Damon again."I don't need his forgiveness. Even if it costs me my life today, I'm going to get justice for Nyla!" she snapped.Damon let out a cold laugh. "Justice? What do you think you know?"Realizing Damon's fury, Brandon quickly grabbed Valarie's arm, saying, "Valarie, you've really misunderstood. That woman is Nyla. It's my fault for calling you earlier—I should have told you in person. Hurry and apologize to my uncle!"Valarie shook off his hand, her tone icy. "Why should I apologize? Fine, if you say that woman is Nyla, then bring her out right now! I want to see just how much she looks like the real deal!"As her words fell, the temperature around them seemed to drop sharply.Brandon didn't dare look at Damon. Nonetheless, he suppressed his fear and sneaked a gla
"I don't want to hear it!" Valarie shouted. "I thought we were best friends, but you treated me like this."Seeing Nyla alive and well in front of her was initially exciting.However, as the reality sank in—that Nyla had hidden the truth from her for five years, causing her so much pain—a wave of disappointment washed over her.She realized she had been the only one suffering all this time while Nyla was alive and well, even back with Damon.Valarie felt like a joke. Nyla was already with Damon, and here she was, foolishly seeking justice for her.Not wanting to look at Nyla any longer, Valarie turned and quickly walked to her car.Once inside, she slammed the gas pedal and sped away.Brandon hurriedly jumped into his car to chase after her.Nyla bit her lip, instinctively glancing at Damon, who had remained silent. To her surprise, she noticed a red handprint on his cheek.Upon realizing it was from Valarie, guilt flashed in Nyla's eyes. "Mr. Sumner, I'm so sorry... I didn't
Damon nodded with a hum.The two fell into silence.Nyla put away the ice pack and looked up at Damon. "Mr. Sumner, could you give me Brandon's contact information?"Damon narrowed his eyes. "What do you need his number for?""I'm worried about Valarie… I want to check if he's caught up with her," Nyla explained.Seeing the worry and guilt in Nyla's eyes, Damon reassured her, "Don't worry. With him there, Valarie will be fine.""I'd still like his contact number. I can only relax once I know Valarie is okay," Nyla insisted.Damon frowned and was about to speak when his phone suddenly rang.Upon seeing Brandon's name on the screen, his eyes turned cold, and he took a moment to answer."Uncle Damon, can you send Aunt Nyla over?" Brandon's anxious voice came through. "I caught up with Valarie, but her emotions are really unstable right now. She's locked herself in the car and won't come out."I think Aunt Nyla needs to come over and clear up the misunderstanding between them."
Nyla grabbed Valarie's hand and tried to explain."Valarie, I didn't mean to hide this from you. There's so much going on behind the scenes," she said.Valarie pulled her hand away. "What kind of hardship could justify lying to me all these years?"Taking a deep breath, Nyla slowly recounted her experiences over the past few years.As Valarie listened, her anger gradually shifted to surprise and heartache.In the end, she hugged Nyla and cried. "I'm sorry. I misunderstood you."Nyla, also in tears, returned the embrace. "I'm the one who should apologize."Watching the misunderstanding between the two women clear up, Brandon finally breathed a sigh of relief.He turned to Damon and said, "Uncle Damon, thank you for bringing Aunt Nyla over."Damon frowned. "Didn't I tell you? She's not your aunt."Brandon glanced at him. "Uncle Damon, don't you like her?""Why would I like her?" Damon replied.Noticing Damon's frown, Brandon couldn't help but chuckle. "If you don't like her,
Damon listened to Luca a while longer before slamming his phone against the wall, his expression icy.The next morning, as Nyla came downstairs, she sensed an unusual atmosphere in the villa.Lydia, who usually greeted her with a smile, was busy in the kitchen and barely acknowledged her with a quick wave.Even Maddie, who often made sarcastic remarks, didn't glance her way at all today.After sitting down at the table with Mason, Nyla was about to greet Damon when he abruptly stood and left without even looking at her.Watching his cold retreat, she bit her lip, a hint of confusion flickering in her eyes.What was going on with Damon? Was he still upset about last night?As Damon exited, the oppressive atmosphere in the living room lightened, and it felt noticeably warmer.Mason, oblivious to the strange vibe, looked up at Nyla and whined, "Mommy, I want the pancakes you make. Can you make some for me?"Suppressing her worries, Nyla nodded. "Sure, I'll make them right now. Yo