Damon looked down at Cyrus and spoke slowly. "Cyrus, you were the one who found the doctor to hypnotize me five years ago, weren't you?"Cyrus stiffened, disbelief flooding his face as he met Damon's gaze. He looked shocked and fearful as he stuttered, "Y-You… regained your memory?"How could this be possible? Maverick Herbert had left the day after Damon rejected Richard. How could Damon have found him?Even if he had, there was no way Maverick could have restored Damon's memory…"I have to thank my dear nephew for that. If he hadn't sent someone to kidnap Nyla, I wouldn't have fallen from the mountain trying to save her and hit my head, triggering all my memories," Damon said.His expression was calm, but Cyrus could sense the tumultuous emotions swirling beneath that calm facade.He gritted his teeth. "Yes… I did find the doctor who hypnotized you, but I did it for your own good…""For my own good?" Damon chuckled softly, but the smile sent chills down Cyrus' spine."Do you
Cindy's lips quivered as she opened her mouth, but she couldn't utter a single word.She hadn't expected Damon to install surveillance cameras in the Sumner residence's living room. Even if she had known, her hatred for him might have driven her to blurt it out intentionally."Damon, everything that's gone wrong is my and Cyrus' fault. We didn't raise Clark properly. If you want revenge, come after us. Please, spare Clark!" Cindy begged.Damon showed no reaction to her pleas, merely saying, "I need to rest. Leave the room within a minute."Cindy and Cyrus froze. They exchanged glances, realizing this was their only chance to save Clark.Cyrus struggled to stand up and addressed Damon, "I have over a million dollars left. I'll give you all of it. I'll persuade Dad to hand over the Sumner Group to you, as long as you let Clark go."Damon remained indifferent, a hint of impatience flickering in his eyes. "Do you really think you have the right to negotiate with me? Those things mean
If Rebecca didn't agree, Nathaniel would simply drug her and send her over.She had tried to escape before, but each time, he had caught her and responded with brutal beatings. After enduring this repeatedly, she gradually became numb to it.She had never imagined that the man who once claimed to love her, who promised never to let her get hurt, would transform into the monster he was now.Over the past five years, she finally understood why Damon hadn't harmed her when he discovered she was responsible for Nyla's fall into the sea. Instead, he had forced her to marry Nathaniel.He truly was ruthless!Rebecca had thought she would be tormented by Nathaniel until her death. She had never expected that Nyla was still alive—not only alive but also the mother of Damon's child!All the built-up resentment and anger over the years surged within her like a tidal wave, nearly drowning her.The remote control smashed against the television screen, creating a spider web of cracks.…Whe
Cindy was so agitated that her words were incredibly harsh as if she were finally releasing all the pent-up emotions of the past few years.Richard was so furious that his face turned purple. He trembled as he pointed at her before collapsing.The maid was taken aback and hurriedly called for a doctor, also contacting Brandon.With Clark missing, Damon unlikely to come, and neither Cyrus nor Cindy attending to Richard, there was no choice but to summon Brandon.…When Brandon arrived, Richard was still in surgery.Cyrus and Cindy were there, their grim expressions revealing little emotion.He greeted them briefly and then turned to the maid. "What happened? Why did Grandpa suddenly faint again?"The maid glanced nervously at Cyrus and Cindy, hesitating to speak.It was easy to infer that Richard's collapse was somehow related to them.Brandon turned to Cyrus. "Uncle Cyrus, what's going on? What did you do to Grandpa?"Cyrus remained silent, his gaze dark. When Richard had
Brandon looked at him coldly. "Even if Grandpa wakes up, he probably won't want to see you.""You have no right to interfere!" Cyrus snapped.Brandon remained silent, scoffing as he turned to leave.Cyrus and Cindy followed him, standing resolutely by the hospital room door and refusing to budge. They even had their meals brought to them.…A few hours after Richard returned to the hospital room, he finally woke up.Cyrus and Cindy quickly surrounded his bedside. "Dad, you're finally awake!"Seeing their enlarged faces, Richard nearly passed out from anger again. "G-Get out... You... get out!"His face was pale, and his words emerged as whispers, lacking any authority due to his weakness."Dad, the doctor said you need to rest and can't get angry anymore. It was all our fault earlier. I promise we won't upset you again," Cyrus pleaded.Realizing he couldn't rid himself of them, Richard simply closed his eyes and pretended he hadn’t heard anything.A cold glint flashed in Cyr
Cyrus and Cindy arrived at Damon's villa, only to be stopped at the door. They tried to force their way in, but the bodyguards pushed them to the ground."Please leave immediately, or I'll call the police," one of them warned.Earlier, Damon had instructed that Cyrus and Cindy were not to be let in if they arrived.Cyrus turned livid. "How dare you stop me! Do you know who I am? I'm Damon's older brother!"The bodyguard remained expressionless. "Sorry, but Mr. Sumner has ordered that you cannot enter. Even if you are Mr. Sumner's father, I only follow Mr. Sumner's orders. If you want to get in, you'll need to contact him and have him give the go-ahead.""Fine! Just wait!" Cyrus snapped before stepping aside to dial Damon's number.It connected, but no one apoke.Beside him, Cindy was frantic, repeatedly asking if he had reached Damon. Her incessant questions only added to Cyrus's agitation.Finally, in a fit of rage, he slammed his phone to the ground and yelled, "You call him
Mockery flashed in Nyla's eyes. "You call being in his 30s young? That's more like being a man-child."If it weren't for Cindy constantly cleaning up Clark's mess, he wouldn't have become increasingly reckless, ultimately resorting to kidnapping others.Cindy continued to plead, "Ms. Kinsey… if you could just let Clark go—"Nyla interrupted her, "I won't let him off. He's currently in police custody, and kidnapping is a criminal offense that can't be dismissed.""All you have to do is write a forgiveness letter, and the judge will definitely show leniency," Cindy insisted."Would you offer that to someone who tried to kill Clark?" Nyla retorted.Cindy froze.After several seconds, she mumbled, "But… you two were once in love and married for a few years… Why act so ruthlessly? He just made a momentary mistake…""Save that for the police. Let's see if they'll believe you," Nyla said, turning away as she left.Cindy wanted to chase after her, but Cyrus stopped her. "It's pointles
Soon, Nyla noticed a person wearing a baseball cap and a mask, both items obscuring their face. The individual left a bouquet of roses at her doorstep and walked away.Nyla frowned and called Oliver, asking if he had sent her the flowers.His voice came through with a hint of laughter. "I've been busy with a merger lately. Looks like I have a rival."Nyla couldn't help but chuckle. "Rival? It might just be a prank.""I'm starting to feel the pressure," Oliver teased."Well, if you're feeling pressured, you should come over for dinner tonight. Buddy and I miss you," Nyla invited."From now on, you should split that last sentence into two," Oliver suggested.Nyla paused, then raised an eyebrow. "Okay, I miss you, and Buddy misses you too."There was silence on the line for a few seconds before Oliver's deep voice replied, "Alright, I'll be there at 6:30 p.m."After hanging up, Nyla's smile gradually faded. If it wasn't Oliver who had sent the flowers, then who was it? Or had the
"I'm not doing anything special. What's up? Aren't you supposed to be in a business meeting? How do you have time to call me?" Valarie asked.Brandon replied, "It's all taken care of. My flight is tonight. Want to meet up?"Valarie raised an eyebrow. "What time will you be back in Saintornia?""A little after 11:00 p.m.," Brandon answered.Valarie shook her head. "That's too late. You've been on a business trip for almost a week. You should just go home and rest."Brandon chuckled. "But I really want to see you. How about this? I'll have my driver stop by your place. We can see each other briefly, and then I'll head home. Sound good?"Valarie considered it. His route home would pass by her neighborhood anyway. "Alright. Just call me when you're close. I'm about to have dinner, so I'll talk to you later. Bye.""Okay," Brandon replied.After hanging up, Valarie entered the restaurant.Stefan had reserved a private dining room, and by the time she arrived, he was already inside.
Michelle hung up after delivering her threat.Stefan stood frozen, his body tense with despair.No matter what he did, it seemed he could never truly escape the Snowdens.If it weren't for them, he wouldn't be able to pay for his mother's treatment. Yet, they were the people he hated most. He despised them.He also despised his mother, Lily. If she had never given birth to him, he wouldn't be trapped in this nightmare, stuck in the mud with no way out.And yet… she was the only person who had ever shown him kindness.That fragile thread of family—thin and fraying—still tugged at his heart, holding him back. Even though it hurt, he couldn't bring himself to sever it.…Valarie had just returned home when her mother called her over. She changed into her house slippers and sat beside her."Valarie, when are you and Brandon getting married?" Phoebe asked.Valarie frowned. "Mom, we haven't even discussed that yet.""You're not getting any younger." Phoebe huffed. "You rejected every guy we
The two of them were eight years apart, with different interests and personalities.Some of Stefan's behavior struck Valarie as incredibly immature. But more importantly, she had never seen him in a romantic light.To her, he was more like a younger brother—someone she felt protective of, but not someone she could ever like that way.He should be dating girls his own age, and she should get back to living her own life.With that thought, Valarie accepted the money.Valarie: [Thank you for everything these past few weeks. And… I'm sorry about today.]…Stefan stared at the message on his screen in a quiet park, his lips curling into a mocking smile.Just as Brandon had said—Valarie had only been using him as a distraction. Now that she was back with Brandon, she'd discarded him without hesitation.Taking a deep breath, he deleted the chat and didn't reply.They had always been from different worlds. Now, things were simply returning to how they had been before.Still, he coul
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Valarie cut Brandon off, her gaze sharp with accusation.Brandon hesitated, caught off guard for a moment.After a brief pause, he nodded. "Yes, I did. Because I don't like how much attention you're giving Stefan. If it had been any other server handling the bill, would you still be questioning me like this?""There's no 'if.' I chose to be with you again, which means I'm not holding onto anything with Stefan. So, there's no reason for you to single him out," Valarie replied.Brandon's expression darkened slightly. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then held back. "Alright. I understand.""Good. Let's go home," Valarie said, and the car fell into silence.When they finally arrived at the Weir residence, Brandon broke the quiet. "Valarie, don't you think… things between us aren't the same anymore?"They were supposed to be a couple, yet they tiptoed around each other—testing boundaries, afraid to say the wrong thing.Valarie pressed her l
"Alright. I'm about to board. I'll talk to you later," Nyla said.Valarie replied, "Okay, have a great trip."After hanging up, Nyla turned to Damon and Mason, her eyes glowing with happiness.She had dreamed for so long of taking a family trip together. Now, that dream had finally come true.…Valarie and Brandon walked into the restaurant.As they sat down, a server approached with two glasses of water."Good evening, sir, ma'am—" Before the server could finish, his smile faltered.Valarie hadn't expected to see Stefan here. A flicker of surprise crossed her face.Just as she was about to speak, Stefan quickly regained his composure, adopting his usual polite smile. "Good evening. May I take your order? We just received fresh salmon and sea urchin today. I highly recommend trying them."Brandon raised an eyebrow, a faint hint of mockery in his gaze. "We'll take your recommendations. And add an order of Arctic shrimp sashimi as well.""Certainly, sir. Would you like anythin
Michelle frowned. "What the hell are you talking about? I already told my assistant to handle it.""Then why was my mom kicked out of her hospital room in the middle of the night?" Stefan shot back.Michelle's voice grew cold. "Forget about that. I should be asking you. Besides taking a few staged photos with Valarie, have you made any real progress?""What more do you want?" Stefan asked.She smirked. "I want something that will completely ruin her. You know what to do.""Send me 250,000 dollars for medical expenses first, or I'm done doing your dirty work," Stefan demanded.Michelle let out a mocking laugh. "Stefan, you know I can have your mother thrown out of the hospital for good with a single word, right?"He had no right to threaten her.Stefan retorted, "Oh, I believe you. But if you do that, I'll make sure the whole world knows everything you made me do. When that happens, Brandon will never want anything to do with you again.""You!" Michelle clenched her jaw, her fa
"Yeah, I just got home. How's your mother doing now?" Valarie asked."Her condition is stable. Veevee… I need to ask you something," Stefan said.A flicker of surprise crossed Valarie's eyes. "What is it?"There was a brief silence before Stefan spoke again. "Never mind, it's nothing important. Get some rest. Goodnight."Before Valarie could respond, he had already hung up.She set her phone down, deciding to invite Stefan out for dinner in the next few days and have an honest conversation with him.…After the surgery, Michelle remained unconscious for a full day before finally waking up.The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Jayden sitting by her bedside."Michelle! You're awake!" Jayden exclaimed, relief flooding his voice as he quickly pressed the call button for the doctor.Once the doctor confirmed she was out of danger, Jayden exhaled deeply."Michelle, do you have any idea what I went through while you were unconscious? Please, don't ever do something so reckless a
The moment Brandon spoke, silence blanketed the room.Yale and Nolan both looked visibly uneasy.Jayden froze for a second, then his face twisted with disappointment. "Fine! From now on, we're strangers!"With that, he shoved Nolan aside and stormed toward the hospital entrance.Nolan frowned and turned to Brandon. "Brandon, Jayden was just upset. Did you really have to make it so final? How are you going to fix things later?""I don't plan to fix anything. Because of him and Michelle, Valarie and I fought countless times. Do you really think I should sacrifice my girlfriend for two so-called friends?" Brandon retorted.Seeing the indifference in his expression, Nolan suddenly regretted sending that message earlier. If he hadn't texted Brandon about Valarie being with another guy, none of this would have happened."I'm heading home," Brandon said before turning to Valarie, taking her hand, and leading her out of the hospital.Watching them leave, Nolan felt a surge of frustrati
A cold gust of wind blew through, and Brandon felt his heart sink.From the moment he first laid eyes on Valarie, he had made up his mind—he had to be with her, to marry her.He had pursued her for five years. They had finally gotten together, only to break up soon after.He had tried everything to win her back, but no matter what he did, she only seemed to drift further away.Was it really impossible for them to be together?"Valarie, you told me to stay away from Michelle for a month, and I did."Tonight, Jayden called to say that Michelle tried to commit suicide and is in the hospital being resuscitated. I still didn't go see her."I know I made a lot of mistakes before, but I've been trying to change. Can you give me one more chance?" he pleaded.Valarie remained silent for a long time. She knew she still had feelings for Brandon. When she met his pleading gaze, she felt herself softening.Finally, she looked at him and nodded. "Alright, but this is the last chance I'm giv