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
Nyla was silent momentarily before saying softly, "Mr. Sumner, I need some time to think about this. I'll contact you once I've made a decision."After hanging up, she let out a soft sigh, her expression complex.Mason's safety was very important, but she didn't want to have any more interactions with Damon. Ever since the kidnapping incident, she had found it difficult to feel calm whenever she thought of him.She decided the best course of action was to distance herself from him.After pondering for a while, Nyla made up her mind.…In the evening, Oliver arrived just as she finished cooking."I could smell the ribs as soon as I stepped out of the elevator! Have you ever thought about opening a restaurant?" Oliver asked.Nyla smiled at him, raising an eyebrow. "With a way of talking like that, I should reward you by making sure you finish all the ribs without leaving a bite."Oliver nodded. "Deal!" Hearing the voices, Mason ran out of his room. When he saw Oliver, he immed
After dinner, Oliver suggested that Nyla take Mason to the living room to rest while he cleaned the table and washed the dishes.Nyla instinctively declined, "You don't have to. You're a guest.""I'm also your boyfriend," Oliver replied, raising an eyebrow. "As your boyfriend, it's only right that I wash the dishes after dinner. I can't let you do everything."Reluctantly, Nyla nodded. "Alright, I'll listen to you."Oliver tidied up the table, washed the dishes, wiped down the kitchen counters, and mopped the floor before heading to the living room.Nyla was playing with Mason, competing to see who could stack the blocks faster.Mason was quick, nearly finishing with no blocks out of place, while Nyla's stack was a chaotic mess, teetering as if it could fall at any moment.Oliver watched them with a gentle gaze. He asked, raising an eyebrow, "Nyla, do you want me to help?"Nyla looked up and met Oliver's smiling eyes.Just as she was about to respond, a loud crash interrupted
Nyla pressed her lips together before replying softly, "Mr. Sumner, please come in."Damon entered, holding Mason, and glanced at Oliver, who was standing in the middle of the living room."Mr. Raynor, I hope I'm not interrupting," he said.Oliver met his gaze without hesitation. "Not at all."Their eyes locked, and although both were smiling, the atmosphere felt tense, as if the air had thickened around them.Nyla placed the watermelon on the table and broke the silence. "Mr. Sumner, Oliver, have a seat."Oliver looked at her warmly. "Is it okay for me to be here while you and Mr. Sumner talk? If it's not a good time, I can step out.""It's fine. There's nothing to worry about," she replied.As Damon listened to their conversation, bitterness swelled in his heart, and he subconsciously tightened his grip on Mason.Mason exclaimed, "Daddy, you're holding me too tight!"Nyla and Oliver turned to Damon, who quickly loosened his grip on Mason and said apologetically, "I'm sorry,
Seeing the hostility in Damon's eyes, Oliver let out a light laugh. "Mr. Sumner, I don't mean to offend. I've watched Buddy grow up, so protecting him is my responsibility."Damon's expression remained cold. "I can protect my own son."After saying that, he turned to Nyla, his face impassive. "If you move in with Mr. Raynor, then Buddy can move back to the villa. If you and Buddy continue living here, I will send more people to protect you both. I won't allow anyone to take advantage of the situation."Noticing the heavy atmosphere, Mason fell silent, lowering his head and softening his breath.Nyla pressed her lips together.After a long moment, she finally said, "I understand. Buddy and I will continue living here."A bit of the frost in Damon's gaze melted away as he put Mason down and stood up. "It's getting late. I won't disturb you any longer."After saying goodbye to Mason, he turned and left.Oliver stood up and said softly, "Nyla, I have a meeting tomorrow morning, so
The next few days passed uneventfully, and Nyla's tension eased a little.Just after she and Mason finished dinner on Friday night, she suddenly received a call from Brandon."Aunt Nyla, can you bring Buddy to the hospital right now?" Brandon asked.Nyla paused for a moment before speaking. "What happened?"She wasn't particularly close with Brandon, so why would he suddenly ask her to come to the hospital? Could something have happened to Damon?The thought made her heart skip a beat, and her face paled."My grandfather passed away late last night. The lawyer came today to read the will, and he said both you and Buddy need to be present," Brandon explained.Nyla was shocked. She hadn't expected Richard to pass away so suddenly.She asked again, "Didn't he seem to be in good health not long ago?"Brandon sighed and spoke softly. "I'm not sure either. The doctor did say he was gradually recovering, but last night, he suddenly…"Anyway, let's not dwell on that now. If you're av
Valarie froze, staring in disbelief. "You think I don't see us as equals? If that were true, I wouldn't have come here to apologize. I'd be waiting for you to apologize to me instead!"She had rushed over right after work to make things right, only to be met with suspicion. The injustice of it stung."If you really understood you were wrong, you'd accept that my feelings don't just vanish the moment you say 'sorry.' I'm human, not a machine. Your apology doesn't erase everything," Brandon retorted."When I met Michelle before—without you knowing, but with others around—you wanted to break up. Now you've secretly met Stefan and even went to see him after knowing he kidnapped you. What do you take me for? How important is he to you?"Valarie stepped back at the anger in his voice. "So what now? You won't accept my apology, and you want to break up?"Brandon took a deep breath, his gaze lowering. "Let's take a few days to cool off. No contact for now."Valarie nodded. "Fine. Whateve
Valarie sighed. "Fine. I'll think of something...""Good. I have to be up early tomorrow, so I'll talk to you later. Goodnight," Nyla said.After hanging up, Valarie stared at her phone for a while before opening her chat with Brandon. She started typing but couldn't bring herself to send anything.Forget it. He was still mad. She'd deal with it tomorrow.Setting her phone down, she got up to take a shower.…When Valarie woke up the next morning, the first thing she did was check her phone.Nothing. Not a single message.Brandon would always text her "good morning" first thing every day.But today? Silence.He was probably still mad.Pushing aside her disappointment, she got up, showered, dressed, and headed to work.She had meant to apologize last night, but for some reason, it felt even harder today.The entire day, she found herself distracted. Every time her phone buzzed, she snatched it up, hoping it was Brandon—only to feel disappointed when it wasn't.By the end o
"If you really didn't want any misunderstandings between us, you wouldn't have met him today, especially behind my back," Brandon said coldly.Seeing the anger in his eyes, Valarie nodded. "I admit I should've told you. But he invited me to dinner to thank me for covering his mother's medical bills. He even suggested I bring you along, but you were out of town for work, so I didn't mention it."Brandon let out a sharp laugh. "Was it because I was away, or did you never plan to tell me in the first place?"Valarie frowned. "Do you have to twist my words like that? You were on a business trip. If I told you, you'd just overthink it. That's why I kept quiet.""So I should be grateful you were looking out for me, is that it?" Brandon shot back."If you're going to keep talking to me like this, there's no point in continuing this conversation. Ron, stop at the next intersection. I'll take a cab home," Valarie said.Ron Gibson, the driver, hesitated and glanced at Brandon. "Mr. Sumner…
"It's true, Ms. Weir. Let's proceed with your statement first," the police officer said.Valarie had little to say. She had passed out so quickly that she couldn't remember anything afterward. The police officers only asked about her meeting with Stefan.During the questioning, Valarie learned the truth—Stefan had invited her out with the intent to kidnap her, and he had gone through with it.Once they finished, the police officer said, "Thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Weir. You're free to go now. Please stay home and wait for further updates."Valarie nodded. "Alright, thank you."As she stepped out of the interrogation room, Brandon was waiting. "Valarie, let's go home."She turned to him. "Brandon, I want to see Stefan."She needed to understand why he had kidnapped her and why he had called the police afterward.Brandon frowned. "You should already know that he and Michelle are half-siblings. He approached you with an agenda from the start. What's the point of seeing hi
Just as the bodyguard was only a few steps away from Stefan, he let out a cold laugh. "Take one more step, and I'll slit her throat right now."The bodyguard froze, hesitating.Michelle's sharp voice echoed. "Don't come any closer! Get away!"She had just felt the blade press harder against her neck.Stefan was a lunatic—he'd actually do it!The more she thought about it, the more terrified she became.Right then, the distant wail of police sirens cut through the night, growing louder as they approached.A flicker of relief flashed in Michelle's eyes. Her bodyguards must have secretly called the police.She was safe!Within moments, five police cars pulled up, surrounding them as a dozen police officers stepped out.Seeing the police, Stefan lowered the knife.Michelle seized the moment and bolted toward the police officers. "Officers, arrest him! He held me at knifepoint! He was going to kill me!"She was still catching her breath when one of the police officers turned to
Stefan let out a cold laugh. "Cover the expenses? Or use my mom as leverage to control me? You already know the answer."Michelle chuckled. "If you don't appreciate my kindness, fine. Transfer her wherever you want. But don't expect a single cent from the Snowdens.""Oh, you'll pay," Stefan said."What?" Michelle frowned, about to speak, when she suddenly felt a blade press against her neck.Her expression shifted instantly. "Stefan, are you insane? One phone call, and your mom will be dead in minutes!"Stefan nodded and smiled. "I believe you. But I just realized something... The Snowdens only have one successor—you. If you die, who do you think will inherit everything?""You're dreaming! If you dare lay a hand on me, my dad will make sure you suffer!" Michelle shouted."That's not your concern," Stefan said.Upon seeing the cold intent in his eyes, a wave of fear finally surged through Michelle.She forced herself to stay calm and locked eyes with him. "What do you want? You
"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