Valarie lowered her gaze, remaining silent as she subconsciously picked at her nails.During her silence, Brandon and Jessica walked over to them.Zayn looked up and greeted Brandon with a smile. "Brandon, I didn't expect you and Ms. Quantrill to be here on a date. If I had known, we could've all gone together."Valarie was speechless.She was starting to suspect that Zayn might be a little off his rocker. Who would go on a double date like this? It would be awkward!Brandon cast a detached glance at Valarie, his voice cool. "Jessica is a bit shy. She might feel uncomfortable with too many people around. We have other matters to attend to, so we'll be leaving now."Valarie suppressed the sting rising in her chest. They had just met, and he was already calling her Jessica. Clearly, he was quite satisfied with her.Zayn nodded. "Alright. Let's arrange to meet again next time."Brandon didn't say anything else and walked away with Jessica.When Valarie raised her head again, all
Realizing she couldn't escape, Valarie bit Brandon's lip hard.Brandon let out a muffled grunt but didn't release her. Instead, he kissed her even more fiercely.It wasn't until Valarie felt as if she were going to suffocate that Brandon finally let her go.His gaze darkened further as he looked at her swollen lips.After catching her breath, Valarie raised her hand, ready to slap him.However, Brandon caught her wrist and pressed his forehead against hers, his voice low. "Valarie, haven't you ever felt anything for me in these five years?"Valarie bit her lip and replied coldly, "Brandon, do you even know what you're doing? Since we've both chosen to go on blind dates, why can't we just leave each other alone?""But I can't bear to see you dating other men," Brandon muttered.Valarie took a deep breath, placing her hand against his chest as she looked up at him seriously. "We're not suitable for each other.""Why aren't we suitable? What makes us incompatible?" Brandon asked.
As they approached, they noticed that Damon looked upset.Nyla raised an eyebrow and asked, "Mr. Sumner, have you been waiting too long?"Damon suppressed his discontent and forced a smile. "No, let's head inside."Just then, Mason suddenly looked up at Nyla and said, "Mommy, I need to pee. Can you come with me?"Nyla nodded. "Sure.""I'll take Buddy to the restroom. You two go ahead," she said, taking Mason by the hand and walking away.Once Nyla and Mason were gone, Damon's expression turned icy. "Mr. Raynor, we're here at the zoo as a family of three. What's your purpose in showing up?"Oliver smiled, but his eyes remained cold. "Mr. Sumner, the recent troubles with the Raynor Group—that's your doing, isn't it?"Damon didn't deny it. "Just giving you a little reminder not to interfere with our family time."A sneer flashed in Oliver's eyes. "Do you really think Nyla will forgive you? What kind of family do you think you have?"I asked Buddy, and he's fine with me being her
Oliver was usually fine since he took care of most things whenever he spent time with Nyla and Mason.Meanwhile, Damon wasn't typically the considerate type. Today, though, he kept asking her if she was tired, if she wanted to rest, or if she needed something to eat.By noon, Nyla felt that dealing with two men was more exhausting than work.As they left the zoo, she wore an expression of fatigue, mentally resolving never to let Damon and Oliver take Mason out together again.However, Mason seemed blissfully unaware of the tension between Damon and Oliver. His little face was flushed with excitement."Daddy, Uncle Oliver, you have to take me out to play again!" he exclaimed."Sure!" both men replied simultaneously, exchanging glances before looking away in annoyance.Before long, it was time to eat.Nyla just wanted to finish her meal and send the two men on their way.To her surprise, as soon as they sat down in the restaurant, they ran into Valarie.Valarie looked shocked a
After saying that, Nyla quickly hailed a cab and left, leaving the two men staring at each other.Oliver smirked. "Mr. Sumner, I'll be on my way. See you next time."Damon's expression turned cold. "Mr. Raynor, I guess there aren't enough issues at the Raynor Group for you to be this idle.""Go ahead and try to bankrupt the Raynor Group. But if you do, Nyla will only feel sorry for me and hate you even more," Oliver countered.As Damon's expression darkened, Oliver's smile deepened, and he turned to walk toward his car.In a relatively private restaurant in the north of Saintornia…Rebecca glared coldly at the man across from her. "Weren't you supposed to deal with Nyla for me? How come she's still perfectly fine?"The man opposite her, Sullivan, calmly sipped his tea. "Rebecca, don't be so impatient. I need some time."Rebecca gritted her teeth. "Heseltine, don't forget that your dad was on the brink of death in the hospital. If I hadn't kindly lent you money, he wouldn't be a
Ruby bit her lip and recounted what had happened that morning.When she finished, she said angrily, "Leon definitely gave the data to Brody on Friday night, but Brody is completely denying it now."Brody sneered from the side, speaking sarcastically. "I didn't receive anything. How do I know you two aren't colluding to frame me for losing the data?"Leon was furious. He rushed over to grab Brody by the collar. "I handed it to you in person on Friday! Are you going to say again that you didn't receive it?!"In contrast to Leon's flushed face, Brody seemed unconcerned.""What? You want to hit me? Go ahead, but think it through. If you do, I'll definitely call the police," he provokedWorried that Leon might act impulsively, Nyla quickly stepped in to hold him back. "Leon, calm down."Ruby hurriedly joined in to stop Leon as well. Just as Leon began to cool down, Brody spoke up again. "What? Scared to make a move? Coward!"This completely infuriated Leon. He lost control and swu
Once Nyla finished treating her wound at the hospital, she checked her phone and found several messages from Ruby.Ruby: [Nyla, what's going on between you and Mr. Sumner? Did you know each other before?]Ruby: [After you left with Mr. Sumner, everyone started gossiping about your relationship. You're not actually getting together with him, right?]Ruby: [By the way, when Mr. Sumner saw your bleeding hand in the lab, his face darkened. It's obvious he really cares about you!]Ruby: [Ahhh! What exactly is your relationship?]Nyla frowned as she read the messages.Typing with one hand was difficult, so she responded with a voice message instead: "I do know him, but we're just friends. Besides, I have a boyfriend."She didn't feel the need to mention to Ruby that Damon was Mason's biological father. It wasn't something she wanted widely known.After playing the voice message, Ruby quickly followed up, asking if it was Oliver.Nyla confirmed. After responding to Ruby, she hesitate
"Nyla, I'm sorry. I acted impulsively earlier, and I even ran away after you got hurt. I wasn't being responsible. If you're angry, go ahead and hit me… No, kick me, too," Leon apologized."If kicking you would fix the data issue, I would have done it already," Nyla quipped.Leon scratched his head, looking at her apologetically. "I swear I gave the experiment data to Brody on Friday. That jerk must have lost it and is now blaming me."Seeing Leon's guilty and anxious expression, Nyla felt helpless and thought he was still too young."When exactly did you hand him the data on Friday?" she asked."Right after you all got off work. I finished filling in the last few sets of data and gave it to him," Leon answered."So, no one else was there to confirm you handed the data to him in person," Nyla said.Leon frowned. "But no one can prove I didn't give it to him either!"Nyla nodded. "That's true, but the problem is that he's insisting you didn't give it to him, and now you're stuck
"Valarie, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have given you the silent treatment for so long. I wasn't even angry anymore. I just… couldn't bring myself to reach out first," Brandon said.Valarie frowned slightly, her eyes filled with disbelief. "Then why is it that every time I texted you or came to see you, you acted so cold? And now, as I'm leaving, you suddenly run over and hug me like you don't want me to go. Don't you think you're being unreasonable?"Brandon lowered his gaze. "Because I felt like if I let you walk away, we might really break up."Valarie pressed her lips together and remained silent.To be honest, when she turned to leave just now, breaking up had definitely crossed her mind.How could a relationship where communication didn't work, and every conflict led to silence, last?After a moment of silence, Brandon looked up at her again. "Valarie, I know ignoring you all this time hurt you. I'm sorry. I was just trying to figure out how we could be together in a way that fel
Phoebe scowled. "Not planning yet? You're over 30 now. Nyla is already on her second child, and you still don't know when you're getting married?"Valarie stayed silent.Phoebe's frustration deepened. "You're already this old, and your father and I still have to worry about your marriage. When will you finally settle down?""Even if I wanted to get married, it's not something I can decide on my own! Why do you always put the blame on me?" Valarie grumbled.With how things were going between her and Brandon, marriage wasn't even on the table—breaking up seemed more likely.Phoebe narrowed her eyes. "So it's Brandon who doesn't want to get married? I told you not to date someone younger, but you wouldn't listen. Now look, you don't even know if or when he'll propose!"Valarie had had enough. "Marriage, marriage, marriage! That's all you talk about! If you keep pushing me, I'll move out tomorrow.""You—" Phoebe choked on her anger.Not giving her mother a chance to argue, Valarie
Valarie opened the box and found a red V-neck gown inside."This is gorgeous!" she exclaimed."Try it on," Nyla urged."Okay!" Valarie took the dress into the dressing room.Less than two minutes later, she stepped out. "Nyla, it fits perfectly."Nyla looked up, her eyes lighting up with admiration.Dressed in the red gown, Valarie exuded confidence and elegance, like a queen. It was impossible not to be drawn to her."I knew my taste wouldn't fail me! This dress was made for you—every curve is accentuated just right. You look absolutely stunning! If I weren't a woman, I'd probably fall for you right now!" Nyla gushed.Valarie laughed, covering her mouth. "You're exaggerating. But I really do love this dress. Thank you, Nyla!""There's no need to thank me. We don't do that between us! Oh, by the way, why don't you go downstairs and let Brandon see it too?" Nyla suggested.Valarie's smile faded slightly. "Forget it. He probably wouldn't care anyway.""You two still haven't ma
Brad's expression darkened. "Michelle, Stefan is your brother. And for the record, when your mother left the company to me, it was just a small business. I was the one who built it into a publicly traded corporation. You threw away your own future for a man. That's your own fault.""No! I won't let you give the Snowden Group to Stefan! If you dare, my mother's ghost will haunt you forever!" Michelle screamed.Her threats didn't faze Brad in the slightest.He rose to his feet, looking down at her. "You've lost your mind. I'll get you a lawyer, but you'll have to face the consequences of what you did."With that, he turned and walked away.Michelle's eyes burned with fury and hatred."Dad! Don't go! You can't do this to me! Dad! I know I was wrong! Come back!" she screamed after him.No matter how much she yelled, Brad never looked back.Despair crept into her expression as her screams faded.…For the next half-month, Brandon and Valarie didn't contact each other.It was a st
Waiting for someone who would never reciprocate was exhausting. Jayden was done humbling himself.Brad froze, staring at Jayden in disbelief. "Jayden, what do you mean? Didn't you say you'd do whatever it takes to get Michelle out?""Mr. Snowden, the evidence against her is solid. She instigated Stefan to kidnap Valarie. The only way out of this is if Brandon and Valarie agree to sign a letter of leniency."If they refuse, there's nothing I can do. You can't expect me to go up against both the Sumner and Weir Groups just for Michelle."If Michelle had ever loved him, maybe he would have done it.But now? He wouldn't waste his time and energy on someone who didn't deserve it."Then… what about Michelle?" Brad asked."Michelle may not get out, but Stefan turned himself in. That counts as voluntary surrender, so he'll likely get a lighter sentence."From what I know, Stefan is studying economics in university. Honestly, does it really matter who inherits the Snowden Group as long
Brandon nodded. "Let them in. Bring them straight to my study.""Yes, sir," the butler replied.Five minutes later, Brad and Jayden entered.Brandon glanced up from his desk. "Take a seat. I have a document to finish."Brad nodded quickly. "Of course, Mr. Sumner. Take your time."Only after completing his work did Brandon close the file and walk over. "Mr. Snowden, Mr. Gilmour, what brings you here?"Brad leaned forward anxiously. "Mr. Sumner, I'm here for my daughter. You and Michelle are friends. I'm begging you—please let this go just this once."I swear, she'll never appear in front of you or Ms. Weir again!"Brandon smiled. "Mr. Snowden, your daughter conspired with Stefan to kidnap Valarie. That's a crime. Whether or not we're friends is irrelevant. Do you expect me to go against the justice system?""Mr. Sumner, if you could just convince Ms. Weir to issue a letter of leniency, the court would consider it when sentencing. Just for old times' sake—"Brandon cut him off,
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…