Nyla kept her eyes on the experiment, fully aware that all the instruments had been cleaned and checked.However, since Ruby didn't want to interact much with Sullivan, she was happy to oblige. "Alright, just make sure you're more careful next time.""Okay," Ruby replied as she left.Sullivan watched her walk away with a squint. He hadn't expected Ruby to be so difficult to approach.Soon, the elevator arrived.Nyla stepped inside and noticed that Sullivan was still standing outside.She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Sullivan, aren't you coming? Didn't you say you wanted to discuss some data with me?"Sullivan's gaze hardened slightly. "Didn't you say to find you during work hours? Plus, if I eat alone with you, Mr. Sumner will definitely have something to say. I think I'll just order takeout."Nyla smiled, raising an eyebrow. "Alright then, see you later."…After lunch downstairs, Nyla packed up a chicken sandwich for Ruby.When she returned to the office, she found Ruby s
However, Ruby didn't plan to go alone and intended to invite Nyla along.After she shared what had happened the previous night, Nyla's expression darkened."Why didn't you tell me last night? Did you call the police?" Nyla asked.Ruby nodded. "Yes, I reported it, and the police are investigating now."Nyla's gaze dimmed. If she had any hope left for her parents, it was now gone. Ruby genuinely intended to cut ties with them.If the police discovered that the person who tried to drug and abduct her was indeed acting on her parents' orders, she wouldn't let it slide easily.Seeing the determination and strength in Ruby's eyes made Nyla's heart ache.She took Ruby's hand and said, "Alright, I'll go with you tonight. Sullivan saved your life, so it's only right to invite him to dinner.""Thank you, Nyla," Ruby replied.Nyla sighed and spoke seriously. "If anything like this happens again, you must tell me right away."Ruby's eyes shimmered with gratitude. "Nyla, thank you!""Alr
Damon wore a well-tailored dark suit, his tall figure exuding an air of authority.Beside him stood a woman in an elegant cream-colored dress, her long hair cascading down her shoulders with soft curls at the ends. She appeared gentle and alluring, wearing a small smile, her eyes bright and lively.Damon had his head turned slightly to converse with the woman beside him, his gaze focused. She looked up at him, her expression warm.There seemed to be a special understanding between them, making them appear very close.Nyla stared blankly out the window at the couple, her heart feeling as if it were being tightly gripped. She struggled to calm herself, but her eyes couldn't seem to look away.Ruby watched Nyla with concern and quietly asked, "Are you okay, Nyla?"Nyla snapped back to reality and forced a smile. "I'm fine."What she didn't realize was just how strained that smile was.She turned her gaze away, no longer looking at the couple outside, and began deleting the unfinis
Nyla glanced at Ruby out of the corner of her eye and noticed her pale face. She fell silent, clearly accepting Sullivan's words.From then on, neither of them exchanged glances, speaking only to Ruby individually.Once dinner concluded, Sullivan offered to drive them home, but Nyla declined.Sullivan quickly resumed his previous gentle facade. "Nyla, you're not still holding onto what happened earlier, are you? If you're really upset, I can apologize.""No need, Sullivan. It's out of the way for you, so I'll just take a cab home," Nyla replied.Just as she turned to walk toward the curb, Ruby grabbed her arm. "Nyla, I'll go with you. It's on my way."Nyla turned to Sullivan and said, "Sullivan, it's getting late. You should head home too. Drive safely."Sullivan didn't push further, simply nodding. "Alright, let me know when you get home.""Sure," Ruby replied.Sullivan turned toward his car only after Nyla and Ruby hailed a cab and left.In the taxi, Nyla apologized to Ruby
Nyla shrugged off Damon's hand and answered with her head lowered, "It's nothing. I'm just a bit tired. If you don't have anything else, I'm going to head in."Without waiting for his response, she quickly walked into the villa.Watching her hurried departure, Damon frowned. He felt that Nyla's attitude toward him was off.After hesitating for a moment, he called Spencer. "Check where Nyla had dinner tonight and who was with her."In less than ten minutes, Spencer sent him the results of his investigation.Upon seeing the name of the restaurant, Damon's eyes widened. He had his suspicions immediately.…Back in her bedroom, Nyla had just finished removing her makeup and was about to take a shower when she heard a knock at the door."Nyla, I need to talk to you. Can you open the door?" Damon asked.Hearing his voice, Nyla bit her lip, put down her pajamas, and walked to the door to open it. She asked, "What is it?"Meeting her distant gaze, Damon became even more convinced she
Looking at Nyla's stubborn expression, Damon couldn't help but smile, a hint of affection in his eyes."Alright, I must have misread the situation," he played along.Surprised at his accommodating tone, Nyla felt a sweet flutter in her heart."Okay, I'm going to take a shower. If there's nothing else, I'm closing the door now," she said."What do you want for breakfast tomorrow? I'll make it for you," Damon offered."Anything," Nyla replied.Fearing Damon might continue prying, she quickly closed the door.Leaning against it, she let out a soft sigh, patted her still-warm cheeks, and tried to calm herself down.Despite knowing each other for so many years, her heart raced whenever she faced Damon. Even just locking eyes with him made her cheeks flush.After regaining her composure, she grabbed her clothes and headed for the shower.…The next morning, Nyla came downstairs to see Damon bringing out breakfast from the kitchen.She paused. She had assumed he was just being cas
Nyla paused, frowning. What could it be that she shouldn't know about for now?Just as she was about to lean in closer to listen, she heard footsteps coming from the office and quickly stepped back.The office door opened, and Spencer walked out.When he saw Nyla, a flicker of guilt crossed his eyes. "Ms. Kinsey, when did you get here?""I just arrived. Why?" Nyla answered, maintaining a calm expression, but her hands subconsciously tightened into fists.What exactly was Damon hiding from her?"Mr. Sumner is waiting for you inside. I'll be getting back to work," Spencer said as he hurriedly left, noticeably quickening his pace as he passed her.Suppressing her growing suspicions, Nyla entered the office."You're here! I had someone make your favorite pulled pork dish. Let me wash my hands, and then we can eat," Damon said."Sounds good," Nyla replied.While Damon washed his hands, Nyla set the table.It wasn't until he sat down across from her that she casually asked, "I not
Nyla recognized the woman as the one she had seen outside the restaurant last night, and her face fell.Why had Damon told her he was going out to socialize when he was meeting his niece?As Nyla pondered this, they walked toward the villa."Miss, is that woman the mistress you're trying to catch?" the driver asked.Nyla shook her head. "No, she's his niece."The taxi driver's expression turned sympathetic as if he saw Nyla as a foolish woman defending her husband.Once Nyla composed herself, she calmly asked the driver to take her back to Damon's villa.Confirming she didn't want to go inside to catch him cheating, the driver started the car and left.Meanwhile, Damon followed Charlotte inside the villa to a bedroom on the first floor.Charlotte opened the door, saying, "Uncle Damon, Mr. Jayston is inside.""Okay," Damon replied.Charlotte had initially planned to accompany him, but as soon as he entered, Damon closed the door behind him.The room had been transformed into
Seeing Nyla's agitated state, Damon pulled her into his arms. "I know. I know. I feel the same way. But we can't panic. The more we panic, the more mistakes we'll make. Buddy will be okay. I promise."Nyla gripped the front of his suit jacket, her tears soaking into his shirt. She tried to stay calm, but the thought of Mason in danger made her tremble with fear.Damon gently patted her back and spoke softly. "Let's go upstairs. We'll wait for Gabriel's call and any updates from my team."They went upstairs.Nyla sat on the couch, her eyes fixed on her phone, anxiously waiting for Gabriel's call.Damon stood by the window, his face grim, staring out as his thoughts churned.The tension in the room was palpable as the minutes dragged on.Finally, Nyla's phone rang.She snatched it up, her breath hitching when she saw Gabriel's name on the screen.Answering quickly, she asked, "Have you decided? Will you let me trade places with Buddy?""I will," Gabriel replied. "But you'll hav
"What exactly do you want?!" Nyla demanded.Hearing the urgency and anger in her voice, Gabriel chuckled. "Nyla, my original plan was to be with you, have a child, and spend the rest of our lives together."The words filled Nyla with disgust. But with Mason in Gabriel's hands, she dared not provoke him. Who knew what he might do?Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she said slowly, "Your goal is me. Taking Buddy doesn't help you. Just let him go, please.""Nyla, that's what I used to think," Gabriel replied. "But after Damon got me thrown in prison and ruined Nyce Tech, I've changed my mind."Nyla's grip on the phone tightened. "What do you want now?""I want Damon to feel the pain I'm going through. Since I can't bankrupt Prospectus Technology, taking Buddy will make him suffer as much as I have.""No! Don't!" Nyla trembled, a wave of terror washing over her. "Gabriel, I'm begging you. Don't hurt Buddy. Please... Let me trade places with him. Take me as your hostage instead
Nyla clutched her phone, her eyes wide with disbelief and confusion.How could Mason have been taken by Gabriel?Wait...She quickly dialed the villa's phone number, gripping her phone so tightly that her knuckles turned white.Buddy...The call rang and rang until it disconnected automatically. No one answered. Her heart sank.Frantically, she dialed Lydia's number next. Still, no answer.Suddenly, her mind flashed to the maid who had brought her orange juice earlier.That maid... she looked so unfamiliar. Nyla had felt a flicker of suspicion at the time, but Damon's call had interrupted her thoughts, and she'd let it go.Her face turned pale as realization dawned.If only she had been more alert—could Mason have avoided this danger?"Nyla! Nyla!"A firm hand grabbed her shoulder, shaking her back to reality.She looked up to see Damon's anxious face, and tears instantly welled in her eyes. "Damon... Buddy... Did Gabriel really take him? Tell me you're joking. You're lyin
There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before Nyla replied in a disappointed voice, "Alright. Just make sure you eat something. I'll call Spencer later to check if you've eaten. Don't skip meals and upset your stomach.""Alright. I'll send you a picture when I eat," Damon replied."Make it a video call instead—how do I know you're not lying to me otherwise?" Nyla challenged.Damon chuckled helplessly. "Fine. I'll call you when I eat.""Okay. I won't bother you anymore. Get back to work," Nyla said.After hanging up, Nyla went to the kitchen and told Lydia to prepare fewer dishes for dinner since Damon wouldn't be home.Lydia nodded. "Got it, Ms. Kinsey. I'll skip the fish and greens.""Perfect," Nyla agreed.Back in the living room, Mason was busy putting his toys into a storage box.Nyla crouched down to help. "Buddy, why aren't you playing anymore?""I'm sleepy, Mommy. I want to take a nap," Mason said.Seeing his drowsy eyes, Nyla replied, "Alright. Let's fi
Gabriel's face was grim, and he didn't speak.The conference room fell silent, the only sound the faint, heavy breathing of those present."Enough. I understand. For now, take care of the backlog of files on my desk. I'll handle the PR situation. I won't let Nyce Tech collapse!" he announced.His words did little to inspire confidence. The shareholders still looked deeply uncertain.From Gabriel's expression, it was clear the allegations of stealing Prospectus Technology's core technology were true.No wonder. That was how they had managed to release the Galaxy chip so quickly.If Prospectus Technology had solid evidence, just the charge of stealing data related to their chip's development would be enough to bankrupt Nyce Tech entirely. Even selling the company wouldn't cover the damages."Understood..." the shareholders chorused.Upon seeing their grimaces, Gabriel's expression darkened further. He waved them off impatiently. "Alright, that's it. You can all leave."The share
The once-bustling top floor of Nyce Tech was eerily quiet. Only a few secretaries remained at their desks.Gabriel approached one of them with a scowl. "Where is everyone?"The secretaries froze at the sound of Gabriel's voice.After a brief moment, one of them looked up, confirming it was him, and quickly stood. "Good afternoon, Mr. Hackett.""I asked you a question," Gabriel repeated, his tone sharp. "Where is everyone else? Why is it so empty here?"The secretary stammered, "T-They've all resigned..."She didn't dare mention that she and the others still present were planning to quit as soon as their work was handed off.Gabriel's expression darkened. "Notify all shareholders to meet me in the conference room in 30 minutes.""Y-Yes, sir..." The secretary hurried off.Back in his office, Gabriel stared at the pile of untouched documents on his desk, his frustration mounting.A bunch of useless slackers! They hadn't even tried to delegate tasks to other shareholders in his a
With the lawyer's efforts, Gabriel was temporarily released on bail.On the drive back, he turned to his secretary in the passenger seat. "How's the company doing while I was away?"The secretary's expression grew grim. "Mr. Hackett, since news broke about your arrest, the company's stock has been plummeting. Several shareholders have already started selling off their shares to cash out."Gabriel's face darkened as he growled, "Those old fools! They act high and mighty when things are going well, but the moment there's trouble, they rush to jump ship. A bunch of spineless idiots!""Some shareholders have even sold their shares at a loss..." the secretary added cautiously."Head to the company first!" Gabriel snapped.He couldn't let this continue. At this rate, Nyce Tech would collapse within a month."Understood..." the secretary replied.Philip, seated beside him, interjected with a frown, "Mr. Hackett, the priority right now is resolving the lawsuit Prospectus Technology has
Andrew frowned. "Are you crazy?""Yes, I'm crazy! I want a divorce!" Ruth yelled.Andrew's hands clenched into fists."Our child is still here, and you're spouting nonsense. Aren't you ashamed? I'm not going to argue with you," he said coldly.Without waiting for a response, he turned and strode toward the study.Ruth stayed on the sofa, tears streaming down her face. She didn't follow him.Watching her mother's distress, Jane felt a pang of guilt."Mom, I'm sorry. If it weren't for me, Dad wouldn't have lost his temper," she said, her voice soft with regret.In Jane's memory, her parents had always been close and rarely quarreled, especially in her presence. For her father to lash out like this, he must have been pushed to his limits.Ruth wiped her tears and looked at Jane, her expression softening. "Jane, I was furious when Theo told us you sold the shares to Damon. I couldn't understand why you'd sell them to an outsider."But now, I've thought it through. If you hadn't s
Andrew and Ruth stared at Jane, their faces full of disbelief.Andrew was the first to speak. "Jane, is what Theo said true? Did you really sell the Wilkie Group's shares to Prospectus Technology?"Jane bit her lip, her face tense and silent.Her silence confirmed their worst fears.Andrew's expression darkened, anger flashing across his face as he leered at her. "Are you out of your mind? Why would you sell the shares to Prospectus Technology?!"Ruth's eyes reddened, and she turned away, avoiding Jane entirely.Although Ruth often criticized Pedro's methods, she had always sided with Andrew when it came to major decisions, especially regarding company shares.Pedro glared at Jane coldly. "I'll give you three days to get those shares back. If you can't, you're no longer part of this family. I'll disown you!"Andrew was appalled. He quickly spoke up. "Dad, this matter—""Shut up!" Pedro interrupted sharply. "You can't manage the company, and you can't even raise your daughter p