Pedro nearly staggered back in anger."Take him away! Stop letting him spout nonsense here!" he barked.Whether Jane was involved or not, the priority was to downplay the situation. If it hadn't been for Theo's foolishness, things might have already been smoothed over.The more Pedro thought about it, the angrier he became. Once Damon and Nyla left, he was determined to teach Theo a lesson. The young man needed to know when to speak up—and when to stay quiet.Jane trembled slightly, struggling to stay calm. Only she, Pauline, and Gabriel knew about this incident, and none of them would betray her. Thus, Theo had to be bluffing. There was no way he could know!Theo pushed Quincy aside, saying, "Mom, I'm fine."He took out his phone, eyeing Jane with a cold smile. "Jane, everything you said to Gabriel by the rock garden? I recorded it. Let's play it for everyone, shall we?"Without waiting, he pressed play.Instantly, Jane and Gabriel's voices echoed through the room, plunging th
Nyla glanced at Damon, leaning in to whisper something in his ear. His eyebrows furrowed briefly, then relaxed.He turned to Pedro, his tone calm. "If I remember correctly, the villa project the Wilkie Group invested in is due for completion this month. Trading one villa for the Wilkies' reputation seems like a fair exchange, doesn't it?"Hearing this, Pedro breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Damon was willing to let the matter go. He quickly agreed, "Of course, of course. I'll have someone send over the villa plans so you and Ms. Kinsey can pick a unit."Damon smiled. "Then, we'll take you up on that."Nyla tried to catch Damon's eye, but he ignored her.Pedro replied, "Thank you, Mr. Sumner, for being so magnanimous with Jane.""Since it's settled, Nyla and I will take our leave," Damon said."Mr. Sumner, allow me to see you out," Pedro replied politely.After seeing Damon and Nyla off, Pedro's smile vanished. He turned back inside, his gaze icy as he directed it at Jane.
"Really? Then tell me, what exactly did you do right? If you can't explain, don't bother going to the company!" Pedro threatened.Quincy and Hudson were appalled.Theo, however, remained calm, unaffected by Pedro's words. "Jane sent Pauline to push Nyla today, but Nyla wasn't injured, so there's still room to fix this. Since Jane didn't get what she wanted, she would probably go after Nyla again."If I didn't expose her earlier and she caused something worse later, the Wilkies might not be able to cover it up." Theo continued. "Today, our family's reputation suffered a little in front of Damon and Nyla, and we lost two villas. But next time, it might be far worse."As he finished speaking, silence settled over the living room.After a few moments of reflection, Pedro had to admit that Theo made some valid points.Still, he shot Theo a cold look and asked, "And you're saying there's no self-interest in this for you?""Of course there is. I want to start learning how to manage the
"Oh, stop," Jane replied, blushing deeper as she playfully slapped Gabriel on the arm before they headed upstairs together.As they showered, a thought nagged at Jane. How did Theo know what she and Gabriel had discussed in the garden?"Gabriel, only you and I were near the rockery. How did Theo get a recording of our conversation?" she voiced her doubt.Gabriel gazed down as he tightened his arm around her waist, murmuring, "It was dark. Maybe he was hiding nearby, and we just didn't notice."Although Jane still felt something wasn't quite right, her thoughts were soon interrupted as Gabriel entered.She let out a moan, gradually swept away by the intensity. She wrapped her arms around his neck, surrendering herself to the moment.For some reason, she felt that Gabriel was unusually passionate tonight.…Nyla had been silent the entire ride back, refusing to look at Damon.When they pulled up in front of the villa, she opened the car door to get out, only for Damon to catch h
"Are you saying that if I admit I'm jealous, you'll try to make it up to me?" Damon asked.They were so close that his breath grazed Nyla's ear, tickling it like a feather's touch.She looked up at him and smiled. "That's right.""I'm jealous, then. What are you going to do about it?" Damon said.Without another word, Nyla cupped his face and kissed him lightly. "Don't worry. I only have eyes for you—I wouldn't look twice at anyone else."Her eyes sparkled like a million stars, and Damon could see his reflection in them.When he didn't respond, merely gazing at her, Nyla raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Sumner, are you saying you're not happy with this approach?"Damon slid his hand behind her neck and kissed her deeply.When they finally broke apart, their clothes were a little disheveled.Damon kissed Nyla's collarbone softly, his voice low and raspy. "I'm more than satisfied."It was after midnight when they finally entered the villa.As soon as they walked in, Lydia came over to
Nyla quickly asked Leon which hospital he was in and booked a ride to get there.…When Nyla arrived, Leon was already waiting at the entrance."Nyla, I'll show you the way. Sullivan's at Block 2," Leon said.Nyla nodded, following him to the inpatient wing. As they approached the building, she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks a few steps from the entrance.In front of her, entering the inpatient wing, was Damon, who had told her that morning he was going to the company. There was no mistaking that back.Stunned, Nyla stood there, her mind blank for a moment.Damon had lied to her—again.What on earth was in this hospital that compelled him to lie time and again?Leon noticed that Nyla had fallen behind and turned back. "Nyla, you—"Before he could finish, Nyla began walking quickly toward the inpatient building.He followed her, a bit taken aback. "Nyla, there's no need to rush. I know which room he's in."Nyla looked at him, expressionless, and said, "Leon, I have some
"Nyla, I really didn't mean to keep this from you. I just hadn't figured out how to tell you... Your father is in really bad shape. The doctor said he might not have much time left..." Damon explained.Nyla's hands tightened slowly.After a long pause, she replied, "I'm feeling really overwhelmed right now. I need a moment to calm down."Seeing her pale face, Damon felt a twinge of concern. "Okay, I'll stay with you.""No need," Nyla said, rejecting his offer.As soon as she spoke, the elevator arrived. She stepped inside, and Damon tried to follow, but a look from her stopped him in his tracks.Nyla didn't walk far, though. After exiting the elevator, she sat on a bench in a pavilion at the inpatient building, lost in thought.Over the past few years, she hadn't thought much about Harrison and hadn't kept up with how he was doing. After all, they had ended things on such bad terms that she had lost all hope for him.During their last meeting five years ago, although Harrison h
As Nyla stepped out of the elevator, she saw Damon still standing where she had left him. When he caught sight of her emerging, his initially downcast eyes brightened."Nyla…" he called out.She bit her lip and approached him. "I'm sorry about earlier. I wasn't angry with you. I was just really shocked and didn't know how to face my dad."Seeing the guilt in her eyes, Damon gently patted her head, his voice soft. "I understand. I just didn't want to see you upset."He knew he should have told her beforehand about his secret meetings with Harrison. Even if she had been angry, it would have been expected."Yeah, I… want to go see him," she said."Okay, I'll take you there," he replied.Even though Nyla had prepared herself mentally, she couldn't help but tear up the moment she saw Harrison's emaciated form up close.Damon gently patted her back and whispered, "You don't have to worry too much. The doctor said his condition is serious, but there's still a chance for recovery. As l
Under Tim's leadership, the Westcott Group maintained its position as one of the top four families in Capitarnia, leaving the other three far behind.After reading the file, Gabriel closed it and asked coldly, "I asked you to arrange a meeting with Mr. Westcott. What's their response?"The secretary hesitated. "Mr. Hackett, Mr. Westcott's secretary hasn't responded. It seems they aren't interested in meeting with you."Gabriel wasn't fazed. The document made it clear that Tim was proud and highly selective in his dealings. Such a person wasn't easily approached.For Damon to even gain the Westcott Group's consideration, he must have put in significant effort.Still, there was an opportunity as long as the contract wasn't signed."No need to wait for a reply. I'll go to the Westcott Group myself tomorrow morning," Gabriel said."Understood, Mr. Hackett," the secretary replied.…At 7:00 a.m. the next day, Gabriel was already standing outside the Westcott Group. The sun hadn't f
Damon nodded. "Got it. Have the PR department continue contacting major media outlets to remove any negative commentary about Prospectus Technology. We can't let this situation escalate further."In the business world, public opinion could be lethal. Most people were naturally inclined to follow the crowd. Without knowing the full picture, they could easily be misled.If the narrative that Prospectus Technology's chips were faulty spread too far, restoring their reputation later would require monumental resources. It was critical to stop this from snowballing now."Understood, Mr. Sumner. By the way, how's the deal in Capitarnia coming along?" someone asked.Upon hearing that, Damon's previously tense expression relaxed slightly. "Progress is decent. Barring any unforeseen issues, we should be able to sign the contract in a couple of days."The group on the call let out a collective sigh of relief.Once the deal was signed, Prospectus Technology would recover some of its losses
"We can sign an agreement if you're still worried. I promise never to challenge your custody of Wilhelm in my lifetime," Jane assured.Seeing her determination, Gabriel remained silent.Noticing his hesitation, Jane gripped the armrests of her wheelchair tightly. "Gabriel, you're already hesitating, even though you haven't remarried yet. How can I believe you'll treat Wilhelm fairly in the future?"Gabriel's gaze turned cold. "No matter what, Wilhelm will be better off with me than with you. When and how much of the shares I give him is my decision, not yours."With that, he turned to leave.As he reached the doorway, Jane's voice echoed behind him. "If you don't transfer half your shares to Wilhelm, I won't leave the country!"Gabriel paused, then glanced back at her mockingly. "Whether you leave or stay means nothing to me. And why would you think your refusal to leave is a threat to me?""Gabriel, you're a bastard!" Jane shouted.Gabriel smirked and left without another word
Wilhelm froze for a moment, his eyes welling up with tears as confusion and hurt clouded them."Mommy, do you really not want me anymore?" he asked, his voice trembling.Jane's gaze flickered with a brief trace of pain as she looked at Wilhelm sitting pitifully on the floor. But the softness in her eyes vanished as quickly as it appeared.She stared at him coldly. "That's right. I never wanted you. I hit you to try and get your father to come back."The other day, when I took you out for steak, I deliberately let you eat that hazelnut cake. You started itching later because you're allergic—that was intentional, too. I wanted you hospitalized so I could force your father to see me."Her tone grew harsher. "Now that Gabriel and I are divorced, you're of no use to me. You're just a burden. Taking you with me would only drag me down."And I hate your father. Naturally, I hate you, too. Don't show up in front of me again!"Wilhelm sat frozen, her words cutting into him like shards of
If Wilhelm stopped wanting to see Jane, the bond between them would naturally fade over time."No! I don't want food!" Wilhelm cried, hurling Gabriel's phone onto the car seat.He began pounding on the car door, trying to open it. "I want to see Mommy! I want to live with her, not you!"Gabriel, his patience wearing thin, locked the doors with a sharp click and turned to Wilhelm, his expression darkening."Your mother doesn't want you. Even if you find her, she won't take you. I'm the only one you have now," he said."I hate you! I don't want to be with you! I don't want you as my dad!" Wilhelm screamed.Gabriel's restraint, already fraying after days of tantrums, finally snapped. He stared at his son and said coldly, "It doesn't matter whether you want me or not. No one wants you now except me."Jane didn't want Wilhelm. The Wilkies wouldn't want him either."That's not true!" Wilhelm sobbed uncontrollably. "Mommy wants me. Mommy's just mad. If I'm good, she'll take me back! S
Lydia nodded. "Okay, Ms. Kinsey."Shortly after, Lydia returned with Mason by her side.When Mason saw Gabriel and Wilhelm standing at the door, he frowned and turned to Nyla. "Mommy, why is Wilhelm here?"Nyla patted his head gently. "He's here to apologize to you.""Oh." Mason's response was wary, clearly unconvinced.Gabriel observed Nyla's affectionate interaction with Mason, his eyes flickering with a trace of emotion. He turned to Wilhelm. "What did you promise me before we came?"Wilhelm's reluctance was evident. He had agreed to apologize, but only under the threat of losing his chance to see his mother."Mason, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you yesterday. I hope you can forgive me," Wilhelm said, his voice subdued.Mason didn't respond immediately. Instead, he looked up at Nyla, silently seeking her guidance."Buddy, this is your decision to make," Nyla said softly. "I'll respect whatever you decide."Mason lowered his head, thinking for a moment.Finally, he s
Brandon sighed and placed the items on the desk. "Aunt Nyla, this crisis is unlike anything Prospectus Technology has faced before. If things go wrong, the company can go bankrupt."Uncle Damon prepared these after finding out Buddy is his son, but he hadn't found the right time to give them to you."Keep them for now. If Prospectus Technology collapses, he'll need this to start over."After a moment's silence, Nyla nodded. "Alright, I'll hold onto them. Is this the only reason you came?""Yes, I need to get back to work," Brandon replied."I'll see you out," Nyla offered.After sending Brandon off, she returned to the study and placed the documents and bank card in the safe upstairs.The next morning…As Nyla was getting dressed, Lydia knocked on the door."Ms. Kinsey, there's a man outside who says he's your brother," Lydia informed her.Brother?Thinking it was likely Gabriel, Nyla's expression turned cold. "I don't know him. Tell him to leave.""Understood," Lydia said
Damon put the file down and sat across from Nyla.Noticing two portions of breakfast on the table, he asked, "You haven't eaten either?""No," Nyla replied as she opened the packages and handed one to him. "I came to eat with you. Spencer told me he brought you breakfast this morning, but you didn't touch it.""I was too busy," Damon said."Being busy isn't an excuse to skip meals. I saw your assistants running around like crazy, and I heard they barely got any sleep last night. Is the issue with the company that serious?" Nyla asked."It's significant," Damon admitted. "Our chips might be causing malfunctions in our partner's machines. If that's confirmed, the company will face a massive compensation payout."Nyla frowned, worry flashing in her eyes. "I can't help much with work, but the least I can do is keep things in order at home. By the way, are you coming home tonight?""Probably not," he replied. "There's still a lot to handle.""Alright. Finish your breakfast. I'll hea
Gabriel took the document, skimmed its contents, and his face darkened."What is it?" Tom asked.Gabriel tossed the document onto the table with a cold laugh. "Nothing important. Damon's just trying to catch me off guard."The document contained evidence of Nyce Tech hiring paid posters to smear Prospectus Technology, but Gabriel wasn't worried.Soon enough, those allegations would become the truth.Tom glanced at the papers and grinned. "As long as it's not a big problem. Anyway, I should get going.""Fine, but don't forget your part in this," Gabriel said pointedly.There was a cold glint in Tom's eyes, though his smile remained. "Relax. I won't let you handle Prospectus Technology alone."After Tom left, Gabriel drained his wine in one gulp.As he prepared to head to his study, a maid approached with a concerned expression."Mr. Hackett, Mr. Wilhelm still refuses to eat," the maid informed him.Gabriel had brought Wilhelm straight back to the villa instead of letting him