Wilhelm looked up and saw Jane glaring at him fiercely.Startled, he stammered, "Mom... Mommy, why are you—"Before he could finish, Jane yanked him up and delivered two hard smacks to his backside.She scolded, "Why did you lie?! Do you have any idea how serious the consequences of your lie are?!"The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, and the harder she hit Wilhelm.Having been spoiled while growing up, Wilhelm had never been hit like this before. He immediately burst into tears, his sobs echoing throughout the villa. "Wah... Mommy, please stop! I know I was wrong! I'll never lie again..."Jane smacked him a few more times, still fuming. "Shut up!"Frightened by her terrifying demeanor, Wilhelm was stunned before bursting into a high-pitched, panicked cry that filled the entire villa.A maid rushed over. "Ms. Wilkie, you can't hit a child like this, and Mr. Wilhelm is frightened…"Jane shot the maid a cold glance, causing her to fall silent. The maid shrank b
"First, let's go downstairs for dinner. After we eat, I'll tell you," Gabriel said.Jane scowled. "Gabriel, I'm not in the mood for jokes!"Gabriel looked at her with a gentle gaze. "Jane, how could I joke about something like this? Come on, let's eat. You can't neglect your health, no matter what."Upon meeting his tender gaze, Jane's anger subsided a little, but she still maintained a stern expression. "You have to promise you're not lying to me.""Okay, I promise. Can we go eat now? Wil knows you're upset and hasn't had dinner yet. He's been waiting for you," Gabriel replied.Jane bit her lip. Upon recalling how she had hit Wilhelm earlier, a flicker of guilt crossed her eyes. In the heat of the moment, she had lost her temper, but now that she was calmer, she regretted it.Gabriel felt her forehead. "Your temperature is normal, but why do you look so pale?"Jane shook her head, avoiding his gaze. "I'm fine. Let's go down."They descended the stairs one after the other and s
Gabriel's expressionless face softened into a smile as Jane held his hand and led him to the dining room.After dinner, she eagerly asked him about the solution he had in mind. He gestured for her to follow him to the study.Once inside, Jane was about to press Gabriel further when he pulled a document from the drawer and handed it to her."Take a look at this first," he said.Jane took the document with a confused expression, frowning as she read the title: Golden Waters Resort Project Proposal.The Golden Waters Resort was Starlite Enterprise's largest project of the year.Starlite Enterprise, a subsidiary of Nyce Tech, had emerged in the Saintornia market about five years ago and quickly became one of Prospectus Technology's main competitors in tech manufacturing and innovation.Currently, the two companies were essentially equals.Although Starlite Enterprise had been founded just last year, it had already launched several hotel chains in major cities, achieved profitabilit
Gabriel gave her a helpless look. "Because my friend wasn't dating the Starlite Enterprise general manager's secretary before now."Jane froze for a moment before understanding. She set the document on the desk, walked around to face Gabriel, and wrapped her arms around his neck. She leaned up and kissed him.Gabriel held her at the waist and returned the kiss, the sound of their passion filling the study.When they broke apart, Jane rested her head against Gabriel's chest and spoke softly. "That's your reward."Gabriel's gaze darkened as he twirled a strand of her hair around his finger with a smile. "Thank you, honey."He was handsome, and the smile on his face now made Jane recall their first meeting.Back then…It was a rainy day, and Pedro was in the hospital. She rushed there and accidentally bumped into Gabriel as she entered, her umbrella splashing rainwater onto his clothes.Her mood had been low due to Pedro's illness, but she was caught off guard by the gentleness in
"Just this call is proof!" Theo snapped.Gabriel's smile deepened. He murmured something low, causing Theo to fall silent immediately."I don't appreciate dealing with fools. But since you're Jane's cousin, I'll let it go this time. If there's a next time..." Gabriel warned.He didn't finish before Theo quickly replied, "Gabriel, don't worry. That recording was all my doing—nothing to do with you. I just lost my head for a moment, so don't take it personally."He added, "If that's all, Gabriel, I'll be hanging up now. I've got a few things I need to do."Without waiting for Gabriel's response, Theo hastily ended the call.Gabriel set his phone down and looked out the window into the dark night, his eyes soft with thought. Soon, he'd finally be able to be with Nyla.At Damon's villa…Nyla was playing with Mason in the living room when she sneezed.Damon and Mason both turned to her, their faces full of concern."Mommy, are you okay?" Mason asked."Are you coming down with som
Seeing the bright sparkle in Mason's eyes, Nyla's heart softened, and she nodded. "Alright.""Thanks, Mommy!" Mason cheered and clapped his hands with joy, his face lighting up.After playing a bit longer, Lydia arrived to take Mason for his bath and bed.Nyla stood to leave, but Damon reached over and pulled her back into his arms."Nyla, now that Buddy's off to bed, don't you think we should have a little time to ourselves?" His voice was a deep, husky murmur, laced with temptation.Nyla nudged him away, frowning. "This is the living room. People could walk in at any time—be mindful."As soon as the words left her mouth, Damon lifted her into his arms and carried her to the study."What are you doing?! You scared me!" Nyla gasped, giving him a light punch in the chest."You said the living room wasn't a good spot. So, let's go to the study," Damon replied matter-of-factly.One hour later…They emerged from the study.Nyla walked ahead, her face flushed, her expression ting
The reason the Updikes had called the police was that Valarie had seriously injured Zayn, and he was now in the emergency room, fighting for his life.Hearing this, Nyla felt a surge of anger. Someone like Zayn deserved it. She glanced at Brandon, who was lost in thought, and said softly, "Got it.""Thank you, Aunt Nyla," Brandon replied.Nyla walked to the hospital room door and knocked gently. "Valarie, it's me. May I come in?"There was no response. Just as she was about to ask again, a faint voice replied, "Come in."With a sigh of relief, Nyla pushed open the door.Inside the room, all the lights were on.Valarie sat huddled on the hospital bed. Her small, frail figure was bathed in the harsh light, making her look even more lonely and lifeless.Nyla's heart clenched as she slowly approached the bed and took a seat.Valarie was hugging her knees, staring blankly into a corner of the room, lost in thought.Gently, Nyla reached out and patted her on the back. "Valarie, it'
Valarie froze, nervously fiddling with her hair. She lowered her gaze and replied, "I don't want to see him just yet. Please tell him to go home.""Alright," Nyla answered.When she stepped outside, Brandon immediately walked over. "Aunt Nyla, how is Valarie?"Seeing the concern on his face, Nyla replied calmly, "She's doing better now, but she's still not ready to see anyone. Head home for now and come back tomorrow."Brandon let out a breath of relief and nodded. "Alright. But it's late now, so I'll stay here tonight. I'll be right outside her room.""Fine. I'll head back then. If anything happens, call me," Nyla reminded him.Before leaving, she returned to the room and told Valarie that Brandon insisted on staying nearby.Valarie bit her lip before exclaiming with a frown, "Is he crazy? It's freezing out there. He's going to catch a cold sleeping in the hallway all night!"Suppressing a laugh, Nyla replied, "If you're that worried, why not invite him in? There's a couch whe