Seeing Damon's lips slowly approaching, Nyla quickly pushed against his chest. "I can sleep... I can sleep…""Then are you still going to Buddy?" Damon asked.Nyla remained silent for a moment before she relented. "No…""Okay, then let's sleep," Damon replied, releasing her and settling back into his original position.As Damon moved away, the fresh scent of pine on him gradually faded.Nyla clutched the blanket, a sudden and unexpected sense of loss sweeping over her. She wasn't actually hoping for something, was she?"Why aren't you covering yourself? Do you want me to help you?" Damon's deep voice broke through her thoughts."No, thanks," Nyla answered.She pulled the blanket up to her collarbone and closed her eyes, trying to drift off to sleep.Since Mason turned three, he had refused to sleep with her and insisted on sleeping in his own room.For the past two years, Nyla had slept alone, so suddenly having someone else in her space felt strange.Nyla thought she would
"But if I do that, the company shares he promised me…" Jane trailed off."Jane, you can't have it all. It's already a blessing in disguise that Grandpa hasn't completely lost faith in you. You'll have other chances for the shares in the future," Gabriel advised.Jane was upset, but she knew Gabriel was right. She reluctantly nodded and said, "Alright, I'll go talk to Grandpa."…A little over ten minutes later, Pedro's voice boomed through the study of the Wilkie mansion. His expression was grim. "How did you raise your son?! Wilhelm actually dared to tell such a lie! And you approached Damon for negotiations without verifying the facts? You've completely embarrassed the Wilkies!"Jane kept her eyes down, displeasure flickering in them, but she didn't dare retort.Once Pedro finished his tirade, Jane cautiously looked up and said, "Grandpa, it seems the collaboration with Prospectus Technology is definitely off."I met with Mr. Shane Tonra from Starlite Enterprise today, and he
Pedro was getting old, but none of his children or grandchildren seemed ready to take over. If things continued like this, the Wilkie Group would soon need to change its name.At that thought, a wave of sorrow washed over him.Among his grandchildren, Jane stood out as one of the more capable, but she still lacked the skills to manage the Wilkie Group.Gabriel was competent enough to turn around a gaming company that had been losing money for years, which proved he had some skill. However, he was still not a Wilkie, and Pedro didn't fully trust him.It seemed Pedro would have to find a way to train Theo. If Theo didn't work out, he would have to hand the company over to Jane in the future.…Unaware of Pedro's thoughts, Jane returned to her villa, looking dejected."Jane, why do you look so upset? Did Grandpa disagree?" Gabriel asked.Jane weakly nodded. "Yeah, he thinks half a billion dollars is too much."Before meeting with Pedro, she had already suspected the outcome. She
"Give me a kiss, and I'll let go," Damon requested.Nyla glared at him. "Damon, can you stop being so childish?""I just want a good morning kiss. If you don't give it to me, I won't let go," he insisted.At that moment, Nyla saw a reflection of Mason in Damon. Before Mason turned three, he had to have a kiss on his face every morning, or he would throw a tantrum. Just like father, like son.Thinking about how Valarie was waiting for her downstairs, Nyla leaned over and quickly pecked Damon on the cheek before pulling back."Can you let go of me now?" she asked, her tone calm, though the slight blush on her ears betrayed her.Damon didn't tease her further and released her hand.As Nyla sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed, Damon's strong hands steadied her."I'll help you wash up," he said.With his assistance, she moved much more quickly, so she didn't refuse.Once they entered the bathroom, Nyla noticed a black toothbrush and cup beside her own. Everything el
"Hiking? What made you decide to do that?" Valarie asked."Buddy wanted to go. Anyway, how are you planning to deal with Zayn?" Nyla replied.The mention of Zayn made Valarie frown, disgust flickering in her eyes."The Updikes want to settle privately, but I've already reported it to the police. Whatever the judge decides, I'm going through with it. I won't settle privately," she answered.Just thinking about Zayn's disgusting behavior made Valarie feel sick. She couldn't believe she had agreed to marry him in the first place."Yeah, I support you. Make sure Zayn gets the punishment he deserves," Nyla said.Valarie nodded, just as her phone rang. Seeing it was Brandon, she said before answering, "I'll take this call outside.""Sure," Nyla said.Stepping out of the villa, Valarie picked up the phone. "What's up? Why are you calling me out of the blue?""Where are you now?" Brandon asked."I came over this morning to find Nyla. Why do you ask?" Valarie replied.There was a mom
Brandon chuckled. "So you came back just for breakfast?""Of course! It's Patrick's sandwiches. They're really hard to get," Valarie replied."Your boyfriend got up at five this morning to stand in line for them, and you're not feeling a bit bad for him?" Brandon teased, his eyes sparkling with amusement and affection as he looked at her."First, I'll eat breakfast. Then I'll feel bad for you," Valarie answered.Brandon leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "So how do you plan to compensate me?"The distance between them suddenly narrowed, close enough for him to catch the faint scent of gardenias on Valarie. It was intoxicating, making him want to get just a little closer...Valarie found herself mesmerized, unable to move an inch as she stared into Brandon's handsome face. Her hands gripped the hem of her shirt, her heart racing faster.Just as their lips were about to touch, an unexpected coughing fit interrupted them from behind Brandon.Valarie snapped back
A hand picked up the file and handed it to Valarie as its owner apologized, "Sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you."Hearing the voice, Valarie snapped her head up in shock.It was Tom! Wasn't he abroad?!"What are you doing here?!" she demanded.Her eyes betrayed her disbelief—there was no joy in them.Tom felt a pang in his heart, suppressing his disappointment."I came to discuss business with Mr. Weir," he replied.Valarie's expression remained cold as she took the document from him, walking past him into the office without a second glance.As the door closed behind her, Tom felt a wave of sorrow. He had been too confident, believing that Valarie would never leave him. Now, he realized how foolish he had been.Inside the office, Valarie tossed the file onto Jonathan's desk and snapped, "Dad, why are you suddenly collaborating with Tom?"After the way Valarie and Tom had ended things, the Weirs and Genges hadn't worked together for years.Jonathan picked up the file, his
Word quickly spread about how coldly Valarie had treated Tom in public.As soon as Valarie entered the Sumner Group, she sensed the strange stares from those around her.At first, she thought it was just her imagination. However, when she bumped into a manager she had previously met during a partnership discussion, and the manager hesitated, she could no longer ignore it."Ms. Maddock, is something going on? Why do the employees here keep looking at me strangely today?" she asked.The manager paused for a moment before speaking quietly. "Ms. Weir, I heard that you had an unpleasant encounter with Mr. Genge at the Weir Group today."Valarie's breakup with Tom five years ago had been highly publicized. Since many of the Sumner Group's employees had been with the company for years, they were familiar with her history with him.After all, it had made headlines when Valarie caught Tom cheating, and he had been vilified for it.Following that incident, Tom disappeared abroad for five