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
Valarie's expression softened upon seeing his sincere demeanor. "Brandon, since I agreed to be with you, it means I'm not going to get involved with other men. My meeting with Tom today was just a coincidence. You can't get jealous without reason. Do you think that's fair?""No, I promise I won't do this again!" Brandon said, shaking his head vigorously.Valarie felt her last bit of annoyance fade at his earnestness."Think about it. If I got jealous every time you talked to another woman, wouldn't you find that unreasonable?" she asked."No, I'd be happy if you did that. It would show you care about me," Brandon answered.Valarie was rendered speechless.Noticing her frustration, Brandon quickly changed the subject. "By the way, the cafeteria at the Sumner Group is pretty good. You didn't get a chance to try it when you were here for meetings before. Would you like to check it out with me today?""Sure," she replied.He took her hand, leading her out.…In the back seat of a
After listening, Nyla was so angry that she felt like hitting someone. "That jerk! How could he have the nerve to come back?!"Damon got up and walked over to her, patting her back. "Alright, it's not worth getting worked up over someone like that. Besides, Valarie is with Brandon now. He'll take good care of her.""That's different," Nyla countered.Just because Valarie was happy now didn't mean the hurt Tom had caused her in the past had disappeared."If you don't like him, just skip the party," Damon suggested.Nyla was about to respond when Damon's phone rang. Seeing that it was a call from the hospital, he quickly answered."Mr. Sumner, Mr. Jayston's health has improved enough for him to be discharged. When would you like to come in to handle the paperwork?" a nurse asked.Hearing this, Damon felt a wave of relief. "I'll be there shortly."Nyla overheard the conversation. When Damon ended the call, she said, "I'll go with you.""Okay," Damon answered.…On the way to th