Jordyn's sobs stopped abruptly, her eyes filled with grievance. "Clark, my feelings for you are genuine."The thought of her scheming made Clark feel a surge of disgust. "What’s your ‘genuine feelings’ worth?"He pulled out a bank card and tossed it on the table, his expression cold. "There’s 300,000 dollars on this card. Take the money and get an abortion. Otherwise, I’ll have my bodyguards drag you to the hospital. You know what to choose."Jordyn hesitated for a moment, then grabbed the card with trembling hands and ran out of the restaurant in tears.Clark called his bodyguards to make sure they followed her to the hospital, then hung up in frustration. Upon seeing the photo of Nyla on his screen saver, his expression softened. Without much hesitation, he called her.It rang for a long time before she answered."What do you want?"Nyla's cold tone was like a bucket of ice water, instantly cooling Clark's previously warm heart from thinking of her. He clenched his phone tight
Clark froze for a moment and instinctively said, "But you always buy these flowers when you go to the florist."Nyla looked away. Clark had probably forgotten that he had given her Juliet roses the day he confessed. It didn't matter anymore. If he could betray their relationship, it was no surprise that he couldn't remember such a small detail."That was in the past."She walked past him directly to the bedroom. She could feel his gaze on her, but she no longer cared if her words hurt him.After changing clothes and coming downstairs, the housekeeper had already set dinner on the table. "Mr. and Mrs. Sumner, dinner is ready."Nyla nodded and went straight to the table, starting to eat without even glancing at Clark.Clark frowned but said nothing, silently sitting across from her.The housekeeper, Patricia Bambra, noticed the tension between them and guessed they had argued. She picked up the flowers from the coffee table, smiling at Nyla. "Mrs. Sumner, should I arrange these fl
Clark's commanding tone made Nyla instinctively frown. "Whether you agree or not, I'm moving out."Nyla's indifferent tone fueled Clark's anger even more. His voice rose. "Don't forget, your father's medical expenses—"Before he could finish, Nyla coldly interrupted, "Clark, if I remember correctly, your Uncle Elijah's son is returning from studying abroad soon. You wouldn't want your affair to be known to the Sumners at this time, would you?"Elijah Sumner, Clark's second uncle, wasn't very capable, so Richard had invested a lot in Elijah's son. After all, the Sumner Group was so big that they couldn't give everything to Clark.Over the years, Clark had always performed well in front of Richard. Now was a crucial time. He couldn't let Nyla tell Richard about his affair.Nyla had also considered this point in her choice to move out at this time.There was silence on the other end of the phone. After a while, there was a low laugh. "Nyla, I never realized before that you were a ra
On Monday morning at eight sharp, Nyla arrived punctually at Park Pharmaceuticals.The HR completed her onboarding and showed her around the company, familiarizing her with the departments' locations. Afterward, she was escorted to the office of the R&D department manager.The R&D manager, Genevieve Reeve, was a woman in her 40s with a neat short haircut. She was not one to smile easily, giving off a serious vibe."Have a seat," she said after Nyla sat down. "I've reviewed your resume. You achieved quite a bit during your school days, but you haven't been in the lab for the past few years. You'll start as an assistant.""Okay."Genevieve approved of Nyla's calm composure without any hint of dissatisfaction. She liked subordinates who were down-to-earth. So far, Nyla seemed reliable.Genevieve stood up and addressed Nyla. "Let me introduce you to your colleagues."She led Nyla into the R&D department and raised her voice. "Everyone, hold on a moment. We have a new member in our d
Genevieve looked at Nyla. "Have you gained anything in the lab these days?""I've observed that the current focus in the lab is on developing drugs for cardiovascular diseases. The progress of drug development is about 50% complete, and we're preparing for the experimental stage using mice."Upon hearing that, Genevieve's expression brightened slightly, and her gaze toward Nyla carried a hint of approval. "Well done. How about your learning progress with the lab equipment?""It's coming along."On the side, Lucia frowned at Nyla. "Nyla, I know you're eager to conduct experiments, but experiments are serious business. There are several instruments we haven't used recently. How can you say you've almost learned them?"Nyla commented flatly, "I've used these instruments during my university years.""You said it yourself, that was years ago. You haven't been in a lab for quite some time. You need to learn everything again from scratch. We're dealing with drug development here. There'
Nyla's face turned pale as she snatched the phone back from Clark's hand. "I'll head there right away!"Clark grabbed her hand. "I'll go with you."Without giving Nyla a chance to refuse, he pulled her along toward the door.Nyla tried to shake off his grip but failed, frowning in frustration. "Let go of me. I can go by myself."Clark looked back at her with a hint of helplessness. "Nyla, your father's health is at stake right now. Let's put aside our argument for later, okay?"Nyla had wanted to point out that their situation wasn't just a simple argument, but her father's condition was more pressing. She didn't have the energy to argue with him either.…They rushed to the emergency room, where they saw Wren Hackett anxiously waiting on a bench in the corridor, her eyes red.Nyla hurried over. "Wren, what happened? Wasn't Dad's condition stable all this time? Why did he suddenly collapse?"The doctors had previously assured them that as long as Harrison avoided stress, his c
Clark hurried forward and squatted beside Harrison. "Dad, rest assured. I'll always treat Nyla well.""Mm. As long as you treat her well, that's all I ask for."Seeing Harrison's eyelids droop from the lingering anesthesia, Nyla quickly called out to him. "Dad, the anesthesia hasn't completely worn off yet. You can't sleep."Throughout the night, Nyla and Clark took turns watching over Harrison. As dawn approached, the effects of the anesthesia began to fade, allowing Harrison to finally rest.Shortly after dawn, Wren arrived with freshly made soup. "Nyla, Clark, you two stayed up all night. You should go home now. I'll take care of things here."After a night of vigil, Nyla could barely keep her eyes open. She nodded. "Okay, Wren. If there's anything, call me. I'll be resting at home on Saturday and Sunday."Wren unintentionally frowned as she thought, "Hasn't Nyla been unemployed? Why would she mention resting on weekends?"Before she could ask, nurses entered to conduct exami
A chill swept over Nyla, causing her to tremble uncontrollably.Clark's gaze darkened as he noticed the faint curves on her chest, and he leaned down to kiss her collarbone."Don't touch me!" Nyla struggled desperately, but she was pinned by Clark.The inherent power disparity between a man and a woman left her with no chance of escape. Her face contorted with disgust and anger. Even the slightest touch from him made her feel nauseous to the extreme."Nyla, your refusal won't work this time."Only by getting her pregnant would she stay by his side.Clark ignored Nyla's disgusted gaze and lowered his head to kiss her lips.The next moment, Nyla bit down hard on Clark's lips, the taste of blood spreading in their mouths.Clark released Nyla, wiped the blood from his mouth with a sneer, and gripped her chin to force her to look at him. "Nyla, you can't escape today."Just as he leaned down to kiss her collarbone again, a series of knocks suddenly sounded at the door. "Mr. Clark,
Wilhelm froze at Gabriel's stern expression, shrinking behind Wren and peeking at his father with frightened eyes.Without looking at him, Gabriel called for a maid. "Take him to the Wilkies with the driver later."The maid nodded. "Understood."Just as the maid was about to lead Wilhelm away, Wren pulled the boy behind her and snapped, "Gabriel, can't you see how scared he is?"Gabriel finally lifted his gaze to her, his tone icy. "Weren't you the one who brought him to me and insisted I let him see Jane? Now that I've agreed, what more do you want?"Wren stiffened but quickly composed herself. "I only brought him because he was crying so pitifully. That doesn't mean I want him to live with Jane again."She wasn't stupid. It was clear that Wilhelm was better off with Gabriel than with Jane.If the divorce went through, Jane would eventually remarry, and who knew how much Wilhelm would suffer in her new household?At least with Gabriel, Wren could visit Wilhelm often, and he wo
Raymond and Gabriel stayed in the study for over an hour before emerging.By then, Raymond's expression had shifted from initial unease to radiant joy, his face brimming with smiles.It seemed the fortune teller had been right—Wren was indeed his lucky star.Despite his company's brush with bankruptcy, Gabriel not only promised to inject 70,000,000 dollars into it but also agreed to partner with them on future projects.The potential profits were enough to make it impossible for Raymond to hide his grin.Seeing his cheerful demeanor, Wren let out a breath of relief.Setting Wilhelm down from her lap, she turned to Raymond and asked, "So, you reached an agreement?""Yeap. I need to get back to the office, though. I'll have the driver pick you up later," Raymond replied."Alright. Will you be home for dinner?" Wren asked."Of course! Tonight, we'll celebrate properly," Raymond promised.After Raymond left, Wilhelm tugged on Wren's sleeve. "Grandma, when are you going to talk to
"Okay," Wilhelm answered.He accepted the bowl and took a couple of sips, then looked up at Gabriel and asked, "Daddy, where's Mommy?"Upon seeing the cautious look in Wilhelm's eyes, a complex expression crossed Gabriel's face.He crouched down to the boy's level and said gently, "Wil, from now on, you'll live with Daddy. Is that okay?"Wilhelm froze, tears welling up in his eyes. "Daddy, does that mean you don't want Mommy anymore?"Jane's words echoed in his mind—that Gabriel had a bad woman outside and didn't want them anymore.Now that his father didn't want his mother, it wouldn't be long before he didn't want him either, especially if he had a child with that bad woman.Gabriel sighed and spoke softly. "Wil, this is an adult matter that you won't understand. Daddy isn't abandoning Mommy. We're just going to live separately. But no matter what, both of us love you very much.""You're lying!" Wilhelm cried, throwing the bowl to the floor, where it shattered into pieces.H
Looking at Jane's self-righteous demeanor, Gabriel remained expressionless. His gaze was indifferent, as if she were a stranger of no consequence.His lack of reaction agitated Jane even more."Gabriel, why aren't you saying anything? Why?!" she shouted.Gabriel's voice was calm. "Because I think you're pitiful.""Pitiful?!" Jane repeated, then burst into laughter. "Do you think you're any less pitiful than I am? You abandoned your wife to be with Nyla, but has she even spared you a second glance? In the end, you and I are no different—we're both pathetic losers."Gabriel showed no visible reaction but said, "Jane, I'm not like you.""What's so different about you?" Jane demanded."I can make my own choices. You can't. Take this situation, for example—I can ensure you'll never see Wilhelm again, but there's nothing you can do to stop me," Gabriel stated.Jane froze, her laughter faltering. An overwhelming sense of unease gripped her. "What are you going to do?"Gabriel waved h
Although Wilhelm wanted more, he hesitated briefly before obediently putting down his spoon."Okay, Mommy," he said.His compliance sparked a brief flicker of guilt in Jane's eyes. But the feeling vanished as quickly as it had come, replaced by a calm determination.After settling the bill, she led Wilhelm back to the car.As soon as they were on the road, Wilhelm began squirming in his seat, scratching himself furiously. His small face scrunched in discomfort as he complained, "Mommy… I don't feel good. I'm itchy all over…"Jane glanced at him and saw red spots breaking out across his skin."Hold on, Mommy's taking you to the hospital right now," she said.She sped toward the nearest hospital, reaching it in less than ten minutes.…By the time Jane pulled into the ER, Wilhelm's face was covered in hives. He was clawing at himself, leaving red marks all over his pale skin.Jane rushed to unbuckle him and carried him inside, moving quickly toward the emergency desk.A doctor
Wilhelm thought that when Gabriel was home, Jane never hit him without a reason.But ever since his father left, his mother had become unpredictable. Sometimes, even the sound of him making noise while eating would lead to punishment, forcing him to stand in the corner.He missed the mother who would kiss him and speak to him gently. He didn't want the mother who hit him for no reason."But Daddy's out there with another woman now and won't come home," he said.Although he was young, he understood a lot of adult issues.Lately, Gabriel hadn't been around. With Jane's constant hints, Wilhelm had started to believe that Gabriel had left because of a bad woman, choosing her over their family."Mommy, when I grow up, I'll protect you. I won't let any bad woman bully you!" Wilhelm vowed.Tears welled in Jane's eyes at his words, her heart filled with a mix of emotions. Yet, her moment of hesitation lasted only a second before her resolve hardened.The only way to give Wilhelm a comp
Besides, Nyla didn't even like Gabriel. It had always been him chasing her.What was Jane supposed to do—crack open his head and make him stop liking Nyla?Wren frowned, clearly irritated. "Alright, I'm not in the mood to talk about this. Go home," she said, waving Jane off.Jane protested, "Mom, we haven't even discussed how to bring Gabriel back to me and Wilhelm. I need your help.""What do you want me to do?" Wren asked."Later, call Gabriel and tell him Wilhelm has a fever and wants to see him. Get him to come home," Jane requested.Wren hesitated. Gabriel's attitude toward her had grown increasingly cold. If he found out she was conspiring with Jane to deceive him, it could further damage their relationship.Seeing her reluctance, Jane sighed. "Mom, do you really want to watch him chase after Nyla? With the way things are between you two now, do you think Nyla will treat you kindly if they end up together?""That's impossible! Nyla doesn't like him. They won't end up to
At Prospectus Technology, small private chat groups among employees buzzed with activity as everyone discussed Wren's apology video.The entire company was aware of the scene Wren had caused earlier, and clips of her outburst had circulated in various employee group chats.When Damon found out, he issued a strict notice forbidding employees from sharing the video further. Anyone caught distributing it would have their bonuses docked.To incentivize compliance, he offered a 400-dollar reward for the anonymous reporting of violators.No one dared share the video openly anymore, but discussions about it continued in private."Wren looked so arrogant in that video. How did she apologize so quickly? Did Mr. Sumner threaten her?""Considering how much Mr. Sumner cares about Nyla, that's definitely possible."In the lab…Leon noticed the trending video and immediately handed his phone to Nyla. "Take a look at this, Nyla."Nyla glanced at the video on the screen.Upon seeing Wren apo
Gabriel looked at Wren calmly and said, "If you're willing to publicly apologize to her, I'll agree to your request.""A public apology? Are you trying to ruin me?!" Wren shot back.She already believed she was not in the wrong. A public apology would turn her into a laughingstock."You can choose to refuse," Gabriel replied indifferently.Wren was furious but felt powerless. She knew that the Gabriel standing before her was no longer the son she could control.Taking a deep breath, she suppressed her anger and said, "Fine, I'll do it."Gabriel nodded. "Alright. I'll have someone come over to record your apology video. It needs to be posted online today."Wren hadn't expected him to act so quickly, but she was already trapped. There was no turning back. Besides, she needed Gabriel's help to save Raymond's company.True to his word, Gabriel acted swiftly. Within half an hour, a videographer arrived, and Wren was seated on the sofa, ready to record her apology.It took three or