Walter had just wrapped up some work when Caden called him to 'hang out'. Walter had been feeling on edge lately, so he agreed to meet at the swanky Golden Grand Hotel.Caden was buzzing in their get-together, while Walter looked like he could use a week's sleep."You're looking pretty chipper. Hit the jackpot recently?" Walter asked, noticing Caden's gusto, a far cry from his usual nitpicking self. Back in the day, Caden would make the chef check the temperature of his egg custard, not too hot, not too cold."Man, I joined this college student-run amateur racing team. It's like a scene straight out of a movie, all these gorgeous gals around. Makes me feel like I'm back in the college groove, all pumped up," said Caden with a grin."Come on, you know that's risky business. Your folks would flip if they knew," said Walter, trying to talk some sense into him."Hey, keep it on the down-low, will you? You're the only one in the loop. I'm planning to ride this wave a little longer." Ca
Ms. Foster's captivating gaze narrowed at Walter's words, her tone icy. "Who did you think I was?"He had burst in with erratic steps and an urgent voice, a far cry from his usual poise.Ms. Foster felt a flutter of curiosity, waiting in silence for his reply.Walter, finally composed, eyed the woman before him with suspicion. Finding no giveaway, he answered with a chill, "It's nothing, just a case of mistaken identity..."Her hand clenched beneath the table.A case of mistaken identity?Fine, just fine!She had expected nothing less than disdain from that man.Ms. Foster's anger rose, but her smile was alluring. Her eyes, however, betrayed a deep chill.She gave him a frosty look. "Next time, Mr. Walter Gordon, make sure you take a good look before you bother someone. It's quite rude, don't you think?"Walter was momentarily lost for words, caught off-guard by her rebuke."You know who I am?" he asked, a crease forming between his brows, picking up on the inconsistency.M
Walter was fuming when suddenly, he got a text from the villa's butler.[Madam's back.]That brief message made him scowl. What was she up to all the time?He fired up the car, and it zoomed off like a shot, his every move seething with anger.When Walter got back to the villa, the butler said Evangeline had retired to her room. He did not hesitate and bolted up to the second-floor bedroom."Evangeline, get out here!"Evangeline was calmly organizing her desk. She paused when she heard the commotion, but she then resumed her task, blatantly ignoring Walter.Walter burst through the bedroom door, his sharp eyes zeroing in on Evangeline.That same white dress, that familiar silhouette.The way that woman had smiled and frowned in the private room earlier that day was flashing before Walter's eyes, and he could not help but compare her to Evangeline.Evangeline shot him a look. "What's your problem? If it's nothing, leave. I need to shower!"Walter's lips tightened, and he took
Back when Evangeline had devoted her heart to him, Walter had not cared much. However, seeing her dismiss him so casually, he felt an unexpected urge to win her over.Walter settled himself on a couch, deciding not to leave just yet.The bathroom door was steamed up, yet through the haze, the outline of a woman's alluring figure was still visible.Walter felt an unexpected tightness in his throat, and his gaze grew shadowed.He could not deny it; that woman had caught his attention more times than he cared to admit.Restless heat surged within him, and he grabbed a glass of water from nearby, taking a gulp to quell the rising irritation.Evangeline emerged from her bath shortly after, draped in a robe, dabbing at her wet hair. She paused when she saw Walter, still seated like a statue, and her brows knit together in a frown. "Why are you still here?"The man who had once bolted at the slightest hint of her flirtations was shamelessly lingering.Ignoring him, she sat down and st
Evangeline had not guessed Walter was only pretending to sleep. A wave of embarrassment washed over her. She had been about to cover him with a blanket, and he had not been asleep at all!Her well-intended action then felt like a cruel joke.Evangeline snapped, "I was just looking at an animal."Walter narrowed his eyes, taken aback by the woman's biting wit as soon as she opened her mouth. He clicked his tongue and pulled Evangeline close.He was curious to taste her defiant spirit.Their lips met in a deep, unexpected kiss.Surprisingly, her kiss was sweet, a stark contrast to her sharp words.The thought lingered in Walter's mind, compelling him to kiss her more intensely.Evangeline had not seen it coming. Walter's lips had swiftly moved from hers to her neck, leaving a trail of fervent kisses that sent a wave of tension through the air.She snapped back to reality.Why should she let him have his way?She had wanted a child, and he had flatly refused, leaving her humili
Evangeline winced as Aria's piercing voice echoed in her ears, prompting her to reflexively rub them.There were times Evangeline seriously considered getting Aria some throat lozenges to save her voice and her sanity. How did Aria manage to yell like that day in and day out?Evangeline nonchalantly replied, "Sorry to burst your bubble, but that's your son's handiwork. He can be a bit rough, but I can't say I mind it..."Evangeline watched Aria's face twist with fury, her nose nearly bending out of shape.Evangeline had figured it out. Aria just could not stand the thought of her son being affectionate with her."No way! You must've slipped him something, you temptress!" Aria glared at Evangeline as if trying to bore holes into her with her eyes.Deep down, Aria was making plans. She could not let Walter and Evangeline carry on like that. Evangeline was too cunning. If she ever got her way, it would be a disaster!With those thoughts, Aria discreetly pressed the service bell. A
Walter was fuming. "What was she thinking, running off like that? Said she was visiting my mother, but I bet she was out with some guy. Does she want a baby that bad, to the point where any man will do?"His last shred of sanity was gone, and all he could think about was tracking down Evangeline.Over at Crystal Waters House, in a hotel room upstairs, Evangeline lounged back, one leg crossed over the other, eyeing the group of half-naked men before her. "Put some muscle into it!" she snapped. "What, did you skip breakfast or something?"The men, clad only in underwear, knelt on the floor, their faces a mix of fear and anger. With each command from her, they slapped themselves harder, chanting, "I am not human!" It was a small comfort to Evangeline to see them like that.They were Aria's lackeys, sent to strip her and snap some scandalous photos.Evangeline had to laugh internally. As if such a cheap trick could take her down!She already spat out the drugged coffee and then dealt
"Understood!"Amid Walter's frantic preparations to dash downstairs and drive after Evangeline, his phone rang.His subordinate's voice came through, trying to sound light despite the bad news, "Sir, we've lost track of Mrs. Walter Gordon..."Walter's fists tightened, fury bubbling up inside him. "A bunch of useless fools!"Evangeline was in a fragile state, emotionally shattered. Without someone by her side, who knew what might happen? He could not bear to think about it.As he wrestled with his worries, a call came in from his mother, Aria."Walter, you wouldn't believe the racy photo your wife sent today." Aria clucked disapprovingly. "A woman like that, so flighty and flirtatious, just doesn't belong in the Gordon family. You need to kick her out, and fast."Aria was smug, waiting for Walter's agreement. Instead, a frosty voice came through the phone."Mom, cut the act. I know you're behind all this."Aria's heart skipped a beat. Walter's voice had never been so icy. "Walt
"I will handle both matters properly and provide a clear explanation to all shareholders within a week."Walter's working style had always been swift and decisive. With just a few words, he managed to soothe the shareholders' concerns.As soon as he finished, the room erupted in thunderous applause. Praise followed closely behind, ringing out alongside the clapping.This was exactly the effect Walter had intended. With Alex gone and Walter regaining control of the company's management, the shareholders were fully convinced and showed no dissatisfaction.The meeting concluded.Walter was the first to return to his office.Unexpectedly, Emma followed him in without waiting for instructions.After entering the office, she stood across from his desk with her head lowered, looking hesitant as though struggling to find the words to speak.The sight annoyed Walter, and he decided to break the silence. "Ms. Carter, is there something you want to say?"Ever since discovering that Emma
Walter understood—Alex was handing the company over to him.Perhaps Alex finally regretted his decision to ally with a traitorous group.Emma, who had witnessed the entire upheaval, was still in shock. She stood frozen, staring blankly at the people around her, unsure of what to do.Noticing her dazed state, Walter did not seem upset. Instead, he chuckled lightly and reminded her, "Ms. Carter? The unwelcome guest has left. Why don't you close the door now? Our meeting is about to officially begin.""Of course," replied Emma softly with a lowered head. Nonetheless, her actions were swift as she moved to shut the meeting room door.Still, every step she took was unusually heavy, filled with trepidation and caution.For the first time, Walter saw a sense of complete submission in Emma's demeanor. Even so, he did not care about any of that.If it were not for David's severe injuries preventing him from attending the meeting, none of this would have fallen onto Emma's shoulders in th
"Go ahead, play it! Don't just grab some random video online and bring it here to slander me. I won't acknowledge it!"Walter found this response amusing."My dear brother, how can you be so certain that the video I have is just something I found online?"Alex's lips curved into a smirk. "There are no cameras in the CEO's office. Even if I did do something, it wouldn't have been recorded. Really, Walter, waving that USB drive like that—who are you trying to scare?"'Was Alex determined to deny everything until the bitter end?' thought Walter.Before he could respond, Emma stepped forward. "Exactly! I can understand your desire to return to the company, but you can't tarnish our CEO's name for your own selfish motives. Don't you agree?"Walter did not respond immediately.His sharp, dark eyes swept over both Emma and Alex before he calmly inserted the USB drive into the laptop he had prepared in advance.The video quickly appeared on the screen, but instead of projecting it onto
"Impossible! How could Mr. Alex Gordon possibly do such a thing?""Exactly! They're all part of the Gordon family. If Gordon Group collapses, how would that benefit him?""Well, you never know. Don't you remember what happened back then? Mr. Alex Gordon didn't leave Gordon Group voluntarily—he was forced out by Mr. Trey Gordon and Mr. Walter Gordon!"Everything was going smoothly, and then he was suddenly kicked out. Who wouldn't hold a grudge over that?"The crowd buzzed with speculation, including Emma, who had always been loyal to Alex.She looked at Alex in disbelief. "Mr. Gordon, what he said… it's not true, is it?"Her expression was complicated, tinged with visible disappointment.The reason she had helped Alex with those things was because she cared for him. She believed that he had returned to Gordon Group to achieve something great and that Trey and Walter were just thieves who had stolen the fruits of his labor.Walter's revelations seemed to suggest that Alex had be
Alex took a deep breath, his face darkening as he demanded, "Walter, you've been removed from the company. Grandfather personally stripped you of your authority in front of all the shareholders."You have no decision-making power in any company affairs. So, please leave my meeting room immediately. Thank you!"Contrary to expectations, Walter, despite being blatantly dismissed, remained unfazed. He sat firmly in his chair, unmoved."Yes, you and Grandfather forced me out of Gordon Group. But so what? Under your leadership, in these so-called traitor's hands, Gordon Group is on the brink of collapse."As a member of the Gordon family, am I supposed to just stand by and watch you drag Gordon Group into the abyss?"He leaned back slightly, his voice calm but sharp as a blade. "Or should I let these shareholders watch you use their hard-earned money to fill a bottomless pit—one that leads straight to an unmarked grave?"Alex's face paled at the accusation, and his hand trembled as he
"What's the point of all this arguing? Can it bring back the money? In the end, only Mr. Gordon can resolve the issue!"The room fell into a stunned silence. Everyone exchanged uncertain glances before they all turned, almost instinctively, toward Walter.Walter remained calm, casually raising his wrist to check his watch. "There's still one hour before The Bennex Corporation's press conference. Feel free to continue arguing if you'd like."But if you do, I won't stay to keep you company."The shareholders' faces turned pale, and their aggression completely dissipated."No, no, we don't know anything about these matters. You're the expert, sir. Please, tell us what to do."'What's this? Begging someone to help after shoving them out the door? Truly shameless.'Walter chuckled lightly. "I've already been removed from the company. I don't deserve to be called your president. The only reason I'm here today is because Gordon Group represents my grandfather's life's work. Watching it
Emma came along reluctantly, but she had to follow Alex's orders.Even as she stood beside Walter, her loyalty never wavered—she was Alex's person. Every action, every word, was meant to assist Alex, not this usurper Walter!Walter glanced at the woman beside him, his feelings mixed.The fact that Alex sent his personal assistant to him probably meant that he was aware of David's situation—hospitalized and severely injured. If Walter wanted to win this battle in front of the shareholders, he would have to handle everything himself.For the Gordon family, that was far too humiliating.Alex could be frighteningly stubborn sometimes yet inexplicably considerate at others.However, Walter had no interest in what Emma was thinking at this moment because…"Ms. Carter, if you want to help Alex, you'd better listen to me during today's meeting," he advised her, though his tone carried a hint of warning."Why should I?" Emma immediately stiffened, glaring at him defiantly.Walter smile
Alex's attitude had said it all, so why waste more words?Standing in front of Alex, Walter lit a cigarette. He would only smoke when his emotions were about to overwhelm him. Drawing on the cigarette, combined with the swirling smoke, helped calm him."Alex, I'll only ask you one question: how did your legs get injured?"Back when Alex left the Gordon family, he was perfectly healthy. By the time he returned, however, he was somehow wheelchair-bound.For a time, Walter had assumed it was just a ploy to gain sympathy. However, he realized that for a healthy person to willingly confine themselves to a wheelchair, the price was simply too high.He had sent people to investigate Alex's life abroad, but they found nothing. He had no choice but to ask in person.Alex chuckled softly. It seemed as though he had recalled something painful, as his eyes reddened.Suddenly, his expression grew firm. His thin lips curved slightly as he uttered two words:"Northern Montavia."Walter froze
"That's true." Alex chuckled, laughing with genuine amusement.When was the last time he and Walter spoke like this? For a moment, he could not recall."Walter, do you hate me?"Walter was puzzled. "Why would I?"Alex sighed deeply. "There are too many reasons..."Those reasons were Evangeline and the company. Even at this moment, clearly, he was the one who let the Bennisons infiltrate the company, yet his younger brother, Walter, had to clean up after him.As he listed these grievances, Alex felt like he was truly an unforgivable person, though he could not pinpoint exactly what he had done wrong.The feeling was deeply conflicting. Perhaps he would never figure it out in this lifetime.However, Walter swiftly answered, "I don't hate you, Alex. I pity you."His gaze fell on the wheelchair beneath Alex.A man who could walk on his own had to disguise himself as someone partially paralyzed for his own purposes. A man who could rely on himself needed help from others.What ki