Yale's brow creased as he mulled it over before he said, "Just let him be."Walter was not the type to be reckless. Maybe something was up with Gordon Group?He then rang up Holden, his younger brother. "Holden, can you dig up what's going on with Walter?"Holden was at the Fosters' old place, hanging with Evangeline. The thought of the guy who made his favorite niece bawl made him see red."Why should I bother with Walter after he's been such a jerk to our Evie?"Yale felt rather stuck, not knowing what to say, so he confessed, "There might be some big shake-ups coming from Gordon Group, and it could hit our company. Better to get the lowdown now and be ready than to be blindsided later."However, what Yale did not know was that this lit a fire under Holden."Did you catch some juicy gossip or something?"Holden was not in the family business, but he knew that news like that was usually hush-hush.Yale was not about to spill without a solid lead."Don't sweat the details. Th
Walter brushed off the pressing issue, flashing Emma a sly grin. "Ms. Carter, be honest, did you even glance at this document?"Emma did not play coy. "Sure did.""And what do you make of this partnership proposal?"Walter had crafted the documents based on the infamous Southern Crownlands diamond mine scandal, not naming names but laying out the details crystal clear.If Emma was a spy for Southern Crownlands, she would slip up then.Walter expected her to ponder before answering. However, Emma shook her head so fiercely, he would think it was a rattle drum."Only a complete idiot would sign off on such a lopsided deal!"She caught herself mid-rant."Scratch that, even idiots would pass! It's a setup where one side takes all the hits, and the other side just kicks back and cashes in. Who'd agree to that? Even a fool knows better than to give away their own stuff."Charity is one thing, but you want to look good doing it, right? A company playing the charity card under the gui
No sooner had Emma sent the message than she got a reply.[Check out what's going on. If he's hurt, let me know as soon as possible.]In his private villa, Alex lounged on the couch, a smirk playing on his lips as he read the message on his phone.Walter injured? If that was true, was this not the perfect chance for him to step up?Out of nowhere, two guys in black suits burst in, rushing over to Alex in panic. They caught one look at Alex's annoyed expression and clammed up."How long have you been with me, and you're still freaking out over every little thing?"He was on track to be the Gordon Group's big boss. He could not have his people losing their composure—it made him look bad.The men looked down, embarrassed, but one blurted, "Sorry, sir, but it's serious—Ms. Rearden is hurt."Alex, figuring they meant Julia who should have been back in Southern Crownlands by then, casually set his phone aside. "And why is Julia's injury your problem?"His gaze darkened, hinting at a
"It's not my brother Walter, is it?"Being the second son of the Gordon family was not something he could hide, especially not with a face that was a spitting image of Walter's. If they were not related, that would be the real shocker.Wyatt scoffed, "Sir, you and Mr. Walter Gordon are practically identical for all intents and purposes. How could I mistake him for anyone else?"However, this guy is a total stranger. I did some digging, and it turns out he's the big-shot CEO of the Foster Group who goes by the name—""Hank.""Hank!"The name burst out of Alex and Wyatt at the same time."And how are those two getting on?"A guy and a gal, both unattached, heading off to Aurora Mountain for some fun… and they were in the same age bracket, too.It did not take a genius to guess they might be more than just friends.Things were looking up, the pair walked hand in hand, and Yale of the Fosters watched their closeness without any sign of objection. Was he the new love interest the
Walter was in on it too?Alex mulled it over, and the pieces clicked into place.With Walter around, Evangeline's crush on him could definitely lead her to grab Hank's hand.He recalled the report Emma had given him.Was there a chance Evangeline had something to do with Walter getting hurt?Alex nodded, lost in thought, and Carl could not help but shoot a smug look at Wyatt.'Look at that, I've still got it. You've got a lot to learn, kid.'Wyatt just shrugged off Carl's gloating. He knew Carl was just a straightforward guy, not wanting to be outdone or replaced. After all, was it not normal to hustle for a paycheck? Especially if it could give him an edge.Alex was clueless about the silent battle raging between his two guys, his gaze briefly flicking toward the door."Okay, I've got the picture."Evangeline was hurt, and he had to at least pretend to care."Carl, find something nice for Ms. Rearden, and make it quick.""Got it."Carl agreed but hung back, sneaking peeks
Wyatt shrugged, looking frustrated."You knew it all along?"Alex let out a sharp, dismissive snort. "Sure, as your boss, I've got no grounds to fault you. However, as a man? You've made my girl suffer, and I'll never forgive that!"His words were so resolute that they sent a chill down Wyatt's spine.If Wyatt had not known the messy love triangle they were all tangled up in, he might have bought into the idea that Alex was head over heels for Evangeline."Before we even get into whether Ms. Rearden is 'your girl', I think if a guy really likes a girl, the first thing he's got to do is make her happy."Dude, you keep saying you're all about Evangeline, but what have you actually done for her? Were you there with tender care, or did you step up when times got tough? Or maybe you were her constant shadow, day and night?"No offense, but you haven't been any of that, right?"Wyatt watched as a storm brewed on Alex's face, but fear did not touch him.Truth be told, he had come to
"Yep." Wyatt nodded firmly. "But come on, don't you think I'm speaking the truth here?"Sometimes, I wonder if you've really sorted out your feelings. Are you head over heels for Evangeline, or have you been fooling yourself right from the start?"Alex was taken aback. He had never thought of his feelings for Evangeline as some kind of self-deception."Why would you call it a deception? You think I'm lying to myself?"He pointed at his chest with a derisive laugh. "Do I look like an idiot to you?"Wyatt locked eyes with Alex, and in those eyes, just like Walter's, there was an intense fire to come out on top."Being too competitive can sometimes make you lose sight of what's real."Do you think maybe your crush on Evangeline is just about beating Walter? From where I'm standing, it sure looks that way."They say outsiders had the clearest view, but Alex, the insider, never once questioned his feelings for Evangeline."Well, you couldn't be more wrong. You have no idea what's g
Wyatt was gone.All Alex could feel was a pang of regret.After all, with just one piercing glance, he knew that Wyatt's easygoing words were just a show. He was not coming back.However, finding another capable sidekick for Alex was a piece of cake with his army of minions.However, it was Evangeline who was on his mind at this moment.He had to keep the news he had gotten through the grapevine from Evangeline at all costs, leaving him with only one good excuse to use.…Evangeline, relaxing at the old Foster family mansion, carefreely savored an apple Julieta had peeled for her.Roslyn and Holden were hovering around Evangeline, tiptoeing around her, dying to ask her something but too unsure to actually do it. Nonetheless, the worry was eating them up inside.Julieta, feeling pretty useless, decided to duck into the kitchen to whip up some chicken soup.Of course, everyone had their breaking point.Finally, Holden and Roslyn could not take it anymore and settled it with ro
"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