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After saying that, Nyla turned and quickly left the room.
Harrison wanted to call after her but ultimately couldn’t make a sound. He covered his face in anguish, regretting everything. he had done and said. He had intended to protect her, but his words had caused so much pain
Wren sighed and said softly, “Harrison, don’t blame yourself. This isn’t your fault… It’s mine. If I hadn’t said those things, your relationship with Nyla wouldn’t be like this…”
Harrison hung his head in silence, unsure of how to respond.
Outside the hospital, Nyla wiped the tears from her eyes, questioning her actions for the first time.
Why was everyone against her? Should she really give up?
But when she thought of Cyrus and Clark’s schemes against her, and what Cyrus had done to her family, she couldn’t bring herself to let it go. There was no turning back now–she had to stay with Damon and use him to deal with the Sumners.
When Nyla returned to the villa, it was already past 9:00 p.m.
Damon was home, sitting on the sofa and reading documents.
“Where have you been? Why are you back so late?” he asked.
Nyla shook her head. “It’s nothing. I’m a bit tired. I’m going to
rest now.”
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As she walked past the sofa, Damon suddenly spoke up. “Wait, what happened to your face?”
Nyla bit her lip and was about to respond when Damon approached her, brushing the hair from her face.
Upon seeing the mark of a slap on her cheek, his demeanor turned cold. “Who did this?”
“No one. Don’t ask. I’m tired and just want to rest,” she replied.
Damon frowned. Noting her pale face, he didn’t press further but firmly guided her to the sofa and made her sit down. “Wait here.”
He entered the kitchen, and soon there was the sound of clinking and clattering. He returned shortly with a bag of ice.
As soon as the ice touched Nyla’s face, she winced.
“If it hurts, let me know,” Damon said.
“It’s fine,” Nyla replied.
Damon didn’t say anything more, and the room fell silent. He watched Nyla closely.
If it had been someone from the Sumners who had hurt her, she would have told him. Thus, the incident must have involved her own family.
Upon realizing this, Damon’s eyes grew colder. She was his now, and he wouldn’t let anyone, whether from the Sumners or the Jaystons, hurt her.
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After about ten minutes of icing, Nyla felt the pain in her face
ease.
She looked up at Damon and said, “It doesn’t hurt anymore. Thank you.”
Damon removed the ice pack and replied, “I told you, don’t keep saying thank you. We’re a couple. If you’re upset, you can tell me. I won’t let anyone bully you.”
A warmth spread through Nyla’s chest, and her eyes grew a bit misty. “I understand.”
Seeing her struggle to hold back tears despite her attempt to stay strong, Damon felt a pang of sympathy and pulled her into his embrace.
“Did you have dinner?” he asked.
“I ate.” Just as Nyla said that, her stomach growled loudly, betraying her.
Damon chuckled and said, “I’ll make you a sandwich.”
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Just as Nyla was about to get up, Damon’s hands gently pressed down on her shoulders.
“Don’t move. Wait here,” Damon instructed.
Meeting his firm gaze, Nyla bit her lip and instinctively nodded.
Damon patted her head with a smile. “Good girl.”
Nyla was left speechless.
Damon worked quickly, and soon the kitchen was filled with the aroma of food.
Nyla couldn’t help but swallow as she headed to the kitchen. She hadn’t eaten dinner and was now quite hungry.
Just as she reached the kitchen door, Damon emerged, carrying a plate of sandwiches.
“Why did you come over?” he asked.
Nyla was captivated by the sandwiches in his hand. It was a simple creation–vegetables and eggs topped with melted cheese. The green vegetables and crispy–edged fried eggs. looked especially appetizing under the light.
Noticing that all her attention was on the sandwiches and she had completely ignored him, Damon couldn’t help but smile. ” Go get your cutlery.”
At his words, Nyla quickly went into the kitchen, grabbed her cutlery, and returned to the table.
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“Thank you, Uncle Damon,” she said.
Damon didn’t correct her habitual way of addressing him and simply nodded. “Eat up.”
Nyla picked up a sandwich, and as soon as she took a bite, her eyes involuntarily closed in delight.
“So delicious!” she exclaimed.
“Eat slowly. No one’s going to take it from you. Don’t burn yourself,” Damon warned.
Nyla nodded but showed no sign of slowing down.
In less than ten minutes, she had finished the entire plate of sandwiches, leaving not a crumb behind. As she put down her cutlery, she still felt a bit unsatisfied.
“Uncle Damon, how can you cook so well?” she asked.
She had expected something unappetizing, but his cooking was surprisingly good. She could easily have eaten another plate.
“I only know how to make simple things like this,” he answered.
Before Nyla could respond, Damon’s phone vibrated on the
table.
He picked it up, answered the call, and frowned slightly as he spoke coldly. “I’ll be there soon.”
After hanging up, he turned to Nyla. “There’s a problem at the company. I need to step out for a bit. Rest early and don’t wait
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Chatter 202
up for me.”
“But your back…” Nyla began.
“I’ll be careful,” he assured her.
As Damon hurried out, Nyla bit her lip, a trace of concern in her
eyes.
She got up, washed and dried the dishes in the kitchen, then returned to her bedroom. Just as she was about to shower and go to bed, she received a message from Wren.
Wren: [Nyla, your dad was just acting out of impulse today. -Don’t take it to heart. I support the idea of going abroad. Let me know when things are ready, and your dad and I can go anytime.]
Nyla stared at the screen, her face expressionless.
Wren’s eagerness to go abroad likely stemmed from a fear of retaliation from the Sumners.
It was understandable. After all, Nyla was only her
stepdaughter, and Wren wouldn’t want to be dragged into trouble.
After a long pause, Nyla replied with a simple “Okay” and then.
deleted the chat.
Meanwhile, relieved by Nyla’s response, Wren quickly dialed another number.
“Gabriel, Harrison and I will be going to Meristate soon,” she
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announced.
A deep, youthful voice answered from the other end of the line. “Mom, why are you suddenly coming over?”
“Harrison needs treatment abroad. I’ll have Nylu find a hospital close to where you live so I can take care of both you and Harrison,” she replied.
There was a brief silence before Gabriel Hackett’s voice came through again. “How is Nyla… doing these days?”
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Wren sighed. “Don’t even mention it. She divorced Clark, and on top of that-”
Before she could finish, Gabriel interrupted, “She got divorced?”
Wren, oblivious to his agitation, continued with a frown. “Yes, it’s complicated. I’ll explain everything once I get to Meristate.”
“Alright… Gabriel replied.
After a few more words, Wren ended the call. Thinking about. reuniting with her son in Meristate, she couldn’t help but smile.
Once she and Harrison were in Meristate, whatever Nyla did here wouldn’t affect them. All she needed to do was focus on taking good care of Harrison and Gabriel.
As for Nyla, Wren had never considered her part of the family. The courtesy Wren had shown in the past was merely out of respect for Harrison. Now that Nyla no longer respected her, Wren felt no need to curry favor with her.
At the Sumner residence…
Damon’s decision to move Nyla into his villa had left Richard fuming.
“Outrageous! Does he really want to drag the Sumner name through the mud?!” Richard bellowed.
The lawyer, Parker Frampton, sat nearby in silence, his gaze
lowered.
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He had met with Cyrus at the police station earlier and knew that the police had gathered substantial evidence, making it impossible to bail him out anytime soon.
Richard had ordered his people to find Nyla and planned to confront her tonight. However, discovering she had moved into Damon’s villa meant he couldn’t meet her without Damon knowing, which only added to his frustration.
Cindy, her eyes red from crying, looked at Richard. “Dad, when has Cyrus ever been through this kind of suffering? We need to find a way to get him out. The longer he stays in there, the worse it is for the Sumners.”
Richard shot her a cold look. “I don’t need you to remind me.”
His face darkened with frustration. The situation wasn’t just affecting the Sumners–it was threatening the Sumner Group’s business relationships as well.
Although the Sumners had managed to contain the scandal, there was no guarantee it wouldn’t spread further. If their business partners found out, they might sever ties with the Sumner Group, leading to significant losses.
“Find a way to get Nyla to meet with us,” Richard ordered.
Parker sighed. “Mr. Summer, my assistant tried to approach. her but was warned off by Mr. Damon’s people. We haven’t been able to see her, and there’s nothing more we can do.”
The living room fell into a heavy silence, the atmosphere thick with tension.
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Richard’s expression grew even darker. Damon was clearly determined to oppose the family over a woman. His son had turned out to be a huge disappointment.
Cindy’s eyes flashed with hatred as she gritted her teeth. “That little wretch thinks she can get away with anything just because she’s with Damon?! If anything happens to Cyrus, I swear I’ll make her pay, even if it costs me my life!”
“Rather than wasting time on empty threats, we should focus on how to meet with her,” Richard retorted.
“Meeting her is all? I’ll go myself. I don’t believe I can’t find a chance to see her if I camp outside Prospectus Technology!” Cindy declared.
Richard, having just clashed with Damon, was eager to avoid further escalating their conflict. Cindy stepping in as the “bad guy” was actually ideal. After all, it was her duty to do something for her husband.
“Then do as you said. Find a way to get her to sign the forgiveness letter when you meet her,” Richard said.
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Noticing that Richard hadn’t assigned him the task, Parker stood up and said, “Mr. Richard, I need to find more.
information to see if there’s a way to bail out Mr. Cyrus. I’ll be going now.”
Richard nodded. “Go ahead.”
After Parker left, Richard turned to Cindy. “You should go too. Whether Cyrus can be released depends on whether you can convince Nyla.”
With that, Richard left the room.
As Cindy watched him leave, she couldn’t help but grit her teeth, her eyes filled with resentment. It seemed Richard wasn’t reliable either, and only she cared about Cyrus‘ fate.
After leaving the Sumner residence, Cindy called Clark and recounted the night’s events in detail.
“Clark, if we want to get your father out, it’s up to us now. I’ll wait downstairs at Prospectus Technology tomorrow. I refuse to believe I can’t find a way to see her!” Cindy declared.
There was a brief silence before Clark’s cold voice came through. “Alright. I’ll also find a way to create some trouble for Uncle Damon’s company so he won’t have time to deal with Nyla.”
“Good, we’ll rely on ourselves…” Cindy replied.
Clark frowned. If Cyrus weren’t his biological father and still
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useful to him, he wouldn’t care at all.
“Okay, I have other matters to attend to. Goodbye,” he said, dismissing the conversation.
After hanging up, Clark sent a message to Michael, instructing him to find Rebecca Austen within three days.
Noticing Clark’s troubled expression, Jordyn approached and began massaging his temples. “Clark, try not to worry too. much. We’ll do our best with this. If Nyla really doesn’t plan to let Dad off, you must take over the company as soon as possible.”
Clark closed his eyes and remained silent, contemplating Jordyn’s words.
If Cyrus were truly facing sentencing, securing control of the company quickly was indeed a priority. With that in mind, he decided to visit Cyrus the next day.
The next morning, while having breakfast, Nyla realized that Damon hadn’t returned all night.
Concerned about his back wounds, she lost her appetite, set down her bread, and headed straight to the company with medicine and bandages in hand.
As she parked downstairs, Cindy intercepted her. “Nyla, we need to talk!”
Cindy’s expression was icy, her gaze filled with disdain, and her tone as haughty as ever.
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Nyla ignored her and attempted to walk past, but Cindy stubbornly followed her to the elevator.
“Are you ignoring me? Are you deaf? Or have you climbed too high to care about me, your former mother–in–law?” Cindy demanded. “Forget it. It’s not surprising that you’re rude. I’m here today to get you to sign this forgiveness letter. If you sign, I’ll leave right away!”
She thrust a document toward Nyla.
Nyla glanced at it before looking back at her. “Do I look like a fool to you?”
“What do you mean?!” Cindy growled.
Seeing Cindy’s angry eyes, Nyla smirked. “What do I mean? You really have the nerve to come here asking me to sign a forgiveness letter!”
“You!” Cindy pointed at her, trembling with anger. “Don’t forget, I’m your elder!”
“Elder?” Nyla’s smile was laced with irony. “I’m no longer married to Clark. How are you an elder to me? Besides, I’m now Damon’s girlfriend. If I’m not mistaken, you’re just his sister–in–law. Do you want to be my elder? Are you trying to be his mother?”
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Cindy was furious and raised her hand to slap Nyla. However, before her hand could make contact, Nyla had already grabbed her wrist.
“Let go!” Cindy shrieked.
Nyla smiled. “I suggest you adjust your attitude before asking for favors next time. Otherwise, you’ll just end up looking foolish.”
With that, she released Cindy’s wrist.
Still struggling, Cindy didn’t expect Nyla to suddenly let go. She lost her balance and fell awkwardly to the ground.
As the elevator doors opened, Nyla walked in without looking back.
Cindy tried to stop her, but the pain from her twisted ankle prevented her from getting up to chase after Nyla.
“Stop right there! You bitch! I won’t let this go!” Cindy screeched.
An icy glint crossed Nyla’s eyes.
Once the elevator doors closed and reached the first floor, she headed straight to the surveillance room. After copying the security footage of the argument with Cindy in front of the elevator, she left.
Nyla then went to the top floor to find Damon but was told he was currently in a meeting. She handed the medicine and
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bandages to Spencer.
“Mr. Hogg, please help him change the bandages once he’s done with the meeting,” she requested.
Spencer took the items and hesitated before speaking. “Ms. Jayston, if you don’t have anything urgent, it would be best to avoid coming to the top floor to see Mr. Sumner. Many shareholders of Prospectus Technology are aware of what happened yesterday, and they’re quite upset about the unclear relationship between you and Mr. Sumner.”
If news of Damon being with his nephew’s ex–wife got out online, it could negatively impact Prospectus Technology’s reputation.
While shareholders might not care about Damon’s personal life, they would be the first to protest if his personal affairs started affecting their interests.
Seeing that Nyla didn’t respond, Spencer sighed and
continued. “Ms. Jayston, Mr. Sumner wouldn’t tell you this directly, but if you truly care about him, you wouldn’t want to put him in a difficult position.”
Nyla nodded. “I understand. I’ll try to avoid meeting him at the company.”
Spencer’s expression relaxed a bit due to her agreement. ” Thank you. Please don’t mention this to Mr. Sumner.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t. I know it’s almost work time, so I won’t keep you any longer,” Nyla said.
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Back in her office, Nyla sat at her desk, staring blankly at her computer.
“Nyla, are you okay?” Melody asked.
Nyla turned her head and forced a smile. “It’s nothing. I didn’t sleep well last night. Let’s start working.”
“Oh, okay…” Melody replied, unsure of what else to say.
Just as they completed a stage of their experiment, Damon arrived with the medicine and bandages Nyla had given to Spencer.
Nyla asked him to wait in the office while she finished‘ recording the experiment data. She handed the completed data to Melody before leaving.
When Nyla walked into the office, she saw Damon sleeping in her chair. She tiptoed closer and noticed the dark circles under his eyes and the exhaustion etched on his face. It seemed he had been working all night.
She intended to let him rest a bit longer, but just as she turned. to leave, he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his
chin on her shoulder.
“Why didn’t you wake me?” Damon asked.
Nyla gently pushed him away and looked down. “I saw your sleeping so deeply in my chair and figured you must be exhausted. I wanted you to get a few more minutes of rest.”
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Noticing Nyla’s cold attitude, Damon frowned and asked softly, “Did something happen?”
Nyla looked up, confused. “No, why do you ask?”
“You seem a bit down today,” he replied.
Nyla shook her head. “No, I’m fine. Sit down. I’ll change your bandages.”
Damon studied her for a moment but chose not to press further. “Okay.”
As Nyla finished changing his bandages and tidying up the used items, she said, “You can go now. I need to get back to work.”
Damon stared at her for several seconds before asking, “Did you get upset because I didn’t come home last night?”
Nyla was taken aback. “No, why would you think that?”
“Because you seem distant. I must have done something to upset you,” he suggested.
Nyla couldn’t meet Damon’s gentle gaze and looked away. “No, it might just be that I didn’t sleep well because of the bed change last night.”
“Really?” he asked.
“Yeah. You worked all night at the company and must be very busy. It’s not ideal for you to stay in the lab for too long. We
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should keep a low profile, Nyla explained
Damon raised an eyebrow. “Why should we keep a low profile? We’re dating now”
“I got divorced from Clark a few days ago, and last time you were quite high profile at the company entrance. I don’t like being the center of attention,” Nyla said.
Damon wanted to point out that being with him would naturally attract attention, but seeing her serious expression, he agreed. “I can give you time to adjust, but I don’t want to wait too long.”
Hearing his assertive tone, Nyla hesitated before nodding. Alright, let’s try to keep our interactions at the company to a minimum. I won’t come to your office for lunch. I’ll eat in the cafeteria with Melody.”
Damon’s eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing in them. Are you having second thoughts?”
Nyla’s attempt to avoid having lunch with him made it clear that she was trying to distance herself.
Nyla looked puzzled. “Second thoughts about what?”
“You tell me!” Damon’s face darkened. “First you say we should keep a low profile, and now you’re avoiding lunch with me. It seems like you’re trying to avoid me.”
Caught off guard, Nyla felt a pang of guilt and instinctively replied, “It’s not that. It’s just that so much has happened recently, and our relationship has changed. I need time to adjust.”
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“Then give me a timeline,” he demanded.
Nyla hesitated before meeting his gaze. “How about three months?”
Damon immediately rejected the idea. “No, that’s too long.”
“Then one month. It can’t be any shorter,” Nyla countered.
“Fine, one month,” Damon agreed.
“Okay. I need to get back to my experiments now. You should go,” Nyla said.
As she turned to leave, Damon grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his embrace. Before she could react, his lips were on
hers.
Nyla’s eyes widened in shock. Just as she was about to push him away, he released her and took a step back.
“What are you doing?! This is the office, and someone could come in at any moment!” Nyla hissed.
Seeing her embarrassed reaction, Damon smiled and said, “It’s a good morning kiss.”
He gently pinched her reddened cheek, which was filled with displeasure, and added, “I promised to give you a month, so you’ll have to give a little in return.”
“I’m just not used to being so intimate…” Nyla muttered.
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“I’ll try to have more self–control in the future, but don’t blame me if I can’t hold back,” Damon said.
Nyla was speechless. Was there any difference between what he said and saying nothing at all?
Seeing Nyla’s slightly darkened expression, Damon realized that staying any longer might push her over the edge.
He quickly added, “I have a meeting later. Send me a message when you finish work tonight, and we can go home together.”
After Damon left, Nyla went straight to the lab.
Melody smiled slyly when she saw her. “Nyla, guess what I saw when I went to your office just now?”
“What?” Nyla had a bad premonition–she hoped Melody hadn’t just seen Damon kissing her.
As expected, Melody’s next words confirmed her suspicion.
Nyla wished for the floor to swallow her whole. She cleared her throat to hide her embarrassment. “Alright. Let’s get back to the experiment, or we’ll be working overtime today.”
“Okay, hahaha… Nyla, I didn’t expect to see you shy,” Melody teased.
The morning passed quickly.
The experiment required continuous monitoring for seven
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hours, so Nyla and Melody took turns going to the cafeteria for lunch.
Nyla asked Melody to go first, saying she’d switch with her. after finishing her meal.
Soon after Melody left, there was a knock on the lab door.
Nyla turned to see Erin standing there and frowned slightly..
“Ms. Hulle, what’s up?” Nyla asked.
Erin’s smile was cold, her eyes full of disdain as she looked at Nyla. “I didn’t expect you to be so shameless as to get involved with your ex–husband’s uncle!”
Nyla’s expression grew cold. “What does who I’m with have to do with you? Is it worth your time to come here just to complain?”
Erin’s face flushed with anger. “Damon is just playing around with you. In the end, he’ll marry someone who matches his family background. I’m looking forward to seeing you make a fool of yourself!”
She couldn’t accept the thought of losing to a divorced woman.
Nyla smiled slightly and replied, “Whether I become a joke or not is uncertain, but your visit here to say such nonsense only. makes you look like one.”
“Don’t get too smug. We’ll see about that!” With that, Erin turned and left.
Erin was determined to win Damon and wouldn’t give up. She
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also understood that, given Damon’s status, he might have other women even after marriage. No matter what, she would be his wife.
As for Nyla, she wouldn’t always be young and beautiful. There would always be younger, more beautiful women. Once Damon grew tired of her, he could easily find a replacement.
Realizing this, Erin regretted confronting Nyla. It was beneath her dignity.
Just as she reached the elevator, the doors opened.
Seeing Spencer inside, she smiled. “Mr. Hogg, what a coincidence.”
Spencer looked at her with a neutral expression. “Ms. Hulle, it’s actually not a coincidence. I’m here to see you. Mr. Sumner would like to meet with you.”
Erin’s face lit up with delight. She quickly entered the elevator. Really? That’s great. I have the contract ready and can sign it at any time.”
Spencer’s expression remained unchanged. “You’ll discuss the details with Mr. Sumner.”
“Alright!” Joyfully, Erin began planning how she would find opportunities to interact with Damon. Over time, he would surely see that she was a better match for him than Nyla.
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Erin walked into Damon’s office with anticipation and smiled as she looked at him.
Damon was handling documents bathed in the sunlight
streaming through the window. The radiant glow enhanced his handsome features, making them even more striking.
“Mr. Damon, I have the contract ready. When would be a good time for us to sign it?” she chirped.
Damon set aside the document he was working on and regarded her with an emotionless gaze.
“Ms. Hulle, you may have misunderstood. I asked to see you today to inform you that Prospectus Technology has decided to pursue other partnership opportunities. You no longer need to come by,” he said.
Erin’s smile froze as she stared at Damon in disbelief. “What did you say?”
After so many discussions and being on the verge of signing the contract, he was now backing out?
Despite her anger, Erin tried to maintain her composure and asked, “May I know why?”
“Your unsolicited harassment of my girlfriend indicates a lack of professional integrity on your part. After careful consideration, I’ve decided to suspend our collaboration,” Damon explained.
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It was Nyla again!
Erin glared at Damon. “Mr. Damon, are you really going to forfeit a ready–made partnership and go against the Hulles just because of a woman?”
“Ms. Hulle, you’re overreacting. It’s simply that you’ve failed to present yourself as a suitable partner,” Damon replied.
Erin sneered. “Don’t try to sound so noble. You’re just doing this to get back at Nyla, aren’t you?”
Damon remained impassive. “If that’s what you believe will make you feel better, I have no objections.”
“Fine! Damon, don’t regret this!” Erin shouted.
Fuming, she slammed the door on her way out and
accidentally bumped into Spencer, who was holding a coffee. She marched straight to the elevator without sparing him a glance and left.
Once in her car, her anger still seethed. She pounded the steering wheel in frustration, her eyes flashing with resentment. She was determined not to give up so easily.
Before the end of the workday, Melody abruptly handed her phone to Nyla, her face a picture of fury.
“Nyla, someone just posted in the company’s main group chat accusing you of assaulting your ex–mother–in–law. The entire company is talking about it!” she exclaimed.
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Nyla took the phone and saw that the group chat was
overflowing with discussions about her and Cindy, the majority of which were critical of her.
[I’m done. I can’t believe Mr. Sumner would be interested in
such a woman. She actually physically attacked an elder–only she could do that!]
[No wonder Clark divorced her. It must be unbearable to have such a woman around all the time!]
[Stop talking about it. If someone leaks this to her, she might complain to Mr. Sumner, and we’ll be the ones in trouble.]
Nyla’s gaze turned icy while watching the stream of messages, Cindy had not disappointed her at all.
She handed the phone back to Melody, her expression calm. Don’t worry about it.”
Melody looked concerned. “Should we inform Mr. Sumner so he can handle it?”
If Damon issued a statement prohibiting any discussion, the issue might be contained.
Nyla lowered her eyes, recalling what Spencer had said earlier that morning, and shook her head.
“No, I can handle it myself,” she said.
“Are you sure?” Melody asked.
“Yes, let’s focus on work,” Nyla confirmed.
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Seeing Nyla’s calm demeanor, Melody reluctantly agreed. If Nyla couldn’t resolve the issue, she would seek Damon’s help.
Due to a problem with some experimental data that delayed them for over two hours in the afternoon, Nyla
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By the time they finished the experiment and were ready to leave, it was already past 8:00 p.m.
Knowing that Melody lived quite far, Nyla offered her a ride home.
Melody’s eyes lit up. “Really? Thank you so much, Nyla!”
“It’s no problem. It’s not safe for a girl to go home alone at night,” Nyla said.
As they chatted, they put away the lab equipment and ensured everything was in order before heading downstairs together.
Nyla sent a message to Damon, letting him know she would be dropping off Melody. He didn’t seem to mind.
When Melody saw Damon, she was a bit flustered.
Sitting in the back seat and seeing Damon in the driver’s seat, she was even more surprised. Having the company CEO as a chauffeur was something she could barely have dreamed of.
“Mr. Sumner, thank you for this,” she said.
Damon responded with a brief acknowledgment and turned to Nyla. “Can you set the navigation?”
“Sure,” Nyla agreed.
Melody’s home was in the opposite direction of Damon’s villa, so they dropped her off first.
During the drive, Damon remained mostly silent, speaking only
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occasionally to Nyla.
In the back seat, Melody was hidden in the shadows, stealing glances at Damon. His profile alone was enough to captivate
anyone.
However, she dared not entertain any fantasies and simply admired him from afar. Damon and she were from different worlds, and without Nyla, she likely wouldn’t have had the chance to speak with him at all.
After dropping off Melody, they returned to the villa around 10: 00 p.m.
As Nyla was about to head to her room, Damon called her. Don’t you have anything to say to me?”
Nyla looked puzzled. What did he want to discuss?
After a moment of thought, she guessed that Damon might be unhappy about her asking him to drive Melody home. After all, he was the CEO of Prospectus Technology, and asking him to drive an employee might have felt like an imposition.
“I’m sorry for the trouble tonight. I didn’t expect to work late. Next time, I’ll handle it myself,” she said.
Damon frowned. “That’s not what I’m referring to.”
Nyla realized she hadn’t had much interaction with him today except for that moment.
Seeing her confusion, Damon suppressed his frustration and
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asked coldly, “Did nothing else happen at the company today?”
“Are you talking about Erin coming to see me?” Nyla asked.
Damon’s expression darkened. “If I hadn’t asked, would you have kept this from me?”
“To me, it wasn’t a big deal. She just came over and said some strange things. If I let every little thing bother me, you might think I’m too sensitive,” Nyla explained.
Damon stared at her in silence for a few seconds before speaking quietly. “I wouldn’t think that. Moreover, this issue arose because of me. You could have told me and let me
handle it.”
He was more concerned about the fact that Nyla seemed to be managing things on her own without relying on him.
“If I felt the situation was beyond my ability to handle, I would have told you immediately. Just because we’re together doesn’t mean I want to be a woman who depends on you for everything,” Nyla said.
She had trusted Clark without reservation and had ended up hurt badly. She was determined not to make the same mistake again.
Damon looked at her, his tone cold. “Did you act the same way with Clark?”
Noticing his anger, Nyla met his gaze. “You’re you, and he was him. I’m not the same person I was before, so my relationship with you won’t be like how it was with him.”
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In the end, it seemed Nyla didn’t Bike Damon that much.
However, they had a lifetime ahead of them. Damon had
enough patience to make her eventually depend on him just as she once depended on Clark.
“Yeah, but I still hope that if someone bothers you in the future, you’ll think of coming to me for help instead of handling
everything on your own,” Damon said.
His serious demeanor made Nyla’s heart soften.
“Okay,” she agreed.
Back in her room, Nyla was about to remove her makeup when her phone rang. It was Valarie.
“Nyla, your ex–mother–in–law is spreading rumors that you’ve been violent with her. The upper crust of Saintornia is already talking about it,” Valarie informed her.
Nyla looked down. “Don’t worry about it. She’ll get what’s coming to her soon enough.”
Valarie’s tone was filled with frustration. “You don’t know how horrible the things she’s saying are. I’m so angry.”
Nyla’s heart warmed a little. She replied gently, “You haven’t fully recovered yet. Don’t let someone like her ruin your mood.”
“I’m just worried about you,” Valarie confessed.
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“The hardest times have already passed. I don’t care what she and Clark do now,” Nyla stated.
To her, Cindy and Clark were nothing more than clowns. They weren’t worth wasting her emotions over. If they wanted to bring trouble on themselves, though, she wouldn’t hold back.
Valarie sighed, feeling a bit sentimental. “It’s good if you don’t care. I didn’t expect Clark, who used to treat you so well, to end up like this… Anyway, let’s not talk about this.”
Nyla pressed her lips together, her expression unchanged. Nothing stays the same forever, not even feelings, so it’s not surprising.”
Valarie dropped the topic, and after chatting about a few other things, ended the call.
Nyla set her phone down.
Thinking about what Damon had said earlier, she frowned. She hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but now she realized his words had been driven by insecurity.
Their relationship was like walking a tightrope–one misstep could lead to disaster.
Both of them lacked security. If he discovered she was with him solely for personal gain, their already fragile relationship might come to an abrupt end.
The thought of this outcome caused Nyla a pang in her chest. Forcing herself to ignore the ache, she got up to shower.
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When she emerged, she found several missed calls from Clark and multiple messages asking to meet. She frowned.
Initially, she didn’t want to respond, but she feared that he might go to Prospectus Technology and create a scene the next day if she ignored him.
After a moment’s consideration, she called him back.
“What do you want?” she asked.
Her tone was nearly indifferent, making Clark frown on the other end of the line.
“Nyla, many people in Saintornia now know about your alleged violence against my mom. She said if you don’t apologize in person, she’ll call the police,” Clark warned.
Nyla laughed in anger. She couldn’t believe how ridiculous. Cindy and Clark were being.
“If your brain’s malfunctioning, you should get it checked before it’s too late,” Nyla retorted.
There was a brief silence on the other end before Clark’s voice, now filled with anger, came through. “Nyla, I’m doing this for your own good. If she reports it and causes a scene at
Prospectus Technology, it’ll be bad for both you and my uncle. Don’t you think?”
Nyla raised an eyebrow. Was he trying to threaten her?
She didn’t want Clark and Cindy to create a scene at Prospectus Technology and affect Damon, but that didn’t
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mean they could control her.
