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Nyla pressed her lips together and said, “It’s clear that the people at Skyray Medical are eager to secure this partnership. They might even send someone to follow us. If they find out we’re going to the herb production base, they might prepare in advance.”
This meant they wouldn’t be able to assess the true quality of the herbs at the base.
Spencer smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Ms. Jayston. We have ways to evade Skyray Medical’s people.”
Relieved to hear they had a plan, Nyla nodded and said no more.
Around 2:00 p.m., a car arranged by Spencer arrived at the hotel to pick them up.
Shortly after they got in, the driver glanced at the rearview mirror and said, “We’re being followed.”
Spencer remained calm. “Ignore them.”
Trying to lose them would only alert Skyray Medical. By acting unaware, they could keep Skyray Medical’s people complacent.
In less than half an hour, the car stopped at the entrance of the busiest mall in Rontana. They got out and walked into the mall, with Skyray Medical’s people following them inside.
Damon headed straight for a clothing store on the third floor, a store that only admitted members. The people tailing them could only observe from nearby.
Inside, a sales associate led them to the fitting rooms. Mr. Sumner, the clothes are ready. After changing, you can leave through the back door.”
Once they changed clothes, the associate handed their original clothes to two men and a woman, who then changed into them and sat on the store’s lobby sofa with their backs to the door.
The tailing agents initially grew anxious when they lost sight of them but relaxed upon spotting the decoys.
Meanwhile, Damon and the others exited through the back door, taking an elevator to the basement where another car awaited them.
As they got in, Nyla couldn’t help but say, “We can’t stay in one store all afternoon. They’ll get suspicious.” Spencer chuckled. “Don’t worry, Ms. Jayston. We won’t be exposed.”
The decoys would continue shopping in the mall for three to four hours, giving them ample time to visit the herb base and return.
The car drove out of the city, stopping at the entrance of Rontana Meds Base. They got out and walked inside, flanked by fields of herbs emitting a faint, pleasant aroma.
Soon, a representative approached them, explaining the growth and usage of various herbs.
“Mr. Sumner, the rauvolfia you need is over there. Let me show you,” the representative said.
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Damon followed him, asking indifferently, “Do medicine companies in Rontana supply all their herbs from
here?”
The man nodded. “Yes. Large companies like Sandhosh, Skyray, and Newfarm all source from here.”
Damon said nothing more until they reached the rauvolfia plantation.
“The rauvolfia is just blooming and still growing. Let me show you the dried herb products,” the representative replied.
The herbal aroma was much stronger inside the drying room.
Nyla looked around curiously at the various herbs. She had only ever seen these herbs in the lab, never in such quantity.
Absorbed in her surroundings, she didn’t notice the small slope ahead and suddenly slipped.
“Watch out.” A cool male voice sounded in her ear as she fell into a warm embrace.
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Upon noticing the strong, firm hand around her waist and feeling its warmth seeping through the thin fabric, Nyla’s face turned bright red. She quickly steadied herself, avoiding eye contact.
“Thank you, Mr. Sumner,” she said.
Damon withdrew his hand nonchalantly and said in a deep voice, “Watch where you’re stepping even when looking at herbs”
Nyla nodded. “Got it.”
From then on, Nyla was careful to watch her step, determined not to trip again. “These are the dried.
rauvolfia.”
A staff member casually handed a dried rauvolfia root to Damon, who inspected it briefly before passing
it to Nyla.
“Take a look,” he said.
The rauvolfia looked no different from the ones Skyray Medical had shown them that morning. They would need to test it to determine the active ingredient content.
Nyla turned to the staff member and asked, “Typically, what’s the alkaloid content in rauvolfia?”
“It’s usually around 0.1%. Anything higher is quite rare,” the staff member replied.
Actually, 0.1% was a decent percentage. If Skyray Medical truly sourced all their herbs from there, then the high percentage they showed that morning was likely staged to hike up prices.
Nyla handed the herb back to the staff member with a smile. “Thanks. I’ve got a good idea now.”
While they were inspecting the herb base, the people at Skyray Medical were busy as well.
Bill called Zoe into his office.
“What do you think? Is Mr. Sumner interested in partnering with us?” he asked.
This morning, he had hinted several times at signing a contract, but Damon deftly sidestepped the topic each time.
However, Damon hadn’t completely shut it down, only saying he needed more time to consider.
If they could secure this partnership, Skyray Medical’s profits would double this year, so Bill was very
Invested in this deal.
Zoe shook her head. “I’m not sure. The other night’s gift didn’t win Nyla over. If we could sway her, the deal would be in the bag.”
Thinking of Nyla, Bill lit a cigarette, feeling irritated.
She had turned down 30,000 dollars. Was she truly above material desires, or did she want more?
“There’s 150,000 dollars on this card. At dinner tonight find a chance to give it to her. If she takes it, fine.
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If she refuses, you know what to do.”
Zoe took the card and nodded. “Understood, Mr. Jenkinson.”
In the evening. Damon and his group returned to the clothing store to change back into their original clothes.
Back at the hotel, Nyla rested for a while before it was time to head out again.
They were leaving tomorrow afternoon, and Skyray Medical was hosting a farewell dinner tonight.
Nyla wasn’t fond of such social events but had no choice but to attend.
When they arrived at the restaurant, Bill was already there to greet them with a friendly smile. “Mr. Sumner, please come in.”
After they sat down in the room, Bill poured a drink for Damon and offered a toast. “Mr. Sumner, I toast to you.”
Damon raised his glass, clinked it against Bill’s, and downed his drink in one gulp.
Bill refilled his glass before sitting down. “Mr. Sumner, you’re leaving tomorrow. Can we finalize the partnership tonight? Or do you have any concerns we can discuss?”
Damon smiled faintly, but his deep eyes gave nothing away. “Mr. Jenkinson, Skyray Medical’s herb quality is impressive. However, this trip was mainly for assessment. I’ll need to discuss the details with our board back at the company.”
A flicker of dissatisfaction crossed Bill’s eyes. He had gone out of his way these past two days to accommodate them, nearly turning the company upside down. And now, Damon was saying he needed more time to discuss it?!
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Bill quickly suppressed his dissatisfaction, maintaining a friendly smile, as he was quite the strategist.
“Of course, Mr. Sumner. Our company is very sincere about forming a long–term partnership with Prospectus Technology. I hope you will consider it seriously,” Bill said.
Damon nodded. “Yes, Mr. Jenkinson. Let me toast to you.”
The two continued chatting, and before long, they had finished a bottle of wine.
Damon’s usually pale face was now tinged with a faint red, and his typically cool eyes showed a hint of Intoxication. Under the overhead light, his striking features were even more captivating, making it hard to look away.
Catching herself staring. Nyla quickly averted her gaze.
“Ms. Jayston, a toast to you.” Zoe said.
Nyla turned to see Zoe holding out a glass of red wine, smiling warmly.
I’m sorry, Ms. Quinn, I don’t drink,” Nyla replied.
“This is a low–alcohol red wine, very mild and with a rich, smooth taste. You should give it a try,” Zoe insisted.
As Zoe spoke, she pushed the wine glass closer.
Nyla reached out to refuse. As soon as her hand touched Zoe’s, the latter’s hand suddenly tilted, spilling at portion of the wine onto Nyla’s collar.
“Oh no… I’m so sorry, Ms. Jayston. I must have had too much to drink and lost my grip…” Zoe quickly put down the glass and grabbed a napkin to dab at the wine on Nyla’s collar.
The commotion immediately drew everyone’s attention in the room.
Damon’s gaze darkened, and he subtly furrowed his brow.
Next to him, Bill was disgruntled and questioned coldly, Zoe, what’s the matter with you? How could you spill the wine like that?”
Zoe seemed frightened, her hands trembling as she dabbed at Nyla’s collar, her face full of remorse.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Jenkinson. It wasn’t on purpose…” she said.
Seeing Zoe’s pale face and remorseful gaze, Nyla pursed her lips and said, “Mr. Jenkinson, it’s fine. I’ll just go to the restroom to clean up.”
After all, they were all just employees, and she didn’t want to make things difficult over a small mistake.
“Alright, it’s my fault for not managing my staff better. I apologize,” Bill replied.
Nyla lowered her gaze and turned to leave the room.
As Nyla started to clean her collar in the restroom, she noticed in the mirror that Zoe had followed her.
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Turning to face Zoe, Nyla said, “Ms. Quinn, it was just an accident. Don’t worry about it.”
“Thank you, Ms. Jayston.”
Nyla didn’t respond and turned back to the sink to wash the wine stains from her collar. When she finished, she looked up to find Zoe still standing there, a hint of confusion crossing her eyes.
Zoe stepped forward and took out a card from her bag, offering it to Nyla with a smile. “Ms. Jayston, I’m truly sorry about tonight. I hope you’ll accept my apology.”
Seeing the gilded card, Nyla finally understood that Zoe’s earlier clumsiness had been a setup for this
moment.
“How much is on this card, Ms. Quinn?” Nyla asked.
“150,000 dollars. If you can persuade Mr. Sumner to partner with Skyray Medical, there will be more to come,” Zoe promised.
Nyla’s eyes flashed with surprise. She hadn’t expected Skyray Medical to go to such lengths to win her
over.
However, she wasn’t an employee of Prospectus Technology and had no intention of accepting such unearned money.
“Sorry, but I don’t have the power to influence Mr. Sumner’s decisions. You’ve got the wrong person,” Nyla said.
With that, Nyla turned to leave.
The next moment, Zoe’s cold voice sounded behind her. “In that case, I must apologize to you in advance. Ms. Jayston.”
Before Nyla could comprehend the meaning of those words, a sharp pain struck the back of her neck, and everything went black as she lost consciousness.
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Back in the room at the restaurant.
Half an hour had passed, and Nyla still hadn’t returned,
Damon’s frown deepened. “Spencer, call Nyla.”
Bill quickly intervened, “Mr. Sumner, no need to worry. Zoe is with her, so nothing will happen.”
Damon pursed his lips, remaining silent and clearly in a foul mood,
Bill hurriedly poured him another drink, not too concerned. After all, Nyla was just a regular employee. Even if Damon found out the truth later, he wouldn’t make a big deal over a woman.
Spencer called Nyla, and her phone started ringing in the room. She hadn’t taken it when she went to the restroom.
Seeing the unhappy looks on Damon and Spencer’s faces, Bill quickly said, “Let me call Zoe to check.” He dialed Zoe’s number and put it on speaker. “Zoe, why are you not back with Ms. Jayston yet?” Zoe’s calm voice came through. “Mr. Jenkinson, Ms. Jayston couldn’t clean the wine stain off her clothes so I’m helping her buy a new outfit. She’s trying it on now. We’ll be back soon.”
“Alright.” Bill hung up and smiled at Damon. “See, Mr. Sumner? No need to worry.”
He felt a twinge of doubt. Was Damon really this concerned about a regular employee?
Damon nodded, his voice calm. “Of course. With Ms. Quinn accompanying her, I’m reassured.”
“Good, good. Let’s continue drinking.” Bill said.
While Bill was distracted, Damon gave Spencer a meaningful look.
Understanding immediately, Spencer discreetly messaged their team to find out Nyla’s current location.
Soon, a reply came, and Spencer’s expression changed drastically. He looked at Damon in shock. “Mr. Sumner, Zoe has knocked out and taken away Ms. Jayston
Damon shot to his feet, his anger palpable as he leered at Bill with killing intent. “Where did you take her?!
Without Bill’s approval, there was no way Zoe would dare to act against Nyla.
Startled by Damon’s fury, Bill trembled involuntarily, hastily saying, “Mr. Sumner, please calm down. There must be some misunder-”
Before he could finish, Damon’s hand was around his throat.
Damon glared down at Bill, his expression terrifying like a demon from hell. Bill’s soul quaked, and his body shivered uncontrollably.
Escape was the only thought in Bill’s mind, but with Damon’s grip tightening around his neck, it was Impossible. Overwhelmed by the suffocating pressure, fear surged within him.
“… I’ll talk. Nyla is… in a hotel room… on the sixth floor.”
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Damon’s eyes narrowed, and his grip tightened further. “Room number.”
“I… Cough, cough… I don’t know…”
Seeing Bill’s face tuming purple and his eyes starting to lose focus, Spencer quickly intervened, afraid it might lead to fatal consequences.
“Mr. Sumner, finding Ms. Jayston is more urgent right now,” Spencer urged.
Damon released his grip, and Bill’s plump body slid off the chair. He collapsed onto the floor, coughing violently.
“If anything happens to her, I’ll make sure you pay with your life,” Damon threatened.
Bill shuddered violently, terror in his eyes.
Without another glance, Damon stormed out.
When Nyla regained consciousness, she found herself in a dimly lit room. A man beside her was unbuttoning her clothes.
“Ah!” she screamed and shoved him away.
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The man clearly hadn’t expected Nyla to wake up at that moment and push him off the bed, so he cursed in frustration.
“Who are you?!” Nyla backed away, frantically searching for something to defend herself with, her face full of panic and fear.
The man sneered, his tone lewd. “I’m the guy who’s gonna make you feel amazing.”
With that, he lunged at her.
A small red light blinked in the corner of the room, recording everything that was happening.
As the man charged at Nyla, she swung a table lamp at his forehead. He screamed in pain, feeling liquid trickle down from his head, and slapped her hard.
“Bitch! You dare hit me? I’ll make you pay!” he roared.
warm
He snatched the lamp from her and threw it to the floor, pinning her down. He grabbed her collar and yanked it hard, popping the buttons off and exposing her chest and bra.
Lust and greed filled his eyes as he pulled her bra strap down, his expression lecherous.
Nyla struggled desperately, and her nails scratched the man’s face, making him even angrier.
He slapped her twice more. Her ears rang and her mind was fuzzy, draining her strength to fight back.
The man started to pull her pants down. Her struggle was in vain, her heart sinking into despair.
Just as he was about to pull off her underwear, a loud bang came from the door.
Before the man could react, he was kicked off Nyla.
The weight on Nyla lifted, and a warm jacket was draped over her.
The familiar scent of pine reached Nyla’s nose. She slowly opened her eyes to see Damon, and finally felt at ease, blacking out right after.
When Damon broke down the door, his eyes immediately turned bloodshot. He saw the man on top of Nyla and kicked him off her. Noticing her swollen face, disheveled hair, and near–naked body, he quickly covered her with his jacket, fury burning in his eyes.
After Damon pulled the jacket over Nyla, he stood up and walked slowly toward the man cowering in the
corner.
Sensing the danger, the man started shaking even more violently. “Please let me go- Ahhh!”
Damon stomped on the man’s crotch, his scream echoing through the sixth floor.
Bill and Zoe were brought in by Damon’s men just in time to witness this, fear evident in their eyes. They were thrown to the floor next to the man, who was now pale with pain and terror.
“Mr. Sumner, what should we do next?” Spencer asked
Damon’s expression was icy as he glanced at the camera in the corner. “Whatever she did to Nyla, make
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sure these two men do the same to her. Have someone watch over them.”
Zoe’s face turned ashen, and she immediately knelt, pleading, “Mr. Sumner, please! It was Mr. Jenkinson’s orders-
She tried to crawl toward Damon but was kicked aside by Spencer, landing pathetically on the floor.
Damon walked over to the bed to pick up the unconscious Nyla and strode out of the room.
Behind him, Zoe’s screams and pleas gradually faded into hopeless sobs.
When Nyla woke up, she shot upright, her eyes still filled with panic and fear. The sudden movement caused a sharp pain in her hand, and she looked down to see an IV drip.
“You’re awake?”
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Damon sat by the bedside, his expression calm as he watched Nyla.
The last memory before she passed out rushed back into Nyla’s mind. She bit her lip and looked down. Mr. Sumner, thank you for saving me.”
If he hadn’t arrived in time, she could only imagine what might have happened.
“This happened because I didn’t consider everything carefully enough. I’m sorry,” Damon said.
Upon meeting Damon’s earnest gaze, Nyla’s heart skipped a beat. She instinctively looked away.
“It’s not your fault. No one could have predicted that Skyray Medical’s people would do something like this, Nyla replied.
Besides, Zoe had not only tried to have her assaulted but had also planned to record it, likely intending to blackmail her after she refused to accept the bribe.
Thinking about it made her eyes turn cold.
Seeing Nyla’s downcast eyes and pale face, Damon’s gaze darkened. “Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?”
Nyla shook her head and hesitantly asked, “What about Zoe?”
“Don’t worry. She’s been punished appropriately. Prospectus Technology won’t be working with Skyray Medical anymore,” he reassured her.
Nyla bit her lip and nodded. “Thank you for taking care of it, Mr. Sumner.”
“Get some rest. The doctor will check on you soon. If everything is fine, you can be discharged,” he said. “Okay.”
Nyla wasn’t tired, but Damon’s overwhelming presence made it impossible to ignore him. Plus, they had nothing to talk about, so she closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.
Unexpectedly, she actually fell asleep.
When Nyla woke up again, it was 2:00 p.m. The IV was gone, and she felt much better.
Damon, who was reading documents on the sofa, looked up at her and said in a low voice, “There’s porridge on the table.”
“Thank you, Mr. Sumner,” Nyla said.
Feeling hungry, Nyla got up, washed up in the bathroom, and then started eating her soup. It was her favorite, chicken soup.
After a few sips, she looked up at Damon. “Mr. Sumner have you eaten lunch yet?”
“Yes. The doctor said all your health indicators are normal. Once you finish your food and change, we’ll head to the airport and return to Saintornia,” he replied.
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“Okay.” She continued eating.
Shortly after, Spencer walked in with a stack of reports, Mr. Sumner, Ms. Jayston’s discharge papers are ready.”
Damon nodded. “Leave them there.”
Nyla put down her spoon and looked at Spencer. “Mr. Hogg, can I see the hospital bill? I want to know the
cost.”
Before Spencer could move, Damon looked at her and said, “Don’t worry about the hospital fees. This counts as a work injury, so you don’t have to pay.”
“Okay.” Seeing Damon’s determined expression, Nyla didn’t argue and continued eating.
www.w
Half an hour later, they left for the airport.
On the way, Nyla learned from Spencer about Zoe and Bill’s fate.
Zoe and the man she had hired were arrested for criminal offenses. Meanwhile, Bill was fired from Skyray Medical and faced jail time for embezzlement and incitement to commit a crime.
Spencer didn’t share the details of what had happened in that room afterward, wanting to avoid scaring her.
Nyla was satisfied with this outcome. She felt no sympathy for Zoe and the others. They got what they deserved.
They arrived back in Saintornia after 11:00 p.m.
Nyla showered and went straight to bed.
The next two days were the weekend, so she didn’t have to work.
She slept in the following morning, got up, and went to buy groceries for the next two days.
While she was picking fish in the fresh produce section, she suddenly heard a sweet female voice from not far away.
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“Clarko, I’m shopping for groceries. What would you like for dinner?”
Nyla looked up. Upon seeing who it was, her expression darkened. It was Jordyn.
Seeing Jordyn’s smiling face and shy demeanor, Nyla felt a wave of disgust. It seemed like the “Clarko” Jordyn was talking to was Clark.
Thinking about what those two had done until they ended up in the hospital made Nyla feel sick. She quickly grabbed the fish and turned to leave with her cart.
Jordyn didn’t notice Nyla and continued talking on the phone with Clark, who sounded indifferent. “I won’t be
coming over tonight. Eat by yourself.”
Clark hung up before Jordyn could respond.
Putting down his phone, Clark checked his messages and saw that his last message to Nyla from a few days ago was still unread. Irritation flashed in his eyes.
His restless thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door, followed by Michael entering the room. “Mr. Sumner, we just got a call from Rontana. They said nothing unusual happened, except for two nights. ago. Mrs. Sumner was almost assaulted by someone from Skyray Medical. Your uncle rescued her,” Michael informed Clark.
“What?!” Clark’s face darkened with anger. “Why am I just hearing about this now?”
“They saw your uncle carrying Mrs. Sumner out… They didn’t dare report it until they confirmed the details, “Michael replied.
Clark’s expression grew even darker, his gaze filled with menace.
Noticing his boss‘ chilling aura, Michael trembled slightly and kept his head down:
“Understood. You can go.” As Michael reached the door, Clark’s icy voice stopped him. “Make sure those responsible are dealt with.”
“Mr. Sumner, your uncle already handled them, and they’re all in custody now,” Michael said.
“Then make sure they stay there. Permanently,” Clark instructed.
Seeing the killing intent in Clark’s eyes, Michael felt a shiver of fear and quickly nodded. “Yes, sir.”
After Michael left, Clark called Nyla, but the line was busy. He put down his phone, thought for a moment, then got up and left.
When Nyla got home with her groceries, she found Clark waiting by her door. Her expression immediately turned cold.
“Nyla, were you out buying groceries?” he asked.
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Nyla ignored Clark, treating him as if he were invisible, and moved to unlock her door, but he blocked her.
“Nyla, are you still mad about me not letting you go on that business trip?” he asked.
Nyla looked down, her gaze filled with disgust and impatience. “No.”
Clark sighed in exasperation. “You’re clearly upset. You always ignore me when you’re angry.”
He reached for her grocery bags, but she pulled away, stepping back with a mocking expression.
“Clark, you think I wouldn’t find out about your disgusting affair with Jordyn just because I was away on a business trip?” she questioned.
Clark’s face paled, a guilty look flashing across his features. “Nyla, did someone say something to you?”
Clutching the grocery bags tightly, Nyla realized her words almost revealed that she had someone. watching him.
She quickly recovered and sneered. “Say something to me? I overheard Jordyn calling you at the supermarket earlier, asking about dinner. If you had really cut ties with her, how could she still contact you? Don’t take me for a fool!”
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Clark felt a wave of relief. It was fine as long as Nyla didn’t find out about that matter.
“Nyla, I blocked her a long time ago. She used a different number to contact me, and I hung up right away. I didn’t agree to have dinner with her,” he lied.
Clark looked at her with a pained expression, as if he were the one who had been wronged.
If Nyla hadn’t known about his disgusting affair with Jordyn, she might have believed him. Now, she couldn’t let him know she had been secretly gathering evidence of his infidelity.
Nyla looked down and forced herself to say, “Maybe I misunderstood you. Sorry.”
Seeing her soften, Clark spoke gently. “Rest assured. I promised you I wouldn’t have anything more to do with her, and I won’t break that promise.”
His words made Nyla want to vomit. How could he lie to her so effortlessly?!
She didn’t understand how the sincere and passionate boy she once knew had turned into this deceitful
man.
here tod
“So, why are you here today?” she asked.
“L… I just wanted to ask if your business trip went well,” he replied.
Nyla frowned. Did he come all this way just to ask something so trivial?
“It went fine. If there’s nothing else, you should leave,” she said.
Clark sighed. “Nyla, I’m your husband. I don’t want outsiders to know about your grievances while I remain in the dark.”
Nyla looked up sharply and met his knowing gaze, her expression turning cold. “Are you having me followed?”
“Not followed, protected,” he corrected her.
Nyla snickered. “Protected? When I was knocked out and nearly assaulted, where were your so–called protectors?”
He spoke so righteously, but she knew he had someone follow her to see if she and Damon would do anything inappropriate.
Clark’s hands clenched at his sides, his eyes flashing coldly. If she had just listened to him and not gone on that trip, none of this would have happened. He knew he couldn’t say that out loud, though.
“Nyla, my men arrived just as my uncle saved you, so they didn’t step in…”
Nyla didn’t believe a word of his nonsense but didn’t want to argue further. “Say what you want. I don’t want to light. Just leave.”
She brushed past him and grabbed her keys to open the door, but Clark suddenly grabbed her wrist. “Nyla, there’s one more thing.”
“If you have something to say, just say it. Don’t touch me,” she said.
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She shook off his hand, clearly annoyed.
Although Clark’s heart burned with frustration at her rejection, he knew their relationship was strained and held back his temper.
“You must have noticed that my uncle… treats you differently. I hope you can keep your distance from him,” Clark asked.
Nyla’s expression remained indifferent. “We only interact for work. I haven’t noticed anything special.
“How exactly should I keep my distance? Should I turn and walk away whenever I see him? Or should I move to another city to avoid him?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean?” Nyla asked, her tone mocking. “If you’re so worried, why don’t you talk to him instead? Telling me this makes it seem like you think I’m easy to bully.”
Blaming her for another man’s interest in her, rather than addressing it with that man, was no different from saying a woman was to blame for being assaulted because of how she dressed.
Clark stiffened, embarrassment and shame crossing his features. “Nyla-”
She chided him, “Enough. If you don’t have the guts to tell your uncle to stay away from me, then don’t say such disgusting things to me!”
With that, she turned and went inside, closing the door behind her.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Nyla carried her groceries into the kitchen and began to put them away.
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The weekend flew by, and soon it was Monday.
Nyla returned to the R&D department to continue her experiments.
Lucia also came back to work, but she was much more low–key than before, pretending not to see Nyla and completely lacking her previous arrogance. Whether she had truly learned her lesson or was just biding her time to scheme again was unclear.
The day passed quickly. Nyla received a call from Valarie just before the end of the workday, inviting her out to dinner. Since she had no other plans, she agreed.
When Nyla arrived at the restaurant, she noticed a young man, around 20 years old, sitting next to Valarie. He was full of youthful exuberance, and Nyla couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.
As soon as she sat down, Valarie eagerly introduced him, “Nyla, this is my new boyfriend. What do you think?
The young man blushed and looked down shyly when Nyla’s gaze fell on him, his ears turning red.
“Where did you find such an innocent–looking guy? He’s not still in college, is he?” Nyla asked.
“You guessed it,” Valarie replied.
Nyla was speechless. She had assumed Valarie had just been joking about finding a college boy, but she acted so fast.
Giving Valarie a thumbs–up, Nyla picked up the menu. “Let’s order. I’m starving.”
Once they had ordered, Nyla chatted with Valarie while the young man beside Valarie meticulously fed her snacks.
Nyla began to wonder if he was under some sort of threat from Valarie to agree to be her boyfriend. Before long, the dishes arrived, and just as Nyla was about to dig in, a cold male voice echoed. “Valarie, who is that man beside you?!”
All heads turned simultaneously.
Not far away, Tom stood with a stormy expression, glaring at Valarie.
If not for Jacqueline standing beside him, he would have looked exactly like a man who had just discovered his girlfriend was cheating on him.
Valarie’s eyes remained indifferent, but she smirked. “Mr. Genge, this doesn’t seem to concern you, does
it?
Tom’s gaze grew colder, and he started toward her, but Jacqueline quickly grabbed his arm. “Tom, tonight’s dinner is important. Whatever misunderstanding you have with Ms. Weir, deal with it after the dinner.”
Tom lowered his eyes, suppressing his anger, and turned to walk toward another room.
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Jacqueline hurried after him.
The group couldn’t hear what Jacqueline said, but they saw Tom leave immediately after hearing her
words.
Nyla turned back to see Valarie’s calm face, seemingly unbothered. She swallowed the comforting words she was about to say.
Dinner continued in a somewhat heavy silence.
After they finished eating. Valarie sent the young man to get the car.
Standing at the restaurant entrance, Nyla couldn’t hold back her curiosity. “Are you serious about this guy?
Valarie laughed. “I was joking. He’s just my neighbor’s kid, who grew up following me around. I was going to explain it to you, but then I forgot.”
Once the young man brought the car around, Valarie waved goodbye to Nyla and left.
Nyla was about to get her car when someone called her name from behind.
She turned to see Spencer and Damon walking toward her.
Damon seemed to have been drinking–his face was a bit flushed, and the top two buttons of his white shirt were undone, revealing a well–defined collarbone
His suit jacket hung casually over his arm, and his innate elegance made it hard not to stare at him. Seeing him, Nyla suddenly remembered the nonsensical things Clark had said to her a few days ago. Damon had ulterior motives toward her?
With his status and looks, he could have any number of women at his beck and call. Why would he have designs on her?
Thinking that, Nyla couldn’t help but laugh.
Under the streetlight, Damon was momenta
Chapter 90
Spencer and Damon stopped in front of Nyla.
Spencer smiled and said, “What a coincidence, Ms. Jayston. You’re also having dinner here tonight?”
Nyla nodded. “Yes. I had plans with a friend.”
“I’ll go get the car. How about I drive you home afterward?” Spencer offered.
“No need, I drove here.” Nyla replied.
“Alright then. Could you please keep an eye on Mr. Summer? He’s had a bit too much to drink, and I don’t feel comfortable leaving him alone, Spencer asked.
Nyla glanced at Damon. Despite the faint smell of alcohol, he seemed perfectly
sober.
Sensing her doubt, Spencer explained, “Mr. Sumner always appears sober, whether he is or not. He might look fine, but he could actually be quite drunk.”
Remembering how Damon had helped her several times before, Nyla felt it would be unkind to refuse. Alright, I’ll watch over him.”
Satisfied, Spencer quickly walked to the parking lot.
Once he left, silence settled between Nyla and Damon. His presence was impossible to ignore, so Nyla stared at her shoes to avoid his gaze.
“How are you feeling?” Damon asked suddenly.
Nyla was taken aback, then realized he was referring to the incident in Rontana where she had almost been assaulted. She looked up. “I’m much better now. The ringing in my ears is gone too.”
“Good.” With that, Damon fell silent again.
Nyla resumed staring at her shoes, feeling time drag on. She didn’t notice Damon’s occasional glances at her, nor did she see a photographer capturing their interaction from a passing car.
A black Maybach pulled up to the restaurant, and Spencer helped Damon into the car. “Thank you, Ms. Jayston. Where’s your car parked?”
“Just outside the restaurant,” she replied.
Nyla waved goodbye and walked to her car.
Seeing her get into a pink car, Spencer couldn’t help but comment. “This model is really popular with women lately. My girlfriend is thinking about getting one too but hasn’t decided on a color yet.”
Damon glanced out at the pink car and said indifferently, “It does look nice.”
Back home, Nyla took a shower and went to bed.
Early the next morning, the was woken by the sound of her phone ringing.
Groggily, she answered, “Hello?”
Chapter 90
+25 BONUS
“Nyla, what’s with the photo online?!” Clark’s angry voice came through the phone, making Nyla frown.
What was he ranting about so early in the morning?
“What photo?” she asked.
“The one of you and Uncle Damon at the restaurant! Do you know how many people have called me about it this morning?!” he thundered.
Photo at the restaurant?
Confused, Nyla hung up and was about to check the Internet when she saw dozens of messages from Valarie.
Valarie: [Nyla, what’s with this photo?]
Valarie: [Don’t you think Damon looks at you with some affection?]
Valarie: Where are you?! Show up! Does Damon really like you?
Valarie: [Did he hide his feelings because you got married but still can’t help looking at you?]
Reading these messages, Nyla was speechless.
Why did everyone think Damon had feelings for her?
However, when she finally saw the photo, she was stunned.
The photo showed her and Damon standing outside the restaurant. She was looking down, while Damon had turned slightly to gaze at her, a soft light in his eyes.
