《After Divorce》


 Chapter 1

    <h1 ss="PcReader_title__gbJRg">Chapter 1 Divorce</h1>


    ¡°Superstar actress Karina spotted at the airport with Cyril in intimate photos ¨C their love seems so enviable!¡± It was 8PM when Sylvia saw this headline, and though she thought her heart couldn¡¯t sink any lower, she still felt a stab of pain. The couple in the photo looked blissfully happy together. If Sylvia didn¡¯t know the man was her own husband, she might even think they made an adorable pair. Sylvia¡¯s expression soured. This wasn¡¯t the first time something like this had happened, but it was the first time that made her feel so heartbroken. She had reminded Cyril that morning that today was her birthday. He had promised that he would be home tonight to have dinner with her. Yet here he was, at the very hour he should have returned, going to pick up another woman instead. And not just any woman ¨C Karina held an extraordinary ce in Cyril¡¯s heart. Sylvia had heard they were once engaged to be married until various circumstances got in the way. In the end, it was Sylvia who ended up walking down the aisle with him. She tossed her phone aside, her mood as heavy as the night outside. The dining table was stillid out with the meal and cake she had carefully prepared, expecting to celebrate with her husband. Now she just felt like the butt of some joke. Her phone lit up with another notification ¨C a photo sent by Karina. It showed her snuggled up to Cyril, an amused yet affectionate smile ying about his lips. No caption was needed. The image pierced Sylvia¡¯s heart. She bit her lip as a storm of emotions churned inside ¨C hurt, humiliation, resentment. She had given up her affluent background and loving family for this man she adored. Her friends had warned her too. But after three years of marriage where Cyril made her feel insignificant, she wondered if she had just been living in a fantasy. Sylvia took a deep breath to steady herself. She was once admired and courted by so many suitors who would have done anything for her hand. Yet she had spurned them all and rushed headlong into Cyril¡¯s embrace. If only she had known this would be her fate, she never would have taken that first step. With trembling hands, Sylvia opened her chat with Cyril and typed a simple sentence: ¡°I saw the photos and news. Let¡¯s get a divorce.¡± Cyril immediately called her back but she declined the call. As soon as she sent the message, it was as if a crushing weight had lifted from her chest. When her phone rang again, Sylvia finally answered. Cyrilunched straight into scolding her. ¡°What more do you want from me? I know it¡¯s your birthday but Karina is finally back in the country. You need to know your ce and not meddle in things that don¡¯t concern you! And divorce? How many more tricks must you pull just to get my attention? I¡¯m sick of these maniptive games!¡± His words affirmed what Sylvia already knew deep down ¨C that his feelings for her were reluctant and forced. No matter how she tried to earn his affection, it was always going to be a one-sided performance. Heart shattered, Sylvia willed herself not to cry. Her voice turned icy cold. ¡°Have the paperwork ready first thing tomorrow morning. If you don¡¯t show up or can¡¯t finalize the divorce, I will expose the truth about Karina being your mistress all these years. I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t want your precious superstar girlfriend facing public scandal, especially when you¡¯ve protected her reputation for so long.¡± Sylvia immediately ended the call before Cyril could retort. As she looked at the untouched dinner on the table, she tossed everything straight into the trash. There was no point keeping up pretenses when no one cared anyway. She had known for a long time about the other woman who upied Cyril¡¯s heart. But as hiswfully wedded wife, Sylvia convinced herself she could make him fall for her instead, if she just devoted enough time and love. So she kept lowering her self-respect, to the point everyone ridiculed her behind her back. Toote, Sylvia realized the more she debased herself, the more Cyril felt entitled to hurt her. Their rtionship was irreparably toxic. Well, no more. After three bitter years, she refused to let him keep grinding her dignity into the dirt. If Cyril wanted to be with Karina instead, so be it. Sylvia gazed around the mansion that was meant to be their marital home. Cyril barely spent any nights here since their wedding. To him, this was just a convenient pit stop. Only she had nurtured hopes of building a home and life together, waiting in vain for her husband to return. The greater her expectations, the deeper the wounds. Now, she was finally ready to walk away from the sham of their marriage. ¡­ After a sleepless night, Sylvia examined her haggard reflection in the mirror. She covered up as best she could with makeup. Packing her essential documents, she prepared to head out just as her mother-inw called. Cyril¡¯s mother was a narrow-minded, caustic woman who cared only about status and wealth. She vehemently opposed his marriage to Sylvia instead of some well-connected socialite who could be useful to the family business. Over their years of marriage however, his family had always treated Sylvia as an unwee intruder. Her mother-inw even bossed her around like a servant. Hearing that grating voice again, Sylvia realized that if Cyril valued her even half as much as he did Karina, he would never have allowed his mother to belittle her so. In the end, it all boiled down to hisck of love for her. If she and Karina swapped ces, there¡¯s no way he would have let Karina endure the same disrespect. ¡°Where are you right now?! I already told you to be here by 8AM sharp. It¡¯s 10 and our guests will be arriving any minute. Are you deliberately trying to embarrass me? Don¡¯t forget, you stole your way into this family. My son could have married someone far better than the likes of you. Maybe it¡¯s better if you two just hurry up and divorce already.¡±Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 2

    <h1 ss="PcReader_title__gbJRg">Chapter 2 Can never have what I want</h1>


    Sylvia had heard simr criticisms countless times over the past three years. Back then, she would always me herself, thinking she must have done something wrong. Her love led her to lower her self-respect and cater to his family¡¯s every whim, no matter how demeaning it felt. But now, having made the decision to walk away for good, it was time to put an end to all those foolish things she once did. ¡°You¡¯re right, I have decided to divorce your son,¡± Sylvia stated bluntly before hanging up. She gathered her belongings and documents and headed out the door. Sylvia shot Cyril a message giving him two hours to meet her there. Otherwise, she would release all the evidence she had gathered over the years proving Karina was his mistress. The superstar¡¯s reputation would be ripped to shreds. Sure enough, Cyril showed up under the two hour mark, his expression thunderous. He had never been threatened like this before, least of all by his wife. But Sylvia remainedposed, not bothering to soothe his ruffled temper like she used to. The past was dead to her. ¡°Do you have the paperwork?¡± she asked. ¡°Must you make such a scene?¡± Cyril demanded. ¡°I already told you when we married ¨C no one can shake your position. But you must understand there are certain things I can never give you, no matter what you sacrificed back then to be my wife. Can¡¯t you just tolerate it?¡± His mocking tone cut through Sylvia even as she kept her face impassive. Their marriage did have extenuating circumstances that she had tried exining countless times over the years. But Cyril stubbornly believed only his version of events. Sylvia decided not to waste her breath. ¡°Spare me the excuses. Like I said, if we don¡¯t finalize this divorce today, I will ruin Karina¡¯s career for good. I¡¯m not joking around.¡± Cyril scoffed, unable to believe Sylvia actually had any leverage over someone like Karina. ¡°Since you clearly don¡¯t believe me, maybe these will convince you otherwise.¡± Sylvia took out a stack of photos from her bag. Cyril¡¯s gut clenched with apprehension as he flipped through them. The candid shots were taken from intrusive angles that clearly showed Karina¡¯s face along with Cyril inpromising intimacy. If leaked, they would undoubtedly ignite scandal. ¡°I have plenty more where that came from. Still think I don¡¯t have enough to force this divorce through?¡± Sylvia challenged. Cyril crumpled the photos, ring venomously. ¡°Where did you get these? I can¡¯t believe you would actually stoop so low just to smear Karina¡¯s name and keep your status!¡± Just as she expected. Sylvia didn¡¯t even bother reacting as she headed straight into the administrative office. Cyril chased angrily after her. ¡°At least tell me where the hell you got those photos!¡± But Sylvia had no more energy left to waste on him. She just wanted this sham of a rtionship severed for good. Karina herself had sent Sylvia all those photos over the years, never including a single word. But the images told a thousand heartbreaking tales. Sylvia only had to stand in Cyril¡¯s shadow while Karina basked under the spotlight. That told the whole story ¨C she was the one forever abandoned and looked down upon. Left with no choice, Cyril signed the divorce paperwork. He was convinced Sylvia would regret this, but he would never give her the chance toe crawling back. In this world, opportunities only came once. Miss it, and there were no second chances. With thest legal tie between them dissolved, a dazzling smile lit up Sylvia¡¯s face ¨C the brightest she had smiled in years. ¡°I won¡¯t wish you happiness. I¡¯ll just wish that you never get what you truly want in life.¡± The venom in her words made Cyril grit his teeth in hatred. Clearly he had underestimated the depths of Sylvia¡¯s loathing for him now. When Sylvia was gone, Cyril nced at the divorce settlement. She hadn¡¯t taken a single penny of the assets she was entitled to over their marriage. He scoffed disdainfully. So she was just a vain social climber after all, to discard everything that tied her to his wealthy family. If only Cyril knew the truth ¨C in their three years of marriage, he had never once gifted Sylvia anything meaningful. He allotted her a monthly allowance, but she refused to touch that credit card, always using her own money instead. Other than the decor and clothes she bought herself for the house, this marriage had not enriched her whatsoever. But Sylvia never expected anything from him in the first ce. Marrying Cyril was not about gaining his wealth. As Sylvia returned to the mansion she once called home, she heardughtering from inside. She recognized the voices of her mother-inw and Karina. ¡°This morning when I called her, she said she¡¯s divorcing my son! As if that greedy woman would actually let go of this family¡¯s wealth!¡± ¡°It was all just an unfortunate misunderstanding back then. If only you two had a bit more time, the truth would havee out and you¡¯d be our daughter-inw by now instead of Sylvia!¡± ¡°Oh don¡¯t say that, auntie. Sylvia and Cyril seem very well-matched and so loving even after all these years of marriage.¡± Sylvia nearly gagged hearing Karina¡¯s words. Loving? Which eyes did she use to observe their so-called blissful marriage?Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

 Chapter 3

    <h1 ss="PcReader_title__gbJRg">Chapter 3 Dispute</h1>


    Hearing the front door open, the two women chatting on the couch fell silent. Sylvia let out a derisiveugh as she strode inside thevishly decorated mansion that represented years of her painstaking efforts ¨C soon to be foolishly squandered by these two interlopers. This would be herst glimpse of a home that could have been. ¡°So the prodigal daughter returns. Where exactly have you been wandering about? Didn¡¯t I tell you this morning to be back here by 8AM sharp to help with the guests? Or did you really think you couldnd someone better than my son after the divorce? Don¡¯t kid yourself ¨C a vain social climber like you will always be looked down on wherever you go. Now hurry up and start cooking. Don¡¯t you dare embarrass me when my friends get hereter. If you even think of causing me to lose face, just you watch how I¡¯ll punish you!¡± Cyril was self-made, having built his business empire from nothing. So his mother was an avaricious woman determined to marry her son to someone useful to expand the family connections and wealth. Naturally she had always looked down on Sylvia¡¯s supposedmoner background, even though that wasn¡¯t truly the case. ncing at the bustling kitchen, Sylvia guessed there would be at least 10 guests today ¨C the number her mother-inw regrly invited specifically to overwork and demean her. Whenever there was a dinner party, not a single servant would be allowed to help. Sylvia was the sole worker expected to cater to everyone¡¯s demands withoutint or retaliation. Her mother-inw was quick to interpret any objections as unwillingness to continue the marriage. Before Sylvia could respond, Karina jumped in with a smile. ¡°Auntie, isn¡¯t that too much work for Sylvia to handle alone? Let me give her a hand. We wouldn¡¯t want your friendster thinking I don¡¯t know how to cook!¡± She made to stand up and help. But her mother-inw quickly yanked Karina back onto the sofa. Not without first shooting Sylvia a look of pure contempt. ¡°How could youpare yourself to the likes of her? She was born to serve, so of course these menial tasks suit her. But you ¨C you¡¯re an international superstar! You should rx here while we wait on you.¡± ¡°But Auntie, I¡¯m your guest. It wouldn¡¯t be right for me to just sit by while everyone else works,¡± Karina protested. ¡°Guest? Once you and my son get married, then she¡¯ll be the guest ¨C no, she won¡¯t even qualify to be a guest! At best, she¡¯ll just be a stranger passing through.¡± Standing silently to the side, Sylvia listened to the duo¡¯s chorus with growing exasperation. Karina didn¡¯t utter a single unkind word and kept up the pretense of defending her. But they were empty cations that only fueled her mother-inw¡¯s vitriol towards Sylvia. As their farcical mother-daughter bond strengthened, Sylvia couldn¡¯t resistughing. ¡°Are you two quite done with your theatrics?¡± Her mother-inw bristled at the interruption. ¡°What nerve you have! Can¡¯t you see we¡¯re in the middle of a conversation? Hurry up and get cooking!¡± ¡°In case you¡¯ve forgotten, your dear son and I already finalized our divorce. You seem so thrilled to wee your dreamed-of daughter-inw. Why don¡¯t you get her to demonstrate her cooking skills instead?¡± Sylvia smiled sweetly at Karina, not missing the sh of delight in her eyes. Weary of their act, Sylvia headed back towards the bedroom to gather her minimal belongings. She had no intention of keeping any of the clothes and possessions here that held nothing but bitter memories now. Just as she reached the door, her mother-inw blocked her path. ¡°So you¡¯re set on ending this marriage for good, I see.¡± ¡°We already signed the divorce papers. What more is there to say?¡± Sylvia brushed past her and swung open the door, only toe face-to-face with Cyril himself. After leaving Sylvia at the courthouse, Cyril had received a call from Karina about his mother inviting her over to his marital home. Worried that she might run into his freshly-divorced ex-wife and get upset, Cyril immediately rushed back. His dark scowl deepened at seeing Sylvia on the verge of walking out. He shoved her aside and made a beeline for Karina, looking her up and down anxiously. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Stumbling from his shove, Sylvia¡¯s back mmed painfully against the corner cab. But that paled inparison to the casual tenderness in Cyril¡¯s question towards Karina ¨C while she was the one injured right in front of him. ¡°Just what have you done now?¡± Cyril snarled, ring at Sylvia as if she hadmitted some unforgivable sin. His hypocrisy left Sylvia seeing red. ¡°Are your eyes only good for asional ring? Can¡¯t you see with your own two eyes that Karina is perfectly fine standing right there in front of you? If that mouth of yours can¡¯t speak sense, maybe you should donate it to someone who actually needs it!¡± Cyril held up his phone to show her an article. ¡°Don¡¯t try and talk your way out of this. The expose online ¨C isn¡¯t this your doing?¡± Sylvia nced at the phone screen and froze. The photos and caption did seem vaguely familiar even though she wasn¡¯t involved¡­ Still, she couldn¡¯t deny feeling a spark of vicious satisfaction seeing Karina¡¯s stricken expression. ¡°Is there a single false word written there? Wasn¡¯t it that drama that first shot her to fame? Does the report state any untruths?¡± Sylvia challenged, eyes narrowing at Karina. ¡°I¡¯ll walk out that door right now and let myself get hit by a car if there¡¯s a single lie printed. If every word there is true, then it¡¯s your turn to get smashed under a tire!¡± Karina paled, helplessly seeking out Cyril. He patted her shoulder reassuringly before rounding on Sylvia once more. ¡°If you¡¯re so eager to die, then go kill yourself! Don¡¯t drag an innocent person into your vendetta! This is obviously your petty attempt at revenge even after the divorce!¡± With tremendous effort, Sylvia reined in her temper. ¡°I think your brain must be in your neck purely to increase your height,¡± she stated acidly before sweeping past them. Love blinded the wisest of people. She was the living proof for the past three years. Now it was Cyril¡¯s turn to wallow in blindness ¨C likely for a long timeing.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 4

    <h1 ss="PcReader_title__gbJRg">Chapter 4 Proof</h1>


    Watching the man she had loved for years reveal his utter stupidity left Sylvia questioning her own terrible judgement all this time. She had no interest in watching their antics further and turned to leave, belongings in hand. But Karina¡¯s voice stopped her once more. ¡°I would never admit something I didn¡¯t actually do! Why won¡¯t you believe me? Do you think just because I supposedly destroyed your marriage, you want revenge against me? But I¡¯ve barely shown my face around you two all these years. I¡¯m only back now to film a movie. Why must you target me like this?¡± Though Karina addressed the room, every word was meant for Sylvia. With a spark of dark amusement, Sylvia realized this family was rather entertaining in their dysfunction. One blindly besotted fool. Another conniving social climber ruthlessly furthering her own ends. And Cyril practically salivating to take a bite out of Sylvia in his hatred. She surveyed them all dispassionately as Cyril spat, ¡°So if you didn¡¯t pull this stunt, who could have? No one else would be so malicious towards Karina besides you!¡± Sylvia sighed, beyond exhausted. She turned to Karina instead. ¡°Since you¡¯re so convinced the culprit is me, where¡¯s your proof? Otherwise I could sue you for nder.¡± All eyes swung to Karina. Even her mother-inw felt the first prickles of doubt. She wasn¡¯t the sharpest tool. A few well-aimed words could easily turn her loyalties. While the drama scandal meant nothing to her, Sylvia did raise a valid point ¨C who would gamble with their own life so casually just for revenge? Tears brimmed in Karina¡¯s eyes as she realized she was losing ground. Her only lifeline was Cyril ¨C the final authority in this family. As long as he stood firm in her corner, nothing else mattered. ¡°You¡­you believe me too, don¡¯t you? We¡¯ve known each other for so long and were nearly family once. You saw me work myself to the bone all these years. How could you think me capable of something like this?¡± Karina pleaded desperately. That past regret still throbbed like an unhealed wound in Cyril¡¯s heart. His lingering affection for Karina stemmed not so much from longing, but an inability to get over what happened between them. And thus he indulged her more than he should, at the expense of wounding Sylvia far deeper than heprehended. ¡°I know you couldn¡¯t be responsible for this mess. But to resolve it, we need hard proof of your innocence that day. Do you recall what you were doing then?¡± Cyril asked in a more rational tone. Coming up with such exonerating evidence wasn¡¯t necessarily straightforward though. At his lukewarm defense, Karina burst into tears. ¡°So you still doubt me after all! Just because Sylvia said something, now you believe her over me? Fine ¨C you want proof, I¡¯ll die right here to prove myself if that¡¯s what it takes for you to believe me!¡± Her hysterical threat made Cyril frown in disbelief. How could anyone treat their own life as joke? Just as he opened his mouth to retort, Karina suddenly lunged straight for the sharp stone corner cab. At that speed, a head collision would undoubtedly be fatal. Cyril¡¯s face drained of color. Even his mother screamed out in horror. Only Sylvia remained unmoved, having expected this histrionic reaction from Karina. That woman valued her own skin far too much to actually harm herself ¨C as proven by her earlier refusal to swear any oaths on her life. In a few quick strides, Cyril seized Karina¡¯s wrist though not before her head still cracked against the cab edge. Fortunately his grip prevented full impact. Blood streamed down her face from the torn gash. Karina trembled uncontrobly, clearly terrified at her near brush with death. If Cyril had been just a secondte¡­ ¡°Karina, are you alright? How could you be so foolish?¡± Cyril held her in a crushing embrace, sick with panic. Voice quavering, Karina murmured, ¡°Now you must believe me¡­right?¡± How could Cyril not believe in her innocence when she had resorted to such extremes just to prove herself? He nodded vigorously. Observing their nauseating theatrics, Sylvia barely resisted the urge to slow p sarcastically. What a performance indeed! But the show was over and her role in it long ended. No need to overstay her wee. Except the yers here seemed intent on detaining her a while longer for further torment. Each time Sylvia moved to leave, someone would call her back. ¡°I said, stay where you are!¡± Cyril bellowed. Themand tested thest shreds of Sylvia¡¯s patience. Biting back a scathing retort, she asked tly, ¡°What more do you want?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve pushed her to such desperate lengths. Don¡¯t you have anything to say or do about it?¡± Cyril used. Sylvia¡¯s eyebrows shot up incredulously. ¡°Pushed her? Have you lost your mind? Anyone can see I had nothing to do with that unhinged stunt. Did I make her try to smash her own skull open? She chose that herself. So how is her botched suicide attempt suddenly my fault? If she had seeded, would you call me a murderer next?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying this onest time ¨C go get your head examined by a doctor since it¡¯s clearly not working right. As for your ims that I harmed her, where¡¯s your proof? If you have none, then at most I¡¯ll do my civic duty and call an ambnce.¡± That was the full extent of what Sylvia would contribute to this three-ring circus sideshow. She took out her phone as if to dial emergency services while Cyril and his mother looked on. ¡°It¡¯s an hour¡¯s drive to the nearest hospital. By the time any doctor finally gets here after two hours total, she could already be dead!¡± Cyril argued frantically.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

 Chapter 5

    <h1 ss="PcReader_title__gbJRg">Chapter 5 Homing</h1>


    Sylvia gritted her teeth in sheer frustration. Nothing she suggested was good enough apparently. ¡°Then what the hell do you want from me?¡± she bit out. ¡°You drive!¡± Cyril barked as he gently lifted Karina and made for the door at top speed. Sylvia stood frozen for a moment before his mother shoved her from behind. ¡°What are you still standing around for? If anything happens, I¡¯d like to see you exin yourself!¡± she hissed spitefully. ¡°It¡¯s just awful luck whenever you¡¯re involved.¡± Studying her sour expression, Sylvia deduced his dear mother didn¡¯t actually care much for Karina at all to be cursing her misfortune right now. Why else make such tactless remarks when the woman was injured? Morbidly curious to see how this drama would unfold, Sylvia snatched up the car keys and slid into the driver¡¯s seat. En route to the hospital, Cyril was on the phone arranging for the best doctors to prioritize Karina¡¯s care. Sylvia had to bite back an incredulousugh. Such VIP treatment for that tiny wound? If they had arrived anyter, it would likely have healed on its own already. But she held her sarcasticments and soon pulled up at the hospital. Clearly forewarned, medical staff immediately swarmed their vehicle with a stretcher to whisk Karina straight into emergency surgery as if her life hung by a thread. Seeing them steer towards the operating rooms made Sylvia raise a brow. My my, they were certainly going all out with the theatrics! In under two hours, Karina emerged¡­with the doctor looking rather awkward. Fretting only over her condition, Cyril didn¡¯t notice his odd expression at all. ¡°How is she, doctor? Will she fully recover?¡± The doctor¡¯s eye twitched slightly but he maintained a professional bedside manner. ¡°The wounds were not actually that grievous. I believe you panicked unnecessarily. We have stitched up the gashes and are running scans for possible concussion. The results will be out within three hours so please be patient. As a precaution, she should remain under observation for now.¡± Sylvia had to smother her snort of dark amusement. Just as she expected. If they had brought Karina in eventer, her scratch likely would have already closed up on its own. Clearly the medical staff also had no idea how to face Cyril with such a minor injury after two hours of emergency surgery. So they deliberately dragged out the procedure instead. Profoundly relieved, Cyril hurried after Karina¡¯s stretcher towards the ward without so much as a nce back at Sylvia. Though she couldn¡¯t deny the jagged pain from being disregarded by the man she had loved for years, Sylvia remained silent as she watched them leave. Her grief threatened to overwhelm her. Just then her phone rang, the caller ID making her breath catch in turmoil. The call eventually went to voicemail as Sylvia struggled internally on whether to answer it. When it immediately rang again, she took a deep breath and picked up. ¡°Big brother¡­¡± she whispered hoarsely. ¡°It¡¯s time for you toe home,¡± his long unheard voice echoed firmly. At the sound of her beloved brother reaching out after three bitter years of estrangement from her family, tears flooded Sylvia¡¯s eyes. She had assumed that divide could never be bridged. But blood bonds ran deeper than anything else in this world. Hearing her brother¡¯s voice left Sylvia choking back emotions. ¡°Okay¡­¡± she managed tremulously. ¡­ Cyril kept vigil outside Karina¡¯s room until she finally stirred awake. The first thing Karina did was ask about Sylvia¡¯s whereabouts. ¡°This clearly had nothing to do with Sylvia. Please talk to her properly? I swear she wasn¡¯t involved.¡± Cyril bristled in annoyance. ¡°Even now you¡¯re still defending her? What nonsense has she filled your head with? If she¡¯s really innocent, why did she run off right after your ident?¡± His temper worsened when Sylvia was reported to have already left the premises while he was preupied with Karina¡¯s injuries. More damning scandal surrounding Karina popped up on his phone then. The relentless media leaks seemed aimed at destroying her hard won career. There was no way Cyril could stand by and let that happen. In his mind, the culprit behind Karina¡¯s downfall could only be Sylvia. But now he had no idea where to even find her. Karina gazed beseechingly at Cyril. ¡°I still believe Sylvia had nothing to do with this. But even if she was responsible, I¡¯m willing to forgive her. This is really all because of me ¨C if I had kept my distance from you, none of this would have happened. We¡¯re both women after all. It¡¯s only natural she would be unhappy to see me appearing in your life again.¡± Cyril shook his head obstinately. ¡°Stop making excuses for her. She¡¯s clearly in the wrong here.¡± He refused to listen to anything that might absolve Sylvia of guilt in his eyes. Karina opened her mouth but said nothing more, secretly delighted at this oue. Seeing her downcast expression, Cyril gentled his voice. ¡°Just focus on resting for now. The doctor wants you under observation for any potentialplications. I¡¯ll handle everything else so don¡¯t you worry. I definitely won¡¯t let your career take this kind of hit.¡± Karina¡¯s eyes lit up at his reassurance, mingled with unmistakable love. But Cyril looked away, unable to directly meet her gaze. Some matters were better left unspoken. Murmuring some excuse about urgent business, he quickly took his leave. The moment he was gone, Karina¡¯s facade of weakness vanished, reced by a vicious glint. Thinking of those online scandals, fury simmered within her. If Cyril ever discovered her involvement, she would be finished. Her only recourse was to find some way to clear her own name from this mess.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

 Chapter 6

    <h1 ss="PcReader_title__gbJRg">Chapter 6 Present for her</h1>


    Returning to her childhood home after three long years filled Sylvia withplicated emotions. She had assumed this door closed to her forever when she left. How naive andughable her younger self seemed now. Hovering uncertainly on the doorstep, Sylvia wondered if she should just turn back around. Before she could make up her mind, someone shoved her forcefully from behind right through the entrance. ¡°What are you waiting for? Do you know we¡¯ve been waiting three years for you toe back? If Uncle hadn¡¯t stopped me, I would have dragged you home long ago myself!¡± Whipping around, Sylvia came face to face with her childhood best friend Juliet ¨C inseparable since the cradle, privy to every secret and dream. Juliet was also the first person Sylvia confessed her love for Cyril to. And vehemently rejected the idea, much to Sylvia¡¯s irritation. She stubbornly vowed to marry Cyril anyway. Their ensuing fight soon involved both their families. Sylvia med Juliet for theck of privacy and refused to speak to her again. Three long years of total silence followed despite having each other¡¯s numbers. Seeing Juliet now brought tears to Sylvia¡¯s eyes. She never imagined reconciling with both family and friend after so long. Juliet too cried as she clutched Sylvia¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Come on, Uncle and your brother have been waiting for you!¡± Unable to speak, Sylvia simply nodded and let herself be guided further inside. There on the familiar couch sat her beloved brother Bruce and father Stanford. At the sight of them, her lips trembled uncontrobly. Stanford immediately stood with open arms and a tender smile. Sylvia broke down entirely and flew into her father¡¯s embrace. To her, he had always seemed so tall and strong ¨C her shelter against all storms who indulged her every whim. But three years had aged him with new lines of weariness that wrenched her heart with guilt. If not for her stubbornness, they would never have endured such painful separation. Bruce watched them quietly from the side, not interrupting the poignant reunion. ¡°Dad¡­¡± Sylvia finally sobbed out. She felt her father¡¯s arms tighten with his own surge of emotions. When their tears finally slowed, Sylvia approached Bruce awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, brother. I was too willful back then but I¡¯m home now.¡± She half expected Bruce to still be furious over theirst argument where he swore to disown her if she married Cyril. Yet here he was, the one who had called her back. As the baby of the family, they had all doted on Sylvia. Naturally her choice of husband roused their intense protectiveness. Thankfully time and forgiveness had seen her safely home. ¡°As long as you¡¯re back, that¡¯s all that matters. We¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± Bruce smiled gently. Family was home and hearth ¨C no matter the mistakes, they would always wee their lost child back with open arms. Sylvia now realized how foolish she had been to endure her struggles alone for so long. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll never leave any of you again,¡± she pledged fervently. Bruce ruffled her hair just like when she was little. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your second brother loves you most of all. He¡¯lle around even if he¡¯s still sulking a bit. You¡¯ll just have to coax him.¡± Sylvia understood his hint. She and her second brother had always been closest until their huge fight right before she left with Cyril. The thought of facing him now made her uncharacteristically anxious. Seeing her apprehension, Bruce reassured her again. No matter what, she would always be their beloved little sister. Exhausted from her ordeals, Sylvia soon retired to her unchanged childhood bedroom. Aside from new seasonal clothing and jewelry that showed she was often in their thoughts, everything remained just as she had left it. The realization made her eyes burn anew. She couldn¡¯t begin to articte her remorse and gratitude. Her phone chose that moment to ring with her sister-inw Bonnie¡¯s name shing. Sylvia answered warily. ¡°Where are you right now? I heard you walked out on my brother. What did you do with the ne he gifted me, you thief? I don¡¯t care what excuses you have ¨C stealing is still a crime! If you don¡¯t return that ne immediately, I¡¯m calling the cops on you!¡± Bonnie shrilled nastily. Furrowing her brow, Sylvia wracked her brains about said ne. Drawing a nk, she decided it wouldn¡¯t hurt to collect back all the extravagant gifts she had showered Bonnie and the others with when she was still infatuated enough to view them as family. Her past self¡¯s foolish generosity clearly needed amending.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

 Chapter 7

    <h1 ss="PcReader_title__gbJRg">Chapter 7 Millions Dors Worth</h1>


    Sylvia promptly hung up on Bonnie¡¯s shrill usations, having zero desire to engage with these people any longer. She decided to preemptively block all their numbers and cut off contactpletely. It wasn¡¯t as if they had ever bothered learning anything substantial about her real self and background over the years anyway. To make a clean break from the past, Sylvia also switched to a new phone number that the Ward family could never reach her on. Her family whole-heartedly supported cutting ties for good. They had prepared everything necessary to help Sylvia move forward. After two days of much-needed rest, she finally felt her lingering exhaustion fade. ¡°Tell me, why on earth did you give up being our family heiress all these years to suffer as that man¡¯s wife instead?¡± Juliet ranted upon seeing more headlines involving Cyril and Karina. ¡°It¡¯s infuriating!¡± While delighted at the very public bacsh Cyril now faced, her heart ached over everything Sylvia had endured because of him. ¡°Clearly I was too young and blind. But I see clearly now. Are you going to keep scolding me over my mistakes?¡± Sylvia replied peaceably. Her cid eptance surprised Juliet who had expected more stubbornness. Clearing her throat in embarrassment over her outburst, Juliet attempted a lighter tone instead. ¡°Oh fine, since you¡¯re actually admitting your faults for once, I¡¯ll let it go this time. But isn¡¯t that gemstone bracelet Cyril is wearing rather familiar? The same one Aunty gifted you before right, from your heirloom ne?¡± Peering closer at the photo, the bracelet did seem exceptionally well-crafted with vibrant saturated colors that bespoke its immense value. As Sylvia¡¯s closestpanion, Juliet naturally recognized it as originating from her priceless family jewels. Sylvia herself nodded confirmation. While she hadn¡¯t cared much about retrieving most of the other gifts she had bestowed when love still blinded her, this particr heirloom bracelet had to be an exception. Her mother had specially left it for Sylvia so that rat Cyril definitely did not deserve to continue unting it. The very thought of that bracelet making intimate contact with Karina¡¯s skin also filled Sylvia with revulsion now. ¡°If you¡¯re free this afternoon, want toe along as I reim my belongings from them? I left quite a few valuable things behind,¡± Sylvia invited. Juliet had initially wanted to decline due to a prior engagement. But at the prospect of front-row entertainment, she immediately agreed, ¡°Sure, no problem at all! We can head over right now even.¡± With Sylvia driving the lead sports car, Juliet eagerly followed behind in her own shy ride. She nearly swallowed her tongue in disbelief though when they pulled up to a luxury four-storey townhouse. ¡°Seriously? You squeezed yourself into this little hovel all these years?¡± ncing back instinctively, Sylvia had to concede that to the average citizen, this mansion would already be considered extravagant, likely requiring a lifetime¡¯s savings just for the downpayment. But to those from the upper crust like herself, it was akin to humble peasants¡¯ lodgings. Juliet truly couldn¡¯tprehend why Sylvia had voluntarily assumed a life of hardship for that undeserving cretin. But then again, everything came down to the madness of love didn¡¯t it? A bitterness clearly not meant for someone like herself to taste, Juliet shuddered. Wrinkling her nose, she urged Sylvia to hurry up and grab her stuff so they could leave posthaste. This dreary abode was seriously dampening her previously eager mood. Unsure if Cyril might be home, Sylvia simply proceeded straight in with her keys, causing the woman lounging on the sofa to shriek in shock at her sudden entrance. It was her wretched mother-inw Marsha who instantly assumed the worst. ¡°So the divorcee dares show her face again! My son told me you didn¡¯t take a single penny in the settlement so what now? Here to demand your share?¡± She leapt up in agitation. ¡°Well you can dream on! Not one cent of what my boy earned fair and square will go to you!¡± Ignoring her outburst, Sylvia silently approached and reached out towards the glinting ruby ne around Marsha¡¯s throat. Before the spluttering woman could react, Sylvia had already unsped and removed the expensive piece. It took a few seconds for Marsha to process what just happened. When she finally tried to snatch it back, Sylvia deftly evaded her grasp, sending the older woman staggering. ¡°How dare you steal from me, you worthless tramp! Just you watch, I¡¯ll make sure you never step foot in here again!¡± Marsha snarled vindictively. ¡°Forget about ever getting back with my son too!¡± Just as expected, thatst threat was meant to cut deepest at Sylvia¡¯s supposed innermost longing. Too bad for them that the woman they thought they knew never really existed at all. Sylvia handed the retrieved rubies off to Juliet who deposited them into a jewelry box she had purposely carried along. ¡°This ne was my greeting gift to you when I first married into this family. Now I¡¯m simply taking back what¡¯s mine since you have made it abundantly clear I was never weed or considered as one of you to begin with.¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8 Robbery in in Sight<b>??</b>


    Sylvia was direct and unequivocal. She was simply stating facts<b>¨C</b>reiming what was hers. Who could argue with that?


    Her blunt words left Michelle shaking with anger.


    ¡°You willingly gave these things to me initially,¡± she fumed, ¡°Now you want them back? That¡¯s nonsense! Once gifted, you relinquish all ims<b>!</b><b>¡±</b>


    Michelle brazenly refused to return the items. Though Sylvia wasn¡¯t her ideal daughter¨Cin-w, her gifts had elevated Michelle¡¯s status. Especially that ruby ne which drew envious looks over the years.


    Michelle cared deeply about people¡¯s perceptions of her. When she realized how admired her new ne was, she was thrilled.


    So when Sylvia asked for it back, Michelle objected vehemently.


    Having dealt with their duplicity for years, Sylvia knew Michelle¡¯s reluctance came as no surprise.


    Still<b>,</b>today Sylvia was determined to retrieve her possessions, regardless. These people hardly deserved such fine gifts.


    Michelle¡¯s shamelessness left even Juliet chuckling in disbelief. She had dealt with audacity before but never anything like Michelle¡¯s.


    ¨C


    ¡°Though initially given freely, your unwillingness to return Sylvia¡¯s things, gives her every right to reim them. It¡¯s perfectly reasonable. Let me make this clear the only reason we¡¯re having a civil chat is out of respect for your status as an elder. If you don¡¯t return what¡¯s hers, don¡¯t me me for tantly stealing it!¡± Juliet asserted.


    Juliet had been quite upset when Sylvia insisted on marrying Cyril despite the objections. Now that Sylvia wanted her stuff back while they created obstacles, Juliet was livid.


    If civility failed, more brazen measures would be required. For Juliet, the ends always justified the means.


    Hearing Juliet¡¯s promation left Michelle trembling in anger. She was ustomed to lording over Sylvia. Being challenged so bluntly by Sylvia¡¯s friend left her seeing red. As she stepped forward to strike, Juliet caught her hand mid¨Cair.


    ¡°How dare you try to hit me? I¡¯m no pushover. Try that again and I¡¯ll put you straight into a hospital bed!¡± Juliet threatened.


    With shameless people<b>,</b>meeting audacity with audacity was often required. Sensing Juliet wasn¡¯t one to be trifled with, Michelle took a step back but Juliet maintained her vice¨Clike grip on Michelle¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Are you blind<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>Michelle screamed at Sylvia, ¡°Can¡¯t you see how your friend is manhandling me? Make her release me this instant or I swear my son will teach serious<b>lesson</b>!¡®


    <b>you</b>


    both a


    With no luck against Juliet<b>,</b>Michelle turned her ire at Sylvia, shouting loudly. Sylvia nced over at Juliet but said nothing.


    She took two steps forward. Juliet, anticipating her moves perfectly, sped Michelle¡¯s hand tightly. After years together, their rapport was seamless. Watching Sylvia take action filled Juliet with satisfaction.


    Still cursing bitterly, Michelle watched Sylvia approach her.


    ¡°Release me at once, you worthless people!¡± she yelled, ¡°Do you think I won¡¯t punish such audacity? How dare you break into my home! My security will make you regret this!¡±


    ¡°Delusional lowlifes! A lifetime of disgrace culminating in home invasion. Have you no shame? You¡¯ve stolen from us too! Sylvia, return everything quietly or my family will bring you to ruin once ounts are settled!¡±


    Michelle¡¯s vitriol grew, even threatening them by the end.


    At her words, Juliet justughed loudly. Who was this woman who dared threaten so openly? No one had ever dared to do so before!


    ¡°Do you know what happened to thest person who threatened me?¡± Juliet interjected, leaving Michelle momentarily confused. She couldn¡¯t care less about Juliet¡¯s history. She just wanted her hand free.


    ¡°Thest one to threaten me is six feet under. Care to be next?¡±


    Hearing that left Michelle stunned, a look of apprehension on her face. Juliet looked dead serious. Could she have actually done such a thing?


    As Michelle stood there<b>,</b>stunned, Sylvia brushed passed her and headed upstairs. Sensing looming disaster, Michelle shouted for Sylvia to stop but she didn¡¯t even look back as she


    ascended.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve built up quite a stash over the years, enjoying far more than your fair share. Time to return everyst bit of it. I¡¯d suggest not angering me further. Push me too far and you¡¯ll deeply regret it, especially given how much you¡¯ve tormented my sister all these years.¡±


    Chapter 8 Robbery in in Sight??


    3/3


    Juliet was truly incensed after witnessing Michelle¡¯s attitude today. It clearly reflected the distress Sylvia must have endured here over the years.


    If the mother¨Cinw could behave so atrociously, it didn¡¯t bode well for her son¡¯s disposition. Juliet struggled toprehend what Sylvia ever saw appealing<i>in</i>Cyril.


    Had she not apanied Sylvia today, Juliet would have already taken matters into her own


    hands.


    ¡°Are you all blind?¡± Michelle shouted, seeing Sylvia head upstairs unimpeded, see she¡¯s threatening me? Someone stop her!¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you


    As the others moved to intervene, Juliet¡¯s steely gaze halted them in their tracks. ¡°Let¡¯s see who dares toe closer!¡±

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9 Lack self¨Cappreciation


    The servants feared Michelle. She was not an easy mistress to please.


    But Juliet¡¯s formidable aura was even more intimidating. She exuded a vibe that she could resort to violence any second.


    Hearing her words, everyone halted in their tracks despite Michelle¡¯s threats.


    Seeing them stop midway enraged Michelle further. How dare they stand by idly as she was being bullied when she paid their sries?


    ¡°If you


    don¡¯te over right now, you¡¯re all fired!¡± she yelled, ¡°I¡¯ll ensure you never work in this business again!¡±


    Caught between losing their jobs and facing Juliet¡¯s wrath, they made a decision. Work won out and they started moving forward again.


    Seeing that, Juliet let out an icyugh before striding over and pping Michelle hard across the face, stunning everyone.


    ¡°Oh? And who do you think you are to threaten their jobs?¡± Juliet sneered, ¡°Speak to me that way again and I¡¯ll ensure your family is ruined!¡± 1


    They were no major empire. If it came to blows, Juliet would show no mercy.


    Seeing Juliet actually strike Michelle left the servants dumbfounded. None expected her to be so audacious.


    Michelle was struck speechless by the sudden p, stunned that Juliet dared to hit her.


    Upstairs, Sylvia was oblivious to themotion as she headed straight for the master bedroom where Michelle stayed. It was cluttered with many old items.


    Sylvia found a box filled with expensive jewelry. Opening it, she found many pieces she had gifted Michelle over the years and promptly removed them. She then went to Bonnie¡¯s room.


    Sylvia had gifted Bonnie even more extravagantly, hoping to build a good rapport with someone her own age. But now she realized all her precious gifts had merely gone down the drain.


    With an impassive face, she packed up everything from there as well.


    None of the items were terribly precious to Sylvia but leaving anything behind for these people was uneptable. After ensuring she had all her gifts back, she headed downstairs where Juliet had already subdued everyone.


    Michelle now sat meekly, not daring to argue against Jullet. Seeing Sylvia, Michelle shot her flery res but Sylvia paid her no mind.


    ¡°Got everything?¡± Juliet asked.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go,¡± Sylvia replied with a nod.


    Juliet released Michelle and the two walked out freely with their things.


    Seeing that, Michelle started screaming curses at them. ¡°Just you wait, I won¡¯t let you off easy for this! I hope you both die getting hit by a car!¡±


    ¡°And you!¡± she raged at Sylvia, ¡°So desperate to marry my son. I bet you already have other men out there. Yourck of self¨Crespect is appalling if you think my son would still want you. Keep dreaming!¡±


    Michelle¡¯s words grew fouler but Sylvia stayed silent. Arguing with such a person was beneath her dignity. Before meeting Cyril, Sylvia never argued with anyone, If truly provoked, she had ways to handle things.


    By being too low key over the years, she had let Michelle mistakenly assume Sylvia was a pushover. Time to correct that assumption.


    Seeing Sylvia stop in her tracks, Michelle felt an odd chill. Something about Sylvia¡¯s gaze warned that she was not one to be trifled with.


    The next instant, Michelle saw Sylvia grabrge gardening shears and hurl them in her direction.


    Screaming in fear, Michelle cowered down, arms over her head. The scissorsnded with a thud, sliding to a stop by her feet.


    Still screaming, it took Michelle awhile to realize she was unharmed. Sylvia and Juliet traded amused looks before walking away.


    Getting all her things back greatly lifted Sylvia¡¯s mood. As they headed back, her boss Aaron suddenly messaged about Caroline again. Opening it, they realized it was about her reputation being restored.


    No need to guess who was behind it. Cyril cared too deeply for Caroline to let her suffer such injustice. To him, she held a high status. Of course he would try his best to resolve this


    scandal for her. 1


    But Sylvia knew such matters could hardly be smoothed over so easily. His actions now would only intensify future bacsh.


    Chapter 9 Lack self¨Cappreciation


    ¡°Why should we care if she behaves or not? It¡¯s his mess to handle. Even if Cyril whitewashes this for now, the truth will out eventually,¡± said Sylvia.


    She understood certain falsehoods would always remain false despite one¡¯s efforts. And some truths could never be buried forever, regardless of excuses.


    Sylvia looked forward to the day Caroline¡¯s scandals blew up in Cyril¡¯s face.


    Hearing Sylvia, Juliet chuckled in agreement. Caroline loved jumping around recklessly. Time for consequences to catch up to her.


    ¡°Then allow me to fuel the fire,¡± Juliet grinned wickedly, ¡°Can¡¯t have it burn out before she gets properly incinerated.¡±

 Chapter 10

    <strong>Chapter</strong><strong>10</strong><strong>A</strong>gift for returning


    Seeing Juliet¡¯s delight, Sylvia stayed silent, driving while Juliet busied herself on her phone.


    Juliet had long wanted to punish these people over the years, especially Caroline. If not for Sylvia, she would never have let Caroline retain her top status


    Plus, they had gathered ample incriminating evidence about her while trying to discourage Sylvia. Authentic proof that would easily ruin Caroline.


    Exposing everything at once would immediately crush Caroline. But Juliet preferred a gradual approach, intending to show Caroline the illusion of hope before utterly devastating


    her.


    Sylvia made no attempts to stop Juliet¡¯s scheming, curious what they had uncovered.


    After a while on her phone, Juliet finally grinned in satisfaction. ¡°Done! I¡¯ve prepared some interesting things for her. She¡¯ll be so thankful after reading them.¡±


    Hearing that, Sylvia figured Juliet must have dropped another bombshell. Caroline would likely be weeping in her hospital room after getting terrified by whatever Juliet unleashed.


    Just as Sylvia expected, Cyril had barely smoothed things over when several more scandalous news bits about Caroline surfaced, portraying her mistreating assistants, leading one into a depressive state that resulted in a car ident. Yet Caroline did nothing to help as the assistanty dying.


    The public had never been too fond of Caroline, doubtful of her worthiness for the des she kept amassing. Many suspected she was propped up. The scandal had been hushed but this new callous behavior further angeredizens.


    If she was truly innocent, why the urgent cover¨Cup? Voices that had just quieted down started boiling over, the intensity multiplying rapidly. Caroline¡¯s studio was soon besieged by the incensed crowd<strong>,</strong>some even showing up in person to confront her.


    Oblivious to all this, Caroline had her phone confiscated by Cyril who was trying to shield her from emotional hurt. But seeing the unfolding chaos online left Cyril utterly dismayed. He had barely contained thest issue before this new storm. What else had Caroline been up to abroad to cause such turbulence?


    Annoyed but left with no choice, Cyril busied himself trying to handle the spiraling situation. If left unchecked, things would only escte rapidly.


    While Cyril ran around dousing fires, Sylvia¡¯s family was celebrating her return joyously, nning a grand homing banquet to wee her back and show she was the family¡¯s


    Chapter 10 A gift for returningUpstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    precious daughter. An enormous homing gift package was also prepared for her.


    But since her true identity couldn¡¯t be exposed yet for business reasons, the banquet was turned into a masquerade ball instead, allowing Sylvia to mingle anonymously until she stabilized her footing at thepany. Only then would her identity be revealed.


    Juliet¡¯s suggestion was met with unanimous approval. Sylvia didn¡¯t mind either way butplied happily with her family¡¯s wishes.


    2/2


    When the day arrived, many elites showed up, eager to see who the Ivanov heiress was. But the masquerade theme made it impossible to discern and they realized the Ivanovs wanted their heiress to retain anonymity for now.


    Among the attendees was Cyril, mingling aimlessly to relieve his immense stress recently. As conversations flowed around him, Cyril gradually eased into the mood, curious about the Ivanov heiress¡® identity.


    He had heard long ago that the Ivanov heir was the family¡¯s daughter which had caused quite a shock initially since everyone expected their vast empire to be handed to a son. But the unanimous family support was clear despite their unorthodox decision.


    Yet over the years, their daughter remained absent from the public eye with the family. business handled by her elder brother, Bruce.


    ¡°There she is!¡± someone suddenly eximed, ¡°That must be the daughter who just returned! Quite the mystery what she¡¯s been up to all these years to warrant hiding her face now. What¡¯s the purpose of this homing banquet then?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re clueless,¡± anothermented, ¡°I heard she¡¯ll be starting from a basic position in hepany instead of taking over directly. Hiding her identity prevents undermining her efforts to rise from the bottom. No one would take her seriously if they knew the truth.¡±


    the


    Murmurs of agreement followed as anticipation mounted in the hall.


    From the top of the stairs, Sylvia immediately spotted Cyril among the crowd. Something about seeing him made her want to smile in amusement. Despite their estrangement, she could still pick him out instantly. Clearly letting gopletely would take more time.


    Beside her, Bruce offered his arm which Sylvia gently sped as they descended together. Noticing Cyril as well, Bruce couldn¡¯t help a slight smile beneath his mask.

 Chapter 11

    <b>Chapter</b>11 It seems to<b>be</b>her..


    ¡°Many expensive gifts were prepared for you today,¡± Bruce quickly diverted Sylvia¡¯s attention. He didn¡¯t want her preupied with that scumbag.


    As expected<b>,</b>Sylvia¡¯s focus shifted. After thinking for a bit, she replied, ¡°Since they went through the trouble, log everything and we can reciprocate appropriatelyter.¡±


    Bruce nodded. It was customary for them to keep track of gifts received and repay equivalently when needed<b>.</b>


    Sylvia disliked such ostentatious events. Having faced nothing but fawning sycophancy since young, she found the facade tedious. After marrying<b>Cyril,</b>his cold apathy towards her presence at such functions bred further disinterest. Over time, she lost all taste for them.


    As Sylvia descended, gasps echoed among the guests, stunned by her grace and poise which screamed pedigree breeding.


    ncing up, Cyril froze in disbelief. Why did this Ivanov heiress seem so familiar, uncannily resembling his ex¨Cwife? Impossible, he scoffed internally. They were worlds apart, merely his imagination acting up. But the resemnce truly was striking.


    Despite his doubts, Cyril remainedposed in ce.


    Seeing Cyril, Stanford pretended he was just another nameless guest. As he introduced his children, pride and joy suffused his voice when Sylvia¡¯s turn came, barely contained. His uncharacteristic delight elicited smiles all around.


    With introductions done, Sylviamenced the opening dance with Bruce. As they whirled across the floor, other couples gradually joined in until the dance floor grew vibrant.


    Havingpleted the required social pleasantries, Sylvia finally retreated from the crowds, gently refusing Bruce¡¯s offer to apany her. She understood his concerns about running into Cyril but it was unnecessary. She had moved on fully from that chapter of her life. Furthermore, with her masked, Cyril likely wouldn¡¯t even recognize her anyway.<b>To</b>him, she would always be the ugly duckling, not the beautiful swan.


    The siblings talked briefly before Stanford suddenly called Bruce away, chiding him for both<b>.</b>siblings neglecting their guests. Left with no choice, Bruce quickly headed back after a few final reminders to Sylvia who simply smiled and directed him to send Juliet to find herter when she arrived.


    Neither Sylvia nor Juliet enjoyed such events much, often holing up in a room until needed to put in requisite appearances. As a result, they remained elusive figures to most, with few


    Chapter 11 It seems to be her¡­


    knowing their true identities.


    2/2


    After Bruce left, Sylvia headed towards her room<b>but</b>almost collided into Cyril at the corner.


    Seeing him sparkedplex feelings inside. Cyril was also surprised to encounter the Ivanov heiress again but before he could react, she had already brushed past him wordlessly with barely<b>a</b>nod. Her lofty demeanor left Cyril momentarily stunned. After attaining sess, no one had dared<b>to</b>treat him like that in years.


    But she was born into generational wealth spanning back long before Cyril¡¯s new money status. Even if she did nothing but eat, drink and y all her life, her inheritance would stillst two lifetimes easily.


    As he watched her departing figure, Cyril¡¯s puzzlement grew. Had he underestimated Sylvia¡¯s potential all these years? Why did this heiress seem so eerily reminiscent of her? Especially their gaze during that brief eye contact just now, even their eyes seemed alike.


    ¨C


    Sylvia quickened her pace, reluctant to face Cyril knowing she would likely feel upset. But after a few steps, she halted and looked back again. Cyril had already moved on ahead, the two of them like parallel lines, never to intersect. A sudden sorrow welled up inside.


    Despite her mask, those familiar with her would have recognized her instantly. Yet after so many years of marriage, Cyril still failed to identify his own wife. Even if she was the Ivanov heiress now, she remained an ordinary woman who loved him deeply before that. His inability to recognize her cut deeply.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Chiding herself for clinging stubbornly to unrealistic expectations, Sylvia sighed bitterly. She always knew she upied little ce<b>in</b>Cyril¡¯s life. Why keep agonizing over pointless hopes?

 Chapter 12

    Chapter<b>12</b>Can¡¯t be untouched


    Originally nning to rest, seeing<b>Cyril</b>changed Sylvia¡¯s mind. She headed to the quieter backyard gardens instead.


    With everyoneworking inside, the backyard was peaceful and private, just what Sylvia needed. She understood the banquet¡¯s real motive despite being held ostensibly in her


    honor


    ¨C an opportunity for her family¡¯s associates to lobby for partnerships and favors.


    1 With no desire to entertain such agendas, the isted backyard suited her perfectly.


    Settling down, familiar hurried footsteps soon approached before Juliet¡¯s voice rang out. Where have you been? I searched all over but couldn¡¯t find you. Hiding out here I see. What¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much. Just wanted some quiet time away from the noise. The backyard is nice and peaceful for sitting undisturbed. Weren¡¯t you going to rest at home?¡± Sylvia asked.


    ¡°I did go home to rest but when I couldn¡¯t find you, I came out searching. Oh by the way, I saw Cyril taking a call, seemingly speaking with that woman,¡± Juliet responded, her toneced with disdain.


    Hearing about Cyril¡¯s call, Sylvia knew without doubt it had to be Caroline. Who else could it possibly be? 1


    ¡°What¡¯s so great about her?¡± Julietined bitterly, ¡°Just some two¨Cbit actress. For stardom, such entertainment circle people can stoop to anything. Most of those online reports about her are likely true.¡±


    Amused, Sylvia corrected, ¡°Actually quite a few of those exposes were arranged by my brother. And they¡¯re all bona fide. So it¡¯s not ¡®most likely¡®, but absolutely all true. Anything for fame and fortune but when duplicity backfires, me is unavoidable.¡±


    Juliet fell silent, acknowledging the truth of it. Without actual malfeasance, someone like Caroline could never have risen so high, especially not with her persona of kindness and diligence she unted before Cyril to secure his aid.


    ¡°How do you feel about everything though?¡± Juliet finally asked gently,<b>¡°</b><b>It</b>is quite unfair you had to divorce over someone like her. We¡¯re all thrilled you finally came to your senses but still, he was your personal choice all those years.¡±


    Caught off guard by the sudden question, Sylvia took time to analyze her true feelings. Initially, Caroline¡¯s intrusiveness left her incredibly furious, often confronting Cyril who remained imcably calm and dismissive. Over time and repeated instances, Sylvia realized her protests were futile, only causing herself more anguish. Eventually she<b>grew</b>numb untilText content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Chapter 12 Can¡¯t be untouched


    Caroline¡¯s recent return finally snapped thest thread of patience.


    ¨C


    2/2


    <b>¡°</b>Impossible to remain unaffected,<b>¡±</b>she eventually replied. ¡°I did love him many years so it was upsetting to witness his behavior. But I¡¯vee to terms with it for a woman he loves deeply enough to act this way, clearly that depth of feeling doesn¡¯t apply to me. So be it. I¡¯ve been slowly letting him go.¡±


    Instantly setting asideplex emotions was impossible after years together. But she was gradually healing and would someday regard Cyril and Caroline with indifference.


    Hearing Sylvia¡¯s earnest words, Juliet sighed deeply. ¡°You¡¯re right, quickly abandoning such feelings is difficult. But don¡¯t worry, he doesn¡¯t deserve you anyway. Plenty of better men<b>will</b>treasure<b>you</b><b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    Sylvia had to stifle her amusement at Juliet¡¯s choice of words and odd phrasing-


    ¡°Oh by the way!¡± Juliet suddenly eximed, ¡°I overheard your brother mentioning another gift package¡® prepared for Cyril despite his distaste at having to keep up appearances. Let¡¯s see what he did!¡± Taking out her phone excitedly, Juliet navigated to several breaking news articles.


    Sylvia leaned over curiously as well. Indeed, Bruce had prepared a massive bombshell for Cyril. After desperately covering for Caroline recently despite evidence exposing her behavior, all his efforts now seemed utterly futile.


    Reading the news, glee suffused Juliet. Served him right to understand certain people were simply untouchable, immune from his


    power.


    The meticulously prepared revtions disseminated rapidly across every major tform. Overnight, the expos¨¦ ignited into a sizzling trending topic, leaving the public stunned by thiste night twist.


    Oblivious at first during the banquet, Cyril only learned about it when his assistant notified him anxiously. The abrupt reversal of tide took himpletely by surprise, the evidence irond.

 Chapter 13

    Chapter<b>13</b>Video Disclose


    Glowering at the news, Cyril didn¡¯t even dare open the video. Just reading the director¡¯s words felt like a joke making his efforts seemughable.


    iming harassment left him no choice but to speak out after resisting it initially to avoid ugliness. But with people insisting on smearing him, he had to defend himself even at the cost of his reputation. All so the public wouldn¡¯t be deceived and he could clear his name.


    His earnest words roused curiosity over what he would reveal. But few expected much from it, more interested in the promised video itself.


    Leaving the banquet, Cyril brooded silently in his car before finally clicking the clip with gritted teeth. It showed a naked entwined couple passionately embracing. From the familiarity disyed, their rtionship was clearly intimate. Caroline¡¯s face was visible throughout while only the director¡¯s voice could be heard, his form always off camera.


    Cyril didn¡¯t know how he sat through the entire explicit video, Caroline¡¯s intermingled noises of pain and pleasure still echoing in his mind. He had assumed her innocence before. Now he realized the truly innocent party was someone else all along.


    After ending the video, Cyril sat numbly, lost for words. With no censorship, Caroline would instantly be tabloid fodder.


    Commentators focused either on assessing authenticity or critiquing Caroline¡¯s figure. The increasingly vulgar discussions disgusted Cyril. He couldn¡¯t believe people found entertainment in such things. But regardless of his distaste, he had to see this through.


    Before he could collect himself, his phone suddenly rang. Caroline no doubt, having seen the news herself. Suppressing his anger, Cyril answered.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Cyril, have you seen what they¡¯re saying about me? It¡¯s all fake, I swear! Please, you have to believe me, my voice was dubbed in¡­¡± Caroline pleaded desperately, insisting it wasn¡¯t her and she was innocent. Terrified he would believe the video and abandon her.


    But Cyril wasn¡¯t a fool, quite adept at judging truth from lies.


    ¡°Do you


    coldly.


    take me for an idiot, unable to tell whether videos are authentic?¡± he retorted


    Panicking at his frigid tone, Caroline hastened to exin.


    ¡°I was helpless, forced into it! Back then I was a nobody. After getting the lead role, so many people watched my every move! I had no choice<b>,</b>no way out¡­¡±


    Chapter 13 Video Disclose


    ¡°<b>You</b>did have a choice. You could have<b>called</b>me instead of insisting on relying solely on yourself. If this is your capability<b>,</b>I¡¯ve got nothing more to say.¡±


    <b>Cyril¡¯s</b>voice remained cial. He no longer wanted anything to do with Caroline after<b>this</b>, much less hear more excuses.


    Sobbing now, Caroline kept insisting her innocence and helplessness against the director too strong for her to resist.


    Listening to her cry, Cyril¡¯s stance softened slightly. From the video, she did seem overpowered. But the public saw only what they wanted, ignoring subtleties of consent. Unwilling to watch it again, Cyril¡¯s thoughts drifted unexpectedly to Sylvia¡¯s long ago discovery of photos between himself and Caroline. She had said perceptions of truth and lies depended on personal beliefs ¨C even with proof, denial could twist truths into falsehoods. He hadn¡¯t taken her words seriously back then but they now struck him as meaningful wisdom. If he refused to acknowledge the authenticity here, then it simply couldn¡¯t be genuine. Not that he personally believed them fakes, but that he MUST believe them false, by self¨Cdelusion if necessary.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Whether you did this willingly or not, I will handle it. But we should refrain from contacting each other as much going forward.¡±


    Cyril felt strangely weary, the constant Caroline dramately exhausting him mentally. Just when he thought matters resolved, this new bombshell derailed everything.


    Hearing Cyril¡¯s words, Caroline immediately ceased sobbing despite still dry¨Ceyed.


    ¡°W¨Cwhy? You really think I did this voluntarily?¡±


    ¡°Whether it was willingness or coercion, you know the truth. And I¡¯ve always been aware of those photos you sent towyers previously despite staying silent until now.¡±

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14 Meet in person


    Ending the call abruptly, Cyril had no desire to keep listening to Caroline¡¯s excuses<b>.</b>He had promised to resolve this issue for her and would handle it even if things somehow still spiraledter. But if she already had too much scandalous history that could be endlessly exploited<b>,</b>then his efforts would be meaningless, exposing him as a perpetual cleanup crew picking up her messes.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    The public wasn¡¯t stupid. They could discern fact from fiction and constant cover¨Cups would eventually exhaust all patience. Once that snapped, Caroline¡¯s road forward would be permanently blocked.


    Just thinking of the impending headaches trying to salvage this gave Cyril a pounding migraine. But he had no choice except to try.


    Sitting numbly for awhile after hanging up, his chauffeur finally hurried over anxiously, asking whether to go to the apartment nearby work or his marital home.


    After marrying, Cyril seldom returned to the martial home, staying instead atpany apartments most times. His driver¡¯s sudden query caught him off guard. ncing at the route, the marital home was actually closer. But the thought of traces of Sylvia still lingering there made Cyril vaguely ufortable.


    Just then his phone rang. Seeing it was his mother, Cyril hesitated. Her calls usually meant nonstopints involving some female issue, which was thest thing he wanted<b>to</b>deal with right now. But he couldn¡¯t ignore her either. After letting it ring off once, it promptly rang again. Sighing, Cyril finally answered this time.


    The moment he did, Michelle¡¯s<b>angry</b>shouts sted through.


    ¡°Why did you take so long to answer? Do you know Sylvia barged in today and took back all<b>the</b>jewelry she gifted me?! Even your sister called to say Sylvia stole her things! Aren¡¯t you going to do something?! You¡¯re divorced! What right does she have to reim gifts? Outrageous<b>!</b>¡±


    ¡°Mother, is it truly that egregious? The divorce agreement she signed was Clean Break. Requesting her possessions back is perfectly reasonable then. If this call is purely toin about that, I<b>see</b>no need to interfere. We¡¯re divorced<b>.</b>She can reim whatever


    she wants.¡±


    Sylvia had insisted on Clean Break, indicating her determination to sever all ties. Getting worked up over her actions now seemed pointless. Though Cyril was surprised by her going to such extremes to cut contactpletely.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that! You¡¯re not even trying to stop her, so of course you can¡¯t! Listen, she has no<b>right</b>to gifts already given. Relinquishing ownership means no take¨Cbacks!¡±


    Michelle shrilled.


    Listening to her tirade gave Cyril a pounding headache despite the triviality of it all. But<b>his</b>mother clung stubbornly to the issue.


    After tonight¡¯s Caroline debacle, Cyril was starting to feel he had wronged Sylvia in many ways. So her current actions sparked no anger in him at all.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think! She gave those things away and has no im over them anymore! Give me a clear response on<b>this</b><b>!</b>If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ming down to yourpany! ¡°Michelle threatened.


    She might look down on Sylvia¡¯s inferior birth but the status conferred by Sylvia¡¯svish gifts was what Michelle craved most. Wearing those glittering diamond nes lent her immense face. Under the admiring queries about their origins, Michelle had preened


    delightedly. Unable to bear losing such elevated standing now, she rejected anypromise over returning them.


    Too exhausted by his mother¡¯s shrill voice to argue further, Cyril finally acquiesced to inquire about the matter.


    Just after ending the call, his phone rang again. This time, it was Sylvia. A nervous tension filled Cyril. In their years together, Sylvia had called often but strangely, none of those calls left him as apprehensive as this one.


    ¡°Did


    <b>you</b>need something?¡± he asked brusquely.


    ¡°Nothing special. I wanted to inform you to gather up all the jewelry gifts and meet me day after at the cafe under yourpany building. We can return each other¡¯s things cleanly then and avoid any further need to meet up.¡± Sylvia stated evenly, an utter stranger¡¯s polite aloofness in her tone<b>.</b>


    Her attitude irritated Cyril who had intended to talk things through. But clearly, Sylvia had no interest in giving him that chance.


    ¡°That works out well. I had some things to ask too regarding Caroline¡¯s scandals. That was your doing right? You have quite the arsenal of ckmail material on her. You promised to delete it all after the divorce but seems you didn¡¯t keep your word.¡± Cyril used<b>,</b>unwilling to back down meekly.


    After a brief pause<b>,</b>Sylvia gave an icyugh. ¡°Even if I deleted them, some things remain beyond<b>my</b>control now. Rather than pestering me pointlessly, perhaps consider who she has offended all these years.¡±


    Chapter 14<b>Meet</b>in person


    3/3


    With that parting shot, she immediately hung up, leaving Cyril simmering in helpless anger. ¡°To the apartment.¡± he barked.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15 Relic from Mom


    Cyril hadn¡¯t intended to meet Sylvia initially but still decided to<b>go</b><b>,</b>needing answers regarding Caroline. No matter what, he had to understand exactly what was happening.


    Upon seeing Sylvia, he froze in surprise. She now seemed a wholly different person from<b>the</b>wife he knew. At home, Sylvia used to dress inly with minimal make<b>¨C</b><b>up</b>, fresh faced as she went about her day. Aside from the adoring light in her eyes towards him, she seldom behaved improperly.


    Now though, divorced and on her own, everything about her exuded striking vibrance as if she had bloomed into a dazzling rose.


    ¡°You¡¯re here. Hand me that bracelet I gifted you before.¡± Sylvia nced at her watch with no interest in wasting time. She was only passing through the area on errands before needing to return to thepany where she had officially started working, albeit in<b>an</b>extremely junior role as her brother¡¯s assistant to learn business operations from scratch.


    Hearing Sylvia¡¯s blunt request, Cyril¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. He had assumed they would at least exchange pleasantries but she cut right to the chase.


    ¡°You think those gifts actually meant something to me? Just got used to wearing them.¡± Cyril stated dismissively, roughly sliding off the bracelet to fling it onto the table where it ttered to a stop before Sylvia.


    Eyeing it silently for a moment, Sylvia raised her head to face Cyril. ¡°You¡¯re right. Just a matter of habit and convenience, like how you grew ustomed to everything I did for you without a second thought. And conveniently forgot this was my mother¡¯s memento when I gifted it to you.¡±


    Carefully cing the bracelet back into its box, joy had filled Sylvia originally when she gifted<b>it</b>newly restored to Cyril, hopeful for their future then. But time proved certain hopes remained unfulfilled no matter one¡¯s longing.


    Worthless to Cyril perhaps but<b>to</b>Sylvia<b>,</b>it was priceless.


    Cyril froze as hazy memories surfaced of Sylvia highlighting this bracelet¡¯s origins when she first presented it to him. While financially worthless, its emotional value to her was


    inestimable as her sole maternal inheritance.


    <b>But</b>as days faded into years, such details<b>held</b>little meaning and the bracelet became just another ornament Cyril wore absently out of habit.


    ¡°Habits truly are frightening things.¡± Sylvia shook her head, a mirthless smile touching her


    lips. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll grow ustomed to life without you just as you¡¯ll happily ept Caroline¡¯s constant presence soon enough.¡±


    ¡°After the divorce, I said I¡¯ll refrain from acting against Caroline and you can choose<b>to</b>believe that or not. But fair warning, she has offended far too many over the years. Let¡¯s see If you can actually shield her from them all.¡±


    Sylvia¡¯s mocking gaze reminded Cyril the disparity between their capabilities and


    connections.<b>If</b>her family desired Caroline¡¯s utter ruin, they had ample means to ensure it. Cyril included.


    Having said her piece, Sylvia prepared to leave only for Cyril to stop her.


    ¡°Regardless what you¡¯ve gone through, you took my sister¡¯s jewelry. Surely you intend to return them?¡±


    Unwilling to just let her walk away so easily, Cyril felt a spark of frustration. Why should Sylvia get to effortlessly abandon this marriage when she had been the eager one insisting on their union from the start? What right had she to y the victim role now?


    Pausing, Sylvia nced back pensively. ¡°If you bothered investigating your sister properly, you would know I didn¡¯t take those. But as expected, you remain blind to their misdeeds.¡±


    Shaking her head, she sighed softly. ¡°Nevermind<b>,</b>nothing links us anymore. Handle your family matters yourselves.¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Having aplished her own business, Sylvia departed leaving Cyril sitting numbly as unease stirred inside at her cryptic words. Though their rtionship had faded over time, Sylvia never lied. If she denied taking his sister¡¯s jewelry, Cyril was inclined to believe her..


    Checking quickly, shock and anger flooded Cyril when he learned Bonnie had actually sold off that million¨Cdor ne he gifted her, frittering away the money on partying abroad.


    Seething rage filling him, Cyril fought to calm down before deciding to call Bonnie for an exnation. But hearing his sister¡¯s flippant cursing upon answeringbined with an unknown man¡¯s voice in the background utterly shattered Cyril¡¯s restraint.


    While he expected Bonnie was up to no good abroad, her wanton behavior still caught him off guard. Barely maintaining a steady tone, Cyril snarled for her to return in 3 days or he would personally drag her back.


    Bonnie¡¯s panicked shrieks confirmed she knew she was in deep trouble. Cyril could almost envision her scrambling in frightened panic at the moment. Good. She deserved to stew in anxiety after everything. At least until he could deal with her face to face.

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16 Her stuff


    Precisely after 3 days, Bonnie returned home, unwilling to test her brother¡¯s patience. His threats were always enacted so she dared not dy.


    Surprised to see her daughter back suddenly with no notice, Michelle was nevertheless


    delighted, fussing over Bonnie immediately while filling her in on recent incidents, including Sylvia daring to reim her gifted items.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    At that, Bonnie grew agitated. ¡°Where is Sylvia now? I need to settle ounts with her! If not for her tattling, my brother wouldn¡¯t have summoned me back!¡±


    rmed by her outburst, Michelle also red up hearing Sylvia had caused more trouble.


    ¡°I¡¯ve no idea where that shameless woman is now! But ever since the divorce, she¡¯s been insufferably arrogant, acting above her station! As if we¡¯ve all forgotten the deceitful means she used to marry into this family!¡± raged Michelle. Just thinking about it and Caroline and everything recently infuriated her.


    That woman was no good either, causing her son endless headaches handling her online scandals which were surely authentic. Why else would they have emerged?


    ¡°What did Sylvia do?¡± whimpered Bonnie, already tearing up. ¡°I don¡¯t know what she told my brother but he insisted I return! And she even took my things worth millions!¡±


    Hearing the value made Michelle gasp despite their wealth now. Still, such extravagance was


    uneptable.


    ¡°Outrageous! Call your brother back immediately! We must confront Sylvia! Divorced yet still clinging to our assets. I warned she was up to no goodst time but your brother refused to see reason!¡± Michelle dered, already grabbing her phone despite urging Bonnie


    to call.


    Secretly thrilled to witness the imminent confrontation with her brother, Bonnie was about


    to dissuade her when Cyril¡¯s icy voice cut in.


    ¡°Sylvia had nothing to do with summoning you back. Yet here you are, ndering her instantly. If this is what you learned abroad, perhaps you shouldn¡¯t have gone at all.¡±


    Both women jerked in frightened surprise, unaware of Cyril¡¯s silent arrival or how long he had overheard.


    Squirming under her brother¡¯s frigid gaze, Bonnie knew she was cornered. As Cyril settled into a solitary seat, his assistant handed over an investigation report.


    Chapter 16 Her stuff


    2/3


    ¡°Shall I summarize the findings or would you prefer to make your own confession?¡± Cyril asked, his domineering tone leaving Bonnie struggling to breathe. Given the options, she naturally feared the revtions in that report more.


    Copsing to her knees, Bonnie clung desperately to Cyril, weeping and insisting on her temporaryck of control abroadpared to Sylvia¡¯s theft.


    Disgusted by her shamelessness, Cyril shook free his hand and pped her sharply.


    Michelle screamed and rushed to embrace her daughter, casting furious looks at Cyril¡¯s callousness especially when he always favored Sylvia. What misdeeds could her precious daughter have possiblymitted?


    Seeing Michelle coddle Bonnie protectively only aggravated Cyril further. He flung the file contemptuously between them.


    ¡°Then you both take a look at exactly what your daughter was up to overseas! And that ne ¨C don¡¯t pretend otherwise! I know you sold it off for millions!¡±


    A million-dor piece sold for only hundreds of thousands and she dared use Sylvia of stealing and pawning it? The implication of what happened to the othervish gifts over the years was obvious.


    Hearing Cyril¡¯s usations, Bonnie knew denial was useless. ¡°Nothing else, just that ne!¡± she still insisted. ¡°Who knows if Sylvia orchestrated this herself back when she married in. She never had good intentions¡­¡±


    ¡°Intentions?¡± Cyril interrupted derisively. ¡°As if you have anything she would bother scheming for! Every gift she gave you and Mother are worth at least millions. Yet you vilify her for allegedly stealing and selling your tacky ne?¡±


    After handling Caroline¡¯s scandal, Cyril had checked on the value of Sylvia¡¯s gifts. Each one, ran over a million easily. Far exceeding what Bonnie had gotten for selling her chain. Yet his sister still dared make such usations? Preposterous!


    Wailing despairingly now before Cyril¡¯s stony countenance, Bonnie knew she was doomed.


    Seeing her daughter¡¯s distress, Michelle didn¡¯t dare confront Cyril anymore but began cursing Sylvia instead until Cyril interrupted in dismay.


    ¡°Is this how you¡¯ve been treating her all these years, Mother?¡±


    It had never urred to Cyril that Sylvia might have suffered such awful treatment from his family. Remembering how she had remained stubbornly adamant about divorcing him, Cyril wondered if there were things he truly failed to understand.


    Chapter 16 Her stuff


    If even his own mother acted so atrociously, how would outsiders have behaved? But<i>the</i>root cause was his own attitude enabling such toxicity against<i>Sylvia</i>in the first ce.<i>If</i>only he had been better to her. Unfortunately, Cyril stillcked that self-awareness<i>even</i>now.

 Chapter 17

    <strong>Chapter 17 Meet again</strong>


    ¡°What kind of treatment does she expect?! What does she need?!¡± Michelle raged through angry tears. If not for Sylvia, her daughter wouldn¡¯t be so wronged now yet Cyrilpletely disregarded Bonnie, eyes filled only with Sylvia. He never cared for her so deeply before the divorce so why the sudden sentimentality?


    Disappointed, Cyril realized he never considered how Sylvia might have suffered among them. If their roles were reversed, he surely couldn¡¯t have endured it yet Sylvia persisted for years,porting herself virtuously throughout their marriage.


    ¡°She is confined here for self¨Creflection this month. If I hear of any outside antics, neither of you get a penny of allowance for the next three months.¡± Cyril dered coldly before leaving, the oppressive atmosphere now giving him a pounding headache. His family was utterly dysfunctionaltely.


    Left screaming after Cyril hysterically, neither Michelle nor Bonnie could sway his imcable departure. Clearly he had been toox, especially with Bonnie¡¯s boundless extravagance funded by his money.


    Cyril wondered if letting Bonnie study abroad had truly been the right decision. She waspletely unrecognizable now, thoroughly bewitched by foreign pleasures.


    Reaching the office, Cyril buried himself in work, only remindedter by his assistant about an evening banquet requiring attendance that night. ncing through the attendee list, Cyril was surprised to spot the Ivanov family included.


    ¡°The Ivanovs are participating too? I heard their youngest daughter who recently returned is the true Ivanov sessor. Her elder brother Bruce merely executes he she just joined theirpany officially.¡± his assistant supplied helpfully.


    will. Rumors say


    ¡°I see. Then tonight is likely meant to ease her entry into socializing functions.¡± Cyril murmured. It seemed insignificant so he put it out of mind, focused only on clearing today¡¯s work after forgetting about this banquet earlier.


    At the partyter, tant ambition and greed colored the atmosphere as peopleworked vigorously for connections and potential opportunities.


    Strolling around with Bruce, their visualpatibility drew admiring nces. Though unsure if Bruce was truly the Ivanov heir, his status attracted swarms hoping to lobby him. But Bruce only made perfunctory small talk until noticing Cyril¡¯s arrival.


    Finally intrigued, Bruce remained stationary, certain Cyril woulde greet him to lobby for partnerships between their empire and firms. Naturally, Cyril soon approached and


    Chapter 17 Meet again


    2/2


    exchanged pleasantries with others first before facing Bruce, understanding the necessity of building rapport with this profoundly influential figure.


    Facing Cyril courteously, Bruce retained an aloofly impassive expression, neither nodding nor shaking his head coldly. His odd attitude confused everyone.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Though Cyril was considered nouveau elite among them after rising meteorically from scratch over the years, the gap between new money and old aristocrats like Bruce remained vastly distant, not just in ss but pedigree. Such innate arrogance from Bruce was


    unavoidable.


    Apparently when Cyril first entered their circle years ago, Bruce made his disdain obvious, subtly obstructing him at times though nothing proven definitively. But Bruce¡¯s current attitude hinted at lingering biases.


    ¡°I hope your sister is adjusting well to working at yourpany?¡± Cyril finally asked politely.


    Long ustomed to the arrogant pretensions of such people, Cyril simply ignored Bruce¡¯s chilliness though irritation lingered.


    Beside Bruce, Juliet bristled instantly at the mention of Sylvia. ¡°She¡¯s doing wonderfully. now after everything abroad. Living quite prosperously in fact. But I suspect she won¡¯t take kindly to being discussed so casually by you like this.¡±


    Surprised by her sharp words, everyone nced between Juliet and Bruce uncertainly when he made no attempts to restrain her audacity. How could anyments about his unknown sister possibly anger her? Even Cyril was confused by her peculiar reaction.


    ¡°I heard you got married some years ago.¡± Bruce suddenly mentioned, stunning everyone. Cyril¡¯s marital status was kept private with many matchmaking families considering him quite a catch for their daughters. Learning of his existing marriage now came as ant unpleasant shock.


    ¡°Though rumors say you divorced recently. Any truth to that?¡± Bruce continued ndly. Frowning slightly, Cyril wondered how Bruce caught wind of such personal information. Aside from themselves, practically no one had known when he and Sylvia registered their marriage initially. For it to now reach Bruce¡¯s ears likely didn¡¯t bode well.

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18 You are nothing


    Awkward silence descended at Bruce¡¯s enigmatic knowledge about such private matters. Cyril¡¯s marriage likely wasn¡¯t a love match but pragmatic. Even estranged couples kept up public pretenses. Yet Cyril had divorced and apparently nned to formally acknowledge this other woman? An open scandal viewed with distaste.


    Furthermore, Bruce clearly knew about it which didn¡¯t bode well for Cyril¡¯s ambitions.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Admitting concealment was useless now, Cyril acknowledged it inly. ¡°Yes we divorced due to irreconcble differences after years of discord.¡±


    ¡°Ex¨Cwife.¡± Bruce emphasized coldly. ¡°With how terribly she married down, their failed marriage should be considered the biggest stain of her life.¡±


    Everyone grew intrigued over Bruce¡¯s mysterious connection to Cyril¡¯s ex¨Cwife that he kept defending so staunchly.


    Juliet meanwhile smiled brightly. ¡°No wonder. What woman wouldn¡¯t suffer misfortune being tied to such a man? Speaking of which, word is you¡¯ve been busy handling Caroline¡¯s scandalstely. Are those authentic? Because I used to know that director well. He begged desperately for my investment once. Considering what I heard of his proclivities, seems the rumors are factual?¡±


    Stunned anew by her casually disparaging Caroline too, everyone understood now.


    Compared to elite aristocracy like Bruce and Juliet, Caroline and the shy entertainment circle remained utterly insignificant. Cyril involving himself so deeply indicated an intimacy beyond friendship.


    Cyril¡¯s expression darkened. Clearly Bruce and Juliet were deliberately provoking him.


    ¡°It¡¯s my private business. Caroline is a friend. Of course I would help resolve unjust usations.¡±


    Latching onto it, Juliet persisted. ¡°Oh? Which kind of ¡®friend¡® exactly? Bedmates? Or marriage potential?¡±


    ¡°Either way, it¡¯s not your ce to pry into my personal affairs.¡± Cyril stated curtly. Before Juliet could retort, Bruce quickly led her away, dering it was improper to create a scene as


    visitors here.


    Watching them depart, everyone nced at Cyril curiously, wondering how he had offended- Bruce somehow.


    ¡°Bruce usually tolerates quite a bit before truly losing his temper. Last time was five years


    Chapter 18 You are nothing


    ago when someone tried drugging him. That family faced steep downfall afterwards. So what did you do to provoke his ire?¡± someone asked Cyril frankly.


    2/2


    Brooding in frustrated silence over the injustice, Cyril knew the elite aristocracy simply did as they pleased while everyone cated them.


    Mingling aimlesslyter, Cyril noticed Bruce by the buffet line with Juliet filling a te angrily while Bruce cated her with desserts and soothing words.


    Clearly she was pedigree stock to apany Bruce publicly. Everything about her screamed doting pampering.


    Approaching them, Cyril forged ahead before they could ignore him. ¡°There are some things I¡¯m unsure about and hope Mr Bruce can rify my confusion.¡±


    ncing over impassively, Bruce waited.


    ¡°Very few people knew about my marriage or divorce. Yet you seem rather hostile over it. May I ask why? Or have I unknowingly offended you personally in some way?¡±


    Just then, several others wandered over to exchange pleasantries. As they chatted amongst themselves, Bruce kept his attention fixed on Cyril.


    ¡°Because without your ex¨Cwife, you would be nothing. I suggest not presuming too much self¨Cimportance.¡±


    Privately over the years, Bruce had helped Cyril substantially for Sylvia¡¯s sake though it was clearly misced effort in hindsight after seeing how terribly his family exploited and mistreated her. Like parasitic worms never disying an ounce of gratitude.


    Bruce¡¯s blunt words plunged the area into stunned silence. But before anything else could happen, the host wandered over cheerfully, beaming as he greeted them.


    The others quickly smiled back politely. After finishing his rounds, Host Wolford turned to Cyril smilingly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see your lovely wife here tonight? We have her to thank for our sessful coborationst time with her brilliant negotiation skills. Why didn¡¯t you bring her along?¡±

 Chapter 19

    Chapter<b>19</b>Bitchy


    Host Wolford sang Sylvia¡¯s praises continuously<b>,</bmending her extensive knowledge and unique insights. Additionally her business acumen had clinched multiple coborations previously after a brief conversation with her. Wolford dered feeling envious of having such a brilliant wife.


    Oblivious to the increasing tension around him, Wolford remained focused solely onplimenting Sylvia who Cyril had only brought along once, reluctantly. He never expected her to make such a profoundly positive impression.


    ¡°Truly a pity your wife couldn¡¯t join us tonight.¡± Wolford continued enthusiastically. ¡°With Mr Bruce being another exceptional businessman, perhaps she might have enjoyed chatting and even brokered potential partnerships between you.¡±


    Only when finished did Wolford finally notice the odd atmosphere and silenced conversations. Bruce took the opportunity to drive his point across once more.


    ¡°See? Without her you¡¯d be nothing.¡± A trace of mocking colored his words. His sister¡¯s capabilities were precisely why she became the heir. Yet this man had the audacity to mistreat someone of her caliber.


    The indignity made Bruce¡¯s blood boil. If not for the inappropriateness of acting this instant, he would have happily taught Cyril a physical lesson.


    Stunned anew by how Wolford¡¯s words clearly verified Bruce¡¯s earlier deration, everyone


    understood now.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Exchanging brief pleasantries, Bruce and Juliet soon left, having aplished their aims. The others quickly dispersed too, not daring to linger around Cyril anymore after the dramatic revtions tonight which certainly gave them much to digest.


    Most were even more intrigued by the mysterious ex¨Cwife¡¯s identity now, specting if connections could be cultivated. But with no clues about her, only puzzlement remained.


    The ugly scenepletely ruined Cyril¡¯s mood for remaining. He had no intention to stay behind as aughingstock.


    Pausing on his way out, Cyril suddenly recalled Sylvia enduring distress during that one banquet he made her attend years ago. Yet she hid it perfectly, remaining smilingly by his side the entire<b>event</b>as required.


    Considering how upsetting such contempt was even briefly, Cyril could only imagine Sylvia¡¯s wretched suffering throughout while concealing it wlessly. Sudden remorse


    Chapter<b>19</b>Bitchy


    flooded him for putting her through such torment.


    2/2


    Hastening his exit, Cyril intended to apologize to Sylvia somehow before stopping short at the<b>sight</b><b>of</b>her standing with Bruce and Juliet. Even more disagreeably<b>,</b>Bruce was ruffling her hair affectionately.


    An involuntary sourness rose in Cyril at witnessing their easy intimacy. He couldn¡¯t resist<b>intruding</b><b>.</b>


    ¡°Getting rather handsy when you have a date here, Mr Bruce.¡±


    ncing back at Sylvia wordlessly<b>,</b>neither Bruce nor Juliet bothered responding. Sylvia¡¯s smile had already frozen into a disgusted scowl before she stalked past Cyril.


    ¡°Who I interact with is none of your business. Leave if you¡¯ve got nothing to say.¡±


    After snapping at Cyril<b>,</b>Sylvia bade Bruce and Juliet farewell before heading towards the parking area. Neither nced Cyril¡¯s way either as they departed separately.


    Standing numbly for several moments, Cyril quickly shook himself out of his stupor and rushed after Sylvia<b>,</b>grabbing her wrist just as she took out her car keys.


    ¡°Barely divorced yet already so wanton. Don¡¯t presume Bruce would actually want you.¡± He spat out derisively. ¡°Don¡¯t disgrace yourself trying anything vulgar and embarrass me!¡±


    Wincing slightly from his painful grip, Sylvia nevertheless ignored it, meeting his re steadily.


    ¡°Normal dating constitutes vulgarity now?¡± She smiled coldly. ¡°Let me make things clear. We share no ties anymore. Whether I embarrass you is irrelevant. In any case, you have no right to demand anything of me when Caroline clings shamelessly to you yet you feel no mortification over that.¡±


    Twisting her hand free, Sylvia regarded him contemptuously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overestimate your significance. Marrying you was the biggest mistake ever. If I could redo things, I would never have suggested it. I almost lost myself trying to please you. Finding me now to soothe your ego after divorce only validates leaving was right.¡±


    Striding quickly to her expensive car, Sylvia drove off before Cyril could react, still struggling to process her blunt words.


    Clenching his fists tightly, Cyril didn¡¯t know what to make of the tumultuous feelings moring inside.

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20 Inquisition


    Caroline¡¯s scandal kept<b>worsening</b>despite Cyril¡¯s initial confidence that sufficient money and connections could smooth it over. But seeing the intensifying public ire made<b>him</b>realize the severity. This was beyond trivial resolving.


    Reading the incensedmentaries, Cyril knew parts had to be authentic to provoke such reactions. And his own extensive investigations uncovered no hints of fabrication. Reluctantly, he epted the legitimacy of the usations.


    Numerous times, Cyril almost called Caroline to demand exnations but kept hesitating whenever he recalled their history, putting his phone down again undecidedly. This entire mess was giving him a pounding headache however. He never expected things to spiral so wildly out of control.


    <b>Just</b>then, an email notification distracted him. Though sent anonymously, Cyril¡¯s instincts red warnings it would provide rity the moment he opened it.


    Indeed<b>,</b>detailed timelines about the entire screeny theft scandal emerged. Meticulous and irrefutable. Simrly exhaustive documentation regarding all the other online scandals followed. Plus confidential disclosures absent from any public reports. Undeniably, everything had been intentionally leaked to him specifically.


    Cyril wasn¡¯t foolish, quite shrewd in fact to have conquered themercial world. One look and he knew everything was true. Someone else had simply refrained from publicizing it.


    Unsure how to process this flood of revtions, Cyril impulsively dialed Caroline, unsurprised when she picked up despite thete hour. Injuries or not, current events made rest impossible.


    Her gentle concern for histe night call left Cyril unmoved however, irritated she still pretended obliviousness when clearly aware of the tumult somehow.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Did she presume Cyril would continually handle the fallouts unconditionally as long she herself denied all involvement?


    ¡°I received a rather interesting email and wanted your thoughts.¡± Cyril remarked neutrally. The sudden tension from Caroline made it obvious she easily guessed the contents. Yet she


    still avoided speaking first.


    ¡°Seems you can already surmise what it entails so I won¡¯t borate needlessly.¡±


    Panicked into finally responding, Caroline insisted desperately it was all fake<b>,</b>forced against her will every time. Did exposing truths mean losing Cyril¡¯s support and affections forever?


    Chapter 20 Inquisition


    <b>She</b><b>had</b>no choice in going along back then!


    2/2


    Hearing her shrill voice, Cyril just felt tired, realizing she had lied to him repeatedly over the years. He had shielded her previously without questioning veracity<b>,</b><b>simply</b>believing in her virtue blindly. But matters clearly weren¡¯t that simple.


    The more fervently she denied everything, the more convinced of her guilt Cyril became.


    ¡°Don¡¯t treat everyone like fools, Caroline. You know the truth best whether you did those deeds willingly or not. This is thest time I step in. Once it¡¯s resolved, leave the country for good. Return and<b>I</b>won¡¯t hesitate to deport you immediately.¡±


    Pausing briefly, Cyril then added<b>.</b>¡°Consider it the final way out I¡¯m offering you.<b>¡±</b>


    About to protest further, Caroline understood from Cyril¡¯s imcable tone that his decision was final. No more chances remained for her<b>.</b>


    ¡°Ruthlessly cold after all my years helping you, never once questioning anything before,¡± she used bitterly. ¡°What changed to make you suddenly believe it all? Did Sylvia orchestrate this? Why does she hate me so much to target me like this?¡°

 Chapter 21

    <b>Chapter</b>21 Want<b>to</b>Meet Her


    Hearing Caroline invoke Sylvia left Cyril frowning in distaste. He disliked her sullying Sylvia¡¯s name, feeling it a disparaging insult.


    Especially now realizing how much Caroline had deceived him over the years, directly causing so many fights with Sylvia too.


    ¡°Enough. You never spoke ill before so I blindly thought you innocent. Keep trying to frame Sylvia and consider the consequences if you can withstand the bacsh. I¡¯ve provided your final way out. Don¡¯t let it be your downfall instead.¡±


    Ending the call abruptly, Cyril knew further discussion was useless. Meanwhile at<b>the</b>hospital, Caroline flung her phone violently down in frustrated despair.


    Cyril imed he was offering her a way out yet clearly his actions were shoving her onto an inescapable path towards destruction! And he dared insist Sylvia yed no part in this? If so, why was he overreacting so extremely?


    It had to be Sylvia orchestrating everything to remove her rival! With Caroline gone, Sylvia probably aimed to reim her position as Cyril¡¯s wife!


    What a joke! After Cyril had willingly fought with Sylvia countless times for her sake before and moved heaven and earth selflessly on Caroline¡¯s behalf, how could Sylvia endure their closeness<b>?</b>The hatred in Caroline¡¯s eyes intensified. If Sylvia wanted to ruthlessly drive her into a corner like this, Caroline refused to let her get away with it! Just wait! She would find<b>a</b>way to retaliate against Sylvia no matter what!


    At hispany, Cyril¡¯s intense workload recently brought back painful old stomach issues that Sylvia used to help manage through regr meal reminders and preparing food for him asionally. With their divorce however, no one now prompted him to eat anymore and he frequently neglected meals altogether, especially busy shielding Caroline from bacsh recently.


    His employees were overworked too, often missing meals in their haste as well. One morning, Cyril finally felt the consequences when his stomach started cramping badly mid- meeting, leaving his brows tightly furrowed in difort, unable to speak.


    Hurrying in and noticing his painful clutch over his abdomen, Assistant Barry instantly understood the cause when he noted the lunch hour had long passed. If even he with a lesser workload hadn¡¯t managed more than some quick bread earlier, Cyril surely ate nothing.


    Barry had tried calling reminders without response, upied with Caroline¡¯s scandal. Their former diligence in this matter highlighted the new neglect.


    Chapter 21 Want to Meet Her


    2/2Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    <b>Wracked</b><b>with</b>guilt,<b>Barry</b>quickly offered to grab antacids though a thorough search found none in the office<b>.</b>Then he remembered who<b>used</b>to prepare them.


    <b>¡°</b>Any medicine yet?¡± Cyril demanded through gritted teeth. Shaking his head apologies, Barry borated Sylvia¡¯s past attentiveness as the reason before Cyril interrupted furiously.


    ¡°So she¡¯s<b>your</b>boss instead of you being my assistant? If you can¡¯t handle such basic tasks, why do I waste vast sums paying your sry<b>?</b>¡±


    Stunned by the unexpected connection to Sylvia, Cyril desperately yearned to see her now. To demand exnations why she initiated divorce over Caroline¡¯s irrelevance to her. Hadn¡¯t they agreed Caroline posed no threat to her status?


    Mortified over failing his duties, Barry self¨Cmed the entire esction. If he had stayed properly attentive, this would have never happened. Insisting on taking Cyril to the hospital immediately, Barry<b>had</b>to support his struggling boss weakened by pain.


    In the car, Barry reviewed workce divisions and realized Cyril¡¯s personal needs<b>had</b>slowly transferred under Sylvia¡¯s purview the past years. With her managing that area, Barry¡¯s ownI workload had lightened considerably. Her hyper vignce lowered his own attentiveness until he took it for granted. Toote did he recognize that was still his primary responsibility, regardless of her initiative. Habits once formed became difficult to break after all.


    Well understanding that now, Barry knew he had to refocus on fulfilling his duties going forward<b>,</b>no matter Sylvia¡¯s involvement. Else what purpose did he serve Cyril?

 Chapter 22

    <b>Chapter 22</b><b>A</b><b>lot</b>things she did


    <b>After</b><b>a</b><b>half</b>day at the hospital neglecting work<b>,</b>Cyril considered returning to officeter<b>but</b>fatigue forced him home to rest first<b>,</b>nning to go in early tomorrow clearing today¡¯s unfinished business.


    Lying in bed, Cyril contemted how much Sylvia had done for him daily this past decade. With her meticulous management<b>,</b>his life progressed smoothly whether for meals, sleep or overall wellness. He couldn¡¯t deny that her presence gave him greatforts and conveniences<b>,</b>never worrying about medications or falling ill with her diligence.


    Remembering their past intimacy left his chest tight with pain however. He understood with Sylvia determined on divorce, no chance remained of reversing her choice.


    Forcing himself not to dwell on it anymore this night, Cyril managed a full rest and returned to work early next morning, his overflowing schedule even more packed with yesterday¡¯s unfinished tasks<b>.</b>


    Around 10 AM, Barry informed him that their appointed client had arrived. Greetings were warm as both quickly became engrossed in discussions until Partner Yearling nced around curiously mid¨Cconversation. When Cyril inquired if he was searching for something, Yearling exined his surprise at not seeing Sylvia present as promised every visit to personally ensure their coborations proceeded smoothly from her capable orchestrations behind the scenes.


    Cyril listened dumbfounded as Yearling effusively praised Sylvia¡¯s astounding abilities: despite her beauty belying a weak constitution ¨C she exceeded most men professionally. Given opportunities, her achievements would easily outstrip anyone present.


    Increasingly, Cyril noticed how much of his sess had Sylvia¡¯s inputs though he had credited himself fully before for the wins. Repeated revtions of her silent contributions emerged that Cyril had utterly failed appreciating when they were together.


    Envious, Yearling joked about the rarity of such a superb employee and wondered if Cyril might share where he found Sylvia.


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t my employee. She was my wife.¡± The words almost left unthinkingly until Cyril caught himselfst minute. ¡°My ex¨Cwife rather. We divorced recently. I was unaware she aided you previously so have only gratitude that you informed me. Please notify me if you wish to withdraw our partnership in light of hearing she brokered it covertly. I understand reluctance with her detachment now¡­


    <b>If</b>Sylvia¡¯s involvement had been crucial, her estrangement surely jeopardized retention<b>.</b><b>But</b>Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Yearling simply<bughed</b>. Cyril underestimated himself too much it seemed plus Sylvia¡¯s contributions<b>,</b>while initially prompting the deal, mattered less than Cyril¡¯s actual talents


    presence. which Yearling respected sufficiently to sustain coboration regardless of her Still, learning his mysterious facilitator had been Cyril¡¯s wife astonished Yearling. They were businessmen first however. Mutual profits mattered over everything else. No worthy chance was ever lightly discarded.


    Cyril stewed in troubled thoughts, wondering what else Sylvia had done for him without his knowledge. Clearly far more than he ever recognized, still seeing her as no more than a decorative essory awaiting his returns at home dutifully. That she might possess such astounding capabilities had simply never urred to him before.


    Finalizing follow¨Cup contracts easily, Yearling hesitated while departing, meeting Cyril¡¯s eyes squarely. ¡°If your divorce with Sylvia is genuinely final without reconciliation hopes, I wish to court her. She is an extremely remarkable woman warranting utmost respects.¡±


    <b>His</b>sincere words mmed Cyril like a physical blow. This near stranger clearly appreciated Sylvia¡¯s merits already while Cyril¡¯s treatment of her their whole marriage had been less than decent at best. Remorse and regret churned violently inside but he had no grounds for objections<b>.</b>


    ¡°Even if I did want her back someday, it wouldn¡¯t be presently. Mutual sincerity would be mandatory for any restarts.¡± Cyril managed to reply evenly.


    Pleased, Yearling smiled. ¡°I feared lingering attachments still on your side potentially but that seems clearly not an issue anymore. Very well. I will proceed with formal courtship efforts towards Sylvia from now on then<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    Departing amiably afterwards, Yearling left Cyril standing numbly at the elevators,


    emotions still roiling chaotically from today¡¯s repeated shocks. Beside him, Barry simrly wondered about his boss¡® thoughts following such an explosive meeting. For both men, seismic shifts had definitely urred.

 Chapter 23

    <b>Chapter</b><b>23</b>Discuss<b>about</b>her


    <b>¡°</b><b>Did</b>she¡­ actually do a lot for me all these years?<b>¡±</b>Cyril eventually asked quietly.


    <b>Unsure</b>how to reply, Barry hesitated briefly<b>.</b>¡°Well, managing<b>your</b>daily affairs like meals, medications<b>etc</b><b>,</b>Mrs Tan shouldered most of that. Just indirectly, informing me instead of directly interacting<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ever notify me then?¡± Cyril turned to Barry demandingly. What exined Sylvia doing so much without his knowledge<b>?</b>


    Facing Cyril¡¯s intimidating stare, Barry felt utterly wronged. Many times he had nearly spoken out before Cyril¡¯s forbidding expressions halted him whenever Sylvia¡¯s name even crossed his<b>lips</b>.


    ¡°I did try bringing it<b>up</b>asionally but you would scold me not to ever mention Mrs Tan.¡®


    Cyril fell silent, acknowledging the uracy. He had explicitly barred such discussions previously.


    <b>¡°</b><b>I</b>see.¡± Remorse flooded Cyril realizing his willful blindness had presumed Sylvia acted from self¨Cinterest rather than pure devotion out of love for him.


    Approaching his staff chatting animatedly, Cyril paused outside the room hearing Sylvia mentioned and signaled Barry to listen with him.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t seen the Missustely. Last visit, she brought treats and reminded us sternly to make meals a priority for the boss yet we failedpletely fulfilling her entrustment this time.¡± One woman sighed.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡°The boss looked awfully unwell yesterday too. Hopefully the Missus drops by again soon or at least calls to check on him.¡± Another worried. ¡°She always knows how to handle


    everything.¡±


    Unease gripped Barry, this being the second idental Sylvia mentioning today that normally roused Cyril¡¯s temper. Yet his impassive reaction now left Barry confused whether anger simmered silently underneath or if sentiments towards her had shifted.


    He stillcked rity on their divorce but Cyril initiating separation was imusible. Perhaps they reconciled? But the odd peace upon hearing Sylvia discussed signaled deeperplications ahead.


    Cyril soon departed the area expressionlessly. ¡°No more off topic chats during work hours. Vitions mean overtime until fully caught up.¡±


    Chapter 23 Discuss about her


    2/2


    As the stunned team shuddered in dismay, Barry quickly added:<b>¡°</b>Boss is aware of what was said. Refrain from ever bringing up¡­that person<b>¡­</b>before him. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Why?!¡± One protested. ¡°We used to get scolded but he had no issues this time<b>.</b>They¡¯re still married anyway so what¡¯s the harm in casual mentions? Things seem differenttely¡­¡±


    <b>¡°</b>If you wish to remain employed here, mind yourself and stop that line of talk.¡± Barry interrupted sternly. ¡°There are certain taboos before the boss. Everyone clear on that?¡±


    Sullen acknowledgment followed under Barry¡¯s warning gaze. No further chances remained pushing boundaries still evidently in ce somehow. Unease settled around the subdued group anxious they had angered Cyril unknowingly and might face repercussionster.


    In his office meanwhile, Cyril ruminated over how even his employees discussed Sylvia freely. Before he could reconsider, he had dialed Sylvia impulsively despite knowing her unlikelihood to answer and surely enough, got redirected to voicemail. Trying messaging next, a red exmation icon indicated likely blocking.


    Since initiating their divorce, interacting with Sylvia hadn¡¯t even crossed Cyril¡¯s mind, presuming she would contact him eventually herself. But clearly she never intended any reconciliatorymunications, immediately cutting all essible channels.


    The reality of her resolve struck Cyril profoundly. Marriage hadcked meaning initially yet now severance felt devastating. He smiled bitterly at himself for taking her presence for granted, convinced of her unconditional constancy by his side. Only in loss did the truth emerge of his own delusional hubris.


    Setting aside his phone to focus on work and distract himself, Cyril had just regained momentum when Caroline phoned unexpectedly.

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24 Who find the reporter?


    When Brooke got the call from Karina, Cyril went straight to the hospital without hesitation. 1


    When he arrived, he found the hospital swarming with people, especially around Karina¡¯s room. There were constant streams of patients and medical staff rubbernecking.


    Seeing this, Cyril¡¯s eyebrows furrowed tightly. He hadn¡¯t paid good money for these people to show up and gawk.


    ¡°What are you all doing here? Don¡¯t you have work to do?¡± he said sternly.


    The crowd that had been eagerly spectating suddenly heard Cyril¡¯s voice and jumped in fright. They quickly made up excuses to leave, not wanting to stick around now that Cyril was unhappy with them.


    Once the area was cleared out, Cyril entered Karina¡¯s room, only to be shocked again.


    The room was extremely messy, with everything not nailed down strewn across the floor. Things had clearly been swept off surfaces and cabs.


    Cyril looked around, not knowing what had happened. He didn¡¯t see any nurses around, which bothered him. He was paying good money ¨C he expected better service.


    As he walked further into the room, he suddenly heard sobbinging from a corner. He went over to see Karina sitting on the floor, knees pulled tight to her chest, head buried as


    she cried.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Cyril asked gently, crouching down to be at her eye level.


    ¡°Some reporters showed up this morning. I don¡¯t know how they found out I was here, but they just barged in! Wouldn¡¯t listen when people tried to stop them. They started bombarding me with questions about those online rumors, asking if they were true, if I was going to quit showbiz, just awful prying questions. They wanted me to have a breakdown! Can you believe it?¡± Karina looked at Cyril pitifully.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what to do so I started throwing things at them. That finally scared them off.


    In truth, the mess in the room wasn¡¯t entirely from scaring off reporters. After they had left, Karina hadshed out in anger and frustration. She had caused quite the disruptive scene, yelling and sweeping things off of surfaces. She had frightened away the nurses.


    Hearing all this, Cyril¡¯s expression darkened. How did those reporters even get in?


    ¡°What exactly did you say to them?¡± he asked.


    Chapter 24 Who find the reporter?


    2/3Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Karina shook her head emphatically. Right now he was her only hope. She wouldn¡¯t dare do anything without his guidance.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell them anything today. Don¡¯t worry. But I¡¯m so scared. I don¡¯t know who I pissed off for them toe after me like this. I¡¯m already in the hospital! Why can¡¯t they leave those online rumors alone? Even if I deny everything, some people won¡¯t believe me. What do I do?¡±


    Karina¡¯s fear was genuine. She was terrified that if the truth of her misdeeds came out, she¡¯d


    be ruined.


    Any chance with Cyril would vanish. She might even be a disgracedughingstock, undoing all her years of maneuvering.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this, don¡¯t worry. Do you have any enemies in the industry?¡± Cyril asked.


    Whoever was behind this was likely a rival of hers. But Cyril didn¡¯t know enough about herpetitors.


    Karina thought for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°It can¡¯t be them. They wouldn¡¯t dare cross me like this, I¡¯d crush them in retaliation. It must be Sylvia! She¡¯s the only one who hates me enough!¡±


    Karina strategically shifted me onto Sylvia. She needed a scapegoat, and Sylvia was perfect, given Cyril¡¯s history with her. Of course she¡¯d be furious over losing him to Karina!


    And even if Sylvia was innocent, Karina had to pin it on her. Sylvia still held a special ce. with Cyril. For Karina to secure her future with him, Sylvia needed to be taken down a notch.


    Seeing Cyril¡¯s expression shift at the mention of Sylvia¡¯s name, Karina hid her satisfaction. Sylvia was still no match for her. Just a few choice words could turn Cyril against her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get to the bottom of this. But don¡¯t go making baseless usations. I warned you. For now, just rest. I¡¯ll handle the investigation,¡± Cyril said firmly.


    Karina was a little disappointed she hadn¡¯t achieved her goal, but at least Cyril was willing to deal with the mess for her. As for Sylvia¡­that couldeter.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,


    I shouldn¡¯t have spected. I just don¡¯t know who else could hate me enough besides Sylvia. You should still investigate though, for both our sakes,¡± Karina said weakly, seeing Cyril¡¯s expression soften slightly.


    But he still couldn¡¯t believe Sylvia was behind this. Yet she did seem to have the strongest motive.


    Cyril only stayed about half an hour, getting the full story before leaving.


    Chapter 24 Who find the reporter?


    Once he was gone, Karina¡¯s expression shifted. She took out her phone, hesitating whether to make a certain call.


    She knew that call could ruin her reputation, but it could also drag Sylvia down too. It was a double-edged sword that could wound them both. She had to consider carefully.

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25 So stupid


    After the divorce from Cyril was finalized, Sylvia vanished without a trace.


    Of course, she didn¡¯t literally vanish. Cyril simply had no idea where she went or who she was in contact with. He didn¡¯t even know if she moved back in with her parents after the split.


    Sitting in his office, Cyril was gued by doubts. After all these years of marriage, how little did he truly know about his wife?


    He was ignorant about where Sylvia lived, who her close friends were after the divorce, everything. With her having blocked him on everything, contacting her was impossible.


    Cyril had wanted to confront her, to ask why she would do this. But he couldn¡¯t even find her. He felt utterly frustrated.


    He had never felt so thwarted, not even when starting his business, which had gone smoothly. Yet his biggest failure was with Sylvia.


    Out of options, Cyril set his staff to keep investigating Sylvia¡¯s whereabouts. But it was as if she had vanished after the divorce. There was no trace of hering and goings, who sheBelongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¨C


    met with nothing. Finding anything concrete was proving impossible.


    Cyril was incredibly irritated.


    ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve tried, but there¡¯s little to go on. The mistress¡¯ outings were very limited during your marriage. Mostly just the mansion, the family estate, and trips to the supermarket. We checked there too, but she hasn¡¯t been seen on security footagetely,¡± his secretary said apologetically.


    ¡°That¡¯s all you could find? No clues on who she met with or other contact info?¡± Cyril asked grimly.


    So the most exciting ce his wife in herte 20s went was the grocery store, buying household necessities and produce, he thought bitterly. It painted a certain picture of their


    domestic life.


    ¡°No other contacts unfortunately. But we did find an old email address from a supermarket survey she filled out. It may still be active if you want to try messaging,¡± the secretary offered helpfully.


    Cyril took the email address. It was something at least. Better than nothing.


    After dismissing his secretary, Cyrilposed a message to Sylvia¡¯s email, hoping she


    Chapter 25 So stupid


    would respond. If she didn¡¯t use it anymore or ignored it, there was no telling when he¡¯d hear from her again.


    Luckily a reply came swiftly, but Cyril¡¯s expression soured instantly upon reading it.


    All Sylvia had written was: Foolish.


    2/3


    Cyril¡¯s face darkened. He had simply wanted to ask if she was responsible. Yet she chose to mock him instead. That stung.


    Soon Sylvia sent him argepressed file of documents, fulfilling her divorce promise to hand over everything she had on him.


    Her next message stated that this would enable him to destroy Karina if he wished. There


    were ways.


    The contents differed vastly from the online rumors. Sylvia¡¯s dossier was far more detailed


    and exhaustive.


    It was even moreprehensive than the mystery email from before.


    Cyril wondered what the discrepancy meant, but before he could unravel it, Sylvia blocked him, cutting off contactpletely. She was done.


    With this new information, Cyril paid another visit to Karina¡¯s hospital room, now tidied up. To his surprise, he found his brother Bonnie there with her.


    ¡°Bro¡­¡± Bonnie stood up nervously. He had kept a low profile since their fight at home. Cyril couldn¡¯t be bothered to ask why he was there. He had been lost in thought the whole ride


    over about what to do.


    Sylvia had damning evidence against Karina yet hadn¡¯t used it to ruin her. But the online rumors were unverifiable. Sylvia¡¯s dossier however could definitely end Karina.


    ¡°I received some items. Those online rumors about you


    at you tell me honestly, are they true or false? If true, I¡¯ll handle it. If false, apologize publicly,¡± said Cyril.


    For old times¡¯ sake, he would help Karina onest time. After this, they were done.


    Karina panicked internally, wondering why Cyril was suddenly asking about this. Had he discovered something?


    ¡°Of course they¡¯re false!¡± she answered without hesitation. Cyril¡¯s expression instantly


    darkened.


    ¡°Yet now you refuse to tell me the truth? Makes me wonder what else you¡¯ve lied about over the years,¡± he said coldly.


    Chapter 25 So stupid


    The more he thought about it, the more he wondered if anything she had told him<i>was</i>


    actually real.


    Seeing Cyril¡¯s reaction, Karina was utterly lost. Why was he acting this<i>way</i><i>?</i>Did he<i>already</i>know everything and was simply done protecting her?

 Chapter 26

    <b>Chapter</b>26 Stranger? Sister<b>?</b>


    After receiving Sylvia¡¯s information, Cyril realized Karina had been deceiving him all<b>along</b>. He felt like a fool for continuing to help her until now ¨C this would be thest time. After he resolved thistest incident, they were done.


    <b>¡°</b><b>I¡¯ll</b>help you onest time. When this is over<b>,</b>move abroad. You¡¯ll fare better overseas with your career not entirely ruined yet. We¡¯ll cut contact after that. I won¡¯t aid you anymore,<b>Cyril</b>said dispassionately before turning to Bonnie.


    Bonnie tensed up immediately. Was his brother going to deal with him next after finishing with Karina<b>?</b>


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ve been goodtely, bro! Haven¡¯t done anything,¡± Bonnie said nervously.


    <b>¡°</b>Then why are you here?¡± Cyril asked, staring at him intently. Bonnie had no reply. From his expression, Cyril could tell Bonnie likely had some far¨Cfetched ideas again.


    <b>¡°</b>Come with me,¡± Cyril said, motioning Bonnie to follow him out. Bonnie dared not disobey.


    Outside the hospital, Cyril lit a cigarette while Bonnie obediently stood by, not daring to speak seeing his brother smoke. But after some time, Bonnie couldn¡¯t resist asking softly:


    ¡°Is it true you and Sylvia divorced and she wanted money from us? She wouldn¡¯t really try to scam our family, would she?¡±


    Cyril nced at him. ¡°What did you see her take?¡±


    ¡°Knowing her type, she must¡¯ve ransacked the house for valuables and demanded shares too<b>.</b>It is marital assets after all. You didn¡¯t actually give her anything, did you bro? She¡¯s vicious and scheming, who knows what she¡¯d try to swindle out of us!¡± Bonnie said usingly.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When Cyril had married Sylvia, Bonnie had only interacted with her for three days before leaving for studies abroad. He hadn¡¯t seen her since returning until now.


    Yet despite only three days together, Bonnie was full of terrible opinions about Sylvia. Cyril was shocked by his animosity.


    He looked incredulously at his sister, so foreign to him. From a mere three days, she could make such hateful allegations? What had she said about others behind their backs then?


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything<b>,</b>bro? Am I wrong about Sylvia? She¡¯s no good! All her tricks to marry you, even drugging you! Best you divorced so she can¡¯t keep envying what¡¯s ours. She should stay where she belongs!¡± Bonnie said haughtily.


    Chapter 26 Stranger? Sister?


    2/2


    Bonnie¡¯s sense of superiority and disdainful attitude rmed Cyril further. It was throught sheer effort that their family now enjoyed better lives after his business sess. But it seemed that had only inted his family¡¯s egos immeasurably.


    And Cyril had thought his focus on work had made him neglect his family, so he indulged their wants. Now he realized that had been a mistake.


    do


    ¡°Let me make something clear, Bonnie. If I hadn¡¯t founded mypany sessfully<b>,</b>you think you could stand here saying all this? Where is this arroganceing from? We¡¯re no different than anyone else. The only difference is your brother achieved more, that¡¯s all. What makes you better than others?¡±


    Bonnie was spoiled, performed poorly in school, and refused hard work, just wanting to stay home in leisure. He now harbored vast unwarranted superiority, feeling others less fortunate deserved it, while he deserved his easy lifestyle. He even haughtily disparaged


    Sylvia.


    Seeing no repentance from Bonnie, just defiant entitlement, Cyril grew incensed and pped him hard across the face.


    Staggering back with a stunned look, Bonnie clutched his cheek. Cyril had never struck him before! Just for saying a few negative things about Sylvia? Why?


    ¡°Seems like being abroad spoiled you. Forgot all propriety! Whether divorced or not, Sylvia was your sister<b>¨C</b><b>in</b>w. You¡¯ve no business maligning her<b>,</b>even privately. I¡¯m very disappointed in you, Bonnie. I won¡¯t dig into why you were with Karina, but I warn you ¨C if you¡¯re up to anything, I¡¯ll handle both of you together,¡± Cyril said coldly before leaving in his car, not waiting for Bonnie¡¯s reaction.


    Standing alone, cheek stinging, Bonnie stared after Cyril in disbelief. Only when the car fully disappeared did Bonnie stamp his foot furiously.


    This was all because of Sylvia! Before her, Cyril doted on him, giving him anything he wanted<b>,</b>especially after getting rich.


    Yet now, just for some unworthy woman, his brother would strike him? Outrage welled up<b>in</b>Bonnie. Sylvia would pay for this. 1


    He nced back resentfully<b>at</b>Karina¡¯s room too. Well, at least Sylvia was cleaner than that unworthy woman. But neither deserved their lifestyle in his eyes.

 Chapter 27

    Chapter<b>27</b>He looks down on you


    After thest email exchange where Sylvia had blocked him, Cyril lost all contact with her. He had no idea what she<b>was</b>up to or how to reach her at all.


    Meanwhile, the exposing rumors about Karina only intensified, with more sordid details. dug up.


    Cyril knew this information would inevitablye out and be scrutinized for veracity. While falsehoods could potentially be buried, the truth would always surface eventually.


    Having expected this situation, Cyril didn¡¯t intend to intervene much. Businessman that he was, he understood what actions benefitted him and which didn¡¯t. Clearly aiding Karina brought him no advantage here, so he had no reason to keep getting involved. Still, he had promised her some assistance.


    The news coverage was scathing enough that Cyril had Karina issue a public apology under his name, stating she would reflect seriously on past misdeeds and not repeat them.


    ¨C


    But manyizens found this inadequate the statement wasn¡¯t even made by Karina herself. Now hiding behind her agency, she expected this to just blow over? They kept demanding she make an in¨Cperson apology.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Karina pleaded with Cyril again. ¡°If I do that and get banished abroad, my career here will be over! I worked so hard for what I have you¡¯d just let it vanish easily?<b>¡±</b>


    Cyril gazed at her impassively. He was finding Karina increasingly unrecognizable too.


    Gradually Cyril realized the people he knew had transformed beyond his perception. It was as if Sylvia¡¯s presence had cloaked their behavior in normalcy before. With her gone, their fa?ades had crumbled away.


    He couldn¡¯t say if this revtion was good or bad. But knowing it took Sylvia¡¯s absence for their true nature to emerge left Cyril deeply disappointed in himself for not seeing through


    them earlier.


    He recalled Sylvia¡¯s past pleas about Karina constantly texting and taunting her, begging Cyril for an exnation and to make it stop, saying she wouldn¡¯t intervene between them, just wanting him to put family first.


    But Cyril had ignored it entirely, even mocking Sylvia for meddling. How foolish he had. been! Sylvia saw their truth long ago yet still strove to shelter his family. With her no longer around to cover for them, their ugliness wasid bare.


    Cyril had been in a strange mood the past few days but work obligations continued. He was


    Chapter 27 He looks down on you


    meeting a business associate at a restaurant when a luxury car pulled up.


    The restaurant was known for excellent privacy, popr for sensitive discussions. Cyril casually nced over, then did a double take¨Cout stepped Sylvia<b>,</b>intimately clinging to


    Bruce¡¯s arm!


    Theyughed together as Bruce regarded her with a doting smile that seemed out of character. Yet he treated Sylvia with great indulgence.


    Why were they together again? Cyril had questionsst time but now their closeness bothered him immensely. He knew Bruce¡¯s stature. If Sylvia got involved, she could be utterly ruined when his temper turned. After all, they had been family once<b>.</b>Cyril didn¡¯t want to see Sylvia throw her life away like this.


    2/2


    way out.


    Hurrying through his business, Cyril lingered by the entrance to catch Sylvia on her She and Bruce were in a private upstairs room. Booking it required significant status and fees Cyril couldn¡¯t match yet despite his sess.


    After waiting almost an hour downstairs, Sylvia finally emerged while talking on her phone, going to the front desk to retrieve a cake she had ordered. Cyril saw his chance.


    Catching sight of him, Sylvia inwardly groaned. Why did she have to run into Cyril while trying to enjoy a nice dinner? She ignored him, moving to brush past back inside. But Cyril kept blocking her way no matter where she tried to slip by.


    ¡°What do you want? If you¡¯re aspiring to be a bouncer, take it up with the manager instead of obstructing me,¡± Sylvia said irritably.


    They hadn¡¯t had an amicable conversation in a long while. Dialogue between them tended to be fraught nowadays.


    ¡°I saw you arrive with Bruce. What¡¯s going on there?¡± Cyril asked.


    Sylvia narrowed her eyes. ¡°Who I dine with is none of your business. Don¡¯t interfere.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not right for you. You¡¯ve no clue what Bruce is capable of. If he decides to torment<b>you</b>, you can¡¯t win against him!¡±


    ¡°Oh<b>,</b>is this your way of saying he could never desire someone like me? Well, sorry to disappoint, but Bruce is very taken with me and makes it clear. If you have objections, take it up with him directly,¡± Sylvia said cuttingly.

 Chapter 28

    Chapter<b>28</b><b>Mistress</b>


    Sylvia spoke with great confidence. ¡°What joke? Bruce is my brother¨Cinw. Why wouldn¡¯t he care for<b>me</b>?¡±


    Besides, Cyril was meddling far too much. They were divorced with no rtion now. On what grounds did he keep monitoring her actions? Who she dined with was none of his business<b>,</b>


    Bruce or<b>not</b>.


    Cyril was only trying to warn<b>Sylvia</b>against foolishly getting embroiled with Bruce. But she clearly didn¡¯t appreciate his good intentions.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say it again ¨C we¡¯re divorced. I¡¯m nothing to you now. Leave me be!¡± Sylvia said


    derisively<b>,</b>shoving past him. She had to get back to her dinner, no time to waste chatting idly with Cyril.


    If he had time<b>to</b>trail her dates, he could spend it apanying his precious darling instead of bothering her!


    Cyril was genuinely angry, but he had meant well. Since Sylvia remained unreceptive, he shouldn¡¯t have wasted his breath. She would learn the truth eventually, one way or another.


    Having aplished his goal yet been rebuffed by Sylvia again, Cyril left in a fury, not inclined to linger any longer.


    Back in the private room, Bruce noticed Sylvia seemed upset and asked what had happened.


    ¡°That man Cyril osted me outside, can you believe it? He said you look down on me and I shouldn¡¯t be with you. What business is it of his anymore?¡± Sylvia fumed as she recounted


    the incident.


    Bruce¡¯s brows furrowed. It seemed Cyril had too much free timetely to be harassing Sylvia


    like this.


    ¡°Nevermind him. Don¡¯t let it ruin your appetite. Let¡¯s eat,¡± Bruce said, redirecting the conversation. Sylvia was happy to stop talking about that annoying man.


    Sylvia enjoyed a peaceful period focused between home and work. asionally she went out with Juliet for meals or shopping.


    Free of Cyril¡¯s pestering, life was carefree. And under Bruce¡¯s wing at thepany, Sylvia was learning the ropes despite some initial skepticism from others about her credentials. She knew she had to produce results to earn their respect.


    Chapter 28 Mistress


    2/2


    But barely a month had passed before shocking news broke ¨C singer Karina had secretly<b>been</b>a rich man¡¯s mistress!


    No name was given, but detalls clearly indicated Cyril. Netizens instantly unearthed old social media posts where Karina hinted at a wealthy<b>,</b>generous boyfriend, Cross¨Creferencing details, the man matched Cyril exactly.


    Just as Karina¡¯s prior scandals had barely subsided, this sparked an explosive revival plus embroiled Cyril.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As a rapidly rising entrepreneur, Cyril attracted much scrutiny. Many had been eager to partner with him. But such turmoil indicated instability and risk in affiliating with him. Several prospective deals were now paused until Cyril handled this situation.


    Preupied with Karina¡¯s mess already, this added headache blindsided Cyril. His chief concern was whether Sylvia¡¯s identity might be exposed. Though likely untraceable as his ex


    -wife.


    Still, he had to quash rumors of Karina being a homewrecker immediately. Failure to promptly address this could ruin not just her but him too.


    The news also reached his mother Michele. She promptly phoned Cyril demanding an exnation<b>.</b>


    ¡°What¡¯s all this online about that woman ruining your marriage? I never cared for Sylvia but don¡¯t like Karina either.<b>If</b><b>you</b>had to pick one to help you, why her? Just look at the vitriol towards her now. However unrted she may be<b>,</b>ongoing ties with her still jeopardize this family!¡±


    Hearing his mother¡¯s words, Cyril felt somewhat sickened. He had sensed herck of


    ¨C


    warmth towards Sylvia long ago in Michele¡¯s eyes, Sylvia brought no valuable background


    or connections.


    Cyril knew his mother was pragmatic, yet was still surprised at how readily she cut ties with Karina over this scandal.


    ¡°You weed Karina quite warmly into our home recently, Mother. No need for your concern anymore. I will handle this,¡± Cyril said curtly before hanging up.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter<b>29</b>Apologize


    Michele worried after Cyril hung up, but didn¡¯t dare act rashly for fear of worsening things for her<b>son</b>.


    The situation was already bad enough. If not directly helping Cyril, she could still target Karina. This scandal was clearly the girl¡¯s fault for inappropriate entanglements over the years. Now she had dragged down Michele¡¯s son too. Unforgivable.


    With no hesitation, Michele immediately called to berate Karina.


    Karina had been anxious seeing the leaked information too. She hadn¡¯t expected their ties to surface so publicly. While harboring her own agenda, she knew better than to openly


    demonstrate designs on the still¨Cmarried Cyril.


    Yet now forced under intense scrutiny, her industry gossip had exploded into public contagion, reputation ruined.


    <b>In</b>a panic, she tried contacting Cyril repeatedly but he didn¡¯t answer. Did he n to abandon her to take the fall alone? Surely he wouldn¡¯t, given the past, Karina desperately hoped¡­


    Unable to reach Cyril, she saw an iing call from Michele and grew even more nervous. In a sense, they were cut from the same cloth, caring only about personal benefit. This call surely involved the scandal.


    Karina rejected it, already expecting threats and curses for embroiling Cyril. Just then she noticed Cyril had posted a statement under hispany¡¯s name.


    It was simple ¨C apologizing for the ongoing public distraction, stating they were swiftly investigating the rumor¡¯s origins. It also rified his rtionship with Karina was purely tonic friendship. During his marriage, Cyril fully respected his wife and bore no infidelity, hence Karina could not be considered a mistress.


    But despite the prompt statement with seemingly solid exnation, mostizens entirely disbelieved it. If truly unrted, why had Karina posted so many subtle hints about a rich lover for years? Surely implying special ties with Cyril!


    Now people sympathized with the wronged wife, imagining her deep anguish¡­


    Yet the supposedly devastated Sylvia was currently lounging with Juliette under the sunny skies without a care. With a rare day off, she had invited Juliette over to baskzily instead of going out. They chatted casually while sunbathing.


    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    Chapter 29 Apologize


    2/2


    Juliette suddenly bolted up, whipping off her sunsses to stare incredulously at her phone screen which she swiped through rapidly.


    Her dramatic reaction made Sylvia jump too before asking nervously what had happened.


    ¡°You won¡¯t believe what I just saw! Someone exposed evidence of Karina being a homewrecker<b>!</b>Now Cyril¡¯s embroiled too! He just released a statement denying everything but people are saying poor you!¡± Juliette reported excitedly.


    Sylvia blinked. Was that all?


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you reacting at all? This involves you too! Everyone feels so bad for you,¡± Juliette said, surprised at Sylvia¡¯s calmness.


    ¡°That¡¯s their opinion. How does this concern me though<b>?</b>I¡¯m divorced from Cyril so what use is sympathy from strangers? Can feelings change reality?¡± Sylvia replied neutrally.


    Upon hearing the news, she had already processed the situationpletely<i>.</i>So Karina¡¯s misdeeds were out along with Cyril¡¯s reputation. But she was already free of both,<b>so</b>why should it matter?


    Juliette considered then conceded the point. The scandal truly didn¡¯t affect Sylvia anymore. Theyughed over it together the downfalls of the rumored adulterers were amusing


    karma.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡°Fine<b>,</b>since<b>you¡¯re</b>unaffected, I¡¯ll let it go too. But still crazy stuff! Any guess who leaked this?¡± Juliette asked curiously.


    Sylvia just shook her head. She didn¡¯t know nor care who did it. She was simply satisfied to see the culpable pair finally facing consequences.


    As the central figure, Sylvia conversed lively with Juliette about Karina¡¯s behavior over the years, yet seemed oblivious to personally being involved still.


    Karina had no one to me but herself for today¡¯s events. When she had no true ties with


    Cyril, it was unwise to coyly hint at a smitten<b>,</b>generous admirer for years, one who turned out to already have a wife. Truly a situation of Karina and Cyril¡¯s own making, Sylvia

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30 Crisin


    Happily dissecting the scandal, neither Sylvia nor Juliette noticed Bruce return home until he was standing behind them listening silently.


    Hearing Sylvia mock Cyril as scum and recount Karina¡¯s suggestive posts over the years,


    Bruce rxed, having worried how the news might affect Sylvia and rushed back to check on her. Seeing her so at ease, he realized his unnecessary concern.


    With Sylvia determined to move on from Cyril, she likely wouldn¡¯t dwell on matters rted to him anymore.


    Bruce had hesitated over leaking the mistress story, fearing Sylvia¡¯s reaction. But deeming it proper punishment for Cyril¡¯s words to her during their dinner run¨Cin, Bruce had taken the risk, anonymously providing scious hints without hard proof. For scandals, evidence mattered less than insinuations expertly aimed where damage would ur.


    Noticing Bruce, Juliette instantly adjusted her bearing into perfectly poised student before an authority figure. Only her brother could elicit such reflexive propriety from the usually boisterous girl.


    Sylvia smiled wryly at Juliette¡¯s change in demeanor before greeting her brother, mentioning they were just discussing the news he probably saw.


    ??


    ¡°Yes, it was my doing. Are you angry?¡± Bruce asked.


    Sylvia¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Why would she be mad? If anything, she felt gratified at the catharsis.


    ¡°Of course not! I¡¯m delighted you helped me vent my frustrations, brother. Thank you,¡± she said sincerely.


    It dawned on Sylvia that Bruce had likely acted out of anger from Cyril osting her at dinner. Her brother had stepped in when that man upset her yet again. Warm fondness for Bruce arose in Sylvia.


    Noticing Juliette¡¯s difort at his presence, Bruce genially made his excuses to leave and allow the girls their privacy. Only once he disappeared from sight did Juliette exhale heavily, gazing lingeringly after him.


    ¡°You¡¯re practically mooning over my brother. I¡¯ll help y matchmaker if you actually like him,¡± Sylvia teased.


    Juliette flushed bright red. ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense! Why would I like that boring man? I have zero interest!¡±


    ¡°Uh huh, sure. That¡¯s why<b>you</b>wrote him love letters in high school asking me to pass them along,¡± Sylvia needled wickedly.


    <b>Mortified</b>at<b>the</b>resurfaced childhood antics<b>,</b>Juliette protested, ¡°Hey! I never bring up your past with Cyril either! Why poke at my history with your brother?¡±


    Dejected, Juliette added<b>,</b>¡°Not that I¡¯d stand a chance with him anyway. You¡¯ve seen his reaction<b>.</b>¡±


    Despite her long¨Cheld affection, Bruce only regarded Juliette tonically as another little sister like Sylvia.


    since you harbor Seeing an opportunity, Sylvia piped up supportively, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, feelings, I¡¯ll help you out! I know my stoic brother seems dull on the surface but he¡¯s actually pretty amusing and considerate once you know him better.¡±


    ¡°No need to sing his praises on my ount. Having liked him for so long, I understand his personality fully already,¡± Juliette interjected wryly.


    Sylvia conceded she did tend to go overboard championing her brother. Settling back down, Juliette checked her phone for more entertainment news but bolted upright again.


    ¡°Oh my god! Guess what else I found? News broke of your marriage to Cyril! They exposed your identity as his ex¨Cwife! Haven¡¯t traced you back to the Evans yet but still ¨C what do we do?¡± Juliette asked frantically.


    Hearing herself entangled now, Sylvia quickly sat up and grabbed her own phone to check. Why was she suddenly embroiled in this?


    It turned out an unknown party had uncovered her brief marriage to Cyril after his denial. statement, even digging up old wedding pictures. Fortunately Sylvia¡¯s true background had remained concealed, with only public¨Cfacing details exposed against her will.


    Still, the unwee attention bothered Sylvia. Who would want aspects of private life randomly broadcasted?


    ¡°What is this? How did I get involved when it was Cyril¡¯s and Karina¡¯s mess? Your brother wouldn¡¯t have leaked additional stuff. Can you analyze the photo angle to guess the source?¡± Juliette asked as she tried vainly to solve the mystery.


    But even scrutinizing pictures from a wedding she hadn¡¯t attended, Juliette couldn¡¯t decipher the culprit¡¯s identity. Too much time had passed for Sylvia to sparse guest list of unimportant acquaintances.


    remember t


    A worrying thought urred to Juliette then. ¡°Do you think Karina dragged you into this to divert public fire?<b>¡±</b>Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31 Wishing Them<b>Happiness</b>


    Sylvia was shocked when she heard this. She thought about it carefully and realized it was a possibility.


    However¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it could<b>be</b>her. Karina has always looked down on me. Over the years, she has been secretly scheming behind my back. Of course she wouldn¡¯t want me to have any connection with Cyril. As bad as this is for her, there¡¯s no way she would expose this herself. If my identity got out, the public outrage towards her would be even worse.¡±


    Now Sylvia was the biggest victim. As soon as her identity was exposed, there would be indiscriminate attacks on Cyril and Karina online.


    Especially Karina. She would likely get the worst of it.


    Even though they had never met in person before, they had shed numerous times over the years.


    Every confrontation made Sylvia realize how much Karina cared about her own status. If possible, Karina absolutely did not want anyone knowing about her rtionship with Cyril.


    So there¡¯s no way she would have exposed this herself. It¡¯s more likely it came from Cyril¡¯s side. But would Cyril really expose his own identity?


    ¡°Then who could it be? It can¡¯t be Cyril right? You two are divorced already. Dragging you into this would make things even worse for him. He¡¯s not stupid. Why would he do something like this?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Neither Cyril nor Karina would have done this. That only leaves one person.¡±


    Sylvia finally realized who the most likely person was to have orchestrated all this. Julie didn¡¯t know who Sylvia meant, but she was curious since Sylvia seemed to have figured it


    out.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait until we find evidence before saying anything more. I think the guys will get to the bottom of this soon.¡±


    Sylvia just smiled without exining further. This didn¡¯t really affect her anymore. No one could find her<b>if</b>she didn¡¯t take a stance or appear herself. But the impact of this on both Cyril and Karina would be huge.


    What Sylvia didn¡¯t expect was that the truth woulde out so quickly.


    After taking a day off, Sylvia went back to work as usual.


    Her work<b>efficiency</b>had been pretty goodtely. Everyone could see her capabilities<b>.</b>They realized Sylvia was quitepetent, so some higher¨Cups took a liking to her and discreetly looked into her background, discovering she was the eldest daughter of the Ivan family.


    That morning when Sylvia was about to enter thepany building


    blocked<b>her</b>way.


    a group of reporters


    At first Sylvia didn¡¯t think much of it, since reporters woulde every day to interview her brother Bruce when he arrived at work.<b>So</b>she assumed they were here for him.


    ¡°Excuse me, are you Cyril¡¯s ex¨Cwife? We discovered some information about you online recently and wanted to interview you.¡±


    Sylvia was shocked. She didn¡¯t expect these people were here for her. Had her connection with Cyril already been exposed so quickly?


    She hadn¡¯t had a chance to check the online news that morning. It seemed things were worse than she imagined.


    ¡°What do you


    want?¡±


    Sylvia didn¡¯t intend to give an interview, but she realized if she turned them away today, the reporters would just keep staking out the office entrance for her. She had finally made some progress at work. If those stubborn executives found out, they might try to undermine her. again.


    The reporters were relieved when they saw how cooperative Sylvia was being. To be honest, they were quite surprised when they learned she worked at the Ivan family¡¯spany.


    The online information made it seem like Sylvia was a nobody who married into a wealthy family and didn¡¯t have any skills. But that didn¡¯t appear to be the case now.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    The Ivan family¡¯spany wasn¡¯t so easy to get into. You needed top grades, abilities, and to be exceptional in every area.


    Basically everyone in thispany was extremely capable.


    ¡°We received information that you were married to Cyril for three years. Is that correct?¡±


    Sylvia smiled and nodded slightly. The reporters were thrilled it was true and continued questioning enthusiastically.


    ¡°So regarding the online rumors of a scandalous rtionship between your ex¨Chusband and actress Karina, were you aware or unaware?¡±


    Sylvia carefully considered whether she qualified as aware or unaware.


    Seeing she couldn¡¯t answer, the reporters perked up. Her silence seemed to confirm things. But was she acquiescing or was she keptpletely in the dark?


    ¡°So since you can¡¯t answer<b>that</b>question, can we assume that Karen was part of the reason you and Cyril divorced?¡± the reporter<b>asked</b>pointedly.


    Sylvia let out<b>a</b>shortugh. ¡°You all should go into detective work instead of entertainment reporting.¡±


    So it really was because of Karen. The rumors of her being the other woman were true.


    <b>¡°</b>Do you have anything you¡¯d like to say to the two of them?¡± Another reporter piped up. His colleagues looked at him incredulously. What kind of loaded question was that?<b>Talk</b>about an<b>awkward</b>situation.


    Sylvia was also surprised they¡¯d ask her something like that. She paused for a moment before responding simply<b>,</b>¡°I guess if you¡¯re forcing me, I can only wish them happiness. They should staymitted to each other and stop causing harm.¡±


    That was Sylvia¡¯s true thoughts. She shouldered past the reporters and headed into her office building to start her workday.


    The footage of Sylvia¡¯s interview spread rapidly online. Seeing her words, public disdain towards Karen grew even stronger. To think that she could actually do something like this.


    In an instant, Karen and Cyril were thrown into the public hot seat again. Meanwhile, Cyril<b>was</b>urgently investigating who was behind leaking all this. Eventually the trail led back to his own sister, Bonnie. Cyril felt his blood pressure rising in anger. What was his foolish


    sister up


    to?


    Right on the heels of that discovery, Cyril saw Sylvia¡¯s interview. He was utterly shocked. He knew clearly that Karen had never interfered with their marriage. So why did Sylvia still think it was her? What was going on here?

 Chapter 32

    <b>Chapter</b><b>32</b>Publicity Crisis


    Cyril wasn¡¯t foolish. He knew clearly that with things having escted to this degree, Karen must be involved somehow. If she wasn¡¯t, Sylvia would never say things like that.


    He felt utterly exhausted in this moment. Between his sister and Karen, the two kept causing all kinds of unpredictable trouble for him. It was giving him a pounding headache. Things were not supposed<b>to</b>spiral out of control like this.


    He had to get to the bottom of what exactly happened over the course of his marriage to Sylvia. Whether it was his sister, Karen, or even his mother Michelle, what roles did they y?


    As for Sylvia, after finishing up with the reporters she headed straight into the office building. The moment she stepped inside, she noticed her coworkers giving her strange


    <b>looks</b><b>.</b>


    She didn¡¯t even need to guess ¨C they must have heard about this morning¡¯s fiasco. With the reporters camped outside the doors all morning, of course word spread about her inside. Unexpectedly, her identity was now exposed to them all.


    ¡°There you are! Do you know what¡¯s been happening? People are gossiping about you. Saying it¡¯s suspicious you still have a job here after your divorce,¡± Juliet said, grabbing Sylvia¡¯s arm and pulling her to the break room.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°They¡¯re even suggesting you must have an inappropriate rtionship with your ex- husband. Otherwise how could you still be working at his family¡¯spany?¡±


    Sylvia couldn¡¯t help butugh after hearing Juliet¡¯s update. ¡°I figured they¡¯d talk behind my back. But I didn¡¯t realize they¡¯de up with such interesting theories. Anyway, what are you doing here?¡±


    At that question, Juliet¡¯s smile also faded. She snorted in irritation. ¡°What do think?


    you Since you went back to inherit the family business, my dad doesn¡¯t want me fooling around anymore. He¡¯s making me join thepany too to ¡®learn¡®.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything though! So he arranged for me to intern with you. He secretly met with your brother a few days ago and settled it all. Then he informed me this morning and sent me straight here.¡±


    Sylvia saw this as<b>a</b>perfect opportunity. ¡°That works out great! You can stay by my side and learn a lot. With me around, there will be less pressure than if you were under my brother.


    Chapter 32 Publicity Crisis


    <b>Don¡¯t</b><b>worry</b><b>,</b><b>you¡¯re</b>the only sessor for your family¡¯spany anyway<b>.</b>¡±


    Juliet understood that reasoning all too well. ¡°I know, I know<b>.</b>So here I am, obediently showing up. For this period I¡¯ll be your assistant, learning along the way.


    ¦°


    ¡°Oh right, when I saw your brother earlier he said to send you straight to the conference room when you arrive. We better hurry, it¡¯s almost time<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    ncing at her watch, Juliet grabbed Sylvia¡¯s hand and rushed them up to the meeting. The two girls slipped in just in time, with Sylvia entirely unaware there was even a scheduled morning meeting<b>.</b>


    ¡°Causing such a major publicity crisis for thepany, yet sauntering inte. You two really are something else. Especially<b>you</b>, Sylvia. Do you not take this seriously at all<b>?</b>¡± The words came from Ingrid, an employee seated below Bruce.


    Ingrid was also apany shareholder who harbored an intense crush on Bruce. Sylvia knew about it even before her own marriage. Ingrid adored Bruce and therefore refused to ept Sylvia staying by his side through illegitimate means.


    In her view, Bruce deserved someone better. She wouldn¡¯t stand to see him snatched away. Ingrid would even privately try to sabotage Bruce and Sylvia¡¯s rtionship.


    To Ingrid, Bruce was the one who should be inheriting thepany, not Sylvia. If Ingrid wasn¡¯t a shareholder, Bruce wouldn¡¯t spare her a second nce. Dealing with her endless pestering over the years had brought Bruce endless headaches.


    ¡°Did I cause any publicity crisis for thepany? All they know is that I work here. But as far as I can tell, no damaging connections to thepany were leaked online. If that counts as a publicity crisis, I may need to relearn the definition,¡± Sylvia smoothly retorted.


    ¡°If I remember correctly, it was you who created a huge scandal three years ago which embarrassed thepany and cost us nearly 30 million dors in damages. Have you paid that money back yet?¡±


    Sylvia would not back down to this woman¡¯s needling. Her every intentiontely has been to


    cause trouble.


    Ingrid instantly froze up at those sharp words, her expression growing stormy as she glowered at Sylvia. No one expected she would know<b>so</b>manypany secrets. Clearly Sylvia had an unusually close bond with Bruce.


    Seeing his little sister effortlessly prevail, Bruce also rxed. He wasn¡¯t worried either, fully aware that current public opinion was on Sylvia¡¯s side.

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33 Promotion


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve called you here today not to listen to your petty arguments, but because Sylvia has made considerable progresstely. I¡¯ve decided to give her a promotion and have her spearhead a project independently. Does anyone have objections?¡± Bruce tapped the table lightly, redirecting the conversation to the real purpose of this meeting.


    He had wanted to give Sylvia a promotion for awhile now, just waiting for the right timing. With her sessfullypleting a recent project, Bruce felt now was the moment to give her more responsibility and develop her capabilities. For most employees, such a big meeting wouldn¡¯t be needed. But Sylvia was different ¨C as a future heir, Bruce had to get some nominal support from key stakeholders, meaningless as that was.


    Ingrid was quick to voice dissent. ¡°I disagree. She¡¯s just a lowly assistant. If all assistants started getting big projects instead of doing their jobs, we wouldn¡¯t need assistants at all!¡±


    The others stayed silent, rolling their eyes internally. Clearly Ingrid didn¡¯tprehend Sylvia¡¯s special status if Bruce was going through this much trouble for a mere promotion meeting. As businesspeople, what mattered was making money, not who exactly led what project. And they had faith Bruce wouldn¡¯t let thepany tank.


    ¡°I support Bruce¡¯s decision,¡± someone echoed..


    ¡°Well if you¡¯re having her lead a project, I assume you already decided which one Bruce?¡± another asked. Knowing Bruce, everything would be meticulously nned already before informing them.


    ¡°Yes, I have a project in mind¡­¡± Bruce went on to outline handing Sylvia a VP-level


    temporary role to tackle ongoing challenges with a South City development. Sess there would lead to a permanent VP promotion.


    Stunned silence followed. They hadn¡¯t expected Bruce to give such a senior position. But South City did require that level of authority.


    ¡°You really trust her to handle something soplex?¡± Ingrid fumed, envy written all over


    her face.


    Bruce just stared coldly back without answering. Why should he justify anything to Ingrid?


    If he didn¡¯t believe in Sylvia, no one would.


    As Bruce continued dressing down Ingrid, everyone else stayed mum¡­realizing again how uniquely high Sylvia ranked for Bruce. The meeting ended shortly after with Ingrid


    storming off while others shrugged, only caring about profit rather than who specifically


    was VP.


    Chapter 33 Promotion


    Afterwards, Sylvia and Julie gleefully went to decorate her new VP office,ughing over Ingrid¡¯s dramatics. For them, the office felt like a second home where they could<ie</i>and go freely based on Bruce¡¯s favor.


    Yet Ingrid soon arrogantly blocked their way, threatening<i>Sylvia¡¯s</i>role and<i>credentials</i>. Sylvia calmly retorted Julie was her new assistant, perfectly reasonable for a VP. Unable to find faults, a seething Ingrid stormed off again. The girls chuckled, anticipating Ingrid would now pester Bruce instead.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34 If she can do that, so can I!


    send me, I¡¯ll ¡°Why do I have to go? You¡¯re the one who caused this whole mess. If you be the target!¡± Julie refused. This had nothing to do with her and she didn¡¯t want Ingrid getting the wrong idea.


    ¡°At this point, she thinks we¡¯re in it together anyway so it doesn¡¯t matter who goes. And I¡¯m giving you an opportunity here,¡± Sylvia said with a wink, hinting for Julie to use it as a chance to impress Bruce.


    Julie flushed red, wondering how much Sylvia knew. But reading her friend¡¯s expression, there was clearly more happening behind the scenes. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll head over now. You get to deal with all this on your own!¡±


    Sylvia rolled her eyes as Julie rushed off eagerly, leaving her to arrange the office alone. She almost wished she could witness Julie confronting Ingrid too.


    By the time Julie arrived, Ingrid was already inside Bruce¡¯s office. Bruce had expected she¡¯de bother him after that ridiculous meeting. ¡°If this is about Sylvia¡¯s promotion, don¡¯t waste your breath because it¡¯s not changing,¡± he said, not even ncing up from his work.


    ¡°You called that meeting iming to respect us shareholders, then ignored my input! Don¡¯t you care what people will say about you favoring her?¡± Ingrid argued.


    Bruce finally put down his pen to scrutinize Ingrid. ¡°Frankly the gossip doesn¡¯t bother me if it stays outside this office. But tell me ¨C are youText content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¨C are you speaking as a shareholder worried about thepany or out of your personal interest in me?¡±


    Ingrid scrambled for words under his piercing gaze before insisting it was all for Bruce¡¯s sake and thepany¡¯s best interests.


    Bruce scoffed. ¡°Let¡¯s not pretend there¡¯s anything between us beyond profit incentives. That¡¯s the only metric in business.¡±


    Visibly upset, Ingrid changed tactics. ¡°Why her specifically? I can match her contributions. You know I¡¯ll always support you, even without mary gain!¡±


    Bruce was stunned into silence. As if he would ever choose an outsider over family! But before he could respond, Ingrid started removing her clothes, first the jacket then her


    blouse underneath.


    Bruce froze in dismay. Did she seriously think Sylvia used her body to get ahead? Just then, a knock preceded the door swinging open. Julie walked in, then stopped short at the sight of a half-naked Ingrid.


    Unsure what to make of this, Julie first closed the door again. But shouldn¡¯t she intervene instead of leaving? Steeling herself, Julie marched back in and pped Ingrid hard across the face for her audacity.


    Shocked by the sharp sting, Ingrid reacted angrily until Bruce inserted himself between the women. ¡°Enough! I won¡¯t tolerate violence in my office. Ingrid, get out! Julie, what did you want?¡±

 Chapter 35

    <b>Chapter</b>35 Get rity


    As Ingrid geared up to retaliate, Bruce stepped forward to intervene.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Why are you stopping me when she just hit me!¡± Ingrid shouted at Bruce. ¡°She¡¯s just an assistant daring to attack me!¡±


    Bruce showed no reaction, simply shoving Ingrid back and positioning Julie behind him.


    ¡°You deserved it after your behavior here. If those ps don¡¯t knock some sense into you, perhaps I should help the lesson sink in too,¡± Bruce threatened coldly.


    Seeing Bruce genuinely angry for once, Ingrid bit her tongue and left with onest re at Julie<b>.</b>


    ¡°Did Sylvia send you?¡± Bruce asked Julie.


    ¡°Yeah, she figured Ingrid woulde trash talk her so asked me to run interference. Turns out I arrived just in time before things got worse!¡± Julie replied, still furious about Ingrid¡¯s audacity.


    She also felt a pang of sadness realizing Bruce still saw her only tonically like a sister. Why couldn¡¯t their rtionship progress closer? Putting herself out there with unrequited emotions would be too awkward.


    ¡°Your timing was perfect, thanks for the help. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ve seen thest of Ingrid for awhile at least. You and Sylvia better get to work now,¡± Bruce dismissed.


    Julie opened her mouth to finally confess her true feelings, but Bruce had already brushed her off. Crestfallen, she simply nodded and took her leave, ncing back to see Bruce nonchntly continuing his tasks as if utterly unaffected by what just transpired.


    After she had gone, Bruce put down his pen and pressed his fingers to his temple wondering how situations had deteriorated to this point.


    Later after work, Sylvia worried over meeting her estranged friend Kelly again. ¡°Are you sure she wants to see me? I thought she wanted nothing more to do with me ever.¡±


    Losing touch after Kelly dered their friendship over if Sylvia foolishly married Cyril had stung deeply. Now that she had woken up, Sylvia desperately hoped it wasn¡¯t toote.


    ¡°Instead of fretting uselessly now, why didn¡¯t you just listen back when Kelly and all of us warned how toxic Cyril was?¡± Julie pointed out.


    Sylvia winced, acknowledging she had been too love¨Cblind at the time to consider consequences. How deeply she regretted that now after the fallout.


    Chapter 35 Get rity


    2/2


    ¡°The past doesn¡¯t matter. I just hope Kelly will truly talk to me again,¡± Sylvia worried.


    ¡°Well I wouldn¡¯t have arranged this if Kelly hadn¡¯t reached out herself. She wants to check if you¡¯ve gained sanity back. If so, you remain friends. If not, you¡¯re through for good.¡±


    Sylvia exhaled in relief. Back then she never cared about preserving friendships. My how perception changed.


    They soon arrived at their old haunt, the Tonight club. Kelly was already inside nursing a drink in an oversized white suit giving her an androgynous look entuated by her short blonde hair. With her boylish style and dominant energy, it was easy to mistake Kelly for a handsome young man at first nce.


    So<b>you</b>showing<b>up</b>means you¡¯ve wised up? Then take a seat. Otherwise don¡¯t bother entering again if I have to exin twice,¡± Kelly stated, putting out her cigarette.


    Sylvia quickly nodded. ¡°I absolutely have gotten rity. No more wasting time on losers!¡±


    Grinning widely, Sylvia rushed over to tightly embrace Kelly, who slowly smiled back signaling eptance of Sylvia¡¯s returned sensibilities.

 Chapter 36

    Chapter<b>36</b>No drunk, No fun


    Sylvia rushed to embrace Kelly, who quickly pushed her away in irritation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get so clingy with me. When you got married, I warned you plenty which you ignored. before cutting me off. Now you just waltz back expecting things to be fine?¡± Kelly said, still upset over losing touch after working hard to stop Sylvia¡¯s reckless wedding.


    Sylvia had blocked them all out, secretly getting her certificate before informing anyone afterwards. The utter betrayal had cut deeply.


    Sylvia winced, fully acknowledging her faults back then. ¡°You¡¯repletely right. I was too blind and stubborn, and I¡¯m so sorry I hurt you. Yell at me, criticize me<b>all</b>you want ¨C I totally deserve it and won¡¯t argue back.¡±


    Kelly studied Sylvia, then nced over at Julie. Clearly Sylvia was here<b>to</b>reconcile rtionships, but was it genuine?


    ¡°Are you truly repentant<b>,</b>or just pretending so we makeup? Even if you¡¯re over Cyril now, I can¡¯t excuse you severing our bond for him before,¡± Kelly said bluntly. After years of no contact, she had still been shocked hearing about Sylvia¡¯s divorce.


    Sylvia sighed heavily. How awful she had been to make her own friends distrust her sincerity now.<b>¡°</b>I swear I really mean it this time. The divorce papers prove Cyril is out of my life for good!¡±


    Kelly hesitated, still skeptical.


    Julie spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s true I saw the documents myself. And given the public nature of the Karen situation, no way Sylvia would still tolerate Cyril.¡±


    Kelly relented with understanding. As proud women, Sylvia staying with Cyril despite another tant affair would be impossible to abide.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I thought you had woken up, but turns out you just reached your limit,¡± Kelly said, unable to keep some bitterness from seeping out. After relentlessly trying to sway Sylvia before, it stung that another woman seeded with ease it seemed.


    <b>¡°</b>Please don¡¯t say that! I know I majorly messed up, but<b>I</b>sincerely regret it now. Please just give me one more chance,¡± Sylvia pleaded, hugging Kelly again.


    Kelly felt her resistance softening. She wouldn¡¯t have reached out otherwise if reconciliation. was impossible.


    ¡°Just once! Pull crap like that again and we¡¯re permanently through. Good men are plentiful


    ¨C<b>we</b>can find<b>you</b><b>off</b>again.


    Sylvia gazed at Kelly gratefully.


    Eager to lighten the mood, Julie piped up suggesting they celebrate Sylvia¡¯s freedom with endless drinks and eye candypany. Sylviaughed while Julie quickly backtracked on her eagerness<b>,</b>insisting she held no special interest in Bruce whatsoever despite her transparent behavior suggesting otherwise<b>.</b>The three friends shared amusement over Julie¡¯s antics before wholeheartedly embarking on a night of carefree revelry.


    Chapter 36 No drunk, No fun


    979


    ¨C we can find you ten times better guys actually caring for<b>you</b>,¡± Kelly stated, pushing sylvia off again.


    Sylvia gazed at Kelly gratefully.


    Eager to lighten the mood, Julie piped up suggesting they celebrate Sylvia¡¯s freedom with endless drinks and eye candypany. Sylviaughed while julle quickly backtracked on her eagerness, insisting she held no special interest in Bruce whatsoever despite her transparent behavior suggesting otherwise. The three friends shared amusement over julle¡¯s antics before wholeheartedly embarking on a night of carefree revelry.

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37 I¡¯m here for Sylvia


    Julie huffed, knowing denial was pointless with how obvious she had be. But still friends teasing her so bluntly for a crush was over the line!


    her


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to y anymore if you¡¯re going to be so mean. I¡¯ll drink by myself then,<b>¡±</b>she dered dramatically without actually budging from her seat. The hrious<b>bluff</b>just made Sylvia and Kellyugh harder.


    Jokes aside<b>,</b><b>a</b>years¨Clong bond allowed lighthearted ribbing. And while eager to ogle the eye candy, Julie now felt too self¨Cconscious with the others clued in. Sylvia and Kelly kept needling her<b>,</b>amusement growing.


    The second round of drinks arrived, momentarily distracting them. ncing outside, Sylvia¡¯s eyes met a familiar face passing by. Jonathan paused to greet her, but Sylvia looked away instantly, bodynguage closed¨Coff.


    Surprised by the frigid brush¨Coff after their friendly history, Jonathan figured Sylvia¡¯s temper remained foul after the Cyril fiasco. Still, they should at least be cordial acquaintances able to exchange pleasantries.


    Just then, Jonathan noticed Sylvia leaning flirtily on another man, seeming extremely intimate. Shocked, could messy breakups with both Cyril and Sylvia stem from them not being exclusive after all?


    Unsure what was happening but wanting photographic proof, Jonathan stealthily pulled out his phone when the server next exited the room. Snapping a few quick pictures despite forgetting to disable his sh, Jonathan ducked away just in time before Sylvia noticed.


    Safely back in his own room, Jonathan examined the images with satisfaction. They clearly showed Sylvia cozied up without tonically with that unknown guy. Grinning, Jonathan sent them off to Cyril straightaway.


    <b>¡°</b>Some ex¨Cwife you got there, already cuddling new men right after your split. Makes me wonder whose fault the divorce really was- maybe you both weren¡¯t so faithful, eh?¡± Jonathan mocked, eager to see Cyril¡¯s reaction.


    The sh alerted Sylvia and Kelly someone was photographing them. Checking the hall only<b>to</b>find it empty, they brushed it off without worry whoever it was would gain nothing


    from the harmless images.


    Meanwhile Julie, oblivious to the incident, just whined at them to keep drinking. The three friends continued their night ofughter and bondingte into the night before preparing to depart.


    Chapter 37 I¡¯m here for Sylvia


    Right as they stepped out<b>,</b>none other than Cyril stormed up furiously. Kelly bristled, ready to ignore. to unleash years


    of pent¨Cup violent urges at this infuriating man. But Sylvia choc<b>Cyril</bpletely, insisting they just leave.


    Unwilling to be brushed off, Cyril aggressively grabbed Sylvia¡¯s arm to confront her privately. Sylvia shook him off in disgust.


    ¡°What the hell is wrong with you? If you have issues,<b>go</b>get help<b>!</b>¡± she snapped.


    Seeing Sylvia carefreely posing with another man so soon after their split had sparked jealous outrage in Cyril. He knew nothing about her social circles, having ignored them when married.


    Confused why he even cared post¨Cdivorce, Cyril had still impulsively rushed over upon getting Jonathan¡¯s pictures, unsure what he aimed to achieve.


    Yet Sylvia¡¯s open hostility provoked his simmering temper even more. How dare she act like he was a stranger and unt her intimacy with other men right in front of him! Did she think so little of him now?


    ¡°Who¡¯s that guy? Did you leave me for him? I told you there was nothing between Karen and I that should threaten your status. But you were the unfaithful one all along!¡± Cyril used angrily.


    ¨C you have zero say Sylvia justughed coldly. ¡°Let me make this crystal clear personal life now. Who I associate with is none of your business!¡± inText content ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 38

    Chapter<b>38</b>Targeted


    Sylvie would usually try to exin her rtionship with Kelly to Cyril<b>,</b>but now that they were over and she was so disappointed in Cyril, she didn¡¯t even want to bother.


    ¨C


    Cyril and Sylvie no longer had any rtionship, yet he came over demanding answers from her. There had never been an ounce of trust between them in their marriage theck of trust had been their<b>biggest</b>issue all along<b>.</b>


    Sylvie¡¯s reaction cut Cyril deeply. Furious that she was being so uncooperative and refused to exin what was going on, Cyril hadn¡¯t expected this from Sylvie at all.


    ¡°Wow, so you don¡¯t think you owe me any exnation huh? Tell me then, what role does he y in our marriage? Did he cause our divorce? What do you get out of being with him instead of me?¡±


    ¡°And what did I get out of being with you? You were always obsessed with Carina, causing problems in our marriage, never taking it seriously. Why should I take you seriously?¡±


    Sylvieughed bitterly. What nerve did he have interrogating her like this, when he was the one who had messed up their marriage?


    ¡°You can¡¯t even handle your own issues, so don¡¯te pestering me. Have you dealt with the Carina situation? You keep grilling me but never look at your own problems. Why did we get a divorce in the first ce? Do you have no self¨Cawareness?¡±


    Sylvie shoved Cyril angrily after her retort. She walked over to Kelly<b>,</b>deliberately putting her arm around Kelly¡¯s waist as they headed out.


    Kelly and Juliette nced back at Cyril as they left, enjoying his stormy expression after being put in his ce. It was too amusing seeing Sylvie¡¯s ex¨Chusband so worked up.


    ¡°Well well, look who can get Cyril all riled up. Now I really believe you¡¯ve moved on. But why did<b>he</b></dive looking for you anyway? Was it because of me?¡±


    Kelly asked Sylvie as they walked away.


    Sylvie nodded. ¡°That photo must have been taken by Jonathan. He sent it to Cyril, who thought you were the third party in our marriage. That¡¯s why he came demanding if I divorced him for you.¡±


    ¡°Howughable. Cyril was the only one who had<b>an</b>affair in your marriage, yet he tries to me everything on you.¡±


    <b>Upon</b>hearing this, Juliette rolled her eyes. Whether Kelly was male or female wasn¡¯t the


    Chapter 38 Targeted


    issue Cyril¡¯s attitude was infuriating. He never examined his own faults first when


    ¨C


    problems urred, only seeking to assign me onto others.


    Sylvie sighed in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t bother with him. He can¡¯t even resolve the Carina situation himself yet still wants to harass me. We¡¯re already divorced, why does he think I still owe him anything<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>


    The three women vented about Cyril as they got into their respective cars and headed home.


    cause even mor But Sylvie had no idea that Jonathan giving those photos to Cyril would trouble. The next morning, she had just woken up when her phone blew up with calls from


    Bruce.


    <b>¡°</b>You awake? What¡¯s with those online rumors about you? Is someone intentionally targeting you?¡±


    Still groggy, Sylvie had no idea what Bruce was talking about and struggled to grasp


    situation.


    the


    ¡°How much did you three drinkst night? I¡¯m asking about those online posts iming you were intimately close with another man. They¡¯re saying it was an affair, and that¡¯s why Cyril divorced you. Public opinion haspletely turned against you now.¡±


    Initially, many people sympathized with Sylvie over the divorce. But after this rumor emerged, instead of sympathizing, public sentiment was that Sylvie had gone overboard.


    Finallying to her senses, Sylvie hastily checked the posts on her other phone. Reading through them, she couldn¡¯t help butugh bitterly.


    She had really underestimated Jonathan. To think he would share those photos online and im she was improperly involved with another man, insinuating it had gone on for a long time, even during her marriage.


    It was practically stating outright that she and Kelly had an inappropriate rtionship, leading to her divorce from Cyril. The implications were clear, even if worded tactfully.


    ¡°Only we know Kelly is a woman, but whoever leaked those photos


    but whoever leaked those photos was definitely trying to target you. Who did you manage to upset? Do you need me to help resolve this?<b>¡±</b>


    ¡°No need. It¡¯s not as bad as you think. I can handle it myself.¡±


    If it was someone else, Sylvie might be more concerned. But since it¡¯s Kelly, she doesn¡¯t care. Kelly is a real woman after all, she just dresses more androgynous. Those people have no credibility in attacking her with this.


    ¡°So what¡¯s your n?¡±


    Chapter 38 Targeted


    3/3


    <b>¡°</b><b>I¡¯ll</b>let this simmer for now. That way the eventual twist will have more impact.¡±


    Bruceughed ambiguously upon hearing Sylvie¡¯s scheme. He didn¡¯t expect his sister to be so cunning, wanting to stoke the mes for a while before putting them out.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    But that¡¯s not a bad idea when people keep targeting you.


    ¡°Well if you already have a n, I¡¯ll leave you to it. But you should check in with Kelly¡¯s family, see how they want to handle this.¡±


    After all, this impacted Kelly too. No telling how her family feels¡­

 Chapter 39

    Chapter<b>39</b>Scandal


    Who knows how angry Kelly felt seeing those photos this morning. She couldn¡¯t believe her rtionship with Sylvie was being distorted like this.


    What was that photographer thinking? You can clearly tell Kelly is a woman. Yet they take these misleading pictures to imply something inappropriate between them.


    What inappropriate rtionship? They¡¯ve known each other for so long. If anyone has an inappropriate rtionship<b>,</b>it¡¯s Cyril with someone else. What does that have to do with her? ¡°That jerk went too far insulting me like that. He must not be afraid of me teaching him a lesson!¡±


    Sylvie didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. She knew Kelly could be dramatic but didn¡¯t expect her to be this upset.


    ¡°Calm down, calm down. I just got a call from my brother. Do you want to deal with Cyril now or let this simmer more before we get back at them?¡±


    Sylvie tried to pacify Kelly.


    When Kelly first saw those photos she was ready to attack Cyril. Thankfully she had some self¨Ccontrol left and called Sylvie first. Hearing Sylvie¡¯s suggestion helped ease her anger slightly since she wasn¡¯t taking Cyril¡¯s side.


    ¡°What¡¯s your n? Also, you know the photographer right? Please tell me you have dirt on


    him.¡±


    Sylvie chuckled. More than just dirt, she knew a lot about Jonathan.


    ¡°I know plenty.¡±


    That short statement fully satisfied Kelly. If that was the case then she¡¯ll wait for Sylvie¡¯s


    counterattack.


    ¡°Fine. I expect a satisfactory answer from you. If not, don¡¯t stop me from taking matters into my own hands.¡±


    After they hung up, Sylvie mused over this wonderful gift from the heavens.. She¡¯ll have to take full advantage and not rush to resolve this immediately.


    She got ready and headed to work, though the rumors online were spreading too rapidly. All sorts of gossip about her was circting.


    The gossip grew increasingly outrageous from various sources. Though no one dared say


    anything to Sylvie¡¯s face, she chose to ignore the hearsay.


    Julie<b>came</b>to work today too. Furious upon hearing the rumors, she tried<b>to</b>confront the gossipers several times only to be held back by Sylvie.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you angry? What they¡¯re saying is way<b>out</b>of line. You can¡¯t just let this go!¡±


    Julie was exasperated. She knew Sylvie was waiting for the right chance to strike back. But even so, she can¡¯t just sit by watching her reputation get shredded, right?


    Sylvieughed wryly. Who said she was ignoring this? After the recent fermentation online, she¡¯d been bombarded with relentless verbal abuse. Meanwhile Cyril hadn¡¯t said a word, likely convinced that she was behind this whole fiasco.


    That¡¯s why Sylvie prepared a special gift for those two.


    ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Sylvie grabbed Julie¡¯s hand and walked into her office. As Vice President she had her own office now instead of sharing with Bruce. Plus there were some things she didn¡¯t want Bruce knowing since she started this mess herself. Naturally she had to resolve it on her own.


    Julie was still upset but also curious what Sylvie had in store. So she followed her into the office. Sylvie took out a file and handed it to Julie.


    ¡°Take a look.¡±


    Julie flipped through a few pages before her eyes went wide. She didn¡¯t think it was a big deal before but this was shocking. Way more interesting than the current gossip about Sylvie online. She couldn¡¯t wait to see people¡¯s reactions when Sylvie releases this.


    ¡°When do you n on leaking this stuff?¡±


    ¡°I already did, half an hour ago.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Julie immediately whipped out her phone. She had to see what was happening online¡­


    After Sylvie leaked everything, Kelly immediately reacted to boost her response to the top trending posts, ensuring maximum visibility.


    For a while, they saw just how promiscuous Jonathan was, cavorting with other women even the day before his wedding. And after he married, he continued frequenting shady establishments, abandoning his wife again and again. He even forced her to get an abortion at one point.


    <b>andale</b>


    secure I resources for her,


    Chapter 39 Scandal


    and all kinds<b>of</b>things the leaked documents contained extensive details.


    3/3


    Especially during his marriage, Cyril went on several ¡°business trips¡± that turned out to be secret rendezvous with Karina instead<b>.</b>There were photos of them dining intimately like a pair of lovers, when he was supposed to be a married man.


    After the document dump, Sylvie posted a photo of herself with Kelly and wrote:Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    <b>¡°</b><b>I¡¯ve</b>always believed people should have the freedom to choose whether to be a gorgeous girl or a handsome girl. If even that freedom getsbelled by others, then there must<b>be</b>some malice in their hearts¡­As for Mr. Jonathan secretly photographing us and spreading rumors without consent, Kelly and I have chosen not to pursue the matter this time. Consider this a mild warning. I hope Mr. Jonathan can mind his own business instead of


    scrutinizing others ¨C he¡¯s no cleaner. I also ask Mr. Cyril to have himself. Rumors fade


    before the wise any issue should be examined from one¡¯s own conduct first before ming others.¡±


    After posting this long tirade, Sylvie calmly logged off.


    But her reveal was too shocking. By dropping it at the peak of the public frenzy towards her, then methodically backing it up with evidence, shepletely turned the tables.


    Kelly instantly re¨Cposted it all, pairing the documents with photos of her evolution from long haired beauty to short haired handsome girl.


    She w


    She was effectively endorsing Sylvie¡¯s counterattack.

 Chapter 40

    Chapter<b>40</b>Everyone Condemning


    When these statements came out, it shocked everyone. They didn¡¯t expect the truth to be like this had they misunderstood Sylvia?


    In no<b>time</b><b>,</b>public opinion turned against Jonathan. Everyone online was cursing out Jonathan and Cyril.


    Although they didn¡¯t really understand how this rted to Cyril, since Sylvia exposed it, it must have to do with him.


    So even though Cyril didn¡¯t do anything, because of Jonathan¡¯s reckless actions, he was caught up in the online bacsh too.


    The most obvious impact was on both families¡®panies, which faced direct consequences. Seeing all this, Cyril felt an immense headache. He quickly reacted, apologizing online.


    [Cyril: Regarding Ms. Sylvia¡¯s statements, parts of it are true. The fallout was due to my oversight, which led to the severe damage to Sylvia¡¯s reputation. I sincerely apologize here, and will learn from this incident and properly ask Jonathan to apologize.]


    Cyril didn¡¯t deny what happened in the past. But in his view, he and Caroline had no other rtionship. However, he knew that excessively exining their rtionship online wouldn¡¯t convince people.


    Cyril was used to handling things perfectly, never leaving any handles. So he wouldn¡¯t keep exining the past, as that could leave more negative impressions.


    He figured Sylvia was furious he didn¡¯t stop Jonathan¡¯s misdeeds despite knowing about them. That¡¯s why she exposed everything. But he truly never expected Jonathan¡¯s privateUpstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    escapades.


    Although many still cursed Cyril after his apology, his timely response salvaged his


    reputation somewhat. Plus, Cyril had solid business acumen, sobined with PR tactics, his side basically avoided further issues.


    While Cyril was fine<b>,</b>things weren¡¯t good for Jonathan at all.


    Seeing the online posts, Jonathan panicked. He admitted being scummy, keeping ties with certain women after marriage. But he never outright betrayed his marriage. Yet now his wife asked for divorce over this incident!


    Theirs was a business marriage; divorce would damage both families. But his wife requested it without hesitation, indicating she found the situationpletely uneptable.


    Since divorce was major<b><i>,</i></b>Jonathan expected her family would refuse. But not even 30 minutes after the news broke<b>,</b>they<b>called</b>saying they¡¯d terminate all cooperative ventures and partnerships ¨C the marriage was over!


    Jonathan was dumbfounded that they actually wanted divorce. Furious that he never wanted marriage in the first ce and now had no say in divorce either, he refused<b>to</b>agree no matter what.


    His wife¡¯s side was even more nonchnt. Disagree all he wants, they¡¯ll just drag things out until the divorce finalized.


    After this incident, Jonathan¡¯s familypany was also greatly impacted, not to mention his own reputation lying in tatters. He became the target of public vitriol.


    Everyone online hurled abuse at Jonathan, condemning him for bullying others with a mere photo and his past disrespect toward his wife.


    With the photos leaked, Jonathan had a pounding headache. Family and media endlessly called demanding what he nned to do.


    Left with no choice, Jonathan ran to Cyril. But apologizing was absolutely impossible.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to bow your head. You didn¡¯t even verify that photo before releasing it and causing this huge mess. Now you don¡¯t want to apologize?¡± Cyril was shocked hearing Jonathan refuse to back down, still convinced he did nothing wrong.


    saw it.


    No matter how Cyril apologizing was Jonathan¡¯s only option now. Yet he clung stubbornly to the matter. What¡¯s more, given Sylvia¡¯s other evidence, were Jonathan him, he would never provoke Sylvia right now. He would sincerely apologize so the matter could pass<b>,</b>since they were indeed at fault first here.


    Hearing Cyril say this, Jonathan stared in disbelief.


    ¡°What nonsense are you spewing?¡± Jonathon fumed. ¡°Don¡¯t you know I only did this for your sake? Did you see Sylvia gloating as if she¡¯d gained some leverage over me? So what if I have to divorce? I couldn¡¯t care less about this marriage anyway. And after all she¡¯s put you through, you just apologize at the drop of a hat? Aren¡¯t<b>you</b>selling yourself short? I¡¯m telling you<b>,</b>give her an inch and she¡¯ll take a mile. You absolutely cannot back down on this!


    <b>Cyril</b>rolled his eyes in exasperation. ¡°Look, if you don¡¯t want to apologize, fine. But don¡¯t<be</b>crying to me. I just managed to smooth things over and now people will use us of scheming against Sylvia behind the scenes if you keep this up.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far. So what<b>if</b>you divorce? You can¡¯t stand to see her suffer a little? And


    Chapter 40 Everyone Condemning


    now you want me to apologize? I¡¯m telling you there¡¯s no way I¡¯ll apologize for this<i>!</i><i>¡±</i>Jonathon was dead set on fighting Sylvia to the bitter end, not just for Cyril¡¯s sake, but for<b>his</b>own as well.

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41 Continued Smears


    <b>¡°</b>When<b>you¡¯ve</b>yed yourself, don¡¯te crying to me,<b>¡±</b>Cyril dismissed without even looking up from his work.<b>¡°</b>Now if that¡¯s all<b>,</b>get out and stop bothering me.¡±


    Jonathon had reached his limit. Since Cyril refused to help, he¡¯d take matters into his own


    hands.


    <b>¡°</b><b>Just</b>you wait and see. I¡¯ll turn this around and unlike<b>you</b><b>,</b>I¡¯ve got nothing<b>to</b>hide all<b>these</b>years<b>.</b>I¡¯ll dig up dirt on you!¡± Jonathon dered as he stormed<b>off</b>, determined<b>to</b>uncover Cyril¡¯s supposed misdeeds.


    But Cyril made no attempt to stop him, confident of his spotless history with Sylvia over their years of marriage. Her divorce request had shocked him enough without Jonathon¡¯s


    <b>antics</b>.


    That afternoon, Jonathon issued a public statement stubbornly refusing to apologize and using Sylvia of equally shady behavior¨Chow else could she have obtained so much evidence against him?


    The absurd excuse earned him another barrage of outrage. People now attacked both Jonathon and hispany without restraint. Conscious consumers even boycotted his products.


    Still undeterred, Jonathon hired a private investigator to tail Sylvia. But after considerable pressure and expense, the detective only confirmed her routine of home, work and asional mundane errands these past years, devoid of any scandalous entertainment.


    Jonathon was baffled. How could someone live such an abnormally uneventful personal life?


    Just then, he received an unexpected call from Bonnie. ¡°I can help get what you want on Sylvia<b>if</b>you¡¯re behind those online posts. Want to hear my idea<b>?</b>¡±


    Jonathon nearly dismissed Cyril¡¯s sister given her dodgy track record abroad that he¡¯d tactfully overlooked out of brotherly loyalty. However, Bonnie clearly shared his resentment of Sylvia. With no dirt from the investigator<b>,</b>perhaps she could provide ammunition against<b>his</b><b>sister</b>¨Cinw<b>.</b>Jonathon recorded the<b>call</b>just in case before responding.


    ¡°What have<b>you</b>got? Cyril wants me to apologize to Sylvia after the fallout, but I¡¯ve endured<b>public</b>outrage these past days tailing his wife only to find she¡¯s led an utterly dull<b>life</b>centered around him. Yet you want to target her? Quite interesting given she¡¯s treated<b>you</b>well enough.¡±


    Bonnie scoffed as though he¡¯d said something ridiculous. ¡°Treated me well? If so, she


    Chapter 41 Continued Smears


    2/2


    wouldn¡¯t have exposed me and earned Cyril¡¯s rebuke. I¡¯m offering to help since I know you<b>have</b>evidence<b>too</b>. But<b>if</b>not, no need to continue this chat<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    Jonathon itched to y Bonnie¡¯s words for Cyril. If he heard his own sister, he¡¯d surely flip the table in outrage. How could siblings of the same family differ so drastically<b>?</b>Cyril built<b>his</b>career while the only notable thing about his sister was herck of any redeeming quality.


    ¡°Using your brother¡¯s gun I see. But I understand your implication dear sister, no need to speak in riddles<b>.</b>I¡¯m not stupid to miss your meaning<b>.</b>¡± Jonathonzily rebutted.


    Flustered at being seen through, Bonnie gritted her teeth<b>.</b>¡°So do you want the evidence or not<b>?</b><b>I¡¯ll</b>give it<b>to</b>someone else if not.


    Eager to<b>cut</b>to the chase, she pressed Jonathon for a clear answer. Either he wanted her ammunition against Sylvia or they had nothing more<b>to</b>discuss.


    <b>¡°</b>Show me first<b>.</b><b>If</b>it¡¯s useful<b>I¡¯ll</b>take it, otherwise don¡¯t me me for not warning you. Digging up dirt on Sylvia is pointless once she gets pregnant. Don¡¯t drag me into your schemes.<b>¡±</b>Jonathon cautioned.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Bonnie scoffed again at his cowardice before hanging up and sending over a file of photos. But Jonathon¡¯s brows furrowed when he opened it. His intelligence felt insulted.


    The images only showed Sylvia chatting innocuously with strangers<b>in</b>public, likely staged. Nothing remotely scandalous. Were all the brains in the family inherited by Cyril while Bonnie got only an empty shell?


    Jonathon swiftly deleted the useless pictures. But first he could show them to Cyril.

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42 Sylvia¡¯s Warning


    The next day<b>,</b>more<b>¡°</b>expos¨¦s¡± about Sylvia trended online, this time directly from Jonathon<b>himself</b>rather than<b>the</b>media.<b>His</b>petty revenge knew no bounds.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    When Sylvia saw it at her desk<b>,</b>sheughed in disbelief<b>.</b><b>¡°</b><b>Is</b>he insane? How can he call this proof?<b>It¡¯s</b>a joke at<b>best</b>. Shameless to present this nonsense as evidence.¡±


    Juliette had shown her boss the posts, knowing Sylvia was too busy with work to notice such online drama herself. ¡°I know, right? Some gullible people actually believe his ims that you met<b>other</b>men and cheated on Cyril! Ridiculous. Aren¡¯t you going to do something?¡±


    Sylvia shook her head, unruffled. ¡°Jonathon couldn¡¯t have dug this up himself. Someone must be helping him. Find out who.¡± She had suspected Bonnie but wanted proof.


    Juliette grinned, having expected this and already prepared the information. ¡°Way ahead of you!¡± She presented her findings with relish. ¡°Interesting, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Seeing Bonnie¡¯s involvement, Sylvia decided Cyril needed a warning to control his sister, or she might take matters into her own hands. Juliette chuckled at the thought of Sylvia disciplining Bonnie.


    Sylvia removed Cyril¡¯s number from her cklist and called him directly. He sounded when he finally answered, still dealing with Jonathon¡¯s fallout damaging hispany. Another call from Sylvia surely meant more trouble for him to resolve.


    weary


    ¡°Remember ourst chat? I said handle your people instead of always running to me. What¡¯s the deal with Jonathon? If those posts were only for my viewing, stop wasting time. Last warning<b>¨C</b>rein in your sister or I¡¯ll personally mentor her.¡± Sylvia gave an ominous ultimatum before hanging up.


    Cyril¡¯s frown deepened, recalling Jonathon¡¯s unread ¡°evidence¡± that he¡¯d now regret. Clearly<b>,</b>this went deeper than he thought. Opening the email<b>,</b>Cyril saw it contained a recording.


    Hearing Bonnie proposition Jonathon to target Sylvia using photos she provided, Cyril flushed angrily. His sister¡¯s vendetta over his rebuke was as foolish as her plot against someone out of her league. How had slippery Jonathon been outmaneuvered by Sylvia¡¯s unknown capabilities? Even her divorce terms exceeded Cyril¡¯s expectations.


    Realizing Sylvia¡¯s restraint with this final chance to avoid direct intervention, Cyril rushed out without finishing work, demanding updates from his assistant about his wife and sister¡¯s recent activities. Only Bonnie¡¯s unexined nightly absences bothered him now.


    Chapter 42 Sylvia¡¯s Warning


    <i>2/2</i>


    Overhearing of Bonnie¡¯s impudence, Cyril sneered. ¡°So she stays out all night now? Gone wild after years abroad it seems and forgotten her way home.¡± He strode off, assistant hurrying behind.


    Chapter<b>43</b>Obliterated


    When<b>Cyril</b>found his foolish<b>sister</b>Bonnie the next morning after her night out clubbing, his sudden presence made her shriek.


    Bonnie was furious at first for the rude awakening<b>,</b>ready to reprimand<b>the</b>intruder<b>,</b>until realizing it was her brother<b>.</b>Unlike others, she¡¯d feared Cyril since childhood, obeying his every word and avoiding anything he forbade. So Bonnie could read his expressions clearly. ¡°What¡¯s going on brother?<b>You</b>woke me up right after I got back from partying all night,¡± she asked nervously<b>,</b>clutching her nket to her chest and not meeting his eyes.


    Noting how she concealed herself, Cyril¡¯s brow twitched but he spared his adult sister¡¯s dignity by not yanking away the covers.


    <b>¡°</b>Do you ever consider the damage your online antics with Jonathon could bring ourpany? The trouble it invites?¡± Cyril kept his voice calm, hoping to reason with his grown sister. But Bonnie seemed oblivious to the gravity of her deeds, even daring to talk back to her angry brother.


    ¡°It¡¯s just payback for them forcing you to marry years ago. And I don¡¯t see the issue with exposing the truth?¡±


    ¡°You consider everyone a fool? Those photos clearly show random polite exchanges, yet you present it as evidence? I think the booze has pickled your brain. As of today, you¡¯re confined home without ess to your cards or money until you¡¯ve reflected. I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t bother calling for help this time.¡±


    Cyril stormed off, fuming. His exit made him realize Sylvia had always acted strangely around his family, as if hiding something. He¡¯d dismissed it as mere ipatibility that led to arguments, never considering Sylvia¡¯s home life over the years.


    Now his own sister and friend targeted her with such practiced ease. Had Sylvia endured unseen troubles that shaped her retaliation? Cyril felt regret for the first time.


    Enraged at losing her freedom and cards, Bonnie threw a tantrum destroying her room. Finding the doors locked, she grabbed her phone to call Sylvia. How dare that woman run to her brother! She would put Sylvia in her ce!


    Sylvia was surprised to receive Bonnie¡¯s call, having forgotten to re¨Cblock her number. But she smiled as Bonnie¡¯s shrieking rant reminded her of the family¡¯s impending misery.


    ¡°Tell your brother I warned if he couldn¡¯t discipline you, I would. His family will now pay dearly for this call and your past behavior towards me.¡± Sylvia calmly promised

 Chapter 43

    Chapter<b>43</b>ObliteratedText content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When<b>Cyril</b>found his foolish<b>sister</b>Bonnie the next morning after her night out clubbing, his sudden presence made her shriek.


    Bonnie was furious at first for the rude awakening<b>,</b>ready to reprimand<b>the</b>intruder<b>,</b>until realizing it was her brother<b>.</b>Unlike others, she¡¯d feared Cyril since childhood, obeying his every word and avoiding anything he forbade. So Bonnie could read his expressions clearly. ¡°What¡¯s going on brother?<b>You</b>woke me up right after I got back from partying all night,¡± she asked nervously<b>,</b>clutching her nket to her chest and not meeting his eyes.


    Noting how she concealed herself, Cyril¡¯s brow twitched but he spared his adult sister¡¯s dignity by not yanking away the covers.


    <b>¡°</b>Do you ever consider the damage your online antics with Jonathon could bring ourpany? The trouble it invites?¡± Cyril kept his voice calm, hoping to reason with his grown sister. But Bonnie seemed oblivious to the gravity of her deeds, even daring to talk back to her angry brother.


    ¡°It¡¯s just payback for them forcing you to marry years ago. And I don¡¯t see the issue with exposing the truth?¡±


    ¡°You consider everyone a fool? Those photos clearly show random polite exchanges, yet you present it as evidence? I think the booze has pickled your brain. As of today, you¡¯re confined home without ess to your cards or money until you¡¯ve reflected. I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t bother calling for help this time.¡±


    Cyril stormed off, fuming. His exit made him realize Sylvia had always acted strangely around his family, as if hiding something. He¡¯d dismissed it as mere ipatibility that led to arguments, never considering Sylvia¡¯s home life over the years.


    Now his own sister and friend targeted her with such practiced ease. Had Sylvia endured unseen troubles that shaped her retaliation? Cyril felt regret for the first time.


    Enraged at losing her freedom and cards, Bonnie threw a tantrum destroying her room. Finding the doors locked, she grabbed her phone to call Sylvia. How dare that woman run to her brother! She would put Sylvia in her ce!


    Sylvia was surprised to receive Bonnie¡¯s call, having forgotten to re¨Cblock her number. But she smiled as Bonnie¡¯s shrieking rant reminded her of the family¡¯s impending misery.


    ¡°Tell your brother I warned if he couldn¡¯t discipline you, I would. His family will now pay dearly for this call and your past behavior towards me.¡± Sylvia calmly promised


    consequences before hanging up.


    Juliette walked in<b>to</b>find Sylvia reviewing an old proposal. ¡°I thought you said that project wasn¡¯t viable months ago due to unrealistic scope and venues. Why consider it again now?<i>¡±</i>


    ¡°I was leaving them room<b>to</b>save face after the divorce. But since they prefer no mercy, be it. Rather than tolerate their provocations,<b>I¡¯ll</b>just obliterate their entire family<i>.</i><i>¡±</i>Juliette grinned wickedly. ¡°About time they got their color. y nice and they just remain shameless. Show them iron fists so they know who not to mess with!¡±

 Chapter 44

    Chapter<b>44</b>Snatching<b>the</b><b>Project</b>All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    <b>In</b><b>the</b>conference<b>room</b><b>,</b>several people sat discussing ns<b>for</b>uing projects.


    <b>¡°</b><b>Thoughts</b>on pursuing Jimmy Estate? I think we should make it<b>our</b>next main development if no objections<b>,</b><b>¡±</b>Ingrid suggested while presenting documents outlining the proposal.


    ¡°Though thend area is substantial for demolition and rebuild,<b>I</b>rmend this alternative<b>,</b>¡± Sylvia countered, showing her own file<b>.</b>¡°It¡¯s adjacent to the new train station, in an old housing district closer to downtown<b>¨C</b>very attractive location for homebuyers despite the sluggish market. We considered this long<b>ago</b>when Bruce was avoiding conflict with Cyril¡¯s interests. But after all this time unable to secure the deal, it shows Cyril<b>still</bcks capability<b>.</b>¡±


    Ingridughed derisively. ¡°Are you joking? We looked into this before but couldn¡¯t make it happen for various reasons. Now you act like it¡¯ll be easy if we try again?¡±


    Sylvia looked puzzled. ¡°If you considered it once, why not revisit it? We¡¯d just be snatching a project from someone else. Does ourpany not have the capital to outbidpetitors?¡± Her daring words left them speechless. While possible for theirpany to acquire the development by oupeting opponents, it could appear malicious.


    Bruce finally spoke up. ¡°Stealing others¡® business could be seen as predatorypetition.¡±


    Everyone conceded he had a point. Such a massive undertaking was set to break ground with anotherpany soon. Hijacking it now seemed suspicious.


    But Sylvia knew the project should have begun construction a month ago. Cyril¡¯s efforts had stalled while distracted by Karena¡¯s scandals.


    ¡°Why assume predatory intent? The fact it hasn¡¯t started on schedule shows thatpany isn¡¯t capable. Why leave a project to those unfit to execute it timely?¡±


    Her rationale made sense. Letting ipetents keep the lucrative deal helped no one. Who cared about ethical appearances when profit was at stake?


    Bruce eyed Sylvia meaningfully. ¡°Are you certain you want to seize this? It may require greater sacrifice.¡±


    He was surprised she¡¯d suggest a venture originally granted to Cyril. But Sylvia just smiled.


    ¡°It was already ours to begin with. We¡¯re simply reiming it by any means necessary.¡±


    Her confidence and determination marked a departure from the marriage. Bruce grinned,


    Chapter 44 Snatching the Project


    pleased at the<b>positive</b>changes in<b>his</b><b>once</b><b>docile</b><b>sister</b><b>.</b>


    2/2


    <b>¡°</b>You have a point, it was ours first. Let¡¯s take it back then.<b>¡±</b>Bruce stated decisively<b>after</b>gauging the room. Though initially stunned<b>,</b>none could deny the value<b>of</b>resuming such a rewarding project.


    <b>¡°</b>What do we think then? No issues taking this back under our control for greater profit?¡±


    They¡¯d evaluated immense earnings potential before abandoning it previously. Reviving such an advantageous scheme now would surely yield returns exponentially.


    ¡°I<b>agree</bpletely.<b>¡±</b>


    ¡°What agreement? We¡¯d sacrifice more to seize this now. What¡¯s the point?¡± Ingrid alone<b>objected</b>.


    Sylvia eyed her calmly. ¡°If you have personal rather than collective, business¨Cminded objections<b>,</b>state them clearly. This guarantees profit well above costs for thepany. Don¡¯t let your grudge deny immense earnings at thepany¡¯s expense if you can shoulder the losses. But Jimmy Estate offers far too little.¡±


    Her irrefutable rationale left Ingrid speechless once more.

 Chapter 45

    <b>Chapter 45</b><b>Going</b><b>official</b>


    Ingrid¡¯s ugly expression showed her displeasure at<b>the</b><b>group¡¯s</b>disagreement. She was stunned anyone would oppose her suggestion<b>,</b>much less reject it outright.


    If resuming this venture was good now, why had no one spoken up when it was previously abandoned? They just kowtowed<b>to</b>Bruce and Sylvia¡¯s closeness<b>,</b>leaving<b>others</b><b>voiceless</b>.<b>Yet</b>they readily fawned over Sylvia again now. Revolting.


    ¡°It¡¯s settled then, we¡¯ll proceed with this project,¡± Bruce concluded, hammering down the decision<b>.</b>Everyone else smiled agreeably<b>,</b>delighted at the prospect. Only Ingrid remained visibly unhappy as the meeting adjourned.


    Bruce asked Sylvia to stay behind and questioned her resolve once alone. ¡°I thought you¡¯d let this go. Pursuing it today seemed like a passing impulse. But you¡¯re truly set<b>on</b>snatching this from Cyril?¡±


    Knowing her temperament all too well, Bruce still doubted Sylvia¡¯s determination, fearing she might waverter and leave them stranded.


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ve made up my mind. Why shouldn¡¯t I reim what he gained from me over the years? I won¡¯t dwell on the past but do need to teach him a lesson after recent unsatisfactory handling. He must learn what forces not to provoke. Losing a couple projects he couldn¡¯t<b>have</b>gotten otherwise should serve as fitting retribution.¡±


    Cyril was no pushover but utterly overpowered by greater dynasties like theirs. This venture had been the Ivanovs¡® initial choice before tossed as refuse that Cyril picked up. He could prevail among peers but never up the hierarchy.


    Bruce grinned and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve set things in motion to seize the project. Also, your second brother announced hiseback concert tour this morning. imed it was just work schedules when I called but we know it¡¯s because he misses you and wants to visit.¡±


    Sylvia brightened at the news. ¡°Second brother is the best! But he called you first? Hmph. Ask him to leave me tickets for his show so we can go together.¡±


    Bruce quirked a brow skeptically. ¡°You sure he¡¯d reserve tickets for you under your name? Better call yourself or he won¡¯t bother.¡±


    Her estranged brother surely resented Sylvia now and wouldn¡¯t indulge requests through


    Bruce.


    <b>¡°</b><b>You¡¯re</b>right.<b>I¡¯ll</b><b>call</b>second brother then. But he won¡¯t yell at me for being crazy and


    marrying that man right?¡± Sylvia asked nervously<b>.</b>Her brother¡¯s acid tongue notoriously


    Chapter 45 Going fea


    ripped into anyone. His temper<b>explosions</b>left no<b>bystanders</b>unscathed, even passing dogs<b>berated</b><b>.</b>


    Bruceughed<b>heartily</b><b>.</b><b>¡°</b><b>Didn¡¯t</b><b>he</b><b>already</bst<b>time</b><b>you</b>nned that wedding<b>?</b>This<b>will</b>just<b>be</b>reruns<b>of</b><b>the</b>same scoldings.<b>Why</b>so worried now when it never<b>bothered</b>you before? Guilty conscience<b>?</b>¡±


    Sylvia sighed reluctantly<b>.</b><b>¡°</b>Of<b>course</b>I¡¯m guilty now! Last<b>time</b>I could im insanity but I¡¯m sober and sensible<b>so</b><b>the</b>criticism terrifies me<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    ¡°Fine<b>,</b><b>I¡¯ll</b><b>call</b>him<b>after</b>work and hope<b>he</b><b>goes</b>easier this time.<b>¡±</b>She braced herself for the inevitable confrontation.


    Seeing her resignation, Bruce onlyughed louder, drawing curious nces from employees outside the ss conference room unused to such mirth from the formidable tycoon.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Sylvia scowled and threatened to make him stop but Bruce just kept shaking his head while trying to restrain his chuckles.


    <b>¡°</b>Enough! Get back to work and call your brother already. Best strike early rather than waiting longer right?¡±


    Agreeing the sooner she called, the better, Sylvia exited Bruce¡¯s office and first noted their official website announcing the stolen development ns shrouded in diplomatic wording. Industry insiders easily inferred the Ivanovs¡® next ruthless move. But none daredment, knowing challenging them was beyond reckless.


    Settling into her office, Sylvia steeled herself and called her brother atst. He deliberately let it ring awhile, clearly intent on aggravating her more before answering with blistering profanity.


    Though initially stunned speechless, Sylvia started giggling at the expected vitriol, finding her brother¡¯s reliable temper as endearing as always.

 Chapter 46

    <b>Chapter 46</b><b>Fair</b>Competition


    ¡°What work?<b>You</b>imed nomitments<b>when</b>I called this morning. And if so busy, how¡¯d<b>you</b>answer my<b>call</b>instantly anyway<b>?</b>Just admit you still care despite the harsh front, ¡°Sylvia retorted affectionately<b>.</b>


    ¡°Believe whatever makes<b>you</b><b>feel</b><b>better</b><b>,</b>sister. Know<b>I¡¯m</b>doing very well at the familypany now, already at VP level thanks to recent sess. Once established, I¡¯ll fund your biggest world tour ever!¡± She hoped to make her brother proud.


    Balk went silent, weighing her bold statement¡¯s authenticity before scoffing skeptically.


    <b>¡°</b><b>You</b>expect me to take your word as assurance of such a senior promotion? I¡¯ve learned not to trust<b>your</b>tall tales anymore. Besides, didn¡¯t you forbid any involvement from me back when insisting on that disastrous wedding? Consider us estranged.¡±


    Her thoughtless words still pained Balk. He had always doted on his beloved little sister, reserving front row concert seats facing him specially for her. Yet his cherished sibling cast family aside for another man, leaving him heartbroken.


    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry, brother. I was terribly rude and irrational back then. But I¡¯ve changed, focused solely on advancing my career to redeem myself.¡±


    Sylvia desperately wanted to make amends for wounding her most caring brother. Hearing her remorse, Balk regretted maintaining distance, though she had brought this upon herself.


    ¡°Well, since you im reform, I¡¯ll move past grievances. But obviously you didn¡¯t call just for apologies. Out with it then.¡±


    Trust her brother to see through any pretense to her underlying motive. He¡¯d spoken to Bruce that morning so likely guessed Sylvia¡¯s aim already.


    ¡°Bruce mentioned your uing tour. Can you leave me front row tickets? I want to support you properly this time ¨C with banners, light sticks, cheers, everything!¡±


    Sylviaughed, expecting her brother¡¯s characteristic sarcasm before ultimate indulgence of her request.


    Sure enough, Balk scoffed, ¡°And why should I arrange anything for you? Go fight for tickets yourself if so eager.¡±


    Before Sylvia could respond, Balk hung up, leaving her shaking her head in amusement. She knew despite his prickly words, he¡¯d personally deliver tickets when her cherished brother inevitably relented, never neglecting her expressed wishes.


    Chapter 46 Fair Competition


    212


    <b>After</b>finishing that personal<b>call</b><b>,</b>Sylvia resumed working, only to have an irate Juliette soon


    intrude<b>.</b>


    <b>¡°</b>Jonathon not only refuses apology but attacked our website statement of stealing the development. Cyril also messaged querying our intent.¡±


    Sylvia nced up impatiently amidst her tasks. ¡°Ignore Jonathon. Those partnerships will shut down anyway. Tell Cyril it¡¯s just fair marketpetition. If he disputes, he¡¯s wee to contend openly as well. May the best bidder win. Otherwise, silentpliance.¡±Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Juliette left grinning, eager to issue those bold replies. Sylvia agreed to her informing the others about securing concert ticketster. But she declined wasting time meeting Ingrid, rebuffing the waiting woman¡¯s requested audience outside her office.

 Chapter 47

    Chapter<b>47</b><b>May</b><b>the</b><b>best</b><b>win</b>


    <b>Ingrid</b><b>seethed</b>at being denied entry due to inadequate credentials. As former<b>VP</b><b>,</b>she¡¯d essed Sylvia freely<b>.</b>Everyone kowtowed now that the scheming temptress had seduced Bruce into appointing her.


    Ingrid had expected that<b>VP</b>role after years of dedication. Yet Sylvia swooped in to steal the prize. She could never swallow such humiliation.


    Noting Juliette¡¯s exit<b>,</b>Ingrid hurried after her and insisted on an urgent business meeting. She¡¯d waited vainly long enough outside that office.


    Juliette made no pretense of pleasantries with this woman she disliked. ¡°Sorry<b>,</b>but she¡¯s<b>too</b>busy now for pointless chats. State your issue<b>or</b>just get back to work.¡±


    ¡°This concerns thepany so watch your tone! I¡¯ll report your insolence!¡± Ingrid threatened.


    Juliette scoffed<b>,</b>unintimidated. ¡°Company business my foot. But please, tell the big boss. Then we¡¯ll see who can¡¯t stay after all.<b>¡±</b>


    Rather than cower before Ingrid¡¯s backers, Juliette dared her toin. Juliette would readily tattle first to Bruce about any troublemakers. Why pretend her best friend wouldn¡¯t soon assume control? She had no qualms settling scores immediately.


    Recognizing Juliette indeed had such influence, Ingrid bottled her temper to avoid self- destruction. But she refused resigned eptance.


    ¡°Quite bold. Let¡¯s see how long thatsts once I remove Sylvia. Then you¡¯ll both stop strutting around!¡±


    Juliette paused, acknowledging Ingrid¡¯s prediction reasonable. Sylvia would hardly remain VP long before further promotion since Bruce clearly favored her.


    ¡°Correct, Sylvia won¡¯t keep this position long. But she¡¯d never be ousted by you. You¡¯re far from recing her.¡± Juliette just smiled slyly and returned to work, ignoring Ingrid¡¯s presence like the other unsympathetic employees. Most weed someone finally standing up to the insolent shareholder¨Cexecutive.


    Seething at Juliette¡¯s snub, Ingrid stalked off impotently. By afternoon, damning expos¨¦s about Jonathon¡¯s family andpany surfaced online, ensuring thorough humiliation.


    With his enterprise precariously positioned, Jonathon desperately called Cyril again for help. But Cyril just reiterated apologizing as the sole solution, else worse would follow.


    Chapter 47 May the best win


    2/2


    ¡°How did Sylvia be so<b>ruthlessly</b>capable<b>after</b><b>the</b>divorce? She never demonstrated<b>such</b>skills<b>before</b>!¡± Jonathon<b>couldn¡¯t</b><b>grasp</b>this overnight transformation.


    His puzzled statement also reminded<b>Cyril</b>of overlooking Sylvia¡¯s situation. Indeed, her amplified prowess hinted at long<b>¨C</b>concealed talents. Had hepletely misjudged her<b>real</b><bpetence</b>all<b>this</b>time?


    <b>¡°</b><b>My</b>only options now are apology or waiting this out?¡± Jonathon asked anxiously.


    <b>¡°</b>You can try thetter,<b>¡±</b>Cyril conceded unconvincingly beforepsing into troubled silence<b>.</b><b>He</b>couldn¡¯t predict when Sylvia might relent. What if she intended their<b>utter</b>copse first?


    While Jonathon agonized over groveling for forgiveness, Cyril desperately strategized retaining their lucrative partnership. The Ivanovs clearly outmatched him ifpeting freely. Last month¡¯s dys left this opening for them to exploit.


    He must swiftly resolve this and satisfy stakeholders counting on the deal. Except the initial<b>selection</b>had defaulted to the Ivanovs, whoter permitted Cyril¡¯s involvement. Why suddenly revert?


    A startling realization crossed Cyril¡¯s mind about Sylvia¡¯s intimate closeness with Bruce. Had Bruce only abandoned the n for his sister¡¯s sake? Impossible for the pragmatic<b>tycoon</b><b>¡­</b>unless romantic motives overruled reason.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    <b>Cyril</b>was at an utter loss. Progressing blindly could prove catastrophic.

 Chapter 48

    <b>Chapter</b>48 A<b>Public</b>Apology


    Jonathan had always refused to apologize to Sylvia<b>,</b>which was causing their familypany<b>to</b>deteriorate. Everyone wanted him to swallow his pride and apologize so that things could move past this incident.


    At the very least, apologizing could help salvage theirpany. Any grudges could be<b>settled</b>another time<b>¨C</b>there was no need to fight for some fleeting satisfaction now.


    But Jonathan was an extremely stubborn man. The more people told him to do something, the more he resisted.


    During the years that Sylvia was married to Cyril, Jonathan had been meek and subservient, never daring<b>to</b>confront them directly.


    Needless<b>to</b>say, Sylvia had been so submissive in front of Cyril. Jonathan saw her as beneath him and could not bring himself to apologize to someone so pathetic.


    Plus, when they had gotten married, Jonathan had mocked and ridiculed Sylvia relentlessly<b>.</b>Now being asked to personally apologize to someone he had looked down on was too much for his pride.


    He felt his whole family was deliberately trying to humiliate him and make him lose face.


    Even Cyril came as a mediator, asking Jonathan to simply apologize to Sylvia.


    <b>¡°</b>Why should I apologize to her? What exactly did I do wrong here? If she hadn¡¯t done those things<b>,</b>why would there be photos in the first ce? It just shows what kind of woman she<b>is</b>. I was standing up for you!¡± Jonathan insisted.


    In Jonathan¡¯s mind, Cyril had suffered immense grievances by marrying Sylvia. With Cyril¡¯s status, he could have found someone much better. Their marriage must have been Sylvia¡¯s


    machinations.


    Now that Sylvia felt she had the upper hand, she was targeting their family. As if Jonathan would swallow his pride and let that happen!


    Cyril¡¯s face darkened. He used<b>to</b>feel their marriage was a hardship to endure, but looking back over the years, it was not much different than not being married at all.


    In their marriage, Sylvia was more like a vase that obediently stayed in the home.


    ¨C


    a unimportant but indispensable decoration


    Sometimes Cyril would use Sylvia to resolve problems, both in business and at home. Bringing her out served to mitigate many issues.


    Chapter 48 A Public Apology


    <b>So</b>it wasn¡¯t<b>entirely</b>urate<b>to</b><b>say</b>Sylvia was<bpletely</b>useless<b>to</b>him.


    <b>Jonathan¡¯s</b>words<b>were</b><b>nothing</b>Cyril hadn¡¯t heard<b>before</b><b>,</b><b>but</b>for some reason they rang<b>false</b>now.<b>Perhaps</b>because recently Cyril realized<b>some</b>things were not what he expected.


    ¡°<b>If</b><b>you were</b>standing up<b>for</b>me, there¡¯s no need. I can stand up for myself if<b><i>I</i></b>want<b>to</b><b>get</b>back at someone<b>.</b><b>You</b>shouldn¡¯t<b>get</b>involved<b>,</b>especially since<b>you</b>created this situation<b>yourself</b>. Isn¡¯t it only right Sylvia would retaliate<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>


    <b>If</b>Cyril was in Sylvia¡¯s shoes<b>,</b>he would definitely be angry too before the truth came out, and would strike back even harder.


    <b>So</b>he felt Sylvia¡¯s reactions now showed some restraint out of consideration for his face<b>.</b>


    ¡°How can<b>you</b>stand up


    for Sylvia now? You used to have such a different attitude about her.<b>Just</b>because<b>you¡¯re</b>divorced, suddenly you care about her feelings? Don¡¯t go too far!¡± Jonathan felt betrayed that Cyril had taken the other side when he was doing this for both their sakes.


    <b>Cyril¡¯s</b>face darkened further. ¡°If you had actual proof she wronged me, that would be one thing. But those photos you leaked clearly show her just greeting or helping a stranger. Do<b>you</b>take people for fools?¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Listen,<b>if</b>you don¡¯t apologize now, things are only going to get worse for your family¡¯spany<b>,</b>¡± Cyril said inly, too tired to continue pleading. ¡°Sylvia is giving you a chance<b>to</b>save face. If you apologize, yourpany might not be theughing stock. You can¡¯t let it crumble just because of your stubbornness.¡±Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Jonathan wanted to argue more but knew the recent downturn at hispany was bad. If things kept declining, thepany would be in real trouble.


    ¡°Alright, I get it,¡± he said begrudgingly. ¡°No need to lecture me anymore.¡±


    Cyril felt unappreciated aftering to offer genuine advice. He should have just stayed


    away.


    ¡°Do it quickly<b>¨C</b>Sylvia¡¯s at the Ivan Group now. They have a charity ging up that she¡¯ll probably attend. Apologize to her there, but don¡¯t make a scene. And mean your apology,<b>got</b>it?¡±


    Cyril felt drained from refereeing their messy conflict. He just wanted to help smooth things<b>over</b>but they keptplicating it.


    Jonathan waved dismissively, still annoyed that he had to humble himself with a public apology. But fine, if that¡¯s what it took<b>to</b>fix hispany¡¯s mess, so be it.


    Chapter 48 A


    blic Apology


    3/3


    <b>Cyril</b><b>left</b><b>after</b><b>that</b>,<b>having</b>said his piece<b>.</b><b>He</b>had work<b>to</b>do and Jonathan was<b>an</b>adult<b>,</b>after<b>all</b>.<b>No</b>need<b>to</b>babysit<b>him</b>.


    The Ivan Group did have<b>a</b>charity g nned, holding<b>one</b>annually<b>to</b>donate<b>significant</b>sums. The g doubled as a fundraising event.


    Given the prominence of the Ivan name<b>,</b>everyone wanted ess once word got out. Whether to actually contribute or simplywork, attendees had personal reasons<b>for</b>going.


    The event day arrived and guests streamed in<b>,</b>mingling for business opportunities even amid the altruistic air.

 Chapter 49

    <b>Chapter</b><b>49</b><b>Tank</b>his<b>business</b>


    Jonathan had<b>been</b>scowling ever since<b>he</b>arrived at the charity g<b>,</b><b>still</b>fuming that he had to apologize<b>to</b>Sylvia at the prestigious Ivan event.


    He<b>couldn¡¯t</b>understand her luck in cozying up with the Ivan empire. She didn¡¯t seem particrly<b>cultured</b>or impressive in the years she was married to Cyril<b>¨C</b>more like a housekeeper<b>,</b>obediently staying in her room and asionally going back home to<b>cook</b>.<b>What</b>was so great about her<b>,</b>other than being docile?


    Even though Jonathan knew he had to apologize<b>,</b>doing<b>so</b>to someone of Sylvia¡¯s station grated on him.


    Upon entering, he spotted Bruce with a woman on his arm ¨C none other than Sylvia herself. Bruce was carrying her bag, to the shock of onlookers unsure of her identity but surprised at their apparent closeness.


    Jonathan gritted his teeth<b>,</b>incensed that she had snagged Bruce so soon after divorcing<b>Cyril</b>. He had underestimated her cunning.


    ¡°Behave yourself!¡± his father hissed, noticing his son¡¯s threatening demeanor. Causing trouble around Bruce would have consequences.


    <b>¡°</b>I know what<b>I</b>should and shouldn¡¯t do,¡± Jonathan huffed before stalking forward, his father unable to restrain him. This would not end well. The father hurried to find Cyril for


    help.


    Bruce and Sylvia observed Jonathan¡¯s approach, his re impossible to miss.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Bruce asked, deferring to his sister on handling the situation. She could let Jonathan off if she wanted, though Bruce would make sure he still paid a private


    price.


    <b>¡°</b>If hees to apologize, I¡¯ll forgive him,¡± Sylvia replied. ¡°But he ruined several of my overseas deals and embarrassed me. He won¡¯t get off easy.¡±


    Bruce doubted Jonathan would intentionally sabotage things here, but soon realized he had underestimated the man¡¯s audacity.


    Jonathan came right up to them<b>,</b>surrounded by several business partners chatting with Bruce. The men were puzzled by this rude interruption.


    Jonathan bowed dramatically before Sylvia and Bruce, both taken aback.


    <b>¡°</b><b>I</b>sincerely apologize for spreading false rumors without knowing the facts. I was wrong


    Chapter<b>49</b>Tank his business


    and hope you can<b>be</b>the<b>bigger</b>person and<b>forgive</b><b>my</b>family<b>.</b>¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    It was an earnest apology, apart from the audience<b>of</b><b>peers</b>.


    Bruce saw now that Jonathan had deliberately made<b>a</b>spectacle<b>.</b>Sylvia likely expected this attempt to publicly disgrace her into forgiving him<b>to</b>save<b>Ivan</b><b>face</b>.


    With a sharp smile, Sylvia responded,<b>¡°</b>Since<b>you¡¯ve</b>acknowledged your mistakes, I will forgive you<b>,</b><b>of</b>course<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    Jonathan smiled<b>too</b><b>,</b>confident she¡¯d have to take the high road surrounded by so many people. His intent was obvious.


    ¡°<b>Well</b><b>,</b>now that you¡¯ve apologized, I assume you can be on your way?¡± Bruce said coldly, irritated by the posturing.


    Inexplicably<b>,</b>Jonathan decided to further provoke Bruce. ¡°I¡¯d just caution you, sir, that thedy just divorced recently. You may want to console her.¡±


    A stunned silence followed, appalled at his daring to lecture Bruce about Sylvia¡¯s worthiness. ¡°Is divorce so shameful?¡± Bruce retorted. ¡°Wasn¡¯t your wife filing for divorce recently? A good woman not cherished shows faults in her past marriage, not herself. It¡¯s the ex- husband who likely needs consoling here.¡±


    Jonathan was shocked at Bruce¡¯s defense of Sylvia. Did he really favor her so strongly?


    <b>¡°</b><b>I</b>think that concludes today¡¯s event,¡± Bruce stated firmly before leaving with Sylvia and abandoning the g, no longer interested in charity facades.


    The remaining guests were confused by Bruce¡¯s dramatic exit and horrified at being left to deal with the fallout of Jonathan¡¯s troublemaking.


    Jonathan himself didn¡¯t know what to do. The others clearly med him for ruining things and expected consequences.


    When Cyril and Jonathan¡¯s father arrived to overhear Bruce¡¯s parting words, the father immediately copsed in rage and distress at his son causing such chaos.


    After the siblings left, Bruce made a call: ¡°Tank all of Jonathan¡¯s overseas deals.¡±

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50 His attitude


    The day after copsing from the overseas deals falling through, Jonathan¡¯s father fainted again upon waking and hearing more bad news. He was already overwhelmed trying to salvage both domestic and foreign businesses. He couldn¡¯t believe so much fell apart


    overnight.


    He wanted to ask Cyril for help but found him even busier, not intending to meet at all.


    Finally, Jonathan cornered Cyril after work, unable to endure anymore.


    ¡°Instead of bothering me, think about resolving this yourself,¡± Cyril replied bluntly. ¡°You brought it on with your offensive behaviorst night.¡±


    Though unaware of the exact details from the g, Cyril knew enough from the aftermath about Jonathan¡¯s inappropriate actions. Bruce¡¯s retaliation made sense.


    ¡°But you never said anything when I bullied Sylvia before,¡± Jonathan argued. ¡°Now you¡¯re suddenly defending her over our years of brotherhood? Don¡¯t tell me you regret how you treated her after the divorce. I¡¯m telling you any regret is pointless. Sylvia is in this situation now regardless, and it¡¯s got nothing to do with you!¡±


    Cyril looked at Jonathan strangely. ¡°What are you talking about? I never let you mistreat her. That was your own doing, so don¡¯t me me for it.¡±


    ¡°But your


    attitude conveyed approval of how I acted,¡± Jonathan insisted. ¡°You made it clear she didn¡¯t matter to you either way. If it wasn¡¯t for that, who would have treated her like this?¡±


    Jonathan¡¯s words gave Cyril pause as he carefully considered his past behavior towards Sylvia. He hadn¡¯t thought anything was wrong with his treatment of her. But if even Jonathan was criticizing him, could his attitude have been an issue?


    Reflecting back, he mostly disregarded Sylvia, keeping her at arm¡¯s length. Those around him read his emotions clearly. Once they sensed her unimportance to him, their treatment of her changed ordingly. So was hergely responsible for her suffering today?


    Cyril¡¯s expression darkened at the prospect. It had never urred to him that his indifference could spur so many consequences.


    Seeing Cyril¡¯s sudden displeasure, Jonathan worried about having spoken out of turn. ¡± What¡¯s wrong? Did I say something incorrect? You don¡¯t need to take it so seriously. You didn¡¯t consider her worth caring about when you married anyway¡­¡±


    ¡°Regardless of how I saw her, Sylvia was still my wife,¡± Cyril interjected.


    Chapter 50 His attitude


    713


    When they married, divorce had never crossed Cyril¡¯s mind. Marriage was for life in his eyes, If he wedded her then his duty was to fulfill thatmitment.


    So even if he disregarded Sylvia, separating was never his intent. How had things deteriorated to this point? While others undoubtedly yed a role by worsening tensions, weren¡¯t the fundamental issues due to his own failings?


    Cyril dared not consider further, fearing a loss of self¨Ccontrol if he did.


    Jonathan gaped in disbelief that such words came from Cyril. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you make that clear before? At least saying so would have made people respect your wishes and be more considerate of her. How could anyone know you never intended to divorce? We all assumed you married unwillingly.¡±


    This was painfully awkward. Everyone thought Cyril disliked Sylvia, leading to her mistreatment. Yet now he imed he never considered leaving her. How preposterous!


    Unable to respond, Cyril had never realized his deficiencies before. Unsure how to resolve this, he deflected, ¡°Deal with your own matters first, then talk about others¡®.¡±


    He promptly left without ncing back at Jonathan, who felt something was off but couldn¡¯t pinpoint what. With Cyril gone, he had no choice but to figure things out himself, though Cyril¡¯s reaction seemed oddly suspicious.


    Rather than going home, Cyril headed straight for a bar, gued by unwee thoughts that liquor might drown out. He felt awful, on edge.


    Suddenly, a familiar figure entered that he couldn¡¯t stop watching approach and sit next to him. ¡°Sylvia¡­¡± he uttered without thinking.


    She flinched at his voice, neither confirming nor denying her identity.


    Somewhat inebriated, Cyril started to reach out but caught himself, slumping over the


    counter instead.


    Having finally tracked Cyril¡¯s location, Carina was shocked to find him drinking over Sylvia. How could he still care for someone he also despised? When Cyril hated Sylvia as much as she did, why would he call Sylvia¡¯s name now?


    Taking a deep breath to steady her roiling emotions, Carina focused on what mattered ¨C she was the one by Cyril¡¯s side right now, not Sylvia.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    And after years of marriage, Sylvia had failed to earn Cyril¡¯s love, proof of her inadequacy. If shecked the capability, then she should step aside.


    Resolved, Carina helped Cyril up to a hotel room since they were above the bar. Cyril


    Chapter 50 His attitude


    awakened with a splitting headache and discovered Carina sleeping next to him.

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51 Uneptable


    <b>Cyril</b><b>was</b>a little shocked to see Karina there. His eyes involuntarily darted to the nket<b>¨C</b>nothing wrong, nothing happenedst night. That¡¯s a relief.


    <b>Cyril¡¯s</b>movement was a bit abrupt, and it woke Karina up. She rubbed her eyes and sat up to


    <b>face</b>him.


    ¡°Last night, I came to look for you and found you asleep at the bar, so I brought you up here, ¡°Karina exined straight away, her tone casual as if recounting a simple fact. ¡°I wanted to leave, but you kept holding onto me. I couldn¡¯t do anything about it.¡±


    Karina was actually quite frustrated. She had hoped for something to happenst night, but Cyril hadn¡¯t given her the chance. However, there wasn¡¯t much she could do about it now.


    She needed to maintain some level of significance in Cyril¡¯s life, so she had to find a way to make him think they had some kind of connection.


    Feeling a tad embarrassed by Karina¡¯s exnation<b>,</b>Cyril couldn¡¯t believe he had clung to her. But the person he vividly remembered seeingst night was Sylvia, not Karina. Shaking his head, he decided not to dwell on it any further.


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Cyril said, trying to hide his awkwardness.


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ve got work to do, so I should head out. And you should head home too. Things have


    and mostly settled; still, you should consider going abroad. It¡¯s a better fit for your career, staying here might give people the chance to hold things against you for the next couple of years.¡±


    Deep down, Cyril knew the issues in his marriage to Sylvia werergely linked to Karina, something he hadn¡¯t realized before. He wasn¡¯t quite clear on his motives, but he guessed he just wanted some things to gradually get back on track.


    Karina froze, feeling a sharp sting at his words. Was Cyril pushing her away? The decision seemed final and out of her hands. Grinding her teeth, she replied,<b>¡°</b>I can¡¯t leave just yet. International pop star, Barker, ising for a concert soon, and mypany wants me to be a guest star. It might give me a boost, whether I stay here or go abroad.¡±


    ¡°I need to wrap up my work here before I can consider leaving. If I don¡¯t, I¡¯ll owe thepany a lot of money, and I don¡¯t want to trouble you any further.¡±


    Cyril paused, then, without rejecting her reasoning, he simply agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Karina¡¯s face could barely muster a smile. Cyril seemed heartless on one hand, but on the other, he was still looking<b>out</b>for her reputation. Yet if he really cared, he wouldn¡¯t beAll content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    61


    Cyril dressed and left, his clothes still reeking ofst night¡¯s drinks. He decided to go home, take a shower, and change before heading to work.


    As for Karina, she had made the story up on the spot without much thought. The idea of her actually bing Barker¡¯s guest artist seemed daunting. Everyone knew Barker had a strong character, and thepany couldn¡¯t really control him due to the massive sess he brought them.


    Gritting her teeth, Karina realized since she had spoken, she must find a way to truly be a part of Barker¡¯s concert, or else she truly would have to leave, Gaining Barker¡¯s support would be ideal.


    Karina immediately called her manager, who had been dealing with her mess. Upon hearing her voice, the manager was irate.


    ¡°Why are you calling me? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve caused enough trouble? Do you have any idea how much I¡¯ve had to smooth things over because of you? From now on, you better behave. If you stir up one more problem, I don¡¯t care who¡¯s behind you, I¡¯m done with you for good.¡±


    Karina was stunned by her manager¡¯s harsh words but was resolute in her request. ¡°Can you get me on stage with Barker? If I pull that off, Cyril might continue to support me.¡±


    The manager couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re that important? Barker doesn¡¯t need you! He controls thepany and can boost any of the numerous talents under him. Why would he choose you, wrapped up in scandals?¡±


    ¡°And you think that simply performing with Barker will make Cyril divorce Sylvia? If you can pull it off, go ahead. But otherwise, don¡¯t bother me with impossible favors.¡±


    Karina was deeply ufortable with her manager¡¯s mocking tone but knew she had little choice. ¡°You¡¯d better find a way, or else I¡¯ll tell Cyril everything. Even if he¡¯s losing patience with me, he should know that you forced me into this, and you yed a part too. Let¡¯s see if he lets you off the hook then.¡± 1


    The manager panicked at the thought of Cyril finding out. This risk could spell the end of his career. He gritted his teeth and said with finality, ¡°Fine, you¡¯ve pushed me far enough. This is thest time<b>I¡¯ll</b>help you. But even if it works, I¡¯m not promising anything. This might be the end of our contract.¡±

 Chapter 52

    Chapter<b>52 Just</b><b>Anybody</b><b>?</b>


    Katrina¡¯s agent really didn¡¯t want to help her. He was well aware<b>of</b>the trouble she had stirre up and that assisting her might tank his own career in the industry. But<b>at</b>the same time, he knew that most<b>of</b><b>the</b>messes Katrina found herself in were actually orchestrated by thepany and him. Katrina always had her eyes on the prize, wing her way to the top was her main objective<b>,</b>and that¡¯s why she had gotten her hands dirty in the first ce.


    she was,


    afto


    Bulk me after him that


    <b>all</b><b>,</b>just a fading starlet on the He wasn¡¯t really scared of Katrina herself brink of oblivion.<b>It</b>was her potential to spill the beans on Cyril and really worried him. And yet, if Katrina could team up with Bulk, maybe there was onest chance to exploit her fame¡­ 1


    While Bulk wasn¡¯t known for being a pushover, the agent couldn¡¯t shake the thought that maybe just maybe¨Cit was worth a shot to try and negotiate something. Bulk was stubborn and set in his ways, after all. If he found out they wanted to pair him with Katrina, a non- professional singer, he surely wouldn¡¯t be thrilled.


    Pondering the situation gave the agent a headache, but eventually, he decided he had no choice but to dial up Bulk¡¯s rep and test the waters. Agents had each other¡¯s numbers, so reaching Bulk¡¯s agent, Mike, wasn¡¯t unusual. Everyone knew that partnering with Bulk required the man¡¯s own approval, and without it, any dealings were dead in the water.


    ¡°Hello, what¡¯s up?¡± Mike answered, his tone far from inviting.


    Since joining the business, Mike had forged a path from obscurity to a top¨Ctier agent, always at Bulk¡¯s side, climbing to a rank where he was second to none.


    ¡ª


    she¡¯s eyeing ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you, Mr. Mike. It¡¯s about Katrina¡¯s concert appearances Bulk¡¯s uing show. Given her clout in the showbiz<b>,</b>I¡¯m sure you realize a coboration could be beneficial for both¡­¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Mike cut him off before he could finish.


    ¡°Hold your horses. You seem to be misunderstanding something. If Bulk is to coborate, it¡¯s got to be with another singer. You think we¡¯re just waiting for anyone from showbiz to waltz into Bulk¡¯s concert like some sort of charity case?¡±


    ¨C


    Back in the day, stars from all corners especially film and TV ¨C wanted to hop on the Bulk express, and it grated on him. Bulk had a rule: only real singers allowed on his stage. Otherwise, were theying to coborate, or were theying to mess things up?


    The agent, sensing the growing awkwardness, tried to y it off, ¡°Well<b>,</b>you see, before moving to TV, Katrina actually started out as a singer. It¡¯s just that she realized her talents


    <b>were</b>more suited for acting¡­¡±


    ¡°Cut the crap,¡± Mike snapped, ¡°<b>She</b>just found out she can¡¯t sing. If that¡¯s<b>all</b>you¡¯ve<b>got</b>, then I don¡¯t see a point in talking further.¡±


    With that, Mike hung up. Who did they think they were<b>,</b>thinking they could work with Bulk without even fulfilling the basic criteria? It was a joke.


    After the call ended abruptly, Mike<b>,</b>fuming, threw his phone on the ground. The name Katrina rang a bell. He seemed to remember someone mentioning it to him before.


    Curious, he searched Katrina¡¯s name online, and what he found


    ¡°ade his stomach turn.


    she must¡¯ve been at her wit¡¯s end.


    No wonder she wanted a coboration so desperately ¨C she


    was happily writing songs, apparently sailing


    Mike didn¡¯t waste any time finding Bulk, who away from his troubles. Mike knew Bulk¡¯s family background, and so when he heard that Bulk¡¯s sister had gotten a divorce, he wasn¡¯t just surprised; he was pleased. Why should such an amazing woman stay with a lousy guy?


    ¡°Someone called about a cob at your uing concert,¡± Mike ryed.


    Bulk, in a good mood, nced over, ¡°Who¡¯s looking to team up? You know my rule ¨C they gotta be a singer first.¡®


    ¡°It¡¯s Katrina.¡±


    ¡°Any Tom, Dick<b>,</b>or Harry wants to work with me now? Who is this Katrina?¡­¡±


    Bulk was about to lose temper, but then the name clicked. Seeing Mike¡¯s expectant look, Bulk knew why. Fiercely protective of his sister, how could he just let it slide when she had been wronged?


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s her. Let here. I want to see who¡¯s bold enough to have messed with my sister.¡±


    A sinister smile spread across Bulk¡¯s face, and seeing his reaction, Mike knew Katrina was in for trouble. He actually relished informing Bulk, knowing it would spell disaster for her.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s settled? I¡¯ll make the arrangements for her guest appearance. Anything else you need me to prepare?¡±


    With a nod, Bulk gave the go¨Cahead, ¡°Get my brother to dig up some dirt on that woman. I want solid proof. If she dared to mess with my sister, she¡¯s about to learn what it feels like to be called out in public.¡±


    Bulk¡¯sugh was cold as ice. Anyone who crossed him learned that the hard way. If it weren¡¯t for Sylvia¡¯s stubbornness, he¡¯d have acted sooner.


    Chapter 52 Just Anybody?


    3/3


    Mike left to make<b>the</b>preparations<b>,</b>dialing up Bruce to get the<b>ball</b>rolling. Katrina¡¯s storm was just starting<b>to</b>brew.

 Chapter 53

    Chapter<b>53</b>Bruce¡¯s Arrangement


    Sylvia had been nailing it at worktely<b>,</b>despite the fact that her efforts to outdo<b>Cyril</b>in business were making her workload skyrocket. Yet, she couldn¡¯t help but<b>revel</b>in the whole affair; giving Cyril a taste<b>of</b><b>his</b>difort after years of her own was oddly satisfying.


    ¨C


    Stepping out of a meeting, Sylvia received a call from Bulk ¨C she hadn¡¯t spoken to him since her chat with Bruce about attending Bulk¡¯s concert. It seemed neither had reached out since since theirst encounter, and considering they hadn¡¯tmunicated in over three years Sylvia decided to get married it felt odd receiving a sudden call from her brother. Sylvia¡¯s heart raced with anxiety, unsure whether to answer or ignore the<b>call</b>.


    Juliet strolled by just then<b>,</b>finding Sylvia¡¯s panic¨Cstraight face<b>.</b>¡°What¡¯s up? You look so tense. Something wrong?¡±


    Sylvia handed Juliet her phone,pletely at a loss, ¡°What should I do? Should I answer or not? What if he yells at me?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that kind of normal for your older brother, especially about your marriage? You know how much he disapproved,¡± Juliet countered.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Sylvia opened her mouth but had noeback. What Juliet said was kind of like a punch in the gut, but not entirely incorrect. With a heavy sigh, Sylvia answered just before it went to voicemail.


    Bulk¡¯s voice came through,ced with sarcasm: ¡°Whoa<b>,</b>ying hard to get? Someone might mistake you for some high and mighty heiress.¡±


    Knowing her brother was still peeved, probably at her for answeringte, Sylvia scrambled, ¡± I¡¯m sorry, okay? I messed up. Just tell me what you need.¡±


    Taking a deep breath and lowering her guard, Sylvia went into apology mode. Push¨Cback was not an option unless she wanted to suffer the fallout.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s cut to the chase. I heard about the divorce. Now that you¡¯ve improved your judgment<b>,</b>I¡¯ve set you up on a blind date. He¡¯s already on his way<b>,</b>and you better not stand him up or I¡¯ll deal with you. Remember the mess from three years back? That¡¯s still not settled,¡± Bulk¡¯s ultimatum left Sylvia¡¯s head spinning.


    ¡°Bro<b>,</b>can we talk this through? That was my bad, but you can¡¯t keep hanging it over my head,¡± Sylvia tried to reason. She had just escaped one matrimonial disaster only to be ushered towards another blind date by her brother?


    ¡°I don¡¯t think your n is appropriate,<b>¡±</b>she finally mustered the courage to say, practically


    risking her life by defying him.


    Bulk¡¯s<b>voice</b>gained a yful edge,<b>¡°</b>Too bad, I¡¯ve already invited him over, and<b>if</b><b>you</b>bail, Dad will find out. He¡¯ll make<b>you</b>go anyway. Your move<b>.</b>¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± Sylvia stared wide¨Ceyed at her phone. Inviting the guy homeplicated


    things ¨C implications? It would practically hand her father just what


    did Bulk not realize<i>the</i>he wanted<b>,</b>someone to marry her<b>off</b><b>to</b>at the earliest.


    Bulkughed. ¡°So, are you in or out? If you¡¯re not going<b>,</b>be my guest and exin to Dad yourself.<b>¡±</b>


    Sylvia clenched her teeth, ¡°Fine,<b>I¡¯ll</b>go. But can you at least<b>call</b>him off?<b>If</b>Dad¡® up because of you, that¡¯s on you to fix.¡±


    gets wound


    ¡°I was just bluffing! He¡¯s not at the house. The location¡¯s set;<b>I¡¯ll</b>text you the address. Go and have a decent chat, got it?¡±


    What choice did Sylvia have? Bulk had spoken, and he was clearly out for a little sibling revenge for past grievances.


    Reluctantly, Sylvia agreed. But shock hit her when she saw who she was meeting ¨C none other than Mike, Bulk¡¯s right¨Chand man, looking as awkward as ever. She knew precisely why ¨C Bulk was ying matchmaker with his own motives in mind.


    Sylvia could hardly contain her annoyance. ¡°Really? He sends his own right¨Chand man to meet with me? This is too much. And does your being here mean he¡¯ll be showing up too?¡±


    Mike didn¡¯t y<b>coy</b><b>,</b>¡°Yeah, he¡¯s on his way. Maybe even home already. As for why I¡¯m here¡­ I¡¯m sure you can guess<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    KR


    Sylvia exhaled in resignation. It was just like Bulk to pull something like this a ssic


    revenge move.


    ¡°I¡¯m so mad. What¡¯s he trying to pull now? What¡¯s next on his agenda?¡± Sylvia demanded, knowing full well her brother had more than just this meet¨Cup nned.


    Sometimes, big brother¡¯s arrangements were more troublesome than the problems they


    were meant to solve.

 Chapter 54

    <b>Chapter 54</b><b>The Same</b><b>Old Refrain</b>


    Bulk<b>knew</b><b>his</b>sister well<b>enough</b>to<b>It</b>was the typical understanding<b>between</b>siblings orchestrate this meeting, but not to set her up on a blind date. After one bad marriage<b>,</b>he had no desire to push her into another<b>.</b>Instead, he felt she should remain<b>safe</b>at home, inheriting the familypany. With their brothers to protect her, she could live<b>a</b>blissful


    life<b>.</b>Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Mike recalled Bulk¡¯s words before leaving the house that day and felt a headacheing on. ¡°Here¡¯s the deal: Bulk didn¡¯t arrange any business<b>for</b>you. He just mentioned that he¡¯ll be starting his concert<b>tour</b>next month and wants you there. He¡¯s<b>got</b>you a front¨Crow seat.


    And well<b>,</b>that night your identity might be revealed Bulk¡¯s beentely, a bit¡­ hesitant, you know.¡±


    that you¡¯re his sister. You know how


    Although Bulk had insisted on privacy<b>at</b>the beginning<b>of</b>his career<b>,</b>not wanting his sister caught in the limelight, that incident three years back had really set him off, driving him to want to pull her into his fold more than ever.


    Sylvia couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the absurdity ¨C there was nothing much to fuss about, her identity woulde out eventually.


    ¡°Okay, I got it. Is there anything else?¡±


    After pausing, Mike decided to give Sylvia a heads¨Cup even though he hadn¡¯t nned on telling her. ¡°There¡¯s another thing. Yesterday, Katrina¡¯s agent called me, hoping to set her up as a guest at the concert. I initially refused, but Bulk agreed. It seems he¡¯s doing this to vent your anger toward her.¡±


    <b>1</b>


    Mike didn¡¯t mention that Bulk had already collected all sorts of dirt on Katrina, intent on bringing her down. It was all to shield Sylvia; she didn¡¯t need to know the details, just that Bulk had been harboring a grudge against Katrina for a long time.


    Sylvia blinked in disbelief<b>.</b>She hadn¡¯t expected her brother to go to such lengths.


    ¡°Katrina attending Bulk¡¯s concert as a guest? Doesn¡¯t she know her limits? Barely managing acting<b>,</b>now she wants to show up at a concert?¡±


    Regardless of her confusion, Bulk had made his decision. And the purpose of this concert wasn¡¯t to mingle with the likes of Katrina.


    ¡°I mean, using his concert to drag Katrina down<b>¡­</b>Isn¡¯t that a bit much? Bulk¡¯s a global superstar; he doesn¡¯t need to stoop so low.¡±


    Despite feeling it might not be worth the fallout, Sylvia considered whether she should try


    Chapter 54 The Same Old Refrain


    2/3


    convincing Bulk otherwise<b>.</b>But considering how he hadn¡¯t calmed<b>down</b>since<b>that</b>incident<b>three</b><b>years</b><b>ago</b><b>,</b>would he<b>even</b><b>listen</b><b>?</b>


    <b>¡°</b><b>You</b>know how hardheaded your brother is. Once he¡¯s decided, there¡¯s<b>no</b>changing his mind. He¡¯s already confirmed with them<b>,</b><b>probably</b>going to officially announce it next<b>week</b><b>or</b>just before the concert. I<b>don¡¯t</b>know why Katrina<b>is</b>doing this<b>,</b>but Bulk will not let this I chance<b>to</b>teach her a lesson<b>slip by</b>.<b>He</b>has<b>always</b>been willful. This isn¡¯t the first time he¡¯s


    stirred the pot<b>.</b>¡±


    Her friend¡¯s words rang<b>true.</b>


    ¡°Sylvia, what are you doing?¡±


    In the midst of her thoughts about Bulk¡¯s ns, Sylvia was interrupted by an angry voice behind her. Turning, she saw Cyril approaching with Jonathan trailing behind, wearing a look of eager anticipation to see Sylvia¡¯s misfortune.


    G


    Sylvia was at a loss for words why did she bump into Cyril and Jonathan everywhere she went? And every time, Cyril seemed to forget that they no longer had anything to do with


    each other.


    ¡°What are you doing? Do you know who this is? You¡¯re here dining with him, are you that desperate to associate with anyone?¡±


    Cyril could hardly contain his fury. Even though he knew Sylvia¡¯s presence here could merely be a friend¡¯s meetup or something of that sort, the sight of her with another man ignited a possessive rage as if something precious was being snatched away.


    ¡°Are you crazy? Who I associate with is none of your business. We have nothing to do with each other anymore. Let¡¯s get this straight ¨C we¡¯re divorced. I am free to socialize or befriend whoever I want. If you can¡¯t handle it, I wouldn¡¯t mind teaching you a lesson, in


    case Jonathan¡¯s teachable moments weren¡¯t clear enough.¡±


    Sylvia wondered if Cyril was just unbearable with a free schedule after she snagged that project from him. Why else would he be so obsessed with her?


    Cyril paled<b>,</b>confronted again with the reality that they had no rtionship. Yet, when she repeated those words, it still unsettled him; they didn¡¯t have to be foes.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing this on purpose, aren¡¯t you?<b>Just</b>because you can¡¯t stand what Jonathan is doing. He¡¯s apologized. If there¡¯s anything you¡¯re unsatisfied with, I¡¯m sure we can¡­¡®


    ¡°What can you do,pensate me? If I was after your money<b>,</b>why did I leave without taking a dime in the divorce? You know all I wanted was to escape our rtionship, and


    Chapter 54 The Same Old Refrain


    nothing more.¡±


    Sylviaid out her stance with<b>a</b>steely re. Did Cyril honestly think she was<b>in</b>need of money? Not likely.<b>If</b>there was anything Sylvia wasn¡¯tcking, it was bucks.

 Chapter 55

    Chapter<b>55</b>The<b>Offer to</b><b>Stay</b>


    After their confrontation, Cy aivo


    abruptly realized Sylvia might truly be penniless since her and<b>even</b>after their divorce<b>,</b>she hadn¡¯t asked for a single penny from him. In fact, his family¡¯s near brawl<b>over</b><b>the</bpensation they assumed they owed to Sylvia wasughable, considering she had left empty¨Chanded<b>,</b>taking nothing with her. Compared to his family¡¯s behavior, it seemed almost ridiculous, and Cyril didn¡¯t know how to face Sylvia anymore, knowing he might not have done anything wrong.


    time


    <i>on</i>


    <b>me</b><b>,</b>maybe


    ¡°You can¡¯t even articte a response,¡± Sylvia sneered, ¡°Stop talking and just stay home, will you? There¡¯s nothing between us anymore. Instead of wasting your me, you should figure out your own issues.¡±


    ¡°Instead of bothering me<b>,</b>why not help Katrina? I hear she¡¯s practically crawling to get on Bulk¡¯s concert lineup. After all she¡¯s done for you, you¡¯re wasting energy hassling me? Seems a bit heartless, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Sylvia¡¯sments caught Cyril off guard. He wasn¡¯t aware that news of Bulk¡¯s concert had reached her.


    Cyril, who didn¡¯t know Mike or his rtionship with Bulk, mistakenly thought Sylvia had gotten the scoop from Katrina herself. He¡¯d inadvertently discovered the messages Katrina kept sending to Sylvia over the years, and the photos led him to believe there was something more between them, though there wasn¡¯t. Frustrated and unable to stand the situation any longer, Cyril walked away, and Jonathan hastily followed, without uttering a word and leaving much unsaid.


    As Sylvia and Mike sat back in the peacefulness of the restaurant, Mike mused about something he¡¯d heard: Katrina was nning to move abroad. ¡°This must be Cyril¡¯s way of giving her an out. Perhaps he¡¯ll use this opportunity to negotiate terms with her. She¡¯s staying put, after all.<b>It</b>sounds to me like she¡¯s burned too many bridges domestically and her agency¡¯s ready to drop her.¡±


    Mike thought about Katrina¡¯s infamy and how the agency had a notorious reputation for pressuring their talent into unsavory acts. Mike dared not share this with Sylvia for fear of how Bulk might react.


    <b>¡°</b>That¡¯s interesting,¡± Sylvia mused. ¡°If she wants to stick around, let them be together. They can stay out of other people¡¯s business.¡®


    Once Sylvia returned home, she found Bulk lounging, far from his superstar persona. As she dropped her bag and faced him, Bulk, avoiding eye contact, turned his back to her, signalling his desire to remain silent.


    Sylviaughed, frustrated. ¡°Hey, listen, you don¡¯t get to just ignore me. If you have


    Chapter 55 The Offer to Stay


    something<b>to</b>do with me, why send Mike? Why can¡¯t you speak to me yourself?¡±


    2/2


    Bulk, visibly annoyed, finally turned around. ¡°And you, who do you think you are? After your marriage, you cut ties with me. What makes you think you¡¯re important enough<b>to</b>talk to me now?¡±


    The tense atmosphere took them back to the argument they had three years prior, making Sylvia nearly lose it.


    ¡°Still hung up on that, are you? Yes, I messed up, but do you really have to keep bringing it up? It¡¯s making me think my decision back then was incredibly foolish.¡± Her expressions shifted, eliciting a chuckle from Bulk<b>.</b>


    ¨C


    ¡°Oh, now even you can¡¯t stand the things you did back then. Look, I¡¯m not holding it against you I¡¯ll pin it all on Katrina. At the concert, make sure you perform well. Don¡¯t just go off with any man who sweet¨Ctalks you<b>.</b>Remember, you¡¯re the youngest daughter and the heir to the Ivans. Don¡¯t act foolish and get lost in ttery, alright?¡±


    Struggling with her pride, Sylvia had to admit she was in no position to argue, not with the actions of the past years under scrutiny.


    <b>¡°</b><b>I</b>was wrong, okay?¡± Sylvia said, exasperated, knowing Bulk wouldn¡¯t let her off the hook easily once he returned.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°Sure, admitting your fault is a start. Just follow my arrangement at the concert, and I¡¯ll forgive you. You¡¯ll join me for a song. If<b>you</b>don¡¯t show up, all bets are off.¡±


    Sylvia¡¯s heart sank hearing Bulk¡¯s proposition. Singing on stage with Bulk? She¡¯d never survive being swamped by his fans.

 Chapter 56

    Chapter<b>56</b>The New Song


    Bulk was fully prepared for his uing<b>concert</b>, for which he hadposed two new songs. These songs


    celebrated his sister Sylvia¡¯s newly found freedom from her troubled marriage. When Mike saw the lyrics<b>,</b>he couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    ¡°Although I know you wrote these songs to celebrate your sister¡¯s divorce, don¡¯t you think the lyrics are a bit too pointed? Calling her ex¨Chusband a beast seems a bit much, no?¡± Mike questioned.


    Bulk nced at Mike and huffed, ¡°Whose side are you on, anyway?<b>If</b>you¡¯re with me, then don¡¯t question it. I wrote these songs to rub it in his face. If you have a problem, keep it shut.


    <b>¼ÒÀï</b>


    Mike knew all too well about his boss¡¯s stubbornness. Bulk wouldn¡¯t listen to anyone else,


    and seeing the controversial lyrics had Mike worried.


    ¡°What about the music? How are you nning to write it, or are you bringing in someone


    else?¡±


    Bulk revealed his ns smoothly, ¡°I¡¯ll have Sylvia do it. The first songs she wrote were great,<b>so</b>why not let herpose the music for these two? Is there an issue with that?¡±


    Mike was taken aback. Writing a song that implied criticism about her ex¨Chusband was one thing, but having herpose the music was quite another, and seemed overly simplistic in its cruelty.


    Two dayster, Mike received a call from Sylvia.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure my brother doesn¡¯t want any changes to these lyrics?¡± she asked, baffled that their severed rtionship warranted songs with such content.


    Mike grimaced, realizing just how raw the lyrics were when faced with Sylvia¡¯s questioning.


    <b>¡°</b><b>If</b>you can get your brother to change his mind, I¡¯d be grateful,¡± he confessed. ¡°I think the lyrics are too harsh, but you know Bulk won¡¯t listen to me. It¡¯s best if you try talking to him.¡±


    Sylvia sighed, knowing full well the futility of such an endeavor<b>,</b>but decided to ept the songs as they were. If it meant releasing Bulk¡¯s lingering resentment and moving on, so beUpstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    <ol>


    <li>it.</li>


    </ol>


    The songs came together quickly with Sylvia focused onposing the music. She spent two full days perfecting the melodies.


    <b>Juliet</bughed about the situation,<b>¡°</b>I about died when I heard you were tasked with


    could</b>strong¨Carm<b>you</b>like this?<b>¡±</b>


    <b>Kelly</b>hadn¡¯t seen the lyrics<b>,</b>but she knew Bulk well enough to expect nothing ordinary from


    <b>this</b>concert.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you gonna try convincing him?¡± Juliet prodded.


    ¡°If I could, I would,¡± Sylvia replied resignedly, ¡°but let¡¯s be honest, the lyrics<b>basically</b>speak the truth.¡±


    With the conversation shifting, Kelly reminded Sylvia about an uing party Miranda and Duncan were throwing,<b>to</b>which Sylvia nodded, aware that their return after years abroad<b>was</b>a source of both excitement and trepidation.


    Juliet eagerly looked forward to their return, ¡°They<b>left</b>so abruptly, refusing even a


    goodbye, and now they¡¯re finally returning. When do they get back? We should go pick them up at the airport!¡±


    The backstory was that Duncan and Miranda, twins, were part of Sylvia¡¯s childhood. Duncan, in particr, had hidden feelings for Sylvia, and his decision to study abroad was partially in a bid to escape his unrequited love. Now, with Sylvia¡¯s divorce news, perhaps Duncan saw a


    second chance.


    Juliet teased Sylvia about Duncan¡¯s past affections<b>,</b>which Sylvia quickly dismissed, striving to maintain their friendship withoutplicating it further.


    With her business to run and the weight of her family¡¯s legacy on her shoulders, Sylvia knew romance was a distraction she couldn¡¯t afford. Kelly and Juliet could only sigh in agreement. For now<b>,</b>stability was Sylvia¡¯s priority.

 Chapter 57

    Chapter<b>57</b>Talent Scout


    They popped into their favorite<b>little</b>lounge bar<b>with</b><b>the</b>live<b>house</b>band setting up to y. The trio were regrs here,<b>so</b>the owner gave them a friendly nod as they slumped into a cozy booth in the main hall instead<b>of</b>opting for a private room.


    Heads turned as the stunning trio walked in; they were used to the attention and shrugged it<b>off</b>with<b>ease</b><b>.</b>


    ¡°So, what do you think?<b>¡±</b>Juliet pondered, remembering something important, ¡°When your brother¡¯s back in town and his concert¡¯s all set, we should totally snag some tickets.¡±


    ¡°When have<b>I</b>ever let you down with tickets? Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll get them<b>,</b><b>¡±</b>was the reassuring reply.


    Their eyes drifted to the band warming up. Juliet pointed at the lead singer,<b>¡°</b><b>If</b>I remember correctly, wasn¡¯t that guy on the keyboard before? What¡¯s he doing as the lead now? Did the old singer leave?¡±


    Kelly, familiar with the scene, quipped, ¡°Yeah, their former lead took off with another groupst month, leaving them shorthanded. This guy¡¯s got the best chops of the bunch<b>,</b>so he stepped up to the mic.¡±


    Juliet turned to Sylvia, ¡°Hey, how about you give it a shot? With your brother being who he is, I bet he¡¯ll want more than just a new song from you. You might end up singing a duet.¡±


    Sylvia¡¯s eyes widened in utter disbelief. Juliet chuckled, caught off guard by her own guess which turned out startlingly urate. ¡°Wanna give it a try first?¡±


    Sylvia mulled it over but dismissed the idea. ¡°Nah, my brother¡¯s the main act, not me. I¡¯ve had my share of the spotlight,¡± she reasoned.


    ¡°Bute on, perform a couple of songs for them. Notice how their eyes are practically glued to you? You used to help them out with a song or two back in the day,¡± Juliet nudged.


    Back when they used to hang out here more frequently, they had watched the band for years. Sylvia asionally got the itch to perform, and whenever she did, the ce would make a killing.


    While Juliet and Sylvia were talking, Kelly noticed something off about the band members on stage, a single nce screaming untold stories. They weren¡¯t running a charity here; patience for problems wasn¡¯t in abundant supply.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    But because they knew each other, Kelly mentioned it. Catching the eye of the lead singer, a connection was made, and Sylvia felt a sudden urge to stand.


    As she approached the<b>stage</b><b>,</b><b>the</b>excitement<b>among</b>the band was palpable<b>¨C</b>they had thought Sylvia<b>wouldn¡¯t bother</b>with them anymore<b>,</b><b>not</b>after so many years. But here she was<b>,</b>ready<b>to</b>step up.


    Once on stage, Sylvia took the mic<b>,</b>and the regr lead humbly returned to his keys. The crowd was always here for a good time, not particrly fussed with who was performing. But swapping in a more morous lead singer<b>definitely</b>captured their attention.


    It¡¯s a lounge bar, a ssy joint. Nothing outrageous would happen here, everyone was just getting their dose of surprise entertainment.


    Sylvia figured singing someone else¡¯s songs could beplicated and decided to perform her brother¡¯s hits instead. The band, having backed her up countless times, knew exactly what to expect and yed along perfectly. As the music started<b>,</b>the crowd ignited in anticipation of Bulk¡¯s famed tracks.


    Bulk, a global megastar, had a massive fan following. And right here in this lounge bar, they could feel the magnitude of his stardom through just a song¡¯s intro. As Sylvia began to sing, her exquisite voice filled the room. The song, one she had crafted for Bulk, resonated perfectly with the audience<b>,</b>fans or not, stirring excitement all around.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s Bulk¡¯s pull for<b>you</b><b>¨C</b>electrifying every room<b>,</b>like we¡¯re at his concert or something!¡± someone marveled as Sylvia single¨Chandedly took the lounge¡¯s vibe to new heights.


    The owner, recognizing the familiar voice, hurried<b>out</b>from his office. Seeing Sylvia on stage, he nodded in understanding<b>¨C</b>no wonder it¡¯s be so lively all of<b>a</b>sudden.


    After blessing the bar with two of Bulk¡¯s songs, Sylvia stepped down to a ripple of questions, confirming to the curious that indeed, she was a devoted fan. Within half an hour, she¡¯d exchanged contacts with at least twenty new friends, all bonded by their<b>love</b>for Bulk


    Cornered by the crowd, Kelly and Juliet watched, amused at Sylvia¡¯s newfound poprity.


    Finally, when thest of the excited fans dissipated, Sylvia, just about to quench her thirst, was approached by a gentleman with sses.


    ¡°Hello,<b>ma¡¯am</b><b>,</b><b>I¡¯m</b>Harold, a talent scout. I saw your performance¨Cthat was something special. Ever thought about breaking into the entertainment industry? With your talent<b>,</b><b>I</b>can assure you could make waves in the music world<b>¨C</b><b>your</b>sess could match even Bulk¡¯s,


    he proposed, seeing star potential in Sylvia¡¯s casual showcase.

 Chapter 58

    Chapter<b>58</b>Once<b>a</b>Street Punk


    After hearing Harold¡¯s words, Sylvia and the other two sat<b>in</b>silence. This was new territory for them ¨C Sylvia just came here to have fun<b>,</b><b>a</b>break from the daily grind. She couldn¡¯t help butugh at the idea. If she didn¡¯t have<b>a</b>job, maybe, just maybe, she¡¯d consider such an enticing offer.


    ¡°Sir, I think you got one thing wrong,¡± Sylvia finally spoke. ¡°Outshining Bulk isn¡¯t a walk in the park. First off, matching his talent is a tall order, and don¡¯t even get me started on his looks ¨C he¡¯s got universal appeal. Plus, each of his songs has its ownposer, and you know the legend he works with. So, to match Bulk¡¯s achievements, you¡¯ll need a team even stronger than his. Do you have that?¡±


    Harold beamed, ¡°Of course, our boss is Bulk himself!¡±


    This revtion threw the three women into deeper silence.


    Seeing their confusion, Harold was puzzled until Sylvia burst intoughter.


    <b>¡°</b>If you work for Bulk, then any coboration between us is even less likely. First, Bulk would never let me enter showbiz. And second, maybe you should get to know his family tree a bit better.¡±


    Harold was lost. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve only been on the job for a week. I don¡¯t understand what you mean. Could you exin?¡±


    Sylvia smiled. ¡°You might want to ask your seniors at thepany. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d love to


    on.¡± clear things up for you. Thanks for the chat today, but I¡¯ve got my own career to focus on.


    As the party disbanded, each went their separate ways. Sylvia, who used to rock through all- nighters with ease, felt dizzy heading to work after just e night.


    ¡°Why am<b>I</b>so tired after getting home before ten? I can¡¯t seem to find the energy,¡± Sylvia pondered out loud.


    Juliet, feeling sluggish herself, replied, ¡°Right? But hey, we got a partnership to talk about today. You ready?¡±


    Sylvia nodded with surety, ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it. We¡¯llnd this deal. The CEO and I he¡¯ll do me this solid. Plus, we¡¯re their best<b>bet</b><b>.</b>¡±


    go way back


    This newpany they nned to partner with was just getting off the ground, and folks were wary due to the CEO¡¯s shady past. So the alliance was a shocker. Juliet kept asking why, but Sylvia yed<b>coy</b><b>,</b>telling her to wait until they met him.


    Arriving at the conference room<b>,</b>the CEO from the new<bpany</b>was already waiting. Their past hups in business meant trust was<b>low</b>, and survival was at stake. Just keeping thepany afloat was<b>a</b>struggle, let alone managing<b>a</b>staff dependent on their paychecks.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    After an anxious hour<b>,</b>Sylvia strolled<b>in</b><b>,</b>apologizing for the dy caused by a road ident. Her tardiness signaled how much they valued this partnership.


    ¡°No worries at all,<b>¡±</b>their counterparts assured. ¡°Now, shall we dive into the partnership details?¡±


    Settling down opposite them<b>,</b>Ward from the newpany suddenly recognized Sylvia. Shocked, he recalled how she used to be a little street punk, and now here she was, engaging in corporate dealings.


    Sylvia noticed Ward¡¯s realization and chuckled, ¡°Long time, huh? You went from street punk to<b>CEO</b><b>.</b>I believe in yourpany¡¯s potential, which is why I¡¯m here. But we need better terms if you want to make this contract happen.¡±


    Ward, staking his fortune on this, pleaded his case. He promised meticulous work nobody else could match, vowingly only top¨Ctier products, given his own family¡¯s background.


    He looked at Sylvia earnestly, all cards on the table, in this high¨Cstakes corporate gamble.

 Chapter 59

    Chapter<b>59</b>Fair Competition<b>¡­</b>Yeah<b>Right</b>


    Sylvia understood why Ward was so insistent. His parents had died in a house copse due<b>to</b>shoddy construction, so now that he was in charge, he¡¯d never allow such a tragedy to happen again. Sylvia trusted himpletely.


    ¡°I trust you to handle this, and I¡¯m willing to give you this chance. Just don¡¯t let me down,¡± Sylvia said with a smile. Ward let out a sigh of relief but then Sylvia posed another question.


    ¡°I heard you were approached by another newpany yesterday morning. They¡¯re not in construction, but tech¨Cmore aligned with what ourpany might be interested in for the future. If we were to enter tech development, who would you choose<i>to</i>partner with?¡±


    Sylvia knew about this because Cyril¡¯spany, notorious for their astuteness, was the one wanting to coborate with Ward. Now she was curious ¨C under these circumstances, who would Ward choose?


    Ward caught the hidden meaning in Sylvia¡¯s question ¨C was there a hint ofpetition, even a whiff of hostility? In front of everyone, Ward knew he couldn¡¯t be explicit, so he stayed vague.


    ¡°Even though we¡¯re small, I believe in fairpetition. If the Ivans can offer more, no one would refuse a partnership with them.¡±


    But honestly, Ward thought, was there any real choice? There was no genuinepetition ¨C his loyalty was squarely with Sylvia.


    Sylvia grinned, thrilled by Ward¡¯s answer. ¡°Good, I hope we have more chances to


    coborate. Don¡¯t disappoint. A decision that could revive yourpany isn¡¯t a bad one at


    all.¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Relieved, Ward was d Sylvia wasn¡¯t fixating on the potential conflict of interest.


    With that, Ward¡¯s team left and Sylvia headed off with Juliet. Midway, Juliet received a call from an unfamiliar number¨Cit was Cyril¡¯s assistant.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± Juliet asked.


    ¡°We¡¯d like to discuss a partnership. Yourpany is moving into autonomous driving technology, and we have mature solutions in that domain. If we team up, both sides stand to gain,¡± the assistant proposed.


    Juliet couldn¡¯t help butugh. Theirpany indeed nned to venture into autonomous driving, but who¡¯s to say they needed Cyril¡¯s team? Still, in business, direct refusal wasn¡¯t always wise, so she kept her response open.


    Chapter 59 Fair Competition¡­ Yeah Right


    2/2


    ¡°<b>I¡¯ll</b>pass


    this on to my boss.<b>If</b>you¡¯re serious about coborating, I expect you¡¯ll be prepared,¡± Juliet said before ending the call.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Sylvia inquired.


    ¡°It¡¯s Cyril¡¯s lot. They want to partner on driverless tech<b>,</b>but<b>I¡¯m</b>puzzled¨Cdidn¡¯t Cyril¡¯spany already start a project and secure a partner? Why suddenly propose coboration with us?¡± Juliet wondered.


    ¡°Because their chosen partner was gged for dishonesty, and their deal fell through. Now Cyril needs to find a recement quickly and the Ivans are venturing into the same tech. Hence<b>,</b>the call to us<b>.</b>But something<b>doesn¡¯t</b>feel right,<b>I¡¯ll</b>have to check with my brother,<b>¡±</b>Sylvia exined, aware of the morning¡¯s fresh news.


    ¡°Surely you don¡¯t think your brother¡¯s behind this?¡± Juliet expressed disbelief. Bruce always fought fair and square<b>in</b>business.


    Sylvia chuckled. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe it, then you might not really know my brother. Behind his shiny facade lie maneuvers not meant for daylight. It¡¯s likely his doing, so please check with him.¡±


    Juliet shook her head, trusting Bruce wouldn¡¯t stoop to such levels.


    Sylvia almostughed out loud at her naivety. ¡°Okay, have it your way. But don¡¯te


    crying to me when<b>you</b>find out you¡¯ve been yed by the big bad wolf!¡±

 Chapter 60

    Chapter<b>60</b><b>It¡¯s</b><b>You</b>


    Sylvia led a surprise visit to Ward¡¯spany<b>with</b><b>her</b>team in tow. Ward was caught<b>off-</b>guard, in<b>the</b>midst of a meeting about securing the partnership, when he was told Sylvia and her entourage hade<b>to</b><b>assess</b><b>the</b><b>ce</b><b>.</b>The stakes were<b>clear</b>: pass the inspection and the partnership would proceed;<b>fail,</b>and it was all over.


    Ward was anxious, having no idea what Sylvia nned to inspect. He trailed behind her, watching nervously as she examined everything scrupulously, even plucking leaves from the potted nts they passed. Once they settled in<b>the</b>office, Sylvia didn¡¯t press about the partnership. Instead, she casually inquired about how things had been and what they had been discussing earlier.


    Ward exined everything candidly. There was a time when, as a street punk, he had run into Sylvia¡¯s brothers and endured a heavy reprimand<b>from</b>them. Since then, he¡¯d known Sylvia wasn¡¯t someone to be taken lightly.


    ¡°Can you give it to me straight? If there¡¯s something about what we do that you¡¯re not impressed with, you can tell me. I can handle it,¡± Ward finally said, bordering on desperation.


    Sylvia paused, thenughed softly. ¡°Calm down. The partnership will continue. I¡¯m here to see for myself what¡¯s going on. Frankly<b>,</bpared to otherpanies the Ivans work with, you¡¯re small. But I¡¯m willing to give you a chance<b>.</b>The n you submitted impressed me, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m here. Now<b>,</b>you need<b>to</b>convince not just me, but the critics I¡¯ve brought along. And let me warn you¨Cthey¡¯re excellent at finding faults.<b>If</b>you can handle them, consider our partnership secure.


    Ward knew hispany wasn¡¯t the usual caliber Sylvia partnered with, but her willingness to give them this chance spurred him on. He was ready to give it his all.


    After the meeting, as Ward busied himself addressing the feedback, Sylvia stepped out to make a call to Bruce<b>.</b>They¡¯d received news this morning that Cyril wanted to partner with Ward, and Sylvia was determined not to let Cyril secure the deal without a fight. Besides, why should Cyril get first dibs on working with Ward?


    Perhaps there was a hint of retaliation in her actions; after all, the past three years hadn¡¯t been easy<b>.</b>It wouldn¡¯t sit right with her to just let bygones be bygones without making things at least a bit difficult for Cyril.


    Sylvia¡¯s next stop was to check out the rest of thepany. Despite its modest size, the overall vibe was promising.


    Juliet arrivedte<b>,</b>carrying a stack of documents which she handed to<b>Sylvia</b><b>.</b><b>¡°</b>This<b>is</b>from your brother. There¡¯s an inspection at the mall this afternoon<b>,</b>and he wants<b>you</b><b>to</b>oversee it<b>,</b><b>¡±</b>Juliet exined. The files detailed<b>a</b>promotional event featuring Sylvia¡¯s second brother, aiming to make a ssh<b>with</b><b>this</b>year¡¯s<b>concert</b>by starting with today¡¯s showcase.


    Realizing that this meant her brother was expecting arge turnout, Sylvia couldn¡¯t help<b>but</b>dread the chaos that might ensue. No wonder Bruce wanted her to be there.


    As Sylvia and Juliet approached the mall<b>,</b>they didn¡¯t announce themselves, choosing to blend in as ordinary shoppers. On a usual day, the<b>mall</b>wouldn¡¯t be this crowded ¨C but today, Brock¡¯s presence transformed it into a bustling hub.


    Having attended several of Brock¡¯s concerts before,<b>they</b>expected the energy, but the sheer scale of the excitement still startled them as they arrived.


    ¡°Goodness, imagine if this was at a bigger venue like a stadium<b>;</b>the fans would swarm your brother!¡± Juliet whispered, loudly enough for Sylvia to hear despite the din.


    Sylvia smiled ruefully; she¡¯d always known her brother was a favorite, but this outpouring of affection still amazed her.


    ¡°No wonder Bruce wanted me toe. He probably didn¡¯t want to deal with this crowd. Let¡¯s head to the central hall. I heard that¡¯s where the event is,¡± she suggested.


    As they edged through the throngs, a bright¨Ceyed girl with golden hair rushed up and grabbed Sylvia¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s you, I know you!¡±


    Sylvia was taken aback¨Cshe¡¯d never seen this girl before.


    ¡°Last time at the lounge, I saw you sing. You performed Brock¡¯s songs, remember? I wanted your contact then, but you were swamped. Can I get it now? It¡¯s fate, meeting you here again.


    Delighted, Linda was overjoyed to run into Sylvia after missing an opportunity to connect


    before.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Sylvia chuckled, took out her phone, and willingly exchanged numbers.


    ¡°Are you here for the signing event? You might bete; they could be gone. But there¡¯s a good spot over there for pictures¡ªyou¡¯ll get a clear shot of his face.¡±

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61 I<b>Want</b>It


    Linda pointed out the direction to the central hall, and Sylvia nodded her thanks. Though they hadn¡¯t exined what brought them there, encountering such an enthusiastic little fan made both Sylvia and Juliet happy. After a quick look, they decided to focus on their primary task¨Cknowing that the buzz of the event cruidn¡¯t be settled just by their presence, they didn¡¯t linger, valuing their own time over the spectacle.


    Their inspection didn¡¯t reveal anything out of the ordinary, aside from the fact that today¡¯s exceptional event made usual operations challenging. Still, they knew that it was precisely these times that demanded foresight and precautions.


    Havingpleted their rounds, Sylvia and Juliet found a spot topile their observations into a report for the uing meeting. While they understood the day¡¯s exceptions, they pondered how the mall would handle everyday issues.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°Today¡¯s showcase mightst three hours, followed by a meeting¨Cit feels a bit rushed, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Juliet nced at the makeshift stage where Brock was performing. His every note seemed to unleash waves of excitement, a testament to his importance to the fans.


    Sylvia turned away from the spectacle, yfully berating her brother in her thoughts. ¡°Forget him. He¡¯s acting like aplete show¨Coff,¡± she remarked dryly, elicitingughter from Juliet.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky he can¡¯t do anything about your teasing right now. If he could¡­ well, let¡¯s just say he probably wouldn¡¯t be too pleased,¡± Juliet said with a grin.


    Sylvia just shrugged, well aware that she¡¯d never dare to tease him like this to his face.


    After discussing their findings, Juliet caught sight of a w machine nearby, but this one was unique¨Cit required ying a dance game to win prizes. She was clearly enthused butcked the coordination to give it a go herself, so her eyes inevitably turned to Sylvia.


    Sylvia knew exactly what her friend was thinking¨Cthey¡¯d grown up together, after all. For all of Juliet¡¯s talents, coordination was not among them. Despite their parents enrolling her in various dance sses, her instructors would invariably<b>send</b>her back with a message to its futility. Now, Juliet¡¯s hopeful eyes pleaded wordlessly for Sylvia¡¯s aid.


    ¡°Please, I really want it,¡± she begged with a look so pitiful it could soften the hardest of hearts.


    Sylvia tried to resist, feeling the activity was too childish and fearing it might tarnish her professional image. But Juliet¡¯s imploring gaze eventually won over. ¡°Alright, but just this once. Next time, just buy it. You have plenty of money, and you¡¯d probably<b>save</b>if you didn¡¯t keep getting me to win these things,¡± she conceded, draping her coat over her arm and heading to the dance game.


    ¡°<b>You</b>don¡¯t get it. Buying takes away the<b>fun</b>, it¡¯s the thrill of winning them that counts,¡± Juliet argued.


    ¡°But<b>you¡¯re</b>not the one winning.¡± Sylvia pointed out with a smirk, fully aware of Juliet¡¯sck of response to that contingent reality.


    Realizing she had noeback, Jullet shot Sylvia a re that only made herugh harder. It was all in


    <b>good</b>fun between friends.


    ¡°Alright, enough joking. Which one do you want? Sylvia asked, arriving at the dance game and turning to Juliet for her choice.


    Juliet couldn¡¯t decide¨Cshe wanted every single one. Sylvia understood, realizing this meant she¡¯d be dedicating the entire afternoon to this venture.


    ¡°Well, if it means that much to you,¡± she sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll try, just this once¨Cand there won¡¯t be a<b>second</b>time.¡±


    Sylvia¡¯s acquiescence sent waves of excitement through Juliet. As Sylvia approached the machine, it was deserted; everyone was captivated by Brock¡¯s performance. The attendant barely nced Sylvia¡¯s way, taking her money with disinterest before returning attention to the stage.


    Sylvia tossed in her coins and steeled herself for the challenge, not expecting the game tounch with a song of stratospheric difficulty. Despite her best efforts, the first round ended in dismal failure.


    The abysmal score plunged both Sylvia and Juliet into<b>silence</b>, Juliet tentatively suggested, ¡°Maybe we should call it quits?¡±


    Celebrate World Book Day! Unlock amazing gift now!

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62 Are You<b>Regretting</b>It?


    Sylvia wasn¡¯t happy when Juliette yfully suggested she<b>might</b>not be up for the challenge. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Sylvia scoffed. There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t handle. Just wait, you want all those stuffed animals, right? Just watch me win them for you in no time.¡±


    The Ivans were known for their tenacity; they wouldn¡¯t quit no matter what<b>,</b>seen in how Sylvia insisted on marrying Cyril despite everyone¡¯s objections, driven by her deep love for him and her determination to


    <b>have</b>no regrets.


    But now, Sylvia sometimes wondered if she had made a mistake.


    Stepping up to the dance game for the first time in three years, Sylvia


    trusty. After marrying Cyril, she


    had set aside her passions to be an ordinary housewife, only to realize she had done herself a disservice. She used to be great at games like this, but now, even that seemed to have slipped away.


    Determined<b>,</b>Sylvia started with a simple song to warm up. As the music flowed through her, she began to move more confidently, her past skills igniting once again. Soon enough, she was ready to tackle a more challenging track.


    Standing on the dance tform, Sylvia was the center of attention. It wasn¡¯t just the game she was good at; her grace and agility made it look like a performance rather than a simple attempt at hitting the right steps. Onlookers couldn¡¯t help but be drawn towards her, some were even distracted from watching Bark, the main performer, as they watched Sylvia move.


    Sylvia had been a dancer from a young age, and it showed in her coordination and rhythm. And as more people gathered around her, the excitement grew.


    Juliette, unable to contain her excitement, started recording Sylvia with her phone,pletely in awe. She had wondered if Sylvia would still be as good after all these years, but it was clear she hadn¡¯t lost her touch. After all, Sylvia had won the plush toy Juliette had wanted.


    Hugging Sylvia tightly, Juliette eximed, ¡°You¡¯re amazing! Every year I¡¯ve wanted to bring you along to win these prizes, and now you¡¯re finally back to help me again!¡±


    There was a bit of guilt in Sylvia¡¯s heart for neglecting her friend for so<b>long</b>, but now, she was filled with regret and a resolve to make amends. But wasn¡¯t it toote? All that had passed couldn¡¯t be undone.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°Come on, there are four more toys to win. If you want them all, just watch me,¡± Sylvia said, tapping Juliette lightly on her shoulder. Juliette jumped for joy and hugged Sylvia even tighter.


    Sylvia returned to the game, filled with fierce confidence. She knew nothing was beyond her reach.


    Upstairs, Cyril watched from the railing, his gaze fixed on Sylvia. He was mesmerized by this side of her that he had never known. He realized that during their three years of marriage, Sylvia had been ying down her true self to please him. Now, seeing her in her element ¨C vibrant, dynamic, alive ¨C Cyril felt


    something stir in his heart.


    Karina, who was with Cyril, felt ignored and fumed silently, biting her lip. She couldn¡¯t understand why


    Sylvia always seemed to steal Cyril¡¯s attention. She had worked so hard to get Cyril toe out with her,


    <b>and</b>yet here he was, captivated by his wife.


    ¡°Are you regretting it now?¡±


    Upon hearing those words. Cyril cast a nce at Karina, who was shadowing him, and remained silent. As his gaze settled back onto Sylvia, his fascination seemed to wane. He realized he may not know Sylvia<b>as</b>well as he thought.


    If he truly understood her, he would have known that she was quite skilled at these sorts of games. Yet, throughout their three¨Cyear marriage, Sylvia never indulged in them, and he was oblivious to her prowess.


    Watching Sylvia now, radiant and captivating on the dance tform, Cyril suddenly realized that over the years of their marriage, she had concealed her talents. Seeing the real Sylvia, seeing her shine in her element stirred feelings within him feelings he hadn¡¯t known he had for the vibrant woman he had married.


    Karina, noticing Cyril¡¯s indifference to her presence, fumed with annoyance. Clenching her teeth, she fixated on Sylvia below. It irked her how Sylvia¡¯s presence seemed to linger like<b>a</b>stubborn shadow. It had taken so much effort to coax Cyril out for a day of shopping ¨C to get him alone with her and now, he was captivated once again by Sylvia.

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63 A Different Appearance


    Karina¡¯s heart seethed with frustration. How could the man she tried so hard to win over be charmed so effortlessly by Sylvia? Why did Sylvia seem to obtain everything she desired so easily, while Karina¡¯s own cherished wishes remained unattainable? She couldn¡¯t swallow her pride over this injustice.


    Karina didn¡¯t see herself as inferior to Sylvia, so why did Cyril always only have eyes for Sylvia, and not for


    her?


    ¡°If you truly regret what happened, then why don¡¯t you just win her back?¡± Karina said with a purpose, knowing it would provoke a reaction from Cyril. ¡°I¡¯m sure she would take you back in a heartbeat. She wanted your marriage so badly she tried every trick in the book, and if you wanted to, she would definitely choose to marry you again.¡±


    Cyril¡¯s expression changed visibly as Karina spoke. ¡°Are you trying to upset me with those words? If so, I advise you to save your energy and stop wasting time on such talk.¡±


    Cyril was no o child; he could read between the lines of Karina¡¯s insinuations. But Cyril¡¯s pride was wounded by the memory of the underhanded things Sylvia had done to marry him. How could someone as proud as he admit to being manipted into marriage?


    He believed that marriage should be a choice, not a scheme, which was partly why he had been so dismissive towards Sylvia during their marriage¨Che had always felt trapped, believing it was not a happy union, and disliking the feeling immensely.


    But after their divorce, Cyril began realizing things weren¡¯t quite as he had perceived. He had never truly understood what Sylvia went through during their marriage, nor had he recognized the light she carried within her. Now, looking back, he saw how outrageous his obliviousness had been.


    Left speechless by Cyril¡¯s piercing gaze, Karina realized her words had backfired; she had only meant to divert his attention from another woman. She seeded, but not in the way she had hoped¨CCyril had no further interest in gazing at Sylvia, nor in keeping Karina¡¯spany.


    ¡°Are you leaving? Bark is here today, and I was hoping you¡¯d speak to him with me,¡± Karina said, a hint of desperation in her voice. For the first time, Cyril felt repulsed by her urgency.


    Once he had been lenient towards Karina, but it was never really about her¨Cit was about other people, and she seemed to have misconstrued her own importance.


    ¡°I understand the effort you¡¯ve put into linking up with Bark, and I know what¡¯s really on your mind. If you want to stay, keep it honest and avoid angering me further. You know the consequences if you provoke<b>me</b>,¡± Cyril warned her, not waiting to see her reaction before heading downstairs.


    He wanted to ask Sylvia why she had never shown the same radiance and joy during their marriage that she clearly disyed now. If only she had been real to him sooner, things would have been different.


    Even now, Cyril had never acknowledged any fault in his actions, always believing it was Sylvia who had failed to reveal her true feelings. If she had been open, he thought, their marriage might not have turned out as it did.


    Descending from the upper floor, Cyril arrived just as Sylvia had finished dancing Juliette was ecstatic, clutching the plush toys Sylvia had won for her with joy. Sylvia, now wearing her jacket, exuded a presence that made others hesitate to approach despite their previous eagerness to speak to her. Without the zer, Sylvia appeared approachable and beautiful; with it on, shemanded an air of authority


    Sylvia didn¡¯t care about the thoughts of those around her, she could feel their gazes and deliberately projected a bit of her inner strength to distance herself.


    Intending to find the manager with Juliette, Sylvia paused when she saw Cyril approaching them. His expression was earnest as he stood before her. Although they were divorced, it didn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t speak when they crossed paths.


    Seeing Cyril again, Sylvia felt her emotions slowly settling. I saw you dancing from upstairs. You¡¯re really different, not at all like the person I knew before,¡± Cyril remarked with a certain intensity.


    Sylvia paused, then nodded slightly. ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡±


    Cyril started to speak but was cut off by Sylvia, ¡°You seem to be mistaken about something. Our rtionship has always been different. Even if I had shown you this side of me before, you still wouldn¡¯t have given me a second nce. Our rtionship wouldn¡¯t have changed just because of one person¡¯s transformation. From beginning to end, as long as you refused to move forward, we were destined to remain in the same ce.¡±


    After the divorce, Sylvia had reflected on herself and their union. One person was too proactive while the other remained stagnant¨Cand that was where the issuey.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64 Magazine Cover


    ¡ª


    The Ivans¡®pany was doing incredibly well, not just in real estate development but in various lines of business. In short, they ventured into any industry that promised profits something otherpanies could hardly sustain,


    But the Ivans had both the power and money. Whatever industry they desired to dabble in was a matter of their fancy, owning not one but two mediapanies in the entertainment industry. Typically, matters rted to these subsidiaries wouldn¡¯t reach the headquarters, but early one morning<b>,</b>Juliette came to Sylvia with issues from bothpanies in hand.


    ¡°These things are naturally handled by those below. Why bring it to me? I have enough responsibilities. If I have to deal with every little problem from the subsidiaries, I¡¯ll work myself to death,¡± Sylviained.


    While these mediapanies fell under their corporate umbre, they weren¡¯t Sylvia¡¯s strong suit, so they had dedicated individuals managing them. There was no need for Sylvia to take on these<b>issues</b>.


    Juliette understood this as well but wouldn¡¯t havee to Sylvia if it weren¡¯t<b>a</b><b>special</b>situation. Sitting seriously before Sylvia, she said, ¡°You must have forgotten, there¡¯s someone in thepany who¡¯s always been against you, right? These issues were dug up intentionally by them, and the people below can¡¯t handle it, so they¡¯vee to you. And you know, the subsidiaries¡® earnings are substantial, albeit notparable to headquarters.¡±


    Now Sylvia understood. Someone was deliberately creating trouble for her by cing these documents on her desk. After carefully reviewing them, Sylvia couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    ¡°What, is this some kind of joke? Just because two brand ambassadors left? Just find two new ones, and it¡¯s solved. Does such a trivial matter really warrant my attention?¡±


    Juliette had had the same initial reaction as Sylvia. Losing two brand ambassadors didn¡¯t seem like a big deal; thepany could find recements. But after digging deeper, Juliette found that for some reason, theirpanies were being cklisted within the industry. Apart from their signed artists, almost no one was willing to work with them.


    This had never happened before, and Sylvia was stunned. ¡°Someone must be targeting us specifically


    then.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. And I¡¯ve looked into it ¨C the instigator is a major yer in the film and television industry. For them, taking aim at us like this is easy.¡±


    They were established giants, their connections unparalleled by Sylvia and Juliette¡¯s subsidiaries.


    Juliette couldn¡¯t fathom what theirpanies had done to warrant being cklisted. Sylvia thought for a<b>moment</b>and then suggested, ¡°Luke, my brother¡¯s assistant, could easily handle this if we call him over.¡±


    Juliette¡¯s mouth twitched in disbelief. ¡°Are you joking? Luke is your brother¡¯s right¨Chand man, and if I¡¯m not mistaken, he¡¯s helped resolve untold issues. You really think your brother would be happy to send Luke over to assist you?¡°,


    Sylvia pondered for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, that¡¯s why you should go talk to


    him. He certainly wouldn¡¯t agree if I asked.


    ¡°What are you thinking? Your brother would refuse even if I asked!¡±


    Juliette wasn¡¯t keen on getting involved in this thankless task, fearing it could backfire on her. But Sylvia said nothing, merely waiting and watching Juliette in silence until the office phone suddenly rang, Interrupting then standoff


    After hanging up<b>,</b>fiylvin donned her jacket and announced, ¡®Let¡¯s go to the subsidiary and see what¡¯s going on,¡± beckoning Juliette to follow.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    As they reached the lobby, they saw Luke waiting with a car. Now it made sense why Sylvia had reacted no oddly Luke had been preparing to join them.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying your brother actually agreed to let Lukee over to help with this?¡± Juliette whispered.


    ¡°Of course. If he doesn¡¯t handle this for me, who will?¡±


    To Sylvia, it made no difference; eventually, she would lead thepany, and perhaps her brother would still need to be involved. If in the meantime Luke could assist, all the better.


    Formalities exchanged, Luke drove them to the subsidiary, where everyone was stressed about the uing magazine cover<b>shoot</b>. The contracted artist had backed out at thest minute, leaving them. scrambling for a suitable recement.


    En route, Sylvia was briefed on the situation. The uing cover shoot was to be conducted by a renowned photographer, which was supposed to be a key selling point. However, their rivals had exploited this, and their intended cover artist pulled out as a result.

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65 A Perfect Match


    This time, the master photographer they¡¯ve brought in is Jessica. She¡¯s insanely talented, getting her so shoot is usually super expensive. Plus<b>,</b>she¡¯s picky about her models. The biggest problem they have on into is that they<b>can¡¯t</b>find the right celeb model for her to shoot this time


    To lure Jessica into shooting this magazine cover, thepany has shelled out some serious cach Everything was all set, and then, at thest minute, they hit a snag¨Cthe celeb model dropped out if we don¡¯t fix this, there goes our money down the drain.


    And it¡¯s not just about the money. Their reputationls on the line too. If they mess this up, not only Jessica but other photographers might not want to work with them anymore.


    That¡¯s why folks at the subsidiary are freaking out. They reported it up to headquarters, and headquarters sent none other than Sylvia to handle this mess.


    After going through the details, Sylvia had a good bead on who Jessica was, but she knew she had to see for herself what was going on.


    But get this: when Sylvia arrived at the subsidiary, she ran into Cyril. Since theirst casual mall run¨Cin over two weeks ago, they hadn¡¯t crossed paths at all. Things have been smooth. But Cyril knew the Ivans family business was making big moves¨Csnatching up three projects recently, one of which was right out of his hands. It ate at him, knowing they were out of his league.


    Expecting someone else to take over the situation, Cyril was surprised to see Sylvia there. And with Sylvia were her<b>best</b>friend and Bruce¡¯s assistant. Cyril had always known Sylvia and Bruce were tight, but the appearance of the assistant for such a supposedly minor issue seemed out of the ordinary


    And then there was Luke, Bruce¡¯s right¨Chand man, now at Sylvia¡¯s side¨Cdefinitely fishy.


    Sylvia didn¡¯t give Cyril a second nce as she approached the manager, who had been notified by the head office about the iing fixer.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    He knew Luke. They had met atst year¡¯spany g, so he greeted him with familiarity. But Luke rified that Sylvia, thepany¡¯s vice president, was the one in charge. He was just there to support her.


    Sylvia, brief nod and all business, asked to meet with Jessica straight away. As she walked past Cyril, the manager brought up that Cyril was Jessica¡¯s good pal and that she insisted on him being the male model If she was to coborate. Now, with the female celeb a no¨Cshow, the manager was at a loss since Cyril¡¯s status made him a tricky figure to navigate around.


    The manager, savvy in entertainment politics, sensed the tension in the air and felt a need to exin.


    V Meeting Jessica, Sylvia found a woman full of funk and punk¨Ca style that screamed rebel girl rather than


    world¨Cfamous photographer. But that was Jessica¡¯s charm,


    Jessica was nearly at her wit¡¯s end, finding today¡¯s shoot in jeopardy. She was on the cusp of storming off when she heard headquarters was sending someone to save the day. Curiosity piqued, she stayed to see what the headquarters exec would do.


    What Jessica didn¡¯t expect was to be smitten the instar Sylvia walived in


    ¡°Oh my gosh, you¡¯re gorgeous! is this who headquarters ser to for things? Excellent You¡¯re gonna be the model for this issue, and in fly off the shelves! Get dressed, we¡¯re starting now! Oh, and you¡¯ve met your co¨Cmodel, right? The super handsome guy outside,<i>Cyril</i>? Known him for years. You two together perfect


    match!*


    Jessica was clueless that Sylvia was there to solve the problem, not to model. But Jessica figured Sylvia¡¯s looks would make this shoot incredible, already envisioning the sess


    Caught up in the moment, Jessica dragged Sylvia off to prep for the shoot. Everyone was taken aback: Sylvia, Luke, and Juliet¨Call speechless.


    Cyril, meanwhile, had overheard the offer. He wanted to protest but found himself silently longing for the chance to partner with Sylvia in front of the camera.

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66 Divorced But Still a Stunning<b>Pair</b>


    Thrown into the deep end without a chance to say no, Sylvia was hustled by Jessica into the makeup chair and wardrobe like a duck to water. Once in the outfit, Sylvia looked like it was made just for her Jessica was delighted, and everyone else was wowed.


    ¡°My word, you look incredible!¡± Juliet<b>gaped</b>, never having imagined Sylvia could look this stunning. Yet, something felt off knowing Sylvia¡¯s partner for the shoot wasn¡¯t some male heartthrob, but Cyril.


    Hearing this, Jessica, who had just walked in with a puzzled look, asked, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be suitable for Sylvia and Cyril to do the shoot together? Aren¡¯t you a celeb too, Sylvia? Or are you choosy with your partners? You two look absolutely perfect together. Trust me, I¡¯ve shot so many pairs, and I¡¯ve never seen a duo as perfect as you two. Did you two know each other before?¡±


    Sylvia had been swept up in the rush since her arrival, with no time to rify anything with Jessica until now. Sylvia finally said, ¡°It seems you never asked if I was here to find a solution for you or be the solution myself.¡±


    Jessica appeared lost. To her, both options simply meant resolving the problem.


    Sylvia exined, ¡°I¡¯m here from headquarters to find a solution, not to provide one by stepping in. And<b>as</b>for yourment, we¡¯re divorced¨Chave you ever heard of ex¨Cspouses posing together<b>for</b>such a shoot?¡±


    Not wanting to hide anything since her rtionship history with Cyril was out there for anyone curious enough to look, Sylvia made it clear she wasn¡¯t the solution Jessica was hoping for.


    Jessica gasped, realizing he¡¯d mixed up roles. She just thought Sylvia was the ideal fit for the theme, and after seeing many female celebs fail to measure up to Cyril¡¯s look, none had satisfied him¨Cuntil Sylvia


    walked in.


    With Sylvia looking just right and eager to not let this chance slip by, Jessica yfully said, ¡°If you¡¯re here to resolve a problem, as long as it gets resolved, that¡¯s all that matters, right? And what does it matter if you¡¯re divorced? You both look perfect together¨Ca divorced pair who are stillpletely stunning


    together.¡±


    Jessica, unaware of their history, just saw a match made in heaven and hoped they¡¯d work together. To her, they were a photogenic pair that seemed a shame to have parted ways¨Cforget the emotional stuff;


    she was all about the visuals.


    Sylvia and Juliet were at a loss for words, perplexed by Jessica¡¯s bold attitude.


    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s get started. When we begin shooting, just rx and don¡¯t think about your past. I¡¯ll make y sure you look fabulous,¡± Jessica told Sylvia, whisking her away to the set to start a new round of photos.


    Although she had other matters to address, Sylvia¡¯s current task was to finish this magazine shoot. After years of marriage with hardly any closeness, it was ironic that a magazine shoot was what brought them together so intimately.


    When Cyril found out he¡¯d be pairing with Sylvia for the day¡¯s shoot, he felt a rush of nervousness, unsure how to face her. It was crucial for him to be at his best around her. Yet, Sylvia appeared calm, unaffected


    <b>by</b>their history.


    During the shoot, Sylvia¡¯s natural poise shone through, while Cyril repeatedly fumbled¨Cafter all, he was not a professional, just someone Jessica had roped in to help after doing him a favor in the past. He hadn¡¯t expected to encounter Sylvia here.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    In the end, Jessica was thrilled with the shoot, despite Cyril¡¯s<b>less</b>¨Cthan¨Cperfect performance. As an observer, he could see Cyril still held feelings for Sylvia, hinting at a potential reconciliation, despite the


    divorce.


    As insiders, Jessica and Luke were dumbfounded, having no clue how the situation unfolded into this scenario. After shooting for several hours, Jessica was more than satisfied, convinced the magazine was going to be a hit and break past the industry¡¯s barriers.


    ¡°Goodness<b>,</b>I can¡¯t believe how things turned out. You and Cyril end up as magazine shoot partners, and by the time I process it, you¡¯re done! Cyril¡¯s gaze on you was so strange,¡± Juliet remarked, still trying to make sense of it all.

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67 Who¡¯s the Better One


    Juliet wasn¡¯t kidding when she said something strat Cyril¡¯s reactions being odd. Honestly, she was as baffled as anyone about how things had spirated, but she had kept an eye on Cyril, and his responses to Sylvia were way out of the ordinary


    It was like he had changed into a different person after the divorce. Today, it seemed he wanted to chat with Sylvia time and again but she was giving him the cold shoulder, leaving Cyril¡¯s words stuck in his


    throat.


    ¡°Strange or not, let¡¯s figure out what¡¯s going down first,¡± Sylvia decided.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She sought out the manager to get the lowdown on the situation. Turns out the cklist thing was mainly because their rivals were stirring up trouble. Sylvia figured it wasn¡¯t too big of a deal. If their opponents were exploiting their weak points, it meant there were indeed areas they needed to clean up<b>.</b>


    ¡°But really<i>,</i>how many celebs are squeaky clean? Ourpany¡¯s better than most, butpared to the big fish we¡¯re up against, we¡¯ve got our work out out for us, confided the manager.


    After thinking it over, Sylvia replied, ¡°Well, you said it yourself, not everyone in this biz is spotless. So let¡¯s dig up some dirt on them. If they¡¯ve done something shady, you guys can find out. Once you¡¯ve got solid proof, hand it over to the authorities. Oh, and you might want to go public about your connection to


    headquarters¡±


    After all, the subsidiary had made good profits for thepany, so of course, Sylvia was willing to help them set up some money¨Cmaking opportunities


    Hearing Sylvia¡¯s n, the manager¡¯s eyes went wide. He had thought about it before but taking on the rivals wasn¡¯t easy. Now with Sylvia green¨Clighting the exposure of their connection to the main office, the obstacles didn¡¯t seem so huge.


    He was thrilled and assured her he could handle it. He also checked if the magazine with Sylvia and Cyril could actually hit the stands, if not, he¡¯d need to pivot fast.


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t it be released? Of course, it can go out,¡± Sylvia affirmed.


    Although she hadn¡¯t anticipated teaming up with Cyril, they¡¯d done it for the money, and that was what


    counted.


    With a nod, the manager promised to hop on it and started organizing the next steps.


    After the wild ride of the magazine shoot, Cyril seemed to catch a wind of opportunity. He was pinging Sylvia with messages and emails left and right, sticking to her like glu


    Juliet lost count of how many times she¡¯d intercepted these emails for Sylvia. What was Cyril thinking? He used to barely acknowledge Sylvia, and now he was the one chasing after her.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you give him something else to do?¡± Sylvia wished Cyril would just move on. They were over; there wasn¡¯t any reason to keep in touch she wasn¡¯t up for being just friends<b>.¡±</b>


    ¨C


    dhatok or Wase the Heller rine


    Cyril was actually dying to know how Sylvin had so quickly climbed to the position of vice president. His recent encounters made him realize how little he actually kreu shout her. He wanted to understand Sylvia anew, although he insisted there was no other motive behind it. Others, however, sew it differently. Which is why he kept reaching out, never receiving a single reply to his emails or text messages.


    ¡°Man, you did a magazine shoot with Sylvin behind my back? Do you have any idea how much buzz this caused? Nobody expected you to pose with your ex¨Cwife! Everyone knew about Cyril and Sylvia¡¯s past. Their rocky marriage made the news of the magazine spread shocking.


    Cyril remained unnervingly calm, ¡°So what?¡± he retorted, leaving Jonathan speechless.


    ¡°Dude, do you know Katrina reached out to me this morning?¡± blurted Jonathan. ¡°She¡¯s asking what¡¯s going on between you and Sylvia. Everyone¡¯s freaking out online about the photo spread. They think you two should get back together.¡±


    In truth, they did look perfect in the photos. Jonathan, who knew the real score, doubted a reunion was on the cards considering how awkward things had be.


    Cyril stayed silent, a gesture Jonathan interpreted as telling.


    ¡°You¡¯re not actually considering getting back with Sylvia, are you? You might be open to the idea, but I seriously doubt Sylvia is. Oh, and, by the way, after your magazine<b>went</b>viral this morning, Bark released a childhood photo of him and Sylvia, outright asking who¡¯s better: him or you.¡±


    Jonathan whipped out his phone and pulled up Bark¡¯s post. Cyril¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°See for yourself.¡±


    Taking Jonathan¡¯s phone, Cyril saw the photo Bark posted¨Ca young Bark with his arm around Sylvia<b>,</b>who was hugging him tightly, both of them smiling at the camera like happy teenagers.


    Clenching the phone, Cyril thought, when the heck was this? How did he not know about it? Sylvia knew Bark since childhood? First it was Bruce, and now Bark. How many more men did Sylvia have unclear rtionships with? And Bark¡¯s post was a clear shot at him he was challenging Cyril!

 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68 What¡¯s Her Story


    ¡°What were you thinking? Everyone¡¯s dying to know. How do you go from being Cyril¡¯s wife to getting all cozy with Bark? You know the guy has major<b>clout</b>. You gotta exin this, don¡¯t you?¡±


    After work, Sylvin was ready to head home and rx, but her friends Intercepted her, intent on quizzing her about the current drama that had everyone glued to their screens.


    Feeling hopeless in the face of their questioning, Sylvia didn¡¯t know how to respond. Kelli¡¯s eager expression made things worse; Sylvia was the one in hot water, yet her friends were thriving on the gossip,


    ¡°Not only your brother but now Catherine¡¯s posted an old photo of you two on her profile,¡± Juliet said, showing the post on her phone to Sylvia, who just felt a headacheing


    a<b>on</b><b>.</b>Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Passing the phone to Kelli, who looked intrigued, she remarked, ¡°This<b>is</b>getting juicy. Now everyone¡¯s even more curious about who you really are.<b>Singer</b><b>,</b>actress¡­ What next? We¡¯ll find out you¡¯re the heir to the Ivans family empire?¡±


    Sylvia sighed deeply. ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I don¡¯t want my real identity out there. See the kind of attention a small matter gets on the inte? Now Cyril and I are being linked together again just because of the magazine. If I knew I¡¯d get dragged into all this hassleter, I wouldn¡¯t have done the shoot at all.¡±


    ¡°Your family owns Crown Entertainment, right? They¡¯re<b>big</b>shots in the industry. Do you really need to go through all this for some small subsidiary?¡± Kelli reasoned.


    Sylvia knew about her family¡¯s other entertainmentpany, that there was no need for such a sacrifice. But her willingness to go to such lengths wasn¡¯t for the subsidiary¡¯s sake¨Cit was for Jessica.


    ¡°Jessica, sure, I¡¯ve heard of him. He¡¯s a force in photography, has his own style and skills. If you got involved with Cyril just for Jessica, then it¡¯s just tough luck. But if you¡¯re seriously thinking about hooking


    up.¡± Kelli half¨Cjoked, half-


    up with Cyril again, I might just have to throw my drink in your face to wake you


    serious.


    All Sylvia could do wasugh dryly, wondering what she could possibly do. If it weren¡¯t for Jessica, she wouldn¡¯t give Cyril a second look, let alone coborate with him.


    ¡°Look, none of that¡¯s the point,¡± Juliet interrupted. ¡°The real issue is your brother is steamed up over this. Better charm him back to a good mood, alright? And Catherine¡¯s on her way over¨Cwe should skedaddle before she arrives. Her influence is every bit as strong as your brother¡¯s.<b>¡±</b>


    Juliet remembered a time they went out with Catherine. Even though Catherine was incognito that day, she was still recognized as soon as she stepped out. That whole day they couldn¡¯t do anything fun; it was all about dodging Catherine¡¯s fans. They left in daylight and didn¡¯t get home tillte at night it was a real thriller of a day.


    ¨C


    Now, hearing Catherine was on her way, they were excited but also a little nervous¨Cthose fans of hers. could be intense.


    ¡°Maybe we should take off before it gets crazy here. If Catherine gets spotted, none of us will get away,¡± especially not you, Sylvia,¡± Juliet suggested, eyeing the door.


    Chapter 63 What¡¯s Her Story.


    Sylvia, stuck in the whirlwind of rumors, feared being dragged further into the fray. How would she manage if things got even more tangled up?


    ¡°You all thinking about ditching me, huh? I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m already here, and nobody¡¯s going anywhere!¡± announced Catherine, appearing just as they were contemting their escape. Clearly peeved at the thought of being abandoned, she wasn¡¯t letting them off the hook.


    Caught red¨Chanded, they felt a tad awkward, still worried about Catherine¡¯s fans, but as long as they didn¡¯t swarm in, they were fine.


    ¨C


    ¡°I was overseas filming when I heard you got divorced from that dog of a man. Here¡¯s my divorce gift for you congrattions on finally getting your head straight,¡± Catherine said, handing over a hefty gift box to Sylvia, who almost didn¡¯t catch it.


    Opening the box, Sylvia¡¯s mouth twitched¨Cthis wasn¡¯t exactly what you¡¯d<b>call</b>a reliable gift. Inside were stacks of Catherine¡¯s personal magazines, showcasing interviews and profiles, along with entertainment gossip on various male celebrities that Sylvia knew and didn¡¯t¨Ctall, strong, handsome, rich, poor, good, bad guys, you name it.


    It was like a who¡¯s who of the showbiz world. Sylvia had an ominous feeling about it.


    ¡°What¡¯s the idea behind this? Are you suggesting I pick someone out from this?¡± Sylvia ced the box down, skeptical about any of these being a good choice.


    Catherine nodded and sat beside Sylvia, thumbing through the profiles. ¡°Do you have any idea how much work I put into this for you? Trust me, I¡¯ve never shown this to anyone else. It¡¯s all very discreet, useful- and I wouldn¡¯t harm you. These are all good options, all privately vetted, all clean. If one¡¯s not enough, feel free to pick a few more. I won¡¯t judge.¡±


    Her words stunned everyone. They always knew Catherine was bold, but this was next¨Clevel. Juliet and Kelli couldn¡¯t help but nce at Sylvia¨Cwho could manage<b>that</b><b>?</b>


    With her small frame, handling even one could be a stretch.

 Chapter 69

    Chapter 69 Are you living together?!


    Sylvia couldn¡¯t take the nces any longer. She set down the hefty gift box on the table, then turned to face her friends seriously


    ¡°Can you please stop looking at me like that? Whatever¡¯s going on, it has nothing to do with me. I wouldn¡¯t do something like that,¡± she protested


    What a joke. She had just freed herself from one man, and now she was supposed to tangle with another? She cherished her solo life¨Crunning a business, making her own money. Why on earth did she have to get involved with another guy? She wasn¡¯t crazy.


    Besides, even if she wanted to find someone new, she was sure her family, especially Bark, wouldn¡¯t agree. Bark was still fuming about her marriage, if she pursued another rtionship, he¡¯d probably lose it.


    1 do appreciate the gifts, even though they¡¯re not really helpful to me,¡± Sylvia said with a nod of thanks to Catherine, who watched her in disbelief. ¡°But I think you should keep them. Most of these guys seem more your type, so I won¡¯t take them.¡±


    Sighing, Sylvia pushed the box back toward Catherine.


    Catherine looked at her disdainfully. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to enjoy the finer things? People beg me for just a nce at these magazines. I¡¯m giving you enough to admire my unbeatable beauty every day, and you¡¯re not even interested. And these men I¡¯ve handpicked for you¨Chow can you dismiss them without even a look? Don¡¯t be so ungrateful!¡±


    Sylvia was at a loss for words. They all knew Catherine was a bit narcissistic, but besides that quirk, she was alright¨Ca little too full of herself sometimes, which had caused its fair share ofughs.


    They had all started on the wrong foot, particrly Kelli, who couldn¡¯t stand Catherine¡¯s vanity and had shed with her more than once. It got to the point where they even came to blows until Sylvia and Juliet finally stepped in to break it up.


    That incident had somehow led to them all bing good friends, hanging out together ever since, their rtions growing ever stronger.


    ¡°If you¡¯re really set on giving this stuff to me, go talk to my brothers first. If they don¡¯t object, then I¡¯ll keep it,¡± Sylvia suggested, neatly passing the buck to her older siblings, assuming they wouldn¡¯t approve either.


    Catherine rolled her eyes in exasperation. ¡°Can¡¯t you be independent without<b>using</b>your brothers as a shield? Forget it. If you don¡¯t want them, I¡¯ll keep it for myself.¡±


    Snatching the box back up, Catherine rummaged through it and pulled out two red velvet boxes,


    them to Sylvia.


    tossing


    ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t care about all that stuff, so I got you something more your style,¡± Catherine told Sylvia as she handed her the boxes. ¡°Here are the rubies you¡¯ve always liked, and this sapphire ring I recently got feels just right for you. Brought them both for you.¡±Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Opening the velvet boxes, Sylvia was instantly amazed. Catherine really did have an eye for beauty.<b>The</b>


    Chapter 69<b>Are</b><b>you</b>fring togetherte


    rubies were stunning, and the sapphire ring was absolutely fitting.


    ¡°I heard the twins areing back soon, and it¡¯s gonna be even liveller. We should all get together for at meal then,¡± Catherine sald, loungingfortably. Their bond was from childhood, no need for pretenses


    with each other.


    ¡°That sounds great. If I¡¯m not mistaken, York has had a crush on you since school, right? But your older brothers guarded you so closely he never stood a chance. Maybe now¡¯s a good time to give him a shot- someone we all know well,¡± Kelli chimed in, nudging Sylvia yfully. Ever since Sylvia¡¯s divorce, Kelli couldn¡¯t resist teasing her about it, though it was all in good fun.


    Sylvia could onlyugh dryly. ¡°If you think it¡¯s such a good idea, why don¡¯t you try it?¡±


    ¡°Me? No way,¡± scoffed Kelli. ¡°I¡¯m more into the gentlemanly types, like your third brother. He¡¯s the real


    knight in shining armor in my eyes.¡±


    Hearing Kelli¡¯s words, Sylvia didn¡¯t know whether tough or groan. Her friends seemed to have staked their ims on all three of her brothers¨Cone charmed by the eldest, one intrigued by the second, and now Kelli pining for the third.


    Surrounded by her closest friends, Sylvia found herself at a loss for words at this sisters¡® gathering, which was meant to celebrate Catherine¡¯s sessful return from a movie shoot, supposedly about to receive a major award that would boost her career. They were all thrilled for her, enjoying the celebratory night.


    They partied until dawn before deciding to head their separate ways. Catherine, being a celebrity, left first but soon realized she had left her car keys back at the private room. She called Kelli, who was still around and quickly retrieved the keys to reunite them with Catherine. Little did they know, a sneaky paparazzo caught a snapshot of Kelli and Catherine sharing a ride back to Catherine¡¯s ce spark spection.


    na


    ¨C a photo that would


    As for Sylvia and Juliet, they took a separate car, nning to go to work together the next day.


    The next morning, the story of Kelli and Catherine riding together and the possibility of them cohabiting went viral online. Although others might be confused, Sylvia and Juliet knew the truth behind the photos. They looked at the snap for a good while and then shared a resigned chuckle.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s time for Kelli to grow his hair back,¡± suggested Juliet. ¡°This is the second time people have questioned his gender. If this keeps up, fans might start throwing eggs.¡±


    Fanatics did crazy things when it came to their idols. If they got angry enough, who knew what they might do to Kelli? It was a scenario both Sylvia and Juliet hoped to avoid at all costs.

 Chapter 70

    <b><i>Chapter</i></b><b><i>70</i></b><b><i>Setting</i></b><b><i>Her</i></b><b><i>Up</i></b>


    <b><i>What</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>joke</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>Kelly</i></b><b><i>would</i></b><b><i>never</i></b><b><i>let</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>hair</i></b><b><i>grow</i></b><b><i>out</i></b><b><i>¨C</i></b><b><i>that¡¯s</i></b><b><i>just</i></b><b><i>not</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>But</i></b><b><i>you</i></b><b><i>know</i></b><b><i>what</i></b><b><i>?</i></b><b><i>This</i></b><b><i>situation</i></b><b><i>is</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>bit</i></b><b><i>unexpected</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>I</i></b><b><i>guess</i></b><b><i>we</i></b><b><i>should</i></b><b><i>let</i></b><b><i>Catherine</i></b><b><i>exin</i></b><b><i>it</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>It¡¯s</i></b><b><i>pretty</i></b><b><i>weird</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>¡±</i></b>Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    <b><i>If</i></b><b><i>these</i></b><b><i>two</i></b><b><i>know</i></b><b><i>about</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>rumor</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>then</i></b><b><i>surely</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>other</i></b><b><i>two</i></b><b><i>involved</i></b><b><i>in</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>scandal</i></b><b><i>must</i></b><b><i>too</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>Kelly</i></b><b><i>got</i></b><b><i>up</i></b><b><i>bright</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>early</i></b><b><i>only</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>be just</i></b><b><i>about</i></b><b><i>knocked</i></b><b><i>over</i></b><b><i>by</i></b><b><i>this</i></b><b><i>piece</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>gossip</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>First</i></b><b><i>came</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>now</i></b><b><i>Catherine</i></b><b><i>¨C</i></b><b><i>is</i></b><b><i>she</i></b><b><i>really</i></b><b><i>so</i></b><b><i>easily</i></b><b><i>suspected</i></b><b><i>?</i></b>


    <b><i>Fuming</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>she</i></b><b><i>took</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>direct</i></b><b><i>approach</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>posted</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>photo</i></b><b><i>:</i></b><b><i>it</i></b><b><i>was</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>group</i></b><b><i>shot</i></b><b><i>from</i></b><b><i>yesterday</i></b><b><i>where</i></b><b><i>she</i></b><b><i>deliberately</i></b><b><i>blurred</i></b><b><i>out</i></b><b><i>Juliet</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>After</i></b><b><i>all</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>since</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>had</i></b><b><i>already</i></b><b><i>been</i></b><b><i>outed</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>there</i></b><b><i>was</i></b><b><i>no</i></b><b><i>need</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>drag</i></b>


    <b><i>Juliet</i></b><b><i>into</i></b><b><i>this</i></b><b><i>mess</i></b><b><i>too</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>That¡¯s</i></b><b><i>when</i></b><b><i>everyone</i></b><b><i>realized</i></b><b><i>just</i></b><b><i>how</i></b><b><i>well</i></b><b><i>¨C</i></b><b><i>connected</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>was</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>who</i></b><b><i>would¡¯ve</i></b><b><i>guessed</i></b><b><i>she</i></b><b><i>was</i></b><b><i>buddies with</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>movie</i></b><b><i>star</i></b><b><i>like</i></b><b><i>Catherine</i></b><b><i>?</i></b>


    <b><i>Shortly</i></b><b><i>after</i></b><b><i>Kelly</i></b><b><i>posted</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>photo</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>Catherine</i></b><b><i>stepped</i></b><b><i>out</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>clear</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>air</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>teasingly</i></b><b><i>iming</i></b><b><i>that</i></b><b><ist</i></b><b><i>night</i></b><b><i>was</i></b><b><i>just</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>friendly</i></b><b><i>neighborhood</i></b><b><imittee</i></b><b><i>meeting</i></b><b><i>gone</i></b><b><i>rogue</i></b><b><i>with</i></b><b><i>poor</i></b><b><i>Kelly</i></b><b><i>caught</i></b><b><i>in</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>crossfire</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>Her</i></b><b><i>taunting</i></b><b><i>brought</i></b><b><i>on</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>barrage</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>angry</i></b><b><i>replies</i></b><b><i>from</i></b><b><i>Kelly</i></b><b><i>right</i></b><b><i>in</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><iments</i></b><b><i>section</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>Now</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>everyone</i></b><b><i>knew</i></b><b><i>these</i></b><b><i>folks</i></b><b><i>were</i></b><b><i>all</i></b><b><i>tight</i></b><b><i>¨C</i></b><b><i>knit</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>Sylvia¡¯s</i></b><b><i>deep</i></b><b><i>cover</i></b><b><i>surprised</i></b><b><i>many</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>but</i></b><b><i>seeing</i></b><b><i>how</i></b><b><i>they</i></b><b><i>rallied</i></b><b><i>around</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>only</i></b><b><i>made</i></b><b><i>them</i></b><b><i>adore</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>even</i></b><b><i>more</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>having</i></b><b><i>read</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><itest</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>went</i></b><b><i>back</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>business</i></b><b><i>without</i></b><b><i>much</i></b><b><i>fuss</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>saw</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>news</i></b><b><i>too</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>let¡¯s</i></b><b><i>just</i></b><b><i>say</i></b><b><i>objects</i></b><b><i>may</i></b><b><i>have</i></b><b><i>flown</i></b><b><i>across</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>room</i></b><b><i>in</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>fit</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>rage</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>had</i></b><b><i>long</i></b><b><i>wanted</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>make</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>ssh</i></b><b><i>in</i></b><b><i>showbiz</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>but</i></b><b><i>big</i></b><b><i>bro</i></b><b><i>had</i></b><b><i>put his</i></b><b><i>foot</i></b><b><i>down</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>clipping</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>wings</i></b><b><i>before</i></b><b><i>she</i></b><b><i>could</i></b><b><i>take</i></b><b><i>flight</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>She</i></b><b><i>once</i></b><b><i>shared</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>frustrations</i></b><b><i>with</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>who cautioned</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>that</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>glitter of</i></b><b><i>showbiz</i></b><b><i>wasn¡¯t</i></b><b><i>all</i></b><b><i>it</i></b><b><i>seemed</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>advised</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>keep</i></b><b><i>it</i></b><b><i>real</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>stay</i></b><b><i>put</i></b><b><i>at</i></b><b><i>home</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>And</i></b><b><i>now</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>learn</i></b><b><i>that</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>Catherine</i></b><b><i>were</i></b><b><i>besties</i></b><b><i>?</i></b><b><i>That</i></b><b><i>was</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>hard</i></b><b><i>pill</i></b><b><i>for</i></b><b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>swallow</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>¡°</i></b><b><i>He¡¯s</i></b><b><i>doing</i></b><b><i>this</i></b><b><i>on</i></b><b><i>purpose</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>isn¡¯t</i></b><b><i>he</i></b><b><i>?</i></b><b><i>¡±</i></b><b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>seethed</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>¡°</i></b><b><i>He</i></b><b><i>never</i></b><b><i>wanted</i></b><b><i>me</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>stir</i></b><b><i>up trouble</i></b><b><i>on</i></b><b><i>his</i></b><b><i>friends</i></b><b><i>¡®</i></b><b><i>turf</i></b><b><i>in</i></b><b><i>showbiz</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>That¡¯s</i></b><b><i>why</i></b><b><i>he</i></b><b><i>never</i></b><b><i>wanted</i></b><b><i>me</i></b><b><i>in</i></b><b><i>!</i></b><b><i>¡±</i></b>


    <b><i>Bonnie¡¯s</i></b><b><i>room</i></b><b><i>took</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>brunt</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>temper</i></b><b><i>before</i></b><b><i>she</i></b><b><i>stormed</i></b><b><i>down</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>rant</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>Michelle</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>It</i></b><b><i>was</i></b><b><i>news</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>Michelle</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>too</i></b><b><i>¨C</i></b><b><i>he</i></b><b><i>was</i></b><b><i>shocked</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>wasn¡¯t</i></b><b><i>just</i></b><b><i>indifferent</i></b><b><i>;</i></b><b><i>he</i></b><b><i>was</i></b><b><i>friends</i></b><b><i>with</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>big</i></b><b><i>shots</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>Michelle</i></b><b><i>was</i></b><b><i>fuming</i></b><b><i>partly</i></b><b><i>in</i></b><b><i>sympathy</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>If</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>had just</i></b><b><i>lent</i></b><b><i>a hand</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>with</i></b><b><i>Catherine¡¯s</i></b><b><i>clout</i></b><b><i>in</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>industry</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>could</i></b><b><i>have</i></b><b><i>easily</i></b><b><i>found</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>footing</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>maybe</i></b><b><i>be</i></b><b><i>basking</i></b><b><i>in</i></b><b><i>stardom</i></b><b><i>by</i></b><b><i>now</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>¡°</i></b><b><i>I</i></b><b><i>knew</i></b><b><i>it</i></b><b><i>!</i></b><b><i>When</i></b><b><i>he</i></b><b><i>married</i></b><b><i>into</i></b><b><i>this</i></b><b><i>family</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>it</i></b><b><i>was</i></b><b><i>never</i></b><b><i>for</i></b><b><i>anything</i></b><b><i>good</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>He¡¯s</i></b><b><i>always</i></b><b><i>had</i></b><b><i>his</i></b><b><i>eyes</i></b><b><i>on</i></b><b><i>my</i></b><b><i>brother¡¯s</i></b><b><i>fortune</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>Sure</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>he</i></b><b><i>yed</i></b><b><i>it</i></b><b><i>cool</i></b><b><i>at</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>split</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>all</i></b><b><i>carefree without</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>peep</i></b><b><i>about</i></b><b><i>money</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>Look</i></b><b><i>at</i></b><b><i>him</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>devoting</i></b><b><i>all</i></b><b><i>his craft</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>conniving</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>chase</i></b><b><i>his</i></b><b><i>own</i></b><b><i>ambitions</i></b><b><i>!</i></b><b><i>And</i></b><b><i>now</i></b><b><i>we</i></b><b><i>find</i></b><b><i>out</i></b><b><i>he¡¯s</i></b><b><i>chummy</i></b><b><i>with</i></b><b><i>so</i></b><b><i>many</i></b><b><i>?</i></b><b><i>After</i></b><b><i>all</i></b><b><i>that</i></b><b><i>pretense</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>just</i></b><b><i>being</i></b><b><i>an</i></b><b><i>¡®</i></b><b><i>ordinary</i></b><b><i>guy</i></b><b><i>¡®</i></b><b><i>?</i></b><b><i>He¡¯s</i></b><b><i>just</i></b><b><i>full</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>it</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>isn¡¯t</i></b><b><i>he</i></b><b><i>!</i></b><b><i>¡±</i></b>


    <b><i>Michelle</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>too</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>was</i></b><b><i>upset</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>took</i></b><b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>into</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>arms</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>¡°</i></b><b><i>Don¡¯t</i></b><b><i>be mad</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>honey</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>We¡¯ll</i></b><b><i>think</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>something</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>We</i></b><b><i>cannot</i></b><b><i>let</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>get</i></b><b><i>away</i></b><b><i>with</i></b><b><i>this</i></b><b><i>!</i></b><b><i>¡±</i></b>


    <b><i>Bonne</i></b><b><i>was</i></b><b><i>seeing</i></b><b><i>red</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>too</i></b><b><i>upset</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>care</i></b><b><i>for</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>mother¡¯s</i></b><b><ifort</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>She</i></b><b><i>briskly</i></b><b><i>freed</i></b><b><i>herself</i></b><b><i>from</i></b><b><i>Michelle¡¯s</i></b><b><i>arms</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>stood</i></b><b><i>aside,</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>said</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>heatedly</i></b><b><i>:</i></b>


    <b><i>How</i></b><b><i>do</i></b><b><i>you</i></b><b><i>suggest</i></b><b><i>we</i></b><b><i>don¡¯t</i></b><b><i>let</i></b><b><i>him</i></b><b><i>have</i></b><b><i>it</i></b><b><i>his</i></b><b><i>way</i></b><b><i>?</i></b><b><i>I¡¯ll</i></b><b><i>never</i></b><b><i>let</i></b><b><i>him</i></b><b><i>off</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>hook</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>but</i></b><b><i>I</i></b><b><i>don¡¯t</i></b><b><i>even</i></b><b><i>have</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>chance</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>get</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>him</i></b><b><i>right</i></b><b><i>now</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>And</i></b><b><i>my</i></b><b><i>brother</i></b><b><i>?</i></b><b><i>He¡¯s</i></b><b><i>got</i></b><b><i>nothing but</i></b><b><i>eyes</i></b><b><i>for</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>¨C</i></b><b><i>used</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>even</i></b><b><i>fight</i></b><b><i>with</i></b><b><i>me</i></b><b><i>over</i></b><b><i>him</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>What</i></b><b><i>am</i></b><b><i>I</i></b><b><i>supposed</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>do</i></b><b><i>?</i></b>


    <b><i>Michelle</i></b><b><i>felt</i></b><b><i>even</i></b><b><i>more</i></b><b><i>for</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>only</i></b><b><i>daughter</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>ming</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>for</i></b><b><i>all</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>wrongs</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>If</i></b><b><i>only</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>had</i></b><b><i>been</i></b><b><i>willing</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>help</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>none</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>this</i></b><b><i>would</i></b><b><i>be</i></b><b><i>happening</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>¡°</i></b><b><i>Honey</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>don¡¯t</i></b><b><i>get</i></b><b><i>all</i></b><b><i>worked</i></b><b><i>up</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>Listen</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>me</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>as</i></b><b><i>long</i></b><b><i>as</i></b><b><i>we</i></b><b><i>are</i></b><b><i>determined</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>nothing</i></b><b><i>is</i></b><b><i>impossible</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>Don¡¯t</i></b><b><i>you</i></b><b><i>have</i></b><b><i>lots</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>friends</i></b><b><i>?</i></b><b><i>Plus</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>your</i></b><b><i>brother¡¯s</i></b><b><i>connections</i></b><b><i>could</i></b><b><ie</i></b><b><i>in</i></b><b><i>handy</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>Let¡¯s</i></b><b><i>figure</i></b><b><i>out</i></b><b><i>where</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>will</i></b><b><i>show</i></b><b><i>up</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>we</i></b><b><i>can</i></b><b><i>give</i></b><b><i>him</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>plece</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>our</i></b><b><i>mind</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>¡±</i></b>


    <b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>hardly grasped</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>implications of</i></b><b><i>Michelle¡¯s</i></b><b><i>words</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>her mind</i></b><b><i>racing</i></b><b><i>with</i></b><b><i>thoughts</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>vengeance</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>She</i></b><b><i>wanted to</i></b><b><i>craft</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>cruelest</i></b><b><i>revenge</i></b><b><i>possible</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>show</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>severity</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>wounds</i></b><b><i>he</i></b><b><i>had</i></b>


    <b><i>inflicted</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>¡°</i></b><b><i>How</i></b><b><i>do</i></b><b><i>we</i></b><b><i>set</i></b><b><i>him</i></b><b><i>up</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>now</i></b><b><i>that</i></b><b><i>he¡¯s</i></b><b><i>¡­</i></b><b><i>¡±</i></b>


    <b><i>Mid</i></b><b><i>¨C</i></b><b><i>rant</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>remembered</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>recent</i></b><b><i>visit</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>brother</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>Cyril</i></b><b><i>had</i></b><b><i>mentioned</i></b><b><i>attending</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>charity</i></b><b><i>g</i></b><b><i>which</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>was</i></b><b><i>also</i></b><b><i>going</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>pondering</i></b><b><i>whether</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>consider</i></b><b><i>coborating</i></b><b><i>with</i></b><b><i>him</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>had</i></b><b><i>been</i></b><b><i>livid</i></b><b><i>at</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>idea</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>brother</i></b><b><i>working</i></b><b><i>with</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>but</i></b><b><i>now</i></b><b><i>saw</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>golden</i></b><b><i>opportunity</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>teach</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>a</i></b>


    <b><i>lesson</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>¡°</i></b><b><i>I¡¯ve</i></b><b><i>got</i></b><b><i>it</i></b><b><i>!</i></b><b><i>¡±</i></b><b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>perked</i></b><b><i>up</i></b><b><i>instantly</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>while</i></b><b><i>Michelle</i></b><b><i>wasn¡¯t</i></b><b><i>sure</i></b><b><i>what</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>daughter</i></b><b><i>had</i></b><b><i>in</i></b><b><i>mind</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>seeing</i></b><b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>happy</i></b><b><i>made</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>happy</i></b><b><i>too</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>¡°</i></b><b><i>I¡¯ll</i></b><b><i>go</i></b><b><i>find</i></b><b><i>my</i></b><b><i>brother</i></b><b><i>right</i></b><b><i>now</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>¡±</i></b>


    <b><i>With</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>devious</i></b><b><i>sparkle</i></b><b><i>in</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>eye</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>hurried</i></b><b><i>out</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>Michelle</i></b><b><i>said</i></b><b><i>nothing</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>trusting</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>daughter¡¯s</i></b><b><i>judgement</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>watched</i></b><b><i>as</i></b><b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>rushed</i></b><b><i>off</i></b><b><i>in</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>flurry</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>Once</i></b><b><i>alone</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>Michelle</i></b><b><i>instructed</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>household</i></b><b><i>staff</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>clean the</i></b><b><i>ce</i></b><b><i>top</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>bottom</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>After</i></b><b><i>all</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>was</i></b><b><i>actually</i></b><b><i>not</i></b><b><i>too</i></b><b><i>shabby</i></b><b><i>at</i></b><b><i>keeping</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>house</i></b><b><i>spick</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>span</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>that</i></b><b><i>had</i></b><b><i>been</i></b><b><i>free</i></b><b><i>housekeeping</i></b><b><i>they¡¯d</i></b><b><i>lost</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>Michelle</i></b><b><i>regretted</i></b><b><i>not</i></b><b><i>making</i></b><b><i>more</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>Sylvia¡¯s</i></b><b><i>tenure</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>Now</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>even</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>memory</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>a clean</i></b><b><i>house</i></b><b><i>seemed</i></b><b><i>Insufficient</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>Michelle</i></b><b><i>pondered</i></b><b><i>this</i></b><b><i>but</i></b><b><i>never</i></b><b><i>considered</i></b><b><i>Sylvia¡¯s</i></b><b><i>perspective</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>focusing</i></b><b><i>solely</i></b><b><i>on</i></b><b><i>what</i></b><b><i>benefitted</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>uncaring</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>others</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>Meanwhile</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>flustered</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>anxious</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>see</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>brother</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>didn¡¯t</i></b><b><i>know</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>musings</i></b><b><i>in</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>mother¡¯s</i></b><b><i>mind</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>Eager</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>find</i></b><b><i>Cyril</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>she</i></b><b><i>arrived</i></b><b><i>at</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><ipany</i></b><b><i>only</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>find</i></b><b><i>him</i></b><b><i>in</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>meeting</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>So</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>she</i></b><b><i>sat and</i></b><b><i>waited</i></b><b><i>in</i></b><b><i>his</i></b><b><i>office</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>anguishing</i></b><b><i>over</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>dy</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>

 Chapter 71

    Chapter 71 Making Her Comply


    Cyril¡¯s assistant, named Jack, usually helped handle business affairs<b>and</b>asionally dealt with Bonnie¡¯s requests as well. After all, Bonnie was Cyril¡¯s sister, and despite any disappointment he might have felt, Cyril couldn¡¯tpletely ignore his sister¡¯s welfare.


    During the meeting, aware that Bonnie hade to see him and wanting to prevent any mischief<b>,</b><b>Cyril</b>had called Jack in to keep an eye on her.


    Bonnie looked at Jack with hopeful eyes.<b>¡°</b>Jack, there¡¯s something I need help with. Make it happen and I¡¯ll make sure my brother gives you a raise.¡®


    She was confident about Jack¡¯s assistance, whatever the task, she knew he would find a way. She needed to understand which charity g Sylvia was nning to attend, whether or not she could also go, and what her role would be¨Can array of details best learned from a direct


    <b>source</b><b>,</b>


    Hearing Bonnie¡¯s request, Jack felt<b>a</b>headacheing on. He had<i>helped</i>Cyril resolve


    several of Bonnie¡¯s<b>past</b><b>issues</b>, and each time, the trouble seemed to grow exponentially. After sorting out each of her messes, it felt like he aged seven or eight years. Now, hearing her ask for another favor, Jack¡¯s head ached in anticipation.


    Swallowing hard, Jack put on an awkward face, unsure of how to proceed without the boss¡¯s permission.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to help here, Bonnie. Without the boss¡¯s orders, it¡¯s not appropriate for me to get involved. Why don¡¯t you ask him directly? Some things are easier for him to handle<b>,</b>¡± he cautiously tried to deflect.


    Bonnie¡¯s expression darkened upon seeing Jack¡¯s reluctance. She red at him and threatened, ¡°Oh really? If you won¡¯t help me, I¡¯ll just tell my brother to fire you!¡±


    Jack,<b>however</b><b>,</b>wasn¡¯t perturbed by her threat. If he really could be fired that easily, he wildn¡¯t have worked at Cyril¡¯s side for so long, and he was confident he couldnd an even


    alem where. Perhaps it was time Bonnie learned a lesson?


    ¡°I¡¯il- it again¡ªif you need my help, you should discuss it with the boss. As long as he agrees, I have no objections,¡± Jack maintained his stance.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I simply want to ask you something, is it necessary to go over your head to my brother?¡± Bonnie chided. ¡°He mentioned attending a charity g ¨C does he need a date for it? Can I go<b>with</b>him? As his date?¡±


    Realizing she still needed Jack¡¯s assistance, Bonnie swallowed her fury, softening her tone


    21 Making Her Comply


    she addressed<b>him</b>again<b>.</b>


    Jack initially thought Bonnie was<b>going</b>to ask him<b>to</b><b>do</b>something outrageous<b>again</b>, but it turns out she just wanted information<b>about the</b>charity<b>g</b><b>.</b>It<b>wasn¡¯t</b>too much trouble, although he<b>wasn¡¯t</b>quite sure about the details of bringing a date.


    ¡°Generally<b>,</b><b>you</b>can bring<b>a</b>date<b>to</b><b>a</b>charity<b>g</b><b>,</b><b>but</b>the<b>boss</b><b>never</b>seemed interested in attending such events before<b>,</b><b>so I¡¯m</b>not<b>sure</b>if he ns<b>to</b>bring Liberty this time. If you¡¯re looking<b>to</b>attend<b>,</b><b>you</b>might want<b>to</b>check directly with the boss<b>.</b>I think he¡¯d be open to<b>it</b><b>.</b>¡±


    Jack spoke earnestly. As long as Bonnie didn¡¯t stir up trouble<b>for</b>Cyril, there shouldn¡¯t be<b>a</b>problem<b>,</b>but that was a<b>big</b><b>¡®</b><b>if</b>¡®<b>.</b>


    Bonnie pondered for a moment before nodding. ¡°I heard Sylvia¡¯s also attending. What¡¯s his role there? It must cost a bit, and with Sylvia¡¯s current situation, I doubt he¡¯d chip in much.¡±


    What Bonnie really meant was that Sylvia couldn¡¯t afford it. She imagined how


    embarrassing it would be for him at the g<i>¨C</i>if he even got in¨Cand she found the thought amusing.


    ¡°That, I don¡¯t know,¡± Jack replied cautiously. ¡°It¡¯s his business, not mine. The boss hasn¡¯t been keeping tabs on Sylvia. If you need specific details, you might want to ask the boss.¡±


    Mentioning Sylvia put jack on guard. He knew all too well what Bonnie and Michelle were capable<b>of</b><b>,</b>having seen Sylvia on the receiving end of their bullying


    Bonnie rolled her eyes in exasperation. ¡°To think you¡¯ve been my brother¡¯s assistant for so long and know so little. Never mind, I never needed to ask you anyway. I just want to make Sylvia behave.¡±


    Although Jack didn¡¯t take Bonnie¡¯s attitude to heart, her words did resonate with him. First, she mentioned making Sylvia behave, then the g. Putting two and two together, Jack had<b>a</b>hunch she was up to no good, and it troubled him.


    Feeling a sense of urgency, he made an excuse to leave Bonnie, pondering whether to inform the boss. Ordinarily, such matters wouldn¡¯t warrant bothering Cyril, but he feared Bonnie


    nighme unmanageable trouble.


    Affe.moment¡¯s thought, Jack decided to tell Cyril. He approached the conference room and, vathout regard for the ongoing meeting, whispered to Cyril the details of his conversation with Bonnie and his suspicions, which were well¨Cinformed based on his understanding of Bonnie¡¯s character.


    Cyril¡¯s face darkened visibly after hearing Jack¡¯s concerns, leaving everyone else in the conference room wondering what had happened to change his mood so suddenly


    Chapter 71 Making Her Comply


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ve<b>got</b>it,¡±<b>Cyril</b>said<b>,</b>his voice low.<b>¡°</b>Keep an eye on Bonnie<b>in</b><b>my</b><b>office</b><b>.</b><b>Until</b><b>my</b>meeting¡¯s over, she doesn¡¯t<b>go</b>anywhere<b>.</b>¡±

 Chapter 72

    reason to tolerate your behavior any longer. You think you can mess with him and get away with it? If you cause trouble, I won¡¯t hesitate to discipline you on behalf of ourte father.¡±


    1


    Cyril had a sinking feeling. If he continued to turn a blind eye to his sister¡¯s actions, she would only escte her drama¨Cpotentially beyond control.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Bonnie couldn¡¯t believe what she was witnessing. She hadn¡¯t done anything yet, and already her brother wasing at her with threats.


    ¡°I honestly hadn¡¯t nned to do anything to him. But with what you just said, if I don¡¯t, it would be a disservice to myself after taking a p from you today. No matter how you try to stop me, I will make Sylvia pay. He¡¯s always targeted me, and now I have no intention of letting him off easy!¡±


    Cyril was furious but hesitated as he raised his hand. Bonnie stepped forward defiantly, looking up at him with stubborn eyes.


    ¡°Are you going to hit me over Sylvia again? Go ahead, I¡¯m not afraid. I might as well not even have a brother at this point. What does it matter? It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve been gentle with me these past years.¡±


    If Bonnie persisted in her defiance, Cyril knew he wouldn¡¯t strike her. Yet, her words cut deep, and he was genuinely distressed.


    ¡°Why? If Sylvia did something wrong, you could have told me. Even if he were still my husband, I would never condone his misdeeds. Why must you act this way? Don¡¯t you see


    just creating problems for yourself but for our family as well?¡± 2


    th-


    Cyril had begun to calm down, longing to understand what was truly going on in his sister¡¯s


    mind.


    Yet Bonnie turned away, refusing to look at him. She thought about her disdain for Sylvia¡ªa mere status symbol, in her eyes. Sylvia, of humble origin, always carried an air of pride around them¨Cfor what reason? Plus, the activities Sylvia had engaged in while married to


    Chapter 221 Didn¡¯t Do Anything


    <b>Cyril</b>were less than honorable. So what If Bonnie wanted to shake Sylvia up a bit? She didn¡¯t<b>Cyril</b>seemed fixated on them. see any fault in her actions, bu


    ¡°<b>I</b>just don¡¯t like him. I hate him. Do I need a reason for that?<b>I</b>can¡¯t articte<b>it</b><b>,</b><b>I</b>just don¡¯t like the sight of him, and I will act on it. If you¡¯re willing to fight for him<b>,</b><b>then</b><b>go</b>ahead and hit me.¡±

 Chapter 73

    Chapter<b><i>73</i></b><b>The</b>Grand Entrance


    Cyril was at a loss for words after hearing Bonnie¡¯s rant. He genuinely<b>hadn¡¯t</b>expected his<b>sister</b>to speak so bluntly.


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m here trying to have a reasonable discussion with you. All I want to know is why<b>you</b>have such animosity towards Sylvia<b>,</b>and not just<b>you</b><b>¨C</b>Mom<b>,</b><b>too</b><b>¡­</b><b>¡±</b>


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. You¡¯ve divorced Sylvia<b>,</b>and the<b>two</b><b>of</b>you have no connection anymore. Can we leave these issues behind? Even if you¡¯re trying to understand the whole situation<b>,</b>are you intending to take Sylvia back? It¡¯s toote for that!¡±


    Bonnie¡¯s emotional dam broke, and sheshed out at Cyril before storming out of the office. Jack, concerned, hesitated between going after her and staying with his visibly upset boss.


    ¡°Boss<b>¡­</b>


    ¡± he began, but Cyril was already immersed in his thoughts, wrestling with why Bonnie was aggressively targeting Sylvia. He knew he hadn¡¯t let go and was hellbent on confronting Sylvia about it. With the charity g approaching, he feltpelled to find a way to warn Sylvia, perhaps as a form of penance.


    ¡°Forget about her for now. We need to make sure someone watches her at the g. Don¡¯t let her do anything drastic. Also, try to get in touch with Sylvia and give him a heads¨Cup. If he wants to take the warning, fine. If not, we¡¯ll just increase security.¡±


    Cyril dreaded the potentialplications Bonnie might create, her knack for stirring up trouble weighing heavily on him.


    Jack quickly agreed to do as asked but couldn¡¯t help thinking it wouldn¡¯t be so easy to resolve. He knew Sylvia¡¯s personality had undergone great changes recently, and even if nothing happened, Sylvia would not let Bonnie off lightly, especially with their


    conflicts<b>.</b>


    past


    Time flew by, and the day of the charity g arrived. The event was hosted by a prominent consortium aiming to bolster its reputation, drawing many high¨Cprofile guests.


    Svl


    d with Bruce. Juliet, too, was supposed toe along but as a representative of hei n family, she would make a separate appearance.


    Walking to the g with Bruce by her arm, Sylvia was surrounded by guests eager to greet Bruce, although nobody openly inquired about Sylvia¡¯s identity. They were unsure of the nature of the rtionship between Sylvia and Bruce and didn¡¯t want to risk a faux pas. Some things were better left unsaid.


    Chapter 73 The Grand Entrance


    2/2


    ¡°I was wondering who would make the grand entrance tonight, and it turns out to be you.¡® Indeed, Bruce and Sylvia were the ones drawing attention<b>,</b>though slightly behind schedule. Sylvia had failed to find the right pair<b>of</b>shoes before leaving home<b>,</b>causing a brief<b>dy</b>while choosing a new pair. Other than that<b>,</b>there were no significant hold¨C<b>ups</b>.


    The Evan family was bound to attract attention due to their extraordinary stature, so when Sylvia and Bruce made their grand entrance towards the end of the evening<b>,</b>many eyes were drawn to them. Cyril noticed them but decided to wait for<b>an</b>opportune moment to approach Sylvia, as the issue between his sister and Sylvia had<b>yet</b>to transpire, and his involvement would be merely precautionary.


    Cyril stood by, observing Sylvia converse with the surrounding businessmen<b>,</b>exuding a sun- like radiance. She disyed a confidence, elegance, and generosity that Cyril had never seen in her before. He was taken aback by the transformation and wondered what could have triggered such a change in Sylvia.


    Once the mingling wound down, Cyril found his chance to speak with Sylvia. Sylvia was busy on her phone, handling work matters. It was evident that her life had be hectic but fulfilling, making her distinct from her past self. Sylvia, now intriguing and eye¨Ccatching, would not go unnoticed.


    Even in the short distance Cyril walked over, he could tell that at least ten people were watching Sylvia.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Thest time I saw you was in that magazine shoot I did to help Jessica out. I heard sales were pretty good, so congrattions,¡± Cyril started, using theirst coboration as an opener, unaware that it was a sensitive topic Sylvia would rather avoid. ¡°Thanks, but no need for congrattions. I didn¡¯t even want to do that shoot with you. Why are you here? Is there something you need?¡± Sylvia was skeptical about their interaction, certain that Cyril must have a specific reason to seek her out post¨Cdivorce.


    Cyril looked hesitant and somewhat embarrassed. The fact that no incidents had urred yet and he didn¡¯t know Bonnie¡¯s intentions made this approach feel awkward. However, he had to address the situation.


    ¡°Well, it seems my sister may be nning something against you, but I¡¯m not sure what it st wanted to warn you,¡± Cyril confessed, truly feeling ufortable with his


    is


    <b>icions</b><b>.</b>


    117


    ****~<b>11r</b>sister<i>is</i>nning something against me?


    Chapter 73 The Grand Entrance


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    ¡°I was wondering who<b>would</b>make the grand entrance tonight, and it turns out<b>to</b>be<b>you</b>.¡±


    Indeed, Bruce and Sylvia were<b>the</b>ones drawing attention<b>,</b>though slightly behind schedule. Sylvia had failed to find the right pair<b>of</b><b>shoes</b>before leaving home, causing a brief dy while choosing<b>a</b><b>new</b>pair. Other than that<b>,</b>there were no significant hold¨Cups.


    The Evan family<b>was</b>bound<b>to</b>attract attention<b>due</b><b>to</b><b>their</b>extraordinary stature<b>,</b>so when Sylvia and Bruce made their grand entrance towards the end of the evening, many eyes were drawn to them. Cyril noticed them but<b>decided</b>to<b>wait</b>for an opportune moment to approach Sylvia, as the issue between his sister and<b>Sylvia</b>had yet to transpire, and his involvement would be merely precautionary.


    Cyril stood by, observing Sylvia converse with the surrounding businessmen, exuding a sun- like radiance. She disyed<b>a</b>confidence, elegance, and generosity that Cyril had never seen in her before. He was taken aback by the transformation and wondered what could have


    triggered such a change in Sylvia.


    Once the mingling wound down, Cyril found his chance to speak with Sylvia. Sylvia was busy on her phone, handling work matters. It was evident that her life had be hectic but fulfilling, making her distinct from her past self. Sylvia, now intriguing and eye<b>¨C</b>catching, would not go unnoticed.


    Even in the short distance Cyril walked over, he could tell that at least ten people were watching Sylvia.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while<b>.</b>Thest time I saw you was in that magazine shoot I did to help Jessica out. I heard sales were pretty good, so congrattions,<b>¡±</b>Cyril started, using theirst coboration as an opener, unaware that it was a sensitive topic Sylvia would rather avoid.


    <b>¡°</b>Thanks, but no need for congrattions. I didn¡¯t even want to do that shoot with you. Why are you here? Is there something you need?¡± Sylvia was skeptical about their interaction, certain that Cyril must have a specific reason to seek her out post¨Cdivorce.


    Cyril looked hesitant and somewhat embarrassed. The fact that no incidents had urred yet and he didn¡¯t know Bonnie¡¯s intentions made this approach feel awkward. However, heN?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    had to address the situation.


    ¡°Well, it seems my sister may be nning something against you, but I¡¯m not sure what it is es


    <ol>


    <li>ly. I just wanted to warn you,<b>¡±</b>Cyril confessed, truly feeling ufortable with his</li>


    <li><b>ns</b>.</li>


    </ol>


    Sylvia paused<b>,</b>prised by the warning. ¡°Your sister is nning something against me? What will she go<i>?</i>¡±

 Chapter 74

    Chapter<b>74</b>Taking a Gamble


    Cyril¡¯s face flushed with both embarrassment and uncertainty. He had no inkling what sort of scandalous act his sister might be nning, but he felt it was imperative to intervene.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly what she¡¯s nning against you, but bying here today, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s up to no good. Consider this a warning. Whether you believe me or not is up to<b>you</b>,¡± said Cyril<b>,</b>having said his piece and leaving the ball in Sylvia¡¯s court.


    Sylvia seemed slightly incredulous, questioning if Cyril had approached him solely to convey this vague caution. He knew Bonnie too well, and he doubted Cyril had any concrete notion of her potential schemes.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what she might do, but I¡¯m all too aware. How about we make a wager? Let¡¯s bet on whether your sister ns to ruin my reputation today,¡± Sylvia proposed, which left Cyril taken aback. He understood that Bonnie could be extreme in her actions<b>,</b>but to bring someone to the brink of ruin seemed far¨Cfetched.


    Sylvia noticed every nuance in Cyril¡¯s expression. Over the years, he had be adept at reading Cyril¨Cevery movement, every subtle sign, without ever misinterpreting them. It puzzled Sylvia that he could still pick up on Cyril¡¯s emotional shifts with such immediacy<b>.</b>Though they were no longer connected, his body¡¯s instinctive responses made it impossible to fake indifference. Sylvia sensed Cyril¡¯s repulsion to the idea of Bonnie causing serious


    harm.


    The realization that Cyril would naturally side with his sister<b>,</b>considering Sylvia a stranger, wasn¡¯t surprising. Cyril¡¯s apparent willingness to warn Sylvia was likely out of nostalgia for past affections rather than genuine concern.


    ¡°So, you reing to me with this because you believe she won¡¯t actually do anything to<b>me</b>Sylvia inhaled deeply, suppressing the bitterness emerging within. It made no sense to dwell on it. Cyril favoring his kin was natural, and Sylvia admitted he would do the same if roles were reversed.


    Cyril neither nodded nor shook his head. Truthfully, he had no idea if Bonnie was capable of such vindictiveness<b>,</b>yet he harbored a hope that she wouldn¡¯t ruin her own life.


    <b>¡°</b><b>You</b>need to understand something, Cyril. You don¡¯t want Bonnie¡¯s life destroyed<b>,</b>but that¡¯s contingent on her not derailing it herself. Since you brought me this warning, all I can


    say


    is thank you. As for the rest, I¡¯ll handle it. However, if Bonnie does cross the line, don¡¯t think for a second that I won¡¯t retaliate. The degree of my response<b>,</b>well<b>,</b><b>you¡¯ll</b>just have to wait and see<b>,</b>¡± Sylvia responded with a firm resolve.


    Chapter 74 Taking a Gamble


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    Grateful for the warning, Sylvia was willing to give Cyril the benefit of the doubt, but she wanted to make it clear that her warning was based solely on what Cyril had offered.


    After speaking with Cyril, Sylvia took her belongings and left. She knew any nned actions from Bonnie wouldn¡¯t just be empty threats. She moved to a more secluded corner and sent a text message to Bruce to inform him. Bruce¡¯s face was grave when he arrived.


    ¡°Cyril actually warned you today? Should we do something in advance?¡± Bruce was suggesting that if Bonnie was nning something, perhaps they should nip it in the bud instead of waiting for things to escte, which could harm Sylvia¡¯s reputation.


    Sylvia shook her head. ¡°No, I want to see what she¡¯s capable of. If she¡¯s ready to strike,<b>I</b>want to know how far she¡¯ll go.¡±


    Bruce understood that Sylvia had made up her mind; she was determined to make Bonnie pay a price. Armed with foreknowledge, they could prepare themselves.


    Bruce nodded and discreetly arranged for additional security on his phone. It was crucial to protect Sylvia regardless of what Bonnie might attempt.


    While Sylvia was pondering Bonnie¡¯s possible actions, a server approached with several sses of champagne, likely tense from doing something like this for the first time. Asking if Sylvia wanted any, it was clear that the server¡¯s approach was unusual¨Cnormal servers wouldn¡¯t personally offer drinks when there was a tableden with beverages nearby.


    Cyril watched as Sylvia epted a ss of champagne with a nod, prompting the server to visibly rx and move away, just as they passed Cyril, who was scowling.


    Sylvia held the ss without drinking, sensing eyes upon her¨Cresentful eyes that had been following her. With a small smile, she nced in Cyril¡¯s direction and took two sips of the champagne, right in front of him.


    I couldn¡¯t pin down his feelings, but there was an ufortable taste in his mouth seeing Sylvia take those sips.


    After downing the drink, Sylvia ced the ss on the table and headed outside. She grabbed some napkins from another table; the champagne she had sipped had never been swallowed and was promptly spat out the moment she turned her back.


    After disposing of the content, Sylvia rushed to the restroom to clear her throat. She had no idea what kind of substance might have been mixed into that drink, and taking any chances with her health was out of the question.

 Chapter 75

    <b><i>Chapter</i></b><b><i>75</i></b><b><i>Vulnerable</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>Helpless</i></b>


    <b><i>From</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>second</i></b><b><i>floor</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>witnessed</i></b><b><i>with</i></b><b><i>satisfaction</i></b><b><i>as</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>finally</i></b><b><i>drank</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>champagne</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>Knowing</i></b><b><i>that</i></b><b><i>Cyril</i></b><b><i>was</i></b><b><i>also</i></b><b><i>at the</i></b><b><i>event</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>she</i></b><b><i>immediately</i></b><b><i>arranged</i></b><b><i>for</i></b>


    <b><i>someone</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>monitor</i></b><b><i>his</i></b><b><i>actions</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>As</i></b><b><i>for</i></b><b><i>herself</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>she</i></b><b><i>quickly</i></b><b><i>followed the</i></b><b><i>direction</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>had</i></b><b><i>gone</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>She</i></b><b><i>had</i></b><b><i>to make</i></b><b><i>sure</i></b><b><i>everything</i></b><b><i>unfolded</i></b><b><i>as</i></b><b><i>nned</i></b><b><i>since</i></b><b><i>today</i></b><b><i>might</i></b><b><i>be</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><ist</i></b><b><i>chance</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>ruin</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    <b><i>However</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>Bonnie¡¯s</i></b><b><i>surprise</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>as</i></b><b><i>she</i></b><b><i>approached</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>they</i></b><b><i>both</i></b><b><i>coincidentally</i></b><b><i>headed</i></b><b><i>towards</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>restroom</i></b><b><i>at</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>same</i></b><b><i>time</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>Caught</i></b><b><i>off</i></b><b><i>guard</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>hesitated</i></b><b><i>for</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>second</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>then</i></b><b><i>dramatically</i></b><b><i>copsed</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>floor</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>, unaware</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>severity</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>situation</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>thought</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>drug</i></b><b><i>had</i></b><b><i>taken</i></b><b><i>effect</i></b><b><i>upon</i></b><b><i>seeing</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>on</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>ground</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>She</i></b><b><i>hastily</i></b><b><i>pulled</i></b><b><i>out</i></b><b><i>her phone</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>summoned</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>people</i></b><b><i>she</i></b><b><i>had</i></b><b><i>arranged</i></b><b><i>beforehand</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>But</i></b><b><i>little</i></b><b><i>did</i></b><b><i>she</i></b><b><i>know</i></b><b><i>that</i></b><b><i>Bruce</i></b><b><i>had</i></b><b><i>already</i></b><b><i>turned</i></b><b><i>those</i></b><b><i>very</i></b><b><i>people</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>meaning</i></b><b><i>they</i></b><b><i>would</i></b><b><i>only</i></b><b><i>take</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>somewhere</i></b><b><i>safe</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>wouldn¡¯t</i></b><b><i>help</i></b><b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>with</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>scheme</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>¡°</i></b><b><i>As</i></b><b><i>we</i></b><b><i>nned</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>take</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>upstairs</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>make</i></b><b><i>sure</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>take</i></b><b><i>those</i></b><b><i>pictures</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>I</i></b><b><i>want</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>scandalous</i></b><b><i>photos</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>circte</i></b><b><i>throughout</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>entire</i></b><b><i>event</i></b><b><i>!</i></b><b><i>¡±</i></b><b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>had</i></b><b><i>enlisted</i></b><b><i>five</i></b><b><i>strong</i></b><b><i>men</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>capture</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><ipromising</i></b><b><i>footage</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>intending</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>disgrace</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>publicly</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>Even</i></b><b><i>if</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>didn¡¯t</i></b><b><i>care</i></b><b><i>about</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>chaos</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>judging</i></b><b><i>looks</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>whispered</i></b><b><iments</i></b><b><i>from</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>crowd</i></b><b><i>would</i></b><b><i>be</i></b><b><i>as</i></b><b><i>sharp</i></b><b><i>as</i></b><b><i>daggers</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>wounding</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>reputation</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>¡°</i></b><b><i>The</i></b><b><i>job</i></b><b><i>will</i></b><b><i>get</i></b><b><i>done</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>but</i></b><b><i>we</i></b><b><i>need</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>payment</i></b><b><i>first</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>¡±</i></b><b><i>one</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>men</i></b><b><i>stated</i></b><b><i>boldly</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>¡°</i></b><b><i>This</i></b><b><i>woman</i></b><b><i>came</i></b><b><i>with</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>big</i></b><b><i>shot</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>someone</i></b><b><i>we</i></b><b><i>cannot</i></b><b><i>afford</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>mess</i></b><b><i>with</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>We¡¯ll</i></b><b><i>need</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>skip</i></b><b><i>town</i></b><b><i>immediately</i></b><b><i>after</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>job</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>so</i></b><b><i>you</i></b><b><i>better</i></b><b><i>transfer</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>money</i></b><b><i>now</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>If</i></b><b><i>something</i></b><b><i>goes</i></b><b><i>wrong</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>we</i></b><b><i>need</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>get</i></b><b><i>out</i></b><b><i>fast</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>¡±</i></b>


    <b><i>Eomie</i></b><b><i>was</i></b><b><i>annoyed</i></b><b><i>at</i></b><b><i>their</i></b><b><i>insistence</i></b><b><i>on</i></b><b><i>receiving</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>payment</i></b><b><i>first</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>but</i></b><b><i>the thought</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>crossing</i></b><b><i>Bruce</i></b><b><i>made</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>apprehensive</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>¡°</i></b><b><i>I</i></b><b><i>sent</i></b><b><i>you</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>deposit</i></b><b><i>before</i></b><b><i>we</i></b><b><i>started</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>I</i></b><b><i>promised</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>remaining</i></b><b><i>million</i></b><b><i>after</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>job¡¯s</i></b><b><i>done</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>If</i></b><b><i>you</i></b><b><i>insist</i></b><b><i>on</i></b><b><i>getting</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>money</i></b><b><i>now</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>I¡¯ll</i></b><b><i>transfer</i></b><b><i>half</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>what</i></b><b><i>I</i></b><b><i>promised</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>¡±</i></b>


    <b><i>She</i></b><b><i>hastily</i></b><b><i>transferred</i></b><b><i>$</i></b><b><i>500,000</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>them</i></b><b><i>on</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>phone</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>upon</i></b><b><i>confirming</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>receipt</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>men</i></b><b><i>breathed</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>sigh</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>relief</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>proceeded</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>carry</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>upstairs</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>To</i></b><b><i>detach</i></b><b><i>herself</i></b><b><i>from</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>pending</i></b><b><i>deed</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>didn¡¯t</i></b><b><i>follow</i></b><b><i>them</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>Instead</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>she</i></b><b><i>made</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>way</i></b><b><i>downstairs</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>mingling</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>greeting</i></b><b><i>both</i></b><b><i>acquaintances</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>strangers</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>Her</i></b><b><i>aim</i></b><b><i>was</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>establish</i></b><b><i>an</i></b><b><i>alibi</i></b><b><i>by</i></b><b><i>ensuring</i></b><b><i>people</i></b><b><i>knew</i></b><b><i>what</i></b><b><i>she</i></b><b><i>was</i></b><b><i>doing</i></b><b><i>at</i></b><b><i>that</i></b><b><i>precise</i></b><b><i>moment</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>thus</i></b><b><i>eliminating</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>from</i></b><b><i>any</i></b><b><i>suspicion</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>Chapter</i></b><b><i>75</i></b><b><i>Vulnerable</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>Helpines</i></b>


    <b><i>2/3</i></b>


    <b><i>¡°</i></b><b><i>Miss</i></b><b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>your</i></b><b><i>brother</i></b><b><i>is</i></b><b><i>upstairs</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>He¡¯s</i></b><b><i>asking</i></b><b><i>for</i></b><b><i>you</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>¡±</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>server</i></b><b><i>approached</i></b><b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>with</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>respectful</i></b><b><i>demeanor</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>showing</i></b><b><i>no</i></b><b><i>sign of</i></b><b><i>anything</i></b><b><i>amiss</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>felt</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>surge</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>anxiety</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>She</i></b><b><i>hadn¡¯t</i></b><b><i>told</i></b><b><i>Cyril</i></b><b><i>about</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>n</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>she</i></b><b><i>knew</i></b><b><i>he</i></b><b><i>would</i></b><b><i>be</i></b><b><i>furious</i></b><b><i>if</i></b><b><i>he</i></b><b><i>found</i></b><b><i>out</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>¡°</i></b><b><i>I</i></b><b><i>understand</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>¡±</i></b><b><i>she</i></b><b><i>said</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>¡°</i></b><b><i>I</i></b><b><i>will</i></b><b><i>follow</i></b><b><i>you</i></b><b><i>up</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>¡±</i></b>


    <b><i>After</i></b><b><i>excusing</i></b><b><i>herself</i></b><b><i>from</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><ipanion</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>she</i></b><b><i>followed</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>server</i></b><b><i>upstairs</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>But</i></b><b><i>as</i></b><b><i>they</i></b><b><i>turned</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>corner</i></b><b><i>on</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>second</i></b><b><i>floor</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>several</i></b><b><i>men</i></b><b><i>suddenly</i></b><b><i>rushed</i></b><b><i>at</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>covering</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>mouth</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>nose</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>recognized</i></b><b><i>these</i></b><b><i>men</i></b><b><i>;</i></b><b><i>they</i></b><b><i>were</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>very</i></b><b><i>ones</i></b><b><i>she</i></b><b><i>had</i></b><b><i>instructed</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>take</i></b><b><i>care</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>But</i></b><b><i>why</i></b><b><i>were</i></b><b><i>they</i></b><b><i>here</i></b><b><i>now</i></b><b><i>?</i></b>


    <b><i>¡°</i></b><b><i>Do</i></b><b><i>you</i></b><b><i>have</i></b><b><i>any</i></b><b><i>idea</i></b><b><i>how</i></b><b><i>close</i></b><b><i>I</i></b><b><i>came</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>death</i></b><b><i>because</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>you</i></b><b><i>?</i></b><b><i>That</i></b><b><i>man</i></b><b><i>isn¡¯t</i></b><b><i>someone</i></b><b><i>you</i></b><b><i>can</i></b><b><i>mess</i></b><b><i>with</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>How</i></b><b><i>dare</i></b><b><i>you</i></b><b><iy</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>hand</i></b><b><i>on</i></b><b><i>his</i></b><b><i>woman</i></b><b><i>;</i></b><b><i>you¡¯re</i></b><b><i>getting</i></b><b><i>what</i></b><b><i>you</i></b><b><i>deserve</i></b><b><i>!</i></b>


    <b><i>11</i></b>


    <b><i>They</i></b><b><i>dragged</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>ignoring</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>struggle</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>towards</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>hotel</i></b><b><i>room</i></b><b><i>originally</i></b><b><i>intended</i></b><b><i>for</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>Bonnie¡¯s</i></b><b><i>body</i></b><b><i>shook</i></b><b><i>with</i></b><b><i>fear</i></b><b><i>as</i></b><b><i>she</i></b><b><i>realized</i></b><b><i>that</i></b><b><i>whatever</i></b><b><i>she</i></b><b><i>had</i></b><b><i>nned</i></b><b><i>for</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>might</i></b><b><i>now</i></b><b><i>happen</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>Despite</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>desperate</i></b><b><i>attempts</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>break</i></b><b><i>free</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>she</i></b><b><i>was</i></b><b><i>no</i></b><b><i>match</i></b><b><i>for</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>group</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>men</i></b><b><i>who</i></b><b><i>tossed</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>into</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>room</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>As</i></b><b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>tried</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>escape</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>she</i></b><b><i>heard</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>familiar</i></b><b><i>female</i></b><b><i>voice</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>¡°</i></b><b><i>Why</i></b><b><i>run</i></b><b><i>?</i></b><b><i>Isn¡¯t</i></b><b><i>this</i></b><b><i>what</i></b><b><i>you</i></b><b><i>prepared</i></b><b><i>for</i></b><b><i>me</i></b><b><i>?</i></b><b><i>Now</i></b><b><i>that</i></b><b><i>I¡¯ve</i></b><b><i>turned</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>tables</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>aren¡¯t</i></b><b><i>you</i></b><b><i>happy</i></b><b><i>?</i></b><b><i>¡±</i></b>


    <b><i>Hearing</i></b><b><i>Sylvia¡¯s</i></b><b><i>voice</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>was</i></b><b><i>immobilized</i></b><b><i>in</i></b><b><i>shock</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>She</i></b><b><i>turned</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>see</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>morous</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>sitting</i></b><b><i>on</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>couch</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>two</i></b><b><i>drinks</i></b><b><i>before</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>¨C</i></b><b><i>one</i></b><b><i>touched</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>one</i></b><b><i>untouched</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>¡°</i></b><b><i>People</i></b><b><i>might</i></b><b><i>assume</i></b><b><i>you¡¯re</i></b><b><i>weak</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>helpless</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>but</i></b><b><i>how</i></b><b><i>could</i></b><b><i>someone</i></b><b><i>truly</i></b><b><i>vulnerable</i></b><b><i>do</i></b><b><i>what</i></b><b><i>you</i></b><b><i>nned</i></b><b><i>?</i></b><b><i>I</i></b><b><i>was</i></b><b><i>warned</i></b><b><i>about</i></b><b><i>your</i></b><b><i>intentions</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>Now</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>what</i></b><b><i>do</i></b><b><i>you</i></b><b><i>think</i></b><b><i>I¡¯ll</i></b><b><i>do</i></b><b><i>next</i></b><b><i>?</i></b>


    <b><i>Controlled</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>cornered</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>holding</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>champagne</i></b><b><i>ss</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>approached</i></b><b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>who</i></b><b><i>was</i></b><b><i>terrified</i></b><b><i>by</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>sight</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>ss</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>¡°</i></b><b><i>Let¡¯s</i></b><b><i>have</i></b><b><i>you</i></b><b><i>experience</i></b><b><i>what</i></b><b><i>you</i></b><b><i>intended</i></b><b><i>for</i></b><b><i>me</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>see</i></b><b><i>just</i></b><b><i>how</i></b><b><i>interesting</i></b><b><i>it</i></b><b><i>will</i></b><b><i>be</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>¡±</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>said</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>forcing</i></b><b><i>Bonnie¡¯s</i></b><b><i>mouth</i></b><b><i>open</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>pouring</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>champagne</i></b><b><i>in</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>didn¡¯t</i></b><b><i>want</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>swallow</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>tainted</i></b><b><i>drink</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>thrashing</i></b><b><i>against</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>grip</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>the men</i></b><b><i>who</i></b><b><i>held</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>head</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>causing</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>tear</i></b><b><i>up</i></b><b><i>from</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>pain</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>But</i></b><b><i>Sylvia</i></b><b><i>was</i></b><b><i>indifferent</i></b><b><i>¨C</i></b><b><i>she</i></b><b><i>had</i></b><b><i>endured</i></b><b><i>much</i></b><b><i>more</i></b><b><i>suffering</i></b><b><i>than</i></b><b><i>this</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>was</i></b><b><i>not</i></b><b><i>about</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>let</i></b><b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>off</i></b><b><i>easy</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>Without</i></b><b><i>any</i></b><b><i>lessons</i></b><b><i>learned</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>would likely</i></b><b><i>continue</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>ways</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>potentially</i></b><b><i>seeking</i></b><b><i>revenge</i></b><b><i>again</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>After all</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>some</i></b><b><i>people¡¯s</i></b><b><i>hearts</i></b><b><i>are</i></b><b><i>just that</i></b><b><i>dark</i></b><b><i>.</i></b>


    <b><i>Chapter</i></b><b><i>75</i></b><b><i>Vulnerable</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>Helpless</i></b>


    <b><i>3/3</i></b>


    <b><i>After</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>drink was</i></b><b><i>forced</i></b><b><i>down</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>someone</i></b><b><i>covered</i></b><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>mouth</i></b><b><i>before</i></b><b><i>she</i></b><b><i>could</i></b><b><i>spit</i></b><b><i>it</i></b><b><i>out</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>Sylvia,</i></b><b><i>with</i></b><b><i>a</i></b><b><i>hint</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>disgust</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>stepped</i></b><b><i>back</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>watching</i></b><b><i>Bonnie</i></b><b><i>and</i></b><b><i>said</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>¡°</i></b><b><i>This is</i></b><b><i>all</i></b><b><i>your</i></b><b><i>own</i></b><b><i>doing</i></b><b><i>your</i></b><b><i>preparation</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>Aren¡¯t</i></b><b><i>you</i></b><b><i>willing</i></b><b><i>to</i></b><b><i>taste</i></b><b><i>your</i></b><b><i>creation</i></b><b><i>?</i></b><b><i>Don¡¯t</i></b><b><i>worry</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>I</i></b><b><i>won¡¯t</i></b><b><i>go</i></b><b><i>as</i></b><b><i>far</i></b><b><i>as</i></b><b><i>you</i></b><b><i>,</i></b><b><i>I</i></b><b><i>won¡¯t</i></b><b><i>broadcast</i></b><b><i>the</i></b><b><i>video</i></b><b><i>publicly</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>I¡¯ll</i></b><b><i>just</i></b><b><i>send</i></b><b><i>it to</i></b><b><i>your</i></b><b><i>brother¡¯s</i></b><b><i>inbox,</i></b><b><i>let</i></b><b><i>him</i></b><b><i>see</i></b><b><i>for</i></b><b><i>himself</i></b><b><i>what</i></b><b><i>kind</i></b><b><i>of</i></b><b><i>person</i></b><b><i>you</i></b><b><i>really</i></b><b><i>are</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><b><i>¡±</i></b>

 Chapter 76

    Chapter<b>76</b><b>Don¡¯t</b><b>Go</b><b>Too</b>Far


    Tears streamed uncontrobly down Bonnie¡¯s face; she had never imagined that Sylvia<b>could</b>be so ruthless. She knew well the substance she had prepared¨Call too well. She had effects made her panic internally; she didn¡¯t need to think hard to know the pain she would endure. All she wanted was for Sylvia<b>to</b>be ruined<b>,</b>not for her own downfall. She struggled fiercely<b>,</b>but it was to no avail. The men she recognized, whom she had sent to deal with Sylvia, now turned against her.


    intended it<b>for</b>Sylvia, not herself, and the thought of suffering It


    ¡°Do you know how close I came to death because of you? How dare you touch his woman; you deserve what¡¯sing to you!¡± As they spoke, they ignored her resistance and dragged her into the room prepared for Sylvia.


    Bonnie shivered from head to toe, suddenly fearing that the fate she had consigned to Sylvia would now be hers. She thrashed with all her might, yet how could she stand against four or five men? They shoved her into the room with ease.


    Coughing and wing at her throat on the ground, Bonnie tried to expel the drink she had been forced to ingest. ¡°Stop struggling. Did you ever think such a thing could happen to you when you nned it for me? This is retribution. Now, enjoy it,¡± Sylvia watched from above with a cold smile and then walked out, as the men prepared to carry out their part.


    ¡°You keep away from me, stay back!¡± Bonnie pleaded as the men drew closer, overwhelming her with terror.


    As Sylvia walked further away and the men closed in<b>,</b>Bonnie lived the saying about lifting a stone only to drop it on one¡¯s own feet. ¡°Sylvia<b>,</b>you won¡¯t have a good end either!<b>If</b>you do this to me, I will not letAll content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    I will not let you off!¡±


    Stopping at the door, Sylvia turned at the sound of Bonnie¡¯s voice. Bonnie red at her.¡± You¡¯ll never win back my brother¡¯s heart by doing this. He doesn¡¯t care about you!¡±


    ¡°You deserve to be dumped by my brother. Did you think marrying him would make it all better? Because of your actions, you two will be finished!¡±


    Sylvia couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°You¡¯ve got it all wrong. First off, I don¡¯t want your brother. Secondly, a man who can¡¯t manage his own affairs and wavers in love isn¡¯t worth my time. If we¡¯re apart, that would make me happy. As for letting me off, let¡¯s see if I let you off.¡±


    Sylvia then instructed the men, ¡°Don¡¯t waste any more time. Whatever she wanted you to do<b>to</b>me,


    do it to her instead.¡±


    With thosest words, Sylvia exited, leaving the screams of Bonnie cut off by the closed


    door.


    Just a few steps<b>after</b>leaving, Sylvia¡¯s wrist was abruptly<b>grabbed</b>. Turning her head impatiently, she saw<b>that</b>it was Cyril and Jonathan<b>holding</b>her back. Jonathan didn¡¯t really understand why he was<b>there</b><b>, just</b>following<b>behind</b>Cyril<b>,</b><b>but</b>he sensed something off about the room Sylvia had exited- had he not been mistaken<b>,</b>he thought he<b>heard</b><b>Bonnie¡¯s</b>screamsing from inside<b>.</b>


    ¡°You might be going<b>a</b><b>bit</b>too far<b>with</b><b>this</b>,¡± Cyril said<b>,</b>gripping Sylvia¡¯s wrist firmly<b>,</b>his voice trembling with disbelief at her ruthlessness.


    Sylvia met Cyril¡¯s gaze steadily, as if looking at a stranger<b>,</b>which only increased his difort. After a stalemate, Sylvia spoke first.<b>¡°</b><b>You</b><b>seem</b>to have misunderstood. First,<b>I</b>don¡¯t think I¡¯ve gone too far, and second, why would I do anything if it wasn¡¯t for<b>your</b>sister¡¯s actions against me? I¡¯m not as heartless as your sister¨Cto record such videos. I¡¯m merely teaching her a lesson.¡±


    She then turned to Jonathan. ¡°<b>If</b>you¡¯re sincerely worried about me going too far<b>,</b><b>you</b>should go in and stop it, rather than conversing with me here.¡±


    Confused, Jonathan pieced together that Bonnie had nned something for Sylvia, but Sylvia had turned the tables. ¡°Are you saying Bonnie¡¯s inside? What have<b>you</b>done to her? No wonder we¡¯re not on the same page!¡±


    Annoyed, Jonathan rushed to the door and started ramming it with his shoulder<b>,</b>but the door was too sturdy for him to break open on his own.


    Unmoved, Sylvia watched them for a moment before walking away. Whatever would happen next was beyond her control. At least from the beginning, her intention was not to ruin Bonnie utterly; all she wanted was to give her a lesson and make her realize that causing trouble for Sylvia was a bad idea.


    As Sylvia drifted further away, Jonathan grew more desperate. ¡°Stop eyeing that woman and help your sister! How could she go<b>so</b>far? And even if Bonnie hasn¡¯t been seriously hurt, what she¡¯s doing to her is wrong!¡±


    Cyril snapped out of his daze at Jonathan¡¯s words, reached the door, and hesitated with his key card in hand.


    ¡°What are you hesitating for? She¡¯s your own sister!¡±


    Jonathan snatched the key card from Cyril¡¯s hand, opened the door with a beep, and stormed in. To his surprise, he found Bonnie tied to a chair¨Cher clothes slightly askew, but not overly harmed. The three men who had been loudly ying poker quieted down.


    Bonnie¡¯s tears kept falling as she struggled upon hearing them enter. Recognizing Jonathan,


    her eyes lit up, and she began to fight<b>her</b><b>bonds</b><b>more</b>fiercely.


    The scene was<b>not</b>as Jonathan had imagined. He was taken aback momentarily<b>,</b>then<b>he</b>hurried over to untie Bonnie. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid,<b>I¡¯m</b><b>here</b><b>with</b>your brother. We won¡¯t<b>let</b><b>you</b>be hurt. I¡¯ll make him<b>find</b>Sylvia;<b>she</b>went<b>too</b>far. How could she treat<b>you</b>like this<b>?</b><b>¡°</b><b>.</b>


    Bonnie, sobbing<b>,</b>nodded<b>vigorously</b>. She had been so frightened<b>by</b>the men that she couldn¡¯t even form<b>a</b>coherent sentence<b>.</b>


    Cyril entered the room quietly after Jonathan, slowly taking in the sight before him, his gaze finally resting on the three men continuing<b>their</b>card game.

 Chapter 77

    Chapter<b>77</b><b>He</b><b>Has</b>Seen<b>These</b>People


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. It¡¯s not like we wanted to do this. We¡¯re just doing a job cause the pay<b>is</b>good. Your little sister gave us 300 grand to kidnap ady and ruin her. But then, thatdy turned out to be richer she gave us two million.¡±


    Previously, Sylvia had told them that if they ever got caught, they should juste clean


    right away.


    One of the men started talking, and the other two chimed in immediately.


    ¡°Yeah, we told her two million. She made it clear we just needed to give thedy a scare, tie her up, make her feel hopeless and desperate. We did nothing else ¨C see, we¡¯ve just been sitting here ying cards.¡±


    ¡°Man, whoever thisdy is from your family, she¡¯s ice¨Ccold wanting to wreck someone and then y the footage on loop on that big screen. I tell ya, we¡¯d steer clear of a woman like that.¡±


    As the three men divulged the truth, Bonnie¡¯s face grew paler. By the time they had finished, Sylvia and Jonathan had the full picture, and Bonnie waspletely bloodless.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Jonathan stared at Bonnie in shock.


    Even though Bonnie was Cyril¡¯s sister, Jonathan had always treated her as his little sister as


    well. To find out his ¡®little sister¡® was capable of such venom was hard to stomach.


    Bonnie was untied, her hands shaking as she stood up and lunged for Cyril. But Cyril sidestepped, letting her fall to the ground.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what it looks like, Bro! You¡¯ve got to believe me. They¡¯re lying! I didn¡¯t n any of this. I just wanted to teach Sylvia a lesson, I swear. I didn¡¯t mean to destroy her.¡±


    Bonnie was terrified, knowing all too well the kind of man her brother was. If Cyril believed the story, she was done for.


    Cyril looked down at Bonnie, making no move to help her up.


    He turned to the men, a memory sparking in his mind.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you guys before, two years ago, at my ce. You came for her then, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    As Cyril spoke, Bonnie shook even more, using the wall to pull herself up but not daring to reach for her brother. Jonathan was confused, unable to connect how Cyril knew these men.


    The three men hesitated, then remembered and nodded.


    ¡°Yeah<b>,</b>that¡¯s right. We did see you before. She paid us back then too. She wanted us<b>to</b>make trouble for a woman- not exactly payback, just pure hassle. We messed up her house,<b>scared</b>her, sent her dead animals for days. But man<b>,</b>thatdy was tough. She didn¡¯t cry or fuss, just calmly called the cops.¡±


    As they recounted the past, Cyril¡¯s expression darkened.


    Sylvia was far from unshaken during that time. She would often call Cyril<b>,</b>her voice cracking with tears, begging him toe back and keep herpany because she was truly frightened. She told him about the things being thrown into the house to scare her.


    How had Cyril responded back then? He had dismissed her concerns, telling Sylvia to stop ying games and just keep doing what she was supposed to do, without any wild expectations. He never considered that while he thought Sylvia was just making excuses for him toe home, she was actually enduring an immense psychological torment.


    Cyril¡¯s gaze upon Bonnie was icy as he realized he had thought Sylvia was lying, but all these events were connected to his own sister, orchestrated by her hand.


    ¡°Anything you want to say?¡± Cyril¡¯s calm voice was a sign that he was on the edge of anger, and Bonnie knew better than to push him further.


    She shook her head frantically, ¡°Bro, listen to me, it¡¯s not what it looks like! I never did anything to Sylvia. I¡¯ve never met these guys before and I certainly never paid them any money. For real!¡±


    ¡°The nerve of this woman to deny it! Look, when you paid us, we recorded it. Don¡¯t believe us? We can y the recording right now. Don¡¯t throw us under the bus; we have a reputation to uphold in our line of work!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was you who told us to scare that woman so bad she¡¯d want to leave her home. We just did what you asked. You should¡¯ve seen her; she was so scared she couldn¡¯t sleep for days.¡±


    Cyril was extremely ufortable with this third¨Cparty confirmation. He couldn¡¯t bear to think of how Sylvia must have felt at that time alone in that big house with people purposefully frightening her.


    ¨C


    Now jonathan understood; these men were old acquaintances, although Bonnie could¡¯ve been more careful not to leave traces that could have implicated her.


    ¡°You can¡¯t me Bonnie entirely, after all, we all know what kind of person you are. She went through a lot to marry you. It was just a small lesson, nothing more. Look at Sylvia now, she¡¯s doing just fine. And Bonnie¡­ if we hadn¡¯t intervened, who knows what might¡¯ve happened?¡±


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    Jonathan didn¡¯t hesitate tearing Sylvia down.


    <b>Cyril</b>remembered having heard simr remarks from Jonathan before<b>,</b>but today, they sounded especially grating.


    The three men were not pleased.


    ¡°We¡¯re professionals; we do what we¡¯re paid for, nothing more. She didn¡¯t go to the extremes you did, destroying someone¡¯s life. And someone with such a vicious heart, we¡¯d be fools to cross her it could ruin the<b>rest</b>of our lives!¡±


    They maintained their innocence, afraid of Bonnie¡¯s potential ruthlessness that might not even spare the three of them.


    In the hotel room, Cyril¡¯s expression turned more and more impassive<b>,</b>but those who knew him were aware that behind the calm facade, a storm of rage was brewing.

 Chapter 78

    Chapter 78 Boolding Forgiveness


    The charity g was more than halfway through, and Bruce had had a hefty sum for a few Items, earning apuse from the entire crowd. Yet, he was a bit worried about Sylvia. When he saw her return unharmed, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°If you hadn¡¯te back soon, I would¡¯ve sent someone to look for you. How did everything go<b>?</b>¡±


    Sylvia grinned at Bruce. The emotional storm had passed the moment she saw her brother. She couldn¡¯t dwell on the past forever, using old wounds to torture herself, Wasn¡¯t that just aslding for trouble?


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty much handled. I wasn¡¯t trying to hurt anyone, just teach him a lesson to stop having such crooked ideas about me,¡±


    Sylvia lonew full well that what she had done this time was not too harsh. If he had any real intentions of getting back at her, there would surely be another time, But, this was an


    opportunity to let Cyril know that his sister


    under control instead of causing Sylvia trout ¡°As not a good person either and to keep her


    Bruce nced at Sylvia, aware of what his sister was likely thinking, She didn¡¯t want to go overboard today, but it also seemed like she hadn¡¯t considered how much others had done


    for her.


    ¡°At the auction, there was a ruby ne that I thought looked pretty nice, I want you to check it outter, see if it suits you. If you like it, keep it. If not, we can just keep it at the house, maybe for your future wedding.¡±


    Bruce¡¯sment made Sylviaugh despite herself.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about the future yet, and here you are nning my dowry.¡±


    ¡°You never know, you might meet someone good. But let¡¯s focus, the auction isn¡¯t over yet. See if there¡¯s anything else you like.¡±


    Bruce deftly changed the subject, casually mentioning a dowry, yet hoping Sylvia wouldn¡¯t enter what he considered the ¡®tomb¡® of marriage again.


    Sylviaughed and settled next to Bruce, seriously eyeing the remaining auction items. When something caught her fancy, she didn¡¯t hesitate to bid.


    Cyril had instructed someone to take Bonnie home.


    Chapter<b>78</b>Seeking<b>Forgiveness</b>


    The charity g was more than halfway through<b>,</b>and Bruce had bid a hefty sum for a few items, earning apuse from<b>the</b>entire crowd. Yet, he was<i>a</i>bit worried about Sylvia. When he saw her return unharmed, he breathed a sigh of relief<b>.</b>


    <b>¡°</b><b>If</b>you hadn¡¯te back<b>soon</b><b>,</b>I would¡¯ve sent someone to look for you. How did everything go?¡±


    Sylvia grinned at Bruce. The emotional storm had passed the moment she saw her brother. She couldn¡¯t dwell on the past forever<b>,</b>using old wounds to torture herself. Wasn¡¯t that just asking for trouble?


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty much handled. I wasn¡¯t trying to hurt anyone, just teach him a lesson to stop having such crooked ideas about me.¡±


    Sylvia knew full well that what she had done this time was not too harsh. If he had any real intentions of getting back at her, there would surely be another time. But<b>,</b>this was an opportunity to let Cyril know that his sister was not a good person either and to keep her under control instead of causing Sylvia trouble.


    Bruce nced at Sylvia, aware of what his sister was likely thinking. She didn¡¯t want to go overboard today, but it also seemed like she hadn¡¯t considered how much others had done


    for her.


    ¡°At the auction, there was a ruby ne that I thought looked pretty nice. I want you to check it outter<b>,</b>see if it suits you. If you like it, keep it. If not, we can just keep it at the house, maybe for your future wedding.¡±


    Bruce¡¯sment made Sylviaugh despite herself.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about the future yet, and here you are nning my dowry.¡±


    ¡°You never know, you might meet someone good. But let¡¯s focus, the auction isn¡¯t over yet. See if there¡¯s anything else you like.¡±


    Bruce deftly changed the subject, casually mentioning a dowry, yet hoping Sylvia wouldn¡¯t enter what he considered the ¡®tomb¡® of marriage again.


    Sylviaughed and settled next to Bruce, seriously eyeing the remaining auction items. When something caught her fancy, she didn¡¯t hesitate to bid.


    Cyril had instructed someone to take Bonnie home.


    Chapter 78 Seeking Forgiveness


    2/3N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Before sending Bonnie away, he demanded she find time<b>to</b><b>apologize</b>to Sylvia<b>¨C</b>sincerely.<b>If</b>Sylvia couldn¡¯t forgive<b>her</b><b>,</b><b>then</b>Bonnie wouldn¡¯t need to stay<b>.</b>She should prepare to leave the country.


    Bonnie was defiant deep down<b>;</b>bowing to Sylvia was absolutely out of the question. But after the day¡¯s debacle, she didn¡¯t dare defy Cyril<b>while</b>he was angry. Another misstep and she might not get a chance<b>to</b>apologize at<b>all</b><b>,</b>instead being sent straight overseas.


    ¡°<b>If</b>you can¡¯t get<b>her</b>forgiveness<b>,</b>don¡¯t bothering back in this lifetime<b>.</b><b>I¡¯ll</b>act as if<b>I</b>never had a sister,¡± Cyril said determinedly.


    To say Cyril wasn¡¯t pained by his sister¡¯s situation would be<b>a</b>lie. He never imagined she would turn out this way and still couldn¡¯t figure out where it had all gone wrong.


    Bonnie left red¨Cfaced without a word<b>,</b>escorted by the bodyguard. She was determined not to apologize to Sylvia, even if it meant never returning.


    Cyril watched her go, knowing too well she wouldn¡¯t simplyply. He also needed to apologize to Sylvia. Even if he hadn¡¯t known about the past events, they had hurt Sylvia.


    ¡°How can you treat Bonnie like that? To be honest, I don¡¯t think Bonnie¡¯s wrong. I wouldn¡¯t give Sylvia the time of day either.¡± Jonathan interfered. He couldn¡¯t stand it any longer.


    Whatever had happened in the past was past, and it wasn¡¯t as if Sylvia was harmed, was it? And the fact that Sylvia had been so determined to marry Cyril, even by maniption, was enough to anger him. He didn¡¯t see anything wrong with what Bonnie did.


    Cyril¡¯s face darkened at Jonathan¡¯s words. ¡°Why?¡±


    Caught off guard by the question, Jonathan was at a loss. He just didn¡¯t feel Sylvia deserved any better.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you reluctant when you married her? So why question it now? I thought I was just venting on your behalf.¡±


    Jonathan truly believed he was in the right. However, considering the tough years Cyril had been through in his marriage, he thought he was just letting off steam for his friend. And Sylvia¡¯s daily airs and graces irritated him to no end.


    ¡°Has she done anything bad?¡± Cyril persisted.


    Jonathan wanted to list Sylvia¡¯s transgressions, but found himself at a loss for words. Thinking it over, he couldn¡¯t recall Sylvia doing anything especially wrong. In fact, she had been quietly staying at home in recent years, and though initially challenging with Cyril, she had ended up beyond reproach. Thinking harder, Jonathan could only remember questionable things that Michelle and Bonnie had done.


    Chapter 78 Seeking Forgivenes


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    The more he reflected on it, the less sense his grievances made.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not about her doing anything bad<b>.</b>I just don¡¯t like her, okay? You saw how she married you to achieve her goal, and she¡¯s been ying her part all these years. Now the


    act¡¯s over.


    Jonathan blurted out a shaky justification, immediately sensing the weakness in his argument. Being bullied without striking back wasn¡¯t an option, and considering past events, Sylvia¡¯s patience seemed saintly.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ she deliberately released all that dirt on<b>me</b><b>,</b>and I simply can¡¯t stand her. Anyway<b>,</b>you should stop asking; if you keep on<b>,</b><b>I¡¯ll</b>just keep thinking she¡¯s no good.¡±


    He was really scraping the barrel<b>,</b>unable to point to any concrete fault in Sylvia and unsure how to proceed.


    After a moment of silence, they reached the door, and Cyril spoke up suddenly, ¡°So<b>,</b>she hasn¡¯t actually done anything to upset you over the years? It¡¯s just that you don¡¯t like her<b>,</b>so you¡¯ve been targeting her all along, right? Even now, if we hadn¡¯t found out she was being bullied, you wouldn¡¯t feel any sympathy, would you?¡±


    Cyril¡¯s words left Jonathan speechless. He¡¯d never seen Cyril defend Sylvia like this before. Now, with Cyril¡¯s staunch defense of her, Jonathan didn¡¯t know how to respond.

 Chapter 79

    Chapter<b>79</b>Not on the Same Path


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean it like that. The past is the past, and now is now, we¡¯ve got to keep them separate. Plus, you can¡¯t deny that Sylvia did use underhanded methods to marry you back then. You know this yourself,¡± Jonathan insisted, unwilling to ept any me and definitely not acknowledging any wrongdoing on his part. In his eyes, Cyril seemed let down by everything that had happened.


    ¡°And about today¡¯s incident ¨C Sylvia wasn¡¯t really harmed, was she? And since she


    discovered the plot in advance, why are you being so harsh with Bonnie? Don¡¯t you see that you¡¯re overreacting? We¡¯ve never been on the same path. If we¡¯re not, we shouldn¡¯t force ourselves to walk together.¡±


    More confident in his logic, Jonathan felt that since they had never been aligned with Sylvia, why should he care about this situation?


    However, Cyril felt a bitter taste in his mouth hearing Jonathan¡¯s words. Perhaps he had previously believed he and Sylvia were not on the same path<b>,</b>thus his indifference towards her, but even so, he had never thought about divorcing her.


    ¡°Just go home,¡± Cyril said, unable to articte the jumbled difort in his chest. It was as if something he had long ignored was now revealed as vitally important to him.


    He turned and left briskly, leaving Jonathan dumbfounded in his wake.


    ¡°Where are you going? Weren¡¯t we here for the charity g tonight? And don¡¯t you have several partnerships to secure here? What about them if you leave?¡±


    ¡°There are things to take care of at thepany. We¡¯ll discuss the partnershipster.


    <b>11</b>


    Currently in a sour mood, Cyril could hardly bring himself to think about those deals when he felt like he was losing much more valuable things.


    Grinding his teeth in frustration, Jonathan remained, knowing he hadn¡¯t said anything wrong. But with Cyril gone, despite his desire to leave, he begrudgingly turned back, thinking about the deals Cyril was close<b>to</b>finalizing. It felt like he owed Cyril.


    Cyril did not head back to thepany; instead, he returned to the marital home. Since the divorce, he had spent most of his time in the apartment near his office and had not returned until now. Stepping inside, he noticed how different the arrangements were from when he had initially left.


    Back in the day, this ce<b>was</b>just an empty space that Cyril had bought rather thoughtlessly. Sylv¨ªa<b>,</b>however<b>,</b>had decorated it beautifully, creating a warm and cozy


    Chapter 70 Not on the Same Path


    environment, even if she had taken many items with her when she left.


    213N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    He recalled how Sylvia had spent a week choosing the sofa, diligently considering both material andfort. During their early marriage, Sylvia was genuinely happy engaging personally in every detail of the house, even valuing his opinion, which he sadly had paid no


    mind to.


    Eventually, he had grown annoyed with Sylvia, feeling pestered by her persistent


    aspirations and his own responsibility. So he left, only to return six monthster, oblivious to the changes she had made. Now, realizing how much care Sylvia had put into making their home, he understood all toote.


    The moment had passed, and recognition hade far toote.


    Cyril sat on the sofa, thinking about how he had always been<i>too</i>busy with work, preferring to stay near the office rather thane home. Sylvia must have sat here too, waiting for him. What were her feelings like then? He couldn¡¯t understand. The more he pondered, the more stifled he felt.


    He hesitated before taking out his phone and opening Sylvia¡¯s contact. Since their divorce, she had refused to take his calls. It was the same now. As expected, the call went unanswered; she had long since blocked his number. The only chance he had to talk to her would be a chance encounter in public, but those encounters seldom went well.


    Putting down his phone in defeat, Cyril felt for the first time that his life was in disarray.


    Meanwhile, Sylvia was returning home in high spirits, having found several items she liked at the auction.


    ¡°You always make it seem like the house owes you something,¡± Bruce observed, noting Sylvia¡¯s spending habits. It wasn¡¯t the amount of money that concerned him; instead, he wondered if she had been too constrained all these years.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you chose that path initially. You left a life offort for hardship and didn¡¯t gain much from it,¡± Bruce said, speaking of such matters rarely. Hearing him, Sylvia suddenly lost interest in the jewels she had bid on.


    <b>¡°</b>Big brother, it was indeed a mistake on my part. Let¡¯s not dwell on it forever, or our second brother will have a field day scolding meter,¡± Sylvia responded, thinking she¡¯d better not let her second brother see her new jewelry, or he¡¯d use it as another reason to lecture her.


    Bruce sighed and affectionately ruffled her hair.<b>¡°</b>I¡¯m just concerned about you. Anyway, now that you¡¯re back, let¡¯s pretend that none of that ever happened. Oh, and the twins will be back soon. I heard they¡¯re nning to start some small business ventures. Would you be interested in joining them for a bit of fun?¡±


    Chapter 79 Not on the Same Path


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    ¡°No way, they¡¯re always getting into some mischief. Plus, I haven¡¯t even got a handle<b>on</b>thepany¡¯s affairs yet. I don¡¯t want to start dabbling<b>in</b>small distractions. Let me get a full grasp on our family¡¯s business first. And you know very well Duncan¡¯s intentions. not mix those


    up with business.¡±


    Just thinking about it gave Sylvia a headache. How had her good friend be soplicated?


    I dare


    With<b>a</b>twinkle in his eyes, Bruce replied, ¡°I thought you never noticed. Duncan may be a bit younger, but he¡¯s a decent guy. Still, we¡¯re not going to consider anything like that now. No worries. If you¡¯re not keen<b>,</b><b>let¡¯s</b>not dwell on it. Just focus on enjoying our second brother¡¯s concert; he has prepared a lot of surprises for you.¡±

 Chapter 80

    Chapter<b>80</b>Sending Flowers


    Early in the morning<b>,</b>Sylvia was discussing the day¡¯s schedule with Jullet, when Ingrid


    barged into the room without even knocking. This action agitated Sylvia, whomented, ¡± Ever heard<b>of</b>knocking?¡±


    Caught off guard by Sylvia¡¯s directness, Ingrid¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment, ¡°I just forgot to knock. Is it worth making such a big deal about it? I¡¯ll remember next time. Now, look at this,¡± Ingrid said dismissively as she tossed some documents on the table and turned to leave.


    But as Ingrid took a few steps, the documents hit her back and then fell to the floor. Sylvia had given Ingrid an indifferent nce but hadn¡¯t paid any attention since. The sound of the documents hitting the ground turned the office eerily silent, with Jullet and Sylvia too engrossed in their work to bother looking up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go too far. Just because you¡¯re sitting in the vice president¡¯s seat doesn¡¯t make you any better!¡± Ingrid spat out.


    <b>¡°</b>oy don¡¯t you try being vice


    Juliet couldn¡¯t hold back. ¡°Quite the aplishment, isn¡¯t it? president then?<b>If</b>you¡¯re not capable<b>,</b>stop whining here!¡± she retorted.


    In Ingrid¡¯s view<b>,</b>the VP position was meant to be hers until Sylvia swooped in and snatched it away, which was a bitter pill to swallow.


    ¡°We¡¯ll<b>see</b>how long<b>you</b>can keep that position. Just having good looks won¡¯t cement your ce. Lack of expertise, and you¡¯ll be ousted anyway!¡± Ingrid ranted before storming out without bothering with the documents.


    Sylvia ignored the papers on the floor, and if Sylvia didn¡¯t care, Juliet certainly wasn¡¯t going. to bother with them. It wasn¡¯t until Jack entered and saw the fallen documents that he picked them up<b>,</b>unsure if it would¡¯ve been better just to leave them on the ground.


    ¡°Vice President, you have a lunch appointment with the manager of Giri Company soon. It¡¯s about time to head out,¡± Jack informed Sylvia.


    Sylvia nodded, gathered her things, and was about to leave when she spotted Ingrid also preparing to apany them. She gave Ingrid an extra look.


    What are you staring at? I¡¯ve told you, don¡¯t think you¡¯re above everyone else just for having some charm. In the end, it¡¯s real capability that matters. That¡¯s the biggest difference between you and me,¡± Ingrid said with a hint<b>of</b>gloating.


    Sylvia remained silent as Ingrid thought Sylvia¡¯s silence was an admission of defeat,N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    believing that she¡¯d secure the partnership this time and finally have the chance to bring Sylvia down.


    They set<b>off</b>, with Ingrid taking her own car, while the other three shared another vehicle. Soon<b>,</b>they arrived at the restaurant they had booked.


    As they reached the restaurant, Sylvia halted. She started to wonder if she was choosing the wrong times to go out since she seemed to run into Cyril overy time. And it wasn¡¯t just any meeting ¨C Cyril was there with the manager of Girl Company, and they appeared to be getting along quite well,


    ¡°Hello Sylvia, this is my good friend. We were ssmates overseas, and after running into each other this year, I invited them to join us for lunch, I hope you don¡¯t mind?¡± Henry said, introducing his friend,


    What could Sylvia say to that? She smiled and shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re not discussing business today, so it¡¯s like making a new friend,¡±


    Sylvia¡¯s demeanor was such that she seemed not to acknowledge Cyril at all. Cyril, wanting to greet her, couldn¡¯t well continue after her statement, so he simply nodded a hello,


    But Sylvia acted as if she didn¡¯t even notice his nod, settling into her seat.


    Once Sylvia sat down, everyone else followed suit, including Henry, the general manager of Gilli Company, who presented her with a dazzling bouquet of roses. Sylvia was taken aback. It was surprising enough to receive flowers, but roses were particrly suggestive.


    ¡°Thest time I saw you, I was impressed by your demeanor. During our time discussing the partnership, I¡¯ve discovered you¡¯re a very capable woman, and I¡¯d like to get to know you better,¡± Henry confessed, not hiding his true feelings,


    Sylvia paused for a moment beforeughing. ¡°Thank you, but there¡¯s something you might not know. I recently got divorced and am not currently interested in romance. So, these roses might not be the most suitable for me. If you feel bad about it, perhaps my assistant Juliet would appreciate your bouquet.¡±


    With that, she shifted the focus to Juliet, who reacted by yfully pinching Sylvia under the table. In response, Sylvia gave Juliet¡¯s hand a firm pat, all done without showing any reaction above the table.


    ¡°These flowers really are lovely, I¡¯ll share them with our office colleagues. Thank you, Henry,¡± Juliet said, standing up to graciously ept the flowers and cing them to the side, sparing Henry further embarrassment.


    ¡°I apologize for not being aware of your situation. I¡¯ve caused you trouble, but I still hope that maybe there¡¯s a chance for us to develop something more in the future,¡± Henry added.


    Chapter 80 Sending Flowers


    Sylvia offered only<b>a</b>smile, without a direct response. Ingrid, meanwhile, clearly struggled to watch the exchange in silence.


    ¡°She¡¯s quite busy with her career, having recently be the VP. If she got into a


    rtionship now, it could distract her from her responsibilities. Henry, you shouldn¡¯t let your own interests dy others,¡± Ingrid said with a backhanded tone, although no one called her out on it.


    Now Henry felt even more awkward. He didn¡¯t quite understand why Ingrid was tagging along, but since he had brought Cyril, having Sylvia bring someone didn¡¯t seem so strange.


    Chapter 80 Sending Flowers


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    <b>Sylvia</b>offered only a smile, without a direct response. Ingrid, meanwhile, clearly struggled<b>to</b><b>watch</b>the exchange in silence.


    <b>¡°</b>She¡¯s quite busy with<b>her</b>career<b>,</b>having recently be the VP.<b>If</b>she<b>got</b>into a rtionship now, it could distract<b>her</b>from her responsibilities. Henry<b>,</b><b>you</b>shouldn¡¯t let your own interests dy others,¡± Ingrid said with a backhanded tone, although no one<b>called</b>her out on it.


    Now Henry felt even more awkward. He didn¡¯t quite understand why Ingrid was tagging along, but since he had brought Cyril, having Sylvia bring someone didn¡¯t seem so strange.

 Chapter 81

    <b>Chapter</b><b>81</b><b>Effortless</b><b>Grace</b>


    <b>The</b><b>dinner</b>went<b>smoothly</b><b>,</b><b>without</b>much incident. It was<b>just</b><b>a</b>meal<b>meant</b><b>to</b><b>solidify</b><b>their</b><b>partnership</b>,<b>where</b><b>work</b><b>conversations</b>were<b>to</b>be had only if they came<b>up naturally</b>.<b>Once</b>the meal was over<b>,</b><b>they</b><b>each</b><b>went their separate</b>ways.


    <b>¡°</b><b>You</b><b>know</b>, it¡¯s kind of funny,¡± Cyril<b>mused</b><b>,</b>a hint of annoyance in his voice. ¡°I was just nning on having<b>a</b><b>simple</b>dinner and maybe discussing some business matters. But with your meddling<b>,</b><b>I</b>didn¡¯t even feel<bfortable</b>bringing<b>it</b>up. I didn¡¯t want to make her think I was only after her connections.¡±


    Throughout the evening, Cyril had been as inconspicuous as could be, virtually blending into the background. This left Henry feeling a bit flustered, as not a single item on his carefully prepared agenda was discussed. He now had to find another time to meet for dinner, and after giving her that bouquet<b>,</b>he wasn¡¯t even sure she¡¯d ept.


    ¡°Why did you send her flowers in the first ce?¡± Henry asked, still fixated on the floral incident, Sylvia had refused Cyril with such ease and grace; it made one wonder how many times before she¡¯d had to turn someone down.


    It struck Cyril that he¡¯d never really noticed how much Sylvia attracted attention. Without any effort<b>,</b>she drew the eyes of those around her. The Sylvia he remembered had been in<b>,</b>unremarkable, while the Sylvia of today seemed like apletely different person.


    IF


    Henry gave Cyril an incredulous look. ¡°As far as I remember, you¡¯ve interacted with her in the past too. Didn¡¯t you meet at some event not too long ago? Don¡¯t you know? Everyone thought she only got the vice president¡¯s position by ying a certain angle. But as it turns out, she¡¯s really got the chops. Take our recent coboration, for instance. We were supposed to have arger share of the profit, but do you know what? The terms she proposed, the negotiation tactics she used, someone without at least a decade of experience couldn¡¯t havee up with that. If you¡¯re treating her like some trophy wife, then you¡¯re the


    foolish,one.¡±


    Cyril had never been aware of these details. In his eyes, Sylvia had always been a mere homemaker, not some business hotshot. Hearing Henry¡¯s ount, he was somewhat in disbelief.


    Every time he¡¯d seen Sylvia<b>,</b>she seemed to transformpletely. To Cyril, Sylvia was like a treasure wrapped inyers uponyers of silk, waiting to be unwrapped to reveal her true worth.


    A wave of panic washed over Cyril. He began to fear, wondering if he would regret his past behavior once Sylvia¡¯s true capabilities were fully revealed.


    But another thought struck him: why should he panic? This marriage was never on the right footing from the start. Ending up at this juncture was simply fate.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got<b>to</b>dash, got a ton of things to attend to at the office. Oh, and she mentioned she¡¯s heading to the shipyard today. Aren¡¯t you shipping goods from your port as well? You two should have a chat<b>;</b><b>a</b>partnership with her could be quite profitable. Take it from me, you won¡¯t lose out working with her.¡±


    And with that, Cyril left Henry to ponder the possibilities, eager to see what the future might bring for an unnned coboration with Sylvia.


    Chapter Elfortless s


    Logically speaking, Sylvia, being a neer to the workforce, had done an exceptional job handling her responsibilities, let alone negotiating multi¨Cmillion dor deals and earning praise frompetitors and partners alike. This was a testament to Sylvia being an incredibly capable woman.


    Cyril was intrigued. A spark of curiosity ignited within him, and he found himself wanting to dig deeper to find out who Sylvia really was.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    After Henry left, Cyril noticed Sylvia speaking with a woman he had brought along, who didn¡¯t seem very pleasant, raising her voice at Sylvia. Juliet stepped in front of Sylvia to defend her and started arguing back. Cyril thought about interjecting, but seeing the situation, he felt it was not the right moment.


    The curiosity Cyril had felt moments before to


    ung and Sylvia


    better dissipated then and there.


    Observing her difficult interactions with a colleague, who needed a friend to intervene, didn¡¯t leave the best impression. After all, interpersonal skills are crucial no matter where one stands. Cyril began to feel that Henry¡¯s understanding of Sylvia was rather one¨Csided and didn¡¯t reflect her true reality.


    Cyril nced over and then turned away, leaving the scene behind. Throughout it all, Sylvia remained unaware that Cyril had been watching, and his thoughts about her were far from ttering.


    ¡°Do you realize how important today was? Instead of discussing coborations, you spent your time chatting about other things. You¡¯re supposed to be here making money and striking deals for thepany, not expanding your social circle. Or is it that you can¡¯t resist flirting with every man you encounter? Do you always have to make the first move?¡± Ingrid was harsh and unforgiving in herments, causing Sylvia no visible reaction. However, Jack and Juliet couldn¡¯t stand by any longer.


    Jack knew Sylvia¡¯s true status and had willinglye to help her, aware of herpetence. Juliet had long disliked Ingrid and had only held her tongue for Sylvia¡¯s sake, but that did not mean she was patient.


    ¡°If you spout any more nonsense, believe me<b>,</b>I¡¯ll shut you up right now. You speak without knowing anything¨Cwere you hired just to gossip?¡± Juliet snapped.


    Sylvia¡¯s silence only infuriated Ingrid further, and Juliet¡¯s swift defense made Ingrid¡¯s disdain grow. She smirked at Juliet, who, like Sylvia, was attractive and had been somewhat of an outsider at thepany. Despite Sylvia and Juliet earning their ce through hard work and garnering much recognition within thepany, not everyone was on board, including Ingrid.


    ¡°I might<i>not</i>have what you two have, but I¡¯ve reached my position through my own merits. Let¡¯s see how long you can keep up your charade. If today¡¯s deal falls through, will you even have the face to stay in your


    job?¡±

 Chapter 82

    <b>Chapter</b><b>82 Concert</b><b>Guest</b><b>Appearance</b>


    Sylvia¡¯s phone lit up with a new message; it was from Bark, telling her that he had made the official announcement. The concert was set for the 12th of next month. Originally, there were ns for three shows, but Bark decided to perform just one. He had told his agent that, with his sister finally free from the chains of marriage, he wanted to spend time with her to help her heal her heart. And so, he wasn¡¯t


    a show which, with Sylvia as a guest, finally got interested in working beyond that single performance scheduled.


    Sylvia received Bark¡¯s message along with another one from her brother and his agent. He had no choice but to vent to her about Bark¡¯s approach.


    ¡°Are you even listening to me?¡± Ingridined, growing more exasperated. She had been speaking at length, and Sylvia hadn¡¯t said a word -instead, she was smiling over something on her phone. Why should she be so happy, especially when she had obtained her position through questionable means, as Ingrid believed? How could she possibly deserve to be here, being joyful?


    Sylvia tucked her phone away and stared at Ingrid as though she were a clown throwing a fit.


    ¡°If you¡¯re so capable, then why don¡¯t you go ahead and seal the deal yourself? Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know why you came here today ¨C you wanted to take the credit for my work. Now, I¡¯ve given you the chance, why aren¡¯t you seizing it?¡± Sylvia¡¯s retort turned the tables on Ingrid, who was left open¨Cmouthed and incapable of response as Sylvia left with Juliet and Jack in tow.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Sylvia¡¯s car sped off, leaving only a trail of exhaust behind. Ingrid choked on the fumes and spitefully spat on the ground as she watched Sylvia¡¯s car disappear.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be smug about? Just you wait; I¡¯ll take over your position sooner orter. After all, you stole what was mine. We¡¯ll see how long you can stay pleased with yourself!¡± Ingrid always felt Sylvia had robbed her of her rightful ce, never once considering her own shorings. But Sylvia simply didn¡¯t care about Ingrid¡¯s outrage enjoying her victory.


    Once in the car, Sylvia and Juliet were immediately absorbed in the news on their phones.


    ¡°I thought your brother would wait a while longer before making the announcement. I¡¯m surprised it was so soon. And we don¡¯t even know if the twins can make it back by then. Oh, and remind your brother to save me a ticket ¨C I want one right in the center, where the interaction happens.¡±


    Sylvia couldn¡¯t help butugh wryly at Juliet¡¯s list of demands. Bark could be stingy; getting tickets from him was already lucky enough, let alone tickets with audience interaction.


    ¡°Oh my god, your brother just posted a photo. Last time he did that, a lot of people started guessing about your identity. Now that you¡¯re announced as a concert guest, it¡¯s even more intriguing. What do you think theizens will say? Might they suspect some improper rtionship between you and your brother?¡± Juliet teased with a yful smirk.


    Sylvia pped the top of Juliet¡¯s head in mock annoyance.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know better than to spread such nonsense about me and my brother? Cut it out, or he really will get mad at you when he hears this,¡± Sylvia scolded.


    Chapter 82 Concert Guest Appearance


    Juliet covered her head, feigning hurt from Sylvia¡¯s tap. ¡°All right, all right, I won¡¯t say anymore, happy now?


    she said with a pout.


    Sylvia shook her head in exasperation and returned to scrolling through the onlinements. Everyone¡­ was stunned by Bark¡¯s announcement about the concert and the reveal that Sylvia would be a guest. No one in the entertainment world had ever heard of Sylvia before¨Cit was as if she had popped up out of


    nowhere.


    Of course, people came to know of Sylvia because of the highly publicized divorce with Cyril. Additionally, there was the incident where she was falsely used, and when the truth came out, it led to a twist where those who framed her ended up facing consequences. This sparked even more curiosity about whether Sylvia had some powerful backing¨Chow else<b>could</b>she always emerge unscathed from every confrontation and even turn the tables on her adversaries? Though the oue was satisfying, the process left people filled with wonder.


    Beyond the curiosity about Sylvia¡¯s identity, many were concerned about her appearance at the concert. Could she handle the spotlight? After all, Sylvia wasn¡¯t known as a singer, and the thought of her sharing the stage with Bark worried his fans. They feared a potential disaster and flocking to thepany¡¯s social media pages, pleading for Sylvia to be dropped from the lineup, fearing she wasn¡¯t suitable for the


    event at the moment.


    Sylvia scrolled through thesements with a mixture of amusement and disbelief. She wasn¡¯t expecting Bark to be so mboyant about<b>it</b><b>;</b>she had thought her involvement would be revealed at the concert itself. Now, with the situation blown out of proportion, she half¨Cexpected a public outcry against


    her.


    Though Sylvia wasn¡¯t worried aboutizens discovering her true identity, the constant attention felt ufortably intrusive, like being under surveince.


    After browsing a while, her phone rang¨Cit was Bark calling.


    ¡°Seen all that buzz online? What do you think? Pretty impressive of your brother to stir things up, right?¡± There was a hint of swagger in Bark¡¯s voice; he wanted the whole world<i>to</i>know about his unique


    rtionship with Sylvia.


    ¡°Big bro, don¡¯t you think today¡¯s announcement was a bit too much? If you did all this just to dere our sibling rtionship, that¡¯s fine by me. But if not, I find it quite troubling,¡± Sylvia replied, her tone conveying


    her difort.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be troubled about? I¡¯m on your side, and I did all this to let everyone know you¡¯re my sister. Prepare yourself, because at the concert, I¡¯ll make sure everyone knows that fact. But for now, just bear with the aftermath a bit. You¡¯ve dealt with things like this before, right?¡±

 Chapter 83

    <b>Chapter</b><b>83</b><b>Identity</b>Crisis


    Sylvia was betweenughter and exasperation¨Cshe had never been the center of such a public spectacle before. Her marriage to Cyril had hardly been in the limelight; being chased by the media waspletely foreign to her. She didn¡¯t see the need for any of this fuss.


    ¡°I called today just to let you know about this. And hey, you haven¡¯t practiced in years, so warm up those vocal cords of yours. Don¡¯t you dare embarrass me on the day of the concert. I won¡¯t let you off easy if you do,¡± Bark warned.


    He was a world¨Crenowned superstar. If his sister, unpracticed, turned out to be dead weight, he wouldn¡¯t mind, but it wouldn¡¯t be fair to his fans. They were spending good money to see him perform, and Sylvia¡¯s


    unreliability wouldn¡¯t sit well with anyone.


    Feeling helplessly caught in the situation, Sylvia could only agree to her brother¡¯s demands; there was nothing else she could do. Bark had already decided for her, so she¡¯d have toply.


    For several days<b>,</b>curiosity about Sylvia¡¯s identity surged online, and the digging into her background intensified. Some inte sleuths, despite not uncovering her full story, managed to find out where Sylvia


    worked and her job title.


    ¡°Theizens are too much, aren¡¯t they? You haven¡¯t said a word, and they¡¯ve already sniffed<b>out</b>your identity. Ourpany is going to be in the spotlight soon, and you might not be happy about that. You need to think about how to handle this situation,¡± Juliet put down her phone, eying Sylvia with sincerity. Dragging this issue out any longer could lead to furtherplications.


    Sylvia was well aware of the murmurings within thepany¨Cmany were dissatisfied with her since she hadn¡¯t secured any significant projects. Without the ability tomand respect with a notable achievement, she knew it was best to keep a low profile. However, Bark¡¯s high¨Cprofile announcement had thrust her into the storm, causing her immense stress. Having such a brother was both a blessing and a


    headache.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Bark about itter. If it¡¯s really necessary, we might just have to reveal our rtionship openly, rather than let it impact thepany,¡± Sylvia contemted.


    ¡°But think it through. If the rtionship between you and Bark is disclosed, it will affect thepany even more. You¡¯ll be overrun with interview requests about you two, and they might even want to market you as a new entertainment sensation,¡± Juliet pointed out with greater rity.


    Sylvia felt cornered, as every option brought its own set of headaches. It was a difficult decision to make, but for now, she would just take it one step at a time. If there was a way<i>to</i>resolve the issue, she would find<b>it</b><b>;</b>if not, it was Bark¡¯s mess to clean up. After all, he was the one who stirred it up. If the situation escted further<b>,</b>it could end up upsetting both Bruce and their father.


    The next morning, Sylvia knew she was thinking too simple about how Bruce and dad will react¨CThe cries that echoed from downstairs made her heart jump, and she bolted from the second floor to the scene below


    There was her brother Bark, kneeling on the floor while their eldest brother, Bruce,shed him with a whip.


    Chapter 83 Identity Crisis


    Despite Bark¡¯s regr exercise as part of his singer lifestyle, mostly spent<b>in</b>recording studios, this physical punishment from Bruce was clearly too much for him.


    ¡°You damned fool, do you realize the trouble you¡¯ve caused your sister with your antics<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>their father, Stanford, said with a grimace that made it clear he was far from pleased.


    That morning, Stanford had learned from his secretary that Sylvia was trending on social media. Curious masses were specting about her cloaked identity, some even nning to visit thepany to dig deeper. Worse still, there were derogatory rumors and so-called ¡°evidence¡± making rounds online, questioning Sylvia¡¯s integrity.


    As a doting father, there was no way Stanford would swallow such nder. He dragged Bark out of bed early to teach him a lesson he wouldn¡¯t soon forget.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°You can¡¯t put all the me on me! If only he had listened to me in the first ce, I wouldn¡¯t have had to take such measures. Besides, revealing our rtionship will just clear things up, won¡¯t it? It¡¯s not thatplicated,¡± Bark protested from the floor, his pride shing with the reality of his recklessness.


    Bruce¡¯s face turned darker, his patience clearly worn thin. ¡°Do you not understand that revealing Sylvia¡¯s identity could significantly disrupt her life? Think of how many fans you have. Have you considered the consequences of your actions at all?¡±


    Bark countered, looking at Bruce unwaveringly, ¡°If we don¡¯t make it public, who will protect Sylvia? Cyril did all those things, yet I didn¡¯t see any of you taking action. You¡¯ve always just wanted to keep her identity under wraps. I know you¡¯re trying to protect her, but my identity is not out in the open either. What¡¯s wrong with letting the world know she¡¯s my sister? At least it¡¯ll make anyone think twice before they try anything.¡±


    Though Bark had Sylvia¡¯s best interest at heart, his approach wasn¡¯t sitting well with the other two men in


    ?


    the family. If they had wanted Sylvia¡¯s identity exposed, they would have done so from her birth. Until


    now, the world only knew the Ivans had a daughter, but her true remained a mystery.


    dentit


    ¡°Stop it<b>,</b>Dad, Big Bro. Bark did this for me, and I knew about it. I agreed to it,¡± Sylvia interjected, descending the stairs to defend Bark.


    At her words, the stern looks on Bruce¡¯s and Stanford¡¯s faces softened to warmth¨Ca shift so swift it nearly gave Bark whish. They¡¯d been so harsh on him, yet became gentle in a heartbeat when facing Sylvia. There was no doubt about it: the little sister sat at the top of the family¡¯s food chain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make excuses for him. He did it on purpose,¡± Bruce insisted.


    Sylvia countered, ¡°It¡¯s not like that. If not for the events three years ago, I would already be apanying Bark at his concerts. The ns from three years ago just carried over to now. There¡¯s no difference.¡±

 Chapter 84

    <b>Chapter</b><b>84</b>Masquerade BallAll content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Duncan and Miranda, fraternal twins who had spent several years abroad, had finally returned home. They¡¯d built careers in their respective fields of physics and chemistry, and with the family¡¯sfortable financial situation, they were keen to throw a party upon their return.


    Sylvia and Kelly weren¡¯t too excited about the idea, but Juliet and Catherine were over the moon, especially Catherine, who seemed as if she couldn¡¯t wait for the party to happen.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you two excited? These past few months have been so stressful for me,¡± Catherine eximed, ¡°I¡¯m a public figure now, and I can¡¯t just go anywhere I please without careful consideration.


    Now that we¡¯re all together, I want to go out and have fun!¡±


    While everyone understood Catherine¡¯s desire for some freedom, they also knew attending such a gathering couldplicate matters. ¡°Do you really think attending this kind of party won¡¯t reveal your identity? And if people recognize you, can you imagine the online chatter?¡± Kelly yawned, voicing<i>her</i>thoughts to Catherine.


    Catherine paused, as if finally grasping the implications. A party would likely include many acquainted and unfamiliar faces, and her identity could easily be exposed, leading to unwanted attention on social media. Though it seemed trivial to her, waking up to news about herself every day was bing


    tiresome.


    Miranda, seeing the concern on their faces, reached into her bag and pulled out a mask, cing it in front of the group. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? We¡¯ll just have a masquerade ball. No one will know who anyone is, and we can enjoy ourselves to the fullest.¡±


    Her suggestion sparked hope in Catherine, who hadn¡¯t considered the anonymity a masquerade could offer. ¡°That¡¯s actually a great idea, sis. Sylvia, why don¡¯t we join in? I just saw¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Sylvia¡¯s phone rang with a call from the office. She excused herself from the group and stepped aside to take the call.


    Watching Sylvia move away to answer her phone, Duncan¡¯s heart sank. He hadn¡¯t even begun to express his thoughts, and already Sylvia was preupied with other matters.


    ¡°If only I hadn¡¯t hesitated three years ago, maybe things wouldn¡¯t have turned out this way,¡± Duncan mused, feeling a pang of regret. He had originally decided not<i>to</i>study abroad, intent on pursuing Sylvia when he knew she harbored feelings for someone else. He wanted to fight for a chance.


    But that chance never came. Sylvia married another man before he could make his move. Heartbroken, Duncan had chosen to study abroad, hoping to mend his wounded heart. He had believed Sylvia¡¯s marriage would bring her happiness, only to be shocked upon learning of her divorce.


    ¡°Who is this man who couldn¡¯t cherish such a wonderful girl like her? I went abroad for love once, and now, I must stay for love!¡± Duncan resolved, his heart set on not letting Sylvia slip away a second time.


    Everyone knew Duncan had his heart set on Sylvia and now, more than ever, his intentions seemed tantly obvious; they had simply gone unnoticed before due to Sylvia¡¯s infatuation with Cyril. With those emotions now in the past, Sylvia saw situations<b>more</b>clearly than ever. However, her feelings for Duncan


    Chapter 84 Masquerade Ball


    hadn¡¯t evolved beyond friendship, and her position was unlikely to change.


    Miranda rolled her eyes, her cynicism barely veiled: ¡°You really do think highly of yourself, don¡¯t you? Have you considered what you actually have to offer Sylvia? Besides your face, what else<b>?</b>I¡¯ve<b>seen</b>the photos of the man Sylvia liked, and he is far more handsome than you. How do you evenpare?<b>¡±</b>


    Duncan, unfazed by Miranda¡¯s remarks, retorted, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you think Cyril is more attractive. In the end, he hurt Sylvia. Rather than her being with someone like that<b>,</b>she should be with me. I¡¯m different; I would treat Sylvia well for a lifetime.¡±


    His conviction left no room for doubt among those present; Duncan was sincere in his sentiments.


    ¡°Alright, we believe you,¡± the group acknowledged, epting Duncan¡¯s earnestness.


    Sylvia rejoined the group after her phone call, noticing the secretive huddle.


    ¡°It¡¯s been years since we¡¯ve been together like this. Is there anyone<b>in</b>particr you¡¯d want to invite to the party? When ites to it, we can ask them to join us,¡± Duncan suggested, indicating he might have someone special in mind, but the rest of the group remained silent out of curiosity to see what Duncan had up his sleeve.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anyone specific to invite. It¡¯s great just us, but if you want to bring others, it¡¯s up to you and how big you want the party to be,¡± Sylvia responded.


    The twins, always eager for a grand event, would likely make the party grandiose by inviting a slew of both acquaintances and strangers


    There


    44no need for the others to extend their invitations since on the


    day, most attendees would probably be friends of the twins anyway.


    Duncan, who had been nning all along, announced after hearing the indifferent responses of the others, ¡°Since no one else has someone to invite, I¡¯ll take care of the invitations ording to my list. Remember, everyone, get ready for next week. We can¡¯t afford any slip¨Cups. Our first party back home must be grand and high¨Css!¡±

 Chapter 85

    <b>Chapter</b><b>85</b>The<b>Belle</b><b>of</b><b>the Bali</b>N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    No one present doubted Duncan¡¯s sincerity; it was well¨Cknown he was the kind of man who spoke from


    the heart.


    A weekter<b>,</b>when the masquerade ball kicked off, Sylvia¡¯s brothers and father were visibly excited about her participation. What was merely a small gathering of friends turned into an opportunity for the men in her family to shower her with extravagant gifts.


    ¡°Little sis, how about this mask? It cost a fortune,¡± Bark said, showcasing an ornate piece.


    ¡°And this dress? As the youngest daughter of the Ivan family, you must stand out. Your big brother had it custom¨Cmade just for you. Don¡¯t worry about the cost; wear it once, and we¡¯ll get you another. I¡¯ve had a bunch made,¡± Bruce smiled, his pride obvious.


    ¡°Our father spared no expense to provide you with a unique car for tonight, a one¨Cof¨Ca¨Ckind vehicle. Use it with confidence,¡± Stanford chimed in, handing her the keys.


    Surrounded by these generous offerings, Sylvia wasn¡¯t sure whether tough or cry, especially at Bark¡¯s unexpected generosity. Not long ago, she had thought he would remain angry with her, but the mask he presented, adorned with diamonds and precious stones, was exquisite and expensive.


    Unable to favor one gift over another, Sylvia graciously epted all three, knowing that their intentions were to make her feel loved and special.


    ¡°Thank you, Dad, Bruce, Bark. I¡¯ll go get ready now,¡± she said with sincere gratitude.


    As Sylvia went to prepare, the three men beamed with pride, each secretly believing his gift outshone the


    others.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you holding a grudge against our sister recently? Howe you¡¯ve changed your tune?¡± Stanford remarked, looking over at Bark.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be upset about. I see all the changes in her; I want our sister to have the best. Besides, those twins are back. I know Duncan¡¯s got his eye on her, and if it¡¯s right, it could be considered,¡± Bark said nonchntly,pletely unfazed by his superstar status.


    Stanford¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°What? That boy is interested in my daughter? No, no, I don¡¯t approve. He¡¯s immature and irresponsible!¡±


    Stanford¡¯s disapproval was expected, as Bruce and Bark shared his sentiment. Yet, there was no real urgency; things had not progressed to that point, and there was still room for negotiation. After all, there was no indication Sylvia had those kinds of feelings for Duncan. If she had, she wouldn¡¯t have ended up


    with Cyril in the first ce.


    As they continued their discussion, Sylvia descended the stairs, having changed into her outfit and revealing her stunning transformation. Her polish and elegance captivated them¨Cshe was indeed the Ivan family¡¯s star<b>,</b>capable of shining even in the humblest garb.


    ¡°Little sis will surely be the most dazzling presence tonight!¡±


    Chapter 33 The Belle<b>of</b>the Ball


    <b>The</b>twins were<b>excited</b>about the party they had organized<b>to</b>celebrate<b>their return</b>home. Despite its intention as<b>a</b>wee back celebration for them, they were<b>ustomed</b>to Sylvia stealing the limelight.<b>It</b>was just as well. After<b>all</b><b>,</b>they knew even in rags, Sylvia had the power<b>to</b><bmand</b>everyone¡¯s


    <b>attention</b><b>.</b>


    Sylvia, amused by the care put into the event preparations, was driven to the venue by a chauffeur. Upon her arrival, it was clear that Duncan and Miranda had invited a considerable crowd to the masquerade


    ball<b>.</b>


    Stepping out of the car, Sylvia recognized another vehicle parked nearby¨Cit unmistakably belonged to Cyril. She knew no one would have invited Cyril intentionally; his appearance must have been a mischievous idea conjured up by the group. Feeling somewhat helpless and not expecting them to do such a thing, she decided to act as if she hadn¡¯t seen the car and walked inside with Juliet.


    The estate revealed the true scale of the event¨Cwith at least five to six hundred guests, the party was a massively organized affair.


    ¡°These two have really outdone themselves, inviting so many people. Who exactly have they invited?¡± Catherine mused, a little surprised at the crowd size even though she was ustomed to grand events. She initially thought the party was meant to conceal its patrons¡® true identities; however, the presence of<b>so</b>many familiar faces made her wonder what the point of that was.


    Sylvia, als¨® feeling uneasy, wished she had known about the throng of attendees beforehand. She might have reconsidereding.


    ¡°By the way, I heard they invited Cyril and his brother Jonathan too,¡± Kelly whispered to Sylvia, lightly nudging her arm. ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll bump into them? With so many people, it¡¯s probably unlikely.¡±


    Sylvia didn¡¯t mention seeing Cyril¡¯s car earlier and continued the conversation, using Kelly¡¯s words as a


    segue.


    Unbeknownst to Sylvia, as Cyril and Jonathan stepped into the venue, Cyril spotted her amidst the crowd almost immediately. He was astonished at himself for being able to identify Sylvia so quickly, especially considering the multitude of heavily adorned or masked faces, which should have made it impossible. But there she was; all other attendees dissolved around her, leaving only Sylvia in focus, as if all other voices had also been muted.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Jonathan asked curiously, following Cyril¡¯s gaze across the room. From his perspective, he saw only a regal gathering of guests in conversation¨Cexactly the sort of scene expected at a masquerade ball, with all kinds of costumes and borate disguises.

 Chapter 86

    Chapter 86 Dance Partners in the Dark


    When Cyril heard Jonathan¡¯s voice, he averted his gaze. He sneaked another look at Sylvia, reminding himself that he had no ties to her anymore. The reason he could spot her in a crowd was simply because they¡¯d once been husband and wife.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, let¡¯s go. Seems like a full house at the party tonight.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ?


    Cyril hadn¡¯t nned oning, but Jonathan was keen on attending, especially since he had heard that Duncan and Miranda were the hosts. So, after receiving spal invitation, Cyril felt obliged to show up, if just for appearances¡® sake. The guests were supposed to greet the hosts, but given the wild costumes around, picking Duncan and Miranda out<b>of</b>the crowd was no small task.


    They soon settled in, having been to simr parties before. Mixing into the throng, everyone talked freely, hidden behind masks, enjoying the anonymity.


    Suddenly, the lights dimmed, causing a stir till a spotlight hit center stage. Duncan and Miranda stepped up, and the chattering crowd hushed in anticipation.


    ¡°Wee, everyone, to our masquerade ball! Tonight is about fun and games. We¡¯re all here to let loose, but since it is a ball, we¡¯ve got something special nned.


    Soon, we¡¯ll turn off the lights. I want you all to find yourselves a dance partner, no matter who they are. When the lightse back on, whomever you¡¯re with is your partner for the opening dance. Ready to kick off the party!¡±


    The crowd buzzed with excitement at the prospect. They rose, stretching and prepping to ensure they wouldn¡¯t be lost when the lights went out.


    Jonathan turned excitedly to Cyril, only to find him heading towards a corner of the room. He paused, then shrugged it off<b>,</b>figuring Cyril was seeking a quiet spot, what with his dislike formotion.


    As everyone began moving around, Duncan and Miranda decided it was time and switched off the lights.


    ¡°Remember to be quiet, folks! The calmer it is, the easier it¡¯ll be to find the one you want to


    dance with!¡±


    Their advice was taken, and an eerie silence fell. It wasn¡¯t pitch ck, though; a couple of emergency lights were on, giving just enough glow to make out shapes.


    Sylvia had slipped away to a corner early on, preferring to hide than seek a partner. But before she could melt into the shadows<b>,</b>someone grabbed her. Trying to wiggle free, she


    recognized Miranda¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Why are you running off? You¡¯re here to have fun at the party, remember? So what if you¡¯ve been married and divorced? It doesn¡¯t make you any less worthy of enjoyment. We invited you so you could lighten up and live a little<b>!</b>¡±


    Sylvia wasn¡¯t born yesterday; she caught the hint. Miranda was obviously ying cupid for her and Duncan.


    ¡°Alright, I get it. Maybe I¡¯ll just find a different spot, then,¡± Sylvia replied, her voice carrying a touch of surrender.


    Sylvia had no other choice but to mix into the crowd. She figured her luck couldn¡¯t be that bad; she could dodge people for a bit and then sneak to the side to hide.


    But things didn¡¯t go as smoothly as she hoped.


    As she made her way through the throng, her hand identally brushed against someone. That person quickly grabbed hold of her hand in response. Sylvia was startled¨Cit was that easy to find a dance partner?


    ¡°I¡­ um¡­¡±


    Before Sylvia could refuse, the lights turned on, eliminating any hope of escape. Blinded momentarily, she shut her eyes, only opening them once they adjusted to the brightness. The lively tango music started ying, and with a partner already in hand, Sylvia realized she had no choice but to dance.


    As she cautiously began to move with the rhythm, she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that her partner¡¯s eyes looked familiar. It took her a moment, but the shock hit when she realized who it was¨CCyril.


    For Cyril,<b>of</b>all the possible partners, he didn¡¯t necessarily have to dance with Sylvia. But when he saw her, he feltpelled to approach. He knew her bumping into him was unintentional, but the second their hands touched, his heart skipped a beat. Without hesitation, he held on to her.


    Both knew who the other was, but neither spoke.


    ¡°The music¡¯s started. Let¡¯s dance, or we¡¯ll really stand out just standing here,¡± Cyril finally


    broke the silence.


    Sylvia, having preferred to avoid this dance with Cyril, found herself with no other option. As he said, just standing there would draw attention. It would be less conspicuous to join in


    -moving with the crowd would keep their interaction from appearing awkward.


    As they began to tango, Cyril worried Sylvia might not know the steps. But to his


    Chapter 86 Dance


    amazement<b>,</b>she was not only proficient<b>;</b>she danced exquisitely. Like a vivacious butterfly fluttering among the partygoers<b>,</b>Sylv¨ªa drew everyone¡¯s eyes to her, making it impossible<b>to</b>look<b>away</b><b>.</b>


    In that moment<b>,</b>even if Cyril wanted to dismiss her as just another ex, the truth was undeniable ¨C Sylvia was mesmerizing. What he once underestimated, he now recognized: she was indeed<b>a</b>captivating woman.


    And<b>now</b><b>,</b>with the music guiding them, Sylvia danced with a freedom she¡¯d always kept suppressed. As Cyril came back to his senses and matched her pace, it was then<b>,</b>in their first dance together, that a sense of regret started to dissolve inside her pers they were beginning to mend what had been lost between them.

 Chapter 87

    Chapter 87 Dream


    In truth, when Sylvia had decided to divorce Cyril, she cast aside not only their regrets but also the painful memories. Now, as some of those regrets were being reconciled, she could feel herself gradually letting go of her feelings for him.


    It¡¯s often said that it¡¯s hard to let go because one clings too tightly to the past, But once that fixation fades, you realize your feelings for the person weren¡¯t as intense as you thought. Sylvia felt that was precisely where she stood now.


    After the dance ended, Sylvia and Cyril immediately parted ways.


    ¡°I never thought you could dance,¡± Cyril remarked,


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot you never figured out because you never really knew me. Let¡¯s just act like strangers from now on,¡± Sylvia replied, eager to avoid any drama. She knew her friends had grown weary of Cyril, and she feared they might deliberatelyplicate matters if they realized he was there.


    Cyril could tell she was determined to distance herself from him, and it irked him. Weren¡¯t they still connected in some way through their past marriage, he pondered silently. His lips pressed together¨Cit wasn¡¯t how he wished things to be.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just enjoy the night separately. This party is for my friends, and I don¡¯t want any unpleasantness,¡± Sylvia said inly, and with that, she disappeared into the crowd.


    As she melded into the sea of people, Cyril followed her with his gaze until she was obscured by the multitude milling about. Eventually, he lost sight of her altogether.


    When Sylvia found her friends, she spotted Duncan lounging on a couch, looking reproachfully in her direction.


    ¡°Goodness, I knew you wouldn¡¯t want to dance. I didn¡¯t dance either because I was looking for you everywhere, and when I finally found<b>you</b>, you were dancing with someone else. Clearly, there¡¯s no room for me in your heart,¡± Duncan half¨Cjoked, half¨Cserious.


    Sylvia rubbed her temples. How had she forgotten about Duncan?


    <b>¡°</b>Cut it out,¡± she said. ¡°You were never in that space to begin with. You were just insistent. And tonight you¡¯re the star. You can¡¯t just ignore all the guests. Go and tend to your party.


    Get up


    and go. Aren¡¯t you tired of sitting?¡±


    Luckily, Juliet intervened just in time, saving Sylvia from an awkward situation<b>.</b>Grateful, Sylvia smiled and appreciated her friend¡¯s help. She was relieved, for if she truly felt cornered, she wouldn¡¯t have known how to respond to Duncan.


    Chapter 817 Dreami


    She had never thought much of Duncan¡¯s intentions before, but now, realizing he had more than friendship on his mind, she found herself unsure how to face him.


    ¡°Fine, fine, I throw this grand party, and you all dismiss me like this,¡± Duncan huffed, pretending to be offended before making a move to leave. However, he shot Sylvia a lingering look¨Cone that revealed he had seen her dancing with Cyril.


    He had been ready to confront Sylvia about why she was dancing with Cyril<b>,</b>given they were divorced. But at thest moment, he checked himself. Regardless of their past rtionship, they were divorced now, and Sylvia was free to do as she pleased. It wasn¡¯t


    question her actions.


    ce<b>to</b>


    With a bitter taste in his mouth, Duncan understood he was just a little toote. Everything seemed out of reach, as if time kept slipping away from him. But there was some sce; a second chance had presented itself. Sylvia was single again, and that meant Duncan finally had an opportunity.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    As Duncan walked away, Sylvia let out a sigh of relief and slumped into the couch with a sense of release. Her friends couldn¡¯t help butugh at her disy of what they saw as ack of backbone.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just climbed out of the grave<b>of</b>marriage, and I¡¯m in no rush to dabble in romance again. If you guys are interested, be my guest,¡± Sylvia said, watching her friends take yful jabs at her.


    ¡°We sure don¡¯t want that,¡± Kelly and Juliet both crossed their arms over their chests, vehemently opposed to the idea of marrying<b>,</b>particrly after seeing the turmoil Sylvia had endured in hers.


    The party looked set to rage through the night. Cyril, feeling a bit worn out, was thankful that the hosts had prepared a resting room upstairs,plete with beds for anyone needing


    a break.


    Despite not nning to stay at the party<b>,</b>Cyril was surprised to encounter Sylvia there. Later, an urgent business matter called him away to the upstairs resting room. By the time he¡¯d wrapped up his work, it was the early hours of the morning.


    The festivities downstairs were still in full swing, but he found no energy to rejoin. Exhausted, Cyril leaned back on the sofa, closed his eyes to rest, and unintentionally drifted into sleep<b>¨C</b>and into a dream.


    In his dream, he was back at the seaside where a life¨Cchanging incident had taken ce five years prior. He had gone there with a business partner to explore development opportunities when they inadvertently stumbled upon armed fugitives. Suddenly confronted and


    Chapter 87 Dream


    threatened at gunpoint<b>,</b>Cyril found himself facing<b>dire</b>straits. As the criminals fled from pursuingw enforcement<b>,</b>they decided to take a<b>hostage</b>¨C<b>Cyril</b>.


    <b>Just</b>as he was contemting an escape, Sylvia appeared<b>in</b>his dream, looking as she did at the party<b>,</b>dressed to the nines, but this time wielding a gun. Without hesitation, she took aim and fired at the kidnappers.


    While the reality of the past event was different from his dream<b>,</b>what struck Cyril was the unexpected presence of Sylvia. In his mind¡¯s eye, she was approaching him<b>,</b>step by step, reaching out to clutch his suit jacket.


    Forced to look down<b>,</b>Cyril watched as Sylvia came ever closer, their lips almost meeting in a kiss. At that precise moment, Cyril¡¯s eyes snapped open, and he gasped for<b>air</b>, hands pressed to his forehead, bewildered by the surreal dream he¡¯d just experienced.

 Chapter 88

    Chapter<b>88</b><b>Well</b>¨C<b>Matched</b>


    ¡°Did you not get a good night¡¯s sleep? You look especially worn out,¡± Jonathan remarked as<b>he</b>walked in and caught sight of Cyril¡¯s weary expression.


    Indeed,st night¡¯s party had dragged on a bit toote, prompting everyone<b>to</b>stay over at the estate for rest. However<b>,</b>Cyril had been one of the earliest to retreat for the night<b>,</b><b>so</b>logically, he shouldn¡¯t have appeared so tired.


    Cyril lifted his head to respond when Jonathan suddenly leaned in close, his eyes wide with an eager gleam for gossip.


    ¡°By the way<b>,</b>


    I saw you dancing with adyst night. Boy<b>,</b>could she dance! Looked like a pro to me. And someone who can show up at that kind of party must be someone of status. Ah, you¡¯ve got it good, Cyril. You step away from a bad marriage, and you seem tond on your feet wherever you go.¡±


    There was a hint of envy in Jonathan¡¯s voice. He too had danced with someonest night, but his luck hadn¡¯t been as good; he ended up with another man as a dance partner, which made for a rather awkward situation. So he couldn¡¯t help but keep an eye on Cyril¡¯s much more appealing circumstances.


    ¡°Do you


    think she was well¨Cmatched with me?¡± Cyril asked, somewhat surprised by Jonathan¡¯sment, as this wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d typically say.


    Jonathan nodded, genuinely believing they were a good match. Even behind a mask, she was evidently graceful and had an impressive poise. ¡°You¡¯ve built a sessful business over the years, and even if it¡¯s not quite at the scale of the Evans Corporation, you¡¯re still doing exceptionally well. So yeah, I think you two arepatible. What¡¯s so strange about that? She might not even be in your league.¡±


    After hearing this, Cyril shook his head with a smile, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t say that if


    who she was.¡±


    you knew


    This piqued Jonathan¡¯spetitive side. How could they possibly be ill¨Csuited? He was eager to find out exactly who Cyril had been dancing with.


    ¡°It was Sylvia,¡± Cyril revealed. Other than himself, it seemed no one at the party had recognized that the woman he was dancing with was Sylvia. That exined why Jonathan hade straight to him to chat about the previous evening¡¯s events.


    Jonathan¡¯s face momentarily crumpled with disbelief. He thought the pair were perfectly matched, and now he was told the woman in question was Sylvia? The realization made him doubt his own judgment.


    <b>¡°</b><b>You¡¯re</b>not pulling my leg, are you? The woman you danced with was Sylvia?¡± Jonarisan asked, taken aback.


    <b>Cyril</b>nodded. ¡°Didn¡¯t you recognize her?**


    Jonathan¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. How could anyone have recognized the guests under such heavy disguisesst night? With everyone so thoroughly masked, even their true faces obscured, how could he possibly distinguish who was who?


    And Cyril, he was nothing short of supernatural to have identified the amidst the crowd.


    ¡°Just how did you recognize Sylvia in that situationst night? Why couldn¡¯t I see it? And 1 heard many familiar faces were at the party, but when I went in, I couldn¡¯t identify a single person<b>,</b><b>¡±</b>Jonathan questioned, perplexed.


    Cyril paused, struck by the question. Indeed,<b>why</b>was he able to spot Sylvia so easily in the crowd? It would be impossible unless you knew someone to a certain depth.


    He was on the brink of understanding something, just a bit more thought and he would decipher why<b>,</b>but his train of thought was abruptly interrupted by Jonathan.


    ¡°Never mind all that. The real reason I came today was to talk about something else. Someone wants to invite us to lunch. Are you interested?¡± Jonathan was eager to change the subject, feeling somewhat defeated by his failure to recognize anyone the previous<b>night</b>.


    The prospect of discussing the invitation seemed to intrigue him, and he gave Cyril a nudge


    and a wink.


    Cyril¡¯s reflections were disrupted, and he brushed off Jonathan¡¯s antics, turning<b>his</b>attention back to his own matters.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me, man. I¡¯ve really got something to say, and it¡¯s important. They¡¯re asking us out to lunch for business reasons.¡±


    ¡°All I<b>ever</b>hear from you is goofing around, not ¡°business,¡°¡± Cyril retorted with a tinge of


    skepticism.


    Jonathan, momentarily lost for words, felt his reliability was being questioned. He might appear a bit frivolous at times, but he considered himself quite dependable. Why couldn¡¯t Cyril trust him?


    ¡°Never mind. Forget it. By the way, you left earlyst night. Did you sort out everything with thepany?¡± Jonathan shifted the topic.


    Cyril had indeed got some rest, although the dream had not allowed for a peaceful sleep, leaving him feeling particrly weary. The memory of the dream from the previous night


    Chapter 88 Well¨CMatched


    ¡°You¡¯re not pulling my leg, are you? The woman<b>you</b>danced with was Sylvia?¡± Jonathan asked, taken aback.


    Cyril nodded. ¡°Didn¡¯t you recognize her?¡±


    Jonathan¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. How could anyone have recognized the guests under such heavy disguisesst night? With everyone so thoroughly masked, even their true faces obscured, how could he possibly distinguish who was who?


    And Cyril, he was nothing short of supernatural to have identified Sylvia amidst the crowd.


    ¡°Just how did you recognize Sylvia in that situationst night? Why couldn¡¯t I see it? And I heard many familiar faces were at the party, but when I went in, I couldn¡¯t identify a single person,¡± Jonathan questioned, perplexed.


    Cyril paused, struck by the question. Indeed, why was he able to spot Sylvia so easily in the crowd? It would be impossible unless you knew someone to<b>a</b>certain depth.


    He was on the brink of understanding something, just a bit more thought and he would decipher why, but his train of thought was abruptly interrupted by Jonathan.


    ¡°Never mind all that. The real reason I came today was to talk about something else. Someone wants to invite us to lunch. Are you interested?¡± Jonathan was eager to change the subject, feeling somewhat defeated by his failure to recognize anyone the previous night.


    The prospect of discussing the invitation seemed to intrigue him, and he gave Cyril a nudge and a wink.


    Cyril¡¯s reflections were disrupted, and he brushed off Jonathan¡¯s antics, turning his attention back to his own matters.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me, man. I¡¯ve really got something to say, and it¡¯s important. They¡¯re asking us out to lunch for business reasons.¡±


    ¡°All I ever hear from you is goofing around, not ¡®business,¡°¡± Cyril retorted with a tinge of skepticism.


    Jonathan, momentarily lost for words, felt his reliability was being questioned. He might appear a bit frivolous at times, but he considered himself quite dependable. Why couldn¡¯t Cyril trust him?


    ¡°Never mind. Forget it. By the way, you left earlyst night. Did you sort out everything with thepany?¡± Jonathan shifted the topic.


    Cyril had indeed got some rest, although the dream had not allowed for a peaceful sleep, leaving him feeling particrly weary. The memory of the dream from the previous night


    Chapter 88 Well¨CMatched


    made him hesitant, but Jonathan¡¯s curious expression and knowledge<b>of</b>the incident five<b>years</b>ago made him reconsider sharing his<b>experience</b>.


    ¡°Do<b>you</b>still remember the ident I had at<b>sea</b>five<b>years</b><b>ago</b><b>?</b>¡± Cyril brought up,


    seemingly out of the<b>blue</b><b>.</b>


    Jonathan¡¯s mind needed a moment to adjust to the sudden shift in conversation before nodding, he certainly remembered the events from five years prior<b>.</b>


    <b>¡°</b><b>I</b>remember. What about it?<b>¡±</b>


    ment of silence.


    Cyril decided to recount his dream fromst night to Jonathan atter Once he had finished, Jonathan¡¯s face took on a peculiar expression as if he wanted to say something but found himself unable to find the words.


    ¡°You usually have no problems speaking your mind around me. What¡¯s stopping<b>you</b>today? Is there something wrong with the dream?¡±


    ¡°Of course, there¡¯s a problem. First of all, the dream isn¡¯t real¨Cyou know that yourself, right? Five years ago, you had trouble at sea because there was an issue with your boat, and you were nearly lost. The rescue team made several attempts, and then you say you dreamt of Sylvia. I¡¯d find it eptable if you dreamt about anyone else, but dreaming of Sylvia¡­ that¡¯s just impossible.¡± Jonathan said.

 Chapter 89

    Chapter<b>89</b>An Impossible She


    ¡°Anyway, it could be anything, but<b>it</b>absolutely couldn¡¯t be rted to Sylvia. That¡¯s just impossible,¡± Jonathan stated emphatically.


    ¡°Why do you think it can¡¯t<b>be</b>connected to Sylvia? What if it was in fact her who saved me all those years ago?¡± Cyril countered<b>,</b>throwing a hypothetical that seemed to boggle Jonathan¡¯s mind.


    nt happened. You got married because she cornered you into it three years ago, and you know this well. Do you think it¡¯s possible for her to wear that morous party dress to the beach? That whole scenario is just unreal¨Cmaybe you were<b>just</b>dazzled by herst night¡­ Wait, why would you be dazzled by her?¡± Jonathan suddenly caught himself. It wasn¡¯t like Cyril to be captivated by Sylvia, considering their history.


    ¡°What are you even thinking? You didn¡¯t even know Sylvia when the


    Jonathan pondered Cyril¡¯s odd position, almost failing to conceal his disbelief<b>.</b>¡°You can¡¯t be serious. And besides, wasn¡¯t it Carina who saved you back then?¡±


    Jonathan vaguely remembered the incident five years prior. When Cyril¡¯s boat ident urred, rescue teams searched tirelessly without sess, and all had feared the worst. Then<b>,</b>unexpectedly, a call came from Cyril a monthter, informing them that he had been rescued by locals and was sent to a hospital where he¡¯d been in aa for a month.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    They rushed to him, and when asked about his rescuer, Cyril mentioned it might have been Carina. They had inquired with Carinater, who did not deny it.


    ¡°Just because Carina didn¡¯t deny it doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s true. After all she¡¯s done behind my back over the years, aren¡¯t you aware?¡± Cyril said, wryly noting the contrast between statement and action.


    Jonathan internally agreed as he was acutely aware of the schemes Carina had concocted against Sylvia. Some of those schemes, he had even aided a bit. Yet he couldn¡¯t tantly admit this to Cyril, as it felt improper to do so<b>.</b>


    <b>¡°</b>This isn¡¯t what I¡¯m getting at. Why can¡¯t<b>you</b>see what I¡¯m trying to tell you?¡± Jonathan sighed, exasperated.


    He wanted to make it clear to Cyril that anyone could have been his rescuer, but it definitely wasn¡¯t Sylvia.


    ¡°If it really had been Sylvia who saved you, do you think she¡¯d keep it a secret? Think about all these years of marriage. Wasn¡¯t there anything that stirred, even slightly, she would tell you about, desperately trying to impress and garner your attention?¡±


    Chapter 89 An Impossible She


    Jonathan<b>began</b>analyzing the events earnestly with Cyril. ¡°Justst<b>year</b>,<b>when</b>there was a plumbing issue in your marital home, didn¡¯t Sylvia make a big deal out of telling<b>you</b>about the repair? Was that trivial matter even worth mentioning to you? And if you think that¡¯s negligible, then think back on each event over the years¨Chow often has she bothered you with the minutest details?¡±


    In Jonathan¡¯s view, such inconsequential matters didn¡¯t merit bothering<b>Cyril</b>about, yet Sylvia did so<b>anyway</b><b>.</b>


    frapped Cyril into


    Furthermore, if Sylvia had been devoid of cunning, she would nev marriage by exploiting opportunities that hade their way. All of these actions were calcted.


    If Sylvia had indeed been Cyril¡¯s savior, she would certainly have preserved the evidence and used it to disy her virtue, ingratiating herself to Cyril and securing his gratitude.


    Jonathan¡¯s analysis seemed to hold some weight, yet Cyril felt that something was amiss. His memories of the time when he wasatose were hazy, and he couldn¡¯t be certain whether it had been Carina who saved him. Everyone insisted it was Carina, but for some reason, Cyril found it hard to believe and never confirmed it.


    ¡°It was just a passing thought. Why shouldn¡¯t these matters be shared with me? The marital home is mine, shouldn¡¯t I be involved in any issue? Besides, why am I not aware of the things you¡¯ve mentioned?¡± Cyril shifted away from dwelling on the past. It might actually be that he had simply been caught off guard by Sylvia¡¯s stunning appearance the night before, which could exin her presence in his dream.


    What Cyril found more intriguing, however, was why Jonathan knew things that he was not aware of. In his recollection, Sylvia¡¯s calls were mostly to ask when he¡¯d be home or if he¡¯de back for dinner. Jonathan seemed to be lost for words, clearly awkward.


    <b>¡°</b>Yeah, remember all those times we were together for gatherings? Sometimes when Sylvia would call and you weren¡¯t around, one of us brothers would answer and just happened to hear your stuff. Don¡¯t worry, we gave Sylvia a good lecture on the phone, telling her not to daydream, to not think about stuff she shouldn¡¯t. We¡¯re firmly on your side,¡± Jonathan stammered his justification.


    Cyril frowned, visibly displeased, causing Jonathan to shiver. Had he done something wrong by not informing Cyril about the calls?


    ¡°You answer my calls without my knowledge and now you¡¯ve grown bold,¡± Cyril said with a touch of annoyance.


    Jonathan became even more nervous<b>,</b>having meant to protect Cyril from needless upset,


    Chapter 89 An impossible She


    but he seemed to have caused the opposite. What was he supposed to do now that the situation had taken such<i>a</i><i>turn</i>?


    ¡°I¡¯ve got¡­. other things¡­ I need to do, so I¡¯ll leave you to it,¡± Jonathan stammered, sensing trouble as he saw Cyril¡¯s anger.<i>He</i>headed for the door quickly, leaving his unfinished business with Cyril unspoken.


    Once Jonathan had left, Cyril was alone in his office, left to ponder over the past. The more he thought, the stranger things seemed. Everyone appeared to believe Sylvia was at fault, yet he didn¡¯t feel that way<i>.</i>


    Sitting there calmly, he began to sort through the recent revtions, feeling aplexity that was hard to articte. The rtionship with Sylvia had always been distant; this was no secret. Jonathan despised Sylvia<b>,</b>and Cyril knew it well. If Jonathan truly had answered those calls<b>,</b>the exchanges were likely not as harmless as he had conveyed.

 Chapter 90

    Chapter<b>90</b>Lewis Returns<b>Home</b>


    <b>Sylvia¡¯s</b>work was going rtively smoothly, apart from the asional trouble caused by Ingrid, there wasn¡¯t much that was a headache. That morning, she noticed that Bark was nowhere to be seen and learned that he had gone to the final dress rehearsal, gearing up for his concert next month.


    Stanford and Bruce were<b>both</b>in the dining room, and the family of three sat down for


    ¡®t Sylvia¡¯s phone was breakfast together. They didn¡¯t usually talk about work at the tabl incessantly ringing since she woke up, leaving no chance for it to stop.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you put your work aside for a moment in the early morning? Must it interfere at this hour? Is the day not long enough for work? You used to not be<b>so</bmitted to your job, but look at you now,¡± Stanford grumbled, feeling slightly frustrated. He rarely had the chance to have a meal with his daughter, and when he did, she was preupied with work.


    Sylvia tried tough off her father¡¯sment and put her phone down to eat her breakfast. Although she wasn¡¯t replying to any messages, her phone continued to ring persistently until she had no choice but to mute it. Stanford looked pleased with her decision.


    Stanford suddenly remembered something, ¡°Next week, Lewis ising back to the country. His artificial intelligence project is doing very well, and he¡¯s at the forefront with AI technology. What are your thoughts?¡±


    another Sylvia was momentarily freed from work concerns, only for Bruce to bring up business matter, much to Stanford¡¯s visible disappointment. He just wanted to have a normal breakfast with his children, without any talk of work. He didn¡¯t recall them ever being so work¨Cobsessed before.


    Sylvia looked up at Bruce in surprise. Why hadn¡¯t she heard of Lewis¡¯s return?


    ¡°I had Ingrid inform you about this. Did she not tell you?¡± Bruce replied, taken aback by Sylvia¡¯s clueless expression.


    The fact that it involved Ingrid exined Sylvia¡¯s ignorance of the news. Given Ingrid¡¯s dissatisfaction with Sylvia and her longing for Sylvia¡¯s position, it was no surprise she hadn¡¯t passed the message along.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t informed, but it doesn¡¯t matter now that I know. Are you sure about Lewising back? He¡¯s been abroad for years, focusing on AItely, which he only began preparing in recent years. Getting involved now might be toote for us,¡± Sylvia analyzed thoughtfully. She was aware of Lewis¡¯s leading AIpany and its impressive progress. His venture hadn¡¯tcked funds since its creation, which contributed to its sess.


    <b>¡°</b>I remember recently he announced a concept aiming<b>for</b>fully autonomous driving, but<b>reliable</b>AI is essential for that. The<b>technology</b>isn¡¯t mature<b>yet</b><b>,</b><b>so</b>most industry experts are skeptical about his approach<b>,</b><b>¡±</b>Sylvia shared<b>,</b>her mind racing<b>.</b><b>She</b>understood the immaturity of AI technology. If they decided to invest<b>or</b>coborate at this point, there was certainly money<b>to</b>be made.


    Bruce nodded in agreement. ¡°You¡¯re spot on. AI isn¡¯t fully ripe yet, and there¡¯s<b>a</b>whole bunch of folks eyeing that slice. Now that I¡¯m back, I¡¯ve decided<b>to</b>start hunting for partnerships. After<b>all</b>, AI has made some sweet strides, and I¡¯m ready<b>to</b>push<b>it</b>forward while researching new AI tricks.¡±


    Researching two big things at once means shelling out a mountain of cash. Even if Louis was swimming in money before, he¡¯s probably got to think about the finance game now.


    Sylvia got the picture loud and clear.


    ¡°So, big bro, you want me to reach out to Louis, see if we can team up or something?¡± Sylvia asked.


    Bruce cracked a smile and nodded, ¡°There¡¯s no rush, because after the news broke, lots of folks tried to get in touch with Louis already. No word yet. Guess he¡¯s not keen on the


    attention<b>.</b><b>¡®</b>


    ¡°Who knew Louis had such a backbone, huh? There¡¯s not much gossip about him, and I don¡¯t know him well. But turning down so many people? That¡¯s pretty cool. Maybe worth a


    closer look.¡®


    If he hasn¡¯t given a peep after all this time, it means he¡¯s either not impressed with the crowd or he¡¯s still picking his team.


    ¡°But let¡¯s circle back to thister. He¡¯s flying under the radar right now, nobody knows what he¡¯s up to. We¡¯ll talk when we hear something. For now, you should take care of things on Ingrid¡¯s end. Better sort it out soon, or you¡¯ll be caught in a tight spot.¡±


    Bruce was always keyed into Sylvia¡¯s progress and knew Ingrid kept stirring up trouble behind the scenes. He didn¡¯t step in because he trusted Sylvia to handle it.


    Sylvia nodded¨Cit was time to sort out Ingrid for good.


    After they wrapped up the big talk, the siblings dropped the business chatter.


    Seeing they finally paused, Stanford huffed loudly, ttering his utensils onto his te.


    ¡°I thought you two only had work on the brain, totally forgetting to eat.<b>You¡¯ve</b>been talking forever. Can we please just eat our meal now<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>


    Chapter LOWIS Ketumis runeN?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    <b>At</b>Stanford¡¯s yful scolding<b>,</b>the brother and sister couldn¡¯t help but give a sheepishugh, promising<b>to</b>drop the topic<b>for</b>real this time.

 Chapter 91

    Chapter<b>91</b>The<b>Hot</b>Project


    The news of Louis returning to the states with his project spread like wildfire, as many had their eyes set on the prize. In an era driven by data and devices, everyone¡¯s betting that artificial intelligence and AI technology will carve out their own slice of the future. But to y ball in this league, you¡¯ve gotta have killer tech skills and deep pockets.


    Thing is, the stretch from research to ringing up sales is just too dang long for most. Business folks wanna see their cash stack up fast. Diving into development means pouring in serious coin without any promise of payback. And in the face of such high stakes, lots of them are more likely to ce their bets elsewhere.


    Or they might wait for reliable AI to hit the market before pouring dough into investments and partnerships¨Cthat¡¯s like earning money while snoozing.


    So when Louis brought his hot¨Cshot project home, everybody wanted a piece of the action. A whole bunch of businesses tried to buddy up to Louis in secret, but the guy wasn¡¯t spilling any beans. With more and more reaching out and none getting a clear signal, they started scratching their heads, wondering what Louis was really after.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s scrambling to connect with Louis, and you seem way too chill. Didn¡¯t Bruce spill the beans to you?¡± Everyone¡¯s craving a slice of this lucrative pie. They¡¯re all hustling to get a word with Louis, but so far, Sylvia hasn¡¯t made a move. Juliet was puzzled by her friend¡¯s calm and a tad worried about it.


    Sylvia, buried in her work, just chuckled at Juliet¡¯s concern.


    ¡°No need to rush. Look<b>,</b>everyone¡¯s buzzing around Louis, but the guy hasn¡¯t budged. That means they¡¯re not who he wants to jam with. Instead of getting worked up over Louis, let¡¯s tidy up this mess with Ingrid first. Ingrid¡¯s been feeling bold, keeping big stuff under wraps


    from me.


    Sylvia knew dealing with Ingrid shoulde first, aware that an unresolved situation internally could trip them up big time, even if a brighter partnership beckoned.


    ¡°You¡¯re making sense. I¡¯ve been keeping tabs on Ingrid. Lately, he¡¯s been cozying up to some partners under the radar, hinting at going solo. But honestly, the guy hasn¡¯t got what it takes to strike out on his own. More like he¡¯s brewing some bad mojo.¡±


    Juliet could barely mask her disdain for Ingrid¡¯s sneaky ways. Slyly making the rounds with Sylvia¡¯s contacts, it was clear as day what he was nning.


    ¡°What¡¯s the word on the street at thepany?¡± Sylvia wanted the scoop. Sitting at the top, she didn¡¯t always catch the chatter down the ranks.


    ¡°How else would they think? Some reckon you¡¯re not right for the throne. But hey, your recent wins have made a lot of folks happy, and they figure ingrid¡¯s just biting off more than he can chew. But it alles down to what you wanna do about Ingrid.¡±


    Juliet felt it was simple¨Cif they decided to take on Ingrid, they¡¯d dig up more than enough to deal with him, no sweat.


    If someone¡¯s determined to find fault with you, then everything you do can be twisted into a mistake. Sylvia knew this all too well.


    ¡°Tonight, I¡¯m discussing a partnership, and I¡¯ve heard that this partner is pretty chummy with Ingrid¡¯s crew. Let¡¯s invite him to join us,¡± Sylvia mused, addressing Juliet.


    Juliet was taken aback, wondering if it really was a good idea to bring Ingrid so openly, especially alongside someone who was close to him.


    ¡°Along with talking business with Ingrid tonight, Louis will be there as well. Consider it<i>a</i>pre¨Cmeeting of sorts,¡± Sylvia added with a smile, making sure Juliet understood the full picture.


    Juliet burst intoughter, grasping the hidden meaning in Sylvia¡¯s words. ¡°You¡¯re pretty sly, you know? How do you manage to think ahead so well? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle this tonight. Ingrid won¡¯t even know what¡¯sing.¡±


    Sylvia grinned, acknowledging the situation. Ingrid¡¯s antics were indeed irksome, yet he hadn¡¯t crossed any serious lines. Ultimately, he seemed to be looking out for thepany, which was something the higher¨Cups would take into ount. If she decided to make a move against Ingrid, it couldn¡¯t be for past trivialities. The irond stuff had to be current


    and critical.


    Like now, with the buzz around this hot project. If Ingrid slipped up here, it might give Sylvia the calm needed to deal with him, no hassle involved.


    Juliet approached Ingrid¡¯s office, finding him on his phone, venting and rolling his eyes. about everything Sylvia was up to, almost literally.


    ¡°Who are we whispering secrets about?¡± Juliet¡¯s voice made Ingrid jump, and his phone ttered to the floor. The chat history wasid bare for Juliet¡¯s eyes.


    With a slight squint and a smirk, Juliet scanned Ingrid¡¯s conversation. Caught red¨Chanded, Ingrid¡¯s face couldn¡¯t hide his unease as he snatched up his phone.


    ¡°What are you, nuts? Why¡¯d youe over and scare me like that?¡± he snapped.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d catch you smack¨Ctalking. You¡¯ve got quite a bit to exin now. Tonight, we¡¯re meeting with Louis, and you¡¯re tagging along,¡± Juliet said, her voice


    ¡°How else would they think? Some reckon you¡¯re not right for the throne. But hey, your recent wins have made a lot of folks happy<b>,</b>and they figure Ingrid¡¯s just biting off more than he can chew. But it alles down to what you wanna do about Ingrid.¡±


    Juliet felt it was simple¨Cif they decided to take on Ingrid, they¡¯d dig up more than enough to deal with him<b>,</b>no sweat.


    <b>If</b>someone¡¯s determined to find fault with you, then everything you do can be twisted into a mistake. Sylvia knew this all too well.


    ¡°Tonight, I¡¯m discussing a partnership, and I¡¯ve heard that this partner is pretty chummy with Ingrid¡¯s crew. Let¡¯s invite him to join us,¡± Sylvia mused, addressing Juliet.


    Juliet was taken aback, wondering if it really was a good idea to bring Ingrid so openly, especially alongside someone who was close to him.


    ¡°Along with talking business with Ingrid tonight, Louis will be there as well. Consider it a pre¨Cmeeting of sorts,¡± Sylvia added with a smile, making sure Juliet understood the full picture.


    Juliet burst intoughter, grasping the hidden meaning in Sylvia¡¯s words. ¡°You¡¯re pretty sly, you know? How do you manage to think ahead so well? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle this tonight. Ingrid won¡¯t even know what¡¯sing.¡±


    Sylvia grinned, acknowledging the situation. Ingrid¡¯s antics were indeed irksome, yet he hadn¡¯t crossed any serious lines. Ultimately, he seemed to be looking out for thepany, which was something the higher¨Cups would take into ount. If she decided to make a move against Ingrid, it couldn¡¯t be for past trivialities. The irond stuff had to be current and critical.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Like now, with the buzz around this hot project. If Ingrid slipped up here, it might give Sylvia the calm needed to deal with him, no hassle involved.


    Juliet approached Ingrid¡¯s office, finding him on his phone, venting and rolling his eyes about everything Sylvia was up to, almost literally.


    ¡°Who are we whispering secrets about?¡± Juliet¡¯s voice made Ingrid jump, and his phone ttered to the floor. The chat history wasid bare for Juliet¡¯s eyes.


    With a slight squint and a smirk, Juliet scanned Ingrid¡¯s conversation. Caught red¨Chanded, Ingrid¡¯s face couldn¡¯t hide his unease as he snatched up his phone.


    ¡°What are you<b>,</b>nuts? Why¡¯d youe over and scare me like that?¡± he snapped.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d catch you smack¨Ctalking. You¡¯ve got quite a bit to exin now. Tonight, we¡¯re meeting with Louis, and you¡¯re tagging along,¡± Juliet said, her voice


    dripping with 1


    Sarcasm.


    Ingrid felt awkward, but the thought of meeting Louis excited him. However, he content help but wonder why Sylvia was inviting him. Could there be a cath?

 Chapter 92

    Chapter<b>92</b><b>The</b>Ideal Partner


    The banquet that evening was Louis¡¯s doing -a wee back affair calling together a host of attendees. Ivan Group, of course, was included in the invitee list, but upon arrival, they found the crowd far exceeded their expectations.


    ¡°Did he really have to invite this many people? He¡¯s just an AI guy. Is he really that popr? ¡± Ingrid grumbled as she and Sylvia walked in, surprised at the turnout. In her mind, AI was cool and all, but not enough to warrant such a crowd. Yet, it showed that everyone wanted a piece of the pie.


    ¡°Nowadays, we don¡¯t have proper Al over here. The mere fact that he¡¯s willing to bring his tech is a testament to its caliber. Why else would all these people show up? Besides, Louis isn¡¯t as simple as you think,¡± Juliet quipped with a roll<b>of</b>her eyes, clearly not impressed by Ingrid¡¯s remark.


    Sure, an AI developer might not typically pull such a crowd, but Louis wasn¡¯t just your average developer. His family¡¯s powerhouse legacy was well¨Cknown, even though he had broken away to avoid relying on their clout and to continue his AI research independently. However, he was still part of the family, and they all knew he¡¯de back to the fold someday. So, those rushing here were mainly angling to link up with Louis¨Ccoboration or not, having a chance in the future was a pretty sweet deal.


    Unaware of this backstory, Ingrid¡¯s face fell¨Cher casualment had brought on such


    censure.


    ¡°With so many folks here, it looks like his ideal partner could be in the crowd. Let¡¯s go mingle,¡± Sylvia suggested as they forged ahead. It wasn¡¯t just about making a connection with Louis¨Cthere were plenty of fish in the sea, and anyone here could be a future ally. The goal for tonight was clear: don¡¯t end up on the losing end.


    Juliet didn¡¯t have much to add, following Sylvia closely. Ingrid, on the other hand, was getting impatient. She didn¡¯t want to trail behind Sylvia; after all, any potential deals they came across wouldn¡¯t be hers alone. Besides, she and Sylvia were at odds,peting for the


    same prize.


    Ingrid veered off, and Sylvia and Juliet didn¡¯t mind. They weren¡¯t interested in tagging along with her, anyway. Besides, Ingrid was representing the whole Ivan Group; as long as she didn¡¯t embarrass herself tonight, it was all good.


    ¡°I kind of expected your brother toe with you tonight. Surprised it¡¯s just you here,¡± Juliet casually mentioned, and Sylvia¡¯s eyebrow twitched slightly. She remembered Juliet had her sights set on her brother but had never voiced it, so Sylvia avoided bursting that


    Chapter 92 The Ideal Partner


    bubble<b>.</b>


    2/3


    Sylvia teased with a twinkle in her eye, ¡°Are you asking if my brother didn¡¯te to talk business, or if you¡¯re disappointed he isn¡¯t here at all?<b>If</b>you¡¯re so eager to see him, I could just ring him up this instant.


    ¡°Oh, stop talking nonsense. 1 just thought¡­ with such a big deal on the table, your brother would personally be involved. I didn¡¯t expect everything to be left to you,¡± Juliet deflected.


    ¡°Aha, I get it now. You don¡¯t trust my expertise. Fine, let me call him up. Given how much you¡¯re missing him, he might even be willing toe over and see you.¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Seeing Sylvia about to pull out her phone, Juliet panicked and quickly grabbed Sylvia¡¯s hand to stop her. No way could she let this happen<b>;</b>calling him now would be mortifying.


    ¡°Stop, you can¡¯t do this! If you go any further, I¡¯ll really get mad at you. Don¡¯t go over the line!¡± Juliet¡¯s face turned red with urgency, prompting augh from Sylvia. Even trying to hide her feelings like this, Sylvia¡¯s clever brother, sly as a fox, would have easily seen through Juliet¡¯s affections. What on earth was stopping them from taking the next step?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, alright? I might be his little sister, but I¡¯m your sis too. So right now, I¡¯ve got your back. I¡¯ll have a good chat with himter and figure out what¡¯s up. I¡¯ll make sure you two get a chance to be together,¡± Sylvia assured her.


    Juliet¡¯s face burned even redder. What was Sylvia rambling on about?


    ¡°Quit it already; I don¡¯t have those thoughts!¡± Juliet protested.


    ¡°Oh, is that so? Then forget I said anything. I was just about to give you a hand, but seems like you don¡¯t need any help,¡± Sylvia teased, leaving Juliet speechless. Juliet opened her mouth to argue, but couldn¡¯t find the words¨Cit felt like anyebacks were pointless.


    Juliet red at Sylvia. It wasn¡¯t all her fault; she wouldn¡¯t be in this mess if Sylvia hadn¡¯t started this conversation.


    Sylvia covered her mouth and giggled, and after their banter, they didn¡¯t forget the night¡¯s main event, starting to circte around the venue.


    Since Sylvia had taken charge, there were plenty who doubted him. But after nailing several projects, it turned out he wasn¡¯t just for show; the guy had real chops. So when people spotted Sylvia at the banquet, they lined up to greet him, and he exchanged pleasantries


    with a smile.


    That¡¯s when Sylvia spotted a familiar blond man ahead¨Cit was definitely Louis, whose photo he¡¯d seen before. Louis was deep in conversation with Cyril, looking like old buddies. Observing this, Sylvia paused to consider and then decided to walk in the opposite direction.


    Chapter 92 The Ideal Partner


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    ¡°What¡¯s up? Not nning to head over?¡± Juliet inquired, puzzled. Weren¡¯t they there to meet Louis? Why walk away upon sighting him?


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the guy with Louis? His demeanor tells you everything¨Cthis is the partner he¡¯s been hoping for.¡±

 Chapter 93

    Chapter<b>93 Prejudice</b>


    Sylvia wasn¡¯t na?ve. When she spotted Cyril mingling there<b>,</b>she knew there was more<b>to</b><b>the</b>story. Louis and Cyril wereughing and chatting like old friends amidst the crowd.<b>Clearly</b><b>,</b>their acquaintance wasn¡¯t just from today; it had history.


    This realization dawned on Sylvia¨CLouis¡¯s return was likely aimed at coborating with Cyril.


    Juliet was caught off guard by Sylvia¡¯s observation. She hadn¡¯t noticed earlier who Louis was speaking with. Looking back, she indeed saw Cyril standing across from Louis.


    ¡°So, this grand gesture might just be to pave the way for his future ns, huh? I wonder if he¡¯s nning to rejoin his family. But then again, I haven¡¯t heard about the Walker family announcing any heir.¡±


    ¡°The Walkers may not be revealing an heir, but Louis has no intention of returning to them. When he left, he never nned to go back. So today, he¡¯s probably just widening hiswork, scouting out potential partners for the future. If he everpetes with the Walkers, it¡¯ll be with the allies he makes now.¡±


    Juliet understood from Sylvia¡¯s exnation. While Louis might be the destined heir of the Walker family, he wasn¡¯t inclined to take on the entire legacy. If he already had his own business endeavor, then the goal was growth¨Cgrowth strong enough to eventually stand up to the entire Walker corporation.


    ¡°Well, he sure knows how to pick ¡®em. He¡¯s got Cyril, who built his empire from scratch and isn¡¯t far behind the Ivans now.¡± 1


    Setting aside previous interactions with Cyril, you¡¯ve got to respect what he¡¯s achieved business¨Cwise. Not just anyone can be as formidable as Cyril has been.


    Sylvia nodded, acknowledging Cyril¡¯s sess without dismissing his questionable sess in rtionship matters. Recognizing their chance of partnering with Louis was slim, they decided to scout for other potential deals at the gathering. After all, the Ivan family had been mulling over an AI project for some time. Given the current circumstances, maybe it was time to push that forward. Sylvia vaguely remembered a subsidiary of the Ivan¡¯s that was dabbling in AI years back. She¡¯d need to check on its progress when she got the chance.


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ve heard Ivan Group has a new Vice President¨Cmust<b>be</b>you. Your name reached my ears a while back. Wanted to drop by and say hi earlier, but got caught up. It¡¯s good to finally


    catch a moment.¡±


    Sylvia didn¡¯t intend to engage Louis, but he took the initiative, approaching her.


    283


    Sylvia nodded to meeting to a not africk 48 odd, as if if carried a hint of


    bias


    *¡î*


    ego nung people homem quew ww wow At real. found your perfect partner sewing them, Mi Tomie?*


    Loule singh grimused, towing he had we found a fing ally. Yet, seeing Sylvia here, he figured the male he trigued by the coboration opportunity.


    ww Find a great portree Indeed Towever, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s room for us to work tageftum. You are not my ideal coborator,¡± Louis stated inly.


    Sylvie was mildly taken aback by his forthrightness. In the cutthroat world of business, she had expected a more diplomatic approach, not such a direct rejection.


    Sylvia¡¯s smile didn¡¯t alter in the least, which seemed to unsettle Louis. He had spoken his mind, so why wasn¡¯t this woman getting angry? Herposure made it seem like his words


    were a mere joke to her.


    ¡°I saw who your ideal partner is already, so your words aren¡¯t surprising to me,¡± Sylvia calmly retorted. ¡°But I find it quite astonishing since I haven¡¯t even spoken a word to you


    Sylvia sensed the bias Louis held against her, and his premeditated words. Why should she show him any kindness if he harbored such prejudice? He didn¡¯t want to work with her, and the feeling was mutual¨Cthey were both not what the other was looking for.


    ¡°It seems what I¡¯ve heard is true. They say the new Vice President of Ivan Group has sharp wits¨C<b>just</b>a few sentences is all it takes to get under someone¡¯s skin. Has your way of doing<b>things</b>made enemies within your own n?¡±


    Sylvia didn¡¯t miss the underlying skepticism in his voice about her capabilities, partly due to her gender. If there was a better partner here besides Cyril, it had to be her. But Louis¡¯s remarks, one after another, were targeted at her, so naturally, Sylvia didn¡¯t hesitate to poke at his sore spots.


    ¡°Internal matters of our n aren¡¯t your concern. As for someone who doesn¡¯t even want to return to his own family, giving me advice feels rather meaningless.¡±


    Chapter 93 Prejudice


    2/3


    Sylvia nodded to him. Something about his tone struck her as odd, as if it carried a hint of


    s<b>.</b>


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Louis.¡±


    ¡°Sylvia.¡±


    After a brisk handshake, they released their grip.


    ¡°So many people here seem quite taken with your AI tech. Found your perfect partner among them, Mr. Louis?¡±


    Louis simply grinned, knowing he had indeed found a fitting ally. Yet<b>,</b>seeing Sylvia here, he figured she must also be intrigued by the coboration opportunity.


    ¡°I¡¯ve found a great partner indeed. However, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s room for us to work together. You are not my ideal coborator,¡± Louis stated inly.


    Sylvia was mildly taken aback by his forthrightness. In the cutthroat world of business, she


    had expected a more diplomatic approach, not such a direct rejection.


    Sylvia¡¯s smile didn¡¯t falter in the least, which seemed to unsettle Louis. He had spoken his mind, so why wasn¡¯t this woman getting angry? Herposure made it seem like his words


    were a mere joke to her.


    ¡°I saw who your ideal partner is already, so your words aren¡¯t surprising to me,¡± Sylvia calmly retorted. ¡°But<b>I</b>find it quite astonishing since I haven¡¯t even spoken a word to you uponing here. To be honest, before today, I thought there might be a chance for us to coborate. Now, it¡¯s clear you¡¯re not my ideal partner either.¡±


    Sylvia sensed the bias Louis held against her, and his premeditated words. Why should she show him any kindness if he harbored such prejudice? He didn¡¯t want to work with her, and the feeling was mutual¨Cthey were both not what the other was looking for.


    ¡°It seems what I¡¯ve heard is true. They say the new Vice President of Ivan Group has sharp wits¨Cjust a few sentences is all it takes to get under someone¡¯s skin. Has your way of doing things made enemies within your own n?¡±


    Sylvia didn¡¯t miss the underlying skepticism in his voice about her capabilities<b>,</b>partly due to her gender. If there was a better partner here besides Cyril, it had to be her. But Louis¡¯s remarks, one after another, were targeted at her, so naturally, Sylvia didn¡¯t hesitate to poke at his sore spots.


    ¡°Internal matters of our n aren¡¯t your concern. As for someone who doesn¡¯t even want to return to his own family, giving me advice feels rather meaningless.¡±


    Chapter 93 Prejudice


    3/3


    Louis¡¯s expression tightened. He hadn¡¯t expected Sylvia to confront him like this.


    ¡°So, what if I haven¡¯t returned to my family? Everything that I have¡­¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to im that everything you have is the result of your own hard work, are you?¡± Sylvia cut him off. ¡°Don¡¯t forget, though you may go by Louis, yourst name is Walker. Without that name above your head, do you think you would have had such a smooth ride? Even if you¡¯ve had nonstop investment, sess wouldn¡¯t havee so easily.¡±


    Those born into great families might venture out on their own, but they often carry the influence of their dynasty with them. His low profile couldn¡¯t hide the advantages of his lineage¨Cdidn¡¯t others notice?


    Louis struggled to maintain hisposure. He always believed his achievements were disconnected from his family background, yet Sylvia had just thrown that in his face, as if all his efforts over the years were nothing more than a joke.


    ¡°So you¡¯re suggesting that everything I own is thanks to my family, is that it?¡±

 Chapter 94

    Chapter<b>94</b>Potential<b>for Coboration</b>


    Sylvia simply smiled without affirming or denying Louis¡¯s point. She knew well that someone as arrogant as Louis would never admit to having family help.


    ¡°Your journey to where you are now¨Cdo you genuinely believe it was unsupported? How are you any different from me?¡± Louis retorted.


    Sylvia feigned surprise: ¡°I¡¯ve never imed that I reached my position without my family¡¯s support, but unlike you¡­¡±


    ¤Ç


    She firmly believed in acknowledging the family¡¯s contribution to her sess. Enjoying the privileges of family meant taking on its duties and responsibilities as well. What was so strange about that?


    Louis found himself speechless, his face darkening like the bottom of a pan. Juliet, who had been quietly observing the spirited exchange, couldn¡¯t help but let out augh at the sight of Louis¡¯s growing displeasure.


    ¡°Relying on your family isn¡¯t shameful, but you¡¯re trying to cast aside your family and im all the glory for yourself. Aren¡¯t you overrating your aplishments?¡± Juliet¡¯s family prestige wasn¡¯t far behind the Walkers, so she spoke without fear.


    Louis huffed, frustrated by the confrontation that hadn¡¯t gone his way, and stormed off. He


    had aimed to intimidate them and make a statement that coboration was out of the


    question. Instead, he ended up being the one provoked.


    As Louis left in anger, Sylvia and Juliet shared a look and chuckled.


    ¡°It¡¯s for the best that you weren¡¯t aiming to coborate with him. With his ego, definitely wouldn¡¯t make for a good partner,¡± Julietmented.


    he


    Sylvia shrugged it off: ¡°He¡¯s very smart, a former prodigy even. However, he¡¯s too obsessed with proving he¡¯s self¨Cmade, which just isn¡¯t possible.¡±


    No one can entirely escape their family¡¯s influence, especially those from eminent dynasties


    like theirs<b>.</b><b>1</b>


    Juliet nodded, and they rested for a while. Their conversations with others that evening revealed that several promising coboration opportunities awaited them. They could reconver to n further.


    Meanwhile, after his heated exchange with Sylvia, Louis returned to his initial spot. Cyril had been watching Louis approach Sylvia, only to see Louis¡¯s face grow increasingly grim while Sylvia remained unfazed.


    Chapter 94 Potential for Coboration


    2/3


    ¡°What did you say to her?¡± Cyril asked, curious about the interaction.


    Louis snorted, ¡°What could I have said? I merely told her that her current status is founded on her family¡¯s influence, as if her business deals were nothing remarkable. Then she used me of the very same¨Cusing our family for my own gains. Don¡¯t I know better than anyone if our years of research relied on the Walkers¡® help? The team I¡¯ve assembled¨Cit¡¯s the result of my own efforts!¡±


    Desperate to validate his independence from his family, Louis continued, only to notice that Cyril¡¯s expression seemed oddly off¨Ckilter.


    Louis¡¯s expression changed in an instant.


    ¡°You¡¯re not implying that the people I¡¯ve attracted are actually connected to my family, are you?¡±


    ¡°What else could it be?¡± Cyril responded calmly. ¡°Those individuals are aplished in their own fields. Why would they abandon their current jobs to follow you? It¡¯s not just because you¡¯re offering better terms. There have to be additional benefits enticing enough for them to move. Even if you deny it, you must acknowledge that the Walker family has supported you in the background. Even without a public deration, if someone wants to, they can easily uncover the connection between you and the Walkers.¡±


    Louis was internally unsettled by these revtions. He had never heard such things before- not from anyone, not even from Cyril.


    ¡°Then why haven¡¯t you mentioned this before? Was your investment in me also because of my family ties?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t,¡± Cyril said. ¡°I invested because I found your technology intriguing and untouched by me, which is why I wanted to see how far you¡¯d take it. However, it was only after my investment that I learned of your connection to the Walkers. In other words, it was knowing your family ties that solidified my decision to continue investing in you.¡±


    Cyril didn¡¯t deny his initial interest in the technology, but the ongoing investment was indeed influenced by the Walker family name. Even if their rtionship seemed amicable, it was partly facilitated by the intermediation of the Walkers.


    Rendered speechless, Louis listened.


    ¡°The reason you want to coborate with me is that we have a mutual foundation for partnership,¡± Cyril continued. ¡°But beyond that, if you¡¯re looking to establish a solid presence here, I suggest you consider partnering with the Ivan family. Drop your subjective biases; the Ivans are indeed a valuablepany for coboration.<b>¡±</b>


    Chapter 94 Potential for CoborationAll content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    33


    Cyril was speaking from a perspective of both fairness and business acumen. dynamics between him and Sylvia were trivialpared to corporate potential, Sylvia bod demonstrated her abilities by securing major projects swiftly within the Ivanp


    which spoke volumes¨Cshe was no mere figurehead.


    Though stung by Cyril¡¯s blunt truths, Louis was a man open to sound advice. His recent resistance was fueled by the realization that Cyril¡¯s words differed significantly<b>from</b>Sylvia¡¯s. If Cyril suggested cooperation, it somehow seemed more eptable.


    ¡°How can we coborate? I¡¯ve just had a falling out with Sylvia,¡± Louis noted, acutely<b>aware</b>that most would abandon all talks of coboration after such an argument.


    ¡°If you¡¯re open to it, I can help you,¡± Cyril offered, lifting his wine ss and gently swirling it as he addressed Louis.


    Indeed, Louis was tempted. Before returning, he had been eager to coborate with the Ivan family. After all, who wouldn¡¯t want to forge ties with such a prominentpanye

 Chapter 95

    Chapter 95 What¡¯s This All About?


    ¡°Most folks who came here today want to parme op you knd if not with you, then with someone else,¡± Cyril said, giving a friendly par on Louis¡¯s shoulder. You bang right I¡¯ll go have a quick word with Sylvia¡± He picked up his drink and soled toward where Sylvia was.


    Deep down<b>,</b>even<b>Cyril</b>couldn¡¯t quite pin down why be feltpelled to beb Louis. It wasn¡¯t just about<b>giving</b>Louis a leg up, he wanted to lend a hand to Sylvie too. She needed solid projects to keep her footing as the vice president, especially since that was her position from the get¨Cgo.


    Reflecting on their marriage, Cyril did feel a twinge of guilt towards Sylvia. He saw this as a chance to make it up to her.


    Sylvia finished up a conversation just as Cyril approached her. She had beenughing with Juliet but her smile vanished instantly when she turned to face Cyril.


    ¡°What can I do for you, Mr. Cyril?¡± Sylvia asked, maintaining herposure and a polite smile, even though they were in a public setting where too much interaction was thest thing she wanted. Especially when the whole room had eyes on them, curious to witness this unexpected chat.


    Conversations like this one, filled with gossip and spectacle, made Sylvia downright


    ufortable.


    ¡°I just had a chat with Louis. He seems pretty keen to work with you and would like to apologize if you¡¯re willing,¡± Cyril said.


    Sylvia paused, taken aback. Did an apology really matter? She didn¡¯t think Louis had said anything out of line.


    ¡°People make snap judgments without knowing the whole picture; it¡¯s just human nature. But why did you send him to apologize? Do you think he did something wrong earlier?¡± Sylvia said<b>,</b>cutting to the chase. She didn¡¯t see Louis as a good partnership candidate to begin with¨Cif they shed from the start, there was bound to be trouble down the line.


    As for Sylvia, she liked her life hassle¨Cfree. If partnering up meant inviting trouble, she¡¯d rather not start at all. Besides, it¡¯s not like she was short on partners.


    Cyril began to defend himself, ¡°You might have gotten the wrong idea; what I mean is¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you meant,¡± Sylvia interrupted. ¡°Beyond what he said, I don¡¯t think we¡¯re a good fit for coboration<b>.</b>And clearly, he¡¯s more interested in a partnership with you-


    Chapter<b>95</b>What¡¯s<b>This</b>All About?


    ¡°Most folks who came here today want to partner up with you. And if not with you, then with someone else,¡± Cyril said, giving a friendly pat on Louis¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You hang tight;


    <b>I¡¯ll</b>


    go


    have a quick word with Sylvia.¡± He picked up his drink and strolled toward where Sylvia was.


    Deep down, even Cyril couldn¡¯t quite pin down why he feltpelled to help Louis. It wasn¡¯t just about giving Louis a leg up; he wanted to lend a hand to Sylvia too. She needed solid projects to keep her footing as the vice president, especially since that was her position from the get¨Cgo.


    Reflecting on their marriage, Cyril did feel a twinge of guilt towards Sylvia. He saw this as a chance to make it up


    to her.


    Sylvia finished up a conversation just as Cyril approached her. She had beenughing with Juliet but her smile vanished instantly when she turned to face Cyril.


    ¡°What can I do for you, Mr. Cyril?¡± Sylvia asked, maintaining herposure and a polite smile, even though they were in a public setting where too much interaction was thest thing she wanted. Especially when the whole room had eyes on them, curious to witness this unexpected chat.


    Conversations like this one, filled with gossip and spectacle, made Sylvia downright


    ufortable<b>.</b>


    ¡°I just had a chat with Louis. He seems pretty keen to work with you and would like to apologize if you¡¯re willing,¡± Cyril said.


    Sylvia paused, taken aback. Did an apology really matter? She didn¡¯t think Louis had said anything out of line.


    ¡°People make snap judgments without knowing the whole picture; it¡¯s just human nature. But why did you send him to apologize? Do you think he did something wrong earlier?¡± Sylvia said, cutting to the chase. She didn¡¯t see Louis as a good partnership candidate to begin with¨Cif they shed from the start, there was bound to be trouble down the line.


    As for Sylvia, she liked her life hassle¨Cfree. If partnering up meant inviting trouble, she¡¯d rather not start at all. Besides, it¡¯s not like she was short on partners.


    <b>Cyril</b>began to defend himself, ¡°You might have gotten the wrong idea; what I mean is-


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you meant,¡± Sylvia interrupted. ¡°Beyond what he said, I don¡¯t think we¡¯re a good fit for coboration. And clearly, he¡¯s more interested in a partnership with you¡ª


    everyone<b>can</b>see that.¡±


    At this point, it was clear to Cyril.


    Sylvia had considered a partnership but after getting a glimpse into Louis¡¯s true intentions, she quickly changed her mind.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s drop it then,¡± Cyril conceded. ¡°Originally, I thought this might be an


    opportunity to make amends for my part in our marriage mishaps. I¡¯vee to realize I¡¯ve made some missteps.¡±


    Sylvia was momentarily taken aback. Had Cyril actually started to reflect on their marriage?


    ¡°No need for that,¡± Sylvia replied icily. ¡°If you¡¯re talking about our marriage, then I think I was just too impulsive back then. We both made that decision without really thinking it through. And as for you admitting you haven¡¯t been at your best, well, you might be mistaken. Because from start to finish, you¡¯ve been nothing but a mess in this marriage. If you want to make it right, the best way to do that is to stay far away from me and never


    show


    your face again.¡± Her words were chilling.


    Trying to brush off years of issues with a simple ¡®I haven¡¯t been at my best?? Even strangers


    shouldn¡¯t be treated that way, let alone a husband and wife.


    Sylvia¡¯s smile was one of finality as she turned to leave, but Cyril stopped her with an unexpected question. ¡°Wait a second, did you go to the southern beach five years ago? Did you save someone?¡±


    Sylvia¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Did Cyril remember something?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t really follow what you¡¯re saying,¡± she said, confused.


    me,


    ¡°That day, five years ago, I nearly died in the sea when my boat capsized. Someone saved and I¡¯ve always thought they looked a lot like you,¡± Cyril exined, his voice tinged with urgency. Ever since the dream, he¡¯d wanted to ask Sylvia, and now he had the chance, he looked at her, eager for an answer.


    ¡°What are you saying?<b>If</b>it was me who saved you back then, does that make you want to make amends with me now? And if that¡¯s true, what does that make all of this?¡± Sylvia¡¯s


    expression darkened.


    ¡°Are you trying to gross me out here? Forget whatever happened five years ago¨Cit has nothing to do with me. But even if it did, if you only now remember it and think you owe me a life<b>debt</b>, don¡¯t you see how disgusting that is?¡± she used, her voice sharp with disdain.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Why only now? What had he been doing all this time, knocking her down without mercy and treating her invisibly, ignoring her existence?


    Chapter 95 What¡¯s This All About?


    <i>3/3</i>


    Taking a deep breath, Sylvia stepped closer to Cyril. ¡°Don¡¯t delude yourself here. I¡¯m sure someone must have told<b>you</b>, if it really was me who saved you<b>,</b>I¡¯d have told you without hesitation. After all, in your eyes¨Cand everyone else¡¯s¨CI¡¯m nothing but a scheming woman,


    With that, Sylvia walked away with Juliet, leaving Cyril standing alone, his spirits sinking, What did her words mean? Scheming? He had never really thought<b>of</b>Sylvia that way¡­ or had he? Sure, they married because Sylvia supposedly yed games, but why did his heart feel so heavy now?

 Chapter 96

    <b>Chapter</b><b>96</b><b>On</b><b>a</b><b>Date</b>


    Lately<b>,</b>Sylvia felt like her luck had turned south; she bumped<i>into</i>Cyril no matter where she went, and<b>couldn¡¯t</b>shake him off, much like a stubborn bit of gum stuck to her shoe.


    ¡°I thought we agreed to have lunch together today, and here you are, not paying any attention to me! That¡¯s a bit much, don¡¯t you think?¡± Duncan grumbled.


    It took Duncan nearly half a month to finally get Sylvia to agree to a date, and the hook was his family¡¯s new restaurant opening. Since everyone else was busy, he wanted Sylvia to apany him to check it out, see if there was anything that needed improvement. Despite her packed schedule, Sylvia carved out a bit of her lunchtime to stroll with him, expecting an easy outing. Instead, the moment they entered, Sylvia seemed disconnected, critiquing the decor and the guests, giving judgment on every waiter that passed by. In short, she saw everyone except for the guy right in front of her.


    Duncan felt like a failure. He had this rare chance to spend time alone with Sylvia, and it was fizzling out before his eyes.


    Finally, Sylvia¡¯s gazended on him. ¡°<i>Didn¡¯t</i>you ask for my advice? That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m doing,¡± she said, resigned. If it wasn¡¯t<i>for</i>Duncan making a big fuss that even her family found out about<b>,</b>she wouldn¡¯t be here.


    ¡°Hey¡­ can you at least show some respect for the meal in front of us?¡± Though Duncan was aware that the tactics he used to get her out weren¡¯t exactly honorable, it felt necessary. Besides, he had paid for this lunch with a good pummeling from Sylvia¡¯s older brother, Balk.


    Balk could be extreme, aiming his punches where clothes would hide the bruises. Thinking about how much he hurt even when he twitched, Duncan sighed.


    ¡°I am being respectful,¡± Sylvia retorted with a blink.


    Duncan opened his mouth to respond but found himself wordless.


    ¡°Fine, you can¡¯t sit still<b>,</b>can you? What is it<b>,</b>seeing Cyril here makes you not want to dine with me that


    urgency. He wasn¡¯t badly? Don¡¯t tell me you still have feelings for him!¡± Duncan¡¯s voice carried a note of urgency. He wasn¡¯t usually worried aboutpeting with others, but when it came to Sylvia, his nerves frayed easily.


    They¡¯d grown up together, but Sylvia had only ever had eyes for one man¨CCyril. Duncan couldn¡¯t help but regret¨Cif only he had met her earlier, maybe they could have avoided all this drama.


    The question made Sylvia pause, pressing her lips together tightly.


    ¡°We¡¯re divorced,¡± she reminded him.


    ¤¿


    ¡°Divorce doesn¡¯t mean feelings are gone. You haven¡¯t denied it; do you, still carry a torch for him?¡± Duncan pushed, his anxiety evident. When Sylvia started to show signs of standing up to leave, he let out a sigh of


    resignation.


    <b>¡°</b><b>Duncan</b><b>,</b>I¡¯ve had feelings for him for many years. Those feelings don¡¯t just vanish; they¡¯re not something<b>I</b><b>can</b><b>just</b>pretend never existed. Even if it was just a dog, affection develops, and letting go takes time,¡±


    <b>Chapie</b><b><i>96</i></b><b><i>On</i></b><b>a</b>date


    <b>Sylvia</b><b>exined</b><b><i>earnestly</i></b>.


    <b>She</b>wasn¡¯t kidding. She didn¡¯t deny still having feelings<i>for</i>Cyril. Years of umted disappointments<b>had</b><i>slowly</i>eroded her love, and she knew moving on entirely would require time too.


    Duncan fell<i>quiet</i>, realizing his impatience.


    ¡°I understand. Should we go say hello?¡± he suggested tentatively.


    His question caught Sylvia by surprise, but before she could reply<i>,</i>he was pulling her along to greet Cyril and hispany.


    Cyril, Jonathan<b>,</b>and Louis had arrived at the restaurant earlier than Sylvia and Duncan and were already deep in conversation when the pair walked in. It was in to see that the three men knew each other well.


    Sylvia had her own agenda today and hadn¡¯t nned on acknowledging Cyril, so after a nce his way, she turned her attention to earnestly giving Duncan her opinions on the restaurant. She hadn¡¯t expected Duncan to boldly approach Cyril¡¯s table. What was he thinking?


    ¡°We¡¯re dining here today. The food¡¯s pretty good, right? But<i>don¡¯t</i><i>you</i>think just the three of you is a bit dull?¡± Duncan began with a taunt. ¡°Unlike me, I¡¯m out here openly on a date with the girl I like. That¡¯s something you can¡¯t match.¡±


    Cyril¡¯s face darkened at Duncan¡¯s words, and seeing this gave Duncan a surge of satisfaction. After all, Cyril hadn¡¯t cherished Sylvia during their marriage and<i>had</i>even mistreated her. Now, it was Duncan¡¯s turn to take a jab.


    Sylvia understood that Duncan¡¯s real reason foring over was to provoke Cyril, but it still put her in an awkward spot. She didn¡¯t want any ties to Cyril, yet Duncan¡¯s actions had just made things ufortable.


    ¡°Unlike you who¡¯s always hitting on married women!¡± Jonathan rebutted as he stood up Cyril. But as he spoke, everyone could sense Cyril¡¯s mood growing even more sour.


    defensively for


    Duncan couldn¡¯t help but feel triumphant that ¡®Cyril¡¯s own friend had identally turned on him. ¡°See? It¡¯s not just me who¡¯s saying it; even your buddy here thinks you two are still an em,¡± Duncan taunted. ¡°Also, if you were so against marrying Sylvia in the first ce, why can¡¯t you let go now that you¡¯re divorced?¡±


    Duncan had managed to turn the tables on but instead gave Jonathan a sharp re.


    who was so taken aback he couldn¡¯t utter a single word


    Louis was so shocked by this revtion that his utensils ttered onto the table. He had known about Cyril¡¯s marriage and divorce<b>,</b>but not that the woman was none other than Sylvia. Had he known, he would never have spoken so carelessly that day.


    And now, it all clicked for Louis. No wonder Cyril had been speaking favorably about Sylvia¨Cit was for this


    <b>reason</b>.


    ¡°No one¡¯s holding on to anything. This is a restaurant; am I not allowed to have a meal here?¡± Cyril finally spoke up, feeling cornered by the trio andpelled to defend himself against Jonathan¡¯s mishap.


    ¡°Of course you can have a meal, but why are you staring<b>so</b>intently at the person I¡¯m with? She¡¯s got


    3/3


    nothing to do with you now,¡± Duncan retorted, relishing the moment. He couldn¡¯t understand why Cyril refused to even look Sylvia¡¯s way when they were married, yet now he seemed so fixated on her after


    their divorce.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Sylvia gave a light tug on Duncan¡¯s shirt, signaling that enough was enough; the spectacle was drawing


    too much attention, and she had never felt so embarrassed. However, this subtle gesture was misinterpreted by Cyril and Duncan, furtherplicating the matter.

 Chapter 97

    <b>Chapter</b><b>97</b><b>Bad Luck</b>


    Duncan was feeling a touch of annoyance. What did this mean? Was Sylvia still taking Cyril¡¯s side? Hadn¡¯t go of Cyril crossed the line? Of course. Duncan knew it¨Ceven though they were divorced, Sylvia hadn¡¯t let Cyril, and she wasn¡¯t ready to admit it.


    As for Cyril, he was nearly at his limit for keeping aposed face. Although he was well aware that they were divorced and there was no rtionship left, he couldn¡¯t help feeling ufortable seeing Sylvia defend Duncan. Why was she protecting him?


    ¡°There are so many eyes on us, let¡¯s just finish our meal and leave. I¡¯ve got work this afternoon,¡± Sylvia said, her patience diminishing. She only had the lunch slot to spare and refused to waste it on Cyril.


    After hearing this, Duncan huffed and nodded, following Sylvia back<i>to</i>their table. The brief confrontation had made it all too clear that it was a deliberate dig at Cyril, an unnecessary unting of their closeness in the face of Sylvia¡¯s ex¨Chusband.


    Back at their table, Duncan casually draped his arm over Sylvia¡¯s shoulder. She felt like saying something about it, but seeing his smug look, she held back. After all, today was about finding Cyril and unsettling him; if she made Duncan drop his arm now, he might just kick up a fuss.


    Though Cyril didn¡¯t speak up, his darkened expression and the chill in the air around him were clear indicators of his foul mood to those at the table.


    ¡°I don¡¯t quite get it. Sylvia is attractive and has done some impressive worktely. For someone who parachuted into a VP role and secured so many partnerships, she must be quite capable. Why did you think of divorcing her?¡± Louis turned the conversation to Cyril.


    ¡°And why didn¡¯t you partner up with her then?¡± Cyril lobbed the question back at Louis, who now felt quite ufortable. He had initially thought Sylvia was just a pretty face and wasn¡¯t pleased with the idea of working with someone he perceived as a vase.


    If he had known her true capabilities back then, he would have definitely acted differently. After all, in business, if partnering up could earn a profit, who you work with doesn¡¯t particrly matter, and working with Sylvia might even mean a bigger slice of the profit pie.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that; I just mean, Sylvia seems like a decent person. Don¡¯t you regret divorcing her? If you two could get back together, it¡¯d be good, right? A merger of two powerfulpanies would put you both at the top,¡± Louis suggested, not fully aware of the dynamics within their previous marriage. In his mind, a reunion between two powerhouses was a winning scenario.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never marry her again, not in this lifetime. If you think she¡¯s a decent person, then consider partnering with her. Don¡¯t worry about my stance. When I talked to you about her, it was with the hope that you¡¯d consider a partnership. As for why I¡¯m doing this, it¡¯s simply to make reparations. When we divorced, she walked away with nothing,¡± Cyril said, not denying his reasons for helping Sylvia.


    Louis and Jonathan fell silent after Cyril¡¯s admission.


    Everyone had assumed Cyril only wanted to help Sylvia because there was profit to be made. They didn¡¯t expect he harbored any desire to make amends. If he felt this way now, what had he been doing all along?


    Chapte 97 Bad Luck


    ¡°To put it bluntly, running into us here probably made them feel unlucky<i>,</i>but trying to make amends<b>with</b>her now, isn¡¯t that a bitte? If you wanted to make amends, you could¡¯ve done so earlier, yet you didn¡¯t. It¡¯s really toote now. And she¡¯s the VP of the Ivan family¡¯s business, which pays generously. Her sry is hardly modest,¡± Louismented, not really wanting to undermine Cyril but feelingpelled to point out the folly of his friend¡¯s ways.


    When they had worked together all these years, Louis really felt like asking Cyril what had been running through his mind. Why did he want to make amends with Sylvia? Looking at her today, did she seem like someone needingpensation? She seemed quite carefree post¨Cdivorce.


    Cyril was well aware of how freely Sylvia had been living since their divorce. Every time he saw her, he witnessed a different side of her¨Ca side not seen in their years of marriage, as if she had been hiding her true self. Only after the divorce did Cyril realize Sylvia was quite a different person.


    But those realizations came toote and were utterly useless now. They were divorced,<i>and</i>up<i>to</i>this point, Cyril felt guilty but not regretful about the marriage. He had a hunch that if they¡¯d stayed married, his entire life would have continued much like those monotonous three years.


    He preferred divorce over a lifetime of the same dreariness.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t consider partnering with her initially mainly because the Ivan family had an edge in Al development and were ahead of us. They didn¡¯t seem to focus on it over the years, so I wasn¡¯t too informed about their department¡¯s sry details. Now that I¡¯ve returned, they might shift their focus to internal development. Partnering with them might lead to being swallowed up,¡± Cyril exined.


    Despite the technicalities being on par with hispany, when it came to connections and financial resources, even with Cyril¡¯s help and years of umtion, it would still fall short against the entirety of the Ivan family. It would be too disgraceful to cash in on the help from his family¡¯s Walker empire for the venture he started independently.


    After a moment of realization, Jonathan eximed, ¡°Got it, so you deliberately stirred things with Sylvia, huh? But aren¡¯t you afraid of Sylvia striking first if you¡¯ve riled her up?¡±

 Chapter 98

    <b>Chapter</b><b>98</b>Rivalry and<b>Resentment</b>N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Louis had never before considered Sylvia to be a problem. But now, right after his arrival,<b>he</b>realized she was a formidable andplicated issue.


    ¡°We¡¯ll<b>see</b>about that in the future. For now, there are no conflicts between me and Sylv¨ªa; I just<b>need</b>to stabilize my position,¡± Louis mused. If he indeed offended Sylvia, and she mobilized her family against him<b>,</b>he might have no choice but to return to the Walker family fold.


    ¡°And you?¡± Louis prodded Cyril. ¡°Even though you started from scratch, your family background isn¡¯t exactly modest. Haven¡¯t you ever thought aboutpeting with Sylvia?¡± Louis was well aware of Cyril¡¯s past; his family had almost gone bankrupt before Cyril single¨Chandedly pulled them through. Cyril then forged his own path to sess, bringing his business back to its peak.


    Cyril looked at Louis strangely. He had divorced Sylvia, not be her sworn enemy. Why would he want topete with her? In business, there were no perpetual friends or enemies, only aligning interests that made partnerships.


    ¡°So far, there are no conflicts of interest between me and Sylvia, and even if there were, it woulde down to strength and capability,¡± Cyril maintained. He was confident that with his ability, he could handle any challenge.


    Louis fell silent, acknowledging that Cyril seemed to have a broader perspective than he had anticipated.


    Meanwhile, as Sylvia and Duncan finished their meal, they stood up to head out. Cyril had a sense of reluctance but couldn¡¯t protest. He no longer had any right to, and as Sylvia walked away, she didn¡¯t once


    look back at him.


    Just as they were about to leave, Sylvia ran into a couple of familiar faces: Katrina and Cyril¡¯s sister, Bonnie. Seeing them together wasn¡¯t surprising considering their soon¨Cto¨Cbe familial ties, but their presence was still startling to Sylvia.


    Duncan, spotting Bonnie, promptly ced his hand back on Sylvia¡¯s shoulder, and this time Sylvia didn¡¯t shrug it off, allowing him to guide her out.


    ¡°Sylvia, You¡¯re shameless! You flung yourself at the president of the Ivan family, and now you¡¯re going after another man? My brother wasted his years on you and it disgusts me!¡± Bonnie spewed, her disdain for Sylvia well¨Cdocumented. She had tormented Sylvia throughout the marriage and hadn¡¯t let up even from abroad. Now, seeing Sylvia seemingly prosperous and with a handsome man by her side, Bonnie was boiling with resentment.


    In Bonnie¡¯s world, Sylvia was supposed to be weeping and regretting her divorce from Cyril. Instead, Sylvia¡¯s life seemed only to flourish, much to Bonnie¡¯s confusion and irritation.


    Sylvia and Duncan paused in their tracks, giving Bonnie a strange look. They couldn¡¯t help but wonder which door had hit her in the head for her to speak such nonsense.


    ¡°Don¡¯t delude yourself into thinking that clinging to this man will bring you sess. I¡¯m telling<i>you</i>,<i>one</i>day you¡¯ll be down on your luck,¡± Bonnie snarled, implying that Sylvia could only ascend thedder through unscrupulous means. She thought that once Sylvia reached the top, she would soon understand


    Chapter 98 Rivalry and Resentment


    <b>the</b>consequences.


    2/12


    Sylvia justughed it off, ¡°I¡¯m really<b>sorry</b>to disappoint, butpared to yourpanion, I don¡¯t think my approach to sess looks bad at all. What does it matter if I got a leg up via a shortcut?<b>¡±</b>


    Katrina remained silent throughout the exchange, not wanting<i>to</i>ruin the impression she hoped to leave on Cyril, who was still dining inside the restaurant. She wasn¡¯t about to make the same mistakes again and let Sylvia draw her into a heated debate.


    Bonnie was almost fuming with rage at Sylvia¡¯s response. She red viciously, but before she could retort, she caught sight of Cyril dining in the irritation she had felt toward her brother.


    estaurant, and her focus shiftedpletely, forgetting the


    Seeing that Bonnie had stopped talking, Sylvia deduced that she must have noticed Cyril and his friends. Letting the siblings have their reunion, Sylvia chose not to linger any longer.


    As Sylvia and Duncan walked out, Duncan mentioned having to return to work, and although he wanted to stick around Sylvia, hoping to learn from her, she firmly denied the request. Moreover, she suggested that if he was so eager to be of help, he should take it up with Bruce. But Duncan knew all too well that Bruce would never consent to him shadowing Sylvia after what Balk had done<i>to</i>him, which also served Bruce¡¯s


    interests<b>.</b>


    Just a few steps out of the restaurant, they were momentarily blinded by a sh from a camera. Sylvia nced sideways, mulling over the implications, while Duncan rubbed his eyes incredulously.


    ¡°Are you kidding me? We can¡¯t even have a meal without someone snapping photos, thinking there¡¯s something going on between us?¡± he eximed, careful not to escte the situation, especially if it meant losing the approval of Sylvia¡¯s family. Without their blessing, Sylvia¡¯s marriage prospects could be imperiled.


    ¡°Keep an eye on the news these next few days, and let me know if anythinges up. Deal with what you can. I don¡¯t want to see anything rted to me online unless it¡¯s positive,¡± Sylvia instructed. She had been too visibletely and hoped to keep a lower profile given her future role within thepany. High visibility now couldplicate thingster.


    Duncan felt a sting at her words; she was clearly concerned about how their public perception might be


    misconstrued.


    ¡°I understand. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let any problemse your way,¡± he assured her, masking the


    bitterness of eptance.

 After Divorce Chapter 99

    Chapter 99 How<b>many</b><b>are</b><b>there</b><b>?</b>


    if he promised something, she knew he


    Sylvia had full confidence in Duncan¡¯s assuran would deliver,<b>so</b>she had no concerns about<b>his</b>ability to take care of the situation<b>.</b>Even if Duncan couldn¡¯t manage<b>,</b>she was sure her older brothers could handle it for her, leaving her without any worry or need to rush.


    That afternoon at work, Juliet approached Sylvia with secret excitement, teasing her with gestures. Sylvia, puzzled by her behavior and thinking Juliet might just have something in her eye, saw Juliet take out her phone and show her something.


    <b>¡°</b><b>You</b>can¡¯t fool me, that kid works fast. I thought he¡¯d wait for a better chance to make a move on<b>you</b><b>,</b>but there it is. What do you think?<b>I</b>mean<b>,</b>we¡¯ve known you for years, and he¡¯s a couple of years younger, but he¡¯s a decent guy. Not to mention he ys the naive, sweet boy in front of you, but we all know he¡¯s sly like a<b>fox</b>,<b>¡±</b>Juliet said, her eyes lighting up. Duncan¡¯s intentions towards Sylvia couldn¡¯t have been more transparent to them<b>,</b>yet Sylvia clearly didn¡¯t take it seriously.


    Sylvia sighed and gave Juliet a helpless look. Why was she so excited about it when Sylvia herself wasn¡¯t?


    ¡°<b>You¡¯re</b>not excited because you don¡¯t take it seriously. Listen, he¡¯s been into you since forever, we all see it. It¡¯s just you being oblivious, always chasing after Cyril. And where did that get you? Heartbroken and harmed,¡± Julietmented. She genuinely liked Duncan for


    Sylvia¨Che may be a bit


    be a bit younger, but what did that matter when he was genuinely devoted to her?


    ¡°If you came just to show me this, save it. Besides, didn¡¯t he invite you all to his restaurant for a meal? None<b>of</b>you showed up, so I went. No, actually, he said everyone would be there that¡¯s why I went. And my family told me to get out more and not just focus on work. Do you think the media would get their hands on this otherwise?¡± Sylvia countered. She knew from a nce that this was a deliberate leak, and it definitely wasn¡¯t Duncan¡¯s doing.


    Bonnie and Katrina must have engineered this to tarnish her reputation. Upon hearing Sylvia¡¯s exnation, Juliet looked utterly confused: ¡°No, I had no idea you were going out to eat with him<b>¡­</b>Don¡¯t me this on me. I came to ask how you n to handle this mess<b>,</b>not


    this.¡±


    After some thought, Sylvia replied assertively, ¡°If they think my position isn¡¯t justified, then<b>I¡¯ll</b>just ensure that it is. I hadn¡¯t nned on hiding my true identity forever, and with this kind of exposure, it would¡¯vee out one way or another.¡±


    Just the previous night, her father had gathered his children to discuss whether to<b>go</b>public


    wach Sydrhasadentity. He had abnurrent her stirnaby sess an thepany, knowing it ww just a matter of time before ver te status would be revuln Syta ad preferred to keep breidresat s?der wraps a bit longer, but imed that option was a long wable.


    * your n<b>is</b>to only reveall your karmnaz


    Jallet deciphered Sylvia¡¯s intent.


    Sylvia coded in agreement but decided to give the media something to chew on first. That very night, the media captured images of Sylvia arm¨Cin¨Carm with two influential mem: the p¨¢rt of the twan Group on one side and the popr music king, Balk, on the other.


    When the media and paparazzi caught the photos, they were ecstatic, eagerly following Sylvia into the hotel where they saw her be an older man as if they were very close The paparazzi were started just how many men were there in Sylvia¡¯s life? she seemed to havepanions of all sorts and ages,


    The whole family know about syba¡¯s n to reveal her identity, and despite the statwecessary Lantistatus, they were reluctantly cooperative


    ¡°You have to smule a big spectacle out of announcing your k¨¹mnesty?¡± tulle grumbin?, by exposing huy khentary, theirs would inevitably be sevented as well. Despite his ectance, Sylvia was his shelley, how could the sensed So here he was, caught as the whirlwind of expounds. The identity they had huhim for so many years could no longer hererslie?


    ¡± just want to thank out whom¡¯s trying to hurt me Som behind the women, in¡¯s


    exhausting to the constantly watched,¡± Sylua rement While he grint madr sme, the


    eres tes her family was a bit gut aut by this method of allowing her manu


    They were a family of tout¨Ctwo of them high profile and as they sat around the table dining and chatting, the pupincasat¡¯s caminas nearly owncheated from mapping so many photos thaw could they all! siti together, getting d¨´ng so well without a fight? wow sybeta¡¯s


    charms that captivating?


    Also oversight, Sylvia¡¯s limity See the falls of the towns,, a everyone was curious about how she managed such good rtions with several prominent man,All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    This news shed up the trending chats, stocking royone while Sy¡¯s shensory was loomes to same, seeing her in such close rtions with varinis people was all cate brighting. The came empted with ertadams at S, feeling she was out of the for entangling herselff with both a father and son, and even inonding a top¨Clevel singer like


    Sylvia, unaware of the uproar, decided to take the day off after the events of the previou night, expecting a deluge of news to follow the chose to stay at home, ying the role of an


    Bah while Beuce took care of everything at thepany


    Chapter 99 How many are there?


    <b>While</b>Sylvia enjoyed a restful day alone at home, Balk¡¯s phone rang incessantly with inquiries about the nature of his rtionship with Sylvia.


    Spin to im Your Surprise Reward!

 Chapter 100

    Chapter<b>100</b>Birthday Banquet


    Sylvia lounged on the sofa, savoring the bre


    the kitchen staff had carefully prepared


    for her, while Balk was the picture of frustration<b>,</b>his face crumpled with irritation. Call after call came in, and not a moment of peace seemed within reach. The contrast between Sylvia¡¯s leisure and Balk¡¯s agitation was stark.


    They both knew very well why Balk was so busy today. But Sylvia¡¯s rxation seemed a tad excessive given that the trouble was of her own making, and now the men of the house were left to shoulder the me.


    Finally, Balk couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He stormed over to Sylvia after hanging up another call, snatching a piece of fruit from her hand just as she was about to eat it.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re upset, but there¡¯s no need to vent your anger on the fruit,¡± Sylvia said, looking at her now empty hand, well aware of her brother¡¯s inability to curb his temper.


    Balk almostughed in irritation. Wasn¡¯t all this mess caused by Sylvia? If not for her, would he be swamped with these problems? He couldn¡¯t help but ruffle Sylvia¡¯s hair<b>,</b>which she protested with a startled yelp.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Sylvia protested, her hair now in disarray.


    Balk¡¯s grim smile faded as he reached to ruffle her hair again, but Sylvia dodged it this time.


    ¡°What can I do? This mess is all to help<b>you</b>, yet you dragged me down with you. Do you have any idea how many years of reputation you¡¯ve destroyed for me? Do you know what people are saying about us? All sorts of nasty stuff!¡±


    Sylvia blinked, surprised. Hadn¡¯t they all prepared for such oues when they initially decided on this course of action? Why was Balk making such a fuss?


    ¡°If you think this isn¡¯t a good idea, we can always cancel,¡± Sylvia offered casually, which only infuriated Balk more. It wasn¡¯t just about messing up Sylvia¡¯s hair anymore; he tapped her head lightly, which didn¡¯t actually hurt her, but she felt somewhat helpless dealing with her brother.


    ¡°How can you casually suggest that? Do you have any idea how long everyone has been preparing for your birthday banquet? It¡¯s happening next week. If you tell me now to cancel it, do you think our father and our eldest brother won¡¯t be mad?¡±


    The entire family adored their little sister Sylvia, and Balk knew it. But he dreaded to think of the reaction this news would spark from his siblings.


    <b>¡°</b><b>If</b>you find fault with every solution, what do you suggest we do?<b>If</b>youe up with a


    good solution<b>,</b>I won¡¯t say another word,¡± Sylv¨ªa reasoned. She understood that Balk was simply overwhelmed by<b>the</b>media and hade to vent to her. She wasn¡¯t angry but decided<b>to</b>continue<b>the</b>conversation based on what he had said.


    Balk felt<b>near</b>¨Cexploding with frustration after¡­.ng Sylvia¡¯s response.


    ¡°The birthday feast must go<b>on</b><b>,</b>and<b>it¡¯s</b>time to officially announce your identity. Otherwise,<b>you¡¯ll</b>keep attracting<b>all</b>these bothersome people. By the way, I picked up a massive gem at the auction the other day<b>;</b>thought you might like it.¡± Balk pulled Sylvia away from her breakfast and led her upstairs to<b>his</b>room<b>,</b>where he ced arge box in


    front of her.


    ¡°How big is the gemstone you bought?¡± Sylv¨ªa asked, unsure what to expect.


    Balk gestured for her to open the box and see for herself. With some hesitation, Sylvia lifted the lid and immediately burst intoughter upon seeing a gemstone¨Cstudded tiara. Balk had obtained it thinking it was just a fancy stone.


    ¡°What do you think? Perfect for your birthday banquet, right?<b>It</b>suits your status. If you think it¡¯s not worthy of you, we can always find something else,¡± Balk offered. His financial sess over the years meant he didn¡¯t need family money to buy something that Sylvia


    would like.


    ¡°It is quite beautiful,¡± Sylvia admitted, given that the tiara looked stunning no matter how one looked at it. She ced it on her head, feeling its fit was just right, though she couldn¡¯t


    see herself without a mirror.


    Balk¡¯s gaze softened, and he nodded with approval.


    ¡°My sister makes it beautiful.¡±


    Sylvia smiled and carefully returned the tiara to its box. ¡°Then you¡¯ll help me wear it at the banquet?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Balk said, tapping the box with pride, prepared to ce the tiara on Sylvia¡¯s


    head himself when the time came.


    The Ivan family¡¯s sudden decision to host a grand birthday banquet for their seldom¨Cseen daughter sent ripples through high society. There had been many rumors surrounding the reclusive Miss Ivan ¨C everything from poor health to unfortunate looks. Yet, throughout the years<b>,</b>the Ivan family never stepped forward to rify these wild spections.


    Instead of providing exnations now, the Ivan family announced a birthday celebration for their daughter, inviting nearly the entire elite society to the event. When Cyril received


    his invitation, he was surprised, particrly because it made him recall Sylvia¡¯s recent scandal. He always saw her in a different light, not as someone to get involved with too many men. But to associate Sylvia with the Ivan family¡¯s mysterious daughter seemed far- fetched.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°My heavens, what could the Ivan family be thinking? After all these years of keeping her hidden, why reveal her now? What¡¯s really going on here?¡± Jonathan couldn¡¯t help but wonder,pletely befuddled by the unexpected turn of events.

 Chapter 101

    <b>Chapter</b><b>101</b>Matters<b>of</b>Status


    Jonathan flipped the invitation over in his han


    ¡®merous times<b>,</b>still feeling bewildered by the unexpected development. It was unusual enough that the Ivan family was organizing a birthday party, but for it to be for their elusive daughter made it even more curious.


    ¡°Hadn¡¯t there been talk that the Ivan family was nning to hand over all their assets to the youngest daughter? The grand scale of this birthday party must be rted to that,¡± he pondered aloud. Although this rumor had circted throughout high society<b>,</b>most considered it far¨Cfetched<b>,</b>given the three sons in the Ivan family. But now it seemed this might be the only exnation for the extravagance of the event.


    ¡°If that¡¯s true, I should prepare something special. If<b>I</b>could build a rtionship with the Ivan family¡¯s youngest daughter, wouldn¡¯t my own family stand a chance at a partnership?¡± Jonathan¡¯s mind. raced at the thought. After all, an alliance with the Ivan family was coveted<b>by</b>many.


    Cyril nced at Jonathan, knowing his thoughts were shared by many. However, there was one crucial consideration: whether a girl born into such wealth was just a figurehead or truly capable.


    ¡°If you¡¯re looking for a shortcut, I can only wish you sess. Everyone wants it, but not everyone can achieve it,¡± Cyril remarked, deliberately provoking thought. His words carried weight, prompting a heavy sigh from Jonathan, who felt a sting at the reality of the situation.


    ¡°It¡¯s better to think of your own strategies than to rely on such dubious methods, which are unlikely to work,¡± Cyril advised finally.


    Jonathan nodded, though it seemed like there were few alternatives.


    Time flew by, and the day of the birthday banquet arrived. The invitation list included nearly every notable family, underscoring just how seriously the Ivan family considered this asion. Hosting such an event for their youngest daughter signified that she must hold an especially cherished ce within the family.


    Sylvia had nned to apany her brothers but ended up arriving alone due to somest- minute business at thepany. As she approached the venue, she saw someone waiting for


    her at the entrance. It was Duncan.


    His eyes lit up when he saw Sylvia, and he greeted her with a broad smile as he walked over.


    Sylvia, adjusting her dress<b>,</b>inquired, ¡°What are you doing here?<b>¡±</b>


    ¡°Juliet was supposed to wait for you here, but she got called away by her family. She asked me to wait for you instead. She mentioned tha brother has arranged a surprise for you and didn¡¯t want you to get lost, so here I am,¡± Duncan exined, albeit the reason seeming a little contrived. Regardless, Sylvia didn¡¯t call him out on it.


    ¡°Oh, I see. Well, let¡¯s head in together,¡± Sylvia suggested.


    As they walked to the entrance, no one barred their path, evidently recognizing them. But just as they were about to enter, they were stopped by none other than Bonnie.


    Holding the invitation that had been scrutinized numerous times, Jonathan was still astounded. It was a rarity for the Ivan family to be organizing a birthday party, let alone for their secluded young daughter.


    <b>¡°</b>Weren¡¯t there rumors that the Ivan family was nning to transfer all their assets<i>to</i>their youngest daughter? If they¡¯re putting on such a grand birthday event, it is probably for that reason,¡± he mused. While most considered this gossip to be just that¨Cgossip¨Cgiven the extent of the celebration, it seemed like an adequate exnation.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then what kind of gift should I prepare? Establishing a connection with the Ivan family¡¯s youngest daughter might lead to future coborations, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Jonathan¡¯s mind raced with the possibilities, eager at the prospect of an alliance with such a


    powerful family.


    Cyril nced at Jonathan, knowing that this notion must be urring to many others as well. However, one question lingered: how capable was this daughter, born into such


    affluence?


    ¡°If you¡¯re seeking a shortcut, then I wish you luck. But remember, everyone wants the easy path, and not everyone seeds,<b>¡±</b>Cyril said pointedly, his words resonating with a sobering reality that made Jonathan sigh deeply.


    ¡°Instead of fussing about coborating with the Ivan family, why not consider other strategies? Relying on underhanded means will get you nowhere,¡± Cyril added as a final piece of advice.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Nodding, Jonathan realized that aside from this potential opportunity, there weren¡¯t many options left.


    As the birthday banquet drew near, the Ivan family¡¯s invitation list included virtually every distinguished lineage¨Cone could easily see<b>the</b>significance of this event. That they were


    throwing such a magnificent party for their daughter only stoked everyone¡¯s curiosity and spection about her true<b>status</b>.


    Sylvia nned to attend with her brothers, br


    ¨C


    ¡®ast¨Cminute snag at thepany meant


    she arrived alone. She was greeted at the entrance by Duncan.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Sylvia inquired, adjusting her attire.


    ¡°Juliet was supposed to meet you, but family obligations pulled her away. She asked me to wait for you instead. Your brother mentioned a surprise he¡¯s prepared for you, and didn¡¯t want you to get lost. So here I am,¡± Duncan exined, though his excuse seemed less than genuine. Nevertheless, Sylvia didn¡¯t challenge him.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go in together,¡± Sylvia suggested as they proceeded toward the entrance without any obstruction. Everyone seemed to recognize the pair.


    But just as they were about to step in, they were halted by none other than Bonnie¨Cwho had no invitation and awaited Cyril to gain entry. She was irked to see Sylvia walk in unchallenged while she had to wait.


    you


    ¡°What ss do you belong to, thinking you cane here today? What business do have here? It¡¯s sickening to see people like you loitering around,¡± Bonnie snarled, unleashing harsh words upon Sylvia. Duncan was about to confront Bonnie when Sylvia stopped him.


    ¡°What ss I am and whether<b>I</b>can enter, what should it matter to you? Can you enter as freely as I can? If not, then I suggest you keep your mouth shut.¡± With that, Sylvia led Duncan inside, leaving Bonnie fuming in ce. She felt everyone¡¯s scrutinizing eyes upon her, adding insult to injury.


    ming Sylvia for her predicament, Bonnie suspected Sylvia must have ingratiated herself with someone even more powerful to unt her ess. But who couldpare to the Ivan family¡¯s influence?


    Standing there embarrassed, Bonnie readily followed Cyril when he finally arrived-


    business at thepany had dyed him, and the indirect result of histe arrival vexed


    Bonnie to near madness.


    ¡°Why have you just arrived? Do you know Sylvia came in with another man? What¡¯s there for her to show off? Without relying on men, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to step foot into a banquet like this,¡± Bonnieined bitterly to her brother, exaggerating the story she


    recounted to him.


    Cyril<b>,</b>hearing this, briefly pictured Duncan¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much. Let¡¯s just go inside, ¡± he urged<b>,</b>pushing the notion out of his mind. Sylvia apanying whomever enters had


    nothing to do with him.


    Disappointed by her brother¡¯sck of support, Bonnie knew better than to let her temper loose<b>at</b>this moment. Sheposed herself and followed Cyril into the venue, stepping into thevishly decorated space that screamed annonce. Every adornment was a testament to the Ivan family¡¯s wealth.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they going overboard with just a little birthday party?¡± Bonnie¡¯s envy was palpable; her own celebrations had nevere close<b>to</b>this level. But there was little she could do- the host was the Ivan family¡¯s youngest daughter<b>,</b>after all.

 Chapter 102

    Chapter<b>102</b>A Public Disy


    Cyril nced at his sister Bonnie but said no before heading over to his business partners after a brief warning to her. Bonnie followed suit, feeling somewhat bored on her<b>own</b>. After being introduced to the partners as Cyril¡¯s sister, she watched him<b>get</b>engrossed in other matters.


    They mingled through the crowd, greeting almost everyone, and Bonnie soon felt tired. She sat down to rest just as Sylvia emerged. Sylvia hade down to greet her friends, though she was still waiting for Bruce to bring some jewelry<b>,</b>so she took the opportunity to check out the event.


    To her surprise, she encountered Bonnie before running into her friends Juliet and the others. Sylvia and Bonnie didn¡¯t get along, and sitting beside Bonnie were several youngdies who shared Bonnie¡¯s shock at seeing Sylvia there.


    ¡°Apparently, any Tom, Dick, or Harry can enter this ce. This is the Ivan family¡¯s birthday feast for their young daughter, you know. Who do you think you are, unting your associations with other men? Even if you¡¯re the Ivan family¡¯s vice president, so what? Stop thinking you¡¯re entitled to things that aren¡¯t meant for you,¡± Bonnie sniped at her, alluding to the known tension between Sylvia and Cyril from their past marriage, the details of which remained murky to outsiders.


    Ignoring Bonnie¡¯sments, Sylvia focused on her own business. After all, she had taken precautions to handle the earlier troubles by inviting the media. She wanted to finally resolve all the big issues surrounding her.


    Their conversation was soon interrupted by the arrival of the media, who had zoned in on Sylvia and Bonnie and hurried over with their cameras at the ready. Bonnie, spotting the media, couldn¡¯t help but feel a gleeful smugness as she looked down on Sylvia.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re plotting, using other men¡¯s power to win back my brother. Let me tell you, it was only out ofpulsion that my brother married you to begin with, and he certainly won¡¯t be fooled by you again,¡± Bonnie dered, making a scandalous allegation that left the onlookers stunned and skeptical of Sylvia¡¯s character.


    ¡°And while you were married to my brother, you were always trying to please us, weren¡¯t you? Cooking, cleaning¨Cacting like a maid. Don¡¯t fool yourself; your groveling got you nowhere then, and it certainly won¡¯t work now. In our eyes, you¡¯re no different from the help,¡± Bonnie continued, shocking everyone further.


    Sympathetic nces were cast Sylvia¡¯s way as people reflected on how she was perceived during her marriage¨Ca period when she was undervalued by the family. No one imagined


    the disregard was so profound.


    At this moment, Juliet and others happened by, infuriated by Bonnie¡¯s vitriol. Juliet impulsively tossed the contents of her wine ss at Bonnie.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Bonnie, caught off guard, was drenched in red wine, letting out a shriek from the surprise<b>.</b>


    Bonnie spat vitriol at Sylvia, who calmly took it all in silence as her friends at her side seemed unable to hold back any longer. Miranda, in particr, delivered a swift kick to Bonnie, who hadn¡¯t expected physical retaliation to such a degree.


    Bonnie¡¯spanions quickly helped her up as she looked disheveled and flustered by the altercation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overstep your bounds! Dare to touch me and see if you aren¡¯t thrown out of here,¡± Bonnie threatened, attempting to reim the high ground despite the humiliation she felt at the hands<b>¨C</b>or feet¨Cof the group.


    Miranda scoffed, ¡°What kind of people does your family raise to be like this? Comparing you to my brother is an insult.¡±


    Sylvia, finding herself in the awkward situation of witnessing this exchange, felt it was getting out of hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± Bonnie retorted. ¡°Why not ask Sylvia what she thinks? To get married to my brother, she would¡¯ve gone so far as to bed him. Doesn¡¯t she find herself disgusting for that?¡±


    Previously, such usations against Sylvia might have been dismissed as nderous


    ramblings<b>,</b>but after witnessing her intimate meal with the Ivans, many found it difficult<b>to</b>disregard Bonnie¡¯s ims now.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Bonnie!¡± The voice that silenced her was filled with suppressed rage. She turned to see Cyril, her brother, whose eyes were reddened with anger.


    Bonnie shifted her gaze, unable to confront him.


    Cyril was livid, having never expected his sister to stoop to such lows. He took a few steps closer to Sylvia, struggling to suppress his emotions.


    ¡°Everything Bonnie just said-¡±


    Throughout their marriage, Cyril had maintained an air of indifference toward Sylvia, never once inquiring about her well<b>¨C</b>being or acknowledging the difficulties she faced at home. Even when whispers of Sylvia¡¯s plight reached his ears, he remained silent, feeling it was what she deserved for marrying him through deceit.

 Chapter 103

    Chapter 103 On a Pedestal


    elf aloof from Sylvia, showing as much


    Throughout their marriage, Cyril always hel warmth as a winter in ska. He never asked how her day was or if the cloudy moods at home rained on her parade. Even when gossip about Sylvia¡¯s tough times whispered in the wind, he stayed silent, figuring she got what she signed up for when she tricked her way into marrying him.


    But after the ink dried on their divorce papers, Cyril¡¯s mind started to buzz with second thoughts. He knew the real story behind their wedding better than anyone<b>.</b>Sure, Sylvia hade to him with a marriage proposition and a promise to lend him a hand. Still<b>,</b>the stories swirling around painted her as a desperate bride, which couldn¡¯t be farther from the truth.


    In Cyril¡¯s eyes, Sylvia wanted to help, but her methods were as messy as a kid¡¯s room. That¡¯s why he¡¯d always kept her at arm¡¯s length¨Cusing her to tick off his own boxes and nothing more. She hadn¡¯t asked for a single penny after the split. He thought it was just another one of her ploys, a tactic to win him back. But today, after hearing what Bonnie had spilled, he started to question everything.


    ¡°Do you have any idea what I went through after marrying you? You knew what was happening, but you let it all happen, just to see me pushed around by your family. Now the truth¡¯s out, and you can¡¯t handle it, huh?¡± Sylvia¡¯s life with the Cyrils had been as rough as a cactus garden. Everyone thought they could step on her, and she was done pretending Cyril was innocent.


    ¡°When we got married, you used me just as much to escape your own mess. I left with dignity, making no scene. And don¡¯t think I won¡¯t stand up for myself,¡± Sylvia said with that trademark calm in her<b>voice</b>. ¡°And if you can¡¯t keep your sister¡¯s sharp tongue in check,<b>I</b>won¡¯t hesitate to have someone teach her a lesson.¡±


    It was a head¨Cscratcher, really. The Cyrils were big league, a powerhouse of a family. They¡¯d hit financial skids before Cyril took the reins and saved them from nosediving into bankruptcy. But raising a daughter to throw tantrums like a toddler in a candy store? That wasn¡¯t part of the ybook.


    And it wasn¡¯t just Bonnie causing a stir. Michelle, raised in a mansion with maids and money, had started out as smart as a whip. Somewhere along the line, though, she¡¯d turned into a firecracker, snappy and unreasonable just like her niece.


    Taking a long breath, Cyril looked at Bonnie like he was seeing her clearly for the first time, realizing she had crossed a line.


    ¡°Fly back overseas tomorrow. I¡¯ll have someone keep an eye on you. Stop making a spectacle


    <b>of</b>yourself,<b>¡±</b>he said<b>,</b>his words stinging sharper than<b>a</b>p.


    But Bonnie¡¯s pride was prickled. ¡°You think I¡¯m being embarrassing? Aren¡¯t<b>you</b>the one who let all this slide? You were just as unwilling to marry Sylvia as I was to wee her. Everything we did to her<b>,</b>you knew about it. ¡­ ad her days were, you must have known. Why are<b>you</b>throwing me under the bus now?¡±


    As the siblings turned on each other like a soap opera showdown, the media was having a field day. Reporters buzzed around like bees, snapping photos and rolling video, their recorders catching every word. These juicy bits would hit the headlines the next day, their ticket<b>to</b>the big leagues.


    Cyril¡¯s face was clouded with anger. He never plotted any harm against Sylvia; that was just the twisted fiction his family imagined. ¡°I never nned to get divorced when I got married. But how did you and the others fan the mes? Should Iy it all out for you?¡±


    His patience with Sylvia had been worn thin, whittled away by the constant dripping of Bonnie and Michelle¡¯s poison in his ear. Looking back, he couldn¡¯t believe how foolish he¡¯d been to trust their venom over the truth.


    Sylvia had had enough of watching the sibling spat. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Bruce making his way through the crowd. With a quiet word to her friends, she headed upstairs.


    As Sylvia ascended the staircase, the party buzzed with anticipation. The start of the birthday bash was ticking closer. Juliet and Miranda shot Cyril and his sister a curious look.


    ¡°This is a birthday celebration, and you two are messing it up,¡± they remarked before pulling away, eager to distance themselves from the drama.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Cyril¡¯s tolerance for Bonnie had its limits, and she had scraped thest bit clean today.


    ¡°Tomorrow, you¡¯re going abroad. If I hear any whisper that you¡¯re cking off<b>,</b>I¡¯ll cut you off. Your allowance, gone. And don¡¯t even think abouting back,¡± he warned. Blood may<b>be</b>thicker than water, but it seemed there wasn¡¯t much of it to begin with between them. Cyril was a businessman at heart¨Cif his sister was nothing but trouble, he had no problem sending her to a ce where she couldn¡¯t cause any.


    Bonnie could see the caution in Cyril¡¯s eyes and quivered, shocked at how sternly he was treating her. She was afraid to speak up; she didn¡¯t want to go abroad, to be away from everything and monitored at all times.


    Cyril, however, didn¡¯t care about what she wanted. His decision was as solid as concrete- Bonnie was leaving, no turning back.


    The chatter and clinking sses hushed as Bruce descended the staircase, a smile lighting


    up his face. The party was about<b>to</b>begin.


    ¡°Thank you all<b>for</b>joining us at my sister¡¯s birthday celebration,¡± he announced warmly. ¡± As you all know<b>,</b><b>the</b>heir to<b>the</b>Ivan family is my sister. Without further ado, let me bring


    her out.¡±


    Apuse rippled through the room as Bark stepped out, leading someone by the hand. When the pair appeared, the crowd caught their breath¨Cit was Sylvia. Her appearance, known only to a few insiders, left the rest staggered, especially Cyril and Bonnie, who watched in disbelief.


    Sylvia<b>,</b>once seen as unreachable as the stars, was now shining right before them as the cherished Ivan heiress.

 Chapter 104

    Chapter 104 Clearing the Air


    1/3


    Chapter<b>104</b>Clearing the<b>Air</b>


    Bark and Sylvia standing together caught everyone off guard. Nobody had pegged Sylvia as the Ivan family¡¯s youngest daughter, the little girl who had never stepped into the spotlight. The room<b>was</b>buzzing with disbelief. Some nced at Cyril, well aware of his past marriage to Sylvia. With this revtion<b>,</b>it seemed Cyril was the one who had reached for the stars in marrying her.


    There was a hint of mocking in the way people looked at him now<b>.</b>


    Cyril remained silent, his gaze locked on Sylvia who shone like the sun atop the grand staircase. To him<b>,</b>she became the only person in the room, an enchanting presence that made the world fade to a quiet hum.


    Sylvia felt the intensity of a gaze and turned her head slightly, locking eyes with Cyril before quickly looking away. What was the point of him looking at her like that now?


    As Sylvia and Bark made their way down to join Bruce, the crowd was abuzz with curiosity


    about their true connection.


    ¡°Originally, my father nned to be here today, but he had to handle some urgent business at thepany. So he asked my younger brother and little sister to step in first. Please bear with us a moment longer,¡± Bruce addressed the crowd, satisfaction in his nod as he dropped a bombshell that sent ripples through the gathering.


    People were stunned to learn that Bark was also an Ivan, having carved out a name for himself in the entertainment world independently of his powerful family background. It was clear now that the Ivan family valued Sylvia tremendously, for them to reveal Bark¡¯s identity alongside hers.


    After a short while, Stanford finally hurried down the stairs, apologizing for the wait, his


    rush visible to everyone.


    ¡°My apologies, everyone, for keeping you waiting. Had to sort out a little snag. Today is all my about celebrating my daughter¡¯s birthday. I wanted you all to meet my little girl. As for son, you already know him, so no need for introductions. And about that story that circted online, I want to set the record straight once and for all. Our family went out for dinner, and someone snapped a photo, spinning all kinds of nasty tales. We understand the confusion about our family¡¯s rtionship, so we¡¯ll let it slide. But from now on, we expect the media to get their facts straight before broadcasting stories,¡± Stanford said with a warm smile that carried an undertone of warning and threat to the media in attendance. They had all covered the story he mentioned, and their hearts lodged in their throats.


    Chapter 104 Clearing the Air


    2/3


    Luckily for them, the Ivans didn¡¯t pursue the matter further. A collective sigh of relief whispered through the crowd<b>,</b>knowing full well that one more peep could mean disaster for them all.


    Stanford took pride in introducing Sylvia to everyone. The pride in his eyes was unmissable. In his heart, Sylvia was the best daughter anyone could ask for. As for past troubles, he figured it was best to leave those unmentioned¨Cthey were just bad for the heart.


    Rumors had buzzed that the Ivan Group¡¯s reins would eventuallynd in Sylvia¡¯s capable hands, but no one really believed it until now. Some had schemed, but seeing how Bruce and Bark stood by Sylvia made it clear the siblings were tight¨Cknit. It seemed the only option was to y by the rules and build a solid rtionship with the Ivans, hoping for future cooperation.


    Sylvia was like a brilliant gem amongst the crowd, even more respected now that her true identity had been revealed. The admiration and reverence for her became palpable, with people instinctively lowering their own status in her presence.


    Her way of speaking didn¡¯t change despite their shifted attitudes; she stayed as poised and gracious as ever.


    Cyril<b>,</b>meanwhile, stood shell¨Cshocked. Jonathan nudged him, equally taken aback by the news. Before, Jonathan had felt Sylvia was from a different world, inferior to them. Now it became painfully clear¨Cit was they who didn¡¯t belong in her world.


    ¡°Bro, did you know about this?¡± Jonathan asked Cyril, who shook his head,ing back to


    his senses.


    Would things have turned out differently if he had known about Sylvia¡¯s true identity from the beginning? But specting on the past was pointless now. Even if he had known, would their rtionship have been any different? He wasn¡¯t sure.


    In reality<b>,</b>Cyril had resented Sylvia¡¯s status after their marriage; it felt like an


    inconvenience. From the get¨Cgo, he felt she wasn¡¯t his equal, which led to many subsequent


    troubles.


    Whether it was his neglect or various other issues, at the core, it was because he felt she didn¡¯t measure up to him. He was once the golden boy, his family noble, even though they met with hard times. Through his own efforts, he helped the family rise again. He even started his ownpany from scratch before merging it with the family business, paving a bright future for himself. That¡¯s why he often dismissed others and didn¡¯t value those around him.


    It was only now<b>,</b>seeing Sylvia¡¯s prestigious standing, that he realized just how foolish he¡¯d


    Chapter 104 Clearing the AirThis text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    been all along,


    3/3


    ¡°You¡¯ve been married to her for years, and you didn¡¯t know about her background? She was your wife, after all. The way she married you, was it really as maniptive as you thought?¡± Jonathan questioned.

 Chapter 105

    Chapter<b>105</b>Like a Joke


    Hearing Jonathan¡¯s words, Cyril snapped back to reality, his eyes filling with bewilderment. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who said Sylvia married me using all sorts of underhanded tactics? Why the change of heart now?¡±


    Jonathan, slightly taken aback, replied, ¡°No, I mean<b>,</b><b>if</b>it¡¯s Sylvia we¡¯re talking about, then we¡¯ve got it all wrong. Please, she¡¯s the younger daughter<b>of</b>the Ivan family. To put it bluntly, do all of our fortunesbined even stack up to theirs? Maybe she married you just because she liked you.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Jonathan, you¡¯re being hypocritical,¡± Cyril scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re talking about her like she¡¯s a whole different person from before. Your tune would bepletely different if her identity wasn¡¯t known.¡±


    Jonathan looked a bit sheepish; he hadn¡¯t wanted toe across that way. But thinking


    back, if Sylvia had been a nobody, then sure, she¡¯d have had to put in a lot of effort to marry Cyril. Now knowing she was the protected young daughter of the Ivan n, it hardly made sense she would stoop to deception.


    ¡°I did say some nasty things in the past, but look at it now. If Sylvia didn¡¯t actually like why would she go through all that trouble?¡±


    <b>you</b>,


    Different people, different statuses, led to entirely different conclusions. Cyril felt like a joke at that moment. Sylvia¡¯s status was lofty andplicated; why would she need to resort to such measures unless she did, in fact, have feelings for him?


    ¡°What does it matter if she is the daughter of the Ivan n?¡± Bonnie couldn¡¯t take<b>it</b>anymore. Sylvia, the woman she once looked down upon, had transformed into the esteemed Ivan scion. How could Bonnie ept that? She used to boss Sylvia around, sending her to cook, to clean; treating her like a servant was standard. She thought Sylvia deserved it for tricking her way into their family. But now she was told Sylvia¡¯s status was higher than


    her own.


    Jonathan wasn¡¯t pleased with Bonnie¡¯s outburst. ¡°Are you crazy? I didn¡¯t say anything when Cyril married Sylvia. It was you who kept yapping about her not being good enough for him. Without your constant nagging, I wouldn¡¯t have given it another thought. There¡¯s obviously more to that story.¡±


    ¡°And now you say there¡¯s an issue. Why didn¡¯t you say something before?¡± Bonnie retorted, her voiceced with scorn. ¡°You¡¯re just changing your tune now because of her status.<b>If</b>you had said this earlier, I might have thought better of you. Now, it¡¯s justughable!¡±


    Chapter 105 Like a JokeThis text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    2/2


    Bonnie was disgusted with the flip¨Cflopping, pandering based on someone¡¯s standing. And when she had been kicking someone who was down, Jonathan wasn¡¯t any better than her.


    ¡°Well, even if you want to make it up to her now<b>,</b>it¡¯s pointless,¡± Bonnie sneered. ¡°Sylvia won¡¯t care about your so¨Ccalled niceness!¡±


    Bonnie was fuming. After a fierce shout at Cyril, she spun on her heels and stormed off, leaving the crowd shaken by her outburst. They couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of mncholy<b>,</b>thinking about how they had once looked down on Sylvia, only to be the ones struggling to ept her new status.


    Even Jonathan was having regrets. If he had known about Sylvia¡¯s true identity before, he would¡¯ve never acted the way he did. Looking back now, he realized his actions were quiteughable.


    ¡°So,


    what are you going to do now? Have you thought about getting back together with her? I mean, I doubt it¡¯s likely, but if she still has feelings for you¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just drop that topic,¡± Cyril cut him off, ¡°Sylvia and I are done. We¡¯re divorced and that¡¯s the end of it. All I feel towards her now is remorse.¡®


    Ever since their divorce, Cyril had been aware that his behavior had been harmful. He wanted to make amends, to offer Sylvia what he thought she deserved, but what could he possibly give her now that shecked nothing?


    Cyril¡¯s silence left Jonathan at a loss for words. They¡¯d all done Sylvia wrong without knowing her truth.


    ¡°So, what should we do now? Should we leave? People are giving us weird looks.¡±


    ¨C


    ¡°Do you


    find their stares odd? Have you ever considered that Sylvia endured much worse over the years?¡± Cyril suddenly found empathy for what Sylvia might have gone through he had only faced people¡¯s reactions after her identity had been revealed. Sylvia, on the other hand, had been on the receiving end of cold shoulders and unfair treatment for without voicing a singleint or using her status to press down on anyone. In that regard, he couldn¡¯t hold a candle to her.


    years


    Jonathan opened his mouth but found no words. He thought today¡¯s Cyril seemed like a stranger. The old Cyril would not have acknowledged their wrongs. Before, he could barely recognize his own faults¨Cnow, Sylvia¡¯s status had undoubtedly shaken him.


    The truth about Sylvia was indeed shocking, and Jonathan didn¡¯t know how to face her anymore, especially after everything they¡¯d put her through. He worried that she might harbor a grudge, one she¡¯d be fully justified to hold onto.

 Chapter 106

    <b>Chapter</b><b>106</b><b>Like</b>a<b>Joke</b>


    Sylvia never spoke to Cyril from beginning to end, even as the birthday party drew to a close. Everyone gradually dispersed, leaving Cyril silent and observant, his gaze fixed on Sylvia as she mingled and conversed with the other guests. He could never have imagined a day when her status would shift so dramatically. He had never genuinely looked at Sylvia, engaged in real conversation, let alone nurtured a connection with her. He had simply felt a duty to remain in their marriage, to be responsible, even if it meant staying together without love for the rest of his life.


    Yet, now as he watched her, he realized his feelings had evolved. Divorce had brought into sharp relief Sylvia¡¯s true character; she was vivacious like the sun itself. Her talent had steered thepany to greater heights¨Cshe was capable and impressive, but he had never truly seen her that way. She had been within his reach once, yet there was no effort to treasure her. As the gap between them widened, only when it became too great did he realize the extent of his grievous mistakes.


    Regret was pointless now. They were no longer connected, and even if Cyril wanted to make amends, Sylvia would unlikely grant him another chance. A sense of destion took hold of him as he rose and began to head out. But he had barely taken a few steps before rmed screams from the backyard reached his ears¨Cscreams that sounded strikingly like Bonnie


    and Katrina.


    His heart lurched, and he hurried towards themotion.


    After only a couple of steps, Jonathan intercepted him, intent on speaking to Sylvia but finding no opportune moment. Upon seeing Cyril, Jonathan grabbed his arm and they raced


    forward.


    ¡°Cyril, something¡¯s happened! Your sister and Katrina are going at it. They¡¯ve created a huge scene outside¨Cthere are a lot of spectators, and Bark is there too.¡±


    Such a debacle on the host¡¯s property was more than just an embarrassment.


    Upon arrival, Cyril realized this situation couldn¡¯t be chalked up to just causing a scene- Bonnie and Katrina were physically fighting, pulling hair and kicking at each other. The sight brought on a headache he didn¡¯t need, and Jonathan was beside himself with worry.


    ¡°I was about to pull them apart when they started to fight back fiercely. I got kicked out of the fray<b>¨C</b>you can even see their footprints on my shirt,¡± he said. ¡°What should we do, Cyril? If this keeps up, we¡¯ll be theughingstock of the year, not to mention your divorce from Sylvia¨CIvan family¡¯s already displeased. You saw how they looked at us today: like we¡¯re unworthy. If we don¡¯t settle this now<b>,</b>none of us will escape unscathed tonight.¡±


    Jonathan was dead serious. Cyril understood the gravity of the situation<b>,</b>hence the deep frown as he pondered<b>over</b>a solution. But resolving such a mess was not going to be easy.


    ¡°What on earth is going on? Why would they pick a fight like this out of the blue? And Katrina¨Cshe shouldn¡¯t have been able to get in here,<b>¡±</b>Cyril muttered, confusioncing his


    tone.


    Jonathan hesitated at Cyril¡¯s questions, ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who brought Katrina over? She told me you invited her, so I just brought her in. I had no idea they¡¯d end up causing such a scene.¡±


    ¡°When have I ever brought Katrina to this kind of event? Don¡¯t you know better?¡± Cyril massaged his temples in frustration. It was clear to him that bringing her was a bad idea from the start, but now that she was here amidst this turmoil, there was little else to do but try to handle the situation swiftly.


    Jonathan realized his mistake toote. Sylvia¡¯s birthday party was hardly the ce for a scene like this, given her standing with the Ivans. The two women obviously didn¡¯t get along, and Cyril wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to invite such trouble¨Cbringing Bonnie was embarrassing enough without adding Katrina to the mix.


    Feeling like the sword of Damocles was dangling over his head, Jonathan dreaded the fallout from his error. ¡°What should I do? Could I end up on the cklist for this?¡±


    While Cyril was contemting a solution, he caught sight of Bark smirking at the disgraceful disy. An idea¨Ca far¨Cfetched but faintly possible one¨Cshed through his


    mind. ¡°If I remember correctly, Katrina is supposed to take part in Bark¡¯s concert. Could it be that Bark invited her tonight?¡±


    Despite its usibility, Jonathan doubted that theory and shook his head. Yet, with no other likely reasons apparent, they stuck with it for the moment. It wasn¡¯t the time for spection


    anyway.


    Cyril moved forward immediately and managed to pull the two women apart from their tussle, with Jonathan reluctantly assisting, wary of the disgrace.


    you


    think


    Once the two were separated, Bonnie unleashed a tirade against Katrina. ¡°Who do you are? All you do is cling to my brother. Do you think I haven¡¯t noticed? I despised Sylvia because I thought she wedded my brother using dirty tricks. But you? You¡¯re no better. Already engaged and still obsessing over my brother. I¡¯ve never seen anyone as shameless as you. Showing up here tonight, with drugs, nning to trap my brother<b>¨C</b>you¡¯re utterly disgraceful.<b>¡±</b>


    Through Bonnie¡¯s words, the situation became clear. Katrina felt her status slipping and


    3/3


    cooked up a n to secure<b>a</b>lifeline by ensnaring Cyril. She hade prepared with drugs, but Bonnie caught her before she could act.


    Furious and ready to leave, Bonnie had noticed Katrina sneaking around and decided to investigate, only to discover her plotting.


    11 Spin to im Your Surprise Reward!N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

 Chapter 107

    <b>Chapter 107</b>Seeking an Answer


    Though Bonnie might have her foolish moments<b>,</b>she knew there were certain lines not to be crossed;<b>creating</b>a scene<b>like</b>this was one of them. Their behavior today was embarrassing enough, continuing to make<b>a</b>spectacle of themselves would only worsen the situation. Bonnie realized Katrina was up to no good and intended to put a stop to it¨Conly to discover Katrina harboring impure intentions towards<b>her</b>brother. In her attempt to thwart Katrina¡¯s n, things escted to blows.


    Now, Bonnie wished to simply move past this disaster, but it seemed toote¨Cthe chaos had already


    unfurled.


    Katrina, adjusting her attire, hadn¡¯t foreseen how her life as an actress would lead to such a disgraceful


    public row. She had indeed entered the premises owing to Bark¡¯s invitation, but never intended things to


    spiral as they had.


    ¡°Do you have any proof I was going to drug your brother?¡± Katrina challenged with a hint of panic.


    ¡°You ask for proof?¡± Bonnie scoffed. ¡°The drug you were holding is the same as what¡¯s in my hand. If you¡¯re so confident, let¡¯s go get it tested and see if you¡¯ve done anything foul to my brother!¡±


    Catching this exchange, Katrina¡¯s eyes darted anxiously for Bark, but he was nowhere to be found. TheN?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    confusion continued to grow until Bruce and Sylvia approached.


    Both were aware of Bark¡¯s machinations and felt a sense of helplessness at the pandemonium he had


    caused in their own home¨Cit was humiliating.


    Bruce spoke first, halting the turmoil. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s causing all thismotion at our house. Is


    there something you need help with?¡±


    All eyes turned to Sylvia and Bruce, waiting to see their reaction to the incident¨Cparticrly Sylvia¡¯s, given her indirect involvement.


    Unexpectedly, Sylvia remained coolly detached as if she were an outsider, simply observing the drama


    unfold.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the disturbance. We were in the wrong, and I¡¯ll make sure to give you an exnation,¡± Cyril stated, acknowledging their mistake and epting the responsibility to address it.


    Bruce¡¯s demeanor, typically amiable with others, frostily shifted when it came to Cyril. His expression soured, and he was noticeably curt in his response.


    ¡°If you¡¯re nning to give us an exnation, then I expect it won¡¯t just be for tonight¡¯s issue. There are many things you need to rify for us. Are you really prepared to do that?¡± Bruce asked, making it clear the current situation wasn¡¯t the only problem on the table.


    Hearing Bruce¡¯s pointed words, Cyril understood that the issue<b>of</b>his marriage to Sylvia was being singled


    <b>out</b>.


    ¡°Bruce<b>,</b>what¡¯s past is past. There¡¯s no point clinging to<b>it</b>and making mountains<b>out</b>of molehills. Let¡¯s let Cyril handle this<b>situation</b><b>.</b>After all, it<b>involves</b>his sister and that woman<b>,</b><b>¡±</b>Sylvia said dismissively,


    Chapte<b>107</b>Seeking an Answer


    <b>knowing</b><b>all</b>too well the media¡¯s eagerness<b>to</b>spread<b>sensational</b>news. The Ivan family<b>couldn¡¯t</b><b>afford</b><b>such</b><b>scandal</b><b>,</b><b>so</b>she didn¡¯t want<b>the</b><b>incident</b>leaked. Regardless,<b>the</b>Ivan family wouldn¡¯t be tarnished<b>by</b>


    it,<b>as</b><b>the</b><b>incident</b>had nothing to do<b>with</b>them directly. But Sylvia had noticed thatplications<b>seemed</b>


    <b>to</b>follow any<b>connection</b>with Cyril¨Cavoiding trouble was preferable.


    When the gathered media heard Sylvia¡¯s request, they knew their hopes of explosive coverage were dashed. If Sylvia was against spreading the news, what<b>could</b>they do? When she spoke, it was as if she


    spoke for the Ivan family as a whole.


    With an annoyed huff, Bruce turned and walked away with Sylvia, effectively washing their hands<i>of</i>the


    messy event.


    Witnesses hadn¡¯t expected the situation to deteriorate to such an extent and now looked at Cyril with a


    mix of disdain and pity. He could have had afortable life with Sylvia and maybe even a connection to


    the Ivan family, but it was clear now that he had squandered those chances.


    After taking a deep breath, Cyril knew it was time to remove Bonnie and Katrina from the premises to


    avoid further trouble.


    <b>¡°</b>It¡¯s<b>all</b>because of her that we¡¯re in this mess. Don¡¯t let her off easily. Have thepany ckball her; she¡¯s done nothing worthwhile right up to today,¡± Bonnie seethed, recalling her initial disdain for Sylvia. Yet, even her previous grievances with Sylvia paled inparison to today¡¯s embarrassment.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ve handled today well? Go home, reflect on your behavior, and don¡¯t step foot outside for a month,¡± Cyril reprimanded his sister, his frustration and headache growing. Today¡¯s unresolved issues already weighed heavy on him, and the thought of facing the fallout from the many business connections at the event made his head throb.


    ¡°Take those two back; I need to talk with Sylvia.¡±


    Cyril left without another word, not bothering with further exnations.


    Jonathan stood dumbfounded. Why seek out Sylvia now? What could Cyril possibly want to say to her?


    Cyril needed an answer from Sylvia herself. With her stature, she could have easily rified the circumstances of their past. Yet, Sylvia had remained silent, not offering a word in her defense. He had always believed Sylvia incapable of the things she was used of, but her silence was deafening.


    Did this mean Sylvia had erred too? If Cyril had mistakes to ount for, should Sylvia not share the me for how things turned out?

 Chapter 108

    <b>Chapter</b><b>108</b><b>Self</b><b>¨C</b><b>Constion</b>


    As Cyril returned to the venue, Sylvia was just emerging from the crowd, apparently about to leave. Her chauffeur had already opened the car door for her, waiting for her to get in. After a brief pause and a nce at Cyril, Sylvia resolutely settled into the vehicle.


    ¡°Wait a second,¡± Cyril called out, drawing on an unknown reserve of strength. Sylvia stopped, aware that Cyril hade looking for her and that he must have something to discuss. Rather than drag things<b>out</b>, she decided it would be better to address whatever was on his mid<b>at</b>once.


    ¡°You wait outside,¡± Sylvia instructed her driver, shutting the door and preparing to face Cyril.


    Cyril hurried over, questions flooding his thoughts. He wanted to ask Sylvia why she had hidden her true self, why she hadn¡¯t revealed the reality behind their past, and why she never spoke up about the injustices she faced¨Ccould it be that one word from her could have saved their marriage?


    ¡°Do you have something to say? If so, please be quick about it¨CI have a conference to get to soon.¡±


    Sylvia nced at the time, reminding Cyril of her tight schedule.


    Cyril, who had mentally rehearsed a litany of questions, suddenly found himself speechless. Despite


    having convinced himself that a simple misunderstanding had clouded their rtionship, confronting


    Sylvia¡¯s brisk demeanor made him realize there had never been any substantial conflicts or confusion to


    unravel between them. Any misunderstandings were his alone, born from a failure to see the truth.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been married for years. Why didn¡¯t you ever reveal your identity? If you had, maybe things wouldn¡¯t


    have ended up like this.¡±


    Sylvia¡¯s initial reaction was stunned silence, but then she burst into a mockingugh, her eyes filled with


    both derision and irritation.


    ¡°Mr. Cyril, you¡¯re mistaken about one thing. I never intentionally hid my identity. My only aim was to keep our rtionship untainted. It seems, however, that you have persistently overlooked me; had you paid


    attention<b>,</b>you might have seen the truth.¡±


    <b>In</b>all her years married to Cyril, Sylvia had never actively concealed her background. She believed that as


    husband and wife, Cyril would inevitably<b>learn</b>of her true status. So what was the point<b>in</b>hiding it?


    With that realization, any notion of reconciliation faded. Sylvia had long epted her feelings for Cyril


    and her decision to move on¨Ca decision that now struck her as a mere self¨Cconstion, a realization


    that Cyril was only now beginning to grapple with himself.


    If only Cyril had been more observant, more willing to notice, he would have seen the truth. But it was clear to Sylvia that she had overthought things¨CCyril had never truly cared for her, so her identity,


    whether revealed or concealed, would have made<i>no</i>difference in the end.


    ¡°You know what your actions right now resemble? They¡¯re like a form of self¨Cdeception,¡± Sylvia retorted. ¡± You speak ofpensating me, but have you ever asked if I wantpensation? You say you owe me, yet from start to finish, you¡¯ve never acknowledged your mistakes. Your supposed debt is nothing but an. excuse for yourself. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything left to discuss between<b>us</b>.<b>¡±</b>


    Chapte 108 Sell Constion


    Sylvia understood the real reason behind Cyril¡¯s visit<b>:</b>his attempts at reconciliation were self<b>¨C</b>serving,<b>spurred</b>by a bted realization of the truth. But what could he rectify now? Had he been aware and willing to address the matters from the beginning, why would there be a need for such dramatic acts of


    contrition now?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my debts to you over the years. I never intended for us to divorce. Marriage is for life, and since the day we wed, I never thought about ending it. If we had only been honest with each other¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± Sylvia cut him short. ¡°If you wanted honesty, why didn¡¯t you ever tell me about your rtionship with Katrina? Maybe if you had, none of this would have happened.


    Sylvia interrupted him, her voice firm and her face nk with disbelief at the absurdity of his words. ording to him, he could do no wrong, which onlypounded the injustice she suffered over the


    years.


    ¡°Today¡¯s party must have made it clear to you; everyone thought you were out of your league with me, and they were right. I will act as if I never heard what you just said. From now on, let¡¯s act as if we don¡¯t know each other. I won¡¯t waste any more time on you or get entangled in any way,¡± Sylvia dered, resolute in


    her decision.


    She wanted nothing more to do with Cyril, fearing that any further engagement would only lead to her own suffering. Cyril, pale¨Cfaced and stunned, hadn¡¯t expected such a definitive rejection from Sylvia.


    ¡°After today, make sure you keep your people in line. Don¡¯t let them make a scene in front of me again,¡± Sylvia instructed coldly. ¡°I put up with a lot in the past, and I¡¯ve done nothing today only out of respect for what little we once shared. But if you push me, we are nothing.¡±


    Sylvia¡¯s final words hung heavy as she stepped into the car without looking back at Cyril. Her resolve was clear; she no longer wished to be part of his life. Cyril watched her drive away, a sensation of loss overwhelming the hurt inside. In the end, it was he who owed Sylvia.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Unfortunately for him, Sylvia was no longer willing to speak more than necessary, and his efforts today only served to sever theirst ties. Whatever bond they had was now broken, all because he failed to see the missteps that had led them to this moment.

 Chapter 109

    <b>Chapter 109</b>Siblings Share the<b>Stage</b>


    After a month of anticipation, Bark¡¯s concert finally arrived. The day before, he announced a list featuring a mysterious guest, igniting curiosity as no one knew who it could be. It was the first time Bark<b>teased</b><b>the</b>appearance of a surprise act, prompting spection about whether it might be Sylvia or someone else.


    Despite theories, the answer remained elusive¨Conly the concert day would reveal the mysterious guest. Ticket sales for the sought¨Cafter concert sold out in under three minutes, a testament to Bark¡¯s immense poprity.


    On the day of the concert, the venue was filled to the brim with excited fans. When Bark, in full makeup, took the stage, cheers erupted. His appealing voice and striking looks¨Ca trademark of the Ivan family- had fans screaming with delight.


    Bark soaked in the adtion, performing five songs back¨Cto¨Cback, each one elevating the crowd¡¯s energy


    to a fever pitch.


    ¡°Last night, I posted a list with a special guest for today¡¯s concert. I believe you are all aware that I have a sister, and unfortunately, there have been those who looked down on her with disdain and sullied her name with their thoughts,¡± Bark told the audience, asserting his sister¡¯s innocence and hitting back atThis text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    nderers.


    In his world, his sister can do no wrong. It¡¯s Cyril who¡¯s made mistakes. So he has always been standing before his fans unabashedly, defending Sylvia.


    Fans appreciated Bark¡¯s loyalty. They empathized with his hurt over rtionship rumors, which turned into praise for Sylvia once her kinship with Bark was revealed. Online criticism of Sylvia¡¯s marriage to Cyril gradually flipped, suggesting that he had married above his station. The narrative had changedpletely.


    Cyril had endured online ridicule, but for him and Sylvia, thesements were inconsequential. They both seemed indifferent to the chatter.


    ¡°Okay, now that we¡¯ve addressed that topic, let¡¯s move on to something else,¡± Bark continued, calming the energetic crowd, ready to reveal the mysterious guest who everyone now suspected was Sylvia.


    As the announcement approached, the crowd¡¯s anticipation grew. What started as guesses was now almost a certainty¨CSylvia was expected to join her brother on stage.


    Before Bark could finish his introduction, the crowd erupted into thunderous chants of ¡°Sylvia! Sylvia! Sylvia!¡± The audience had already guessed that Sylvia was the mysterious guest.


    Taken aback by their reaction, Bark couldn¡¯t help butugh at their premature discovery. Since the cat


    Meanwhile, those in the first row couldn¡¯t help but cover their was out of the bag, he decided to go<i>with</i><i>is</i>


    ears amidst the fans¡® overwhelming enthusiasm.


    ¡°Even though we all guessed Sylvia would be here, this crowd¡¯s energy is something else! I feel like my ears are about to give in under the assault,¡± someonemented.


    ¡°I saw Sylvia¡¯s outfit and styling for today, and, oh my, absolute perfection. I¡¯m sure anyone would have


    trouble moving on after<b>loving</b>eves on her, another whispered with a knowing nod toward Duncan<b>.</b>


    Everyone knew Duncan had a soft spot for Sylvie, so it was no surprise he showed up in his most debonair suit and perfectly groomed hair, ready to impress her. Miranda, Duncan¡¯s sister, didn¡¯t seem too keen on susting her brother¡¯s crush Instead, she ribbed him, suggesting he might stand a better chance staving in Sylvia¡¯s friend zone than trying to woo her.


    be


    ¡°to that really the support get from my own sister? Don¡¯t you realize how happy it would make you if I brought Sylvia home? Duncan replied, exasperated at theck of sisterly solidarity, despite being twins.


    Ketty yfully wrapped an arm around Duncan¡¯s neck, jokingly tightening her grip when he protested her teasing Cut it out¡± she warned. ¡°Don¡¯t make things awkward between your sister and Sylvia, or else you¡¯ll have me to answer to


    ¡°Quiet down, look, Sylvia¡¯sing out now! Catherine interrupted, bundled up as if to hide from sight, with sunsses and a mask as though afraid to go unnoticed. People saw Catherine and, though unspoken, quickly shared photos online, sending social media into a frenzy.


    As everyone turned their attention to the stage at Catherine¡¯s signal, they indeed saw Sylvia stepping out. Her appearance was nothing short of stunning. Naturally beautiful, with the poise and grace of someone groomed for the spotlight from a young age, she captured everyone¡¯s attention the moment she stood on


    stage.


    Sylvia was dressed in a long ck gown that lent her a bewitching, morous aura.

 Chapter 110

    <b>Chapter</b><b>110</b><b>Brother</b><b>Sings</b><b>,</b>Sister<b>Composes</b>


    <b>Balk</b>always carried himself with a carefree swagger in front of others, but when Sylvia appeared, his<b>smile</b><b>spoke</b>volumes about how much he cherished his sister. His face lit up with happiness as Sylvia stepped forward, cing her hand in his. The siblings captured the audience¡¯s attention upon their entrance<b>,</b>with cheers and screams weing them.


    The fans, once again, erupted with enthusiasm<b>,</b>certain that it had to be Sylviaing today. The sight of Balk and Sylvia together stirred up excitement.


    ¡°I know you all are aware that my sister is the future head of our family,¡± Balk announced, beaming with pride. ¡°But this is the first concert I¡¯ve hosted since revealing my identity<b>,</b>so of course, she¡¯s here to support me. The next song is my signature hit,posed and written by my sister. Oh, and by the way, most of my songs are actually created by her. What can I say? I¡¯m just lucky to have such a talented sis.¡±


    As he boasted about Sylvia, the audience couldn¡¯t help but be a bit envious of Balk. Anyone with a sister like Sylvia would be proud to show her off everywhere they went.


    The people sitting in the front row rolled their eyes; they¡¯d always known the Ivans cherished Sylvia immensely. However, they hadn¡¯t experienced such relentless boasting about her before.


    They were also surprised to learn that many of Balk¡¯s songs had been crafted by Sylvia. It was quite the revtion. They¡¯d always recognized Balk as a musical prodigy, but the idea that Sylvia couldpose and write songs was a pleasant shock.


    The excitement was palpable as the intro music started. Balk had reached the pinnacle of sess from the moment he debuted, with his first song sweeping the charts. That trackid the foundation for his career, and subsequent albums and singles only elevated his stardom. Within just three years, he¡¯d swept all the major awards, and by his fifth year, he¡¯d secured his spot as the undisputed king of pop. And now, eight years into his career, his status was monumental.


    But it turned out that most of the songs had been Sylvia¡¯s work all along. The Ivans siblings¡®bined brilliance left the audience in awe, with some fans even tearfully murmuring about the ¡°duo of the century¡± -Sylviaposing and Balk singing was nothing short of a divine union.


    ¡°Imagine if Sylvia didn¡¯t take over the family business but instead debuted alongside Balk as a duo. Could they be even more sessful?¡± Catherine pondered aloud, chin in hand, to herpanion, Kelly,


    Kelly raised an eyebrow and nodded in agreement. Both Sylvia and Balk were talented and capable. Even without relying on their family name, they could make waves in the entertainment industry.


    ¡°You know how formidable their family is,¡± Kelly responded. ¡°If Sylvia chose to join the entertainment


    business instead of taking over the family business, I doubt we¡¯d even hear about Balk. Knowing him, he¡¯d dly give up everything¨Cthe title<i>of</i>king of pop included¨Cjust to give the best to his sister.¡±


    Kelly¡¯s assessment was spot on, everyone thought. That¡¯s just how Balk was; he would undoubtedly give Sylvia the very best of what he had.


    As Sylvia and Balk sang together, the atmosphere in the venue soared to new heights once more. Amidst the excitement and cheers, no one noticed a solitary figure sitting motionless in the stands<b>,</b>enveloped in


    <b>silence</b>. That<b>person</b>was<b>Cyril</b>.


    He must be crazy<b>,</b>he thought, for leaving behind a pile of work just to attend this concert. It was the first time he truly realized how multifaceted Sylvia¡¯s talents were. He had only seen her sharp, hurtful side<b>after</b>her divorce, and now he recognized her gifts ran deeper and were far mightier than he had imagined:


    <b>Not</b>only was Sylvia graceful in song and dance<b>,</b>but she also had a talent for writing andposing. Standing there next to Balk on that stage<b>,</b>she looked as if she was born<b>to</b>be in the spotlight, a star meant to be adored by all.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    The excitement among the audience grew; they shifted from shouting Balk¡¯s name to chanting Sylvia¡¯s. That¡¯s when Cyril understood that no matter where Sylvia was, she would always shine brightly. Regardless of her status or position, she had the power to be the most dazzling presence in<b>any</b>crowd.


    Sadly, Cyril had been oblivious to this all along, never taking it seriously until now. Realizing his own outrageous oversight, he felt a pang of regret.


    As the audience cheered, some noticed the peculiar man in the stands, not speaking, not even standing. They sneakily took pictures and posted them online,menting on the one calm individual amongst the tumultuous enthusiasm for Balk¡¯s concert. Some spected that he sat there heartbroken, as if deliberately seeking sce at the concert. Onceizens recognized the side profile, the whispers began, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Cyril?¡±


    On the same night when Sylvia and Balk created a historic onstage union, Cyril found himself at the concert venue, stirring up all sorts of wild theories amongst the inte crowd. Some said Cyril came seeking reconciliation, while others guessed he might regret the divorce from Sylvia.


    Whatever the theories, it was certain that his presence at this event was likely rted to a wounded heart.


    Cyril was unaware of the online chatter. Seated in the stands, he didn¡¯t have the clearest view of the stage, but for some reason, he could see every gesture Sylvia made as if he were right beside her. Watching her shine so brightly on stage, Cyril could feel his heartbeat speeding up.


    No one can resist the allure of someone who sparkles. Cyril admitted to himself that he had felt a certain fondness for Sylvia before, a feeling that had gradually worn away. But now, as he watched her be the radiant focus of everyone¡¯s attention, he could sense that old affection slowly rekindling.

 Chapter 111

    Chapter 111 Humiliation


    The sibling duo¡¯s performance on stage had everyonepletely stunned and overflowing with joy. They all wished that Sylvia could join every concert of ke¡¯s, but they knew that was a wishful thinking. Sylvia hadn¡¯t nned toe up and sing. It was ke who insisted repeatedly.


    With no other option, Sylvia agreed toe up and sing a couple of songs before stepping down. What she didn¡¯t expect was that her brother¡¯s fans would be so warm and enthusiastic that after hearing two songs, they even mored for more.


    So, the siblings sang two more songs, again harmonizing perfectly together. Even without any rehearsal and with just acape, their connection was unmistakable. Those two songs, sung without any instrumental backing, sounded even more extraordinary sung by them.


    Sylvia had crafted the lyrics and music specifically for ke, elevating these ssic songs to new heights with their shared rendition.


    After finishing, Sylvia intended to leave the stage, ignoring the fans¡® calls for an encore, What kind of joke would it be to upstage her brother at his own concert?


    Once Sylvia<b>had</b>left, some fans were still grumbling. They<b>had</b>adored ke, but after Sylvia¡¯s spellbinding performance that evening, some were ready to switch idols. Suddenly, ke seemed ¡°just okay¡® inparison. Despite being a global superstar, Sylvia¡¯s abilities as a songwriter,poser, and singer seemed just as impressive. They fancied that if Sylviaunched a singing career, she might evenThis text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    outshine ke.


    In their excitement over Sylvia, the fans had forgotten ke¡¯s own talent. Although Sylvia was the genius behind many of the songs, ke had also created some masterpieces himself. Unfortunately, at the moment, the fans only had eyes for Sylvia, leaving no room for ke<b>.</b>


    But ke wasn¡¯t upset. On the contrary, he was thrilled that his little sister was so well¨Cloved by the fans. Seeing her weed so warmly as she left the stage made him truly happy for her.


    ¡°All right, all right,¡± ke said after Sylvia¡¯s exit, amusing the crowd. ¡°Thank you for showing so much love for my sister. But let¡¯s not forget, she¡¯s the heir to our family business. If she were to debut as a singer, who would run ourpany? We¡¯d have to take to the streets!¡±


    It was unusual for ke to joke with the audience, but with Sylvia there, he was full of jest. The crowd was even more eager for Sylvia to stay on stage a bit longer.


    They were used to a very different ke¨Ca bit grumpy with his biting wit, ready to snap at anyone who crossed his path. Only today did they see the softer side he showed towards Sylvia.


    Having shared a light moment/the crowd looked forward to ke¡¯s next set. But instead of continuing the concert, he teased them with news of something else.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed,¡± ke continued on stage, ¡°apart from the unique performance we had today with a special<b>guest</b>, there¡¯s someone else who was invited to join<b>us</b><b>.</b>¡±


    It was then that the<b>fans</b>suddenly remembered. Amidst the excitement of Sylvia¡¯s Impromptu


    Chapter 111 Humtion


    performance, they had overlooked the official guest performer of the evening.


    2/2


    The audience was fervently trying to recall who that invited guest was. Some were even scrolling through their phones, but people seated in the front row knew exactly what ke had in mind for today.


    ¡°I knew it,¡± Miranda chattered excitedly, rubbing her hands together. ¡°Their whole family has a knack for surprises. After that resounding p in the face to Cyril and his folks at the birthday bash, it looks like. Katrina¡¯s set to be the next ¡®star¡® of the show. Can¡¯t wait to see what happens!¡±


    There was an air of anticipation among the crowd. Some fans, having checked their messages, already knew who the expected guest was, and frankly, were a bit resistant to the idea. Although they hadn¡¯t been at Sylvia¡¯s birthday party, they had seen enough online to know about the beef between Sylvia and Katrina.


    And so, when ke was about to announce the official guest, Katrina was nowhere near eager to take the stage. She feared it would be a spectacr embarrassment, vastly worse than thest time. The thought


    alone was unbearable.


    ke didn¡¯t care if she was ready to face it or not; he turned stone¨Cfaced.


    ¡°Howe the person who shamelessly insisted oning to my concert won¡¯t step up to the stage? Are you scared because of the wrong you did to my sister? Oh, I must be wrong. Surely someone who could shamelessly lure Cyril wouldn¡¯t be afraid to show their face now!¡±


    The crowd gasped upon hearing ke¡¯s words¨Cwere they really supposed to hear this?


    Katrina, standing offstage, had gone pale. She hadn¡¯t expected ke to dishonor her publicly. Despite her international fame, why was she being treated like this?


    ¡°If I were you,¡± ke continued, his tone ice¨Ccold, ¡°knowing my connection with Sylvia, I would¡¯ve thought about paying off the penalty fee rather than showing up. You should¡¯ve known that I wouldn¡¯t let you leave here without facing consequences. Consider how you tormented my sister because you¡¯re about to find out how payback feels.¡±


    ke¡¯s message was crystal clear to everyone: this guest<b>wasn¡¯t</b>invited for honor but for a very public


    humiliation.


    Katrina, close to tears, felt genuinely wronged now¨Cnot like earlier, when she had only been faking. She truly hadn¡¯t known about ke and Sylvia¡¯s rtionship, and upon discovering it, she did want to pull out of their agreement but couldn¡¯t afford the astronomicalpensation fee.


    After all, she had begged to be part of this concert¨Cit was not by ke¡¯s invitation. She had hoped to stick around and reap some benefits, but now it was impossible to stay.


    Not only could she not stay, but her reputation was also about to go down the drain.

 Chapter 112

    Chapter 112 SelfishnessN?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    12


    When the fans realized that Katrina was the person scheduled to appear, their anger surged to its peak. Their affection for ke also extended to Sylvia, and knowing the extent of her mistreatment, not a single person could sit still. They began chanting Katrina¡¯s name, hurling insults at her.


    Already uncertain about how to take the stage, Katrina was further bewildered by their chants<b>.</b>She stood there, biting her lip, wishing she could just turn and leave, but the thought of the exorbitant penalty feet she¡¯d face left her stuck in ce. If only she had never gotten involved in that mess.


    ¡°Seems like Katrina isn¡¯t too keen oning up here, but no matter, tell the<b>legal</b>department that she¡¯s breached the contract. We¡¯ll proceed ording to the agreement,¡± ke said, and the crowd understood. From the start, ke had never intended to give Katrina a tform. All he wanted was to make her pay, in


    a different sense.


    Hearing his words, Katrina¡¯s head spun, her knees gave out, and she copsed to the floor, She couldn¡¯t believe the man on stage, basking in the adoration of thousands under the spotlight, could speak such


    frigid words.


    He had said they¡¯d follow the contract to the letter. Under those terms, she was ruined¨Cshe¡¯d have to pay


    an astronomical breach of contract penalty.


    Katrina seethed with rage, pinning all me on Sylvia. If it weren¡¯t for Sylvia¡¯s interference, none of this would have happened. All her woes, she was convinced, sprang from Sylvia. She wouldn¡¯t let Sylvia get


    off easily!


    With gritted teeth, she resolved to face the situation head¨Con. She¡¯d try to mitigate the disastrous financial penalty, deciding she had to step up, regardless of the cost.


    Just as she was about to move, the next song started,pletely different from the one she was supposed to join. Katrina turned pale, instantly realizing this was a targeted move against her. She didn¡¯t get far before her own agent pulled her away, pping her across the face.


    ¡°I thought you could be of some help, but you¡¯ve only caused chaos,¡± her agent berated her. ¡°Do you have any idea how much effort I put into connecting with ke? And you ended up ruining it all!¡±


    With her face swelling from the p, Katrina turned incredulously to look at her agent, the person she<b>had</b>relied upon for smooth sailing throughout the years, never expecting he¡¯d raise a hand against her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act so high and mighty,¡± he snapped. ¡°The higher¨Cups have already given up on you. Juste abroad with me, but know that doing so means the end of your career. Start thinking about your next steps.


    The agent spoke truly; he was thoroughly fed up with Katrina, who acted like a spoiled heiress, disying arrogance without the talent to back it up, and getting into trouble at every turn. Had it not been<b>for</b>certain backers, the agent would have washed his hands of<b>her</b>a long time ago. And now, after being abandoned by all, thest thing he intended to do was show her any kindness.


    concern i


    With those final words, the agent left, showing no what Katrina was thinking or going through. Katrina, feeling lost and dejected, left the concert and stood outside, unsure of her next move.


    Chapter 112 Selfishness


    2/2


    She knew that everything she had today was because Cyril had been supporting her. Without him, she¡¯d never have made it this far. But with the agent revealing that her backer had dropped her, it was clear Cyril had given up on her.


    ¡°You can¡¯t stay in the country anymore. It¡¯s best you go abroad; it¡¯ll be beneficial for whates next,¡± Cyril said without watching the concert anymore. Sylvia had left the event, and he saw no reason to stay. He hade out, pondering other matters that needed resolution.


    Tears streamed down Katrina¡¯s face as she saw Cyril. She stared at him intently, wanting to ask why he


    was doing this to her, but the words<b>were</b>stuck in her throat.


    ¡°All the things you did to Sylvia could have been ignored if you just stayed abroad and never came back.


    If you do return, I¡¯ll settle every new and old grievance with you,¡± Cyril stated.


    Katrina¡¯s tears fell uncontrobly as Cyril looked like a stranger to her¨Csomeone she had never known.


    ¡°What do you mean by new and old<b>grievances</b>? What have I done to Sylvia? I just sent some photos, and you knew about it but never stopped me. Now you want to pin this on me¨Cyou are truly disgusting. I¡¯ll tell


    you, you¡¯re the most selfish person in the world!¡± Katrina said with bitterughter. Everyone thought she


    was wrong, overbearing.


    But in her view, as excessive as her actions might have been, she was openly pursuing her own desires.


    Cyril was different -he knew what he had done, yet he stood by<b>and</b>let everything happen without ever trying to help Sylvia. And now he was defending her in front of Katrina¨Cwhat did that make of him and of


    her?


    ¡°Did you realize you liked her after the divorce? What were you doing before that? She loved you so much, gave up everything to be by your side. She swallowed all the bitterness from the way others treated her. and now you feel indebted to her¨Cwhat about before?¡± Katrina¡¯s questions left Cyril speechless. His


    sense of debt was now toote; the hurt he¡¯d caused couldn¡¯t be remedied even if he wanted to make


    amends.


    ¡°What happens between me and her is our business, and it has nothing to do with you anymore. Perhaps.


    you should spend your time figuring out how to survive abroad instead,¡± Cyril said, ready to leave. But as he turned to walk away, Katrina grabbed his sleeve, her hands trembling.

 Chapter 113

    Chapter 113 Dewitt Returns


    ¡°How could you never feel even the slightest bit for me after all these years?¡± Katrina stubbornly wanted to know. If Cyril had never felt anything for her, then all she had done was a cruel joke.


    But Cyril didn¡¯t respond, just pulling away from her grasp and walking faster, leaving her behind. His reaction spoke volumes to Katrina; from start to finish, he¡¯d never had any feelings for her. Everything she felt was just a delusion.


    Crushed, Katrina watched Cyril leave and then crumbled to the ground, sumbing to her tears. She had


    lost everything¨Cher career, her life was in ruins. Kneeling on the ground in tears, she looked back at the noisy concert arena and squinted her eyes. Fine, since Sylvia had taken everything from her, she wouldn¡¯t let Sylvia off easily either.


    She would make sure Sylvia suffered, even if everything Sylvia had was beyond Katrina¡¯s reach. She wouldn¡¯t let Sylvia go that easily.


    E


    At the airport, as the nended, a man with golden hair walked out, pushing back his sses and


    stepping<b>into</b>the sunlight, his coat tailored perfectly to his frame. A handsome face that made women around him take pause. Many wanted to approach him, but they were held back by his untouchable aura.


    Checking the time on his phone, he quickened his pace, expecting his older brother to be waiting outside However, stepping out, he saw no familiar face, which puzzled him. That¡¯s when his phone rang; it was his


    second brother, ke.


    ¡°Sorry, Dewitt, I was supposed to pick you up, but something came up at the agency, and I had to run. Our


    oldest said he arranged a driver for you; can you<b>see</b>them?¡±


    Dewitt looked around, no assistant was in sight. It seemed his eldest brother had forgotten about his


    return.


    ¡°Did you tell brother about my arrival today?¡± Dewitt asked on the phone.


    ¡°He already knew, didn¡¯t he? Why would I need to tell<b>him</b>?¡±


    Silence fell between them as they both realized that neither had informed their eldest brother of Dewitt¡¯s


    return.


    ¡°Never mind, I¡¯ll just grab a cab home. By the way, is our little sister at home?¡±


    Dewitt worked in ab abroad. Despite keeping a low profile, his reputation was widely known Internationally. He decided to return home upon hearing that his family was gathered and to take a break from his overseas endeavors.


    Besides resting, he nned to open ab in his homnd. The foreignb was great, but not his own, and he faced too many restrictions. He desired to do more, hence his decision to develop his career back home.


    It seemed that only ke among his family members knew of his return. Rather than notifying the others,


    Chapter 113 Dewitt Returns


    2/2


    Dewitt decided to take a cab. En route, his phone suddenly rang, and the number on the screen brought a soft smile to his face¨Che was aware of the situation between Cyril and Sylvia<b>.</b>


    Even though Cyril was unaware of their connection, Dewitt would still entertain him for Sylvia¡¯s sake.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, Mr. Dewitt. I know you¡¯re busy with your experiments, but I have a request I hope you can fulfill. My sister has been in a car ident, and the doctors are saying they can¡¯t save her<b>hand</b>. I hope you cane and operate on her. As for the price, just name it, and I¡¯ll pay whatever you ask,¡± came Cyril¡¯s anxious voice from the other end of the phone. Dewitt paused for a moment. Cyril¡¯s sister would be his sister¨Cinw, so if that was the case, he felt it was within his capacity to help.


    ¡°I justnded back in the country. Send me the address, and I¡¯lle right over,¡± Dewitt replied.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    After hanging up, Cyril promptly sent the hospital¡¯s address to Dewitt. Without hesitation, Dewitt caught a cab and headed to the hospital.


    Arriving at the hospital, Cyril was already waiting at the entrance. He quickly led Dewitt inside while exining the situation. Bonnie had been involved in an ident that day, and someone had intentionally rammed into her car on the overpass, causing her to lose consciousness instantly.


    Now in the hospital, a dy in her arrival meant her right hand could potentially be left with lifelong disabilities. However, with Dewitt¡¯s help, perhaps that wouldn¡¯t be the case.


    Dewitt nodded after hearing the details, and with a slight push of his sses, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll go.


    and operate on her right aw


    The dy isn¡¯t too long, and the surgery is just a bit more intricate, meaning it might be more troublesome. A normal surgeon probably couldn¡¯t handle it.¡±


    Though Dewitt had primarily been working in theb in recent years, he had also established himself as a genius doctor. His surgical skills were exceptional, but not many had the clout to call upon him to operate, so his reputation as a surgeon wasn¡¯t widely known.


    Cyril knew of Dewitt because<b>a</b>few years back, after his own ident, it was Dewitt who had performed. surgery and saved his legs. They kept in touch, and this time after some hesitation, Cyril decided to reach


    out to Dewitt.


    After a brief exchange with Cyril, Dewitt entered the operating room, arranged by Cyril, ready to begin the


    procedure.


    Jonathan arrived a bitter, just as Dewitt was entering the OR. ¡°How¡¯s it going? You<b>said</b>you got a


    reliable doctor; where is he?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s already inside. The doctor is the same<b>one</b>who operated on me that day. He happened to be


    returning to the country today and came straight here,¡± Cyril exined.


    Jonathan was well aware of Cyril¡¯s past ordeal and understood that having that doctor¡¯s assistance was invaluable. Relieved, he exhaled deeply, content that as long as Bonnie was in good hands, all would be Exwell.

 Chapter 114

    Chapter 114 Check the Net!


    The surgerysted a grueling eight hours.<b>Dewitt</b>had just returned from a long¨Chaul flight when he was whisked into the marathon operation, leaving him visibly drained as he emerged from the OR with a pale


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Cyril initially wanted to inquire about his sister¡¯s condition but seeing Dewitt¡¯s pallor, he immediately shifted his concern onto him, Dewitt smiled weakly but assured him he was fine.


    ¡°Rest easy, I¡¯m alright, and your sister will be okay too. She¡¯ll need to recuperate peacefully for a while, and the doctors here can handle her aftercare. I¡¯ll be heading back now, but if you need anything else, feel


    free to<b>give</b>me a call.¡±


    With a friendly smile to Cyril, Dewitt said his goodbyes and prepared to leave. Cyril wanted to show<b>his</b>


    gratitude to Dewitt, perhaps invite him for a meal, but seeing Dewitt¡¯s exhaustion, he decided to wait until


    Dewitt had adequately recovered.


    After the whole ordeal, it was already nighttime when Dewitt finally arrived home. The family was all there, except for him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding, where have you been all afternoon? The big guy was about to send out a search


    party for you,¡± ke scolded his younger brother with affection<b>,</b>looping an arm around Dewitt¡¯s neck and ushering him to sit down.


    Despite his fatigue, Dewitt was ted to see his family, especially his sister Sylvia, whom he had not seen in years. Ignoring ke¡¯s chatter, he gently removed ke¡¯s hand from his shoulder and walked over to Sylvia, embracing her tightly.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you¡¯re doing well,¡± he said warmly.


    When Sylvia had gotten married, Dewitt was abroad. Although he had operated on Cyril and knew he was


    a good man, Dewitt had been reluctant about their marriage but had respected Sylvia¡¯s decision. Now, seeing her happy back at home brought him joy, and Sylvia was thrilled to be reunited with her brother


    after so long.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you get to this afternoon? I¡¯ve been trying to call you,¡± Sylvia asked curiously. Knowing of her


    third brother¡¯s return, she had immediately tried calling him, but every call went unanswered, and she had


    no idea what Dewitt had been up to.


    Dewitt felt a bit embarrassed, as it seemed that no one had informed Sylvia of his arrival, intending it to be a little surprise for her.


    ¡°This afternoon, I was performing a surgery, so it¡¯s normal that you wouldn¡¯t know I was back. Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m fine. Oh, by the way, do you want to go see your sister¨Cinw about the ident?¡± Dewitt suddenly remembered to inform Sylvia about Bonnie¡¯s situation.


    But as he finished speaking, the whole family fell silent, surprised by the mention of Sylvia¡¯s sister¨Cinw. They all looked to Stanford, knowing if Sylvia did have<b>a</b>sister¨Cinw, it had to be connected to him


    somehow.


    Chapter 114 Check the Net!


    ¡°Why are you all looking at me?¡± Stanford protested. ¡°As far as I¡¯m aware, our mother only had you three kids; there¡¯s no one else, so don¡¯t jump to conclusions.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not our fault for being confused,¡± Balk retorted. ¡°We just don¡¯t know where this ¡®sister¡® came from.¡±


    Dewitt exined to his confused family, ¡°I was talking about Cyril¡¯s sister. She was involved in a car ident today, and I performed surgery on her, which is why I was dyed. Since you were rted to him, shouldn¡¯t you visit her to see how she¡¯s doing?¡±


    In Dewitt¡¯s view, Sylvia, having been part of the family, should naturally want to check on Bonnie. But the mention of Bonnie caused a collective sour expression, especially from Bruce, who typically mastered the art of hiding his emotions in his role overseeing the family business.


    ¡°You performed surgery?¡± Sylvia was unaware of Bonnie¡¯s ident, and Dewitt¡¯s involvement was news


    to her.


    Sensing that something was amiss, Dewitt grew anxious. ¡°Yes, a few years back, I did surgery on Cyril, so when he called asking for help, I had justnded and went straight there. Did I do something wrong?¡±


    Sylvia opened her mouth to reassure her brother that he hadn¡¯t erred, but she remembered that as she and Cyril were divorced, there was no obligation for Dewitt to perform the surgery.


    ¡°Bruce, didn¡¯t you have inte ess in theb?¡± Balk¡¯s vexation with Dewitt was evident. He always knew Dewitt wasser¨Cfocused on his experiments, often to the exclusion of all else.


    ¡°Do I need the inte for something?¡± Dewitt was genuinely perplexed; his long research hours left little time for browsing online.


    Bruce approached and patted Dewitt on the shoulder, ¡°Since you¡¯re back, you should go online and catch up with what happened.¡±


    Their insistence made Dewitt sense that he had missed something significant. He immediately pulled out his phone and Googled Cyril¡¯s name. Numerous articles about the divorce between Cyril and Sylvia filled the screen. Dewitt scanned the headlines, shocked at the<b>news</b>of their separation.


    With eyes wide in disbelief, it dawned on him that he had been out of the loop for so long. Now that Cyril and Sylvia were no longer together, why he<b>had</b>agreed to operate on Bonnie at all!

 Chapter 115

    Chapter 115 A Drastic Measure


    After reading the news online, Dewitt¡¯s face instantly took on a look of extreme difficulty. Digging a scalpel out of his pocket, he unconsciously began fiddling with it, sending the entire family into a state of


    shock.


    ¡°What are you doing, Dewitt¡¯s?¡± Sylvia asked, noticing the scalpel in his hand and sensing something awry. Why had he taken out<b>a</b>scalpel? More importantly, why did he carry one around all the time, even on a ne?


    Realizing the gravity of what he held, Dewitt set the scalpel on the table and addressed his family, ¡°Would it be okay if I just ruined Cyril¡¯s legs and dismantled<b>Bonnie¡¯s</b>arm?¡± After all, he had been the one to fix Cyril¡¯s legs and Bonnie¡¯s arm in the past, so taking them back shouldn¡¯t be problematic, right?


    The family was speechless, so they all looked to Sylvia, waiting for her reaction. She sighed, ¡°I have no connection to them anymore; there¡¯s no need for you to do this. I know you¡¯re hurting for me, but these actions won¡¯t do any good.<b>¡±</b>


    Despite feeling irked that Dewitt had operated on Bonnie, Sylvia didn¡¯t want to linger on the past. She had severed ties with Cyril and was ready to let the matter rest as charity.


    Yet Dewitt was adamant, ¡°Given all that Bonnie and Cyril¡¯s inaction have done over the years, I won¡¯t let them off the hook so easily. Rest assured, sis, I¡¯ll make things right for you. He was hit by a car,<b>right</b>? And his arm is supposed to recover? Well, not if I have anything to say about it!¡±


    Though Dewitt was a doctor and engaged in medical research for the good of humanity, he wasn¡¯t someone to mess with. In fact, his temperament was a bit extreme, and when provoked, he wouldn¡¯t stop


    until he¡¯d made his point. If he said he was going to get even with Cyril and Bonnie, there was no doubt


    they were in for it. After all, it¡¯s never wise to offend a doctor, for sooner orter, you might find yourself at their mercy.


    Fuming more and more, Dewitt couldn¡¯t stomach that in trying to help Sylvia, he ended up aiding Cyril, whom he considered despicable in his treatment of her. And so, Dewitt resolved that today was the day he¡¯d ruin his work on Bonnie¡¯s arm.


    As he got up and hastened outside without even having dinner, his family realized something was seriously wrong. They rushed to stop him but were sternly rebuffed.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for any of you to follow me. I know what needs to be done, and I won¡¯t cause any trouble for you. I just intend to take back what I¡¯ve done,¡± Dewitt dered with earnestness.


    Bruce grabbed his hand tightly, unable to believe what he was hearing. Not cause any trouble? Dewitt talked about taking back what he¡¯d given¨Cthose were limbs, legs, and arms. If he actually took those back, wouldn¡¯t<b>that</b><b>be</b>causing a majormotion?This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    As Dewitt¡¯s family tried to stop him, his phone rang. With some irritation, he checked and found it was Cyril calling. The timing of the call was bitterly ironic, interrupting just as Dewitt¡¯s anger reached a fever pitch.


    ¡°Mr. Dewitt, I¡¯m truly grateful for what you¡¯ve done for my sister. The doctors have said the operation was


    Chapter 115 A Drastic Measure


    2/2


    a sess, and she should recover fully with some rest. When you have time, I¡¯d like to take you out for<b>a</b>meal to express my gratitude for saving her, now and in the past.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Dewitt replied coldly. ¡°If you really want to thank me for saving your lives, then ju your leg and your sister¡¯s arm. I regret saving you both.¡±


    just give me


    Cyril was taken aback by the harsh contrast from the Dewitt he knew. ¡°Mr. Dewitt, is there some misunderstanding between us? Before this, we-


    ¡°There¡¯s no misunderstanding. I saved you because my sister asked me to, and now, I helped you because of her as well. Now that you and she have no rtionship and your family has treated her so badly, do you really think<b>there¡¯s</b>any misunderstanding? Sorry, but there¡¯s none. Either you<b>can</b>send me the limbs, or I wille and take them myself.¡±


    The threat left Cyril stunned. Only after Dewitt hung up did Cyril realize that Dewitt was Sylvia¡¯s brother and that it was she who¡¯d asked Dewitt to save him when everyone believed<b>his</b>legs were beyond hope.


    His mind reeled, never having known the extent of what Sylvia had done for him, and he could understand why Dewitt was so furious. If the roles were reversed, he would probably be more enraged than Dewitt


    was now.


    I


    ¡°You have one day to consider, and I hope you¡¯ll give me a satisfactory answer tomorrow. If not, once I¡¯m


    over the jetg, you can expect my retribution.¡±


    After Dewitt ended the call without giving Cyril a chance to respond, the family was left sighing in


    disbelief.


    ¡°Sis is right, let¡¯s just consider this charity,¡± Bruce admitted. ¡°If we¡¯ve cut ties with Cyril,<b>his</b>fate doesn¡¯t concern us; with all the things he¡¯s done, he¡¯ll face karma sooner orter.¡±


    Bruce had not anticipated Dewitt¡¯s stance, and now Dewitt seemed resolved to exact revenge by taking Cyril and Bonnie¡¯s limbs.


    Dewitt looked firmly at Bruce. ¡°Future karma is in the future. I demand they pay now. Since they¡¯ve wronged my sister, it¡¯s not weird for me, as her brother, to seek revenge, right?¡±


    Weird, no. But his idea of revenge seemed almost equivalent to taking their lives.


    Sylvia remained silent as her phone suddenly rang, capturing the room¡¯s attention. She hesitated at seeing Cyril calling but decided to answer, considering the recent altercation.


    Chapter 115


    <b>a</b>sess, and she should<b>recover</b>fully with some rest. When you have time, I¡¯d like<b>to</b>take<b>you</b>out for a<b>meal</b><b>to</b>express<b>my</b>gratitude for saving her, now and in the past.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Dewitt replied coldly. ¡°If you really want to thank me for saving your lives, then just give me<b>your</b>leg and your sister¡¯s arm. I regret saving you both.¡±


    Cyril was taken aback by the harsh contrast from the Dewitt he knew. ¡°Mr. Dewitt, is there some


    misunderstanding between us? Before this, we-¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no misunderstanding. I saved you because my sister asked me to, and now, I helped you because of her as well. Now that you and she have no rtionship and your family has treated her so badly, do you really think there¡¯s any misunderstanding? Sorry, but there¡¯s none. Either you can send me the limbs, or I will<be</b>and take them myself.¡±


    The threat left Cyril stunned. Only after Dewitt hung up did Cyril realize that Dewitt was Sylvia¡¯s brother and that it was she who¡¯d asked Dewitt to save him when everyone believed his legs were beyond hope.


    His<b>mind</b>reeled, never having known the extent of what Sylvia had done for him, and he could understand why Dewitt was so furious. If the roles were reversed, he would probably be more enraged than Dewitt


    was now.


    ¡°You have one day to consider, and I hope you¡¯ll give me a satisfactory answer tomorrow. If not, once I¡¯m over the jetg, you can expect my retribution.¡±


    After Dewitt ended the call without giving Cyril a chance to respond, the family was left sighing in


    disbelief.


    ¡°Sis<b>is</b>right; let¡¯s just consider this charity,¡± Bruce admitted. ¡°If we¡¯ve cut ties with Cyril, his fate doesn¡¯t concern us; with all the things he¡¯s done, he¡¯ll face karma sooner orter.¡±


    Bruce had not anticipated Dewitt¡¯s stance, and now Dewitt seemed resolved to exact revenge by taking Cyril and Bonnie¡¯s limbs.


    Dewitt looked firmly at Bruce. ¡°Future karma is in the future. I demand they pay now. Since they¡¯ve wronged my sister, it¡¯s not weird for me, as her brother, to seek revenge, right?¡±


    Weird, no. But his idea of revenge seemed almost equivalent to taking their lives.


    Sylvia remained silent as her phone suddenly rang, capturing the room¡¯s attention. She hesitated at seeing Cyril calling but decided to answer, considering the recent altercation.

 Chapter 116

    <b>Chapter</b>116<b>Why</b><b>Didn¡¯t</b>You Tell Me?


    After Sylvia had divorced Cyril, she had blocked his number, determined to cut all ties with him. However, as there was still a business cooperation between theirpanies, Cyril found a way to circumvent the block and contact her directly. Sylvia suspected that Cyril had called her from the number she knew well, thinking that perhaps he was desperate or concerned that she would not pick up a call from an unknown


    number.


    Upon answering the call, her voice chilled, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve just spoken with Mr. Dewitt, and he told me he is your brother. Is this true?¡± Cyril¡¯s voice sounded urgent, clearly shaken by what Dewitt told him earlier, prompting him to call and verify the truth.


    Sylvia remained silent, listening to his question, and suddenly found his ignorance slightly amusing. Why should she tell him? Why was it any of his business who her brother was, and why was he even calling?<b>Was</b>he questioning her?


    ¡°Don¡¯t assume I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking. Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this? And that your brother saved me; you knew all along. I¡¯ve always been grateful to the person who saved me, but why didn¡¯t you say it was you?¡±


    Cyril couldn¡¯t ce his feelings, shocked upon realizing the rtionship between Dewitt and Sylvia while on the phone with Dewitt. It illuminated why Dewitt had been the surgeon to save him, despite it seeming impossible to have Dewitt called at that time. Who else but Sylvia would have the power to ask him to save Cyril¡¯s life?


    ¡°Mr. Cyril, you seem to have misunderstood something. First of all, it wasn¡¯t me who operated on you, so I¡¯m not the person you should be thanking. If you insist on expressing gratitude, thank my brother instead. The only reason he saved you was to repay a debt of rescue, which I have now repaid, so there is nothing between us anymore. If my brother had known we were no longer rted, he would never havee.¡±


    Sylvia¡¯s voice was calm as she rified the past to Cyril, leaving him with a bitter taste. He realized that Sylvia¡¯s words implied she no longer wished to be entangled with him in any way. But how could he act as if these events never happened? If it weren¡¯t for Sylvia, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to walk. He owed her far too much, yet she wanted none of it to do with him.


    What Cyril couldn¡¯t understand was Sylvia¡¯s mention of having rescued him once, when he had no memory of such an event.


    Cyril was genuinely troubled. ¡°You just mentioned I owed you a debt previously, but I have no recollection of it. Could you tell me what happened? No matter what, I am indebted to you and would like to express my gratitude.¡±


    Sylvia heard the stirring of guilt in his voice. He seemed earnest in his desire to offer thanks, regardless of the state of their rtionship. Yet when she remained silent after his request, she wondered if there was any point in dredging up the past. It seemed meaningless to do so.


    ¡®There¡¯s no need to dwell on it,¡± Sylvia finally replied. ¡°What happened is in the past. Consider it as if it never urred. There¡¯s no need to thank me either; let¡¯s just stop here.¡±


    Chapter 116 Why Didn¡¯t You Tell Me?!


    ¡°But it won¡¯t stop here,¡± Cyril Insisted. ¡°You should tell me, and regardless of what you said today, I will


    remember it¡­¡±


    Before Cyril could continue, Sylvia cut the call short, not interested in indulging his rambling. Hanging up the phone, the family looked at her with a hint of oddness in their eyes.


    ¡°I thought you had cut off all contact with him. I didn¡¯t expect you to take his call.¡±


    ¡°It was a call to thepany line,¡± Sylvia sald, annoyed. ¡°If I didn¡¯t answer, he would keep calling; it¡¯s just less trouble this way.¡±


    Sylvia was internally vexed. Answering the call meant she might need to work out a way to permanently dodge Cyril in the future to avoid getting entangled again and facing further headaches.


    The family resumed their meal quietly, enjoying dinner despite Dewitt¡¯s unease. He was particrly ufortable after inadvertently aiding someone who had wronged his sister. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you guys tell me about this earlier? Don¡¯t you know I¡¯m upset? I won¡¯t be able to sleep tonight. I have to get rid of that arm; otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to rest.¡±


    Dewitt was now fixated on the idea of removing the arm he had repaired, repulsed by the thought of his work being used for someone antithetical to his sister. He had intended to help her, not someone else, and the realization was gnawing at him.


    ¡°Who¡¯s to me for this?¡± Balk replied agitatedly. ¡°If you had kept up with the news, you¡¯d know. I thought you rushed back after seeing what was happening online, but it turns out you were clueless. So what exactly brought you


    back


    Indeed, the family was still in the dark about his reasons for returning.


    ¡°I came back to work here,¡± Dewitt exined. ¡°I was ufortable in theb abroad, so I¡¯m nning to set up my own here. Since Sylvia is working on artificial intelligence, I thought maybe I could integrate my medical expertise with Al.¡±


    That was something many people were seeking online, and he hoped this might be a way to assist Sylvia.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

 Chapter 117

    <b>Chapter</b>117 How to Repay What¡¯s Owed to Her


    After all his adventures abroad, Dewitt had no idea about the storms of drama that had raged at home. When his sister Sylvia yfully chided him for being too engrossed in his work to take her feelings into ount, Dewitt was taken aback, his cheeks turning a shade of red.


    ¡°Sylvia, honey, I swear I¡¯m back this time to set things right. They¡¯ve crossed the line,¡± he firmly told his sister, who couldn¡¯t help butugh at his earnestness.


    ¡°Now, Dewitt, don¡¯t sweat it! You¡¯ve been super busy, and the surgery was practically a charity act for their family¨Cit¡¯s no biggie,¡± Sylvia said, brushing off the incident with her characteristic grace.


    But Dewitt couldn¡¯t let it go. ¡°Charity? That implies there¡¯s something in return. We got nothing but grief from them, and I¡¯m not letting them off the hook this easily. Trust your big brother; I¡¯ve got this covered.¡±


    Everyone else exchanged wary nces. They trust just about anyone over Dewitt¨Che¡¯s the type to go to lengths when wronged. Bruce feltpelled to remind him, ¡°You¡¯re representing the Ivans family and your sister here, man. Try not to go overboard.¡±


    Dewitt brushed off the concern. ¡°I can handle this, really. Just sit back and leave it to me.¡±


    His insistence only raised their anxiety. Letting Dewitt loose was often asking for trouble, but holding him


    back might be worse.


    Meanwhile, Cyril, having just been hung up on, sat in a daze outside the hospital room without the will to step in. He was overwhelmed, trying to wrap his head around Sylvia¡¯s casual dismissal of the situation and the fact that Dewitt, the renowned scientist, was her brother.


    Jonathan joined Cyril shortly after, equally concerned to see him so out of sorts, especially since it was Bonnie who had been hurt. ¡°I called Sylvia, and¡­ she¡¯s willing to let everything slide. Did you know? Dewitt


    is her big brother.¡±


    Cyril raised his head, lookingpletely lost. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me, right?¡± Jonathan was taken aback. The truth was undeniable¨Cthe Ivans owed Sylvia too much.


    ¡°How could that be? Dewitt¡¯s been overseas all these years. If he were her brother, why didn¡¯t hee back earlier? And why would he perform surgery on Bonnie, given the Ivans¡® attitude toward you?¡±


    Cyril¡¯s disbelief mirrored the shock anyone would feel when the veils of the past were lifted, revealing the


    debts of the heart that were long overdue.


    Jonathan was at a loss, knowing that each of Sylvia¡¯s brothers was more formidable than thest, especially Dewitt. If Dewitt was indeed her brother, why would he choose today of all days to perform the


    surgery?


    Cyril¡¯s bitter smile said it all. ¡°I called to thank him, you know. Invited him to dinner. But Dewitt refused my thanks and¨Cwould you believe it¨Che said he might as well take back the limbs he fixed!¡±


    It dawned on Cyril that Dewitt had only now realized that his rtionship with Sylvia wasn¡¯t what it used to be and that she had faced unfairness. He<b>was</b>certain Dewitt¡¯s harsh words and actions were all for


    Chapte 117 How to Repay What¡¯s Owed to Her


    Sylvia¡¯s sake.


    212


    Jonathan¡¯s attempt atfort was cut short by Cyril¡¯s acknowledgment of his own misdoings. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. His anger is justified.¡±


    What could Cyril do? He could only ept the situation as it was.


    ¡°<b>You</b>know, Jonathan,¡± Cyril pondered aloud, ¡°how do I even start to repay what I owe? Sylvia always talks about repaying me for saving her life, but I can¡¯t remember doing anything for her. And now she wants to repay me when it¡¯s clear that I owe her so much more.<b>¡±</b>


    As an observer, Jonathan could see the shift in Sylvia¡¯s feelings toward Cyril and Cyrill¡¯s emotional rollercoaster in response to Sylvia.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you n to repay your debts, but one thing is clear¨Cyou can¡¯t measure who owes who anymore. Maybe you should just talk to Sylvia, be honest. She¡¯d understand.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to console me,¡± Cyril replied, head bowed. ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know how Sylvia feels?This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    She won¡¯t forgive me again. And truly, I owe her more than I can ever repay.


    For the first time, Cyril acknowledged he had wronged Sylvia, admitting that he shouldn¡¯t have neglected her at home to face his family¡¯s mistreatment alone. He¡¯d underestimated her once, but had told his


    family inly that divorce was out of the question after marrying Sylvia.

 Chapter 118

    Chapter<b>118</b><b>Too</b>Late to Stop Him


    As Cyril reflected on the past years, he felt an overwhelming sadness. He sighed, realizing that if he wanted to make amends, he¡¯d have to try his best, but whether Sylvia would ept his efforts was another matter entirely.


    Following Bonnie¡¯s ident, Cyril had intended to be by her side, but the revtion about Dewitt had changed everything. Now, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to care for Bonnie, who had to face the consequences of her own actions.


    When Michelle arrived at the hospital, she found Bonnie furiouslyshing out in her<b>room</b>, mming


    things onto the table in a rage.


    ¡°Why? Why won¡¯t my brother help me? He says I owe someone a favor, but I¡¯ve never asked him for


    anything!¡±


    Bonnie was upset, expecting leniency from her brother after her mishap. Yet, he seemed indifferent to her plight, even believing she was indebted to others. No one had begged Dewitt to operate on her.


    ¡°Enough already! Do you realize how renowned the surgeon who operated on you is? Your brother¡¯s legs were saved by him. If it weren¡¯t for him, do you think you could sit here and throw a tantrum?¡±


    Michelle was furious. Her daughter was severely injured, and her son seemed to abandon them¨Calthough he had stayed during the surgery, he had been absent since. Bonnie was still Cyril¡¯s sister; he should at


    least show some concern.


    After Michelle¡¯s scolding, Bonnie felt wronged and confused.


    ¡°Mom, are you ming me? I didn¡¯t want any of this to happen. The ident was just that¨Can ident. Why won¡¯t my brother talk to me anymore? The way he looked at<b>me</b>today, it¡¯s like I did something wrong.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°Let it be. Don¡¯t worry about what your brother thinks. You should feel lucky to have had such a skilled doctor operate on you. Your brother has his hands full with thepanytely, and I¡¯ll find a nurse to care for you. I¡¯m going to see what he¡¯s so busy with at the office.¡±


    Michelle was exhausted. Her daughter was acting out like a shrew when she should be resting and recovering peacefully. Why was Bonnie so intent on seeing Cyril?


    Cyril¡¯s work was demanding enough without adding family drama, though he was reluctant to say so. The


    Bonnie, realizing the futility of arguing, fell silent. She knew she was supposed to go.


    if it weren¡¯t


    for the ident, she would¡¯ve been long gone by now.


    After a brief talk, Michelle left for the office to find Cyril, who was still avoiding her calls¨Clikely over their argument about Sylvia.


    ly still upset


    Michelle didn¡¯t feel she had done anything wrong. Sylvia had spent a lot of money to marry her son- wasn¡¯t she after something? And now, even after the divorce, Cyril<b>was</b>angry with her because of Sylvia.


    Chapter 118 Too Late to Stop Him


    Her son had lost all perspective.


    50/2


    Forsaking another call, Michelle headed straight to thepany to confront Cyril. Little did she know that shortly after she left the hospital room, a new figure slipped in¨Cit was none other than Dewitt.


    Bonnie didn¡¯t recognize Dewitt when he entered the room dressed in a whiteb coat. Assuming he was a doctor from the hospital, and frustrated from the scolding she just received from Michelle, Bonnie directed her anger towards Dewitt.


    ¡°My arm is killing me! You people said you¡¯d give me pain meds. Why haven¡¯t I received anything? Is this hospital nning to shut down or what?¡± she snapped at<b>him</b>.


    Dewitt looked at her with disdain. ¡°Foolish girl, don¡¯t you realize I¡¯m the one who saved your life? If you want to keep that arm, you better start showing some respect. Keep up this pointless chatter, and I might just take that arm off!¡±


    Dewitt hade only to check on this person he had never met before, only to discover she was nothing


    but trouble.


    Bonnie, stunned by his threat, quickly turned even angrier. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you! My brother called and said he wouldn¡¯te to see me because of you, pushing me to recover and then leave the country. Why should I go? You don¡¯t believe my arm will heal? Go ahead, try to remove it. Let¡¯s see if you can walk out of here unscathed. My brother wouldn¡¯t let you off the hook!¡±


    ¡°Using your brother to threaten me, how unfortunate for you. Those legs of his were saved by me as well. I take your arm off today, and I might as well ruin his legs too. Both of you are worthless!¡± Dewitt advanced step by step, and Bonnie, who had never been threatened this way before, began to feel a sudden<b>wave</b>of


    fear.


    She trembled, seeing his hand reach out towards her. ¡°What are you doing? What do you want? Don¡¯t you


    believe I¡¯ll call for help?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, call. Scream. Let¡¯s see if anyone will bother to help you,¡± Dewitt sneered. The hospital was partially owned by hispany, so he could do whatever he pleased without interference, and this time, he hade alone, unnoticed. He was all set to disassemble her arm without causing a stir.


    ¡°Ah!!!¡±


    Sylvia rushed to the hospital room as soon as she heard the news<b>,</b>but it was toote; she couldn¡¯t stop


    Dewitt in time<b>.</b>


    Arriving at the room, she saw Dewitt walk out calmly, wiping his hands nonchntly as if nothing had happened. But Sylvia knew her brother all too well; that expression meant he had definitely taken Bonnie¡¯s


    arm off.


    Bonnie¡¯s scream had echoed throughout the entire floor. Sylvia, having run towards the source of the noise as fast as she could<b>,</b>was still just one step toote.

 Chapter 119

    Chapter 119 Once Expected


    ¡°Sister, surely you don¡¯t me me for doing something terrible, do you? I just wanted to teach her a lesson. If she heals properly, she can still use her arm¡­ just not as nimbly as before,¡± Dewitt said with a gentle smile, which oddly seemed like a devil¡¯s whisper.


    Sylvia knew she was toote. She had been keeping tabs on Dewitt for days, fearing he might do something drastic. Now that it had indeed happened, she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    *So, are you nning to remove Cyril¡¯s legs next?¡±


    I


    ¡°Of course,¡± Dewitt replied. ¡°I healed Cyril¡¯s legs back then, and now it¡¯s time I take them back. Since he treated you poorly, I will not let him off. When I operated on him, he vowed to never let down his wife. And since he has wronged you, why should I keep my promise? Clearly, he hasn¡¯t kept his.¡±


    This was Dewitt¡¯s greatest source of anger. When he first operated on Cyril, Cyril was unaware of Dewitt¡¯s rtion to Sylvia and had quietly mentioned being good to his wife. But looking at how things turned out, Dewitt felt betrayed.


    Sylvia was at a loss, her brother, once an angel d in<b>white</b>, now more akin to a demon iming souls.


    ¡°But I¡¯ve already said I¡¯d put the past behind us, to consider it my repayment for him saving my life. You


    know that¡­¡±


    ¡°What sort of repayment have you not already made? Marrying him, withstanding his family¡¯s


    mistreatment he owes you much more than you owe him. Besides, your debt is with Cyril. What does


    Bonnie have to do with it?¡±


    Dewitt had no interest in Sylvia¡¯s exnations; his mind was made up, and nothing could be undone.


    ¡°What are you two doing?¡±


    Cyril approached, carrying a box. Upon seeing Sylvia and Dewitt arguing at the door, he was puzzled about their quarrel.


    Dewitt¡¯s mood soured when he saw Cyril,<b>and</b>he suddenly wielded a scalpel, advancing towards Cyril. Sylvia, gued with a headache, quickly stepped in to<i>stop</i>


    Dewitt.


    ¡°I apologize; we were wrong today. I promise to make this up to you, but let¡¯s leave it at that for now.


    We¡¯re going.¡±


    Although enraged, Dewitt hesitated, not wanting to hurt Sylvia with the scalpel in his<b>hand</b>or make her lose face. Reluctantly, he packed up his things and left with Sylvia.


    However, as he passed Cyril, Dewitt shot him a dark look filled with warning.


    ¡°Today you¡¯re lucky, but remember, your luck won¡¯tst forever!¡±


    Chilled by Dewitt¡¯s words, Cyril rushed into Bonnie¡¯s room and was met by her wails of pain, sobbing


    bitterly.


    He promptly pressed the call button for help.


    Chapter 110 Orice Expected


    Bonnie cried out to her brother, ¡°It¡¯s all because of that ¡®great¡® doctor you rmended. Look what he<b>did</b>to my arm; he threatened to take your legs too. What kind of doctor does this? Why did he do this to me after performing surgery? I want him to pay, Brother, you can¡¯t just let this go!¡±


    Cyril looked at Bonnie with a stoic expression, feeling that the sister he knew had be a stranger to


    him.


    ¡°Why did you have to do these things? Dewitt is not unreasonable by nature. It was your actions that


    provoked him. I told you to behave, I told you to go abroad, and you didn¡¯t listen. Who do you think is to me for what happened?¡±


    ¡°Are you even my brother? Look at the state I¡¯m in! You¡¯re defending him instead of me. He took off my arm. If he knew how to perform surgery, why would he do this?¡±


    ¡°He operated on you for Sylvia¡¯s sake and yours. I want to know the truth about what led to this.¡±


    When Cyril and Sylvia were about to get married, Sylvia unexpectedly said she no longer wanted a wedding. At the time, Cyril thought Sylvia was ming him for changing their ns so suddenly. Returning to their marital home recently, he found fragments of a wedding dress¨Ca dress Sylvia had designed and made herself, only for it to be destroyed by Bonnie. That was the real reason Sylvia called off the wedding¨Ca truth that Cyril had been oblivious to until now.


    Realizing that her brother had discovered the truth, Bonnie went pale and began to cry.


    ¡°Cyril, what are you implying<i>?</i>yo


    want to marry you!¡±


    think this has something to do with me? But she was the one who didn¡¯t


    With her excuse hanging in the air, Cyril pped Bonnie across the face.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I always say, when I married her, that I¡¯d never even consider a divorce? But what have you all done to her over the years? You think I¡¯m unaware? Bonnie, no matter the state of your arm, you¡¯re out.


    Don¡¯t evere back.¡±


    Cyril was done caring about the troubles Bonnie might have faced abroad. She had made her own choices, and now, she had to face the consequences alone.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Growing up, Cyril was raised by his maternal grandparents, while Bonnie was raised with Michelle,<b>resulting</b>in very different upbringings<b>and</b>personalities. Their sibling bond was tenuous at best, and Cyril felt little affection; even if Bonnie met her end abroad, he suspected he would feel hardly any reaction at


    all.

 Chapter 120

    Chapter 120 Why Are You Here?


    Bonnie was genuinely terrified. Without anyone to look after her abroad, how long could she survive, especially after stirring up such trouble without informing her family? Why else would she have returned to her home country?


    ¡°You can¡¯t just send me abroad. Mom won¡¯t allow it. I¡¯ve just managed toe back; there¡¯s no way I¡¯m leaving again. Are you trying to keep the family wealth to yourself? I¡¯ll have you know I¡¯m Mom¡¯s child too. Whatever you have, I have a share in it!¡±


    After hearing these words, anyst shred of pity Cyril had for Bonnie vanished. He looked down at his sister with a sudden, coldugh.


    ¡°Do you honestly think you have any im to these things? I¡¯ll have you know thepany was bankrupt when I took over<b>.</b>It cost me a fortune to buy it out. Thepany is mine now, as is the money. I gave you what I did purely because we share blood. Without that, do you think you¡¯d have the audacity to stand before me and make demands?¡±


    Cyril was ready to cut ties even with his own mother if only it weren¡¯t for the potential market repercussions and the stability of hispany.


    ¡°Bonnie, do not test my patience any further. It¡¯s limited. If you¡¯re unwilling to leave on your own terms, then don¡¯t me me for being ruthless.¡±


    Cyril would likely have let Bonnie leave without further ado if she did so quietly. But if she continued to defy him, she¡¯d have no one else to me for the consequences.


    Realization washed over Bonnie¡¯s pale face; Cyril was dead serious. If she didn¡¯tply, he wouldn¡¯t. hesitate to act against her.


    ¡°And as for your arm, you brought it upon yourself.¡±


    After these final words, Cyril turned and left without another nce.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    It seemed he only came to see if Bonnie was still alive; beyond that, she was of no concern to him.


    Alone and shaking, Bonnie waited until Cyril had left the room before desperately grabbing her phone to call Michelle, only to find the line unreachable. Fear gripped her as she imagined being left to fend for


    herself.


    Exiting the hospital room, Cyril immediately went looking for Sylvia. He needed to clear up misunderstandings and reveal the truth about the past.


    the


    As he stepped outside, he saw Sylvia and Dewitt talking in the garden, seemingly at an impasse. Hesitating briefly, Cyril decided to approach them and speak his mind.


    *You really went too far today. Didn¡¯t we agree already? To consider this a charitable act. There was no need for what you did, and Bonnie and I don¡¯t have such big conflicts,¡± Sylvia said, clearly upset.


    ¡°Whether there¡¯s a conflict or not isn¡¯t for you to say. I act on what I see. If you hadn¡¯t shown up today, I¡® would never have let Cyril off the hook so easily. After how he treated you, you still speak for him. That life


    Chapter 120 Why Are You He


    -saving debt should have been settled long<b>agol</b>¡±


    ¡°Dewitt¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you been ming yourself all these years because you think our father died trying to save you? I¡¯ve Investigated, Sylvio. The incident with our father was an ident. You were at risk, and while saving his own son, he happened to save you too. Even if you hadn¡¯t been there, he would have died trying to save


    his son!


    You don¡¯t need to carry this burden. You¡¯ve done enough, been kind to him, wanting to repay that debt. You saved him five years ago on that yacht; you¡¯re the one who called me to perform the surgery. I did the surgery, but you know how he¡¯s treated you since then, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Dewitt had always been indulgent with Sylvia, but when she was hurt, his indulgence turned into a lethal weapon¨Cnot aimed at Sylvia, but certainly at Cyril.


    Cyril, nearing them just in time to hear their conversation, was stunned. His father had died when he was ten, saving him and a little girl¨Can act Cyril always believed was mainly for<b>his</b>sake, but he never knew that little girl was Sylvia. And the yacht incident five years ago, which he suspected might have been Sylvia but was told it was Karina.


    Now, he realized how foolish he¡¯d been.


    His mind buzzed, unsure of what to say, when Dewitt noticed him and roared furiously, ¡°Why are you here? What are you doing here? Do you want to hurt my sister again?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± was all Cyril could manage to say.


    Indeed, his father had saved Sylvia by chance, but Sylvia had more than repaid the debt with her actions Yet, Cyril had hurt her time<b>and</b>again.


    Hearing Cyril¡¯s apology and seeing his expression, Sylvia paused. She didn¡¯t need his guilt. All she¡¯d done was to ease her conscience, knowing well that she was only saved incidentally. That incidental rescue granted her the life she led now, and she was grateful to Cyril. She¡¯d wanted to repay him, but along the way, that debt of gratitude had turned into love. Now, she was disappointed.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing more between us. You don¡¯t need to say these things,¡± Sylvia said firmly, straightening her posture. The past was past, the debts paid, and it was time for them to walk separate paths without any further contact.


    But upon hearing Sylvia¡¯s dismissal, Cyril panicked. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this!

 Chapter 121

    <b>Chapter</b>121<b>:</b>Banquet


    Bonnie had been staying in the hospital for over two months, and during this time, she<b>had</b>be more subdued. Since thest encounter with Cyril, he had directly canceled her bank card.


    At that moment, Bonnie understood that Cyril was serious this time. He truly cared about Silvia, and it<b>was</b>because of her own actions that Cyril had canceled her bank card, trying to make her behave.


    If it were any other matter, Bonnie might have let it slide, but the fact that this was rted to Silvia made it hard for Bonnie to swallow her pride.


    She had been diligently resting and recuperating over these two months, but her resentment towards Silvia only<b>grew</b>stronger.


    ¡°There¡¯s a banquet tonight, your brother will attend. I know things haven¡¯t been great between you twotely, but you¡¯re siblings after all, bound by blood. Go to this banquet with your brother and try not to cause him any trouble.¡±


    Michelle was aware of the issues between the siblings, feeling a headacheing on. She didn¡¯t know


    what to do.


    Her son hadn¡¯t lived with her since he was young, so some resentment<b>was</b>normal, but this matter seemed to be affecting their family life. Michelle wanted to take this opportunity for the siblings to talk


    and resolve their conflicts.


    A hint of resentment shed in Bonnie¡¯s eyes. She didn¡¯t want to attend any banquet, and she knew Cyril didn¡¯t want anything to do with her anymore. He was just doing it for appearances.


    ¡°I understand, Mom. I¡¯ll talk things out with my brother and won¡¯t let you worry anymore. But will Silvia attend this banquet?¡±


    Michelle frowned. Despite her daughter¡¯s softened attitude, why did she have to bring up Silvia, that infuriating woman?N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Bonnie carefully watched Michelle¡¯s reaction. Seeing her growing impatient, she quickly exined, ¡°Mom, I didn¡¯t mean anything else. I¡¯m just concerned that there might be other issues at the banquet. If Silvia is there, I can help my brother handle any problems.¡±


    That sounded reasonable. After thinking for a moment, Michelle said, ¡°It¡¯s possible she¡¯ll attend. Herpany is doing quite well.¡±


    Upon hearing Michelle¡¯s words, Bohnie¡¯s resentment towards Silvia deepened. Why did Silvia always seem to get all the good things?


    Despite her thoughts, Bonnie didn¡¯t


    witche continued to portray her delicate demeanor, promising to


    behave well at the banquet and help Cyril.


    Michelle felt somewhat relieved. After helping Bonnie with her discharge procedures, she left the rest to her staff.


    Tonight¡¯s banquet gathered many important figures. Almost everyone who was anyone was present.


    I didnt have toe to this banquet today. Big brother, you could have handled this matter<b>yourself</b>


    Silvia felt a headacheing on at suchrge gatherings. Though she had returned to the family. understanding her role as the heir meant attending such events would be routine. However, she wasn¡¯t keen on them, so she would avoid them whenever possible.


    Bruce, hearing Silvia¡¯s words, wasn¡¯t pleased. ¡°Wasn¡¯t cooperating with the Southern Group what you¡¯ve always wanted? The person in charge is already here. You can¡¯t just tell me you don¡¯t want toe when


    we¡¯re at the door.¡±


    Hearing Bruce¡¯s response, Silvia didn¡¯t argue further. She<b>had</b>indeed been wanting to establish ties with the Southern Group¡¯s leadership. Since they were already here, she had no reason to refuse.


    So Silvia shrugged casually, her tone light,pletely different from her earlierints. ¡°Well, alright.


    I was just talking nonsense.¡±


    Bruce shook his head helplessly and extended his arm for Silvia to hold onto as they entered the banquet hall together.


    The two of them, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, attracted almost everyone¡¯s attention as they


    entered, including Cyril¡¯s.


    Cyril watched the woman entering through the door, feeling his heart race. The uncontroble sensation left him oddly infatuated and immersed.


    ¡°Oh my god, is that Silvia? It feels like it¡¯s been ages since Ist saw her, and she looks even better now.¡±


    Jonathan trailed behind Cyril. He had been talking to others just now, but when he turned around, he was shocked to see Silvia standing


    Under the spotlight.


    They indeed hadn¡¯t seen each other for a long time, but it seemed Silvia had changed<b>again</b>since their


    Silvia¡¯s transformation was astounding, surprising everyone each time they saw her.


    Just standing there, she seemed to be the center of the world¡¯s attention. Everyone, regardless of gender, couldn¡¯t help but focus on her, as if doing so would earn them a bit of her favor.


    Jonathan swallowed hard. He<b>used</b>to think Silvia being with Cyril was embarrassing, but now he realized he had been too narrow¨Cminded. He<b>had</b>never noticed this side of Silvia before.


    ¡°If we had realized earlier that Silvia was different, would things between you two be different now?¡±


    Jonathan¡¯s unintentional remark dropped like a pebble into Cyril¡¯s calm mind, causing ripples.


    Yeah, if they had realized Silvia was different earlier, would everything be different now?


    ¡°Hey, why so quiet? Oh wait, isn¡¯t the man she¡¯s holding onto Bruce? When did she be so close with Bruce? It¡¯s not easy to get involved with the Ivan Group.¡±


    Jonathan noticed that Silvia was tightly holding onto Bruce¡¯s arm.


    Although he didn¡¯t know the exact nature of their rtionship, this scene made people wonder.


    Chapter 121: Banquet


    Jonathan nced at the man beside him, letting out a soft sigh.


    In terms of appearance, the two men were evenly matched, but when it came to keeping<b>a</b>clean record, Cyril couldn¡¯tpare to Bruce.


    If Silvia were to choose someone else, it wouldn¡¯t be so surprising.


    However, since the man next to him<b>was</b>his good brother, Jonathan wouldn¡¯t say anything out of line. Yet, he couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for his brother.


    ¡°Well, in situations like this, ordinary people wouldn¡¯t be able to enter the banquet. Maybe she just wanted to get close to Bruce by any means necessary. After all, he¡¯s just like that. We¡¯ve known each other for so


    many years¡­


    ¡°What kind of person is she, really?¡±


    Cyril turned to Jonathan, gazing earnestly at him. He had never asked before, but what did the people around them think of Silvia?


    Act Fast Free Bonus Time is Running Out!

 Chapter 122

    Chapter 122: Flirting with a Few Men


    Jonathan was caught off guard by Cyril¡¯s question. He hadn¡¯t expected Cyril to ask something like that.


    Seeing Jonathan¡¯s stuttering response, Cyril didn¡¯t press further,


    ¡°We¡¯ve got business to attend to tonight, so let¡¯s keep our focus there,¡± Cyril said, brushing off the topic.


    Thest time they were at the hospital, things got pretty unpleasant. Since then, Cyril had been eager to meet with Sylvia, but there was always something getting in the way¨Ceither Sylvia herself or other


    circumstances.


    Jonathan couldn¡¯t help but grumble, ¡°Yeah, Sylvia¡¯s quite unexpected. In such a short time, she¡¯s already flirting with another guy, and it¡¯s Bruce this time. Who knows, maybe she¡¯s flirting with others too.¡±


    Cyril shot Jonathan a chilling re after he spoke, making Jonathan shiver. What was up with that?


    ???


    ¡°Brother, isn¡¯t that the head of Southern Group? Look, Sylvia¡¯s heading over there. Is she going to confront you? Should we go over and have a chat with them?¡± Bonnie interjected, breaking the tense atmosphere.


    Actually, Bonnie found Jonathan¡¯s words quite rtable. She shared his sentiments.


    The tension dissipated as Cyril¡¯s gaze shifted to Bonnie. She felt a chill run down her spine, sensing Cyril<b>had</b>glimpsed her true thoughts.


    She stood there, silent. Cyril simply nced at her as though nothing had happened and then led Jonathan to the head of Southern Group.


    The head of Southern Group was a gentleman in his forties, adept at conversation but also quite cunning


    Since they arrived, Sylvia and Bruce had been trying to engage him in conversation about cooperation, but every time the topic turned that way, he skillfully redirected it.


    It was clear he had no intention of discussing cooperation here. It was as if they were attending a simple


    banquet.


    Realizing his intentions, Sylvia and Bruce stopped making futile efforts. If he didn¡¯t want to talk business here, they could always arrange another meetingter.


    Just when the atmosphere seemed lively, Cyril arrived with Jonathan.


    ¡°Mr. Walker, good to see you. I¡¯m Jonathan, we¡¯ve had some correspondence before,¡± Jonathan said, causing a slight tension among the group.


    #


    When Sylvia entered, she had noticed Cyril but chose to ignore him,<b>not</b>wanting to stir up trouble for herself. She hadn¡¯t expected them to approach.


    Mr. Walker noticed Cyril<b>and</b>Jonathan pause momentarily, then shed a smile and nodded at them.


    ¡°Long time no see. I did email Cyril some time back, though he didn¡¯t seem particrly interested in the cooperation I mentioned,¡± Mr. Walker said.


    Sylvia and Bruce noticed the change In Mr. Walker¡¯s attitude. It was clear he already had someone in


    <b>mind</b>for cooperation.


    Sylvia didn¡¯t find it surprising. Cyril was decisive and shrewd, likely anticipating Mr. Walker¡¯s thoughts.


    Seeing their apparent desire to chat further, Sylvia felt bored. If they already had a connection, what was the point of her efforts here?


    The siblings exchanged a nce, then received each other¡¯s signal. After bidding farewell, they left<b>for</b>


    another area.


    ¡°There have been rumors about Southern Group and Cyril¡¯s connection. I thought it was just a joke, but it seems Cyril has some skills. But it doesn¡¯t matter; Southern Group isn¡¯t our best partner. Compared to them, Southern Group might be safer, but if they¡¯ve already found a partner, we should focus on oveing the obstacles. What do you think?¡± Bruce asked.


    Bruce hadn¡¯t initially chosen Southern Group. He was uncertain whether Sylvia could handle the increased difficulty.


    Sylvia smiled, understanding her brother¡¯s thoughts. She nodded firmly. ¡°Sure, but Walker¡¯s approach is intriguing. Even though they¡¯ve decided to cooperate with Cyril, they¡¯re not intentionally revealing it. Perhaps they¡¯re waiting to see if there¡¯s a better partner than Cyril. Such partners aren¡¯t worth our time.¡±


    In Sylvia¡¯s view, Mr. Walker wasn¡¯t a desirable partner. They had already found a suitable candidate but were dying, possibly to explore other options before breaking off agreements. It was a risky move in their business circles, and no one would willingly take such losses.


    But Mr. Walker seemed quite discreet. From this situation, it seemed cooperation between him and Cyn was essentially sealed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go greet some partners over there. Wait here, and we¡¯ll head home togetherter,¡± Bruce said.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Bruce spotted some familiar partners and had initially<b>wanted</b>to take Sylvia with him. But seeing herck of interest, he decided not to force her.


    As Sylvia snapped out of her thoughts, she nodded, watching Bruce head off to greet their partners while she strolled towards the backyard..


    As she entered the backyard, she bumped into Bonnie.


    Bonnie had been waiting here for quite some time. Initially, she had wanted to confront Sylvia, but she was worried about angering Cyril, so she dared not act.


    She hadn¡¯t expected Sylvia toe to her on her own. It was perfect.


    Seeing Bonnie, Sylvia¡¯s expression turned cold. She turned to leave, but Bonnie blocked her path.


    ¡°Why the rush to leave? We haven¡¯t seen each other in months. Don¡¯t you want to catch up? Oh, and thanks for my arm. It took three surgeries to fix. I should really thank you for that,¡± Bonnie said.


    There was no hint of gratitude in Bonnie¡¯s words, only resentment. It was clear that she hadn¡¯t forgotten what happened at the hospital.

 Chapter 123

    Chapter 123<b>:</b>p


    Sylvia had no idea what happened in the hospital afterward, but seeing Bonnie in her current state, she knew her days there weren¡¯t easy.


    But really, who could me anyone? If Bonnie hadn¡¯t gone too far in the first ce, none of this would¡¯ve happened.


    Bonnie¡¯s plight didn¡¯t really warrant sympathy.


    ¡°I¡¯ve suffered so much, who are you to swagger in here and attend this kind of gathering? Don¡¯t forget your ce; you were the one who shamelessly tried to cozy up to our family!¡±


    There weren¡¯t many people in the garden, but Bonnie was determined to embarrass Sylvia, so her voice was loud. D


    After hearing themotion between them, many people approached<b>,</b>curious about the recent


    developments.


    Most of the people there knew Bonnie and Sylvia; Bonnie had the entire Strong family behind her, and everyone knew her. As for Sylvia, she had gained some fame in the mall recently, so quite a few people


    knew her too.


    But no one expected them to still know each other, let alone not getting along.


    ¡°Why are you silent now? Feeling guilty, perhaps? I never thought you¡¯d be such a shameless woman, already with another man!¡±


    To an outsider, it might seem like Sylvia¡¯s achievements were all thanks to men.


    Bonnie¡¯s face contorted with anger, looking particrly horrified.


    But Sylvia remained calm as ever, as if Bonnie¡¯s words and actions wouldn¡¯t affect her at all.


    In fact, Bonnie¡¯s words didn¡¯t affect her much.


    When Sylvia decided to let go of everything, the past no longer affected her.


    ¡°Why should I feel guilty? Why did your arm end up like that? Don¡¯t you have a conscience? If I¡¯m not mistaken, I think your brother should have warned you not to bother me unless necessary.¡±


    After knowing Cyril for so many years and loving him deeply, Sylvia knew his character best.


    She had noticed Cyril¡¯s changes recently, as well as his desire for reconciliation.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    So, to make her life morefortable, Cyril would surely warn Bonnie not to cause trouble.


    But Bonnie still came to confront her, clearly not taking Cyril¡¯s warning seriously.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to hang ont¨® me today just to say that everything I¡¯ve achieved is because of men, then your perspective is limited. You can¡¯t see beyond that.¡±


    iming to be from a prestigious family yet saying and doing such ridiculous things¨Cwasn¡¯t she just


    Chapte 123. p


    providing more fodder for gossip?


    After Sylvia said this, Bonnie could clearly feel the people around them subtly mocking her.


    Bonnie grew even angrier. Her pride and her family¡¯s prestige didn¡¯t allow her to be bullied by Sylvia. She raised her hand angrily, intending to teach Sylvia a lesson.


    As in the past, she could bully Sylvia without reservation. No matter the asion, no matter what Sylvia said or did, she would bear Bonnie¡¯s wrath.


    Just when everyone thought Bonnie¡¯s p was about tond on Sylvia¡¯s face, Sylvia grabbed Bonnie¡¯s


    wrist.


    The p nevernded on anyone¡¯s face; it was interrupted like that.


    Bonnie was surprised. She tried to pull her hand back, but after spending so long in the hospital, weakened<b>as</b>she was, how could she be a match for Sylvia?


    Sylvia held Bonnie¡¯s hand tightly, unmoving, her expression as calm as ever.


    Struggling and cursing, Bonnie said, ¡°Let go of me, you despicable woman, do you believe¡­¡±


    ¡°Believe what?¡± Sylvia coldly interrupted Bonnie, ¡°Do you want to say that once your brother arrives<b>,</b>I¡¯ll be


    in trouble?¡±


    What a joke. If she still cared about that man, Bonnie¡¯s words would have an impact, but she didn¡¯t care anymore. So, did her words hold any meaning?


    Before Bonnie could say what she wanted, Sylvia had already let go of her hand, stepped back, and created some distance between them.


    ¡°I suppose the two months of treatment overlooked your real problem, which is here,¡± Sylvia said, pointing to her head, mockingly looking at Bonnie.


    How could Bonnie endure such an insult? Just<b>as</b>she was about to say something, she saw someone


    behind Sylvia.


    Bonnie immediately covered her injured arm, took a step back, tears welling up in her eyes.


    Watching this series of actions, Sylvia wasn¡¯t surprised anymore. If everything went as expected, the person behind her should be Cyril.


    ¡°I thought Sylvia had changed, but she¡¯s still the same as before, shamelessly bullying people, regardless


    of the asion<b>!</b>¡±


    Jonathan hade with Cyril. He didn¡¯t know what had happened, but seeing Bonnie looking so wronged, he didn¡¯t hesitate to me Sylvia..


    After Jonathan said this, the whole scene fell silent. Sylvia silently turned around, calmly looked at Cyril, then shifted her gaze back to Jonathan.


    ¡°Did you just arrive? Do you know what happened just now?¡±


    ¡°Do I need to know what happened? Look at Bonnie, look at<b>what</b>you¡¯ve done to her. Do you know her


    Chapter 123: Stap-


    arm hasn¡¯t healed yet? She juste out of surgery!¡±


    ¡°So what? Is your standard for judging a situation based on who looks more like a victim?¡±


    Sylvia calmly countered, leaving Jonathan unsure how to respond.


    In this situation, many would naturally think Bonnie was wronged, but Sylvia¡¯s calm reaction made it seem like it wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    Jonathan felt something wasn¡¯t quite right, but he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°What about you? Do you also think that way? Do you think I¡¯m just like before, bullying your sister regardless of the asion, even though she looks healthier and stronger than me?¡±


    Sylvia threw the question to Cyril.

 Chapter 124

    Chapter 124: Different from Before


    The scene before Sylvie suddenly reminded her of something that happened two years ago. It was eerily simr to what was happening today.


    It was another banquet, but not on such a grand scale, just a small gathering among friends.


    Originally, Cyril had intended to go alone, but for some reason, he ended up dragging Sylvie along. It had


    been a long time since she had been in such social circles, so Sylvie was feeling a bit nervous.


    She started preparing half a month in advance, trying her best to avoid any mishaps.


    But that day, things still went awry. Bonnie, who had returned from abroad, showed up directly at the gathering. Seizing the opportunity when nobody was paying attention, she<b>got</b>into an argument with Sylvie, just like today.


    Of course, in the end, Sylvie was the one who got pped<b>by</b>Bonnie. However, Bonnie yed the victim, using Sylvie of instigating the conflict.


    Cyril and everyone around him, unaware of the truth, chose to believe Bonnie.


    At that time, Sylvie had tried to exin to Cyril, but he didn¡¯t give her the chance. He even stared at her with an icy indifference.


    That cold gaze pierced her heart in that moment.


    Many sleepless nights followed, with Sylvie involuntarily recalling that day and Cyril¡¯s icy stare.¡±


    That was more painful than Bonnie pping her; Sylvie still couldn¡¯t forget it.


    But now things were different from before. Back then, she cared about this man in front of her, cared about everything he cared about, which is why she ended up in such a miserable state.


    But now, she didn¡¯t need to care so much anymore.


    When Sylvie suddenly asked Cyril, his throat tightened, as if there were words he couldn¡¯t bring himself to


    say.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think like that.¡±


    Before, he would have thought Sylvie was at fault, but since learning the truth, he realized things weren¡¯t


    <b>as</b>he had assumed.


    Including now, standing here, his initial reaction wasn¡¯t to think Sylvie was wrong, but rather that she was the one being unfairly treated.


    Why though?


    Upon closer examination, he¡¯realized it was because he had seen through his sister¡¯s true charactertely.


    But before he understood his sister¡¯s true nature, Sylvie<b>had</b>suffered too much.


    Memories he had once ignored flooded back like a tide, recalling many instances where Sylvie was


    Chapter 124 Different from Before


    mistreated.


    The end result was always the same, with everyone standing up to use Sylvie, and Sylvie questioning herself, but the answers she got were always hurtful.


    ¡°I¡¯ll check the surveince footage to clear your name.¡±


    ¡°No need, it¡¯s not a big deal. There¡¯s no need to check the footage, it¡¯s just some old issues.¡±


    Sylvie raised her hand to stop Cyril. She didn¡¯t need the surveince footage, nor did she need anyone. else to prove her innocence.


    If she hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, why did she need to clear her name?


    ¡°Now that your brother is here, do you n to tattle on me to him?¡±


    Sylvie felt like she was being overly understanding. She knew the other party was just trying to cause trouble for her, yet she still gave them the opportunity.


    ¡°Shall I help convey your thoughts to your brother then?¡±


    Seeing Bonnie remain silent, Sylvie continued.


    Bonnie¡¯s expression was extremely ugly. What Sylvie said was exactly what she wanted to say, because her injured arm was indeed rted to Sylvie.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that at all! I didn¡¯t intend to say that. You deliberately framed me! If not for your actions, how could my rtionship with my brother have be so strained!¡±


    Sylvie pretended not to hear her, treating their strained rtionship as if it had nothing to do with her.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time for you to handle your family affairs. Let¡¯s forget about the past incidents as if they never happened. Let¡¯s treat each other as strangers. As for the trouble your sister caused me, I hope you can resolve it today.¡± 1


    After finishing her words, Sylvie prepared to leave. However, she suddenly turned back, walked up to Bonnie, and raised her hand high, delivering a hard p to her face.


    ? ? ??????? ???


    Bonnie¡¯s face twisted to the side from the impact, her mind nk, in a state ofplete disbelief.


    The people around were startled, they hadn¡¯t expected Sylvie to act at this moment.


    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve wanted to do this for a long time. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to vent


    today.¡±


    Sylvie put on a dignified smile. This time, she finally felt relieved.


    She turned and left, paying no attention to the reactions behind her.


    After she left, the people around gradually regained their senses.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°Is she<b>insane</b>? How dare she hit your sister directly! Doesn¡¯t she have any respect for you<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>


    Jonathan was furious; he hadn¡¯t expected Sylvie to dare to act like this, especially in front of Cyril.


    Chapter 124<b>:</b>Different from Bre


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you reacting<b>at</b>all? Your sister got hit, and I¡¯m telling you, she¡¯s no good. Things were different before, but now, after all these years, people change!¡±


    Jonathan spoke loudly to Cyril. Why was he so calm when his sister had been hit?


    After a moment of shock, Cyril also gradually calmed down. His gaze was calm, even carrying a subtle.


    chill.


    ¡°<b>You¡¯re</b>right. Things were different before, but now, people change.¡±


    Cyril repeated Jonathan¡¯s words, stepping closer to Bonnie.


    ¡°So, what about you? Should I say you¡¯re a person with a firm heart, or should I say you¡¯re someone whose heart is so cruel, it will never change?¡±


    That p Sylvie just delivered was surely years of pent¨Cup frustration. She had<b>endured</b>it all because of him, and that¡¯s why she hadn¡¯t acted before.


    ¡°Brother, that¡¯s not true, listen to me!¡±


    Bonnie, with a pale face, stepped forward, clutching Cyril¡¯s sleeve tightly, trembling with fear.


    Cyril nced down at his sleeve, pulled his hand away. ¡°Listen to you say what? Listen to you continue to nder her? Haven¡¯t you done enough of that over the years?¡±


    Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out!

 Chapter 125

    Chapter 125 Maintenance


    There was a moment when Cyril really wanted toe clean about his rtionship with Silvia, but he knew Silvia would never want to be associated with him in any way.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Plus, their past Interactions hadn¡¯t been great. Most people knew he had a wife, knew he was just a figurehead, not respected by others.


    Maybe it was possessiveness or guilt, but Cyril didn¡¯t want anyone else to know about it. He hoped that one day, he and Silvia could start anew, leaving all the rumors behind as if they never existed.


    ¡°I never thought you were like this. So, how did you mistreat her when I wasn¡¯t looking<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>


    ¡°Bro, don¡¯t listen to her nonsense. I never mistreated her. You know, I barely even saw her<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    ¡°You sure<b>didn¡¯t</b>see her much. But whenever you did, you found ways to torment<b>her</b>. I just didn¡¯t know about it until now. Do you think I¡¯ll just pretend nothing happened?¡±


    Seeing his sister flustered trying to exin, Cyril realized how wrong he had been all these years.


    When they got married, he never thought about divorce. He thought Silvia was enjoying all the perks he brought. But recently, he realized Silvia hadn¡¯t enjoyed any of it; she endured endless torment.


    If he were the one suffering, how could he forgive the one who caused it?


    So, Silvia hating herself, avoiding him, that was understandable. It was all his fault.


    ¡°Remember this, Cyril. I won¡¯t tolerate this again. If it happens once more, even if Mom and Dade begging on your behalf, I won¡¯t give you any mercy.¡±


    With that, Cyril left, leaving Bonnie behind.


    Jonathan saw Cyril leaving and Bonnie standing there, unsure what to do.


    He wanted to console Bonnie, but Cyril¡¯s reaction indicated something was wrong.


    If he followed Cyril, what about Bonnie?


    Leaving Bonnie here would only invite more ridicule. Even if they sealed all information tonight, the upper echelon would still gossip.


    Jonathan stood there, torn between options.


    Finally, he braved it and led Bonnie away from the garden. She couldn¡¯t stay at the party, it would only add


    to the mockery.


    After leaving the garden, Silvia was on her way back to the banquet hall when she ran into Bruce.


    Bruce had heard about Silvia and Bonnie in the garden and hurried over, worried about his sister. Seeing her unharmed, he sighed in relief.


    Chapter<b>125</b>Maintenance


    His concern faded, reced by his usual calm demeanor. ¡°Did they trouble you? Your brother¡¯s here.¡±


    Hearing Bruce¡¯s words, Silvia felt a warmth in her heart and smiled.


    Whenever she faced trouble, her brothers would stand by her, even if they didn¡¯t say anything. She knew. they¡¯d have her back when needed.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Bruce<b>.</b>I¡¯m not the same as before. They won¡¯t dare bully me again.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about time. But you¡¯re my sister; I can¡¯t stand by doing nothing. Come with me.¡±


    Bruce gently put his arm around Silvia¡¯s shoulder, leading her back into the banquet hall.


    As they circled around the hall, they bumped into Cyriling from the garden.


    Cyril, seeing Silvia, felt guilty. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t expect this to happen. If I had known¡­¡±


    ¡°Cyril, spare your apologies. Did you not anticipate such a thing happening? You let those people bully Silvia without any remorse. Only now, after realizing she saved your life, do you feel sorry? Do you it¡¯s toote? Or do you believe your bted defense erases everything?¡±


    Bruce cut Cyril off. Since Silvia had expressed her wish to marry Cyril, their family hadn¡¯t viewed him favorably. Especially considering all the grievances Silvia had endured over the years, most of which<b>.</b>resulted from Cyril¡¯s inaction.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±


    think


    Cyril¡¯s expression soured. He wanted to question why Bruce was interrogating him, but he know he had lost that right and status.


    He didn¡¯t even have the right to inquire about their rtionship anymore.


    ¡°Of course, you didn¡¯t mean to. But every time Silvia suffered, you remained indifferent as if nothing happened. You¡¯re no different from those people.¡±


    Bruce referred to the ones who had hurt Silvia in the past. In a way, Cyril and those people were alike.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what happened before. But from now on, I hope these mindless incidents cease. If they happen again, Mr. Streng, I hope you can bear the wrath of the Ivan Group.¡±


    Before, Bruce couldn¡¯t vent his frustration for Silvia, but now he had the chance, and he wouldn¡¯t let it


    pass.


    After saying this, Cyril remained silent, his gaze fixed on Silvia. He knew his efforts were toote, but he still wanted to make amends.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Silvia didn¡¯t care much for Bruce and Cyril¡¯s words. She felt it was time to move on and didn¡¯t want to waste more time on this matter.


    However, Cyril felt Silvia¡¯sck of a direct response sided with Bruce. He felt that Silvia also agreed with


    what Bruce said.


    Chapter 125 Maintenance


    Thinking about this, Cyril¡¯s heart ached with regret and pain.


    Watching Silvia and Bruce leave together, they looked sopatible. Once, he also had the chance to stand beside Silvia, just aspatible.

 Chapter 126

    Chapter 126 Opportunity


    ¡°So, I heard you gave Bonnie a p earlier. Must¡¯ve been building up for a while, huh?¡± Sylvia spoke up only after Bruce had walked away a bit, giving them some privacy. She pondered for a moment. Truth be told, the p wasn¡¯t something she had been holding onto for too long.


    She genuinely wanted to nip this rtionship in the bud, so she wasn¡¯t too bothered by the incident.


    ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to be pushed around anymore. The past is the past, now¡¯s now, big brother. We¡¯re here to talk business, not dwell on that stuff,¡± Sylvia replied, brushin


    off the topic. Whatever happened in the garden earlier, Bruce was already in the know.


    And surely, he understood her stance by now, didn¡¯t he?


    ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t push you. Anyway, in a couple of days, Balke is scheduled for an interview, and he wants you to apany him. Dad and I think it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t attend<b>such</b>interviews,¡± Bruce changed the subject. Living under the spotlight wasn¡¯t all it cracked up to be; just look at Balke.


    Despite his wealth and resources, his reputation forced him to<b>tread</b>carefully in everything he did, which was rather stifling


    Even though Sylvia had been groomed from birth to inherit the family legacy, they still hoped she could lead a happier, simpler life.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I go to the interview with him? If I¡¯m really going to ept the Ivan Group¡¯s offer, interviews like these will bemonce. Can¡¯t I use this as an opportunity to hone my skills?¡± Sylvia looked at Bruce puzzled. She knew Balke had been famous before and had done numerous interviews. So couldn¡¯t she join him now?Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Bruce paused, realizing his sister¡¯s growth had taken him by surprise.


    They thought they were doing what was best for Sylvia, but she didn¡¯t need it. She could handle herself just fine.


    ¡°Big brother, you don¡¯t need to worry about me. I need to grow, so even facing the spotlight and media interviews, I¡¯ll manage,¡± Sylvia smiled confidently, just like before.


    Seeing Sylvia¡¯s smile, Bruce finally rxed.


    Indeed, it was time to let her make her own choices, knowing she had the vast Ivan family to fall back on..


    ¡°Alright then, go ahead. We¡¯ll talk to Balketer and see what he decides.¡±


    ¡°Okay<b>.</b>¡±


    After a brief conversation, they went their separate ways.


    As Sylvia conversed with others, she could feel the weight of gazes fixed on her.


    Though it didn¡¯t hinder her, being constantly watched wasn¡¯tfortable.


    Finally, Sylvia found an opportunity to slip away from the crowd and into a<b>secluded</b>corner of the corridor.


    Chapter 126<b>Opportunity</b>


    ¡°So, I heard you gave Bonnie a p earlier. Must¡¯ve been building up for a while, huh?¡± Sylvia spoke up only after Bruce had walked away a bit, giving them some privacy. She pondered for a moment. Truth be told, the p wasn¡¯t something she had been holding onto for too long.


    She genuinely wanted to nip this rtionship in the bud, so she wasn¡¯t too bothered by the incident.


    ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to be pushed around anymore. The past is the past, now¡¯s now, big brother. We¡¯re here to talk business, not dwell on that stuff,¡± Sylvia replied, brushing off the topic. Whatever happened in the garden earlier, Bruce was already in the know.


    And surely, he understood her stance by now, didn¡¯t he<b>?</b>


    ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t push you. Anyway, in a couple of days, Balke is scheduled for an interview, and he wants you to apany him. Dad and I think it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t attend such interviews,¡± Bruce changed the subject. Living under the spotlight wasn¡¯t all it cracked up to be; just look at Balke.


    Despite his wealth and resources, his reputation forced him to tread carefully in everything he did, which


    was rather stifling.


    Even though Sylvia had been groomed from birth to inherit the family legacy, they still hoped she lead a happier, simpler life.


    could


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I go to the interview with him? If I¡¯m really going to ept the Ivan Group¡¯s offer, interviews like these will bemonce. Can¡¯t I use this as an opportunity to hone my skills?¡± Sylvia looked at Bruce puzzled. She knew Balke had been famous before and had done numerous interviews. So w


    couldn¡¯t she join him now?


    Bruce paused, realizing his sister¡¯s growth had taken him by surprise.


    They thought they were doing what was best for Sylvia, but she didn¡¯t need it. She could handle herself just fine.


    ¡°Big brother, you don¡¯t need to worry about me. I need to grow, so even facing the spotlight and media interviews, I¡¯ll manage,¡± Sylvia smiled confidently, just like before.


    Seeing Sylvia¡¯s smile, Bruce finally rxed.


    Indeed, it was time to let her make her own choices, knowing she had the vast Ivan family to fall back on.


    ¡°Alright then, go ahead. We¡¯ll talk to Balketer and see what he decides.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After a brief conversation, they went their separate ways.


    As Sylvia conversed with others, she could feel the weight of gazes fixed on her.


    Though it didn¡¯t hinder her<b>,</b>being constantly watched wasn¡¯tfortable.


    Finally, Sylvia found an opportunity to slip away from the crowd<b>and</b>into a secluded corner of the corridor.


    Chaplegi25 Opportunity


    She knew Cyril would follow her.


    As expected, as soon as she reached the corridor, Cyril¡¯s footsteps echoed behind her.


    Tuming to face him, Sylvia felt a twinge of Irritation. Why was he still clinging to her? Hadn¡¯t he gotten


    what he wanted?


    ¡°Do you have something else to<b>say</b><b>?</b><b>¡±</b>she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know about today, and I never considered before. You¡¯ve been through a lot, and I apologize. I hope you can give me a chance. I want to make up for what I¡¯ve done before. Can you?¡± Cyril suddenly lowered his tone<b>,</b>a gesture that Sylvia found unsettling.


    She turned her head not meeting<b>his</b>gaze directly.


    away


    ¡°So, you want a chance to make amends? But there¡¯s no chance left,¡± Sylvia said after a moment of


    silence, looking at Cyril seriously.


    Not everything can bepensated for. Like the things between them.


    Cyril felt a pang of urgency. How could there be no chance?


    <b>If</b>Sylvia would only give him a chance, he would stand still, no matter how difficult the path ahead. He would do whatever it took to bridge the gap.


    ¡°Have I not given you a chance all these years? Have I not tried to exin what I¡¯ve done to you? When your sister bullied me,<b>didn¡¯t</b>I give you a chance to hear me out?¡± Cyril¡¯s questions


    left him speechless.


    He couldn¡¯t answer. 1


    Yes, Sylvia had given him many chances, even pursued him, but he always treated her as a nuisance. He didn¡¯t want to listen to her, repeatedly refusing her approach.


    And in those repeated refusals, he lost many opportunities to understand Sylvia.


    ¡°Alright, there¡¯s nothing left to say between us. Let¡¯s leave it at that,¡± Sylvia sighed, realizing that Cyril, too, understood that there were no more chances left. Opportunities were finite; once missed, they were lost.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I never realized how much you¡¯ve suffered.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you wouldn¡¯t know. You¡¯ve never cared about me. But I understand. Someone who doesn¡¯t care won¡¯t bother to find out what I¡¯ve been through. It¡¯s normal. If you really want to repay me, then let¡¯s pretend we never met.¡±


    Sylvia¡¯s tone was calm, her meaning crystal clear.


    She truly didn¡¯t want any more involvement with Cyril. It was best to call it quits.


    But that wasn¡¯t what Cyril wanted. If he truly wanted to end things, he wouldn¡¯t have followed her. He didn¡¯t want things to reach this point.


    ¡°Is there nothing else? If not, go take your sister to see a doctor. Check her arm, make sure there are nosting effects.¡±


    ?Chapter 126 Opport¨²hly


    With those perhaps final words of kindness exchanged between them, Sylvia walked past Cyril.


    Watching her retreating figure, Cyril realized that the gap between him and Sylvia seemed like an impassable chasm, with mes raging on one side. But he wasn¡¯t ready to give up. If he had made. mistakes, he wanted to make amends. Whether Sylvia wanted it or not, he wanted to show her his sincere


    desire to change<b>.</b>


    However, Cyril knew that rushing things wouldn¡¯t achieve his goals.


    Taking a deep breath, he followed after her.


    Around the corner, he spotted a stranger, intimately holding Sylvia¡¯s waist, their closeness resembling


    that of lovers.

 Chapter 127

    Chapter<b>127</b>: A Grand Entrance


    So, these two must have just met, right? But Sylvia didn¡¯t shove this guy away from her, which means. they¡¯re closer than I thought.


    But Cyril doesn¡¯t have a clue about this guy standing in front of him.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Cyril¡¯s itching to walk over and ask Sylvia about their rtionship, but he can¡¯t seem to take that step. He¡¯s just stuck there, staring at them both.


    Sylvia¡¯s been facing away from Cyril the whole time, plus she¡¯s focused on the guy in front of her, so she hasn¡¯t noticed Cyril lurking behind.


    ¡°Hey, howe you¡¯re here? Weren¡¯t you busy with Miranda doing something else?¡±


    Even though there¡¯s nobody around, Sylvia still lets go of Duncan¡¯s hand.


    They have this little clique, where they chat about all sorts of stuff every day. Duncan mentioned they might join after they finished up with Miranda. So Sylvia¡¯s kinda surprised, like, weren¡¯t you supposed to be busy? Howe you¡¯re here now?


    Duncan catches sight of someone standing nearby. He knows who it is and decides to edge closer to Sylvia. Even though he doesn¡¯t actually touch her, from Cyril¡¯s angle, it totally looks like they¡¯re close.


    ¡°Of course, we¡¯re done with the other thing, so here I am, Heard this ce is pretty interesting, thought I¡¯d check it out. Aren¡¯t you happy to see me?¡±


    As Duncan speaks, he puts on this slightly hurt expression, leaving Sylvia at a loss for words<b>.</b>


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not really up to me. After all, I didn¡¯t organize this event. But since you¡¯re here, you could mingle with the folks around, make some connections. Who knows, it might be helpful for you in the


    future.¡±


    As Sylvia¡¯s about to get all serious and start talking business with Duncan, he feels a bit exasperated. He just reaches out and covers Sylvia¡¯s mouth with his hand.


    ¡°Alright, alright, spare me the lectures. I know I shouldwork with them, but I¡¯m here to find you, not to listen to you preach. By the way, I bumped into Bruce on my way here, and he mentioned something. You two really are like siblings; you talk simrly.¡±


    Sylvia hears Duncan¡¯s words and bursts outughing. Duncan¡¯s the kind of guy who craves freedom<b>and</b>hates being tied down. So being here, he must be feeling pretty ufortable.


    ¡°Okay, okay, I won¡¯t talk about that anymore. My brother and I are about to leave. Are you leaving too?¡±


    They¡¯ve pretty much wrapped things up, and Sylvia¡¯s said what she needed to. There¡¯s not much else to discuss.


    Might as well just head home.


    When Duncan hears Sylvia saying they¡¯re about to leave, his eyes light up. He grabs Sylvia¡¯s wrist and starts pulling her towards the exit.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush. I have something to tell you. Come on, I¡¯ve been nning this for ages.¡±


    Sylvia¡¯s a bit puzzled. What could Duncan possibly have prepared?


    So she follows Duncan downstairs,


    Seeing the two of them heading downstairs so intimately, Cyril¡¯s eyes start to redden, feeling a pang of hurt deep inside


    At this moment, he feels like he can understand Sylvia¡¯s feelings over the years.


    Is this how Sylvia feels every time Cyril¡¯s with Karina?


    Feelings he¡¯s never experienced before are flooding him now that Sylvia¡¯s distanced herself from him.


    Apart from sadness, there¡¯s nothing left in his heart.


    Cyril lets out a sigh, almost like torturing himself, and joins the two downstairs, eager to see what they¡¯re


    up to.


    When they reach the ground floor, Cyril is shocked by what he sees.


    In the middle of the venue, there¡¯s a red carpetid out, surrounded by decorations, with soft romantic.


    music ying.


    All this in just a moment, showing how thoughtful and quick the preparation was.


    Duncan grabs Sylvia and leads her to the center of the red carpet. He snaps his fingers, and the music suddenly changes to upbeat dance tunes.


    People around them see what¡¯s happening and sh meaningful smiles, Clearly, they know something might happen next.


    Sylvia¡¯s speechless. This kind of setup is beyond her expectations.


    Little did she know, Duncan had secretly prepared all this. If she knew Duncan hadid out a red carpet here and coordinated with so many people, she wouldn¡¯t havee downstairs.


    Sylvia thinks she¡¯s been quite high¨Cprofiletely, but she never expected to be even more so here.


    ¡°Are you out of your mind? Preparing all this here, it¡¯s like you¡¯re about to propose or something<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    Sylvia lowers her voice, saying to Duncan.


    She doesn¡¯t want people around to misunderstand their rtionship.


    Duncan hesitates for a moment. He did have that idea originally, but seeing Sylvia¡¯s slightly reluctant expression, he realizes his efforts haven¡¯t made her happy, maybe even annoyed her.


    With an awkward smile on his face, Duncan bites his lip. ¡°I didn¡¯t really think that far ahead. I just heard you were here, and Cyril too. I didn¡¯t want you to feel embarrassed. If you don¡¯t like it, should I have it all removed?¡±


    Sylvia knows that¡¯s Duncan¡¯s mindset. He seems to be at odds with Cyril, popping up wherever Cyril is,


    Chapter 127 A Grand Entrance


    and always<b>making</b>a scene.


    ¡°I<b>think</b>it¡¯s a bit toote to remove all this now, with so many people watching quietly as we walked in. Whatever ns you have, let¡¯s just get them over with quickly and leave. So we don¡¯t make it awkward.¡±


    Sylvia genuinely feels that way. With everyone¡¯s eyes fixed on them, leaving now might stir up even more. gossip. It¡¯s easier to just go along with Duncan.


    But the thought of what¡¯sing next makes Sylvia¡¯s head ache.


    Anyway, whether they leave or stay here today, there¡¯ll definitely be more trouble tomorrow.


    Duncan¡¯s eyes light up. He pulls Sylvia to the center of the red carpet, and with the music starting, they start dancing.


    Many others join in too.


    This rather dull business gathering instantly bes more interesting, all thanks to Duncan¡¯s unexpected


    move.


    Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out!

 Chapter 128

    Chapter<b>128</b>: What¡¯s the Comparison


    Duncan¡¯s series of moves really set the whole atmosphere on fire, and many people here were happily Joining in the fun.


    While Sylvia was dancing with Duncan in the middle of the dance<b>floor</b>, she noticed Bruce was busy


    with others. Judging by Bruce¡¯s expression, he must have agreed on several coborations.


    That surprised Sylvia quite a bit. She hadn¡¯t expected such an asion to foster several coborations, but hey, it wasn¡¯t a bad thing.


    Duncan had other ns initially, but<b>since</b>Sylvia wasn¡¯t too keen on them, he settled for starting with dancing, and that was that.


    Everyone gathered at the center stage, dancing to several songs, and things gradually returned to a more


    formal tone.


    However, that little interlude of rxation made everyone quite happy.


    Sylvia was catching her breath, and Duncan guided her to sit down and brought her a ss of juice. Looking at the juice in Duncan¡¯s hand, Sylvia furrowed her brow. Everyone else was drinking alcohol, and here she was with juice. It felt a bit out of ce.


    Of course, the most important question was, where did Duncan get that juice from?


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. You know I¡¯m always very considerate. So when preparing for something, I always think it through. I know it¡¯s a party,<b>and</b>you¡¯d probably want to drink, but I figured Bruce wouldnt want to drink too much. So, I arranged for someone to get you this juice. How about that? Am I being particrly attentive? Do you feel like you¡¯re almost falling for me?¡±


    Some of the heartfelt words were wrapped in jokes, while others were directly expressed.


    Though Duncan seemed very rxed, deep down, he was quite nervous. He didn¡¯t know if Sylvia would take his joke seriously.


    Sylvia rolled her eyes directly, took the juice from his hand, had a sip, and put it aside.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, then I bet there are plenty of girls here feeling fluttery because of your thoughtfulness. But sorry to burst your bubble, that fluttery feeling definitely doesn¡¯t include me. Alright, if there¡¯s nothing else, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ve had enough of being the center of attention here.¡±


    Thatst remark genuinely gave her a headache. Sylvia was almost at her wit¡¯s end. People around her kept staring at her, even though she wasn¡¯t the one stirring up all these things.


    Duncan shrugged. He had done what he wanted to do, and now that he understood Sylvia¡¯s current mood, there was no reason to stay here any longer. Since Sylvia wanted to leave, he might as well just go.


    But Sylvia¡¯s reaction just now still made Duncan feel a little sad.


    He had always hoped to take things further with Sylvia, but<b>she</b>seemed unwilling. So their rtionship seemed to be stuck where it was.


    <b>¡°</b>Alright, I¡¯ll go talk to Bruce for a bit.


    There was a hint of reluctance on Duncan¡¯s face, but Sylvia didn¡¯t notice any difference.


    Watching Duncan walk away towards Bruce after saying that, Sylvia took the opportunity to walk to aer with her ss. It was closest to the exit, and as soon as those two men finished talking, they could leave immediately.


    After a few more dance tunes, everyone resumed their conversations, and Cyril gradually regained his senses amidst the numbness.


    Seeing Sylvia standing in the corner, yfully sipping her juice, Cyril hesitated for a moment before walking up to her.


    ¡°Who was that guy just now? Is he pursuing you?¡±


    Sylvia, who had just put down her juice, heard Cyril¡¯s somewhat probing words and frowned, feeling a bit


    impatient.


    Whatever her rtionship with Duncan was, why did Cyril feel entitled toe over and ask such questions?


    ¡°Was it fun? I saw youughing so brightly while dancing with him, more fun than being with me, apparently.¡±


    Cyril endured the bitterness, speaking with a tinge of reproach to Sylvia. But in reality, he was just envious. Sylvia could dance with that guy so joyfully, even standing so close to him. The gazes from the surrounding people, filled with envy and jealousy, made him feel even more bitter.


    Throughout their marriage, whenever he and Sylvia appeared together, no one ever looked at them with such harmless eyes.


    In fact, Sylvia didn¡¯t get many opportunities to go out with him.


    ¡°What gives you the right to ask me that? Yes, being with him was indeed more interesting than being with you. But so what?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything else. I just want to know what your rtionship with him is now.¡±


    Cyril fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly.


    Yes, after they had separated, he had no right to continue meddling in Sylvia¡¯s life. Even Sylvia¡¯s rtionship with that guy wasn¡¯t within his scope of inquiry. And Duncan, just by being so conspicuous just now, had already outdone him.


    ¡°What¡¯s my rtionship with him? It¡¯s none of your business. Since we¡¯re divorced, let¡¯s not interfere with each other anymore. You¡¯re making me feel annoyed.¡±


    Sylvia said this with a frown, her eyes full of impatience and disgust. Cyril couldn¡¯t pretend he hadn¡¯t seen


    <ol>


    <li>it.</li>


    </ol>


    Bruce and Duncan seemed to have finished their conversation and were walking over with a somewhat aggressive air.


    Chube: 128 Whats the Comparison


    Sylvia just wanted to avoid trouble, so she didn¡¯t want to make things moreplicated for<b>herself</b><b>and</b>Immediately walked towards the two men.


    But just now when she was talking to Cyrill, she had already attracted the attention of the people around her with their ambiguous gazes, which made Sylvia even more irritated.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    She knew that having conversations with two men in one night, especially If It looked suspicious, would definitely lead to trouble, especially if one of those men was Cyril.


    ¡°I just had a chat with Bruce. Heard you guys are nning to integrate Al with the healthcare system. Maybe we could coborate on this. Tonight, I¡¯lle back with you guys, and we can discuss this project in detail. What do you think?¡±


    Duncan provocatively nced at Cyril, deliberately getting closer to Sylvia, cing his hand on her shoulder.


    Sylvia felt a bit speechless at Duncan¡¯s stance. It was something he often did during their usual interactions, so Sylvia didn¡¯t see any issue with it.


    But just because Sylvia thought it was okay didn¡¯t mean others did too.

 Chapter 129

    Chapter 129: The Determined Knight


    Bruce nced at Duncan¡¯s subtle movements, while also keeping an eye on the reactions of the people around. Seeing some curious nces directed their way, he raised an eyebrow ever so slightly.


    ¡°About corperating, we¡¯ll discuss it during work hours. Now¡¯s not the time for it. Sylvia and I are heading back. If you don¡¯t have anything urgent, you should head home too. Tonight¡¯smotion needs to be contained. I don¡¯t fancy seeing my sister¡¯s name stered across tomorrow¡¯s entertainment headlines.


    ¡°Oh, Bruce, your words really sting. Even if it¡¯s not about me today, Sylvia might still end up getting linked with Cyril somehow. Instead of seeing Sylvia¡¯s name in tomorrow¡¯s gossip, might as well think if it¡¯ll be sshed across the business section alongside Cyril¡¯s. That seems more likely.¡±


    Bruce simply didn¡¯t want Sylvia getting too involved with others, but with the events of tonight, making it


    to the headlines seemed unlikely anyway.


    Bruce sighed inwardly, but it was the truth.


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t stir up trouble, there shouldn¡¯t be too many issues. Now, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Bruce said, taking Sylvia¡¯s hand, ready to leave.


    Duncan saw the siblings leaving and promptly followed suit, like a determined knight, always guarding his princess, and for Duncan, Sylvia was his princess.


    The three of them left the banquet hall one after another, and the attention of the others returned. It was just a minor incident for them, nothing that would affect their matters.


    Cyril watched them leave and immediately followed suit, stepping out alongside them.


    As he


    walked out, he coincidentally ran into Jonathan, who was seeing Bonnie off.


    Jonathan brushed shoulders with Sylvia and Cyril, noticing Cyril¡¯s fixed gaze in Sylvia¡¯s direction.


    Duncan held the car door open for Sylvia, helping her inside before taking the passenger seat himself. They left together in a car. What was the deal with their rtionship<b>?</b>


    As Jonathan prepared to say something, he noticed Cyril¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t quite right, so he stopped


    himself.


    <b>¡°</b>Seeing how intimate they are, Sylvia and I won¡¯t reach that point again. Could we possibly see their names together on tomorrow¡¯s front page?


    It was more like he was asking himself, not expecting an answer.


    ¡®Their rtionship¡­¡±


    Jonathan racked his brain trying to figure out how to respond. He had just arrived and only saw Sylvia leaving with another man, no, two men. But what exactly happened, he truly didn¡¯t know. He could tell Cyril was triggered by the scene.


    *Seeing how many men flock around Sylvia after you left, going with two men tonight, what¡¯s there to


    The Detentn¨¦d Knight


    <b>think</b><b>about</b>their rtionship<b>?</b><b>Clearly</b><b>,</b>Sylvia¡¯s<b>not</b>being cautious.¡±


    He<b>didn¡¯t</b>want his brother to be stuck in a failed rtionship, especially<b>when</b>they<b>didn¡¯t</b>see any<b>merit</b>in<b>Sylvia</b>. So, when he spoke, it was disparaging.


    He had heard this kind of disparagement too many times before, but today, hearing it, Cyril found it particrly grating. Why did they think Sylvia was reckless?


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear anything detrimental about Sylvia from you anymore. Sylvia and I have no rtionship. Who she chooses to be with is her own business, nothing to do with me.¡±


    ¡°God, your words really hurt and upset me. Look at you, looking like you¡¯ve been deeply wronged. I just want you to be happier, nothing else.¡±


    Jonathan felt extremely aggrieved. He didn¡¯t know what had happened, so he spoke from Cyril¡¯s


    perspective. But Cyril seemed oblivious to it all.


    So Jonathan added, ¡°Though I don¡¯t think you being with Sylvia is a good idea. When Sylvia approached you initially, she definitely had her own agenda. Don¡¯t let her bewitch you.¡±


    ¡°Enough, stop it. If there¡¯s nothing else, leave.¡±


    Cyril closed his eyes, interrupting Jonathan.


    ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll stop. How about joining us for the party? You don¡¯t<b>seem</b>too happy today. Coming along might cheer you up. I¡¯ve already seen Bonnie off,<b>so</b>there won¡¯t be any disturbances for you tonight.¡±


    Jonathan noticed Cyril¡¯s mood wasn¡¯t great<b>,</b>so he suggested going out together. They had nned it but hadn¡¯t told Cyril beforehand, assuming he wouldn¡¯t agree. However, now might be<b>a</b>good chance.


    Cyril, however, was feeling extremely irritable. When he heard Jonathan mentioning the setup, he decided to go and see what<b>was</b>happening. He had something to prepare, and this might be the opportunity to


    resolve it.


    The atmosphere in the car on the way back became notably tense. Sylvia attempted to speak several times, but Bruce¡¯s cold gaze halted her each time.


    Halfway through the journey, the tension inside the car remained palpable. Nobody spoke. Even the driver seemed to speed up unconsciously.


    ¡°Why were you here tonight?¡±


    Bruce¡¯s first words carried a defensive tone and discontent, a stark contrast to how it all started.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    But when Sylvia turned to him, Bruce shed a bright smile that seemed devoid of concern for Bruce¡¯s


    anger.


    ¡°Nothing much, just came to have some fun. What about you? Enjoying tonight?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t find anything particrly enjoyable tonight. At the next intersection, you can get off. Sylvia and I are heading home. If you¡¯re free, don¡¯t follow us anymore. You do have a car, it¡¯s been trailing us all this


    while.¡±


    Bruce¡¯s disdain and irritation were clear. He didn¡¯t want Duncan tagging along, and Sylvia had nothing


    <b>more</b>to say


    But<b>Sylvia</b><b>was</b>curious, what<b>had</b>happened between the two of them?

 Chapter 130

    Chapter 130: What Are You Doing Here?


    As they reached the crossroads, Duncan wasn¡¯t too keen, but eventually,<b>Bruce</b>convinced him to get out, so he hopped into his car and headed home. The two cars parted ways at the fork in the road.


    Once Duncan exited the car, Sylvia felt the atmosphere Inside finally return to normal. Even the driver couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°I know you and Miranda are close, so naturally, your rtionship with Duncan is good too. That¡¯s why I want to ask about the status between you and Duncan. How far has it progressed? If your next step is to rekindle a romantic rtionship, I won¡¯t stop you. But if you¡¯re considering marriage again, I suggest you think it over carefully. Duncan is a decent guy, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯s marriage material.¡±


    Bruce dropped a bombshell right off the bat, leaving Sylvia wide¨Ceyed and unsure of what to say.


    She only saw Duncan as a good friend, no different from her rtionship with Miranda. Why did it sound wronging from Bruce?


    ¡°Big brother, are you mistaken? My rtionship with Duncan isn¡¯t<b>as</bplicated as you think. We¡¯re just friends, nothing more. You know he¡¯s always been a bit unreliable, prone to these kinds of situations. It¡¯s just that he¡¯s been abroad for years, so you¡¯re not used to it.¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Sylvia tried to rify, but Bruce could see through her clear gaze that Sylvia hadn¡¯t thought much about it. But a man understands men best, and he knows Duncan¡¯s true intentions, both today and in the past. However, Sylvia seemed oblivious.


    If Duncan didn¡¯t show his hand, there wasn¡¯t much more to say to avoid involving Sylvia further.


    ¡°Alright, just a passing remark. It¡¯s just that his attitude towards you seems different. If there¡¯s no issue, then let it be. But whatever you decide, I won¡¯t stand in your way. However, there¡¯s one thing you must do -ept the entire Ivan family.¡±


    Bruce changed the subject, avoiding further talk about Duncan. He moved on to work matters, mentioning the discussions he had during their dance about potential coborations.


    Sylvia couldn¡¯t help but admire her brother¡¯s industriousness. Even in such settings, he remembered to discuss business. She couldn¡¯t recall such details.


    As they chatted, they arrived home. It waste, so they tidied up and retired to their respective rooms to


    <b>rest</b>.


    Early


    the next morning, Sylvia woke up and checked the headlines on her phone. True to her expectations, her name and Cyril¡¯s were prominently featured in both entertainment and business sections.


    She felt a headacheing on. Duncan¡¯s name wasn¡¯t mentioned; he must have done something. But seeing her name linked with Cyril¡¯s irritated her.


    Running her fingers through her hair, she decided against delving deeper into the content and shut her phone off to get ready.


    Chapte? TJL WERBAHe You Daing


    She had a lot on her te for the day¨Cvisiting the magazine¡¯s shooting location, checking on their artists, discussing uing coborations with partners, and catching up with her brother. Plus, there was a meeting regarding integrating Al with medical devices, something their senior researcher had been pondering.


    As she thought about her packed schedule, she descended the stairs to find Bruce had already left for his own engagements. They both had busy days ahead, with Bruce preparing for a trip in the afternoon.


    After breakfast, Sylvia had her driver take her to the magazine¡¯s shoot location. Little did she expect to


    encounter someone there.


    It had been a while since she¡¯d seen Karina. She had assumed Karina had left, only to find her here.


    ¡°What are you doing here? Are you aware Cyril¡¯s here today, so you intentionally came? Let me tell you, there¡¯s absolutely nothing between Cyril and me anymore. I wouldn¡¯t spare him a second nce. Quit wasting your efforts!¡±


    Karina¡¯s hostility was palpable as soon as they met. Sylvia halted, surprised. Cyril was here today? Why hadn¡¯t anyone informed her?


    Well, Cyril¡¯s schedule was always a mystery to her. Perhaps his visit was impromptu. After all, with Karina present, Cyril¡¯s sudden appearance wasn¡¯t far¨Cfetched.


    ¡°You¡¯re overthinking. I¡¯m here because my artists are shooting for the magazine. I just came to check on things. You don¡¯t need to be so hostile. I have no interest in that man anymore.¡±


    Sylvia tried to diffuse the tension before heading inside to find her artists. As she located them, she noticed Cyril wasn¡¯t far off, apanied by a handsome man, likely one of theirpany¡¯s artists.


    Sylvia nced briefly before focusing on her tasks, discussing arrangements and checking on the shoot¡¯s


    progress.


    Once she was done, she prepared to leave. ncing back to where Cyril was<b>,</b>she noticed<b>he</b>was<b>gone</b>. Good riddance, she thought, feeling relieved to avoid any confrontations.


    Just as she reached the door, Karina intercepted her again.


    Sylvia sighed internally. Wasn¡¯t Karina supposed to have other things to do today?


    ¡°I¡¯m about to leave. I won¡¯t be bothering you further. If you have something to say, make it quick.¡±


    ¡°I have something I want to talk to you about. Can we find a ce to chat?¡±


    Karina¡¯s reluctance to let things go puzzled Sylvia. She had left the situation defeated, especially by someone she never saw as a rival¨CSylvia.

 Chapter 131

    Chapter 131: Is She Crazy?


    For a moment there, Sylvia couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Karina was losing her marbles. Their rtionship was already on shaky ground to begin with.


    Plus, hadn¡¯t they covered all this ground before? They had made themselves clear. So, what was the point<b>.</b>of continuing this conversation today?


    ¡°I think there¡¯s really nothing left for us to discuss. Instead ofing to me to rehash old topics, have you thought about how to quickly get out of this mess? Being embroiled in scandals isn¡¯t exactly great for your career as an actress. It¡¯s practically torpedoed your future, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    For a long time, their rtionship had been akin to that of enemies. So, when they spoke, it was like wielding sharp knives, piercing each other¡¯s soft spots.


    After Sylvia finished speaking, Karina noticeably fell silent, her expression turning sour. But being in a professional setting, there were things she couldn¡¯t say, which ended up working in Sylvia¡¯s favor.


    Knowing Karina had nothing more to say, Sylvia chuckled. ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve figured it out. If you¡¯re here to talk about Cyril, I advise against it. My stance is pretty clear. Don¡¯t involve me in your drama anymore.¡±


    With that said, Sylvia took out her phone, sent a few messages, and left. After all, there were other things to attend to. She couldn¡¯t spend all her time here.


    As for Karina, she stood there watching Sylvia leave.


    Despite feeling indignant, Karina had to admit that since Sylvia chose to leave and let go of everything with Cyril, Sylvia had changed. She wasn¡¯t dwelling on the past anymore; her focus was on the present


    The Sylvia now wasn¡¯t the same woman Karina used to disdain. She had be even more impressive, making Karina feel envious.


    But just as Sylvia had pointed out, Karina was deeply entangled in scandals now, almost ruining her entire


    future.


    Especially since she had offended Cyril. If she wanted to stand firm in this industry, regain her previous. resources and status, she needed to make some sacrifices.


    Realizing this, Karina turned back to her work, ready to continue. However, as soon as she did, she was met with Cyril¡¯s somewhat displeased and guarded gaze.


    ¡°What were you talking to her about just now?¡±


    Cyril¡¯s protective tone caught Karina off guard, leaving her unsure of what to say.


    Cyril was indeed a good person. If he cared about you, he would hold your feelings close to his heart. But if you meant nothing to him, nothing you did would faze him.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯d hurt Sylvia? You needn¡¯t worry. She¡¯s doing better now than you think.¡±


    Karina¡¯s words pained her deeply. Regardless of her rtionship with Sylvia, she was genuinely sincere towards Cyril.


    Chapte 131.1. She Crazy?


    Unfortunately, things didn¡¯t turn out as expected.


    Cyril narrowed his eyes slightly, not entirely believing Karina¡¯s words.


    Over time, he hade to realize that most of the harm Sylvia suffered was a result of his favoritism


    towards Karina


    While Karina might not directly harm Sylvia, she always found ways to hurt her, something Cyril had never noticed before.


    ¡°Whether you harm Sylvia or not, I warn you, if you dare to do anything to hurt her, I¡¯ll make you regret it. What you have now isn¡¯t easy toe by. Don¡¯t ruin everything you¡¯ve worked so hard for.¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t like this before. Why, now suddenly you feel like you¡¯ve hurt her and want to make it up to her by destroying everything I have?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t do such a thing. Regardless, your future is in your own hands. I just don¡¯t want her to suffer any more harm.¡±


    Cyril didn¡¯t want to be ruthless. If Karina couldn¡¯t correct her attitude, then he would indeed take someThis content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    measures


    At this moment, Cyril seemed particrly distant to Karina. She should have noticed that Cyril¡¯s feelings towards Sylvia had changed.


    ¡°I know I¡¯m not foolish. I know what¡¯s best for me now. No need for you to remind me here.¡±


    With that said, Karina sidestepped Cyril and returned to her workstation. Other matters were less important now. She just needed to hold onto what she had.


    For several days straight, Sylvia found herself bumping into Cyril at her workce.


    It irked her to no end. Had her actions been leaked? Why was Cyril trailing her like nothing was wrong?


    Today, Juliette apanied Sylvia. When their cars reached the city, they noticed a car following them. It was obvious who was inside.


    ¡°Do you want to talk to him? He¡¯s been following you these days. You two are all over the entertainment headlines. Even the hottest celebrities can¡¯t outshine you two.¡±


    After all, gossip and entertainment news drew more attention. And when it came to Cyril, who was once divorced and now possibly reconciling, Sylvia was even more intriguing.


    Sylvia had seen the entertainment news these past few days.


    The more she read, the more absurd it seemed. She and Cyril had nothing going on. How could those scandalous media outlets dare to specte about them remarrying?


    ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing to say to him. Don¡¯t you think if I go to him now, tomorrow¡¯s headlines will blow our rtionship out of proportion, maybe even im we¡¯ve agreed to remarry?¡±


    Juliette pondered for a moment. Sylvia did have a point, but they couldn¡¯t let him keep trailing them. It was not only interfering with their work but also preventing Cyril from doing<b>his</b>.


    ¡°In that case, there¡¯s no need to approach him. But we do need to address those online rumors. They won¡¯t affect him much, but they certainly will you.¡±

 Chapter 132

    Chapter 132 Stay Away from Me


    These past couple of days, as they went about their work, it seemed like everyone had their eyes on them


    and Juliet felt the same way.


    to some extent. Silvia felt uneasy


    So, it was no surprise when Jullet uttered those words, asking Silvia to handle the current situation. But clearly, things weren¡¯t going to be easily resolved.


    Just as she finished speaking, she noticed some movement from the car behind them.


    Cyril stepped out of the car and started walking directly toward them, sending shivers down Juliet¡¯s spine.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Juliet knew Silvia was growing increasingly impatient with Cyril and just wanted to get rid of him as much as possible.


    So when Cyril approached, Juliet subconsciously wanted the driver to start the car. However, they had already reached their destination and were about to meet with the person in charge. It wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to drive away now.


    Avoiding the problem wasn¡¯t Silvia¡¯s style either. These past few days, she had been tolerating Cyril, but today, she had had enough.


    ¡°Wait for me here. I¡¯ll go sort this out,¡± Silvia said as she got out of the car. Cyril had intended to knock on the door, but seeing Silviaing down, he paused and took a step back, allowing Silvia to face him directly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to talk to you these past few days. That day on set, I saw Karina go to you. But that wasn¡¯t my idea. I didn¡¯t know she would approach you. Were you upset about it?¡± Cyril¡¯s tone unconsciously carried a hint of pleading and humility, much like a mirror image of how Silvia had once


    been.


    Silvia paused at Cyril¡¯s words, reminiscing about how she used to treat him and realizing how their roles had reversed.


    ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. The biggest grievance I¡¯ve had is marrying you. After divorcing you, I haven¡¯t suffered any further grievances. That incident has had no impact on me. There¡¯s no need for you to seek me out. But since you¡¯re here, I might as well make some things clear. We have no rtionship anymore. Remember that. So from now on, I want you to stay away from me. I don¡¯t want to be troubled by you anymore, and I don¡¯t want to be needlessly dragged into entertainment headlines.¡±


    Her tone was cold and calm, once again drawing a clear line between them. This time, she wasn¡¯t giving Cyril any face.


    ¡°You¡¯re only feeling guilty towards me now. But back then, saving you was my own decision, marrying you was also my own choice. You never betrayed me; you simply neglected me. Whatever I did was my own business.<b>So</b>, you don¡¯t need to lower yourself to face me.¡±


    Cyril felt a pang of anxiety listening to her words. He realized that his recent actions were indeed driven by a desire to make amends, but during this time, he had alsoe to understand his true feelings.


    His feelings towards Silvia weren¡¯t<b>just</b>about making amends<b>;</b>there was something more. He<b>wanted</b>to reconcile with her. But had he been too hasty with his actions?


    Had Silvia sensed his intentions and Immediately recolled, wanting to put even more distance between.


    them?


    ¡°In fact, I have many suitors around me. You¡¯re always like this, which is quite bothersome. I want to embrace a new romance, but not with you.¡±


    Cyril¡¯s actions were more driven by guilt, and Silvia knew it. So, she decided to y her trump card.


    Cyril froze upon hearing this. Without the baggage of their past, he could now see Silvia<b>in</b>a fairer light.


    He realized that Silvia wasn¡¯t just stunning in appearance; her abilities were exceptional as well.


    If they hadn¡¯t married but met in the business world, Silvia would undoubtedly have been his most formidable opponent.


    Of course, now he deeply admired having encountered such a rival. So, setting aside their past, Silvia was indeed formidable now, and having suitors was entirely normal.


    ¡°Since you have suitors, I suppose you wouldn¡¯t mind one more,¡± Cyril quicklyposed himself, realizing that Silvia had suitors was something he had seen before. So why couldn¡¯t he, now as one of those suitors, pursue her openly?


    Silvia frowned, and suddenly, a spark of insight shed through her mind. She followed that spark, but there was nothing there..


    However, having been in the entertainment headlines these past few days, Silvia knew exactly where th paparazzi were positioned. Clearly, she was being tracked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind other suitors, but if that suitor happens to be you, I very much do mind. Let me reiterate: stay away from me!¡±


    If Cyril continued to pursue her like this, she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to use other means to make him back off.


    With that said, Silvia tapped on the car window, signaling for Juliet toe out as it was time to get to


    work.


    Juliet stepped out of the car and nced at Cyril, who seemed somewhat lost. But she felt no sympathy; instead, she believed Cyril deserved whatever was happening to him now.


    ¡°We have a meeting in ten minutes. We need to hurry. Also, my assistant messaged me earlier saying there are reporters nearby. I¡¯ve instructed him to handle it, and tomorrow, I¡¯ll try to keep you off the headlines as much as possible.¡±


    As soon as she stepped out of the car, Juliet immediately briefed Silvia.


    Silvia raised an eyebrow. It seemed her earlier feeling was correct; she was indeed being followed by


    reporters.


    ¡°Alright. When we get back, in the name of Ivan Group, you¡¯ll contact the media outlets that have reported on me. Tell them that if they spread any rumors about me without my consent, I¡¯ll sue them and make


    Chapter 132 Stay<b>Away</b>from Mel


    them face legal consequences.


    Previously, due to work, Silvia hadn¡¯t had time to deal with these matters. But now, she was quite displeased and willing to make time to resolve them.


    ¡°Understood.¡± Juliet nodded and continued contacting her assistant to handle the situation while leading


    Silvia into thepany.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Cyril stood in ce, watching Silvia enter the building and effortlessly handle the situation. She was indeed different from before, and these were aspects he had never noticed.


    With a pang of bitterness, he wondered how he had been blind to such a gem.

 Chapter 133

    Chapter 133:<b>Just</b>Hype


    The efficiency of Ivan Group was through the roof. Sylvia had just finished discussing matters with Juliet, and boom! The group had already issued a statement, directly warning those entertainmentpanies


    not to cross the line.


    Within less than two hours, the group had already warned numerous newspapers privately, and some even found themselves facingwsuits.


    Clearly, that statement was just their final warning. Legal actions were definitely on the horizon.


    And guess what? The next day, the inte finally quieted down about Sylvia and Cyril. Sylvia didn¡¯t have to endure those heartbreakingments anymore, nor the rumors about them getting back together.


    Someone once told Sylvia that marriage is like a tomb, but she never really believed it. Now that she¡¯s out of that ¡°tomb¡°, would she be crazy to step back into it again? That would just be in foolish.


    With Cyril no longer by her side, Sylvia noticed a sudden surge in her work efficiency.


    ¡°So, the R&D department mentioned to me that the Al for the medical project is now undergoing its second round of testing. What are your thoughts?¡±


    After the usual morning meeting, Sylvia was on her way back to her office when Bruce snagged her for a chat about thetest developments in artificial intelligence.


    The integration of Al with medical projects was one of Ivan Group¡¯s major initiatives, and Sylvia was overseeing this project. She had received updates from the R&D department. Though the second fojnd of testing was about tomence, medical projects were different from others because each patient¡¯s


    case was unique.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already talked to Big Bro about it. His tak¨¦ is that, despite how advanced Al might be, it can¡¯t rece human intervention when ites to matters of life and death. So, while Al can assist initially, ultimately, patients will still need proper medical treatment in hospitals. Therefore, the results of the second testing round won¡¯t be indicative of the final oue.¡±


    Bruce nodded along. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re thinking this way. Keep a close eye on it. The report for the second testing round will be out in a couple of days. We¡¯ll discuss our next steps after that. Also, there¡¯s another project. Take a look at this document.¡±


    This project had recentlynded on<b>Bruce¡¯s</b>desk. Sylvia had been handling her current projects excellently, which had solidified her position within thepany. But if she could take on a few more significant projects, it would greatly benefit her future within Ivan Group.


    The project in her hands was more of a charitable endeavor, not highly profitable but could earn them at lot of goodwill.


    ¡°Investing inbs?¡±


    They¡¯d been doing this all along; after all, they needed talent, and investing inbs was the best way to


    nurture it.


    Chapter 133<b>Just</b><b>Hype</b>


    ¡°Exactly. Investing inbs, but this time, it¡¯s a bit different. We¡¯re investing in individuals. If any of them excel in our experimental projects, we can bring them into thepany. So, this project serves as our talent pool. It depends on how you see it, but for now, there won¡¯t be much immediate profit. However, In the long run, it¡¯ll greatly benefit thepany¡¯s growth and, of course, your career.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any major objections to this. But what about the others in thepany? Do they have any


    issues¡±


    Sylvia thought it was a pretty good initiative. It would provide them with talent, which was always a plus. But just because she was okay with it didn¡¯t mean others would be.


    Bruce sighed, pointing to the document. ¡°Take a closer look. This is<b>a</b>personal project, not rted to thepany. I arranged it for you.¡±


    Sylvia understood, Essentially, she¡¯d be funding it, and the talents nurtured would be affiliated with the


    ¡°It sounds a bit of a loss, but I suppose it could work.¡±


    Sylvia took another look at the document. It seemed like<b>a</b>good project<b>,</b>and if they were going to do it,


    they had to get started soon.


    ¡°I¡¯m fuming!


    Just as Sylvia was about to bring up something else, the office door burst open with force.


    Balk stormed in, wearing sunsses and a mask, clearly furious, He mmed the door shut and flopped


    onto the couch.


    His sudden entrance left Sylvia and Bruce momentarily stunned.


    ¡°Is Karina out of her mind? Cyril¡¯s barely acknowledging her existence, and she shamelessly clings onto me! And her agency has the audacity to im it¡¯s all just hype? This is outright exploiting me!¡±


    Balk pulled off his mask and sunsses<b>,</b>tossing them onto the coffee table, as he vented<b>his</b>frustration


    to the two.


    ¡°And those hical media outlets! Saying Karina and I aren¡¯t just part of some hype? It¡¯s absurd!


    What nonsense! I¡¯m not blind, why would I have anything to do with that woman, Karina!¡±


    Sylvia and Bruce listened, initially confused but instinctively reaching for their phones to figure out why Balk was so enraged.


    After a moment of browsing, they understood the reason behind Balk¡¯s fury.


    A few days ago, at an awards ceremony, Karina and Balk found themselves inexplicably linked together for publicity. Many online voices were iming they made a perfect couple.


    If it were someone else, Balk might have let it slide, treating it as just another publicity stunt. But it had to be Karina, and he just couldn¡¯t remain calm.


    Hence, Balk was beyond angry. Without consulting his agency, he went ahead andmbasted thoseN?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Chapter 133, Just Hype,


    media outlets one by one online. Though his choice of words wasn¡¯t exactly polite.


    ¡°So, just because of this, you went ahead and cursed out all those media outlets? Karina¡¯s side already rified that it¡¯s all just a hype. Your current actions are only stirring up trouble for yourself.¡±


    Bruce offered a logical analysis.


    Karina¡¯s camp had already exined that it was all<b>just</b>a publicity stunt, and yet, the more Balk reacted, the deeper the ties between him and Karina seemed to be.


    And Balk¡¯s aggressive online responses weren¡¯t exactly winning him any favors.

 Chapter 134

    Chapter 134: Talent Match


    Baruk widened his eyes at Bruce¡¯s words. Hadn¡¯t he looked carefully at what the online news was saying?


    ¡°Bro, did you really check what those online rumors are saying? They¡¯re saying that Karina and I are a perfect match, like some kind of power couple! That¡¯s just insulting, man!¡±


    <b>That</b>was the part Baruk couldn¡¯t stomach. He couldn¡¯t ept being tied to Karina like that.


    ¡°When did my taste plummet so drastically? I mean, Karina? Am I out of my mind? I¡¯m not<b>Cyril</b>, I have


    normal taste as a guy!¡±


    Baruk emphasized.


    Seeing Baruk fuming. Sylvia couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Alright, bro, don¡¯t stoop to their level. You¡¯ve practically offended all the media outlets now.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? Anyway, the media already knows I¡¯m backed by the Ivan Group. Get thepany to handle this nonsense. I wasn¡¯t keen on using thepany or family influence before, but this is too much. How dare they say this about me!¡±


    Yes, this was the first time Baruk wanted to use thepany¡¯s power to deal with such matters since his


    debut.


    Bruce raised an eyebrow slightly but didn¡¯t say anything, simply turning to Sylvia. If Sylvia agreed, then he


    would too.


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll contact the PR department right away to help you sort this out,¡± Sylvia said as she took out her phone to get in touch with the PR team to assist Baruk.


    Baruk¡¯s anger subsided instantly. Sisters were the best, after all.


    ¡°Okay, enough about this. I didn¡¯t juste here for my own issues today; I have other matters too.¡±


    Baruk looked seriously at Sylvia. ¡°Everywhere I go these days for work, I keep bumping into Cyril. Can you tell me what¡¯s going on between you and Cyril? You¡¯re not thinking of rekindling things, are you?¡±


    The office fell into silence after he said this. Bruce scrutinized Sylvia with a probing gaze.


    Sylvia paused her typing, looking at Baruk incredulously. ¡°Are you crazy, bro? When did I ever imply


    wanted to go back to Cyril?¡±


    ¡°Do you know? Cyril¡¯s been acting like a different person these days. It¡¯s not that obvious, but clearly, he¡¯s trying to pull me in. Maybe because he knows we¡¯re siblings, he¡¯s trying to get to me. So, I need to know where you stand. If you have any thoughts about him, then maybe we should just put a stop to this sibling rtionship. If you¡¯re not interested, I can help you sort it out.¡±


    That was the message Baruk wanted to convey. Sylvia had already suffered a lot because of Cyril before. If she still couldn¡¯t see through him<b>¡­</b>


    Baruk would question his sister¡¯s judgment.


    Chapter 134 Talem Match-


    After a moment of silence, Sylvia said, ¡°I thought I¡¯d made it pretty clear recently. Didn¡¯t expect you guys to get the wrong idea. There¡¯s nothing between Cyril and me. You can do whatever you want; you don¡¯t need to consider me. And right now, he¡¯s mostly filled with guilt towards me. There¡¯s nothing else.¡±


    ¡°If I had known this earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have bothered saving him. Nearly<b>got</b>you dragged into it. What a waste Anyway, let me handle this. Don¡¯t meet Cyril for a while.¡±


    Baruk earnestly reminded Sylvia. Sylvia felt a bit helpless; when did she meet Cyril? It was always him wanting to meet her.


    ¡°Speaking of which, I suddenly remembered Duncan. These past few days after work, I¡¯ve seen him waiting downstairs for you. Looks like he¡¯s trying to pursue you. What do you think?¡±


    The three siblings gathered and began gossiping about Sylvia. Baruk didn¡¯t care about his own rumors, but when it came to his sister¡¯s, he was all ears.


    Bruce also looked pensive. Cyril was definitely a no¨Cgo, and Duncan was a bit too familiar. Butpared to Cyril, Duncan was a decent guy. If Sylvia wanted to be with him, it could work. Plus, in terms of family background, Duncan was slightly below Sylvia, so if they ever decided to get married¡­


    Bruce¡¯s thoughts drifted off, and Sylvia noticed his contemtive expression, knowing he was probably mulling over various scenarios.


    So, she immediately reached out and tapped on the table, interrupting Bruce¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Although I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on in your mind, big bro, your expression just now seemed off. There¡¯s nothing between Duncan and me. I¡¯ve already told you before. Don¡¯t believe everything you hear.¡±


    Sylvia felt a bit exasperated. They were discussing business, and suddenly, her personal life was dragged


    into it.


    ¡°I think instead of worrying about my personal life, you guys should focus on your own. So far, both of you are still single. Dad was even asking me yesterday when you two n to get married.¡±


    Sylvia shifted her gaze to her two brothers, and Bruce and Baruk immediately avoided eye contact, ying dead one after another.


    Sylvia couldn¡¯t help but find it amusing. Why did their attitudes change so drastically whenever marriage was mentioned?


    ¡°Bro, I¡¯ve sorted things out with the PR department. You can leave it to them. As for Duncan, big bro, can you handle it for me? I¡¯m off to France this afternoon for a business trip. There¡¯s a medicalpany there I want to inspect. If it looks good, we could consider adding it as a stakeholder for our future medical Al service tform.¡±


    Sylvia stood up, addressing her two brothers. Then she swiftly headed out.


    <b>Once</b>Sylvia left, Baruk looked at Bruce. ¡°Big bro, what do you think about Cyril¡¯s recent actions? Don¡¯t you have any thoughts?¡±


    Baruk¡¯s mischievous gaze was too obvious; Bruce couldn¡¯t pretend not to notice.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    <b>Ghapo</b>, Tad<b>,</b>Talent Match


    <b>¡°</b>What do you propose we do?¡±


    ¡°Give him a warning.¡±


    Bruce sighed. ¡°Little sis can handle this. She doesn¡¯t need us to worry. If she needs help, she¡¯ll tell us. But since she hasn¡¯t said anything, it means she doesn¡¯t really need our help. Plus, little sis has already shown her stance on Cyril. So, the root of the problem won¡¯t be solved just by us giving a warning<b>.</b>Besides, after all the hardships little sis has endured these years, letting Cyril face some hardships too isn¡¯t a bad thing.¡±


    S?arch the<b>NovelDrama.Org</b>website on G????gle to ess chapters of novels early and in the highest qualit

 Chapter 135

    <b>Chapter</b><b>135</b>: Business Trip


    Sylvia¡¯s trip to Country F wasn¡¯t a spur¨Cof¨Cthe¨Cmoment decision; it had been in the works for quite some time. This time around, she wasn¡¯t just heading to F for that medicalpany, there were otherpanies waiting for her to assess the situation.


    Plus, she received some fresh news that in F, there¡¯s this smart techpany with remarkable Al capabilities. If they could strike a deal, their projects could really take off.


    Sylvia wasn¡¯t traveling alone this time, she had Juliet Ingrid apanying her. Originally, it was just Juliet tagging along, but upon learning about the trip to F, Ingrid insisted on joining, stating she could help Sylvia settle into the F branch¡¯s environment quickly.


    It was obvious to anyone with half an eye that Ingrid was deliberatelying<b>along</b>. Sylvia also wanted to see what Ingrid was up to, so she agreed.


    And so, they set off together.


    After a dozen hours of flying, they touched down in F.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take it easy today, tidy up these materials tomorrow, and the day after, we¡¯ll check out the


    subsidiary and then pay visits to those twopanies,¡± was their initial n.


    Originally, Sylvia nned to spend about half a month in F, but with Ingrid¡¯s arrival, she could extend her stay a bit.


    Of course, if their trip to F proved fruitful, they could extend it further.


    So with ample time on their hands, there was no need to rush into anything else. They had to get themselves settled first before tackling other matters.


    The F branch had already sent someone to pick them up and had arranged hotel amodations. They were driven straight to the hotel. Sylvia hadn¡¯t anticipated bumping into Cyril there.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    It had been a few days since theyst met, so seeing Cyril again didn¡¯t faze Sylvia. She thought he mighte over to chat, but unexpectedly, Cyril just nced at her, checked in, and headed upstairs with his


    entourage.


    Juliet was surprised by Cyril¡¯s aloof reaction. She leaned over to Sylvia and whispered, ¡°What¡¯s up? Did you two have a fight? He¡¯s unusually cold; it¡¯s not like him.¡±


    Sylvia couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at Juliet¡¯s remark. Wasn¡¯t a little aloofness better?


    Their rtionship was what it was. Did Cyril have to keep being overly friendly? Sylvia couldn¡¯t ept that. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything else to it. I just made<b>an</b>offhandment. You know how Cyril was constantly pursuing you before. Now, suddenly, he¡¯s cold as ice. It¡¯s a bit strange to me. Maybe he¡¯s got something up his sleeve? Do you think our discussions on cooperation have something to do with him? Is he intentionally<b>trying</b>to throw<b>a</b>wrench in your ns?¡± Juliet¡¯s mind was already conjuring up various scenarios from just a brief encounter. Sylvia couldn¡¯t help but marvel at Juliet¡¯s active imagination.


    Chapter 125 HEINTES Tip


    ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. Hardly anyone knows about our trip to F, and it¡¯s not like Cyril has any connection to thepanies we¡¯re visiting. How could he know about my itinerary? Cyril being here must be coincidental. Maybe he¡¯s just here on business like us, but luck hasn¡¯t been on his side, ending up in the same hotel,¡± Sylvia reasoned. Jullet didn¡¯t press further, sensing there might be more to Cyril¡¯s presence.


    After checking in, Sylvia instructed the subsidiary¡¯s representatives to meet in two days and then retired to her room for some rest.


    Sylvia was a bit weary, but due to jetg, she found it hard to fall asleep. ncing at the time, she realized it was almost dinner time. Sylvia thought about calling Jullet to go out for a meal together.


    As she stepped out of her room to knock on Juliet¡¯s door, the adjacent room¡¯s door opened too. Sylvia instinctively turned, locking eyes with Cyril again.


    For some reason, Sylvia recalled Juliet¡¯s words from downstairs. If once was an ident and twice a coincidence, then Cyril living next door felt more than just that.


    They stared at each other for a moment before Sylvia broke the silence. ¡°Are you here on business<b>?</b>¡±


    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s some trouble brewing at thepany, so I¡¯m here to sort it out,¡± Cyril replied curtly, as if speaking to a stranger, then turned and left swiftly, preupied with a phone call.


    Watching him leave, Sylvia couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that Cyril¡¯s presence here was more than just a coincidence. She hoped he was genuinely here for business and nothing else.


    Just as Sylvia was about to knock on Juliet¡¯s door, Juliet opened it herself.


    ¡°I saw you talking to Cyril just now. Something¡¯s definitely fishy about his being here. Anyway, I¡¯m about to hit the hay. Did you need something?¡± Juliet said.


    ¡­I was thinking of going out for dinner together.


    ¡°But I¡¯m not hungry. Why don¡¯t you go alone? Leave me a midnight snack at the door for when I wake up,¡± Juliet suggested before hugging Sylvia and kissing her cheek, then retreating into her room, thanking her and shutting the door.


    Watching the door close, Sylvia couldn¡¯t help but feel overwhelmed. That¡¯s just how Juliet was.


    Since Juliet was off to bed, Sylvia didn¡¯t want to push. Dining alone felt a bit lonely, but she didn¡¯t intend to invite Ingrid either. So, she pulled out her phone to search for nearby restaurants.


    As she reached the lobby via the elevator, she bumped into Cyril again, who seemed to be agitated on the phone, furrowing his brows with an impatient expression.


    Things must be quiteplicated at hispany, Sylvia thought to herself.


    The subsidiary had arranged a driver for her, but since she was only going out for dinner, she didn¡¯t call for one. Instead, she found her way to a taxi stand using navigation, ready to head out.

 Chapter 136

    Chapter 136: The Mole


    It was around mealtime, and th1/3


    Chapter 136: The Mole


    ere were plenty of empty taxis outside the hotel. Sylvia had just hailed one and was about to get in when someone stopped the door from closing. She looked up and saw Cyril.


    Without giving Sylvia a chance<b>to</b>speak, Cyril squeezed into the car as well and gave driver an address.


    <b>¡°</b>What are you doing?¡± Sylvia asked.


    the


    Cyril couldn¡¯t possibly be so broke that he couldn¡¯t even afford a cab ride and had to freeload with her, right?


    But as it turned out, Cyril¡¯s destination was the same as Sylvia¡¯s.


    ¡°There¡¯s a mole in thepany, and I¡¯m here to deal with it. But it<b>seems</b>it¡¯s not just mypany; yours seems to have the same problem,¡± Cyril said, exining why he had- hitched a ride with Sylvia.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Sylvia was taken aback. When she heard the term ¡°mole,¡± her mind immediately jumped to Inglee. After all, the whole thing abouting to France was Inglee¡¯s idea, so there might be a connection


    ¡°If there¡¯s a mole in yourpany, why don¡¯t you just take a cab yourself? Why tag along with me?¡± Sylvia asked.


    <b>¡°</b>If I take a cab, it¡¯ll draw more attention. They might be on guard. Following you, they won¡¯t suspect much. And if you feel I¡¯m causing you trouble, I¡¯ll treat you to dinnerter aspensation,¡± Cyril replied with impable manners, but Sylvia wasn¡¯t having any of it. Dining together would onlyplicate things further.


    ¡°No need. I can afford the cab fare. Consider it payment for the intel you provided,¡± Sylvia said, closing her eyes, opting not to engage further with Cyril. Having to share a car with him was already irritating enough.


    She could feel Cyril¡¯s gaz


    could feel Cyril¡¯s gaze on her, intense and affectionate. But Sylvia found it ridiculous What gave him the right to look at her like that?


    Fortunately, their destination wasn¡¯t far. A few minutester, they arrived. Sylvia got out<b>and</b>nced around. Through the window of a nearby caf¨¦, she spotted Inglee, confirming her suspicions.


    ¡°I¡¯ve received reliable information that there¡¯s a mole in ourpany. Though not in top management, they¡¯re in a mid¨Clevel position. They¡¯ve been sellingpany models and


    Chapter 136: The Mole


    2/3


    confidential files to otherpanies at high prices. I initially suspected yourpany, but it seems not,¡± Cyril exined his suspicions, rooted in their strained rtionship and that of their respective bosses.


    Sylvia raised an eyebrow. Suspecting theirpany of selling confidential files to hers was quite a leap.


    ¡°Any other thoughts?¡± Sylvia asked.


    ¡°Selling to anotherpany or sent by anotherpany,¡± Cyril calmly shared all his spections with Sylvia<b>,</b>based on usible scenarios.


    Sylvia nodded. If she were in his shoes, she¡¯d probably make simr assumptions.


    ¡°Well, if we both have matters to attend to,<b>I</b>won¡¯t disturb you further. I¡¯ll go see why she¡¯s here,¡± Sylvia smiled at Cyril before leisurely heading towards the caf¨¦.


    She spotted Inglee, who may or may not have seen her. It was probably Inglee¡¯s first time doing something like this, so she was extra cautious, ncing around frequently but failing to notice Sylvia.


    Until Sylvia approached, startling her.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Sylvia asked, disappointed to find only two cups of coffee and their phones on the table. She had hoped for an exchange of information, but apparently, it was nothing of the sort. Cyril also left in another direction.


    Seemingly panicked, Inglee hurriedly paid for the coffee and grabbed the man¡¯s wrist, intending to leave together. But he kept his eyes fixed on Sylvia, showing reluctance to depart.


    Sylvia couldn¡¯t ignore the man¡¯s<b>gaze</b>, too intense and suggestive to ignore.


    ¡°Looks like your friend here isn¡¯t keen on leaving. Making a new friend is nice, but I don¡¯t appreciate treacherous ones,¡± Sylvia remarked with a<b>smile</b><b>,</b>making Inglee even paler. She didn¡¯t care what the man thought; she dragged him away from the caf¨¦.


    Seeing them leave, Sylvia narrowed her eyes and sneered at the coffee on their table.


    She took out her phone, about to report the situation to her big brother, when she noticed a


    message from Bruce three minutes ago, warning her about Inglee¡¯s recent activities, suspecting her of mischief.


    That was a wake¨Cup call. Sylvia clicked her tongue. It wasn¡¯t solitude she had found here but


    rather trouble.


    But considering the man from earlier, their mismatchedpanionship, and Inglee¡¯s


    Chapter 136: The Mole


    3/3


    willingness to humble herself<b>,</b>it was evident there was more to their rtionship. Sylvia couldn¡¯t be bothered to dwell further; she hadn¡¯t expected Inglee to reveal her true colors on the<b>very</b>first day in France. But what came next would surely be even more intriguing.


    urpany, why don¡¯t you just take a cab yourself? Why tag along with me?¡± Sylvia asked.


    <b>¡°</b>If I take a cab, it¡¯ll draw more attention. They might be on guard. Following you, they won¡¯t suspect much. And if you feel I¡¯m causing you trouble, I¡¯ll treat you to dinnerter aspensation,¡± Cyril replied with impable manners, but Sylvia wasn¡¯t having any of it. Dining together would onlyplicate things further.


    ¡°No need. I can afford the cab fare. Consider it payment for the intel you provided,¡± Sylvia said, closing her eyes, opting not to engage further with Cyril. Having to share a car with him was already irritating enough.


    She could feel Cyril¡¯s gaz


    could feel Cyril¡¯s gaze on her, intense and affectionate. But Sylvia found it ridiculous What gave him the right to look at her like that?


    Fortunately, their destination wasn¡¯t far. A few minutester, they arrived. Sylvia got out<b>and</b>nced around. Through the window of a nearby caf¨¦, she spotted Inglee, confirming her suspicions.


    ¡°I¡¯ve received reliable information that there¡¯s a mole in ourpany. Though not in top management, they¡¯re in a mid¨Clevel position. They¡¯ve been sellingpany models and


    Chapter 136: The Mole


    2/3


    confidential files to otherpanies at high prices. I initially suspected yourpany, but it seems not,¡± Cyril exined his suspicions, rooted in their strained rtionship and that of their respective bosses.


    Sylvia raised an eyebrow. Suspecting theirpany of selling confidential files to hers was quite a leap.


    ¡°Any other thoughts?¡± Sylvia asked.


    ¡°Selling to anotherpany or sent by anotherpany,¡± Cyril calmly shared all his spections with Sylvia<b>,</b>based on usible scenarios.


    Sylvia nodded. If she were in his shoes, she¡¯d probably make simr assumptions.


    ¡°Well, if we both have matters to attend to,<b>I</b>won¡¯t disturb you further. I¡¯ll go see why she¡¯s here,¡± Sylvia smiled at Cyril before leisurely heading towards the caf¨¦.


    She spotted Inglee, who may or may not have seen her. It was probably Inglee¡¯s first time doing something like this, so she was extra cautious, ncing around frequently but failing to notice Sylvia.


    Until Sylvia approached, startling her.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Sylvia asked, disappointed to find only two cups of coffee and their phones on the table. She had hoped for an exchange of information, but apparently, it was nothing of the sort. Cyril also left in another direction.


    Seemingly panicked, Inglee hurriedly paid for the coffee and grabbed the man¡¯s wrist, intending to leave together. But he kept his eyes fixed on Sylvia, showing reluctance to depart.


    Sylvia couldn¡¯t ignore the man¡¯s<b>gaze</b>, too intense and suggestive to ignore.


    ¡°Looks like your friend here isn¡¯t keen on leaving. Making a new friend is nice, but I don¡¯t appreciate treacherous ones,¡± Sylvia remarked with a<b>smile</b><b>,</b>making Inglee even paler. She didn¡¯t care what the man thought; she dragged him away from the caf¨¦.


    Seeing them leave, Sylvia narrowed her eyes and sneered at the coffee on their table.


    She took out her phone, about to report the situation to her big brother, when she noticed a


    message from Bruce three minutes ago, warning her about Inglee¡¯s recent activities, suspecting her of mischief.


    That was a wake¨Cup call. Sylvia clicked her tongue. It wasn¡¯t solitude she had found here but


    rather trouble.


    But considering the man from earlier, their mismatchedpanionship, and Inglee¡¯s


    Chapter 136: The Mole


    3/3


    willingness to humble herself<b>,</b>it was evident there was more to their rtionship. Sylvia couldn¡¯t be bothered to dwell further; she hadn¡¯t expected Inglee to reveal her true colors on the<b>very</b>first day in France. But what came next would surely be even more intriguing.

 Chapter 137

    Chapter<b>137</b>Friends


    After strolling around outside for a while, it was almost nine by the time they returned to


    the hotel. Sylvia was still carrying thete¨Cnight snack for Juliet.


    Cyril and Sylvia had different agendas, so they split up after leaving the caf¨¦. But mysteriously, they bumped into each other again after having dinner.


    Once they crossed paths, Cyril silently trailed behind Sylvia, refusing to leave no matter what she did.


    Sylvia was at her wits¡® end. Cyril wouldn¡¯t budge, so what could she do? She just had to let him tag along.


    So, after wandering around a bit more and picking up a few things for Juliet, she headed back to the hotel.


    Having a guy follow you around like a shadow really killed the vibe.


    Juliet opened the door, looking a bit surprised to see the two of them standing there. How did they end up together again?


    ¡°Are you two nning dinner together or something?¡± she joked.


    Sylvia¡¯s expression remained calm as she handed the bag to Juliet and exined, ¡°No, we just ran into each other on the way and got sidetracked by some taffy.¡±


    ¡°Taffy, huh? That¡¯s fitting,¡± Juliet chuckled inwardly but managed to stifle it.


    ¡°Well<b>,</b>anyway, get some rest. Oh, by the way,<b>I</b>got a call from thepany here. They want us toe in tomorrow to check things out. So, get some rest early,¡± Juliet said.


    Sylvia frowned. They were supposed to go the day after tomorrow, weren¡¯t they? Oh well, tomorrow would do. She could just schedule it for the afternoon and sleep in.


    After exchanging a few more words with Juliet, Sylvia headed back to her room. But she noticed Cyril hadn¡¯t gone to his own room or said anything.


    He seemed low¨Ckey standing there, but once she noticed, it was pretty annoying.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have something to do?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, I just wanted to talk to<b>you</b>,¡± Cyril replied.


    Sylvia was speechless. What now? Why did everyone rted to Cyril seem to love having chats? First Karina, now Cyril.


    Chapter 137 Friends


    2/3


    Maybe they thought talking would magically solve all their problems.


    ¡°No need to talk. There¡¯s nothing left between us to discuss. Haven¡¯t we talked about this countless times before? We can¡¯t see eye to eye, so there¡¯s nothing more to say,¡± Sylvia said, too tired to engage with Cyril. After that, she went straight to her room and closed the door.


    Having gone to the subsidiarypany a day early to assess the situation, everything had been arranged in advance.


    Sylvia and Juliet didn¡¯t feel entirely satisfied with how things went after leaving the medical


    ¡°What¡¯s the deal? How do these people get their information? No matter what angle you look at it from, thispany isn¡¯t suitable for coboration. The medicalpany itself is fine, and it has several cooperating hospitals, but their attitude is just too much. If we coborate with them, we¡¯ll have a lot of trouble,¡± Juliet said.


    Determining whether to coborate with apany wasn¡¯t just about shared interests; it also depended on thepany¡¯s culture. Clearly, thispany¡¯s culture fell short.


    Juliet¡¯s attitude indirectly reflected Sylvia¡¯s thoughts. Sylvia agreed with her.


    ¡°The medical equipment from thatpany seems pretty good. Let the team here gather more information and see if there are any other good medicalpanies out there. Mainly, we need to gather information onpaniespeting with this one,¡± Sylvia suggested: Today¡¯s trip hadn¡¯t yielded much, but who knew what otherpanies might offer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I already talked to the team before we left. They¡¯ll gather more information and we should have news<b>in</b>a day or two,¡± Juliet reassured.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Sylvia thought for a moment. If there was any news, she¡¯d have the team at the subsidiarypany check it out first. If they couldn¡¯t meet the standards, it would be frustrating.


    ¡°Oh, and about the techpany we¡¯re visiting next, you should pay attention. I just got word this morning that the CEO of thatpany is friends with Cyril¡­¡±


    Sylvia was surprised. Why did Cyril¡¯s shadow loom over everything they did? Why was he so persistent?


    ¡°Friends, huh? How close?¡±


    ¡°From what I¡¯ve gathered, their rtionship seems pretty good. They were college buddies, even roommates. Although they haven¡¯t been in touch for years since graduating, officially at least, they do run into each other on business trips. So, they¡¯re bound to meet here in F


    Chapter 137 Friends


    country. I just don¡¯t know if he knows about your situation with Cyril,¡± Juliet exined.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    3/3


    Juliet showed Sylvia a photo of Cyril¡¯s friend on her phone. Sylvia nced at it but quickly. looked away. Despite being with Cyril for so many years, she¡¯d never met this person.


    But that was normal. Cyril had no intention of introducing her to his friends<b>,</b><b>so</b>it wasn¡¯t surprising that she hadn¡¯t met this one.


    <b>¡°</b>What¡¯s his name?¡±


    ¡°Frank Davies. He¡¯s a self¨Cmade entrepreneur, and hispany has been doing pretty well over the years.¡±


    Juliet briefed Sylvia on what she¡¯d learned. Sylvia gradually pieced things together. Since he was a self¨Cmade entrepreneur, he¡¯d likely maintain a fairer attitude and wouldn¡¯t prioritize his rtionship with Cyril.


    ¡°By the way, wasn¡¯t Ingrid with us just now? How did she disappear in the blink of an eye?¡±


    They were about to head to meet Frank, but suddenly, they couldn¡¯t find Ingrid.


    Sylvia couldn¡¯t help but recall that day when she encountered that man. He didn¡¯t look particrly outstanding, nor did he seem like an elite worker. He seemed more like a nouveau riche<b>.</b>

 Chapter 138

    Chapter 138: How Much Does<b>It</b>Sell For?


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, let¡¯s just head out,¡± Sylvia said dismissively.


    Sylvia wasn¡¯t keen on bringing Ingrid along anyway. If Ingrid slipped up at this moment, it would be ideal. They could seize the opportunity to dismiss her<b>,</b>saving themselves from any potential trouble down the line.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Juliet nodded in agreement and joined Sylvia in getting into the car, ready to head to the techpany.


    When they arrived at the techpany, their host was already waiting at the entrance. Frank¡¯spany seemed to be doing quite well. It was said that Sylvia¡¯s visit had prompted him to personally greet them.


    Waiting outside, Frank greeted Sylvia and Juliet with a smile upon seeing them, introducing them to thepany before leading them inside.


    Since thepany was involved in smart development, heading to the development department revealed many interesting things, bothrge and small, infused with artificial intelligence<b>,</b>all incredibly intriguing.


    ¡°This rm clock is quite something. Besides its basic function, we¡¯ve integrated artificial intelligence into it. So, the way it wakes you up every mo..ing is quite personalized. If you don¡¯t get up after the first rm, the second time it might resort to nagging you, or even other tactics, depending on how early orte you wake up.¡±


    Juliet toyed with the rm clock, setting a time, and soon enough, it started ringing, followed by the AI¡¯s nagging mode.


    The AI was indeed relentless, almost never repeating itself for about three minutes and delivering its message rapidly, leaving no room for interruption..


    ¡°Oh my goodness, making this thing! It¡¯s like torture, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s terrifying,¡± Juliet. eximed, relieved that she had only set one rm. With this rm clock, she wouldn¡¯t fear oversleeping in the mornings anymore.


    Frank chuckled before moving them along to a doll. It was evident that this doll was also embedded with an artificial intelligence system.


    Resembling a teddy bear, this doll was capable of intelligent conversations with people, more like a nanny¨Ctypepanion doll.


    ¡°This doll is designed for children. Have you considered promoting it?¡± Sylvia inquired.


    Chapter 138: How Much Does It Sell For?


    ¡°Of course, we¡¯ve already started promoting it. Currently, we¡¯re in the process of upgrading the system. It¡¯s updated frequently, as technology evolves rapidly. We have to keep updating


    to maintain our market share.¡±


    After all, they were in the business of tech development, and staying at the forefront of technology was their mainpetitive advantage.


    Sylvia nodded in understanding. As they explored the development department further, they came across various items, starting with small toys and progressing torger objects, all incorporating Al systems.


    Overall, these Al systems were impressive. Sylvia couldn¡¯t help butpare thispany to theirs, recognizing that their technological development was superior. Coboration wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea if it came to that.


    ¡°Recently, our Ivan Group has been considering AI development systems. Do you have any interest in coborating?¡± Sylvia asked directly as they exited the development department. Over the years, Frank¡¯spany had indeed partnered with manypanies, but most of them weren¡¯t involved in Al.


    There were also some tech developmentpanies, with whom they had coborated on specific projects, but they hadn¡¯t directly integrated their systems.


    Frank understood Sylvia¡¯s intention from her words. They wanted to coborate on


    development.


    ¡°I have no objections, but I need to see if what you¡¯re doing aligns with what we¡¯re doing. If not, even if there¡¯s potential, we may not be able to coborate.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Our AI direction mainly focuses on healthcare. Yourpany¡¯s healthcare AI system seems impressive. We could coborate deeply on that.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, ourpany¡¯s uing direction isn¡¯t in healthcare. The AI system we¡¯ve developed isn¡¯t perfect yet, and it has only undergone one test. However, if your standards are high, we could share information and borate, not toy their cards on


    the table<b>.</b>


    Chapter 138: How Much Does It Sell For?


    3/3


    <b>¡°</b>Oh, by the way, a friend of mine ising over today. Hispany is also quite good. Why don¡¯t we meet? There might be an opportunity for coboration,¡± Frank suggested.


    Sylvia and Juliet exchanged a nce. They both knew who Frank was referring to. But, being in hispany, they didn¡¯t refuse. Soon enough, they came face to face with Cyril and Ingrid.


    Yes, Ingrid was apanying Cyril. When he saw Sylvia, he seemed uneasy, avoiding eye contact with her.


    Sylvia nced at him briefly before retracting her gaze. Was Ingrid here to meet Cyril today?


    ¡°He¡¯s my friend,¡± Frank said, unaware of the rtionship between Cyril and Sylvia. Although they did have some contact privately, Frank was unaware of Cyril¡¯s marriage. He simply thought that pulling Cyril in would make the coboration between the three parties more stable. But as they faced each other, Frank felt that something was off.


    ¡°Um, do you two know each other?¡± Frank nced between Cyril and Sylvia, noticing Cyril¡¯s intense gaze fixed on Sylvia, as if he couldn¡¯t look away.

 Chapter 139

    Chapter<b>139</b>: Pursue if You Like


    1/3


    Frank had known Cyril for so many years, yet he had never seen Cyril lose his cool in front of a woman like this before. Suddenly, Frank found himself intrigued by Sylvia. What kind of person was she to make Cyril take notice like that?


    Oh, right, Cyril had recently gone through a divorce, could it be that she was the one he wanted to pursue?


    Well, if that was the case, it wouldn¡¯t be so bad.


    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know you.


    The two responses were different, and the atmosphere suddenly became a bit awkward.


    Frank and Juliette didn¡¯t know what to say. Funny how the more awkward it got, the more it seemed to highlight their rtionship<b>,</b>isn¡¯t it?


    Frank gave a knowing smile, choosing not to expose their little secret.


    Seemed like they had some sort of disagreement or something, but Frank didn¡¯t want to get too involved in their personal matters.


    ¡°Please, follow me.¡±


    With most of the people gathered, they should head to the conference room to chat. But Sylvia hadn¡¯t expected Cyril to follow them in.


    Seeing Sylvia¡¯s gaze constantly on Cyril, Frank quickly exined, ¡°Well, you see, Cyril is also<b>a</b>shareholder in mypany. He¡¯ll be involved in this coboration we¡¯re discussing. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t be, but he happened to be around these days, so he¡¯s here to take a look. But rest assured, I still have the final say on this matter.¡±


    After hearing this<b>,</b>Sylvia couldn¡¯t quite ce her feelings. She just didn¡¯t want to get involved with Cyril, but howe things seemed to be getting moreplicated?


    Should¡¯ve seen iting, Juliette had told her that Cyril and Frank were friends. If they were friends, then having shares in a friend¡¯spany wasn¡¯t that unusual after all.


    When Cyril first appeared, she thought he was here topete with her.


    Turns out it wasn¡¯t aboutpetition at all, but about the possibility of bing partners. Thinking about it, Sylvia felt a bit uneasy.


    Chapter 139: Pursue if You Like


    2/3


    ¡°Oh<b>,</b><b>I</b>see. Yourpany¡¯s technology looks very impressive. Can<b>I</b>ask when you started?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been quite a while. I was really interested in this field when I was in college. Cyril was my roommate at the time, so he helped me a lot. His assistance yed a part in establishing thepany, so I consult him on many decisions, as long as they don¡¯t vite our principles.¡±


    Frank exined.


    After listening, Juliette smiled and didn¡¯t inquire further. Just now, Frank had said he could decide, but now he was saying he would consult Cyril.


    Was that intentional? Clearly, it was to tell them that if they were to coborate, Cyril would


    also be involved.


    ¡°But in business, isn¡¯t it mainly about prioritizing interests over anything else?¡± Frank¡¯s words had a hint of meaning. Sylvia and Juliette fell silent, what did he mean?


    Did he think that because of Cyril, they wouldn¡¯t reach this coboration agreement?


    At the beginning, when they discussed this coboration, Frank didn¡¯t act this way. But seeing Cyril and Sylvia together seemed to change his mind.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. We need to carefully consider suitable matters. After all, it concerns the interests of twopanies. We¡¯ll be in touch about any further developments.<b>¡±</b>


    Sylvia continued Frank¡¯s words, also taking the opportunity to excuse themselves.


    Frank hesitated, wanting to say something to salvage the situation, but Sylvia and Juliette had already stood up and left, Ingrid following Sylvia out.


    When they left<b>,</b>Frank turned to Cyril.


    ¡°I¡¯m very willing to cooperate with her. But if this coboration fails because of you, how will youpensate me?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to cooperate with her?¡±


    Cyril looked at Frank with some surprise, then he understood the meaning behind Frank¡¯s


    actions.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there something wrong with that? That¡¯s Ivan Group. Anyone with a bit of sense wouldn¡¯t refuse such a good opportunity.¡±


    Frank made sense, Cyril didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Of course, what I care about isn¡¯t h


    this coboration. I¡¯m more curious about your


    Chapter 139: Pursue if You Like


    3/3


    rtionship with her. What exactly is going on between you two? Your gaze at her seems quite intense. If you like her, you should hurry up and pursue her. A girl like her surely has no shortage of admirers.¡±


    Anyone who could secure a position in Ivan Group must be outstanding, especially as a vice president. This only highlighted Sylvia¡¯s capabilities.


    With such a status, there must be no shortage of suitors.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Hearing Frank¡¯s words, Cyril was taken aback. ¡°You think there would be many people who like her?<b>¡±</b>


    Frank looked at him strangely. Wasn¡¯t that obvious? Of course, there would be plenty of admirers. Excellent women always attract attention. Wasn¡¯t this a strange thing to say?


    ¡°Of course, if you don¡¯t want


    don¡¯t want to pursue her, then I¡¯ll go for it. Honestly, she¡¯s a really remarkable person.¡±


    ¡°You also think she¡¯s remarkable? Then why can¡¯t I see it?¡±


    Cyril lowered his head, hiding his true feelings. Frank looked at him, puzzled.


    With a woman as outstanding as her, why couldn¡¯t Cyril see it? What was going on in his mind?


    ¡°Seriously, is there something wrong with your head? You can¡¯t see how remarkable she is? Honestly, cooperating with her would only elevate ourpany. What are you thinking? If everything¡¯s fine, I¡¯m quite willing to cooperate with her.¡±


    ¡°She probably doesn¡¯t want<b>to</b>cooperate with us anymore,¡± Cyril said with a bitter smile.


    It was Frank¡¯s first meeting with Sylvia, but he already thought she was a very outstanding person. He felt that she deserved to be liked by many people. But all these years, he couldn¡¯t see it, and because of his repeated ignorance, Sylvia suffered so much. If it weren¡¯t for that, Sylvia might have shone brightly by now.


    Of course, if Sylvia were as radiant as she was now, he might not have been able to have herpletely like he did before.


    It was such a pity. Now, because of his appearance, this coboration might never happen again.

 Chapter 140

    Chapter<b>140</b>: Lovers


    Every word Cyril said, Frank understood. But when those words were all strung together, Frank couldn¡¯t quite grasp their meaning.


    ¡°What do you mean this coboration won¡¯t work out? Weren¡¯t things going well just now? Sure, there were some differences, but that didn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯tpromise. After all, it was the Ivan Group.


    ¡°First, you need to rify something for me. It¡¯s not your first time meeting her, is it? Your reactions just now indicate otherwise. So, if you have some grudge against her, are you, trying to sabotage mypany? What¡¯s the deal here? And what exactly is your rtionship with her? You need to spill it out for me first, let¡¯s see if there¡¯s any room for salvaging this. ¡°Frank was genuinely anxious.


    Losing such a promising coboration right in front of him was just too disheartening<b>.</b>


    Cyril took a deep breath, but the words seemed stuck on his lips.


    ¡°What¡¯s the deal between you and her?¡± Frank¡¯s impatience was showing. He paced around the office, asionally running his hand through his hair. The thought of this coboration falling through made him lose hisposure.


    ¡°She¡¯s my ex¨Cwife.¡±


    ceves


    Frank froze, in shock as he turned to Cyril. Did he hear that right? His ex- wife?


    ¡°Wait, wait, hold on. You mean, she¡¯s your ex¨Cwife?¡±


    Frank was now stuttering. Was Cyril and Sylvia¡¯s rtionship like that? No wonder Cyril said this coboration couldn¡¯t proceed. With their history, it was impossible to continue.


    As an outsider, he could see how Cyril hadn¡¯t taken his marriage seriously all these years, so Sylvia¡¯s reluctance to continue the coboration was understandable. But it was frustrating


    for him.


    After sitting silently for a while, Frank looked up at Cyril with a resentful expression. ¡°So if I tell Sylvia that I have nothing to do with you anymore, and offer to buy back your shares at a high price, would she still want to work with me?¡±


    Cyril remained silent. Frank felt his idea was absurd.


    With Sylvia being backed by the entire Ivan Group, finding a new partner wouldn¡¯t be difficult. Although she was leading this venture, Cyril knew she would explore other optionsContent is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Chapter 140: Lovers


    once she learned about their rtionship. So, Frank¡¯s n wasn¡¯t viable.


    2/3


    ¡°You said it yourself, Sylvia has the entire Ivan Group behind her. Do you think it¡¯s difficult for them to find a partner? This was her initiative, so she¡¯s more invested. She¡¯ll just move on to anotherpany once she knows about us. So, you might want to reconsider your n.<b>¡±</b>


    Cyril¡¯s words made sense, but they only fueled Frank¡¯s anger. It was all Cyril¡¯s fault. If it weren¡¯t for him, this situation wouldn¡¯t have arisen.


    ¡°Well, then it¡¯s on you. Anyway, I have to figure something out with my colleagues. You bettere up with a solution.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no solution. I¡¯ll leave now.¡±


    After saying this, Cyril stood up and left, leaving Frank unable to continue the conversation<b>.</b>


    Frank had been surprised when Cyril got married, but he had wished him well. However, Cyril hadn¡¯t taken his marriage seriously, and various rumors had circted. If Frank were Sylvia, seeing her husband involved in scandals would surely hurt.


    So their current situation was just Cyril reaping what he sowed. Now that Cyril regretted it


    and wanted to make amends<b>,</b>Sylvia might not even care anymore.


    Thinking about this, Frank couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Who would have thought Cyril¡¯s romantic life would be so tumultuous?


    But as an outsider, he didn¡¯t know the true extent of their rtionship. If they had a good. bond, maybe things could still work out.


    After leaving thepany, Sylvia and Juliet went straight back to the subsidiary. Ingrid, feeling uneasy for some reason, remained silent throughout the journey, trailing behind Sylvia obediently until they reached the subsidiary.


    ¡°You came with Cyril today. What¡¯s the deal between you two? Or have you be his mistress now?¡±


    Sylvia¡¯s words were sharp, causing Juliet¡¯s hands to tremble, spilling some coffee from her


    <b>cup</b>.


    Juliet looked at Sylvia in disbelief. Was she insane to say something like that?


    Suddenly, a sense of crisis welled up in Ingrid¡¯s heart. If she dared to say yes, Sylvia might use her authority to fire her. But if she denied it, she wouldn¡¯t be able to exin her actions today.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t speak. You know, I was looking at the financial statements of the


    Chapter 140: Lovers


    3/3


    subsidiary yesterday and found something interesting. I think you should take a look.¡±


    Sylvia took out a document from the table and handed it to Ingrid. It was a record ofst quarter¡¯s transactions, showing some irregrities. Though it was only a part<b>of</b>the records, it was enough to reveal something fishy.


    Ingrid took the document, her face turning pale after reading it. She looked at Sylvia, trembling, unable to utter a word.


    ¡°Before you transferred to headquarters, you were stationed in France. The subsidiary¡¯s development there wasn¡¯t keeping up, which piqued my curiosity. Besides discussing coboration, I came here to investigate the situation. I never expected to find a rat hiding within thepany.¡±


    Sylvia¡¯s words were harsh. The document revealed that Ingrid and some other employees had been embezzling funds and transferringpany assets.


    Of course, the ¡°other employees¡± referred to the finance department.


    After uncovering these irregrities, Sylvia didn¡¯t rush to take action. She wanted to investigate further because apany wouldn¡¯t have such issues without problems in its management. Hence<b>,</b>she intended to scrutinize the management as well.


    ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± Sylvia stared at Ingrid.


    Ingrid felt immense fear. She hadn¡¯t expected Sylvia to discover these issues. They had operated seamlessly for years,


    and she didn¡¯t think they would be caught.

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    Chapter 141: Elevator Incident


    1/3


    Chapter<b>141</b><b>:</b>Elevator Incident


    No matter if Sylvia really had evidence or not, Ingle knew she wouldn¡¯t admit it now. If she did, things would go downhill fast for her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to talk about it, huh?¡±


    Seeing Ingle¡¯s reaction, Juliet knew she¡¯d never admit to doing it herself. Who would willingly face such consequences?


    First off, she¡¯d have to pay back the money. And if things escted, there could be jail time. No one would be foolish enough tond themselves in that mess.


    ¡°Besides this, we have something even more interesting. Like sellingpany files to otherpanies. That¡¯s straight¨Cup industrial espionage, isn¡¯t it? How many years do you think you¡¯d get for that?¡±


    Juliet¡¯s face wore a gentle smile, but her words were as if only a devil could utter them.


    Ingle¡¯s face went pale. Her makeup couldn¡¯t hide her fear.<b>If</b>such words could be spoken<b>,</b><b>it</b>meant the evidence was already secured.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do any of those things!¡±


    ¡°Of course, I know you didn¡¯t do any of those. You don¡¯t have the guts for it. At most,<b>you</b>might transfer somepany assets. But this level of corporate espionage? I don¡¯t think you have it in you, especially considering your family¡¯s situation isn¡¯t that great, from what I know.<b>¡±</b>


    Seeing Ingle so anxious,<b>it</b>was clear she didn¡¯t have the courage for such deeds. Someone with that courage wouldn¡¯t disy their fear so obviously.


    Ingle regretted her words as soon as she said them. She had indeed offended Sylvia, but that didn¡¯t mean she could afford to offend anyone else.


    And those behind her mightpletely abandon her, leaving her to bear such a heavy


    burden alone.


    <b>¡°</b><b>I</b>have a n now.<b>If</b>you keep listening to me, I<b>won¡¯t</b>pursue your responsibility. I¡¯ll give you time and opportunity to make up for thepany¡¯s transferred assets. Once you¡¯ve made


    <b>up</b>


    for it<b>,</b><b>you</b>won¡¯t have to worry about the<b>rest</b>. How about it?¡±


    Sylvia offered a better deal at the right moment, Ingle was already nervous, and with Sylvia having more evidence now, she had no choice.


    s<i>willing</i>


    More importantly, Sylvia to give her a chance to make amends without pursuing


    Chapter 141: Elevator Incident


    further consequences.


    So, if she missed this opportunity, there wouldn¡¯t be another.


    ¡°Fine, I agree.¡±


    Sylvia smiled. Agreement was the best oue.


    After Ingle left, Sylvia and Juliet nned to grab a meal somewhere.


    2/3


    Juliet found a nice restaurant nearby. It was said to be popr,<b>so</b>she eagerly dragged Sylvia along.


    On the way, Juliet started asking Sylvia¡¯s opinion: should they coborate with Frank?


    ¡°Frank¡¯s attitude is quite interesting. I know he¡¯s friends with Cyril<b>,</b>but I didn¡¯t expect him to involve Cyril in our coboration. But without Cyril, coborating with Frank would¡¯ve been straightforward.¡±


    They had done their research beforeing. They knew Frank¡¯s personality well. So, they had nned their coboration with him beforehand, and it would¡¯ve worked out. Cyril¡¯s involvement made things a bit difficult.


    ¡°What do you think? If we coborate with Frank, chances are you¡¯ll have more


    opportunities to meet Cyril. Especially when you go back, Frank might give him the chance to interact with you under thepany¡¯s name.¡±


    After divorcing, why bother clinging on like a piece of gum? Sylvia had been good to Cyril before, no need to say more. Now that Cyril had divorced her, suddenly realizing her worth was quiteughable.


    ¡°I know, but Frank has a point. We¡¯re businessmen now. Profitse first. In the face of profits, everything else can wait.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re suggesting we continue coborating with Frank?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Frank¡¯s conditions were suitable for their coboration in all aspects. After looking at manypanies, Sylvia decided<b>to</b>coborate with him for good reasons. As for Cyril, she could find other reasons to fend him off.


    Since Sylvia had made her decision, Juliet didn¡¯t say much. She knew persuading Sylvia wouldn¡¯t work. Once Sylvia made up her mind, she wouldn¡¯t change it.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°Well<b>,</b>since you¡¯re set on it<b>,</b>okay.<b>¡±</b>


    They arrived at the restaurant only to unexpectedly meet Frank and Cyril again.


    Chapter 141: Elevator Incident


    3/3


    Yes, Frank didn¡¯t n to dine with Cyril originally, but he thought it¡¯d be dull to dine alone. So, he decided<b>to</b>bring Cyril along. Cyril was feeling annoyed and decided to go out for some fresh air, hence he tagged along.


    Unexpectedly<b>,</b>they got a pleasant surprise.


    They could tell Cyril¡¯s eyes lit up the moment he saw Sylvia.


    Frank sighed inwardly, thinking if he hadn¡¯te along today<b>,</b>Cyril probably wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to talk to Sylvia.


    ¡°Miss Juliet, I¡¯d like to discuss something with you in private, do you have the time?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not!¡±


    Juliet knew exactly what was going through Frank¡¯s mind and promptly refused. But Frank acted as if he didn¡¯t hear her and grabbed her wrist<b>,</b>pulling her away forcefully.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Let go!¡±


    Juliet didn¡¯t expect Frank to forcibly drag her away like this. It was outrageous!


    Sylvia saw this and figured Juliet wouldn¡¯t be back for a while. She decided to wait upstairs.


    In the elevator<b>,</b>it was just Sylvia and Cyril. Cyril felt nervous, a feeling he had never experienced before. But being around Sylvia made him unsure how to speak.


    Just when he was preparing himself to speak, the elevator suddenly shook, and the next moment, all lights inside went out, plunging them into darkness.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    Cyril was startled. Then, the elevator rapidly descended. Instinctively, he grabbed Sylvia¡¯s wrist and pulled her into his embrace.


    <b>¡°</b>Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±

 Chapter 142

    Chapter 142 Distress


    1/3


    Chapter<b>142</b>Distress


    Cyril quickly pressed<b>all</b>the buttons<b>for</b>ev. loor in the elevator, half crouching<b>against</b>the elevator wall, tightly holding Sylvia. The elevator was descending rapidly, showing no signs of stopping. Suddenly<b>,</b>there was a loud bang, and the elevator reached the bottom, shaking violently.


    The elevator seemed to have deformed, making it impossible for<b>Cyril</b>to open it. As he reached for his phone to call the maintenancepany, he felt the woman in his arms clutching onto his waist tightly.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Sylvia¡¯s reaction was definitely off. Cyril paused<b>,</b>putting his phone away and embracing Sylvia, gently patting her back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m here.¡±


    After all these years together, Cyril had never realized just how afraid Sylvia was of enclosed


    spaces.


    He could feel Sylvia trembling in fear, clutching onto him tighter. Cyril held her waist firmly, feeling a pang of pain, but he ignored it, keeping Sylvia close.


    Sylvia couldn¡¯t even speak anymore.


    When she was a child, ying hide and seek with her brothers, she locked herself in the basement. Her brothers couldn¡¯t find her all day, and since then, she developed a fear of enclosed spaces. Now<b>,</b>she was terrified of this mercenary environment, so thepany had installed a ss elevator specifically for her.


    After undergoing psychological intervention and desensitization therapy, she could tolerate riding elevators, but only<b>if</b>there were other people inside to suppress her fear. But encountering such an ident with Cyril in the elevator was unexpected.


    Sylvia didn¡¯t know what she had grabbed in the darkness, but she held onto Cyril tightly, as if he were her lifeline. She could feel Cyril holding her too, but she couldn¡¯t hear his words anymore, only a buzzing sound in her ears.


    The next moment, she suddenly felt warmth on her lips and widened her eyes, meeting Cyril¡¯s gaze in the darkness.


    Cyril¡¯s method was somewhat effective; her attention was quickly diverted by his dominant kiss, and she couldn¡¯t focus on the strange situation in the elevator.


    After what seemed like an eternity, Cyril finally<b>let</b>go of Sylvia, holding her again in his


    but this time, they were seated in the elevator, enveloped in each other¡¯s embrace.


    arms<b>,</b>


    Sylvia now resembleu a


    ¡°Talk to me, distract yourself<b>,</b>okay?¡±


    Sylvia was torn. On one hand<b>,</b>she was repelled by Cyril<b>,</b>but on the other, she was terrified of


    the environment. In such conflicting emotions, she had to choose Cyril, who she could


    rtively ept.


    ¡°What should I talk about?¡± Sylvia¡¯s voice trembled, but she tried to suppress her fear, knowing that distracting herself was the only way to cope.


    She felt somewhat grateful for undergoing desensitization therapy all these years; otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t know how to handle this situation.


    ¡°These years have been tough on you.¡±


    After a moment of silence, Cyril suddenly spoke. He didn¡¯t know what to say to Sylvia, what topics she might be interested in. At this moment, he realized how little he knew about her.


    He didn¡¯t know what Sylvia liked, what her favorite food was, or where she liked to go.


    At this moment, Cyril had to admit that he knew nothing about Sylvia.


    ¡°I feel aggrieved too.¡± In a different situation, Sylvia probably wouldn¡¯t utter such words. She was a strong person who would never admit to being wronged.


    But now, in this situation, she couldn¡¯t control herself.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you day after day, hoping you¡¯d turn back to see me, to see my true feelings for you. When I married you, I didn¡¯t use any tricks or rely on past favors. I,never mentioned those things I did to save you because I didn¡¯t want you to develop feelings for me based on that. But you never gave me a chance. Over the years, you¡¯ve made me suffer all the grievances from my childhood to adulthood.¡±


    As Sylvia poured out her grievances, her voice trembled, choking up. Cyril didn¡¯t say anything, just holding her tightly.


    Yes, these years had indeed been tough on Sylvia. If given another chance, she would never want to be associated with him again. And he knew he would seize the opportunity to get to know her better, to change their rtionship.


    ¡°Would you give me another chance? I don¡¯t just want topensate you. During this time, I¡¯ve realized my true feelings for you. I¡¯ve been attracted to you for a long time, but I didn¡¯t want<b>to</b>admit it so easily.¡±


    Yes, proud people never wanted to admit that they had feelings for someone after being


    Chapter 142 Distres


    manipted. Cyril was no different. He had never really had much affection for Karina, either.


    He just wanted to emphasize hisck of interest in Sylvia<b>,</b>using this facade to hide the fact that he was falling<b>for</b>her.


    Unfortunately, by the time he realized it, it seemed to be toote.


    It might be too much to say such words now, but Cyril didn¡¯t want to wait any longer.


    Sylvia didn¡¯t reply. Though she felt aggrieved and had poured out her heart, she remained rational, not giving in.


    Giving another chance meant risking getting hurt again, perhaps even worse than before.


    So she didn¡¯t want to take another step forward. As for her rtionship with Cyril, it was fine the way it was.

 Chapter 143

    Chapter<b>143</b><b>:</b>Rescue


    The silence in the darkness was deafening,


    no response from Silvia for a long time.


    Cyril soon understood what he hadn¡¯t been getting an answer to. Silvia¡¯s silence was her


    answer.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve been in the wrong before. You didn¡¯t want to forgive me or give me a chance. That¡¯s normal. But I¡¯ll find a way to prove myself.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about something else¡­¡±


    Cyril tried to make his tone sound more uplifting, hoping to dispel the darkness in Silvia¡¯s heart. But when he actually tried to change the subject, he realized he didn¡¯t know what to


    say<b>.</b>


    The words faltered as soon as they left his mouth. What could he possibly say to S¨ªlvia?


    Talk about his dull work matters? He didn¡¯t want to bore Silvia with work talk; it would


    make him seem incredibly dull.


    But besides work, what else could he say that might interest Silvia?


    Silvia remained silent, but she kept waiting for Cyril to speak. However, after waiting for a long time, Cyril still didn¡¯t know what to say.


    <b>¡°</b>What do you want to say?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say to you. I want to say everything to you, but I¡¯m afraid that if I do


    like.¡± you you¡¯ll be upset. So, I want to say things you like, but¡­ I don¡¯t know what


    Cyril¡¯s tone was bitter. At that moment, he realized that trying to please someone wasn¡¯t as easy as he thought.


    Reflecting on his situation alongside Silvia made him realize how much Silvia had liked him before. Despite being around each other for so many years, Silvia knew what he liked and disliked, always trying to amodate him. But he had always taken it for granted.


    Now, he couldn¡¯t even manage to amodate Silvia, showing just how much he had failed.


    ¡­When I was a kid, I used to y hide and seek with my brother. They always found me easily. So one day<b>,</b>I locked myself in the basement, thinking my brother would find me quickly like before¡­¡±


    Silvia fell silent for a moment, then began recounting her childhood experiences. She could have avoided mentioning these things, but for some reason, she felt like this situation might resonate with Cyril, prompting her to speak out involuntarily, even though it wasn¡¯t


    Chapter 143: Rescue


    appropriate.


    2/3


    As Silvia slowly spoke, Cyril knew what she wanted to say and instinctively held her tighter.


    ¡°And then?¡±


    Bain, there was no light from the small


    ¡°And then, I spent a whole day in the basement, and my brothers never found me. I waited until I got tired and fell asleep. When I woke up window in the basement. That¡¯s when I felt scared, alone in the basement. I cried and


    shouted, but no one came.¡®


    At that young age, Silvia felt like the world was ending. No one found her. She locked herself in there, too small to open the door.


    So, she cried and shouted in the basement all night, not knowing that her brothers and family were outside, frantically searching for her.


    It wasn¡¯t until the next day that someone finally found her and brought her out of the


    basement.


    It was from that moment on that Silvia developed ustrophobia. She couldn¡¯t stay in dark ces for long periods.


    Later, she slowly underwent therapy, which helped her cope with dark environments to some extent. But she never expected to encounter such a situation one day.


    She had never told anyone about this childhood experience, but today, she involuntarily shared it with Cyril because she knew even if she didn¡¯t, he would notice that something was wrong with her.


    Cyril held Silvia, his eyes filled withpassion, but it was all obscured by the darkness. He, couldn¡¯t find the words to express his feelings, wondering if things would be different today if she hadn¡¯t suffered that ordeal in her childhood.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Someone wille to rescue us soon.¡±


    Cyril didn¡¯t know what to say, so he just blurted out these words.


    ¡°I know someone wille to rescue us, but I¡¯ll still be scared. After we get out<b>,</b>can you promise not to tell anyone about this?¡±


    Cyril couldn¡¯t refuse. He felt that Silvia was so fragile right now, as if she could break at any moment. He wished he could embed her in his body, providing her with strength and protection.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry<b>,</b>this will be our<b>secret</b><b>.</b>No one will know.¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Chapter 143: Rescue


    3/3


    As soon as he finished speaking, there was amotion outside the elevator. Cyril instantly realized that someone wasing to rescue them<b>.</b>


    ¡°People areing to rescue us. Don¡¯t be¡­id.¡±


    He emphasized this again as the rescuers arrived at the elevator door.


    ¡°Is anyone inside?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there is!¡±


    The people outside knocked on the elevator door. Cyril realized they were trying to find a way inside, so he knocked back<b>to</b>respond.


    After getting a response<b>,</b>the rescuers began discussing the rescue n.


    As Cyril had expected, the elevator had suddenly dropped from a great height, causing some deformation. It took the rescuers over half an hour to pry open the elevator door and rescue the two trapped inside.


    With the rescue team was Frank and Juliet.


    Both of them nervously looked inside the elevator and saw Cyril helping Silvia out.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Juliet rushed over. When she saw Silvia¡¯s extremely pale face, she felt deeply distressed.


    Though she didn¡¯t know what exactly happened, she knew about the sudden elevator drop She couldn¡¯t me Cyril, but Juliet was still very angry. If Frank hadn¡¯t pulled her away


    suddenly, maybe none of this would have happened.


    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault!¡±


    Juliet red fiercely at Frank, who felt unjustly used. How could he have known such a thing would happen? If he could predict the future, he certainly wouldn¡¯t have pulled her


    away.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just need to sit down for a moment.¡±


    Silvia struggled out of Cyril¡¯s embrace. Juliet hurried to support her as she sat down nearby, then went to fetch some hot water and ced it in Silvia¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Your hands are so cold. Put on this jacket. Did he do anything to you in the elevator just


    now?¡±


    Juliet looked at Cyril defensively<b>,</b>fearing he might have harmed Silvia during their time trapped together.

 Chapter 144

    Chapter<b>144</b><b>:</b><b>A</b>Shared Secret


    Cyril didn¡¯t bother exining his apparen hostility towards Juliette. He figured, with the things he had done in the past, it wasn¡¯t unjust<b>for</b>Sylvia¡¯s people to treat him this way.


    But as he pondered the incident in the elevator just now, Cyril had no basis for exnation. He knew it was a shared secret between him and Sylvia, a sign of their rtionship deepening.


    Moreover, he had promised Sylvia never to reveal what happened inside the elevator. So, until Sylvia spoke up, he wouldn¡¯t disclose anything, even if it led to misunderstandings with Juliette.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. The elevator just suddenly dropped, and it startled me. He was quite caring, actually. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Sylvia said, trying to reassure Juliette. However, she had no idea how forced her smile looked.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry. When the elevator malfunctioned just now, I was on the verge of losing it. The rescue team arrived promptly, though you were quick too. But I was worried something might happen to you inside the elevator. Let¡¯s forget about dinner and just head back,¡± Juliette said.


    Juliette regretted a bit instantly. If she hadn¡¯t insisted on taking Sylvia out for dinner today maybe none of this would have happened.


    Sylvia could easily decipher Juliette¡¯s thoughts. She tightly held Juliette¡¯s hand and said, It¡¯s not your fault. Even if you hadn¡¯t called me out today, the elevator would still have malfunctioned. It was just my bad luck to be in it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your bad luck; it¡¯s clearly just encountering someone having a bad day. That¡¯s why things turned out this way. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll buy you something else to eat,¡± Juliette said, giving Cyril and Frank a disdainful nce as they stood up to leave.


    Frank wanted to exin but couldn¡¯t bring himself to do so.


    Although he felt unjust about the incident, he couldn¡¯t express how much.


    Thus, he could only watch as the two left. The aftermath would be for Cyril and Frank to deal with. So, neither of them chased after them.


    Only<b>after</b>sorting out everything concerning the elevator did Frank finally get a chance to ask Cyril what happened inside.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t had time to discuss what happened inside the elevator. What exactly happened? Why did you suddenlye out hugging her? She seems to really dislike you,¡± Frank asked,


    Chapter 144: A Shared Secret


    2/3


    curious.


    ¡°Of course, you¡¯d be curious about what happened in the elevator,<b>¡±</b>Cyril replied.


    ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t want to know what hap d in there? It was so dark, and the two of you were alone. Moreover, you two used to be married. How could I not be curious about what happened?¡± Frank said.


    Frank was indeed curious, mainly because when Sylvia came out, she seemed off. Hence, he thought it was only natural to inquire further.


    ¡°Then be curious,¡± Cyril said with a smile before leaving, leaving Frank standing there puzzled. What had he said to make Cyril ask that?


    ¡°You can¡¯t just leave it at that. I¡¯m just concerned; I don¡¯t mean anything else. If there¡¯s something you can¡¯t tell me, just omit that part. Just tell me what you can,<b>¡±</b>Frank said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t disclose any part of it. Let¡¯s go find a ce to eat. I


    want to check on her after dinner,¡± Cyril said<b>,</b>in a good mood. He couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with Frank. It was time for dinner, then he¡¯d get something extra for Sylvia.


    Frank thought Cyril must be crazy. Had he forgotten how much Sylvia disliked him? Wanting to bring her food? Not being<b>left</b>outside was already a win.


    But seeing Cyril¡¯s good mood, he must have not said anything hurtful. Whether he could deliver the food wasn¡¯t important. The important thing was the intention, right?


    Over the next two days, Sylvia, after adjusting and resting, resumed her busy routine.


    Besides the subsidiarypanies, there were many other matters to attend to. And because<b>of</b>Inglee, there were even more matters to deal with at the subsidiarypanies than she had imagined. So, she was busy all day long.


    Aside from being busy, Juliette was just as upied. Until this afternoon<b>,</b>they finally managed to leave work on time.


    As they walked downstairs from thepany building, they bumped into Cyril: Cyril was holding a bouquet<b>of</b>flowers and looked a bit nervous as he approached Sylvia when he saw hering out of thepany.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Juliette tightly gripped. Sylvia¡¯s wrist, looking surprised at Cyril. What was he doing here, holding such a big bouquet of flowers? Was he trying to reconcile with Sylvia? Could she have agreed?


    Chapter 144: A Shared Secret


    might suddenly change her mind and forgive<b>Cyril</b>, especially since she hadn¡¯t had the chance to warn Sylvia<b>yet</b><b>,</b>and now<b>it</b>seemed like her fear wasing true.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t be so foolish.<b>You¡¯ve</b>finally managed to<b>get</b>out of a grave; don¡¯t throw yourself back in,<b>¡±</b>Juliette warned<b>,</b>her voice full of urgency.


    3/3


    Hearing Juliette¡¯s words, Sylvia couldn¡¯t help butugh. Did she really need to be so guarded?


    She knew what she should do and what she shouldn¡¯t. As for Cyril¡¯s preferences, she couldn¡¯t stop him<b>,</b>could she?


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t worry. When I divorced him, I never thought of turning back. You don¡¯t need to be concerned,¡± Sylvia reassured her.


    But Juliette wasn¡¯tforted by Sylvia¡¯s words. On the contrary, she became even more


    worried.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for what happened a few days ago, maybe I wouldn¡¯t worry<b>so</b>much. But with that incident, I¡¯m afraid you might act impulsively again. After all, you only wanted to marry him because of a sudden impulse<b>.</b>I absolutely won¡¯t allow such a thing to happen again, or else I¡¯d feel ashamed,¡± Juliette said firmly.


    Juliette had just finished reminding Sylvia when Cyril approached them. Cyril nodded slightly at Juliette and handed the bouquet to Sylvia.


    ¡°I thought this bouquet was beautiful and suited you<b>,</b>so<b>I</b>bought it. I don¡¯t have any ulterior motives,¡± Cyril said.

 Chapter 145

    <ol>


    <li>Chapter<b>145</b><b>:</b><b>Like</b><b>a</b><b>Dream</b>


    ¡°Are you implying something else with the statement?¡± Juliet¡¯s voice escted instantly<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>You say there¡¯s no other meaning, but buying such a huge bunch of roses,<b>isn¡¯t</b>that implying something? You¡¯ve clearlyid out your intentions in as day!¡±


    ¡°You know, there¡¯s this saying online that fits perfectly here. Late affection is like weeds. You used to ignore her affection, and now you regret it and want<b>to</b><b>treat</b>her nicely. Have you even thought about how much you¡¯ve hurt her over the years? And now you want to change your rtionship with her with just a bunch of flowers? Oh, and about the elevator incident, let me tell you, it was just luck. Don¡¯t read too much into it!¡± Juliet unleashed a torrent of words at Cyril<b>,</b>leaving him speechless.


    ¡°Let me tell you<b>,</b>pack up your cheap disy of affection. And this bouquet of roses,<b>is</b>that what shecks? If Sylvia needs flowers, there are plenty of people who can send them to her. Don¡¯t be a nuisance here!¡± Juliet continued, her words hitting Cyril where it hurt.


    ¡°And also, please convey to Frank that there¡¯s no need to consider the coboration between our twopanies anymore. We¡¯re notcking in potential partners, and we¡¯re not interested in debating the pros and cons with you. Even if we need to coborate, we¡¯d rather choose someone more reliable. After all, birds of a feather flock together!¡±


    Besides dealing with issues in their subsidiarypany, the two of them had been busy looking for other techpanies to coborate with. After today¡¯s incident, Juliet was determined not to coborate with Frank anymore.


    She initially thought she couldn¡¯t get rid of Sylvia, but unexpectedly Sylvia agreed after a moment of silence. Then, they started looking for otherpanies to coborate with.


    Due to their busy schedules these past few days, they hadn¡¯t had the chance to inform Frank of their decision. Now, Cyril was hearing it from them, which made no difference since Cyril


    and Frank were on the same side.


    Cyril seemed a bit agitated upon hearing about the coboration falling through. He turned


    to Sylvia<b>,</b>unsure of what to say.


    After a moment of silence, he could only awkwardly ask, ¡°Is there really<b>no</b>room for coboration?<b>You¡¯ve</b>spent so much time selecting Frank¡¯spany. Since hispany¡® principles align with yours<b>,</b>why cancel the coboration for other reasons? If it¡¯s just because you don¡¯t want to see me or have any<b>contact</b>with me, I can assure you, thepany¡¯s affairs will primarily be managed by Frank. I¡¯m just here to oversee<b>,</b>not to meddle in your cooperation.¡±


    ¡°This matter doesn¡¯t concern you much. Even if what you said is true and Frank¡¯spany shares our principles, making it the ideal partner<b>,</b>there may<b>be</b>other suitablepanies<b>.</b>It might take a little more time<b>,</b>but<b>it¡¯s</b><b>no</b>big deal. Iv¨¢n Group isn¡¯tcking in time<b>or</b>partners.¡± Sylvia¡¯s tone was cold, widening the rift between them.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Cyril couldn¡¯t ignore Sylvia¡¯s rejection.<b>He</b>thought that after the incident, their rtionship might ease up a bit, but now he realized he had been overly optimistic.


    Despite sharing a secret with Sylvia, it didn¡¯t mean she would view him differently<b>.</b><b>If</b>anything<b>,</b>she seemed more repelled by him because of<b>it</b><b>.</b>


    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯d like to invite you to dinner, as a way of repaying you for helping me in the elevator that day. Besides, I hope we can minimize our interactions in the future. Also, the choice of who to coborate with does have personal reasons behind it, but it¡¯s mainly for the greater good.¡± Sylvia¡¯s words sounded noble, but she knew rejecting Frank¡¯s coboration was indeed due to personal reasons.


    Even though it was because of her personal reasons, she didn¡¯t want to admit it to Cyril. Whatever she wanted to do, her brothers wouldn¡¯t oppose it. She just needed to find another way to resolve this matter satisfactorily.


    After Sylvia finished speaking, both Cyril and Juliet were left stunned. Juliet had thought Sylvia finally wouldn¡¯t shut Cyril<b>out</b>anymore.


    But she hadn¡¯t expected Sylvia to actively invite Cyril to dinner. Was she dreaming? How else could she exin this surreal turn of events?


    <b>¡°</b>Uh, you<b>¡­</b>¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ve already made a reservation<b>,</b>haven¡¯t we? One more person won¡¯t hurt.¡± Sylvia interrupted Juliet, leading the way. Cyril hesitated for a moment before following Sylvia, leaving Juliet feeling like she was in a surreal world.


    But she gritted her teeth and followed suit. After all, hadn¡¯t they agreed? It was just to repay Cyril for helping Sylvia in the elevator that day. Nothing more, nothing less.


    If she didn¡¯t keep an eye on things, what if something really did happen? Three of them sat in the restaurant, Cyrilpletely ignoring Juliet, his gaze fixed on Sylvia with unfriendly eyes. Juliet couldn¡¯t help but intervene.


    ¡°Can you please tone down the hostility? It¡¯s like you¡¯ve never seen Sylvia before. Haven¡¯t you known her for years?¡±


    Juliet¡¯s words hit Cyril hard, and he withdrew his gaze after a moment.


    ¡°You know,<b>you</b>didn¡¯t have<b>to</b>ept the dinner invitation¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine<b>,</b><b>if</b><b>you</b>think you don¡¯t need to join us for dinner<b>,</b>then leave.<b>Why</b>sit here and order food if you¡¯re just going<b>to</b>reject it now? Didn¡¯t you think of that from the beginning? Now that you¡¯ve already ordered, you say you don¡¯t need it. Aren¡¯t you being ridiculous?¡± Juliet interrupted Cyril, exasperated by his indecisiveness.


    ¡°Juliet, can you please calm down?¡± Sylvia was getting frustrated. She knew Juliet meant well<b>,</b>but it was unnecessary.


    Juliet finally toned it down a bit,<b>but</b>she still couldn¡¯t stand Cyril. ¡°Hmph<b>,</b>I was just saying. If he doesn¡¯t want to listen, he doesn¡¯t have to.¡±</li>


    </ol>

 Chapter 146

    <b>Chapter</b><b>146</b><b>Seeing</b><b>Once</b><b>,</b><b>Beating</b><b>Once</b>


    Juliette<b>definitely</b>toned it down a bit for Sylvia¡¯s sake. Gotta admit, Cyril deserved a pat on the back for that day. Even though we don¡¯t know what Sylvia went through before, the scene in the elevator was definitely off.


    But being disgusted by Cyril and being thankful to him are two different things. So, after giving Cyril a piece of her mind, Juliette decided to keep quiet<b>.</b>


    During dinner<b>,</b>Juliette didn¡¯t say anything outrageous either.


    The main reason she didn¡¯t say anything over¨Cthe¨Ctop was that she was afraid she¡¯d end up giving Cyril another round of criticism from start to finish. And that¡¯s not what Sylvia wanted to see. So, she held back.


    As the meal was wrapping up, Juliette put down her utensils and said to Sylvia, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve finished eating, let¡¯s go pay.¡±


    Originally, Cyril had nned to settle the bill halfway through, but Juliette grabbed his hand, and in the end, Sylvia didn¡¯t hesitate after hearing Juliette¡¯s words. She immediately got up to pay at the counter.


    Seeing Sylvia leave<b>,</b>Juliette turned to Cyril with a serious expression.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what suddenly made you regret and want to be good to her, but some things, once done,


    can¡¯t be undone. The hurt you caused her will never fade away. You don¡¯t need to keep appearing in her life. If you truly want her to be happy, you shouldn¡¯t do things that bother her. You know that every time you show up, it just brings back memories of the grievances she suffered when she was with you. This isn¡¯t about loving her<b>,</b>it¡¯s about satisfying your own selfish desires and making yourself feel better.¡±


    As an outsider, Juliette saw things very clearly. What Cyril did wasn¡¯t touching anyone else; it was touching herself.


    So, he didn¡¯t even consider the damage he was causing Sylvia each time he appeared, each time iming


    it was for her own good.


    ¡°Let¡¯s call it quits with the elevator incident. Whatever happened that day, you did save her, that¡¯s a fact. But everything has its limits. She¡¯s not holding onto the past, which is giving you both some dignity. You¡¯re smart, I hope you won¡¯t erase thatst bit of dignity. Otherwise, those around her won¡¯t let you off easy. You should understand that you¡¯re able to sit here peacefully with her because everyone pities her and


    doesn¡¯t want to do anything to<b>you</b><b>.</b>¡±


    Sylvia would never say these things, because she¡¯d swallow the bad by herself.


    But as Sylvia¡¯s good friend, how could Juliette not feel for her?


    So, she spoke these words on Sylvia¡¯s behalf to Cyril.


    It was a mistake that got Sylvia into her current situation, and it was time to correct it. The prerequisite for this correction was for<b>Cyril</b>to understand his current situation and stop struggling and fantasizing


    needlessly.


    ¡°In your life, there must be something more important than Sylvia. When that<b>something</bes<b>up</b><b>,</b>you


    Chapter 146 Seeing Unce, Beating Once


    won¡¯t choose Sylvia. When that dayes, delivering a painful blow to Sylvia, you¡¯ll stop dragging her


    around<b>.</b>¡±


    Seeing Sylvia had finished paying and was about to return, Juliette stopped talking.


    2/3


    Juliette had been stopping Cyril all along from paying because she knew that if Cyril seeded in paying today, there would inevitably be another chance for them to meet up for a meal in the future.


    And Juliette didn¡¯t want to give Cyril that chance.


    Now that the meal was over, they didn¡¯t need to meet up again in the future, so Cyril¡¯s lingering over yesterday¡¯s events was even more unnecessary.


    If he truly wanted to be good to Sylvia, then he should heed the words Juliette had spoken today and


    never bother Sylvia again. It would be good for both of them.


    ¡°We¡¯re done paying, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Seeing Sylvia approaching, Juliette put on a smile, took her and Sylvia¡¯s arms, and left.


    The two of them left quickly, not giving Cyril a chance to say goodbye. Of course, Sylvia had something she wanted to say originally, but now that she didn¡¯t have the chance, it didn¡¯t matter.


    The two of them left, and Cyril sat there, still in a daze.


    The words Juliette said made his brain pause for a moment.


    Just then, footsteps approached him, and he looked up hopefully, thinking it was Sylvia, only to find it was


    Balk.


    Balk had been wearing a mask, but after seeing Cyril, he didn¡¯t care about the mask anymore and came


    over.


    ¡°Shameless, pestering my sister?¡±Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    After saying that, Balk grabbed Cyril¡¯s shirt and punched him in the face.


    Cyril¡¯s face instantly swerved, but Balk wouldn¡¯t stop there. He continued punching Cyril, one punch after


    another.


    Until his hands were red, and Cyril¡¯s face was swollen, with traces of blood, did Balk stop.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, stay away from my sister from now on. Every time you show up, I¡¯ll beat you up. You¡¯ve been bullying my sister for so long, do you really think our family has no temper? Is Juliette right, that we¡¯re just feeling sorry for my sister<b>,</b>so we don¡¯t do anything to you? But if you keep pushing it, don¡¯t me us for not being polite!¡±


    After saying that, Balk took out a mask from his pocket, put it on, and left the restaurant.


    Balk¡¯s actions had already attracted the attention of the people around, but they didn¡¯t know whether they should step forward to stop¡¯it or take pictures first.


    Cyril, after being hit twice, finally began<b>to</b>sober up a bit. He realized that the reason he was still okay until now was also because of Sylvia¡¯s kindness.


    Chapte 146 Seeing Once, Heating Chen


    3/3


    He sat there with a bitter smile for a while before standing up and walking out in a daze.


    Should he really, as Juliette and Balk said, stop bothering Sylvia anymore? Would that give them both some dignity?


    But he wanted to give them both dignity, and he also hoped Sylvia would live a better life. He just wasn¡¯t willing to let go like this.

 Chapter 147

    <b>Chapter</b>147:<b>Afraid</b>You¡¯re<b>Being</b><b>Deceived</b>


    Balk¡¯s physical confrontation with someone quickly became the talk of the town. Juliet, a top¨Ctier surfer, couldn¡¯t believe it when she stumbled upon the news. She was utterly shocked as she opened the picture and then incredulously showed it to Sylvia.


    ¡°Oh my goodness, I never expected that when we went out to eat together today, your brother would be there too, and he¡¯d end up hitting Cyril! Do you think this will have any consequences for your brother? And I<b>feel</b>like there was really no need for him to hit Cyril. Sure, Cyril can be annoying, but¡­¡±


    Deep down, Juliet was secretly thrilled that Balk had taken matters into his own hands. But she couldn¡¯t


    shake off a sense of worry. What if he angered someone who wouldn¡¯t just take it lying down? And now


    that it¡¯s gone viral, opinions on this incident are all over the ce.


    Sylvia was equally taken aback by her brother¡¯s actions, especially since he took off his mask.


    After browsing through the trending topics, Sylvia was at a loss for words. ¡°Wait, let me call Balk first.¡±


    Feeling a bit exasperated, Sylvia reached for her phone to call her brother and figure out what exactly was


    going on and how to handle the situation now that it was blowing up.


    As a top celebrity, Balk hitting someone in public raised many eyebrows. And the fact that the person he hit was Cyril, someone connected to Sylvia, added anotheryer ofplexity. It¡¯s a convoluted situation that¡¯s sure to make onlookers sick of popcorn.


    Sylvia felt a headacheing on. She really didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with Cyril anymore, but now, thanks to Balk, she might have to apologize to him?


    Soon enough, Balk answered the phone, probably waiting for Sylvia to call.


    ¡°Bro, care to exin why you hit someone?¡± Sylvia asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to exin? I just didn¡¯t like him. Plus, you two have been divorced for ages, yet he still chases after<i>you</i>like a lost puppy. Isn¡¯t he asking for it? By the way, don¡¯t worry about those online rumors; I¡¯ll take care of them. And about Frank¡¯s thing, since you don¡¯t want to work with hispany anymore, I have someone else to rmend. Wanna meet him? It¡¯s just a meeting, we¡¯ll decideter if we want to coborate, okay?¡±


    Sylvia was puzzled. Since when did Balk care so much about these things? Normally, it¡¯s their eldest brother Bruce who handlespany matters. Buttely, Bruce has delegated them to Sylvia. Their other brother hardly ever gets involved in anything besides his own interests. So why the sudden interest in helping her and rmending coborators?


    ¡°Why are you suddenly so invested in all this? You never cared about these things before,¡± Sylvia said.


    Balk, realizing btedly that hitting someone might not have been the best idea, tried to justify himself.¡± Well, I was just worried you¡¯d be fooled by him. You know how smooth¨Ctalking he is. After all those years of deceiving you, and now bullying you, I couldn¡¯t just stand by.¡±


    Being worried about her getting deceived by Cyril? That reason sounded far¨Cfetched. But Sylvia didn¡¯t


    Chapte 147 Afraid You¡¯re Being Deceived


    press further. Since Balk said he¡¯d handle things from here, she decided to let it go.


    ¡°Fine, whatever. But you don¡¯t need to worry about the coboration; I¡¯ll handle it myself. I have other options. I just haven¡¯t decided yet,¡± Sylvia said.


    2/2


    ¡°I know you have other options, but just take a look at the one I¡¯m rmending. It won¡¯t hurt. You canpare and decide who¡¯s the best fit,¡± Balk insisted.


    Hearing Balk¡¯s rmendation made Sylvia suspicious. What was wrong with this person he was


    suggesting?


    After a moment of silence, Sylvia spoke up again. ¡°Bro, the more you push<b>,</b>the more I feel like you¡¯re up to something. Are you deliberately trying to set me up? I¡¯m telling you, if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll call Bruce.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Come on, sis, I genuinely care about you. Trust me, meeting this person won¡¯t hurt, and it¡¯ll definitely giveContent is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    that guy a scare. Let him think twice before bothering you again,¡± Balk said.


    Sylvia¡¯s lips twitched. Lately, Balk seemed to be acting out of character. After today¡¯s incident, she


    doubted she¡¯d see him for a while.


    Sylvia really didn¡¯t want to meet anyone right now, but Balk¡¯s persistence eventually wore her down. She reluctantly agreed to the meeting.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll set it up for tomorrow morning. I¡¯ll have hime directly to the office. You two can talk there. Anyway, I¡¯ll let you go now. I need to deal with these online matters,¡± Balk said before quickly hanging up.


    Sylvia stared at the now disconnected call, pondering. Turning to Juliet, she asked, ¡°Has my brother been acting strangetely?¡±


    Juliet looked puzzled for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s probably nothing. He just wants you to meet someone. I doubt they¡¯ll actually do anything to harm you.¡±

 Chapter 148

    <b>Chapter</b>148<b>A</b>Bit Familiar


    Although what Juliet said was true, Sylvia couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that things weren¡¯t that simple.


    But without meeting the person, it¡¯s hard to draw conclusions. The next day, Sylvia sat in her office watching the aftermath of Bark¡¯s online handling, and the person he rmended had arrived.


    Sylvia put away her phone, ignoring the unofficial news. When she saw who walked in, she froze instantly.


    At first nce, Sylvia found this person in front of her somewhat familiar, but she couldn¡¯t ce where she had seen him before. After a while, she finally remembered ¨C he seemed to be Cyril¡¯s archenemy from


    a few years back.


    Cyril had a few toughpetitors on his entrepreneurial journey, and this one was the fiercest.


    It was said that the two of them fought tooth and nail from the start of their ventures. Even after establishing their ownpanies and achieving sess in different fields, their rivalry only grew deeper.


    Butter, she heard that this man had shifted his business overseas, ending the endless conflict and


    Sylvia knew about this because she had been very concerned about Cyril over the years.


    But she couldn¡¯t quite recall the name of Cyril¡¯s nemesis. After all, during that time, she had focused all her energy on Cyril, hardly paying attention to anyone outside of him.


    ¡°Hey, uh, you¡¯re my bro¡­¡±


    ¡°Long time no see! Why do you seem so distant? Don¡¯t tell me you forgot who I am. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d be heartbroken. After all, we used to have such a deep friendship.¡±


    The man interrupted Sylvia with a yful smile, clearly joking. Sylvia¡¯s eyes widened at his words. What


    did he mean?


    While it was true that she couldn¡¯t remember his name, her memory never indicated any deep friendship


    between them.


    The man sighed, a hint of disappointment in his voice. ¡°Seems like you really forgot. But it¡¯s okay. We were ssmates in middle school. I was your desk mate back then. My name is Benjamin.¡±


    Hearing that name, Sylvia remembered. Indeed, she had a middle school ssmate named Benjamin.


    She just hadn¡¯t expected her ssmate to be<b>in</b>such apetitive rtionship with her ex¨Chusband. Their animosity had escted so much.


    After recalling, Sylvia immediately put on a smile and replied without missing a beat, ¡°Oh, I remember now. Your transformation is quite remarkable. Back then, I could hardly recognize you, and it¡¯s even harder now. If you hadn¡¯t mentioned your name and identity, I might not have associated you with my


    ssmate.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I¡¯ve changed a lot. I was quite chubby in middle school. Now I¡¯ve managed to slim down. When I walk around now, many people don¡¯t even remember me. Your brother has already discussed the


    Chapte. 145 A Bit Famo


    cooperation with me. What do you think about<b>it</b><b>?</b><b>¡±</b>


    Even though Sylvia knew he was her middle school ssmate, she wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled about discussing cooperation right away. She wanted to get to know him better first before considering any future ns. Understanding a person is crucial before embarking on any coboration.


    ¡°No rush. It¡¯s been so many years since we¡¯ve seen each other. Let¡¯s catch up on other things first. We can talk about cooperationter.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. By the way, I heard you and Cyril got divorced. Did our past rivalry affect your marriage? Or was it because of my actions that he neglected you, leading to your divorce?¡±


    Benjamin brought up their past rivalry. Sylvia didn¡¯t know how to respond objectively. She had very little insight into what had happened back then. However, she couldn¡¯t deny everything just because of a


    ¡°It¡¯s not rted to you. It¡¯s our own issues. By the way, how have you been living abroad these years<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>


    ¡°Pretty good, actually. You¡¯ve seen mypany. It¡¯s doing better and better. I realizedter that ourpetition was driven by our mutual interests. But when I moved to a different ce, I realized there¡¯s no point in clinging to one thing. Starting over somewhere else, I can achieve a different kind of sess. Look at me now; I¡¯m doing great, aren¡¯t I? And my current worth, including all I¡¯ve done, is many times


    more than Cyril¡¯s.¡±


    Sylvia thought he had let go of the rivalry with Cyril, but it turned out not to be the case. Although he didn¡¯t directlypare himself to Cyril, boasting about hispany implied he hadn¡¯t let go of thepetition


    at all.


    Sylvia sipped her coffee, thinking about how to politely send him away.


    W


    ¡°When I contacted your brother, he assigned me a task. He said you haven¡¯t been feeling welltely, and knowing my way around, he wanted us to meet. If ourpanies can cooperate, that would be great. If not, at least it might improve your mood.¡±


    Benjaminughed, admitting his real purpose foring over.


    Sylvia realized his visit wasn¡¯t as simple as it seemed. She hadn¡¯t expected him toe with a task. But how would improving her mood benefit him?


    A businessman never makes a loss, especially someone like Benjamin who knows how to win.


    ¡°Are you wondering what benefits I¡¯ll get? Don¡¯t worry about that. The reward your brother promised me isContent is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    irresistible.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me what reward he promised you? If possible, I might double it.¡±


    As Sylvia looked up, she saw the pressure in his eyes. She instantly understood why he was here and why


    he was rmended to her.


    Sylvia didn¡¯t want to invite trouble for herself, so she wanted to nip it in the bud.


    <b>¡°</b>It¡¯s really sad to see you like this. But the reward your brother promised me is something ever if you triple<b>it</b>, you wouldn¡¯t be able to change it.


    ¡±

 Chapter 149

    Chapter 149: Big Brother¡¯s Idea


    You can tell from the fact that the other party refuses to change their mind, just <b>what </b>Second Brother has put into this. <b>Sylvia </b><b>was </b>really curious about it, but since Second Brother was dead set on keeping it under wraps, she gave up. ¡°Well,¡± she thought, ¡°if he doesn¡¯t want to spill the beans now, I¡¯ll just ask himter.¡±


    ¡°Well, I that¡¯s the <b>case</b>, let¡¯s talk about our coboration. Did my brother mention it to you? I¡¯m currently looking into a techpany. I don¡¯t know much about you, and I¡¯m not entirely clear about yourpany either. He just hastly arranged for us to meet. Frankly, it seems quite inappropriate, especially to meet at the office.¡±


    As Sylvia started talking business, her demeanor changed. Her serious look deeply intrigued the man across from her, but what she said left Benjamin a bit puzzled.


    ¡°Coboration?¡± Benjamin eximed, surprised. ¡°While it¡¯s true I came here with that intention, the coboration your brother mentioned wasn¡¯t about a techpany. Mypany isn¡¯t even in the tech sector.¡±


    Silence enveloped them both, neither expecting things to turn out like this. They had assumed the other¡¯s idea of coboration matched theirs. But now they realized that wasn¡¯t the case at all theirpanies didn¡¯t align, what was the point of discussing coboration?


    w that. So why bring in someone totally unrted?


    Sviva couldn¡¯t wrap ber head around it. She was clearly involved in the tech industry now, and her brother knew that Sov


    After a moment, Benjamin chuckled. He figured out what Sylvia¡¯s brother was up to. Frankly, it was a bit hical, but hey<b>, </b>when opportunity knocks, you¡¯ve got to seize it, right?


    ¡°think I¡¯ve figured out what your brother wants. Though I can¡¯t coborate with you directly<b>, </b>I do have contacts who could. You¡¯ve probably seen Frank¡¯s profile, you know about his connection with Cyril So, <b>I </b>assume you won¡¯t be coborating with him anymore. I have anotherpany in mind that could be a potential match. Let me organize the details and send them to youter. Let¡¯s exchange contact information.¡±


    His main goal was to exchange contact information, but mentioning the techpany piqued Sylvia¡¯s interest. She couldn¡¯t find a reason to object, so she reluctantly gave him ber work phone and added his contact details


    Benjamin noticed that Sylvia¡¯s phone was different from the one she usually used, but he didn¡¯t think much of it. ¡°It¡¯s all business,¡± he thought, seeing no harm in l.


    ¡°Well, in that case, let me treat you to a meal I really didn¡¯t expect my brother to put you in such a difficult position..


    ¡°It¡¯s not that difficult,¡± Sylvainterjected ¡°I¡¯m actually happy to be doing this. It¡¯s been a long time since west met, so I¡¯m d for the opportunity. And your brother also gave me a choice, I didn¡¯t refuse.¡±


    After a pause, Benjarin added, ¡°But if you¡¯re offering to treat me, I certainly won¡¯t refuse.¡±


    Sylva reactantly took him out for lunch she had to admit, Benjamin was indeed a very considerate and gentle man


    He knew Sylvia might not be used to this kind of atmosphere, so he spoke patiently, always bringing up interesting topics to ease her nerves.


    After a pleasant meal, they parted ways to attend to their respective tasks for the afternoon.


    As soon as Benjamin lett, Sylvia¡¯s expression changed. She immediately called Balk.


    ¡°My dear brother, do you need to exin what¡¯s going on? Was the purpose of bringing this person today not about discussing coboration at all? Did you just want me to assess him and bring him home


    The way he looked at her <b>was </b>too suggestive. If this continued for too long, she might end up with another admirer around her.


    <b>Sylvia </b>was faming. She couldn¡¯t understand what her brother was thinking. He knew her well enough to know she wasn¡¯t interested in rtionships Could she really jump into another one so quickly after being hurt?


    Baik protested on the other end of the line, ¡°It¡¯s not my fault! It was Big Brother¡¯s idea. He said if you continued like this, your health would suffer. Seeing you unhappy makes us sad too. So, I thought of a way to help you rx Besides, this guy contacted me on his own. I just thought he might have <b>a </bpany that could coborate with yours. After all, we¡¯re just making rmendations within reasonable limits. You two were middle school ssmates; what¡¯s the harm in chatting?¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t normally do something like this. Are you trying to get back at me for not treating you well over the years? If so, can¡¯t you find a better way than using something like this to get back at me?


    Sylvia gritted her teeth. If this guy really was sent by Big Brother, Balk would definitely try to reject him. But now, with Big Brother and Balk working together, it was obvious they were up to something.


    Hearing Sylvia¡¯s words, Balk burst intoughter. ¡°Your brother isn¡¯t that over the top. I just thought it was time for youThis text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ou to start a new life. Yes, thepany is your responsibility, but that doesn¡¯t mean your whole life should revolve around it. You should do other things too. Even if you¡¯re not getting married, you should at least date. There are so many men in the world, take your time to choose. We¡¯re just making reasonable rmendations. In the end, it¡¯s up to you to decide.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Alright, I don¡¯t want to hear any <b>more </b>about this. I have work to do.¡±


    She hung up and walked to the <b>office</b>, feeling irritated. On her way back, she received another call from Big Brother.


    She didn¡¯t need to guess, it was definitely because Balk had run to tattle on her<b>, </b>or Big Brother had found out she met Benjamin. Reluctantly, she answered the <b>call</b>.

 Chapter 150

    Chapter 150: Sense of Crisis


    ¡°What do you think of the person your big brother set your <b>up </b>with? He¡¯s been into your slice childhood, you know? Then there was that thealty with Cyll, a lot of it was because of you. Butter on, realizing you might be stuck in the middle, he hacked off and went abroad Now seeing each other apain, how do you feel?¡±


    Usually, my big brother isn¡¯t this nosy, Who got him into this?


    Sylda felt a headacheing on. She saw Juliet staring at her with possip written all over her face, making her headache worse.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so many years since we¡¯ve seen each other, what¡¯s there to teel? Right now, my priority is sorting out thepany¡¯s collidiorations, other matters well, they¡¯re not on my radar. Plus, I didn¡¯t even recognize him back then, and now I¡¯m even less likely to. You two are making this really awkward for ine,¡±


    Syhia thought the guy cane to discuss business, so she brashed it off casually at first at Later, she realized things weren¡¯t that simple. Her two brothers were reallypleating things for her.


    ¡°All of this is your brothers¡® thoughtful concern. Anyway, you can think about itter. But it¡¯s true he likes you, and now that you¡® re divorced, you¡¯ve por to consider other options. He¡¯ll probably keep pursuing you for a while. Now, let¡¯s talk about thepany¡¯s matters. Frank¡¯s enmpany, Juliet has briefed me. If we don¡¯t coborate, so be it, but you have to find anotherpany, Otherwise, our people will need exnations. And how about the situation with the subsidiary?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost sorted. <b>There </b><b>are </b><b>still </b>a few puppeteers behind the scenes we haven¡¯t caught yet. Once we grab them, I¡¯ll be mostly done. <b>As </b><b>for </b>the coboration, I¡¯m already considering it. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got things under control.¡±


    With the personal stuff out of the way, Sylvia breathed <b>a </b>sigh of relief and <b>started </b>discussing the recent <b>state </b>of thepany seriously.


    After discussingpany matters, the siblings hung up. Sylvia put down her phone and looked at Juliet. ¡°Did you secretly inform me about what¡¯s been happeningtely?¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on, don¡¯t me me! Your brother bombarded me with too much information. Plus, you know how irresistible he is when he¡¯s right in front of me. So, I had to spill the beans, sorry about <b>that</b>. How about I treat you to dinner?¡±


    Jubet hadn¡¯t expected Sylvia to catch on so quickly, leaving her with no escape. She had to awkwardly blurt out these words.


    ¡°Never mind, let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. It¡¯s not <b>that </b>big eta deal¡±


    Even if it wasn¡¯t Benjamin <b>today</b>, it would¡¯ve been someone else. So, fussing over this didn¡¯t make sense at all.


    Anyway, once thepany matters were settled, she¡¯d be out of here soon. It wouldn¡¯t be wise to burn bridges now, especially since no one had done anything out of line. Let it be <b>for </b>now, future matters could be dealt with in the future<b>.</b>


    However, Sylvia had underestimated the situation a bit. The incident where Bark beat someone up had been trending for days, putting her in the spotlight as well.


    So, when Sylvia and Benjamin had dinner together, the media caught wind and spread the news online, Coincidentally, Barry saw it.


    Barry felt uneasy seeing the news. <b>Just </b>as he was about in pot away his phone, Cyril¡¯s voice sounded from behind him.


    ¡°Let me see your phone.¡±


    Startled by the sudden voice of the l


    the big boss, Barryplied, handing over his phone along with the news article. Cyril looked at the online buzz expressionlessly. No one knew what he <b>was </b>thinking, especially Barry, who was now even more nervous¡­This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Barry <b>couldn¡¯t </b>help butin inwardly. What kind of dead¨Cend question was that? Compatibility? What¡¯s the use of that <b>now</b>? They¡¯re divorced! If you¡¯re feeling jealous and insecure now, why didn¡¯t you do something earlier?


    Though he was thinking all of this, he didn¡¯t dare say <b>a </b>word. He nervously replied, ¡°Those online talks must have poor eyesight. Benjamin isn¡¯t a good guy.1 when he was against us weren¡¯t noble, it¡¯s just that there¡¯s noparison now. If there was, they¡¯d surely think you, boss, are better, morepatible.¡± ¡°You make a point. Find <b>a </b>way for me to meet Sylvia¡±


    The things he did


    Cyril did feel a hint of crisis. Back then, when he was at odds with Benjamin, part of it was because <b>of </b>Sylvia, Knowing their rtionship wasn¡¯t great, it not unfamiliar, it was Benjamin¡¯s actions that fueled his anger towards Sylvia.


    Now that this guy was reappearing, Cyril felt he needed to be cautious about <b>him </b>more than anyone else


    So, he had to <b>find </b><b>a </b>way to appear in front of Sy and make sure she <b>focused </b>on him. As for Benjamin, he needed to stay on the sidelines.


    He hadn¡¯t realized how difficult his request <b>was </b>expecting Sylvia to meet him when she clearly <b>didn¡¯t </b>want to


    Barry felt helpless. He wanted to say something, but Cyril didn¡¯t give him the chance, walking away.


    As Cyril walked farther away, Barry felt even worse. Meeting Sylvia, now he had to figure out how to do that. It wasn¡¯t as simple as taking a car home like before. Even getting <b>an </b>appointment wasn¡¯t guaranteed now,


    And Syria, she probably didn¡¯t want to meet Cyril right now.


    But he had to follow the boss¡¯s orders. Barry had no choice but to try to arrange a meeting with Sylvia in thepany¡¯s name, but whether it would seed was uncertain.

 Chapter 151

    Chapter 151: Chance Encounter


    These days have been so hectic for thedies, barely any time to breathe, let alone worry about other matters. Sylvia had sorted out the issues with the subsidiarypany, thanks to the <b>valuable </b>information <b>provided </b>by Ingrid Sylvia kept her end of the deal and didn¡¯t give Ingrid a hard time.


    But the losses caused by Ingrid to thepany neededpensation, something no one else could help her with. Sylvia agreed that if Ingrid made up for those losses, she could stay at the subsidiarypany<b>, </b>but returning to the headquarters was out of the question.


    However, everyone knew that even if she stayed at the subsidiary, <b>Sylvia </b>wouldn¡¯t make it easy for her. She¡¯d find ways to dismiss her<b>, </b>but without taking direct responsibility


    ¡°The matters at the subsidiary are nearly wrapped up. How about we grab a bite to eat together? Listen, I¡¯ve found this fantastic restaurant recently, perfect for a romantic date. And I was thinking, maybe next time.¡±


    Juliet burst in excitedly, interrupting Sylvia¡¯s work chatter about dinner ns. But as she spoke, she realized it might sound off and quickly stopped.


    Sylvia nced up from her files, amused. ¡°Who else are you nning to dine with besides me? nning to use me as a test audience this time?¡±


    Juliet blushed, trying to cover up her slip ¡°Oh, I was just saying. What if I meet <b>a </b>handsome guy next time? It¡¯d be nice to have apanion who won¡¯t lead me to bad food, right?¡± Juliet¡¯s attempt at diversion was evident. She couldn¡¯t believe she had blurted out her inner thoughts so quickly.


    ¡°<b>A </b>handsome guy, huh?¡± Sylvia chuckled. ¡°I wonder if that handsome guy you¡¯re talking about is my big brother. If it is, I might just arrange for you two to meet. Oh, by the way, next time my brotheres around, I doubt you¡® be tagging along. How about this? I¡¯ll call my brother now and tell him I¡¯m swamped here and need his help. Then we can go eat together. How does that sound?¡±


    Juliet stomped her foot in frustration, her face burning red. Since Sylvia already knew what she was thinking, why did she have to say it out loud?


    ¡°oh, I didn¡¯t <b>mean </b>it like that. Forget what I said. Are youing to dinner <b>with </b>me or not? If you want to eat, I¡¯ll make a reservation. Otherwise, I¡¯ll go alone¡±


    ¡°Of course<b>, </b>I¡¯ming. It¡¯ll be a <b>chance </b>for me to see <b>what </b>kind of dare my brother will be having next. Helps me n better to persuade him,¡± Sylvia said with augh, scribbling her name on the document and tossing it aside before grabbing Juliet¡¯s hand, pulling her out the door.


    During their journey, Sylvia teased Juliet from time to time.


    But it takes two to tango in matters like these. So far, Bruce <b>hadn¡¯t </b>shown any interest in Juliet.


    Juliet, on the other hand, hadn¡¯t mustered the courage to make a move yet. She was afraid of making things worse if she did.


    Sylvia <b>had </b>no say in this matter, considering her own disastrous love life didn¡¯t offer much advice


    However, pursuing love boldly wasn¡¯t wrong. Sylvia just didn¡¯t want to see Juliet hurt. So, in the car, she spoke earnestly to Juliet


    ¡°I know you like my brother, but I don¡¯t think <b>he¡¯s </b>aware of it yet. Regardless, I don¡¯t want you to end up on the same miserable path I did. If my brother doesn¡¯t like you, don¡¯t force yourself. Don¡¯t force him. In the end, the unhappy one will be you.¡±


    ¡°I understand. My feelings for him are my own business. If he doesn¡¯t like me, it¡¯s normal. I haven¡¯t said anything yet. Let¡¯s pretend I don¡¯t know anything. If one day I can¡¯t control myself and want to tell him how I feel, that¡¯s probably myst effort. It my efforts don¡¯t yield the desired result, it¡¯s okay,¡± Juliet said with a nonchnt tone, though Sylvia knew deep down it wouldn¡¯t be that easy when the time came


    But since Juliet said so, Sylvia <b>didn¡¯t </b>press further.


    When they arrived at the restaurant, Juliet had already made reservations, so awaiter escorted them to their table.


    As they settled in, another person joined them unexpectedly. Sylvia instinctively looked over and found Benjamin.


    Benjamin had a perfectly timed smile on his face<b>, </b>as if their meeting was purely coincidental.


    But Sylvia felt a pang of annoyance deep down. Although she hadn¡¯t received any messages from Benjamin these past few days, his appearance here at this moment made it hard to believe he wasn¡¯t informed beforehand and didn¡¯te here intentionally.


    Thinking this, Sylvia turned to Juliet, but Juliet was busy looking at the menu with excitement, asking Sylvia what she wanted to eat.


    Sering Juliet¡¯s obliviousness, Sylvia wondered who else knew about this besides her. Was it really just a coincidence?


    ¡°Our family¡¯s restaurant has excellent food. If you need rmendations, I can suggest a few dishes for both of you,¡± Benjamin suddenly spoke up, startling Juliet, who widened her eyes and looked between Benjamin and Sylvia, as if discovering a new continent.


    ¡°Are you two meeting up here? Am I intrading? Should I leave?¡± <b>Benjamin </b>asked with a smile.


    ¡°Stop imagining things. Just order your food,¡± Sylvia sighed, a headache building up. Juliet chuckled but kept stealing nces at both of them, though she remembered to ouder her food and didn¡¯t say much more.


    Turning to Benjamin, Sylvia said, ¡°<b>We </b>don¡¯t need rmendations. She had it all p when this ce is mostly for couples? Wouldn¡¯t you feel out of ce?¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    nned out before you came. And why are you here? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s odd to be here alone


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but the loud here is still good. Besides, besides couples, some peoplee he

 Chapter 152

    Chapter 152: Roses


    Sylvia hadn¡¯t dined here before, so she wasn¡¯t sure how the food tasted. But seeing Benjamin looking sofortable, she figured the food here must be decent.


    While they were chatting, pallet <b>had </b>already ced the order with the walter and started chatting with Benjamin<b>.</b>


    <b>¡°</b>You¡¯re dining alone, right? Why don¡¯t you join us? It would be fun to have a little trio,¡± juliet suggested.


    Benjamin was tempted to ept, but he knew if he did, Sylvia might not be too pleased. <b>So</b>, he politely declined<b>, </b>saying he had other ns and would leave right after dinner.


    Hearing Benjamin¡¯s response, Juliet didn¡¯t push further. However, she seemed more excited talking to Benjamin than she did with Sylvia, as if trying to build a rapport with him,


    ¡°Theard from her brother that you¡¯ve been working here for a long time. Have you ever thought about going back to your country for opportunities? Juliet¡¯s question intrigued Sylvia, <b>but </b>she didn¡¯t dare ask herself, fearing it might seem suspicious, especially considering Benjamin¡¯s not so innocent intentions towards her.


    Benjamin nced <b>at </b>Sylvia, <b>his </b>smile gentle Thave considered going back and <b>have </b>been preparing for ittely. But to fully rebar, it might take about half a year.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great! If youe back, we could explore the possibility <b>of </b>coborating. There are plenty of projects at headquarters,¡± Juliet chimed in, extending the invitation Sylvia felt <b>a </b>headacheing on. They had no connection whatsoever, yet they were already talking about coboration. What were they going to coborate on? Was she supposed tomit her life to it?


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat, dishes are served,¡± Sylvia quickly interrupted Juliet, spooning some fruit into her mouth. She couldn¡¯t continue this conversation. The longer it went <b>on</b>, the more they might think she had ulterior <b>motives</b>.


    Benjamin remained silent, watching Sylvia with a warm, non¨Cthreatening smile.


    Honestly, Sylvia had no idea Benjamin had other intentions towards her. If they had met earlier<b>, </b>before Cyril, things might have been different. But now, she didn¡¯t dare touch the subject of rtionships, let alone get involved with Benjamin


    dback, grabbed <b>a </b>chair, and


    As they are, Benjamin indeed had somewhere to be, so he left <b>soon </b>after finishing dinner. However, just as he took a few steps away, he suddenly turned t ced it next to Sylvia


    Both Sylvia and Juliet were puzzled, not understanding why Benjamin did this. Then they saw someone approaching ¨C Cyril.


    Cyril held a bouquet of roses, heading <b>straight </b>for Sylvia.


    Now<b>, </b>both Sylvia and Juliet understood why Benjamin had returned and sat next to Sylvia.


    Besides Benjamin¡¯s affection for Sybia, there was alsopetition between him and Cyril So, seizing the opportunity to inconvenience Cyril, Benjamin wouldn¡¯t miss it.


    As Cyril approached, Benjamin leaned close to Sybta and whispered in her ear, ¡°Theard you two are divorced. I guess you don¡¯t want to be bothered by him. So, I took the liberty toe over. You wouldn¡¯t refuse, would your


    Benjamin wasn¡¯t wrong. Syhda indeed didn¡¯t want to be bothered by Cyril. Thus, she didn¡¯t object to Benjamin sitting next to her, remaining calm.


    As Cyril approached, <b>he </b>saw Benjamin leaning in and talking to Sylvia, and Sylvia didn¡¯t move away


    Feeling a <b>bit </b>hurt, was be too <bte</b><b>?</b>


    ¡°why did you c


    Cyril ced the bouquet of roses on the table. Sylvia subtly moved away from t


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Are you trying to make me sick? Couldn¡¯t you just ask if it¡¯s okay? Why bring flowers when you know she¡¯s allergic to pollen? And don¡¯t you know roses are thest thing she likes? Who are you trying to disgust?¡± Juliet¡¯s reaction was strong as she moved the bouquet to another table.


    ¡°Are you sick? You obviously know I dislike roses and have pollen allergies. Yet, you brought this bouquet. Besides, you should know roses are thest thing I like. Who are you trying to disgust?¡± Sylda calmly interrupted Cyril¡¯s apology. Cyril didn¡¯t understand her dislikes about flowers and was trying to impress her. But up to now, everything he had done only made Sylvia more ritated..


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, L.¡±


    ¡°I know. You didn¡¯t know I disliked roses or had pollen allergies After all these years, you didn¡¯t know much about me. So, you brought this bouquet, which I detest, just as you detest me. Since you now know, could you <b>leave </b>with <b>that </b>in mind? Sylvia calmly interrupted Cyell again Cyell didn¡¯t understand her dislikes about flowers and was trying to impress her<b>. </b>But up to now, everything he had done only made Sylvia more irritated.


    Silenced, Cyril had nothing more <b>to </b><b>say</b>.


    Indeed, whether <b>it¡¯s </b>love or hate, sometimes, there¡¯s no reason. If there had to be a reason for love or hate, then the reason Sybda hated roses was simply because Cyril had givenContent is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    them to her.


    T


    ¡°I remember when we were in middle school, your brother attended your awards ceremony and brought you a bouquet of tulips. You loved tulips, Benjamin suddenly spoke up.


    Chapter 153: <b>Frank¡¯s </b>Sincerity

 Chapter 153

    Chapter 153: <b>Frank¡¯s </b>Sincerity


    Sylvia was taken aback for a moment. The fact that Benjamin knew about her love for <b>tulips </b><b>was </b><b>something </b>her close friends knew, but she never expected Benjamin to know as well.


    Comparing this, Cyril¡¯s gesture seemed utterly insincere. After all these years of marriage, he seemed to know nothing about her<b>, </b><b>while </b>even someone she hadn¡¯t seen in knew her favorite flower


    ¡°It¡¯s really tough on Cyril to hate what you like,¡± Sylvia mused.


    ¡°Yeah, I really like tulips. It¡¯s just that when my brother gave me tulips, they were artificial I¡¯m allergic to pollen, after all,¡± she exined.


    ¡°I know. Do you remember when you graduated from junior high, someone gave you a jar of tulips? That was me. I turned the tulips into dried flowers and put them in a bottle for


    Benjamin nodded. While others thought Sylvia received artificial flowers because her family couldn¡¯t afford real ones, he sensed there was a special reason behind it. Buying real flowers wasn¡¯t that expensive, after all.


    So, he observed carefully and found out about Sylvia¡¯s pollen allergy. When she graduated, he made dried flowers and put them in a bottle as a gift. He just <b>wasn¡¯t </b>sure if Sylvia remembered it


    Sylvia quickly searched her memories and indeed recalled the tulips. She loved them and still kept them in her room.


    ¡°It was you who <b>gave </b>them to me? I thought it was my brother¡¯s doing. But I guess my brother wouldn¡¯t have the patience to turn a flower into a dried one. You must have put a lot of effort into it. Thank you,¡± Sylvia said with a smile. The memory seemed to soften her attitude towards Benjamin.


    As these two reminisced, theypletely ignored Cyril


    Cyril felt thoroughly aggrieved at being ignored. He didn¡¯t know what to say. It seemed like Sylvia had been subjected to such disregard many times before, whereas he had only experienced <b>a </b>fraction of it. What right did he have to feel aggrieved?


    Benjamin and Sylvia foundmon ground in their conversation,pletely ignoring Cyril.


    Juliet was in a good mood and ate a little more. When she noticed Cyrill staring nkly at Sylvia<b>, </b>she rolled her eyes in exasperation.


    ¡°Why are you still here, Cyril? Can¡¯t you see they¡¯re having a good time? Why do you keep bothering them? Don¡¯t you find yourself annoying?¡± she scolded.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± Cyril¡¯s throat felt dry, struggling to express his emotions.


    Juliet rolled her eyes again. ¡°You didn¡¯t mean to? Then take your roses and leave. It Sylvia <b>has </b>an allergic reactionter, she¡¯ll <b>have </b>to find you. Is that your n? Make Sylvia allergic to pollen and then get close to her <b>again</b><b>? </b>You¡¯ve hurt her countless times over the years, and this time is no different. You¡¯re disgusting¡±


    Juller¡¯s words hit <b>Cyril </b>hard. His face flushed with embarrassment as he lett, clutching the roses. It wasn¡¯t until he reached the door that he realized how impulsive his actions had been. He finally had the chance <b>to </b>see Sylvia, and Juliet had only <b>said </b>a few harsh words; she hadn¡¯t actually hurt him


    Yet, he left like a deserter, carrying the roses.


    Cyril sighed at the door. It was toote to turn back now. He nced back at Sylvia and Benjamin, who were chatting happily. The atmosphere <b>was </b>pleasant. His heart ached even more, knowing that all this should have been his. Even though he had lost it all


    His phone rang, breaking his reverie. Without looking at the caller ID, Cyril answered.


    <b>¡°</b>Cyril, it¡¯s me. I called you today..¡±


    It was Karina. Cyril frowned, surprised that she was calling him.


    Cyril <b>hung </b>up without a word. He didn¡¯t want any contact with <b>Karina </b>now. Her betrayal in the past could be disregarded.


    But if Karina continued to pester him, he would have to <b>seriously </b>consider all the times she had deceived him over the years.


    Once Cyril left, Benjamin and Sylvia charted for a while before Benjamin left. He had onlye to help Sylda drive Cyril away, and now that he¡¯d aplished that, there was no need to linger


    ¡°Thave to say, he handled <b>it </b>quite gracefully. Honestly, you had met Benjamin earlier, maybe things wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this. What do you think? pullet remarked. Although Juliet had been neglected for a while, <b>she </b>didn¡¯t feel upset. On the contrary<b>, </b>having such a good friend around was not a bad thing, and Benjamin was indeed a nice guy. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense<b>. </b>There¡¯s nothing between us,¡± Sylvia replied, feeling a bit helpless. She had talked so much with Benjamin because she had recalled some things from junior high. Besides reminiscing about junior high, there wasn¡¯t much else they could talk about. Business talk over dinner was rather dull.


    ¡°<b>Okay</b><b>, </b>okay, you two really have nothing going on. But I have some news to tell you. Do you want to hear it?¡± Juliet pulled out her phone. While they were chatting earber, she had checked herpany¡¯s emails and saw a message


    Sylwia nodded and took a bite of her food.


    Jullet read the email aloud. As Sylvia listened, her brows furrowed more and more. When <b>Juliet </b>finished, she added, ¡°Frank wants to <b>continue </b>working with us and has voluntarily lowered his share by three percentage points. What do you think?¡±


    Their coboration was significant, so Frank was indeed at a disadvantage by conceding so much. <b>Sybia </b>couldn¡¯t understand why he suddenly chose to back down.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to <b>not </b>understand? Frank was our best option from the start, and they seemed eager to continue working with us. If it weren¡¯t for Cyril, this coboration wouldn¡¯t have been dyed for so long. Now that he has conceded, it¡¯s for the sake <b>of </b>coboration. Plus, you know, if we seal the deal this time<b>, </b>the subsequent coborations will also go smoothly, right? So, in the long run<b>, </b><b>his </b>move makes sense,¡± Juliet reasoned

 Chapter 154

    Chapter 154: Why Him?


    You know, it¡¯s funny how things work out sometimes. Like, this whole <b>idea</b>, it¡¯s not really <b>a </b>problem, you know? If this coboration goes smoothly, then maybe the next one will too. There¡¯s this thing: the reason Frank is their best bet is because theirpany¡¯s philosophy aligns pretty darn well with theirs. So, there¡¯s a good chance for more


    coborations down the line.


    From a businessman¡¯s perspective, Frank¡¯spromise this time is actually setting the stage for smoother cooperation in the future. Plus, by not dragging Cyril into this round, it shows <b>he¡¯s </b>not looking to negotiate with Cyril right now. He¡¯s just trying to <b>seal </b>this deal on his own. Sylvia¡¯s pretty pleased about that, but¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s <b>not </b>rush into saying yes to him. We need to discuss internally first. We¡¯ve been looking at a few other suitablepaniestely and need topare them. So, we can¡¯t guarantee working with them just yet. If it doesn¡¯t work out this time, we hope there¡¯ll be another chance in the future,¡±


    Juliette knows exactly what Cyril¡¯s been up totely. Shees up with this whole spiel aboutparingpanies, and honestly, it¡¯s a decent excuse. It¡¯ll make Frank feel a bit


    *50, the reason you¡¯re saying all this is to double¨Ccheck if there might be any difficulties with this venture? Frank wouldn¡¯t pull something like that, would he?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve known each other for years. Last time, Frank even mentioned Cyril himself. It shows he wants to help Cyril. Even though he¡¯spromising this time, we still need to be prepared What it he mies to involve Cyril again?¡±


    Sylvia¡¯s thinking <b>ahead </b>more than Juliette, Juliette nods seriously after bearing Sylvia our. Yeah, there¡¯s a real possibility of that. They¡¯re practically on the same boat, those two. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll reply to himter.¡±


    After chamring for a bit and finishing their meal, they head back to the office, each getting back to their own tasks.


    Even though sylvia¡¯s leaning towards working with Frank, she needs to mitigate some risks, past then, her phone rings. It¡¯s Bruce callin


    Seeing the call, Sylvia sighs. She knows it¡¯s probably Juliette waking off to inform her big brother again.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    She just wanted to see where Frank stands and wasn¡¯t nning on sealing the deal immediately. Why the need for this tattling?


    Sylvia sighs again and answers the phone, ¡°Hey, big brother.¡±


    *50, Julette just called me saying you¡¯ve decided to work with Frank. Why him? There are plenty of other options, logically speaking.¡±


    <b>Bruce </b>already knows <b>about </b>Frank and Cyril¡¯s connection, so he¡¯s curious why Sy picked Frank over others.


    other options are great, but Frank¡¯s team has more mature technology. Plus, Frank¡¯s pretty easy to handle. Just pull out Cyn <b>in </b><b>a </b>few things, and we¡¯re good<b>. </b>So, the risks are lower in this scenario. But haven¡¯tmitted to working with them right away. I just want to keep him hanging for a while.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>So, the bottom line is you¡¯re still going with Frank. You know Frank and Cyril are connected. Why choose him? Can¡¯t it be Benjamin? Benjamin¡¯spany can also coborate with us, just not on this project¡±


    my


    Big brother, your intentions are a bit too obvious. If the projects are different, how could we coborate? If we do coborate, it¡¯ll be in the future. And if you keep prying into m lovelife like this, I¡¯ll call Dad and have him set you up on more blind dates,¡±


    Bruce goes quiet. He¡¯s not hell¨Cbent on Syhd getting into another rtionship, he just thinks Benjamin might be <b>a </b>safer bet than others.


    And Benjamin¡¯s more than willing to be that tall guy. If Benjamin¡¯s <b>fine </b>with it, what more is there to say?


    ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t say anything more. You decide on this coboration yoursell. The subsidiary¡¯s matters are settled. How are you nning to handle Ingrid?


    Bruce doesn¡¯t want to continue discussing the coboration issue. Since Sylvia¡¯s <b>made </b>up her mind, there¡¯s not much more to say. Besides, Sylvia¡¯s right. Working with Frank <b>does </b>reduce some risks, and with Cyril¡¯s current situation well, let¡¯s just <b>say </b>they¡¯re holding the <b>cards</b>.


    Alter discussing work matters, they hang up it¡¯s still work hours<b>, </b>after all, and they both have plenty to do.


    As soon as she ends the call, juliste bursts in, all flustered ¡°Uh¨Coh, trouble¡¯s brewing! Karina just announced her pregnancy online, and guess whose baby she¡¯s carrying?


    Cyll¡¯s!¡±


    <b>Sylvia¡¯s </b>expression darkens instantly, Karina¡¯s pregnant? What does that make of the past few years for Syhta? And why now, when Cyril¡¯s in this mess?


    ¡°I told you this guy wasn¡¯t any good. Look at him, still tangled up with his <b>ex</b>, and now there¡¯s a pregnancy bombshell. What are we going to <b>do</b><b>?</b>¡± Juliette looks at Sylvia, seeing her troubled expression, feeling for her. But the dead¡¯s been done.

 Chapter 155

    Chapter 155: A Sorry Sight


    ¡°You okay? <b>Honestly</b>, I didn¡¯t want <b>to </b>tell you about this, but now, this news is everywhere. If I didn¡¯t tell you, you¡¯d find out anyway. So, what are you thinking now?¡±


    Juliet was seriously worried. Initially, she didn¡¯t want to burden Sylvia with this news, but knowing Sylvia would find out eventually, she figured it was better to tell her and be by


    her side.


    Sylvia did have a moment of feeling temble, her expression sour, but she quickly regained herposure.


    She¡¯d known for awhile that there was something different about Cyril and Karina¡¯s rtionship. Now, hearing about Karina¡¯s pregnancy, it <b>wasn¡¯t </b><b>as </b>hard to ept as she thought.


    just felt like she¡¯d wasted all these years on genuine feelings.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ve known for a while that Cyril and Karina were more than just friends. I just didn¡¯t expect Cyril to be <b>two</b><b>¨C</b>faced about it. He¡¯s been chasing after me this whole time, and I thought.. never mind. Men are like that, and Karina being pregnant, isn¡¯t that a good thing? They were forced apart before, now they re together. It¡¯s fine¡±


    <b>¡°</b>That¡¯s one way to put it, but I¡¯m worried you might have a hard time with it. You know how annoying Karina can be, and <b>she¡¯s </b>been causing trouble for you for years. Cyrill, too. He can¡¯t seem to make up his mind. How about this? I¡¯ll call your brother, let¡¯s give Cyril a piece of our minds. How dare he mistreat you?¡±


    ¡°Enough. Don¡¯t bother scolding him. The more we <b>scold </b>him, the more he¡¯ll think I still care about him, I don¡¯t have any feelings for him anymore, so let him do what he wants. Let¡¯s just leave it at that. As for Karina, if she contacts me, I¡¯ll wish them both well. If not, then so be it.¡±


    Sybiachuckled. Despite feeling a bit angry, seeing Juliet angrier somehow eased her. Having a friend by her side <b>made </b>all the difference.


    Syhis hugged Juliet,forting her. ¡°I should be the one more upset about this<b>, </b>but why do you seem angrier? Come on, don¡¯t dwell on it too much.¡±


    Juliet thought of something else. She looked at Sylvia and asked, ¡°How did you know Karina would message you? She just sent an email saying being with Cyril was an ident and not to be mad. But <b>it¡¯s </b>all so obvious. If you can¡¯t see through that, I¡¯d be amazed.¡±


    Syhia burst outughing. She knew Karina¡¯s tactics too well. Over the years, Karina had used every trick to keep Cyril hooked. This time was no different ¡°Alright, since she¡¯se to unt it, let¡¯s just reply with best wishes for them both and be done with it. We don¡¯t need to stay in touch. Isn¡¯t that better?¡± ¡°Sigh, okay, okay. I was thinking of giving Cyril a piece of my mind, but if that¡¯s how you feel, fine. But I¡¯m still mad for you. They really crossed the line this time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the first time she¡¯s crossed the line. And I won¡¯t tolerate it like used to. Whatever they do is their business, but if they bring it to my doorstep, I won¡¯t let them off easy. Anyway, our work for today is almost done. How about treat you to dinner? Let¡¯s rx and forget about them.¡±


    Seeing Juliet so angry made Syhia unable to bear it.


    Joliet looked at Sylvia helplessly. ¡°<b>No</b>, I¡¯m just venting for you. Why do you always think I¡¯m the one angry?


    ¡°Are you not angry? Sylvia asked back. Jullet couldn¡¯t deny it. <b>She </b>was indeed very, very angry,


    In the afternoon, the two openly skipped work to go shopping. They spent the whole day outside, nning to hit the bar at night.


    However, Syhia had to go back suddenly for something, so they had to cancel that n.


    Sylvia owned a property nearby. As she returned, she noticed a severely disheveled man sitting by the bushes.


    Or rather, he seemed to have passed out, leaning against the flowerbed, his face dirty, clothes tom, as if he¡¯d been injured.


    Sylvia initially didn¡¯t want to get involved, but as she took a few steps, she caught a whiff of blood. She couldn¡¯t just let someone die like that. With a sigh, she approached the man and called for help.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay? Wake up!¡±


    She gently shook the man, but he remained unconscious, Blood still tricked from his body. In the dim light, Syhta didn¡¯t dare to examine his wounds, fearing she might worsen them inadvertently.


    Luckily, after about twenty minutes, an ambnce arrived. The paramedics loaded the man onto the vehicle, and Sylvia followed. After all, she had discovered him and made the call. She felt responsible.


    At the hospital, doctors tended to the man¡¯s wounds. They weren¡¯t deep, <b>but </b>there were many. Hence, the strong smell of blood.


    ¡°The patient doesn¡¯t have any major issues, but are you his family? If so, it¡¯s better to admit <b>him</b>. Oh<b>, </b>and while examining him, we found a tumor in his body.¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Hearing this, Sylvia felt a headacheing on. She¡¯d only helped a stranger on a whim, but now it seemed his situation was far more dire


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m not his family. I just found him by the roadside. I¡¯ll contact the police to find his rtives.¡±


    The doctor looked puzzled, assuming Sylvia was the man¡¯s wife, But since she wasn¡¯t, it wasn¡¯t her concem. Plus, the tumor was still a mystery.


    im Bonus For Free Every <b>Day</b>¡°>

 Chapter 156

    Chapter 156: Irritation


    Sylvia was still in the hospital room with the man the next morning.


    He had woken up yesterday morning, and Sylvia was about to copse from exhaustion. She had managed to contact her assistant yesterday and asked him to investigate the man¡¯s identity. So far, there had been no news. Sy didn¡¯t know if it was because the man¡¯s identity was tooplex <b>or </b><b>if </b>he simply wasn¡¯t around, making it impossible to find out <b>who </b>he was.


    Sy <b>rubbed </b>her <b>temples </b>wearily, ncing at the clock. It was almost time for her to start work. She decided to call a nurse to <b>look </b>after the man and then get ready as she was about to stand up, the man woke up.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake. I¡¯ll call the doctor toe and check on you<b>.</b>¡±


    <b>Sylvia </b>immediately called the doctor over, who began examining the man. Itis injuries weren¡¯t too severe, but the most important issue was the humor.


    y for work. Just


    ¡°You were luckyst night, I found you and brought you here. By the way, do you live any family? There¡¯s a humor In your body, and without your family<b>, </b><b>it¡¯s </b>hard tomunicate.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. The tumor in my body is benign. I¡¯ve already made an appointment with the doctor <b>for </b>surgery. Thank you for saving mest night. My name is Miles.¡±


    The man¡¯s voice was hoarse, understandable since he had been unconscious for so long. It would take him some time to fully recover, which was perfectly normul Sylvianodded, ¡°Got it contact your family to take care of you have to go to work now. I¡¯Ee see you after work. If you need any help, here¡¯s my business card. You can call me *** Sylvia wasn¡¯t particrlypassionate, but since she had saved the man, she felt respons Ble until his family arrived.


    ¡°No need. I can take care of myself.¡±


    Hearing his distant words, Sylvia didn¡¯t say anything more. She just ced her business card on the table. ¡°call me if you need anything


    with that, Sylvia rubbed her shoulders and left the hospital room,


    After <b>Sylvia </b>left the room, the man¡¯s gaze fell on the business card lett on the table. He hesitated for a moment before reaching out to take it. He looked at the name and position on the card with deep eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m furious! Let me tell you, this morning, before you even arrived<b>, </b><b>Cyril </b>came over, causing a scene, insisting on meeting you. He wanted to exin things between him and Carina. What¡¯s there to exin? Everyone knows what happened between them. Why bother exining to you? He even hoped you wouldn¡¯t be angry, saying he would immediately cut ties with Carlina and that child was <b>just </b><b>an </b>ident¡±


    Today, Juliet was even more emotional than yesterday. Sylvia had spent the entire afternoon yesterday trying to calm her down, only to be irritated by Cyril so easily this morning Sylvia was starting to <b>feel </b>a headacheing on.


    ¡°Okay, <b>okay</b>. You know what kind of person he is. Why are you so angry? Look, I¡¯m not as angry <b>as </b><b>you</b>, am I? stop being mad. Let¡¯s finish today¡¯s work. We haven¡¯t even finished yesterday¡¯s work yet. Think about it, <b>dying </b>work for two days because of a man. Is that appropriate?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s not appropriate, but you see how unreasonable he is. Do you know that many people are discussing the rtionship between you and Cyrill in private today? Some even say it¡¯s because of you. Guess <b>what </b>joke they¡¯re making about you two? How can you treat <b>them </b>kindly? If Cyril didn¡¯t agree at the beginning, he could have refused!¡± Juliet ranted on, her face turning red with anger.


    Sylvia had no choice but to go along with Juliet¡¯s words. The two <b>of </b>them cursed Cyril back and forth for awhile until pet¡¯s mood improved slightly


    When Juliet calmed down, she noticed that Sylvia was wearing the same clothes as yesterday.


    She looked at Sylvia strangely ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Don¡¯t you never wear the same clothes two days in a row?


    ¡°On my way homest night, 1 identally ran into an injured person and took him to the hospital. I stayed there all night, so I haven¡¯t changed clothes yet.¡±


    Sylvia sighed and briefly exined what had happened <bst </b>night to Juliet, who widened her eyes in surprise.


    ¡°No way! You saved a man? Could it be that he deliberately copsed in front of your house, waiting for you to save him? I¡¯ll go with you this afternoon to see. If this person has any ulterior motives, I¡¯ll help you!


    Sylvia couldn¡¯t help but smile. Juliet was taking it too seriously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him taking advantage of me. I sawst night that he was wearing custom¨Cmade clothes that cost a fortune. He must be someone¡±Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    As Sylvia spoke, she realized something wasn¡¯t right. If the man looked well¨Cdressed and respectable, why was he hing there in such a miserable state? Could he have been set up just like she was?


    ¡°What are you thinking? <b>Do </b>you think his identity is suspicious? is someone trying to harm him?¡±


    Juliet asked curiously.


    Sylvia nodded seriously she regretted being so impulserst night. Just then, her phone rang, disying a standar umber Sylvia instinctively thought of the man in the hospital


    After hesitating for a moment, Sylvia answered the call. A <b>hoarse </b>voce came through the phone.


    ¡°Hello, Sylvia This is Miles. I¡¯ve contacted the people I needed to. I¡¯ll be leaving soon. As for the favor Lowe you and the money, I¡¯ll remember it I¡¯ll transter the money to your ountter. If <b>you </b>ever need anything, you can call this number.¡±


    He was leaving soon, which surprised Sylvia a bit. But she didn¡¯t want to get to involved with this person. ¡°It¡¯s okay, just go. Be careful on the road. As for the money, it doesn¡¯t


    ¡°What goes aroundes around I owe you this favor for saving me lepo you. And I¡¯ll the money you spent. It¡¯s amule


    Miles¡® voker was calm, but Salvirconda¡¯t help but shiver at the mention of roles and repayment What kind of le demanded repayment like this?

 Chapter 157

    Chapter <b>157</b>: Time to LeaveContent is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Sylvia¡¯s <b>life </b>continued on its usual track<b>. </b>Work was going smoothly on this end<b>, </b>but cooperation with Frank had hit a bit of a snug again.


    The reason? Cell. He had been trying to seize every chance to meet Sybia and exin the situation between him and Karina


    Sylvia was beyond annoyed. She ended up ming Frank for it, which made Frank feel unfairly targeted. After all, it was Cyril¡¯s own doing, yet Frank was being dragged into it.


    Frank was having a major headache over this but felt powerless.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave the follow¨Cup tasks to someone else. I need to head back to headquarters, My brother is about to go on a business trip, and there¡¯s no one managing things there..¡±


    Technically, Sy <b>shouldn¡¯t </b>be burdened with headquarters matters for now. However, bruce had full faith in his sister¡¯s capability to handle it all, so he unhesitatingly <b>passed </b>everything to Sylvia


    Sylvia was overwhelmed but had no choice. She temporarily set aside the <b>subsidiary¡¯s </b><b>affairs </b>and delegated her tasks to others. Since things were almost sorted with Frank, and he was willing topromise, they were okay with it. All that remained was signing contracts and ironing out the details of their coborations.


    But headquarters still needed her attention.


    Once Sylvia confirmed arrangements, she lett ahead. Juliet stayed behind to <b>brief </b>and finalizematters with Frank¡¯spany, with Sylvia gone, Juliet became the key <b>figurein </b>managing affales here.


    It took two days for Cyril to learn that <b>Sylvia </b>had returned.


    ¡°Right, the word I got is Brace is going <b>on </b>a business trip, so he handed overpany matters to Syria. And Sylvia has delegated everything here to her subordinates. Also, Miss Karina<b>¡­</b><b>¡±</b>


    Barry belt really downcast. Each of these matters tested his patience greatly. Neither <b>Karina </b>nor <b>Sylvia </b>made decisions easy, especially Karina, who was now pregnant,plicating matters further. Paris was practically tearing his hair out dealing with her, as her demeanor hadpletely changed.


    ¡°Have you found out what happened that day?


    Cyril didn¡¯t believe he had rtions with Karina. He vaguely remembered meeting her two months ago <b>in </b><b>a </b>public setting


    He had a few drinks that day and couldn¡¯t recall what happened afterward. But when he woke up, Karina <b>was </b>beside him, insisting nothing happened between them. Yet, how did she end up pregnant?


    ¡°We checked the surveince footage. It indeed showed <b>Karina </b>apanying <b>you </b>to the hotel, and she didn¡¯te out afterward. But before she left, another <b>man </b>entered the hotel. It¡¯s unclear if he had any connection with Barina, Shall we continue investigating?¡±


    ¡°Continue. I want every detall of this investigated thoroughly.¡±


    Cyril¡¯s expression turned extremely grim. He couldn¡¯t tolerate being deceived by Karina. If this child wasn¡¯t his, it <b>meant </b>Karina had crossed his boundaries repeatedly.


    ¡°Alright, boss<b>. </b>Do we need to reschedule with Sylvia? She¡¯s back in her country now.¡±


    Berry inquired again. Last time <b>Cyril </b>insisted on meeting Sylvia, but despite numerous attempts, they couldn¡¯t secure a meeting. The message from Sylvia¡¯s end was always she was too busy, Secretly, Barry was informed that Sylvia had instructed them to decline any appointments <b>Cyril </b>made<b>, </b>regardless of his avability


    <b>So</b>, no matter how hard he tried to schedule, Cyril couldn¡¯t get Sylvia¡¯s time,


    ¡°If we can¡¯t schedule it, won¡¯t you try again? Use your brain and think of other ways. Also, book a return ticket to her country. You¡¯ve done enough here<b>.</b>¡±


    ¡°Understood<b>, </b>boss.¡±


    When the boss spoke like that, what else could Barry say? He obediently booked <b>the </b>ticket and wrapped up thepany¡¯s affairs, notifying headquarters personnel that the boss would be back soon to sign documents.


    Upon her return to thepany, Sylvia dived headfirst into the hectic routine. Bruce <b>had </b>indeed taken care of most things, but there <b>were </b>still loose ends she needed to tie up. <b>Syhta </b>found herself drowning in work to the point where she didn¡¯t want to continue anymore.


    She messaged Bruce,ining about the excessive workload here. Bruce replied calmly, ¡°From now on, the entirepany is yours.¡±


    Seeing that message, Sylvia, rarely silent, pondered. If thispany was going to be solely hers, did it mean she had to deal with all this workload every day?


    If that were the case, she needed to reconsider her position as vice president. After all, <b>it </b>didn¡¯t matter who took over thepany within the family, the workload would be simr, right?


    ¡°Dad, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want toe back. Brace has handed over all the work to me, and I¡¯m swamped. Why don¡¯t you call him and ask him toe back, ore here yourself to help me out? I can¡¯t handle <b>it </b><b>all </b>alone.¡±


    Sylvia headed upstairs, receiving a call from her father urging her <b>to </be home for dinner.


    She had been back from abroad for half a month, spending most of her time at the office she barely had time to go home for a meal Sylvia hoped her brother would rebar soo00. <b>¡°</b>You muste for dinner tonight, no excuses. <b>Grandpa </b>Cyril is here, and you know how he is. He¡¯s definitely here to cause trouble¡±


    Manford understood his daughter was incredibly busy, but there was no way he could ask her for help. It he did, <b>she </b>would surely refuse. After all, she had finally taken over the roinguny, and he didn¡¯t want to bother her.


    ¡°Why did that old mane over?


    Sylvis never spoke so impolitely to anyone, but with Cyril¡¯s family, it was different.


    here to give you a hard time You know very well. All this <b>fuss </b>about Cyril and Farina recently.¡±

 Chapter 158

    Chapter 158: Clever Means


    Let me tell you, it¡¯s quite ridiculous. Cyril stirred up this whole thing, yet for some reason, that old <b>man </b>couldn¡¯t wrap his head around it. He insisted on thinking it had something to do with Sylvia. He¡¯s been pestering me for quite some time to meet up, which got me really annoyed. So, I finally decided to meet with him and see what he¡¯s up to.


    When you arrange to meet up<b>, </b>you gotta call in the main yers. <b>So</b>, Stanford called <b>Sylvia </b>over <b>again</b>. After all this time, nobody really knows the rtionship between Sylvia and Stanford<b>, </b><b>let </b>alone what ties Sylvia has with Ivanov Group.


    ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll finish up work a bit early tonight <b>and </b>head back.¡±


    After Sylvia agreed, she hung up immediately and started dealing with today¡¯s tasks urgently. Finishing up work early meant leaving the office on time and not dragging


    tomorrow¡¯s affairs


    <b>Sylvia </b>managed to leave work rtively early, but by the time she got home, <b>it </b><b>was </b>already half past six. As she reached her doorstep, she spotted two cars parked outside ¨C one belonging to the old man, and the other to Bonnie


    She had initially thought it would just be the old maning over tonight, but apparently, he¡¯d also invited Bonnie.


    ¡°Even though there¡¯s quite an age gap between the two of us, your son¡¯s upbringing has been really good. Bruce has been running thepany well these years, and we all see it. But these youngsters nowadays, they just can¡¯t sit still. They always feel like they can control everything. Look at how they¡¯re handing over the family business to others for management, even to a woman. What if something goes wrong in the middle of it?¡±


    The old man never directly mentioned Sylvia, but his words insinuated her. Sylvia stood at the doorway without cushing in, listening for a while to see how the frame her.


    he old ma


    <b>man </b>would


    ¡°Is there really any difference between what a man can do and what a woman can do? Whatever <b>a </b><b>man </b><b>can </b>aplish, a woman can do just as well. And during this time<b>, </b>his management of thepany has been excellent. So, there¡¯s no need for the old man to worry. But old man, why exactly did youe here? just to tell me <b>that </b>a woman can¡¯t handle things as well <b>as </b><b>a </b>man? If that¡¯s the case, I think it¡¯s unnecessary. I understand her better than you do.¡±


    Her own father wasn¡¯t mincing words, especially when he got serious. He didn¡¯t really like the old man, and Sylvia wondered if the old man could feel it. But the old man was quite a sly fox, probably could <b>sense </b>it, yet he remained silent.


    ¡°This woman¡¯s always been quite cunning What can you understand? Don¡¯t let her deceive you. She¡¯s turned yours


    son around her finger. She divorced my son, and now she¡¯s be the vice president of thepany. Tell me, which woman <b>has </b>the ability to pull that off? But she did it. I didn¡¯te here today to say anything bad. Just wanted to remind <b>you</b><b>, </b>she¡¯s not a good person. Back when she was in our house.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>old man, why don¡¯t you borate on how I was back when I was in your house? Tell us how much I sacrificed for your family, and how your family repaid me by being ungrateful wolves.¡±


    Slowly walking in, Sylvia realized her mistake. It wasn¡¯t just Bonnie here; even Michelle <b>had </be. The whole family stood together, neatly arranged, ready to tarnish her reputation. What <b>a </b>slimy move.


    Sylviasat beside her father with a smile, the atmosphere between father and daughter quite pleasant.


    ¡°Back already. How¡¯s work going?¡±Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°<b>Not </b>bad. I¡¯ve pretty <b>much </b>wrapped up today¡¯s tasks, but I¡¯ve got another meetingter.¡±


    ¡°Alright. When¡¯s the meeting? Do you want to have dinner earlier?


    ¡°No need for that. Let¡¯s have the meeting around ten tonightWe¡¯ve got to consider the time difference for the other party¡±


    ¡°Alright, <b>make </b>sure to rest early afterward. Don¡¯t overwork yourself.¡±


    The two conversed as if nothing unusual was happening, just like any ordinary father¨Cdaughter chat. But the three of them had suspected Sylvia of using underhanded means to enter the Ivanov family Seeing Sylvia charting with Stanford only fueled their doubts about her identity.


    ¡°See, I told you <b>she¡¯s </b>quite the schemer. Now, she¡¯s even getting cozy with you. Who knows how many secrets she has hidden.¡±


    With these words, Stanford¡¯s expression changed. Was there something wrong with him saying this to his daughter? It¡¯s normal to care about your child, right? Didn¡¯t the <b>old </b>man care about his own kids?


    ¡°Old man, since you¡¯re our guest, I didn¡¯t speak too harshly. But when you were <b>i </b>my house earlier, you should <b>have </b>respected my family, Whatever she¡¯s like, I know it very well. No need for your performance here. How much injustice has this child <b>endured </b>in your house? 1 lmow it too well. Your family has been treating others like dirt for years, and now youe here deliberately to tarnish her. Your family¡¯s hearts are cker than coul. No wonder your business <b>can </b>only go this far.¡±


    Stanford rolled his eyes. Now, he wasn¡¯t giving them an inch, neither in appearance nor in reality.


    Theirpany indeed had been doing quite well, but when it came to Stanford¡¯s generation, things started going downhill. The old man had his time <b>of </b>glory with thepany, but with <b>a </b>foolish <b>child </b>like <b>his</b><b>, </b>thepany slowly declined, eventually going bankrupt if it weren¡¯t for Cyril¡¯s business acumen in starting <b>his </b>ownpany and gradually revitalizing the old one, their whole family might still be wandering the streets.


    Given this situation, they had the nerve toe and criticize his daughter. Regardless of what Sylvia thought, Stanford wouldn¡¯t let this family off the hool


    ¡°I was just giving you a heads¨Cup.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m really grateful for your concern. But if you have nothing else to say, it¡¯s probably best for you to leave. We¡¯re about to have dinner, and it¡¯s not appropriate for you to stay. We didn¡¯t n on inviting your family to dinner¡±


    After finishing, Stanford grabbed Sylvie¡¯s <b>hand </b>and walked into the dining room, paying no beed to the expressions of the other three.


    Bonnie and Michelle thought <b>for </b>sure that this time, the old man would give Syna <b>a </b>piece of his mind, but instead, Sylvia just made <b>a </b><b>few </b>casual remarks, leaving them buming.


    ¡°Fools!¡± The old inam cursed under his breath, ring on his cane and walking out.


    Bound and Michelle hurriedly followed behind him.


    Chapter 159. Grand Banquet

 Chapter 159

    Chapter 159: Grand Banquet


    After abusy half month, things at thepany had settled down, and Bruce finally returned from his business trip, much to <b>Sylvia¡¯s </b>relict.


    ¡°You have no idea how diligently I worked every day while you were away. I didn¡¯t dare to ck off for fear of causing any major trouble <b>for </b>thepany. Thankfully, you¡¯re bark.¡± After this episode, Sylvia realized that although Broce could handle thepany matters, his experience far surpassed hers. Many tasks still posed headaches for her, as she was rtively Inexperiencedpared to Bruce.


    Bruce had been involved inpany affairs <b>since </b>he <b>was </b>18, whereas Sylda was just starting out. It was natural that she found it challenging to navigate through tasks with the


    same ease as Bruce.


    ¡°It¡¯s normal. You¡¯ll encounter more of these situations in the future. Eventually, I¡¯ll delegate all this information to you. You need to grow quickly. The workload is immense, and all I¡¯ve wanted these years is to have some proper test,¡±


    Bruce¡¯s expression was earnest. Over the years, he had dedicated himself to thepany, of course, he had also attended to <b>matters </b>at home diligently, but now with Sylvia willing to take over, he saw it as opportunity to rx.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    However, after hearing Bruce¡¯s words, <b>Sylvia¡¯s </b>eyes widened.


    ¡°Are you nning to throw me into the deep end <b>just </b>like that? You know, I¡¯m not very knowledgeable about thepany¡¯s affairs.¡±


    ¡°Exactly because you¡¯re not well¨Cversed in the <bpany¡¯s </b>matters, there will be hands¨Con experiences. Only through practice can you identify the issues you face. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll assist you gradually, I have another business trip next month, which will take about a month. During that <b>time</b>, focus on handling thepany¡¯s affairs well. As long as we don¡¯t go bankrupt, feel free to experiment with thepany. Of course, you still need to deliver results. There¡¯s a coboration next month, so prepare for it.¡± Given that Sylvia had recently taken over the <bpany¡¯s </b><b>affairs</b>, it was normal for her to encounter difficulties Bruce believed that as long as thepany didn¡¯t go bankrupt, there wouldn¡¯t be any major problems.


    After all, their family shared the same attitude towards Sylvia. If she made a mess, they would cover for her.


    Sylvia sighed, beeling the pressure mounting. Yet<b>, </b><b>she </b>found satisfaction in the challenge; pressure fueled her motivation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t bankrupt the <bpany</b>. Oh, by the way, I received <b>an </b>Invitation yesterday from apany I¡¯m not familiar with. Should I attend?¡±


    Sylvia hadn¡¯t <b>heard </b>of thispany before, suggesting it might not be <b>local</b>. Since her assistant was busy and likely unaware, she turned to Bruce for advice. Depending on his response, she would prepare ordingly.


    Bruce took the invitation from Sylvia and nced at it before setting it aside. It seemed they were invited to quite a grand event.


    ¡°Thispany is a foreign one. They¡¯ve been transitioning into the medical field in recent years, previously engaged in real estate development <b>and </b>other projects, Including <b>the </b>IT industry.¡±


    <b>Bruce </b>briefly introduced the background of thepany. Sylvia nodded in understanding. It appeared to <b>be </b><b>a </b>longstandingpany undergoing transformation. Their sudden


    invitation was likely an attempt to expand their market, hence the invitation to local enterprises.


    ¡°In that case, we should probably attend,¡±


    *<b>Indeed</b>. I¡¯ll call the stylist to prepare early. We¡¯ll head over in thete afternoon after work<b>.</b>¡±


    With ns set, Bruce returned to his work, and when they were almost done in the afternoon, they packed up and left together. Originally, Juliette intended to join them, but she had her family¡¯s obligations at the event, so she didn¡¯t apany them


    With many attendees, Bruce and Sylvia mingled with the crowd, exchanging greetings. Among them was <b>Cyril</b>, whom Sylvia didn¡¯t find surprising; such events brought diverse


    encounters.


    ¡°Keep some distance from Cyril.¡±


    Bruce, feeling uneasy, pulled Sylvia closer <b>and </b>earnestly cautioned her. Given Cyril¡¯s recent antics in France, Bruce wasn¡¯t <b>sure </b>what trouble he might stir up.


    ¡°I know, bro. You can rx.¡±


    As long as Cyril didn¡¯t approach her with his usual recklessness, Sylvia wouldn¡¯t engage in anything problematic.


    After chatting for a while, Sylvia spotted a familiar figure on the second floor staircase, briefly passing by. Struggling to recall where she had seen him before, <b>she </b>furrowed her brows, deep in thought.


    dancing at her, Bruce remembered bearing about her helping someone in France. Although he hadn¡¯t paid attention to who was on the second floor, it was likely the host


    ¡°It might be an employee. We¡¯ll find out soon. Don¡¯t wander around; the banquet is <b>about </b>to begin.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a three¨Cyear¨Cold. I know what to do. Let¡¯s go chat with those two over there, they have some connections to our coborations<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    In such settings, maintaining rtionships was crucial.


    Sylvia and Bruce busied themselves mingling with others, while Cyll also remained engaged in conversations, not letting his guard down


    ¡°I never realized Sylvia and Bruce had such a good rtionship. They¡¯ve been inseparable for so long. Oh, I heard your grandfather took your mother and sister to the var family recently. But it seems the head of the Ivanov family supported Sylvia.¡±

 Chapter 160

    grandfather took your mother and sister to the var family recently. But it seems the head of the Ivanov family supported Sylvia.¡±


    Chapter 160 Mouths Open, Calling Mom


    Jonathan was quite informed, as the matter hadn¡¯t been kept secret. After it happened, their family directly spread the word, trading to widespread knowledge that Sylvia had made some other considerations before entering the Ivan family.


    Cyrillfrowned upon hearing this. He had heard some gossip, but he hadn¡¯t expected the matter <b>to </b>spread <b>so </b>widely.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pay attention to this. It¡¯s obviously not true, and where¡¯s the psychological judgment?¡±


    Rolling his eyes, <b>Jonathan </b>retorted. He indeed possessed judgment and knew at a nce that this matter wasn¡¯t genuine. However, with rumors rampant outside, it would surely affect Sylvia


    Moreover, he and Sylvia weren¡¯tpatible to begin with, so it was quite normal for their rtionship to be strained.


    ¡°Alright, alright. What¡¯s the use of being kind to her only when divorcing? I didn¡¯t see you defend her before. Now you¡¯re suddenly defending her. Take a look, isn¡¯t that Miles we¡¯re supposed to chat withter?


    After Jonathan mocked <b>Cyril</b>, he steered the conversation back to business. Cyril nced at Jonathan without retorting. These years had indeed been quite unfair to Sylvia


    And he knew deep down that the current efforts to make amends weren¡¯t of much use to Sybia. She had already suffered grievances, and casual attempts atpensation


    wouldn¡¯t suffice


    There was still quite some time before the banquet began, so they engaged in conversations around. Normally, the host should havee out earlier at this hour, <b>but </b>the assistant. conveyed that he had somest¨Cminute matters to attend to, which everyone understood.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    After all, prople always had matters to attend to, especially sudden ones upon returning from overseas, which were <b>quite </bmon.


    Moreover, they weren¡¯t in a hurry. It was a good opportunity to mingle with those around.


    After walking around with Brace, Sylvia had greeted most people <b>and </b>found a <b>ce </b><b>to </b><b>sit </b>and rest. She started massaging her calves; the <b>stroll </b>had left her quite tired.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been resting well these days, have you? Dad told me you¡¯ve been home <b>less </b>oftentely, practically living at thepany. Dad urged me toe back soon just to ease your burden. Even though it was him who suggested you take over thepany, now he¡¯s treating me like aborer.¡°¡±


    Though it sounded like aint, Bruce didn¡¯t mean it that way. He was just a bit concerned about his sister. Seeing her busy tillte every day, he couldn¡¯t help but worry, even though he knew that taking over the entirepany was inevitable.


    Syhta sighed. There was too much going on in thepany, especially with several new contracts she recently secured. She had to ensure everything went smoothly with these contracts, which required more effact


    As for going home, she had already discussed it with Dad. Yes, she was busier than before and visited home less frequently, but it didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t go home at all. She had visited home just yesterday.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to Dad. I went home yesterday. He said there was nothing urgent and that I should focus on work. Yet, he¡¯s quick toin when I don¡¯te home and even reports to you.¡±


    Sylvia was speechless. It was her father who urged her to rest properly and take over thepany. Now, seeing her exhausted and not returning home, he was stillining to Bruce. He was quite <b>contradictory</b>.


    Brucechuckled along. It was indeed the case. Both of them felt helpless..


    ¡°The boss cares about you. By the way, Little Third told you he¡¯s relocating here after the job transfer, right? You might consider signing a contract with him to take charge of the system here, especially the medical services.¡±


    Thinking of his younger brother, Bruce didn¡¯t hesitate to offer him up, regardless of his brother¡¯s busyness. Having his brother busy was quite troublesome.


    Sylvia had already heard about this and had been contemting how <b>to </b>persuade bez brother to agree. She knew her brother was busy, but she wasn¡¯t entirely at ease having someone else handle this, especially when it concerned Al and human lives. She had to be fully prepared.


    ¡°I¡¯ve taked to my brother. He said he¡¯lle over when he has time. It seems be¡¯s reluctant, but if he agrees, he¡¯ll spend most of his time here.¡±


    This statement was quite urate. Given their family¡¯s indulgence toward their daughter, if Little Third agreed to help, he would likely devote most of his time to Sylvia¡¯s affairs, neglecting his own.


    Bruce nodded after hearing this. ¡°Talk to him properly. If he agrees toe, it¡¯ll save us a lot of expenses. <b>One </b>person like Old Jan can handle a medical team. If hees, it¡¯ll save


    Sylda was momentarily stunned, then burst intoughter<b>. </b>She hadn¡¯t expected her brother to be so <b>stingy </b>when it came to family.


    ¡°Mama, I¡¯ve been looking for you for so long! Mama!


    Sylvia could hardly maintain herposure, a child suddenly appeared and called her mom¡®<b>, </b>adding a weight to her legs.


    Looking <b>down</b>, she found a five or six¨Cyear¨Cold child blinking at her, calling her mom¡® again.


    Sylvia widened her eyes. Whose child was this? Why did he call her ¡®mom¡® so casually? Wasn¡¯t he <b>afraid </b>of people misunderstanding?


    ¡°Bco, whose child is this? Why is he calling me mom?¡±


    <b>Sylvia </b>grabbed Bruce¡¯s clothes, feeling extremely nervous. She was afraid people would think she had kidnapped the child, but she genuinely didn¡¯t know the child. ¡°Mamma, I¡¯m your son! Mama!¡±


    The child¡¯s clear voice further confused Sylvia. Did she resemble his mother so much<b>? </b>otherwise, why would he call her ¡®mom¡®?


    The child¡¯s voice quickly attracted the attention of those around them. Everyone turned to look at Sylvia, who test trapped under their gaze, unsure of what to do next

 Chapter 161

    chapter 161 Longing for Children


    Some things are easier to exin, but some things are not <b>so </b>straightforward Sylvia wanted to exin that she had no rtion to this child, but sometimes exnations were futile and <b>only </b>made matters worse.


    The child indeed bore a striking resemnce to her, enough for him to run up and call her ¡°mom.¡± The looks she received from those around were unsettlingly strange.


    This child appeared to be about five or six years old, but Sylvia had only been married to Cyril for a little over three years<b>. </b>So where did this childe <b>from</b>?


    Sylvia didn¡¯t dare ponder what they were thinking just by observing their reactions, she could tell they were up to no good, which gave her a headache


    ¡°child, I¡¯m not your mother. You¡¯ve mistaken me for someone else. Besides, I don¡¯t <b>have </b><b>a </b><b>son </b><b>as </b><b>old </b>as you. I¡¯m not even married.¡±


    ¡°But you are my mother. I saw your photo on Dad¡¯s phone. He said my mom is the most beautiful woman in the world, and the most beautiful person I¡¯ve seen here is you. Haven¡¯t you noticed how much we resemble each other?


    Though <b>the </b>child was young, his mind was remarkably agile, and his logic flowed smoothly.


    But then he suddenly mentioned a father figure<b>, </b><b>and </b>the expressions of those around changed. Sylvia found herself at a loss for words.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t know who your dad is.¡±


    Sylvia tamed to her brother for help, only to find Bruce looking at her with a searching gaze, adding to her <b>confusion</b>.


    Even her own brother had misunderstood.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. I truly have no connection with him. I don¡¯t know him, or who his parents are.¡±All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    Bruce sighed <b>in </b>exasperation. ¡°I know you have no connection with him, but I can¡¯t help but feel he looks familiar. And haven¡¯t you noticed how much he resembles you?


    *If he resembles me, perhaps he¡¯s more rted to you. <b>After </b>all, he would look even more like you.¡±


    Sylvia said this without hesitation, <b>and </b>it made perfect <b>sense</b>.


    If the child shared three simrities with her, then he shared four with Bruce.


    It wouldn¡¯t be so strange to say he was Bruce¡¯s son, but what everyone wondered more was <b>if </b>he was Sylvia and Bruce¡¯s.


    ¡°Sorry, did our child cause you any trouble?¡±


    Just as Sylvia and Bruce racked their brains to figure out who the child belonged to, a man¡¯s voice suddenly joined the crowd. Sylvia found the voice incredibly familiar and turned to see Miles, whom she <b>had </b><b>saved </b>in country.


    Now she was certain, the figureshe sar on the second floor earlier was indeed Miles.


    ¡°Is this your son?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my adopted son. His mother passed away early, so he¡¯s always wanted to find his birth mother. He must have thought you were very beautiful, which is why he called you¡® mom.¡® 1 apologize for the trouble. Please don¡¯t take his words seriously, he tends to say things like that.


    Clearly, Miles was experienced in handling such situations<b>. </b>After apologizing and exining, everyone realized it was a misunderstanding


    Sylvia breathed <b>a </b>sigh of relief. Thankfully, Miles intervened in time and exined <b>everything </b>clearly. Otherwise, her reputation could have been tarnished. Especially <b>since </b>she had a previous marriage where they had no children together. Suddenly having such a big chill appear would raise <b>suspicions</b>.


    However, looking at the child, Sylvas felt moved. When she married Cyril, she had hoped for the <b>chance </b>to have their own children, but it never happened. Sylvia¡¯s lips curled <b>into </b><b>a </b>bitter smile, but she quickly hid it. However, Bruce, sitting beside her, naturally noticed Sylvia¡¯s demeanor and sensed something amiss. ¡°Thank you for your help in F country. 1 was nning to move mypany here, so I prepared this banquet specifically to thank you. And this gentleman beside you is..


    They looked quite alike, so Miles didn¡¯t jump to conclusions. They might be rtives


    Sylvia chuckled. ¡°He¡¯s my brother¡±


    Miles suddenly realized<b>. </b>¡°I¡¯ve heard there¡¯s <b>a </b>very capable CEO in the ban Group. I didn¡¯t expect there was also a daughter.¡±


    Bruce was the face of the Ivan Group, the supposed son, but in reality, the van Group had four children. However, it wasn¡¯t crucial; <b>as </b>long as there was someone managing tpany, the rest didn¡¯t matter much.


    ¡°I heard my sister saved someone in country recently. I didn¡¯t expect it was you. It seems fate brought us together. Let¡¯s have dinner together sometime.¡±


    Bruce smiled and conversed with Miles. It seemed they knew each <b>other</b>, and their rtionship seemed quite familiar for a while


    Curiously, Sylvia looked at the <b>two </b>of them, wondering when her brother had met Miles. She nned to askter


    As Miles had other people to greet, he spoke with Sylvia and Bruce for a while before buying himself with others. At that moment, Cyril and Jonathan approached


    the


    Cyril looked at Sylvia with aplicated expression. When he saw the child beside her, he felt angry, thinking Sylvia had betrayed their rtionship. However, when it turned out to be a misunderstanding, his anger dissipated, feeling it was unreasonable


    Didn¡¯t he know better than anyone? Sylvia couldn¡¯t possibly conceal anything from others, <b>especially </b>in recent years.


    After Cyrd and Jonathan approached, Sylvia¡¯s side faded a bit, carrying a hint of <b>distance</b>,


    was even less weing. He didn¡¯t like seeing the two of them together, with Cyrill putting his arm around Sylvia as if they were about to leave.


    ¡°You seem to like children, don¡¯t you<b>?</b>¡±


    dary prepand to leave, Cycll¡¯s sudden remark stunned everyone, especially Jonathan, who widened his eyes in disbelief. Was he out of his mind? Was he serious?

 Chapter 162

    Chapter 162: Pushing Her into the Water


    Upon hearing Cyril¡¯s words, Sylvia looked at him with a puzzled expression


    ¡°What does it have to do with you whether I like children or not? Even If I do like children, it¡¯s not like it concerns you. Anyway, even if I were to like children, it wouldn¡¯t have anything to do with you. I would find a way to handle it myself,¡± Sylvia said


    ¡°Does it concem you?¡® <b>she </b>added before walking away with Bruce.


    Cyril had been observing Sylvia and Bruce interacting with others for quite some time, almost an hour, However, he hadn¡¯t intended <b>to </b>approach Sylvia throughout.


    He found it difficult to understand what Cyril was thinking, Was he just going to stand by and watch as Bruce and Sylvia grew closer?


    Bruce was both powerful and attractive. If he exerted effort, they might indeed be <b>a </b><b>couple</b>. In that <b>case</b>, what meaning did Cyril¡¯s sorrow and regret hold here?Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I <b>think </b>if you still care, you should try to win him back, of course, I¡¯m not profiting from this suggestion. I just feel he¡¯s not worthy of you at all. <b>Moreover</b>, the speed at which he found Bruce after leaving you it¡¯s suspicions. A woman who moves on so quickly probably never had genuine feelings for you. Don¡¯t act rashly and agree to things,¡± Cyril said.


    ¡°I know. You don¡¯t need to remind me of these things,¡± Cyril replied, closing his eyes briefly in moments like these, he became notably more rational, especially in such settings


    ¡°Forget to mention, Karina is alsoing. I don¡¯t know when she¡¯ll arrive. What¡¯s the deal between you and Karina anyway? I recall you met her once. Could it be rted to that incident? Did you two cause someone¡¯s death? Let me tell you, this matter isn¡¯t easily resolved Actually, Karina¡¯s pregnancy now has a significant impact on you, and thepany has suffered greatly,¡± Cyril¡¯s credibility was severely tamished by the unmarried pregnancy, especially with a former scandalous associate involved.


    Even Cyril and Sylvia¡¯s rtionship became a subject of gossip. Many believed their divorce was because Cyrill hadmitted some wrongdoing. While Sybia wasn¡¯t fully aware of these details, if she knew, she would undoubtedly see through everything What exactly was going on?


    Cyfelt ufortable at the mention of Karina¡¯s arrival. He had been manipted into having this child


    Just the thought of it soured his mood.


    Jonathan was aware of Cyril¡¯s discontent, but there was nothing to be done. The situation had already unfolded. Could they abort the child now? Even if Cyril considered it, Karina probably wouldn¡¯t agree.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t think like this, right? You and Karina were almost <b>a </b><b>family </b>before. Isn¡¯t this the perfect opportunity? Phus, there¡¯s a child. If you marry, <b>you¡¯ll </b>have aplete family Isn¡¯t that better than with Sylvia? Besides, you and Sylvia are in the past. No matter how much you dwell on it, it¡¯s pointless, right? You should let go of the past, cherish the present, cherish your future wife and child,¡± Jonathan advised earnestly.


    Jonathan was genuinely hoping Cyril wouldn¡¯t continue entangling with Sylvia. Seeing them both still entangled after all this time wasn¡¯t productive.


    Cyrill remained silent, whether he hade to terms with it or not was unclear. His response was notably calm.


    ¡°Uh <b>oh</b>, someone fell into the water, and she¡¯s pregnant.¡±


    If it had only been someone falling into the water, Cyril and Jonathan might not have reacted much. But upon hearing that it was a pregnant woman, they immediately thought of


    Uncertain if it was her, they decided to check. If it indeed turned out to be Karina, it would be disastrous


    So, they hurried to the backyard and found Sylvia standing gloomily by the pool, and Karina, just rescued, lying in a disheveled state on the ground, her pregnancy slightly evident. ¡°Why did you push me? I know you and Cyril have a bad rtionship, but why me me? The child is innocent,¡± Karina <b>said</b>.


    Sylviaughed upon hearing this, but before she could speak, Cyril approached, draped his coat over Karina, and embraced her protectively, soothing her with a low, gentle voice. Sylvia had never witnessed such care from Cyril, at least not in front of her.


    ¡°Why did you push her into the water? What grudge do you have against her? Cyril used Sylvia without inquiring about the incident¡¯s details. Sylviaughed at this usation. What did be mean by ming her for this?


    Are you sure it was ines


    was ine who pushed her? Before you say such things, think logically. Everywhere here is under surveince. Even if I dislike her, have no reason to hari ber publicly. If I really wanted to do something to her, I¡¯d find a ce without cameras, maybe the her up and teach her a lesson. Why would I push her into the water in front of so


    e? To ndn my own reputation? Sylvia felt disappointed. She had known Cyril was biased for <b>a </b>long time, and it seemed he hadn¡¯t changed much, even now

 Chapter 163

    Chapter 163 Not the First <b>Choice</b>


    It was apparent to everyone that something was amiss. No one would tantly resort to physical violence, especially against a pregnant woman. Even if their rtionship <b>was </b>strained, such actions were unthinkable,


    If such a deed were to ur, it would have to be shrouded in secrecy, never to be discovered.


    in that moment, Cyril¡¯s gaze <b>held </b><b>a </b>tinge of reproach towards Silvia, while towards Karina, it bore a hint of pity.


    This incident seemed to strip away the veil covering their past rtionship, exposing the rot within..


    Silvia stood tall, refusing to falter. He knew he would face embarrassment, but his pride forbade him from bowing down. Things were different now. In the <b>past</b>, he would lower his noble head out <b>of </b>affection, but that need no longer existed,Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that.¡± Karina attempted to exin, but her words faltered as she <b>nced </b>timidly towards Silvia, sensing his indignation.


    Silvia chuckled upon hearing Karina¡¯s words. ¡°Oh really? Then tell me, what happened? Are you absolutely certain it was me who pushed you? Let me warn you, if you dare to use nie, there are surveince cameras here, and many witnesses. If you can prove it was me, then we can discuss it with evidence. If not, I can easily sue you for defamation.¡±


    Silvia stood firm, locking eyes with Karina. She remained silent, biting her lip, her gaze pleading towards Cyril.


    At this point, Cyril too fell silent initially angered, he had immediately assumed <b>Sibia </b>was mistreating Karina. Yet upon reflection, <b>Silvia¡¯s </b>logic was wless. It was inconceivable that he wouldmit such an act


    Silvia had endured enough injustice over the years.


    ¡°I¡¯ll investigate this matter thoroughly. If it¡¯s his fault, I¡¯ll make sure he apologizes to you,¡± Cyril finally spoke, his posture unwavering, his gaze carrying a hint of remorse


    towards Silva<b>.</b>


    Silvia smiled at Cyril¡¯s words. What did he intend to convey with that remorseful gaze?


    ¡°In your mind, I <b>have </b><b>never </b>been your first choice. Regardless of the circumstances, your initial reaction always mes me. Even though I am the greatest victim in these situations, you never consider my side, instead opting to use me. You want him to apologize to me now, but ask yourself, would you truly let him? Wouldn¡¯t making him apologize hurt him deeply?¡± Sihia¡¯s words left Cyril speechless.


    Cyril fell into silence once again, pondering over his rtionship with Silvia over the years. Indeed, as Sivia had pointed out, his first reaction in any situation was never in favor of Silvia. Despite knowing that Silvia had once saved him, this habit remained unaltered.


    Habits persisted because they were immutable.


    <b>¡°</b>You know you¡¯re incapable of such an act. Why bother saying these things to me! Even if the surveince footage shows otherwise<b>, </b>you would go to great lengths to protect his reputation. This isn¡¯t the first time you¡¯ve done such things. I¡¯m simply too tired to argue with you anymore. Therefore, I demand the surveince footage be <b>reviewed</b>,¡± Silva asserted


    In the past, when he felt wronged, silvia would try everything to gain Cyril¡¯s support. However, realizing that he couldn¡¯t stir any emotions in Cyril, he chose to bury his <b>grievances</b>. Eventually, he endured silently, allowing everyone to perceive him as easy prey. But he wasn¡¯t that person. Since fairness couldn¡¯t be granted by others, he would seize it himself.


    ¡°Please inform Mr. Miles that the doctor might need his attention elsewhere tonight. Any losses incurred here will be borne by our <b>van </b>Group, Bruce intervened, clearly stating his <b>allegiance </b>to Silvia and his determination to resolve the matter Cyril¡¯s expression turned sour.


    He hadn¡¯t expected Bruce to wholeheartedly <b>stand </b>by Silvia¡¯s side. Didn¡¯t he worry about the consequences? If something went wrong, <b>wouldn¡¯t </b>Sihia embarrass him?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ve already had the surveince footage retrieved. If anyone wishes to know the <b>truth</b>, they can move to the main hall to view it¡±


    Although Miles wasn¡¯t present, as the host of the banquet, he <b>was </b>aware of everything transpiring Hence, without anyone¡¯s instruction, he had already <b>obtained </b>the surveince footage.


    Now that Bruce¡¯s intentions were <b>known</b>, he unhesitatingly sold out this favor. After all, Silvia had helped him both morally and practically; he ought to return the favor.


    Soon, everyone became curious about the surveince footage. They all gathered in the main hall, where arge screen had been set up, ying the footage from the nearbyputer


    The footage was clear, Silvia was the first to enter the garden, standing by the pool, seemingly engrossed in his phone. He then moved to sit on the side, maintaining a distance of three meters from the pool.


    Subsequently, Karina approached, engaging in a conflict with a waiter who kept apologizing before being dismissed by Karina


    After circling around, Karina noticed silvia seated nearby and approached him Silva nced at her but didn¡¯t respond, continuing with his task


    At this point, it was evident that Karina approached salvia. Otherwise, the subsequent events wouldn¡¯t have <b>unfolded</b><b>.</b>


    People instinctively turned to Karina and Silvia. Silvia remainedposed, while Karina appeared somewhat flustered


    Shia also turned to see Karina, who was still d in damp clothes, a faint smirk ying on his lips. ¡°Aren¡¯t you pregnant? Why haven¡¯t you changed your clothes? Are you nning to continue tarnishing my image after watching the surveince footage? Maybe even me your cold or miscarriage on me?¡±

 Chapter 164

    Chapter 164: Settling Debts in a Way


    Upon hearing Sylvia¡¯s words, everyone finally noticed that Carina was still wearing the same clothes as before. After this realization, one would normally prioritize changing <b>clothes</b>, but Carina didn¡¯t seem to have such intentions. Instead, she ran over to watch the surveince footage with everyone else. If Sylvia <b>hadn¡¯t </b>suddenly brought up the isso, they probably wouldn¡¯t have noticed anything amiss.


    ¡°L, I just want to watch the surveince. It shouldn¡¯t take long_¡±


    Carina didn¡¯t know how to exin herself. She didn¡¯t dare to leave now to change clothes. What if something happened in the surveince footage<b>? </b>She needed to be present to defend herself. If she wasn¡¯t there and something else appeared on the footage, how would she exin it?


    ¡°Whether you¡¯re here <b>or </b><b>not </b>won¡¯t affect the fairness of this matter. I hope this youngdy will quickly go and change her clothes. Whatever happens here, I take responsibility. <b>I </b>don¡¯t wish to <b>have </b>any conflicts of interest with the gentleman beside you.¡±


    Miles suddenly spoke, his words seeming fair on the surface but subtly siding with Sylvia,


    Carina had no choice but to reluctantly go upstairs to change clothes, while the others kept their eyes <b>on </b>the surveince footage.


    As the surveince continued, Sylvia ignored Carina<b>, </b><b>and </b>Carina didn¡¯t let up. <b>She </b>continued to engage Sylvia in conversation, but Sylvia remained calm. Finally, it was Carina who couldn¡¯t hold back her anger<b>.</b>


    Carina was furious. She pushed <b>Sylvia</b>, causing her to stumble, and her phone fell to the ground.


    Everyone expected Sylda to get angry, but she remainedposed. She calmly picked up her phone and lett


    After Sylvia left, Carina didn¡¯t relent. She followed <b>Syhta</b><b>, </b>and when they were by the poolside, they both stopped. Carina was the first to reach out to Sylvia.


    It¡¯s unclear what Carina said, but Sylvia kept pushing her away, indicating she didn¡¯t want any connection with Carina


    Soon, Carina reached out to grab Sylvia again, but <b>Syhta </b>continued to avoid her, never once making physical contact with Carina.


    Suddenly, a few people appeared in the surveince footage Carina was originally going to grab Sylvia, but at that moment, she moved closer to Sylvia, positioning herself to fall into the <b>pool</b>.


    As Sylvia had her back to the approaching individuals, she was unaware of their presence. However, she kept her hands behind her back, ensuring no direct contact with Carina.


    The video ended there, malding it clear how the events unfolded


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for previous experiences, I don¡¯t think anyone would instinctively put their hands behind their back in such a situation.¡±


    After the video ended, Miles spoke slowly, causing everyone to feel that something was amiss.


    Indeed, no one would instinctively put their hands behind their back in such a situation. It most have been due to past experiences that instilled fear, prompting them to do so immediately after the incident.


    ¡°Since from start to finish, Sylvia kept her hands behind her back and never made any physical contact with the youngdy, what did Sylvia use to push her into the water? Air? It sounds like a joke, but it¡¯s actually quite sarcastic, not only mocking Carina but also South.¡±


    Carina wasn¡¯t present, so Cyril¡¯s expression turned extremely unpleasant. Cyrill never imagined the truth of the matter would be like this. He subconsciously turned to l Syhda¡¯s direction, but Sylvia said nothing, as she already anticipated this oue.


    to look in


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you always want to repay my kindness? Now I¡¯m giving you the chance. You can settle the phone issue <b>in </b>one go. After this, there will be no debts between us.¡±


    After hearing Sylvia¡¯s words, Cyril didn¡¯t feel any reler but rather a heavier burden, even guilt.


    Would things have turned out like this if he hadn¡¯t wrongly used Sylvia?


    ¡°I won¡¯t pursue this matter today, but from now on, both you and Carina must disappear from my sight. I don¡¯t want to see either of you. If you appear in front of me again, I w meticulously settle every favor you owe me.¡®


    ¡±


    With this statement, Sylvia¡¯s resolve became firmer, She absolutely wanted no further ties with these two. The best solution was for them to stay away from her entirely.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Cyril remained silent. Miles said, ¡°I think this should be a very good choice for you. You don¡¯t need to dwell on past matters and can let today¡¯s incident pass. Isn¡¯t that good? Since you¡¯re a businessman, you won¡¯t make a loss. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re hesitating about, or do you find it amusing to pretend to make amends while hurting the very person you im to want topensate?


    Miles suddenly spoke again, and everyone felt his hostility toward Cyril. They were puzzled; wasn¡¯t today the first time Miles met everyone? Why was he defending Sylvia like this? ¡°When I was in F Country, I received Miss Sylvia¡¯s help. Without her, I might not have survived until now. I¡¯m very grateful for her assistance. I believe anyone who receives help from others would try their best to repay it, rather than continue to cause trouble for them<b>. </b>Don¡¯t you think so?!


    Miles revealed the truth, malding everyone realize the stark contrast. Both received help, but their reactions were vastly different. One had no intention of repaying the kindness and only thought about troubling their savior, while the other did everything to help Sybia<b>. </b>Thisparison made Cyril extremely ufortable but helpless. After all, what Miles said was undeniable.


    (never expected you to care so much about Sylvia¡¯s feelings.¡±

 Chapter 165

    Chapter 165: True Pool or Disguised Intelligence


    Miles perceived O anger, though it was well concealed, he could see itatance.


    He calmly smiled<b>, </b><b>¡°</b>She sed my life. If she¡¯s unhappy, I won¡¯t let her be happy¡±


    Mes cleverly distanced himself from their rtionship, emphasizing only the distinction betwem rescuer and rescued.


    with this, <b>others </b>found it even harder to say anything.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite interesting, actually. To manage such argepany, one should be clear¨Cheaded. But from your current behavior, apart from ipetence and rage, one can <b>hardly </b>discern the wisdom of amanager.¡± Miles d


    He turned to <b>Sylvia</b>, <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ve heard <b>a </b>lot about him before. I¡¯ve always wanted to know what kind of person such apetitors. Hut now I¡¯m beginning to wonder if he¡¯s truly foolish at merely pretending to be ignecant.¡±


    Sylvia was feeling a bit tired from standing. High heels were never herfort. She hooked her arm around bruce¡¯s, leaning her weight against him.


    ¡°be heard the <b>saying</b>? Sometimes you have to tight <b>hard </b>for main people. Obviously, I¡¯m not the one he¡¯s willing to light <b>for</b><b>.</b>¡±


    Sylvia self¨Cdeprecated<b>, </b>realizing how foolish she had been all these your


    ¡°The truth hase to light. Have you made up your <b>mind</b><b>? </b>Should continue pursuing responsibilities both present and past, or <b>should </b>we consider it settled from now on?¡±


    Sylvia didn¡¯three time to continue this standoff with Cyril. All she wanted now was to home and res


    This choice won¡¯t really a choke at all, it was almost be a multiple¨Cchoice question with only one option. Det Cyell clearly didn¡¯t see it that way.


    ¡°Ichoose nothing¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go Let thepany¡¯s legal team sue them.¡±


    If they won¡¯t take the olive branch, might as well bum the bridge<b>.</b>


    Aber Sylvia finished speaking, she gently nudged Bruce¡¯s arm, Truce instantly understood what <b>Sylvia </b>wanted toey and nodded


    ¡°Thank you for tonight, Mr. Miles. We¡¯ll take our leave now. Regarding my birther matters, feel free to contact us directly. Here¡¯s my card¡±


    Bruce was about to take out his card when Miles refused.


    ¡°Thest time we met, Sylvia gave me her card if there¡¯s anything needed, ¡®directly contact SylviaAll content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    Bruce paused for a moment, realizing the situation. He smiled and said nothing,pating Sya¡¯s <b>hand </b>gently


    The siblings nodded to the people around them and prepared to leave, putting an end to this face.


    However, at that moment, the boy came running down from the second floor again, throwing himself <b>onto </b>Sylvia¡¯s legs and clinging tightly, refusing to let go. ¡°Mommy, mommy, please don¡¯t go. Don¡¯t owe me behind, okay? I¡¯ll be good, I promise¡±


    The sudden burn of events shocked everyone.


    ¡°Timmy, she¡¯s not your mommy. I¡¯ve told you many times. Doing this will embarrass her. Come back


    Elias¡® face burned somewhat ugly. He had already told jimmy not to do this anymore. Rashing to acknowledge someone as his mother would only embarrass them, causing difort. But Jimmy, at this moment, chose to directly defy his advice. Things were pecting out of hand


    Jimmy pouted, looking sperleved, and let go of Sylvia¡¯s skirt.


    ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯m sorry!


    Jimmy obediently stood beside Miles<b>, </b>apologuing to Sylvia, ¡°Sorry, beautifuldy. I just think you¡¯re really beautiful and you match my dad very well. If you could be my mom<b>. </b><b>I¡¯d </b>be very happy. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be a good lod and won¡¯t cause you any meuble.¡±


    He was really understanding Sylva smiled, ¡°Mr. Miles, your son is so lovely. If there¡¯s a chance, I¡¯d like to invite him to my house as <b>a</b>


    ¡°Really? Thank you, beanuldy<b>!</b>¡±


    Before Miles could say anything, Jimmy beat him to it, bringing up this matter again.


    With things having reached this point, what more could be <b>said</b>?


    Miles sanded helplessly, ¡°I hope that dayes, though he¡¯s just a very lively child. I hope he won¡¯t cause you any trouble¡±


    ¡°Of course Our family loves children very much. If he¡¯s wiling to, we¡¯ll be very happy to have him.¡±


    After ying a few rounds, Sylvia and celell my looked at Cyril with a big eye roll Children¡¯s emotions were the most transparent. Whether they hated or loved someone, they would show it openly


    Prople couldn¡¯t help but feel helpless at this turn of events. No <b>one </b>had expected fimmy to treat this divorced couples diferently.


    but if seed to make sense after all, Cyril behunder sometimes left much to be desired.


    Lapoluge sincerely to everyone for tonight¡¯s <b>disturbance</b>. The society will continue, but before that, I think 1 should help Miss Sylvia the issues <b>she¡¯s </b>facing Mr. Cyril, do you how time? We could discuss tebewhere¡±


    Miles was actually sincerely apologizing to everyone before <b>asking </b>Cyril. He said it was just an inquiry, but it was actually a notification Cyril <b>to </b>follow him Cyril¡¯s Lace darkened, and held with Mik


    ¡°Are you sure about what happened tonight? You want thepany¡¯s legal depart to ws won¡¯t you regret it at <b>the </bst moment? Buddenly asked Sybian their way back


    Sylvia was stalled for mommt. She deli¡¯t expect Brace to say that was somewhat one to her. ¡°My dear brother, why would y


    d you think ¡°dregret it? Since I¡¯ve alrea? sublu,


    Charter 165. True fool or Disguised intelligence


    then it must be done. Moreover, you¡¯ve seen his attitude today. If I don¡¯t do something now, all the grievances I¡¯ve suffered over the years will be for nothing, won¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Although I know you¡¯ve suffered <b>a </b>lot over the years, every time we wanted to help you, you would regret it at thest moment. So, this time I have to ask clearly. If I <b>don¡¯t </b>ask on the way, <b>and </b>you do regret itter, I¡¯ll be helpless.¡±


    Bruce looked helpless, thinking about what happened before, worrying that this time Sylvia was just talking


    Sylvia was stunned for a while, suddenly realizing that until now, her entire family didn¡¯t believe she had truly let go of Cyril, thinking she might turn back.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much this time. I¡¯ve already let go. Besides, don¡¯t you think Miles is much better than Gyrl!?!


    Sylvia suddenly mentioned Miles, leaving Bruce stunned. What did she mean by that?

 Chapter 166

    Chapter 166: Venting


    ¡°No, why on earth would you suddenly bring up Miles? Though he¡¯s a decent guy, don¡¯t get me wrong, but you¡¯ve got it all mixed up. He has a child, even if not his own flesh and blood. If you end up with him, you¡¯d be a stepmother. You¡¯re our family¡¯s treasure, and we won¡¯t allow you to suffer like that.¡± Bruce couldn¡¯t stand the thought ofher getting involved with a man who had son


    He used to think highly of Bruce, but now he found him rather ordinary. Who could possibly be worthy of his <b>sister</b>?


    <b>¡°</b>You mentioned rescuing him back in France, did he take alking to you then? If <b>he¡¯s </bing here now, isn¡¯t it because of you?¡± Bruce¡¯s alertness skyrocketed instantly. ¡°No, no. Ineed to call our second and third schlings, tell them toe back quickly<b>. </b>If they <b>don¡¯t </b>retum soon, our own sister might be mistreated. And they¡¯re still out there, need to call Dad to teach Miles alesson. How dare he think about my sister!¡°.


    Because of Cyril, Bruce now harbored on goodwill towards anyone wanting to get close to his sister.


    Sylvia couldn¡¯t <b>help </b>but smile <b>and sigh</b>. ¡°Big boother, weren¡¯t we <b>just </b>talking <b>about </b>suing Cyril and Farina? Why such a big reaction to Miles? just mentioned him <b>casually</b>, without any other meaning¡±


    Sylvia looked at her brother with a sede that was not quite <b>a </b>smile. She couldn¡¯t help but find her brother amusing just a casual mention <b>and </b>he took it to heart like this? ¡°Oh, and <b>besides </b>thewsuit, have some things in my hands Big brother, help me spread them all out. For the next period, Iwant to focus on my carent,¡±


    Sylvia had same things in mind that she hadn¡¯t wanted to bring up before, but now it was necessary.


    Bruce snorted, ¡°past a casual mention? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that simple.¡± Why did he feel like there was more to it?


    ¡°you don¡¯t like him, <b>it¡¯s </b>not a big deal. It¡¯s <b>just </b>that the child is <b>a </b>problem. Forget it, with our big <bpany</b>, it doesn¡¯t matter anyway¡±


    ¡°Si!¡± Sylvia called out, but Bruce fell silent<b>.</b>


    Yet Brace was seriously considering whether this could work or not


    ¡°Alright, forget it, let¡¯s not talk about it. What are the things you have in your hands rted to?


    <b>¡°</b>They¡¯re rted to their whole family. After the divorce, that some investigate<b>, </b>and there¡¯s quite a bit. Nothing <b>serious </b>though.¡°|||


    Ma¡¯s tone was light, but it was evident she had been aware of this for some time. She just <b>hadn¡¯t </b>acted on it until now.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Upon hearing Syria¡¯s words, Bruce finally believed that Sylvia hal truly let go of Cyr


    Braceughed. <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>should have said so earlier, thin 1 wouldn¡¯t worry about you Now, look, Miles seems alright.


    Sylvia  speechless. Didn¡¯t she say this before? But none of her family members new.


    <b>And </b>now suddenly thinking Miles was alright? Wasn¡¯t that bit tickle


    ¡°Forget it. I won¡¯t say anymore.¡± Sylvia didn¡¯t want to talk further, it was giving her a headache.


    Bruce chuckded and took out his phone<b>, </b>instructing his assistant to handle the remaining matters.


    <b>Cyll </b>never imagined that he <b>had </b>always thought Sylts was the one bullying other. Even though he knew Sylvia had surtered a lot in recent years, he didn¡¯t see Ragina as <b>a </b>victim Today, Miles came forward to help Sylvia, along with the surveince footage he still could understand, then he truly had been clueless all these years,


    ¡°The youngdy will be <b>here </b>soon. I wonder how the sir views today¡¯s went


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Miles poured a ss of water for Cyell with <b>a </b>smile, looking gentle


    ¡°Lean, Syria has suffered a lot today, and he proposal, think, is very good. Why not agree?¡± Mules¡® words male Cyril ufortable


    ¡°Why should agree? She wants to cut ties with me, but I don¡¯t want to. So why should ept? Besides, Karina did something wrong, she should bear the consequences.¡± Cyril spoke call?.


    If Sylvia wanted to bring up past issues, then so be it. Once everything was settled, he would start anew with her. This time, he wouldn¡¯t let you down.


    Miles could see Cyll¡¯s calctions, but if sylvia could easily burn <b>around </b>like this, today¡¯s events wouldn¡¯t have happened. And how could Bracelet Sylviasutter without <b>doing </b>anything?


    ¡°What did <b>you </b><b>say</b>? Bear the consequences<b>? </b>Cyril, why do you say that? I¡¯m carrying your child right now. You and Sylvia have been history for a long time. Do you really believe the surveince? Why not say it was something Sylvia said that provoked me


    Karina was Vilily upset


    ¡°How much have endured these years? I haven¡¯t said a word to you about And Sylvia, we should have been together <b>from </b>the start!¡±


    Karina¡¯s emotions were unstable over the years. She had deeply loved Cyrill for so long, watching Chill many Sylvia. If she didn¡¯t do something yeil winddn¡¯t have nned to divorce Sylvia.


    She had been trying to establish a <b>rtionship </b>with Cyril in various ways, causing <b>so </b>much trouble. Cyril had always pretended not to see it, thinking Cyml had teelings for her


    it seemed he was just indifferent


    Not only that, but after learning the truth, he was ruthless towards her, <b>and </b>now, even


    w, even when she finallymanaged toe back, <b>Cyril </b>remained indifferent, even making her bear


    the


    at why her?


    <b>ences</b><b>.</b>


    Clewely, all of this was because of Cyril.


    Hylsia doesn¡¯t love you, not at all. Otherwise, why would she leave? Why purse this mater? she could have let it go, just like before. But she didn¡¯t. It¡¯s deliberate, deliberatel making me suffer, deliberately making me look bad! You¡¯re not bothering her, you¡¯re bothering me. Don¡¯t you think <b>you¡¯ve </b>gone too far?¡±


    <b>Karina </b>shouted, her face flushed, feeling cold. Although she changed her clothes after catching <b>a </b>cold, ber stomach began to ache.


    She held her stomach, stepping back step by step, looking at Cyril expectantly, but it¡¯s eyes were cold, showing no concen ¡°You can keep making asrene. This child was a mistake, <b>losing </b>it wouldn¡¯quate


    Chapter 166 Venting


    Cyril¡¯s icy attitude surprised not only <b>Karina </b>but also Miles. He hadn¡¯t expected Cyril to be so heartless.

 Chapter 167

    Chapter 167 Can We Start Over?


    Once, Carina thought that the arrival of this child would be a turning point in her and Cyril¡¯s rtionship. She soon realized that even without this child, there would never be a being point between her and Cyril


    She looked at Cyril with heartache. ¡°Have you never cared about this child from the beginning to the end, even though this child is your own?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, the existence of this child was a mistake from the start. Now, correcting this mistake is all there is to it. <b>And </b>all these years, you¡¯ve been deceiving me. Not holding you ountable for that is already generous enough.¡±


    Tears streamed down Carina¡¯s face. Of course, she knew she had been deceiving Cyril all these years. But she never imagined Cynl would be so ruthless towards her


    Even though she deceived him about the past, their feelings over these years were genuine. Didn¡¯t he feel anything about her feelings? Including this child, she was sincerely looking forward to iL


    But to <b>Cyril</b><b>, </b>none of this mattered. He only cared about himself.


    He never wanted to get along well with Sylvia before, even if he thought they would never divorce. He never considered trying to get along with her.


    These changes now, in reality<b>, </b>touched him more than they did SylviaContent ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    As her pain worsened, Carina slowly slid down the wall and sat on the ground, clutching her stomach. She stared at Cyril, whose eyes remained <b>cold</b>,


    ¡°I loved you so much. Even if I deceived you, my feelings for you over these years were genuine. Why can¡¯t you see that? You <b>can¡¯t </b>see anyone¡¯s efforts except your own! You¡¯re selfish and hypocritical, heartless and unrighteous. You deserve it Sybia will never forgive you!!!


    After shouting this out, Carina realized her pain had intensified she felt like the life inside her was slipping away. Trembling, she tried to reach for her phone, but her hands were too weak. The phone slipped from her grasp and fell far away.


    Cyril stood <b>up</b><b>, </b>ready <b>to </b>leave, but Miles intervened.


    ¡°If you¡¯re nning to leave now, I suggest you handle things here first. This woman has no connection to me. She suspects the child is yours, so you¡¯d better take him with you¡± Today, Miles witnessed Cyril¡¯s heartlessness and his cold heart. Even though this woman was carrying his child, he remained indifferent


    Miles couldn¡¯t help but wonder, who Cyril <b>truly </b>cared about the most. Perhaps, as Carina said, the person Cyril cared about the most was himself.


    Only after giving Miles a final nce did Cyril decide to take Carina and leave. As Miles said, regardless of their rtionship, this woman was now connected to him.


    Carina was quickly taken away. A pool of blood remained where she had fallen. Seeing this, Miles paused, feeling somewhat helpless. He then instructed his men to clean up the


    <b>FICHE</b>


    Carina was taken to the hospital. After seeing her rushed into the emergency room, <b>Cyril </b>hestrated and then sent a message to Sylvia.


    ¡°Can we start over?


    As Cyrill sent this message, his heart was filled with anxiety. He did want to start over with Syhta, but he didn¡¯t know what to do to make her change her mind. Perhaps, after settling <b>all </b>their old scores, they might have a chance to start <b>anew</b>, or maybe not.


    After sending the message, Cyril anxiously awaited Sylvia¡¯s response. But after waiting the whole night, Sylvia didn¡¯t reply.


    Not only did Sylvia not reply, but another message also reached Cyril¡¯s ears. Carina¡¯s condition was now critical. The child was fine for now, but she needed to be on bed rest for a long time Cyril probably couldn¡¯t leave the hospital anytime soon.


    The doctor, with a serious expression, told Cyril, ¡°During this period of bed rest, I hope you can spend more time with the mother. Bed rest is a very difficult time. Having loved ones around can make it much easier.¡±


    Cyril nodded. ¡°Tunderstand. I¡¯ll have his assistant called over.¡±


    The doctor was dumbfounded. What did he mean by calling the assistant?


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean calling his assistant. I mean calling his closest person.¡±


    The doctor was taken aback. Why didn¡¯t this man understand? Why call the assistant when you should be here to take care of Carina?


    ¡°But you¡¯re her husband, and she¡¯s carrying your child. You should stay here and take care of her.¡±


    ¡°We have no rtionship. If the child can¡¯t be saved, then so be it.¡±


    Only now did Cyril understand what the doctor meant. He wouldn¡¯t stay to take care of Carina, nor did becare about the child. Let whoever cared take care of them. Notifying Carina¡¯s assistant was already his greatest charity.


    The doctor was astonished at Cyril¡¯s callousness. But before he could say anything, Cyril had already left, dialing his phone to call, indeed, Carina¡¯s assistant


    Sering this sore, the doctor telt angry but didn¡¯t know what to <b>do</b>, feeling <b>a </b><b>bit </b>s


    sorry


    He had encountered a very unpleasant man. He had developed feelings for a man who <b>had </b>conceived a child with him, but this man didn¡¯t care <b>at </b>all<b>, </b><b>saying </b>to <b>disc </b>and it it it

 Chapter 168

    Chapter 168 Cold¨Chearted


    Chil¡¯s prcent actions weren¡¯t particrly discreet, with a bit of investigation, one could easily uncover them. Sylviasat in her office, engrossed in her work, while Juliet held a tablet, scrolling through the news updates. She chuckled, then sighed involuntarily.


    The contrast was striking, prompting Syhia to nce <b>at </b>him more than once. What was he looking at today? He had been here for almost two hours without even intending to report to her. The documents were neatly arranged on his desk, already dealt with. Yet, he seemed oblivious to the fact that they needed to be taken elsewhere,


    ¡°What are you up to? I¡¯ve nearly finished my work, and here you are,ughing and crying. You <b>don¡¯t </b>seem quite yourself,<b>¡± </b>Sylvia inquired.


    Hearing Sylvia¡¯s words, Juliet finally set down her tablet, approaching Sylvia with a joyful expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s Cyril and Karina. You must see this. After thest banquet, Karina was rushed to the hospital. It¡¯s been days, and the word is her pregnancy is in jeopardy <b>Cyril </b>merely Instructed <b>Karina¡¯s </b>assistant to handle it. Rumors are spreading like wildfire, and it¡¯s even made headlines. Men, tell <b>you</b>, can be incredibly <b>callous</b>. I never thought he could be so heartless.¡±


    Juliet truly hadn¡¯t anticipated this turn of events<b>. </b>Given their intimate knowledge of Cyril <b>and </b>Karina¡¯s affair, one would expect Cyril to show more concern, especially since Karina was carrying his child Instead, Katina was left alone in the hospital to tend to her pregnancy.


    ¡°If I were in her shoes, I¡¯d never keep the child. When the father doesn¡¯t care, what difference does the mother¡¯s concern make? The child¡¯s future looks bleak,¡± Juliet remarked.


    <b>Regardless</b>, the birth of a child should ideally be <b>a </b><b>joyous </b>asion both parents eagerly anticipate. Yet, this child¡¯s arrival seemed more like an ident. Karina saw the child merely <b>as </b><b>a </b>means to secure her position, while Cyril showed no interest. Thus, one could easily predict the child¡¯s fate once born.


    Sylvia paused briefly, speakong frankly, ¡°Tarina¡¯s actions don¡¯t warrant sympathy.¡±


    However, the <b>child </b>in Karina¡¯s womb was indeed innocent. Faced with such circumstances, it was hard to determine who to me.


    ¡°What are your thoughts<b>?</b>¡± Sylvia asked, puzzled by Juliet¡¯s statement The child wasn¡¯t theirs, so why did it matter what they thought<b>? </b><b>Shouldn¡¯t </b>Cyril and Karina¡¯s opinions take precedence?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t <b>give </b>it much thought. The other day, the host messaged me, asking if we could start over. I don¡¯t understand his intentions. He seems to believe there¡¯s a chance t


    re for us toContent is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    reconcile.


    ¡°And what did you do?!


    ¡°Thad our legal team file awsuit against him.¡±


    What else <b>could </b>she do? Dealing with someone who only brought trouble upon themselves called for decisive action. She had already stated before, they could choose one of two options. Since she didn¡¯t want either, she acted ording to her own will.


    *Fair enough. It¡¯s about time someone dealt with him. Speaking of matters, Miles has been on your brother¡¯s mindtely. He¡¯s constantly calling


    calling him and even went golfing with him today.¡±


    Bruce¡¯s social standing no longer required him to invest much time inworking. Most people approached him for coboration, and he simply had <b>to </b>select who to work with However, Bruce¡¯s recent initiative to golf with Miles was surprising.


    ¡°He went golfing with Miles?¡± Sylvia was genuinely unaware of this development, feeling utterly astonished.


    Sylvia had a clear idea of Bruce¡¯s intentions. He likely sought this opportunity to get to know Miles better. However, Sylvia couldn¡¯t fathom why he would prioritize such matters over work. Shouldn¡¯t he focus on resolving work¨Crted issues first instead of ying gol!?


    Sylvia was at a loss for words.


    ¡°That¡¯s not <b>the </b>point. The point is, why dad Bruce go golfing <b>with </b>Miles? They have no significant ties. Even if they¡¯re discussing potential business ventures, golfing seems unnecessary. So, what¡¯s really going on between you and Miles? Given Bruce¡¯s intense reaction, it must be rted to you. What¡¯s the connection between you and Miles?¡±


    Juliet¡¯s eyes sparkled with curiosity, genuinely intrigued by the unfolding events. In just two <b>or </b>three days, the situation had escted to the point where even Sylvia couldn¡¯t decipher it


    She needed to inquire further to understand the situation fully,


    Sylvia <b>felt </b>a headacheing on. Not only did she not know how to exin Bruce¡¯s actions to Miles, but now Juliet was fixated on the issue, leaving her unsure how to proceed


    ¡°I have nothing to do with Miles. I merely saved him once in F country, <b>as </b>you know. Additionally, at the banquet, he assisted me with a minor issue. I made a casual joke with my brother, but it seems he took it seriously. It <b>was </b>all in jest.¡±


    Had Syda know this would happen, she would never have made such a joke. Now that things had escted, it was truly a headache¨Cinducing situation


    ¡°Your brother¡¯s concem isn¡¯t entirely unfounded. After all, Miles <b>has </b>a son, albeit not his biological one. If there¡¯s anything between you two, you¡¯d essentially be a stepmother. Bruce certainly wouldn¡¯t want that for you¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t reached that point yet. You both are overthinking this. I made a joke, just a joke. It¡¯s not right to cause someone unnecessary distress. Moreover, it we ever need to


    in the future, who would handle it? It¡¯s quite awkward¡±


    Sylvia couldn¡¯t help bait feel exasperated Her harmless jolor <b>had </b>been blown out of proportion. How would she Lace Miles in the future!

 Chapter 169

    Chapter 169 Jimmy¡¯s Thoughts


    Juliet paid no heed to Syria¡¯s words. She felt Sylvia¡¯s words were merely excuses. If it truly didn¡¯t matter, why didn¡¯t she tease someone else? Why single out Miles?


    ¡°As for cooperation, let¡¯s discuss it when the <b>time </bes. Ampway, your brother has already gone to y golf.¡±


    There was no use in trying <b>to </b>stop it; she had to ept the inevitable oue


    Sylvia sighed, regretting she <b>had </b>foreseen the She wouldn¡¯t have made that joke if she knew it woulde to this.


    Sylvia continued to work on documents, when suddenly her phone rang. ncing at it, she found it was an unfamiliar number.


    Answering the call, Sylvia heard a child¡¯s woce, crisp and clear, Instinctively, she thought of Jimmy¡¯s cherubic face.


    ¡°Beautifuldy, do you <b>have </b>time toe out and y with me? My <b>dad </b>is ying gold, and they won¡¯t let me join. They say I¡¯m no good I¡¯m so bored.¡±


    It seemed Jimmy had taken Miles¡¯s phone. Otherwise, Sylvia wouldn¡¯t have received <b>this </b>call. Surprisingly, Miles had taken <b>jimmy </b>along for golf this time.


    ¡°Alright, where are you? Shalle over? Then we can go y together<b>.</b>¡±


    Sylvia suddenly had a good idea. She needed to see what Brace had been up to. It was best not to embarrass him<b>.</b>


    Also, Jimmy¡¯s call gave her a reason to go and check the situation. And it was perfectly <b>legitimate</b>.


    Upon hearing that Sylvia woulde to see him, Jimmy was delighted and quickly gave Sylvia the address. Sylvia asked Jimmy to wait; she would be there soon.


    After hanging up, she noticed Juliet staring at her with <b>a </b><b>probing </b>look.


    ¡°What¡¯s with that expression? What are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking, is there something wrong with <b>this </b>child? Look, he has so many people to choose from, yet he chooses only you. It¡¯s suspicious. And don¡¯t you think this child <b>has </b>some uteromotive toward you?¡±


    Being unexpectedly kind to a stranger, and not worrying <b>at </b>all that his father might be taken away by someone else¨CJuliet had never seen such a mature child. So, there could only beone reason: Jimmy wanted Syria to be his stepmother.


    ¡°Could it be that this child wants you to be <b>his </b>stepmother?¡±


    Realizing this, Juliet furrowed her brows and grabbed Sylvia¡¯s wrist, preventing ber from leaving ¡°No, you can¡¯t go now. You need to finish your work first. This child seems scheming. How can such <b>a </b>young child have such malicious thoughts of wanting you to be his stepmother?¡±


    Juller¡¯s words amused and puzzled Sy. If she were to be a stepmother, she would be a second wife. Looking at it this way,


    ww, there wasn¡¯t much difference <b>between </b>her and


    Miles. Besides, she just wanted to see Bruce


    Of course, she couldn¡¯t tell Jubet about going to see Bruce. Knowing Juliet, she would im


    ¡°Alright, maybe the child is just bored why don¡¯t you go? If you don¡¯t want to, I¡¯ll go alone.¡±


    Sylvia said so. What more could juliet say? She hutted and sat down nearby.


    diately inform Brace. So, she would keep this to herself.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going If I do, who willhandle thepany¡¯s affairs? You go, and let me know the news as soon as possible. Also, about the matter between your brother <b>and </b>Miles, tel me quietly.¡±


    Sylvia found it amusing, Juliet wanted toe along, she could have just said so. But jullie refused. Sylvia couldn¡¯t force her, so she packed her things and left.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    When Sylvia arrived at the golf course, Bruce and Miles were still ying. Jimmy sat aside, kicking his <b>legs </b>against the bench out of boredom.


    Suddenly, Jimmy sensed something amiss and looked up, sporting Sylvia, Excitedly, he stood up and waved vigorously


    ¡°Beautiful sister!¡±


    The child¡¯s <b>voice </b>was <b>sharp</b><b>. </b><b>Soon</b><b>, </b>both men noticed Sylvia <b>approaching</b><b>.</b>


    Bruce was surprised for a moment, then turned to Miles, who also seemed astonished. They hadn¡¯t expected Sylviatoe


    ¡°thought you brought Sylvia over here. I thought you couldn¡¯t handle losing and wanted S toe over<b>.</b>¡±


    Miles felt helpless. He had came to meet Bruce today to discuss cooperation between theirpanies. But Bruce had no intention of discussing it; instead<b>, </b>he dragged him here to y gold


    Midway through the game, Jimmy came over. The boy then yed with his phone, probably calling Sylvia Miles felt helpless at the thought. But he didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m not unreasonable. Since we¡¯re all here, let¡¯s take a break and sit down. Let¡¯s <b>not </b>y anymore What do you <b>think</b>?¨C


    Bruce said this because he was wary of fimmy¡¯s cunning nature. This little boy <b>was </b>very scheming, if he was plotting something, like having Sylvia be his stepmother, it wouldn¡¯t be good. So now, he had to watch not only the adults but also the child it was exhausting


    Aner Bruce finished speaking, he didn¡¯t care whether Miles agreed or not. He just put his things aside and walked toward Sylvia


    ¡°Why are you here? Who¡¯s handling things at thepany?


    <b>¡°</b>thepany, handling ewrything. trust him. Don¡¯t you?


    Dvered an eyebrow. If Juliet was there, there was indeed nothing to worry about. But would jullet really stay at thepany and not go <b>anywhere</b>? Especially <b>Sylvia </b>openly


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve <b>arranged </b>everything, I won¡¯t say more. But why did youe?


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing just came to y with you guys, What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you wee me?!


    Sylviatookout aplecat chocte from her bag, which she <b>had </b>bought on <b>the </b>way. She didn¡¯t know what kids fed, so she <b>bought </b>chocte.


    Jimmy took the chocte, delighted, and began to enjoy with relish

 Chapter 170

    Chapter 170: Secretly Arrived


    Silvia nodded slightly towards Miles as a form of greeting


    ¡°So, you came here early in the moming to discuss cooperation with me. Don¡¯t tell me that your idea of cooperation is just to y gold here and leave all thepany matters to me. Do you really think that¡¯s appropriate? Bruce remarked.


    ¡°There¡¯s <b>nothing </b>wrong with that. I think it¡¯s fine to leave thepany matters to you,¡± Bruce responded calmly.


    Bruce¡¯s reaction was ratherposed. Besides, wasn¡¯t it a form of cooperation toe here and discuss matters with his potential brother¨Cinw? There was nothing strange


    about it.


    y didn¡¯t mean to


    Silvia ignored Bruce¡¯s remarks and turned to Miles, ¡°Has my brother done anything particrly strange today? If he has, I¡¯ll apologize on his behalf. He probably Maybe his mind just didn¡¯t catch up.¡±


    ¡°Are you betting me in front of others? Silvia, you¡¯re really audacious. You dare say anything, don¡¯t you? Believe me, I¡¯ll <b>have </b>to give you a good lesson today!¡± Bruce retorted.


    ¡°Alright, alright. It was just a joke. I told you that day, but you took it seriously. You invited <b>him </b>here to y golf, iming it was for cooperation. I don¡¯t believe your character at all. Do you think I don¡¯t know you well enough? Siha countered.


    As the siblings bantered, both Miles and Jimmy were left bewildered. They had expected <b>the </b>siblings to get along well, but it seemed they were quite the opposite. Nevertheless, despite their opposing views, their sibling bond was evident.


    ¡°Let¡¯s forget about this. I do have a cooperation proposal in hand and would like to discuss it with you. Since my sister is here, you don¡¯t have to worry about your <b>son</b>, right? Let¡¯s go, shall we? We¡¯ll talk about the cooperation,¡± Bruce redirected his attention to Miles and gestured to leave with him.


    ¡°How did you end up here? if they¡¯re here today and he¡¯s here for cooperation, why did you follow?¡± Miles inquired.


    ¡°1 came secretly. My dad said he¡¯s meeting your brother today, and I felt things couldn¡¯t be that simple. So I came over, hoping to gather some intelligence. After all, my dad <b>can </b>be quite conservative sometimes,¡± Jimmy exined.


    Although young, Jimmy was not ignorant. There was much he knew, and Sita couldn¡¯t help but find him amusing.


    Sneaking over to gather information, Jimmy wondered what he had learned today


    ¡°I didn¡¯t find any particrly useful information. It seems your brother <b>really </b>dislikes my dad for some reason. But I don¡¯t know what my dad did to upset him so much. Is it because of me?¡± Jimmy <b>pondered</b>.


    Perhaps due to the absence of his biological father and the presence of his uncle as a father figure, Jimmy was particrly sensitive and quick to perceive others intentions.


    Silvia felt somewhat helpless. She hadn¡¯t expected her brother to behave so unfairly


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just a small disagreement between them. Don¡¯t worry, it has nothing to do with you. Shall we eavesdrop on what they¡¯re talking about?¡± Silvia suggested


    ¡°Forget it, I don¡¯t want to. They can go if they want.I <b>don¡¯t </b>understand their cooperation anyway, and adults can handle these matters. I¡¯ll stay here. But if you want to go, I can apany you,¡± Jimmy proposed.


    Silvia couldn¡¯t help but chockle at Jimmy¡¯s quick thinking. Although she wanted to go, she found it amusing that fimmy had so many reasons not to.


    ¡°Alright, alright, I want to go. You can apany me,¡± Silvia agreed.


    ¡°<b>Of </b>course, let¡¯s go now,¡± Jimny smiled, feeling pleased with himself


    Thus, the two casually walked past. Meanwhile, Bruce and Miles were engrossed in discussing business, much to Silda¡¯s disappointment. She had hoped they would talk about something else, but it seemed they were earnestly discussing cooperation, leaving her feeling somewhat unlucky. As for Jimmy, he couldn¡¯t understand a thing and lost interest quickly. He dragged Silvia to the side, eager to y golf,


    Silva yed golf rather well, and she guided Jimmy on how to y, and the two enjoyed themselves immensely.


    ¡°My sister is quite nice, but she had some bad luck before, ending up with a lousy man. Although I don¡¯t know much about you, I think you¡¯re a decent person, someone worth entrusting with a lifetimemitment. But I don¡¯t want my sister to rush into another marriage so soon,¡± Bruce observed as he watched Silvia and Jimmy getting along so well. He felt a pang of helplessness seeing his sister grow up beyond his control, and his impatience with Miles increased, ming him for his sister¡¯s impulsiveness.


    only joking


    At that moment, Bruce hadpletely forgotten that Silvia had repeatedly emphasized that she was


    <b>After </b>a moment of hesitation, Miles realized that Silvia¡¯s recent behavior towards him was influenced by Bruce. He pondered over what Silvia might have said to Bruce to cause <b>such </b>a misunderstanding


    ¡°This situation isn¡¯t what you think,¡± Miles began to exin.


    *Your <b>son </b>seems <b>to </b>really like my sister. Could it be intentional on your part to have your son get close to my sister, perhaps to find him a stepmother? Let me tell you, even though my sister has been married and divorced, she¡¯s not willing to be a stepmother. I don¡¯t want her to bear the responsibility of taking care of someone else¡¯s child, even if he¡¯s not yours,¡± Bruce continued, his words bing more and more inappropriate, causing Miles a headache.


    ¡°You may be misunderstanding things I don¡¯t have much contact with S, and I¡¯m grateful for what she did for me in country. Apart from that, I have no other intentions. It you think my actions are for personal gain, then perhaps our cooperation doesn¡¯t need to continue,¡± Miles rified, hoping to dispel Bruce¡¯s doubts by creating distance between


    ended to distance himself <b>from </b>Miles to alleviate his suspicions. That was what Miles hoped, at least.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 171

    Chapter 171 Dinner Invitation


    Two men gathered together, discussing some business matters, but there wasn¡¯t much else to talk about. Especially now, Bruce had strong opinions about Miles, believing that it was Miles¡® influence that had led his sister to entertain certain thoughts.


    So, Bruce¡¯s attitude towards Miles wasn¡¯t particrly friendly. Miles could sense Bruce¡¯s frustration, but he hadn¡¯t found the right opportunity to inquire about Sylvia¡¯s situation.


    Sylvia, feeling guilty, had casually mentioned somethingst time, and Brace had remembered it, which surprised her. So, she tried her best to avoid meeting Miles¡® gaze, fearing what might <b>transpire</b>.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    These matters between adults were iprehensible to youngmy. However, he noticed his father always casting nces at his beautiful sister.


    It seemed his approach was correct; his father indeed favored his beautiful sister. Would this beautiful sister be his mother, then?


    ¡°Beautiful sister, why does <b>my </b><b>dad </b><b>always </b>stare at you? <b>Are </b>you two <b>going </b>to get married?¡±


    They say childhood is carefree, but at this moment, Syhda felt otherwise. She could feel Bruce¡¯s gaze sharpen instantly. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Jimmy was just a child, Bruce might have reacted differently.


    Sylvia was curious about Jimmy¡¯s <b>words</b>. <b>They </b>hadn¡¯t <b>own </b>Miles for long, <b>and </b><b>she </b>wasn¡¯t even sure about his personality, let alone marriage.


    So, Sylvia smiled and asked, ¡°Why would you say that? Your father and I aren¡¯t that close. If he were to marry, he¡¯d choose someone he truly likes.¡±


    ys stare at her?


    Jimmy was even more puzzled. Wasn¡¯t his father¡¯s favorite person the beautiful sister next to him? It didn¡¯t make sense, otherwise, why would his father always


    But.


    Before Jimmy could say more, Miles intervened. If Jimmy kept going, he might upset Sylvia. After <b>all</b>, others might not understand, but <b>Miles </b>knew how much <b>Sylvia </b>was cherished at home.


    ¡°Jimmy, it¡¯s not polite to speak like that. You might cause trouble for your beautiful sister.¡±


    it wouldn¡¯t only cause trouble for Syhda but also for himself. When would his son learn to keep quiet and <b>not </b>utter such nonsense?


    Jimmy blinked, not fully understanding his father¡¯s words. However, he noticed the difort of the man beside his father, Sylvia¡¯s brother, and refrained from further speech.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s not dwell on it. Let¡¯s go horseback riding together. It¡¯s boring watching them y <b>golf </b>here. There¡¯s <b>a </b>horse <b>ranch </b>nearby. Shall we go?¡±


    Jimmy had learned horseback riding since he <b>was </b>young. Watching golf was indeed dull for him. Miles hesitated, worried about Jimmy¡¯s safety, but seeing Sylvia¡¯s excitement, he agreed.


    As they left, Bruce dropped his pretense. He spoke frankly, ¡°Though I¡¯m not sure how you <b>managed </b>to influence my sister, let me tell you, bullying her is out of the question. Our family won¡¯t allow it¡±


    ¡°Ithink you¡¯ve misunderstood. I¡¯ve never had any intention of mistreating <b>her</b>. Moreover, I¡¯ve only known Sylvia for <b>a </b>short while ¡±


    Miles wanted to convey that forming feelings for someone <b>in </b>such a short time was difficult, and he wasn¡¯t one to believe in love at <b>first </b>sight. Bruce seemed to have misunderstood this point.


    Bruce thought Miles didn¡¯t appreciate his sister, which angered him more than if Miles had liked her. What was wrong with his sister that Miles didn¡¯t like her?


    ¡°My sister is wonderful. If you don¡¯t like <b>her</b><b>, </b>it¡¯s your loss. I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re thinking. My sister is so good, yet you don¡¯t like her. What¡¯s the difference between you and Cyril?¡±


    Miles felt there was a misunderstanding but exining it to this brother fixated on his sister proved challenging. So, he chose silence, sometimes, saying nothing was better than saying anything wrong.


    ¡°Do you have time tonight? I¡¯d like to invite you all to dinner.¡±


    Miles proposed this, considering their families business interactions and his interest in coborating with the One¨CSall Group. However, Bruce¡¯s thoughts strayed again.


    ¡°Are you eyeing my sister? Let me tell you, my <b>sister </b>is an exceptional person. If you want to marry her, you¡¯ll have to pass our scrutiny. I won¡¯t let my sister marry as casually <b>as</b>


    The more he spoke, the more sadness he revealed. If they hadn¡¯t neglected their sister, none of this would have happened.

 Chapter 172

    Chapter172: Spare Her


    Sylvia was oblivious to what had happened over by the golf course; she was preupied. Jimmy¡¯s proficiency in preparing the horses for riding was impressive, so they quickly selected their mounts.


    However, Sylvia hadn¡¯t expected to encounter someone here, someone she had no desire to <b>see</b>.


    ¡°Why are <b>you </b>here?¡±


    Seeing Sylvia bere, Cyril frowned slightly, feeling a bit displeased. He subconsciously thought Sylvia hade to find him.


    He couldn¡¯t believe his whereabouts <b>had </b>been leaked so quickly. He felt annoyed by whoever had divulged his location.


    Sylvia rolled <b>her </b>eyes impatiently. What was wrong with her being here? Did he own this stable or something?


    ¡°What does it matter to you that I¡¯m here? Or is this ce exclusively for you<b>, </b><b>and </b>no one else is allowed?¡±


    Sylvia¡¯s tone irritated Cyril slightly.


    Sylvia had never spoken to him in such a manner before. Did she feel emboldened after the divorce, speaking to him like this?


    ¡°Whatever. It¡¯s none of your concern where I go. But what I want to discuss with you today is not about that, it¡¯s about Karina Do you know how miserable Karina is now?¡±


    Cyril¡¯s tone concerning Karina made Sylviaugh. What did Karina¡¯s state have to do with her?


    It wasn¡¯t like she forced Karina <b>into </b>anything. Karina willingly involved herself in Cynt¡¯s athairs, so if <b>she </b>faced consequences now, it was only fair


    Sylvia couldn¡¯t fathom why Cyril <b>was </b>bringing this up to her. Was it to <b>make </b>her forgive Karina? That <b>was </b>impossible. After enduring so much mistreatment from Karina over the years, forging her would be foolish.


    ¡°Do I have any connection to it? It seems like you¡¯re insinuating that Kirina¡¯s current plight is solely my fault. She¡¯s pregnant with your child now. If you truly don¡¯t want her to suffer, you can marry her. I¡¯ve already cleared the way for both of you. Remember how <b>much </b>she loved you back then, and how much you cared for her? Or have you forgotten?¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve forgotten, I suggest you go online and check. I still have plenty of records <b>about </b>the two of you. Like when you picked her up from the airport, or when you took her shopping. Maybe you¡¯ve forgotten, but the media remembers viddly. If you still want to deny it, I can help you refresh your memory.¡±


    ¦§


    What did Sy care about Karina¡¯s well¨Cbeing? Karina brought her troubles upon herself, and it wasn¡¯t appropriate for Cyril toe here and discuss this with her. ¡°You¡¯ve changed. You¡¯re nothing like the person Tused to know. You never used to do soch outrageous things or be so ruthless. Is it because you¡¯re backed by van now that you feel entitled to hurt others without restraint?¡±


    Cyril felt Sylvia was incredibly unfamiliar at this moment. He had never seen her so antagonistic towards someone before. Was it because she didn¡¯t have the chance before, but now she did?


    Sylvia thought Cyril¡¯s reasoning was wed Why didn¡¯t she target others before? Because she liked Cyril, led how he could blindly follow someone, unable to see if they were good or bad.


    ¡°I¡¯m not targeting her because I¡¯m magnanimous, it¡¯s simply because I led <b>you </b>back then. I didn¡¯t want to make things difficult for you. Even though numors about you and her were rampant, I never uttered a word. Everything I did was for you.¡±


    ¡°But now we have no rtionship, and I even dislike you In this sinuation, isn¡¯t it strange for me to do something against someone?


    ¡°Of course not strange. My father told me if someone bullies me without reason, I must fight back, as long as I¡¯m not at fault. Since you prettydy, are meless, why <b>don¡¯t </b>you fight back?


    Though young, Jimmy sometimes said things that pleased Sylvia gready.


    He always took his father¡¯s teachings seriously. His father said not to bully others but also not to let others bully you.


    ¡°Auntie, your previous actions were wrong. My dad told me we shouldn¡¯t bully others recklessly, but we also can¡¯t let others bully us. And since they are bullying you like this, why don¡¯t you retaliate? My <b>dad </b>said once someone bullies <b>you</b>, you must never back down


    Jimmy¡¯s serious expression amused Sylvia. It was such a <b>simple </b>principle she hadn¡¯t grasped before, but now she understood.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t understand before, but now I do. Don¡¯t worry, no one will bully me again in the future. If someone bullies me, Jimmy, would you help me?¡±


    Sylvia <b>asked </b>Jimmy with a smile Jimmy, feeling needed by Sylvia, paned his chest without hesitation, indicating he would.


    ¡°<b>Of </b>course, you can count on me. My dad says Cyril <b>Han </b>must protect girls. I¡¯ll protect you, and I hope you¡¯ll consider being my mom, boo?¡±


    <b>As </b>he finished speaking, Jimmy felt a bit embarrassed


    Sylvia couldn¡¯t help butugh. Jimmy was indeed adorable.


    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s make that our agreement.¡±


    Sylvia¡¯s agreement filled her with immense joy, and jimmy hugged her tightly, calling her ¡°Mom¡± <b>several </b>times.


    Seeing Cyril¡¯s grim expression across from them, Sylvia and Jimmy were both taken aback.


    <b>Clearly</b>, they hadn¡¯t expected Cyril to say what he did. They exchanged nces for a while before Jimmy couldn¡¯t contain <b>himself</b>.


    ¡°Why must we forge? When someone has others, shouldn¡¯t they face consequences? <b>Uncle</b>, didn¡¯t your mom teach you that doing wrong must be punished<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 173

    wrong must be punished<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>


    Chapter 173 Adding Fuel to the Fire


    Jimmy¡¯s innocent words momentarily left Cyril somewhat at a loss. Even if it was a punishment like a multiplier, it seemed a bit excessive, especially since Syhda hadn¡¯t suffered any substantial harm. Instead, the one feeling most aggrieved now was Karina


    ¡°These years, I admit I haven¡¯t been very good to you, but that¡¯s my problem, it has nothing to do with Karina. He¡¯s already very upset, and now the child may not even survive. If it weren¡¯t for you and him in the garden that day..¡±


    Cyril attempted to reason with Sylvia, to make her understand where he had gone wrong. But Sylvia tuned our after a couple of sentences, willing to listen further. Who was he trying to persuade?


    ¡°Wait a minute. Firstly, this matter has nothing to do with me. Secondly<b>, </b>you should have already reviewed the surveince footage from that day. It clearly shows I never harmed your <b>Karina</b><b>, </b>so there¡¯s no question of forgiveness. Furthermore, whether the child survives or not is your concern; I¡¯m not the child¡¯s father.¡±


    ¡°These years, you¡¯ve been targeting Harina, overtly and covertly. Do you think I don¡¯t low? <b>I¡¯ve </b>never said anything before, but now that we¡¯re over, you¡¯re still anxious. Is it bappropriate to cling to this matter?¡±


    Cyril was extremely angry. He hadn¡¯t intended to say these things when he saw Sylvia; in fact, he wanted to have a proper conversation with her. But seeing Jimmy and Sylvia <b>so </b>Intimate, he couldn¡¯t help himself


    ¡°What¡¯s inappropriate about it? He bullies me, I fightback I don¡¯t see anything wrong with what I¡¯ve <b>done</b>. If you think I¡¯m wrong, does it concern your


    Sylvia chuckled. <b>He </b>used to think it was his fault if Cyell ignored him<b>, </b>but now he realized Cyril was the one at <b>fault</b>. It was <b>this </b>couple causing trouble, they should stop bothering


    ¡°I¡¯ll warn you onest time. Don¡¯t think my leverage is limited to what I¡¯ve already disclosed. I have other cards up my sleeve. You can block me once, indefinitely<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>


    block me


    but can you <i>bl</i>


    Sylvia did indeed <b>have </b>plenty of ammunition to silence Cell, but Cyell wasn¡¯t someone to be trifled with. So when Sylvia¡¯s messages were sent out, Cyril intercepted them all.


    This oue was within Sylvia¡¯s expectations, but it Cyril thought he could handle everything with what he had, he was sorely mistaken. After all, he had a lot in his arsenal, enough to shake their entire family. If push came to shove, he could always assert his innoceter; his status wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to question him.


    ¡°You should remember what was in those intercepted messages. Like what your sister did abroad, what your mother has been doing behind the scenes all these years, and how yourpany isn¡¯t as pristine as you imagine.¡±


    Sering Cyril¡¯s expression darken, Syhta felt satisfied. ¡°I¡¯m telling you this not to threaten you, but to remind you. I thought you¡¯d have learned your lesson after seeing those thingsst time, but apparently you¡¯re still as clueless as ever.¡±


    Sybia sighed. ¡°Let me remind you one more time. If you don¡¯t wise <b>up</b>, I can¡¯t predict what I¡¯ll do next.


    Honestly<b>, </b>he was in a good mood, but Sylvia had toe and <b>ruin </b>it. It he felt ufortable, he¡¯d make sure the other person felt the same.


    Watching Cyril¡¯s increasingly unpleasant expression, <b>Sylvia </b>felt increasingly content. As long as Cyril was unhappy, <b>he </b>could be happy.


    Sylvia held Jimmy¡¯s hand, ready to go horseback riding Just as they were about to leave, Miles and Bruce approached.


    Seeing Cyril here, Bruce¡¯s expression instantly changed.


    If asked who his greatest enemy was, Bruce would answer without hesitation: Cyril


    So when Cyril showed up, Bruce¡¯s expression turned extremely sour.


    ¡°Why are you here? Didn¡¯t thest lesson I gave you suffice?¡±


    The lesson Bruce referred to was the incident at the <b>banquet</b>, also rted to Karina


    Seeing both of them here<b>, </b>and both being rted to Sylvia, Cyril couldn¡¯t seem to find a pleasant expression.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I was <b>wondering </b>why you chose to be here. So you¡¯ve already gathered everyone, huh? What, after we split up, you¡¯re so desperate you need two people at once?¡±


    After Cyril¡¯s nonsensical remark<b>, </b><b>Syhia¡¯s </b>expression changed<b>, </b><b>and </b>without hesitation, she pped him.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t speak sensibly, then don¡¯t speak at all. Don¡¯t unt your superiority in front of me. With your <b>behavior</b>, being married <b>and </b><b>still </b>involved with other women, I don¡¯t know where you get the nerve to lecture me.¡±


    One was his brother, the other had nothing to do with him. Yet Cyril couldn¡¯t help but speak out. Did he not consider what he <b>had </b>done before daring to lecture him?


    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve been quite idletely, with no one to give you a hard time. Do you even Imow your own worth?¡±


    Originally, Sylvia was going to let Cyril off the hook, but now there was no reason to spare her. Right now, all she wanted was to give Cyril a lesson; she had no idea what he might say next


    Bruce was also angry. Seeing his sister being bullied like this was infuriating.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Looks like what you sent him wasn¡¯t enough to teach him a lesson


    Bruce suddenly found it pointless. If he had known Cyril would be here today, he would never havee.


    The three of them left, visibly angry Sylvia was still making a call while walking, seemingly about to deal with Cyril. But Bruce and Miles didn¡¯t intervene; <b>after </b>what Cyril had <b>said</b>, they felt equally affronted.


    After Sylvia finished her call and instructed her people to deal with Cyril, Miles


    es finally had the chance to speak.


    ¡°So<b>, </b>Cyril, you didn¡¯t know that you and Sylvia a


    are siblings?¡±


    Both siblings looked bewildered. Why would Cyril need to know that? Miles chuckled.


    ¡°you two lock so alike, anyone can tell you¡¯re rted at first nce.¡±

 Chapter 174

    Chapter 174: Birthday Gift


    Miles remark carried <b>a </b><b>subtle </b>implication, leaving those who had seen them together to suspect they were rted. However, since neither of them had mentioned their connection<b>, </b><b>no </b>one was foolish enough to inquire about it. Nheless, this didn¡¯t imply that people were naive.


    Yet, Cyril hadn¡¯t noticed anything amiss so far. It was evident that he wasn¡¯t paying much attention to this rtionship.


    otherwise, why hadn¡¯t Cyril realized by now that they looked remarkably alike?


    ¡°You can see it, but some people simply can¡¯t. I wonder what some people were thinking back then. Anyway, let¡¯s not dwell on that. We¡¯ll talk about our coborationter. Today, we¡¯re mainly out for rxation.¡±


    When it came to his sister, Bruce could sometimes be unreliable, but overall, he was quite dependable.


    Though he did harbor same resentment towards Miles initially, it vanishedpletely upon discovering they sharedmon adversaries.


    After the three rxed, they parted ways. They had nned to have dinner together that evening, but <b>Sylvia </b><b>had </b>to leave unexpectedly. Consequently, the dinner became an affair between Bruce and <b>Miles </b>alone. Sylvia remained unaware of what transpired during that meal. However, <b>she </b>noted a subtle shift in Bruce¡¯s demeanor towards Miles afterward, not as hostile as before, but rather with <b>a </b>sense of understanding


    ¡°I just remembered, it¡¯s Cyrill¡¯s grandfather¡¯s birthday <b>in </b><b>a </b>couple of days. I received an invitation to send a gift. I don¡¯t particrly care for the old man and don¡¯t wish to bother with it. Both of you can represent me and present the gift.¡±


    Stanford brought up this matter unexpectedly during breakfast


    Both Bruce and Sylvia were taken aback. Were it not for Stanford mentioning it, they might have forgotten. Over the years, whenever the old man¡¯s birthday arrived, it was always celebrated extravagantly to highlight his states.


    ¡°I recall you two have sent quite a few nice gifts on his previous birthdays. What are you nning to send this year?¡±


    Stanford reminisced about thevish gifts his daughter <b>had </b>once sent to please the old man. However, there was no need for such gestures now; it was time to cut ties.


    Sylvia, understanding Stanford¡¯s unspoken meaning, chuckled lightly before replying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the gift is already prepared. 1 just forgot about it earlier. Regardless, it won¡¯t be anything to delight them overly. You¡¯ll see what I¡¯ve prepared tomorrow.¡±


    Stanford always trusted his daughter¡¯s judgment.


    As for Bruce sitting beside them, he knew exactly what Sylvia had prepared. His lips twitched involuntarily with a hint of worry. If things went wrong, the old man¡¯s birthday celebration might turn into a funeral That would indeed be troublesome.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    However, whether it tumed somber or not wasn¡¯t his primary concern. Over the years, his sister had endured so much injustice. All he could do was <b>to </b>return some of that Injustice, nothing more. Was there anything wrong with that?


    ¡°I¡¯ve already prepared most of the things for you. If you need anything, just let me know, and I¡¯ll assist you in preparing it,¡± Bruce offered.


    ¡°<b>It¡¯s </b>unnecessary. The <b>items </b>you prepared earlier are sufficient<b>. </b>I¡¯ll handle the rest myself. After all, this will be my final grand gesture for the old man. I won¡¯t be preparing any more gifts in the future<b>. </b><b>So</b>, this time, I must leave asting impression.¡±


    Sylta¡¯s smile resembled that of <b>a </b>cunning foxx, leaving her family curious about what else she had in store.


    ¡°The matter regarding the President¡¯s grandfather¡¯s birthday celebration, would you handle it? He wants to invite all possible guests and wishes to sever ties with Miss Carina as soon as possible. Her status doesn¡¯t befit our family. Also, he asked me to give this to <b>you</b>, um, this thing.¡±


    Barry struggled to articte, feeling overwhelmed. Though he was just an assistant, the tasks he handled were often headache¨Cinducing. The old man¡¯s <b>whims </b>were unpredictable.


    For instance, handing Cyril this item this time. Cyril might get angry upon seeing it, but if he didn¡¯t, Barry wouldn¡¯t fulfill his duty, which was equally distressing. Barry pondered his sry; it wasn¡¯t as good as it seemed.


    Cyril was engrossed in his work but raised his head slightly upon hearing Barry¡¯s words


    ¡°What did the old man prepare for you? Why do you seem so troubled?¡±


    As Cyril perused the documents, his expression changed instantly upon seeing their contents. No wonder Barry felt conflicted; the tiles were detailed profiles of various wealthy heiresses. Clearly<b>, </b>preparations were underway for Cyril¡¯s marriage. As for Carina and Sylvia, they had never been favored. This was the old man¡¯s way of inviting all eligible candidates, intending to seize the opportunity for Cyril to select a suitable bride.


    ¡°I can¡¯t defy the President¡¯s wishes, especially with his recent health concerns. I¡¯m afraid saying the wrong thing might upset him, which would be disastrous.¡±


    Cyril understood Barry¡¯s dilemma<b>, </b><b>so </b>he refrained from pressing further.


    However, he couldn¡¯t mask his displeasure, Barry felt the tension but couldn¡¯t do much about it. What could he do in such <b>a </b>situation?


    ¡°Understood. I handle this matter. You won¡¯t be bothered by anyone. Additionally, there¡¯s a coboration with a subsidiary. I need you to take care of it these days. You won¡¯t <b>have </b>to apany me to the President¡¯s birthday celebration.¡±


    Cyril spaced Barry the trouble of attending <b>with </b>him, sparing him from furtherplications


    Releed, Barry exhaled deeply. This arrangement suited him perfectly; he didn¡¯t want to case himself unnecessary trouble, caught between two dilemmas


    ¡°Alright, loss, I got it. Do you need anyone else to attend the President¡¯s birthday celebration with you?¡±


    ¡°No need <b>I¡¯ll </b>go alone. Oh, and keep an eye on the Ivanov Group. Any developments, especially regarding Miles.¡±


    Though Cyril didn¡¯t quite grasp the connection between the two matters, he wouldn¡¯t refuse his <b>boss¡¯s </b>instructions. He nodded in agreement and remembered another matter priated to these issues.

 Chapter 175

    Chapter 175 Sky High


    ¡°The <b>Yitan </b><b>Group </b>has also received the invitation from the old man. This time, Sylvia and Bruce will attend In addition, the old man also invited Miles. The general idea is probably to <b>hope </b>for a cooperation opportunity with Miles¡±pany¡±


    Upon hearing Barry¡¯s words, Cyell sneered. Wanting to establish a cooperation with Miles? They must be out of their minds.


    Considering the current rtionship between himself and Miles, it was already good enough if they didn¡¯t openly confront each other. How <b>could </b>they possibly establish <b>a </b>cooperation?


    ¡°Ignore these matters. Also, didn¡¯t ask you to make an appointment with Sylvia? Did you seed?¡±


    Cyril recalled his ongoing attempts to meet Sylvia. However, he never got the chance. And whenever they did meet, it was always tense,


    <b>During </b>this time, Cyril had been wanting to sit down with Sylvia and have a serious conversation, whether about the past or the future. They couldn¡¯t keep butting heads forever; they needed to resolve these matters,


    But making an appointment with Sylvia was not easy. Besides her busy schedule, she simply refused to sice Cyril. So, each attempt ended in failure


    Barry had informed Cyril of this situation, but Cyril remained resolute. He had to meet <b>Sylvia</b><b>, </b>whatever the cost.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I haven¡¯t tried, boss. It¡¯s just that their attitude is crystal clear. They refuse any appointments with you. And they¡¯ve stated that any appointment from you will be canceled outright. If it¡¯s apany appointment, Sylvia will never meet in person. So..¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    So, meeting Sylvia formally through an appointment was impossible.


    Cyril fell silent, thinking that his father¡¯s birthday gathering was approaching


    Sylvia would be there, right? Cyril could use that opportunity to talk to her properly. Surely, Syhda wouldn¡¯t refuse to show face at his father¡¯s event,


    ¡°Got it. First, go andplete the tasks I¡¯ve assigned to you. We¡¯ll discuss these matterster.¡±


    Barry quickly agreed and lett.


    The old man¡¯s birthday banquetmenced as scheduled. Sylvia started preparing early in the morning. Logically, she didn¡¯t need to fuss so much, but she wanted to present a grand gift. What if the media captured her poorly dressed? So, she spent the entire moming dressing up in different outfits and selecting jewelry to ensure her appearance would be perfect.


    By noon, Sylvia <b>finally </b>finished dressing and descended the stairs, where Bruce and Balk were anxiously waiting.


    Seeing Syhtae down, Balk yawned. ¡°One would think you¡¯ve been redoing yourself from head to toe all moming. It¡¯s just an old man¡¯s event. Do you really need to dress up like this? And those jewels you bought, saying you¡¯d keep them forever. Now, just for an event, you bring them out. Isn¡¯t that a bit too much?¡±


    The ne and rings around Sylvia¡¯s neck and fingers were a set she had bought, costing nearly nine figures.


    When they were gifted to Sylvia, she cherished them greatly, saving them for important asions. Little did she expect that this asion would he deemed important


    Sylvia snorted, ting her chin proudly like a proud ck swan. ¡°What do you understand? <b>The </b>old man loves grandeur. With media present at this event, my gift to him surpasses all. So, I must dress appropriately. If the media portrays me poorly, won¡¯t it bring disgrace upon our family? Tristead of letting them gossip, I¡¯ll shut down their thoughts before they even arise.¡±


    Sylvia¡¯s reasoning was sound, and they agreed


    ¡°Since everything¡¯s ready, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll leave the matters at home to you, little brother.¡±


    The invitation only <b>included </b>Bruce, with Sylvia attending as hispanion. As for Balk, nobody knew about his rtionship with the Ivan family, so naturally, he wasn¡¯t invited. With both of them upied, Balk remained at home alone. He was idle and decided to call the third brother. However, the third brother was busy in theb and couldn¡¯t spare time for Walk¡¯s call


    The siblings arrived at the banquet, which was bustling with people, mostly fathers apanying their daughters¨Camatchmaking event.


    * seems this old man intends to use this opportunity to showcase his son. Imagine if he knew his son had fathered a child outside. How scandalous would that be?¡±


    onlyyn and a lew others knew about Karina¡¯s pregnancy. The family was oblivious. Sylvia seemed eager to reveal the news, anticipating the shock it would case dirure red around warily and warned Sylvis, ¡°Don¡¯t stir up too much trouble.¡±


    Chapter 176 Whose Child is t

 Chapter 176

    Chapter 176 Whose Child Is It?


    Things escted, and they couldn¡¯t exim it to Sylvia<b>, </b>Naturally, they knew Lee Yu would be obedient and agreeable. He didn¡¯t really want trouble, he just didn¡¯t appreciate being approached by the other teacher unhappily. So <b>today</b>, he needed to teach them a lesson.


    Sylvia and Bruce found a ce to sit casually, while Michelle, busy attending to guests, noticed them approaching.


    Michelle abandoned the others and came straight to them, looking down on Sylvia with disdain and contempt


    It was evident that Michelle still smw Syhda <b>as </b>someone to bully at will. But Sylvia wouldn¡¯t be easily bullied


    <b>¡°</b>The invitation was for the Ivan family. I didn¡¯t expect you to shamelessly follow along. What, after leaving my son, you¡¯ve lost all sense of shame? Just find any man? And you, sir. Do you not know what she did during the time she was married to my son? <b>You </b>still look at her? I really don¡¯t know what to give you¡±


    Michelle seized every opportunity to belittle Sylvia, but Syhia remainedposed, while Bruce¡¯s face turned ugly.


    For years, his sister <b>had </b>been bullied like this <b>at </b>such events. If that was the <b>case</b>, he wouldn¡¯t let this family off.


    Michelle hadn¡¯t noticed Bruce¡¯s change in mood, attributing it not to Sylvia¡¯s past actions but to her current <b>remarks</b>, which had touched his


    Michelle took extra pleasure in recounting recent events<b>, </b>bing increasingly delighted. He degraded Syhia to the point of humiliation, wishing she would never litt her head again. But Sylvia¡¯s reaction remained calm, not giving Michelle any satisfaction


    Seeing Bruce¡¯s anger, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t be angry. Anyway, aren¡¯t we here with our own purpose this time? It¡¯s not worth getting emotional over such


    marters.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be worth it?¡± Bruce was furious. Suddenly, he felt Sylvia¡¯s actions today were too mild. He stood up<b>, </b><b>took </b>his phone, and walked away to make a call. Sylvia nced at his retreating figure, saying nothing. It seemed her brother wanted to went, which wasn¡¯t a bad thing. She was curious to see to what extent he would go for her.


    Michelle, assuming Bruce¡¯s anger was due to Sylvia¡¯s embarrassing actions during her marriage to his son, walked away to make a call, intending to seize the opportunity to discipline Sylvia. However<b>, </b>he <b>didn¡¯t </b>realize Sylvia¡¯s reaction was so calm, <b>indicating </b>she didn¡¯t care about these events.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°I advise you to be honest and not covet what doesn¡¯t belong to you. If you can¡¯t distinguish your position, don¡¯t me me for teaching you a lesson.¡±


    It was strange. Although Michelle couldn¡¯t understand what was going on in <b>Sylvia¡¯s </b>mind, it was clear to any disceming person. Bruce went to make a call, which had nothing to do with him. If it did, why was Sylvia so calm? Why no reaction?


    ¡°If you can discipline me, then forget what I said. But you should still hope that today¡¯s birthday party goes as you wish. As for whether Cyril will marry into another family ording to your wishes, that¡¯s even more interesing¡±


    Sylvia¡¯s words suddenly changed Michelle¡¯s expression. He realized something was wrong and immediately turned to leave. At this moment, Cyril arrived, along with Karina


    Interesting, these two came together. Sylvia suddenly didn¡¯t want to wait anymore. So, after sending a message, she leisurely sat back, waiting for Bruce to finish his call and continue watching the drama.


    Cyril had <b>just </b>greeted the old man when the big screen, supposed to y a birthday tribute, suddenly switched to a disturbing scene. The figure in the video was Karina, <b>and </b>beside her was a man, his face masked But judging from his body, it was unlikely to be Cyril, but rather another middle¨Caged man.


    Karina¡¯s face paled. What was happening? Where did this videoe from? <b>Wasn¡¯t </b>it supposed to bepletely destroyed? Why was it appearing here<b>?</b>


    ¡°Pregnant heard you¡¯re pregnant with my child, quite unfortunate. I¡¯ve <b>never </b>fooled around with <b>a </b>pregnant woman. You can fulfill my wish. As for this child, keep it if you want, if not, forget it I have heirs<b>; </b>I don¡¯t need another one.¡±


    The video paused there. Only then did everyone notice that Karina was pregnant. They also saw the man¡¯s grim expression. Did this child have something to do with Cyril again?


    Their thoughts were sharp Just from a video, they had already deduced so much, and it was only a part of the <b>video</b>..


    ¡°Whose child is this?¡±


    Cyril wasn¡¯t particrly concerned about the child¡¯s fate, but he absolutely couldn¡¯t tolerate Karina using this child to deceive him.


    ¡°You said this child is mine. Whose child is it really? Exin it to me today. If you can¡¯t, I¡¯ll make sure you leave this child here.¡±


    Cyril¡¯s methods were <b>well</b>¨Cknown to Sylvia, but she wondered if Karina understood, Karina, with tears streaming down her face, clutched Cyril¡¯s <b>sleeve</b>, wanting to exin, but Cyrd didn¡¯t want to hear her nonsense,


    ¡°Exin clearly whose child this is and whether it¡¯s mine¡±


    someone is deliberately framing ne. If you don¡¯t believe me,


    ¡°This child is really yours. That day, only had rtions with you. I really don¡¯t know who the person in the video is, so war in the clubf grows up a bit and then take a test to see whose child it really is


    Karina¡¯s tears poured down as she held cyn¡¯s arm, desperately <b>trying </b>to convince him that the child was truly his, with no falsehoods.

 Chapter 177

    Chapter 177


    The Martinez family left.


    The atmosphere at the banquet was ruined. Mnie felt that it was unnecessary to continue. It was also gettingte<b>, </b>so she announced the end of the banquet.


    Mnie and Stefan went to see the guests off while Lily saw her ssmates off. Mnie arranged transportation for all of them to be <b>driven </b>back to their dormitories and homes respectively.


    After Lily bid all the students from ss 15 goodbye, the Lauriers had just seen off thest <b>group </b>of guests too. Mnie noticed Lily standing alone by the roadside and walked over to her. Tonight¡¯s events were unexpected, and she was worried Lily might be upset.


    Suddenly, a ck car turned theer and sped down the road, quickly knocking over several cars. Lily fixed <b>her </b>gaze on the <b>car</b><b>, </b>and her expression turned into shock when she saw it was heading toward Mnir.


    She quieldy ran toward Mnie, shouting, ¡°Get out of the way!¡±


    Loid and Shaun, <b>who </b>had just exited the hotel, witnessed the scene. Both of them tensed up and hurried over.


    Yet, they were still a step toote.


    Mnie heard Lily¡¯s voice and looked up in shock. Before she could react, the collision threw her about 30 feet away. The car didn¡¯t stop, it quickly switched directions and disappeared from sight.


    The guests who were in their cars but had not left yet all alighted their vehicles to check on the situation. Instantly, it became crowded in front of the hotel


    Loid exuded <b>an </b><b>air </b>of iciness as he approached, dialing a number as he did. ¡°Send someone over Block all exits in Lagersfield Get an ambnce, and contact Neil


    Then, he got into his car <b>and </b>started the engine. The kry sports car shot off like an arrow into the dark night


    shan ignored him and ran to Mnie¡¯s side. He was about to pick her up when a low growl sounded from behind him. ¡°Don¡¯t touch her!¡±


    The air around Lily felt oppressive and suffocating


    She squatted before Mnie and ced several silver needles on a few <b>of </b>her acupoints. Her movements were fast and urate.


    Then she stood up and instructed Shaun, ¡°Tell Neil not to remove these silver needles and perform the surgery first¡±


    After saying that, she leaped up and used the roots of several cars as her stepping stones to get out of there. She disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    <b>Shaun </b><b>and </b>Daniel were already ustomed to Lily¡¯s astonishing actions, but the other people were stunned. As Mnie¡¯s life was in danger, no one cared about these things. They <b>all </b>came forward to check Mnie¡¯s condition.


    Shaun was annoyed by these people who <b>kept </b>bothering them. He shouted, ¡°Get the hell out of here!¡±


    The crowd dispersed, but no one left. They retreated a Ettle but still formed <b>a </b>circle around them.


    Soon, an ambnce arrived. Nell pushed open the car door <b>and </b>walked over to Shaun. He checked Mnie¡¯s pulse first <b>and </b>said with urgency, ¡°Quick. We need to take her to the hospital.¡±


    Neil hadn¡¯t attended the banquet tonight because he happened to have a patient to attend to. He had just finished when he received Loid¡¯s call. Without dy, he rushed over as quickly as he could.


    Shaun nced at him and angrily asked, ¡°Why did youe sote?


    ¡°There was an ident on the way here¡± Neil¡¯s expression <b>was </b>serious. ¡°I drove here myself.¡±


    Shaun smiled in a sinister way. ¡°Well¨Cyed. They injured Mrs. Laurier and stopped the ambnce froming over. They clearly want her dead! Do they seriously think I¡¯d letContent ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    them oft?¡±


    With that, Shaun took out his phone. ¡°Use all means necessary to find a car with this beense te number!¡±


    He told the other party on the <b>phone </b>the te number he remembered. When the car knocked into Mnie, <b>Shaun </b>nced at the license te number and rushed over to help. He had a good memory, so he remembered it at a <b>nce</b>,


    After hanging up, Sham swore frestily, ¡°Whoever it is, I¡¯ll make sure they suffer like hell

 Chapter 178

    Chapter 178 She knew the Truth


    ¡°It seems that today¡¯s events aren¡¯t enough to teach you a lesson, Cyril. You still want to bother me at this time. Do you think our tyan family <b>is </b>very easy to bully? You think you can keep bullying Sylvia without saying or doing anything? Today¡¯s incident is a lesson for you to know who you can pronke and who you can¡¯L¡± Bruce, upon learning of Sylvia¡¯s grievances, Immediately went out to make <b>a </b>call. His purpose for the call was simple: to give Cyril a <b>harsh </b><b>lesson </b>today. However, Cyril seemed not to take this lesson to heart. He actually had the nerve toe <b>and </b>bother Sylvia. If he had known this earlier, he would never have let Cyrill off so easily.


    ¡°If you think these things aren¡¯t stimting enough, <b>I </b>have many more exciting things in my hands. It¡¯s up to you whether you¡¯re willing to ept and see them.¡± Bruce¡¯s words undoubtedly admitted in the car that he was responsible for these things. Cyril¡¯s face turned extremely ugly. As he was about to say something to Bruce, <b>a </b>sudden exmation came from the crowd, and Barry¡¯s voice suddenly shouted, ¡°loss,e quick<b>, </b>someone has copsed!¡±


    Today¡¯s events were quite stimting, and the most serious were not just Carina but also the old master. Under the spread of rumors, videos, and small cards, both of them couldn¡¯t bear it and passed out directly. The scene suddenly became chaotic. A perfectly good birthday banquet had turned into what it was now, which was unexpected by


    everyone.


    But the most important thing now was not to dwell on these matters but to send them to the hospital, Eventually, the birthday banquet ended abruptly, and everyone rushed to the hospital.


    The old master suffered a sudden heart attack, so he fainted on the spot. As for Carina, her body wasn¡¯t in good condition, especially after the incident where she fell into the pool <b>some </b>time ago, which caused even greater <b>harm </b>to her body. At that time, the child was almost lost, let alone now.


    Everyone was frantic, but Cyril sat in his ce with a grim expression, starting to watch the video and those small cards disyed at the scene today. After looking through those small cards one by one<b>, </b>Cyril could be sure that most of the content on those cards was true, and <b>only </b><b>a </b>small part was <b>false</b>. As for Carina¡¯s matter, it was probably true.


    ¡°Boss, I saw this thing when I was cleaning up. Miss Sylvia gave it to me and asked me to give it to you. But those <b>days</b>, it seemed like you were in a bad mood. When I gave it to you, you didn¡¯t want it. I just took a look, and there were many things inside that were actually rted to what was broadcasted today. At that time, she told me to make sure to give it to you and said if it wasn¡¯t handled well, there might be more troubleter.¡±


    This statement was entirely true. Sylvia had investigated some things <b>a </b>long time <b>ago</b>. For such arge family, although it seemed good, it was actually fraught with various troubles. After Sylvia noticed these things, she gave them all to Cyril early, hoping Cyril would take precautions or do something else


    However, during that time, Cyell didn¡¯t like Sylvia, let alone the things Sylvia sent over. <b>So </b>he didn¡¯t see these things until a few yearster.


    Cyril held the thing in his hand, his expression unclear.


    ¡°So, Sylvia knew about today¡¯s events early on, and she actually wanted me to handle these things in advance, right?¡°.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Although he didn¡¯t want to admit it, this was indeed the case. Sylvia¡¯s intention in bringing out these things that day was like this. However, Cyril didn¡¯t care at the time, and now, having these things was of no use anymore.


    At this moment, Cyril couldn¡¯t say anything. All these things were caused by his own actions. <b>Who </b>could he me?


    <b>Just </b>then, Cyril¡¯s phone rang, and the caller was Sylvia


    Seeing this <b>call</b>, Cyril was somewhat excited.


    ¡°Hello¡±


    He answered the phone excitedly


    ¡°I <b>want </b>to exchange something with you.¡±


    Sylvia directly opened the conversation.


    When they divorced, Sylvia didn¡¯t ask for anything, just took what originally belonged to her. But today, Sylvia suddenly realized that she <b>had </b>forgotten something, and this thing couldn¡¯the easily retrieved<b>.</b>


    ¡°If you had known about these things at home early on, and also, why <b>didn¡¯t </b>you just ghee me that USB drive at the time?


    Cyril asked eagerly, as <b>if </b>he hadn¡¯t heard what Sylvia said.


    Sylvia passed for a moment, nced at her phone, and <b>made </b>sure she <b>hadn¡¯t </b>dialed the wrong number.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have bothered if you didn¡¯t believe me. Do I need to go looking for unhappiness again?¡± Sylvia said inly. ¡°I can choose not to sue you. I won¡¯t pursue the matter between you and Carina either. As you said, I¡¯ll let you go. But, when we got married, I gave <b>you </b>a ring. It was my mother¡¯s heirloom. You need to return it to me.¡°¡±


    Cyril was taken aback, trying to recall the memory of this ring in his mind.

 Chapter 179

    Chapter 179Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    It wasn¡¯t until Lily entered the operating room that Shaun finally realized what had happened. He got all fired up all of a sudden.


    ¡°Yes, we still have Lily! She can definitely save Mrs. Laurier!¡± he cherred


    ¡°But Mrs. Laurier¡¯s heart has stopped beating. Besides Shadowbane, no one else can bring the dead back to life in this world,¡± Nell said with his head <b>down</b>, his voice somewhat


    He hated the fact that his medical skills weren¡¯t good enough for him to save Mnte


    Upon hearing that, Shaun¡¯s face crumpled. He turned and punched the wall heavily. ¡°Fuck!¡±


    Loid watched for a while. He then pushed the door to the operation room open and went in. Lily was working hard to save his mother. He should be there to apany her. Seeing <b>that </b>Loid had gone <b>in</b><b>, </b>Shaun and the others followed suit. They all wanted to see if Lily could make a miracle happen and save Mnie.


    In the operation room, Lily put down her acupuncture bag and lifted the white cloth covering Mnie. She took out a silver needle, aimed it at an acupoint, and stuck it there swiftly. Her movements were fast and urate.


    To the eyes of any ordinary person, the way she applied the needle was no different from an aged and experienced traditional doctor. However, Nell noticed at one nce that ber technique was special it was¡­


    ¡°13 Needles of Life?¡± Neil¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and he walked over to Lily. His exmation of wonder was so loud that the whole floor could hear him.


    Shaun frowned and scolded, ¡°What the hell was that for? Stop yelling so noisily. Can¡¯t you see that Lily is saving Mrs. Laurier?¡±


    Nell grabbed his arm and pointed at Lily with trembling lips, he said, ¡°I¨CIt¡¯s the 13 Needles of Life! She¡¯s using the 13 Needles of Life!¡±


    ¡°Theard you the first time. <b>What¡¯s </b><b>so </b>special about it?¡± <b>shaun </b>felt annoyed at how Neil was behaving, as if he¡¯d made some discovery of the century.


    Loid heard their exchange and looked up at Lily. His eyes narrowed as he found the phrase ¡°13 Needles of Life¡± vaguely familiar. He seemed to have heard it from somewhere before.


    ¡°S¨C5¨C<b>She¡¯s </b>using Shadowbane¡¯s signature technique¨C13 Needles of Life! With this technique, one can even save <b>a </b>soul that has already reached Hades.¡± Neil gulped hard after exining ¡°Benedict had mentioned before that only Shadowbane knew this technique. No one else in the entire country knows it.¡±


    Lily turned around and shot Neil a cold re.¡°Shut up!¡±


    Neil jumped at being told off and retreated a few steps. Shaun and Daniel stood where they were, absolutely dumbfounded.


    They had never heard of the 13 Needles of Life, but they knew about Shadowbane, the legendary miracle doctor.


    To think that Lily knew Shadowbane¡¯s signature technique Was there anything that she couldn¡¯t do?


    Loid looked at Lily with his eyes lowered. After a while, he raised his head, and a faint smile appeared on his tace. Lily had surprised him yet again.


    Lly didn¡¯t have the time and energy to get in


    involved with their chatter.


    The 13 Needles of Life actually consisted of 105 needles. It was given the name ¡°13 Needles of Life¡± because the 13 needles that <b>could </b>supposedly resurrect the dead were the most


    crucial


    stagger<b>, </b>and colour


    This wasn¡¯t the first time Uly had used this technique, so her movements were masterful and familiar. When she reached the 50th needle, she started to sta began to drain from her face.


    Gold humed over and held her in his arms. His


    is voice was hoarse as he asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯mling,¡± Lily replied, steadying herself. She wiped the sweat off her forehead and continued to apply the needles.


    Ordinary folks only knew that the 13 Needles <b>of </b>Life could <b>save </b>a life that was on the brink of death. However, none of them knew that applying this technique required drawing vital energy into one¡¯s body


    Alter all, this form of energy was very mystical because it didn¡®


    I didn¡¯t exist in the eyes of ordinary people

 Chapter 180

    Chapter 180This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    To put it simply, every time Lily used the 13 Needles of Life, she would deplete her own vital energy. She would need a long time to recover after that. So, she wouldn¡¯t use the 13 Needles of Life unless it was absolutely necessary.


    Lily took a deep breath. Her clothes had bepletely drenched in sweat. Without pausing for a moment, she continued applying the needles. She couldn¡¯t stop once she started the technique. She had to insert all 108 silver needles into the patient.


    Finally, Lily finished administering thest needle.


    Mnie, who had been pronounced dead, suddenly opened her eyes. Shaun<b>, </b>Daniel, and Neil widened their eyes in disbebet.


    After a long while, Shaun shouted excitedly, ¡°She¡¯s alive¡­ She¡¯s alive!


    <ol>


    <li>w. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone</li>


    </ol>


    Lily had overexerted herself severely. She struggled to hold herself up. Her voicecked its usual firmness and authority. She sounded merk and gentle now. about the treatment process.¡±


    Shaun nodded hastily. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll keep it confidential¡±


    Loid looked at her and noticed how pale her face was. He frowned and asked again, ¡°Are you really okay?


    Lily looked up, her lips <b>pale</b>. She smiled weakly and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, but don¡¯t let anyone disturb me for the next few days. Don¡¯t call for a doctor.¡±


    Right after she said those words, Lily faded into unconsciousness and <b>copsed</b>. The moment she fell, Loid stepped forward and caught her in his arms.


    Without any hesitation, he turned to Shaun and said, ¡°You guys handle things here. I¡¯ll deal with the restter when I¡¯m back.¡±


    Loid took Lily back to Anmer Heights. He carried her out of the car in his arms. As their bodies were close to each other, he could smell the faint scent of herbs Lily gave oft


    Heid Lily on the bed and tucked her in. Only then did he sit by the bedside and observe her.


    Her skin was very fair, and her features seemed to be meticulously carved by the maker. She was stunningly beautiful. With her <b>eyes </b>closed, she looked serene; her longshes quivered slightly. Her rosy lips were sexy and enticing.


    Suddenly, Lily jolted and curled up as if she wanted to wrap herself in a <b>safe </b>cocoon.


    At this moment, Lily was devoid of her usual aggressiveness and arrogance. She seemed somewhat fragile, malding Loid yearn to protect her.


    Loid¡¯s slender fingers gently brushed aside the strands of hair covering her face, his movements gentle. ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll protect you.¡±


    Lily slept for three days and three nights straight.


    Mnie¡¯s resurrection caused a sensation in the hospital. <b>Doctors </b>couldn¡¯t believe what they saw. They conducted aprehensive examination on her.


    Although some of her organs <b>had </b>not fully recovered, there would be no problems as long as she rested well. Moreover, several of her broken bones had miraculously healed


    Many doctors tried desperately to get Lily¡¯s contact information from <b>Mnie</b>, but she refused them all. Shaun and Daniel interrogated the culprit on the same day, but the culprit seemed to know what awaited him andmitted suicide,


    Mnie and Stefan had visited Lilly several times, <b>but </b>she was always asleep.


    On the third day, Mnie and Stefan came to see Lily again. Since she hadn¡¯t woken up yet, Mnie started to worry. ¡°She¡¯s been sleeping for three days. Could something be wrong? Shouldn¡¯t we get a doctor to check on her?¡±


    Loid nced at her and said, ¡°She doesn¡¯t want me to call for <b>a </b>doctor


    ¡°But we can¡¯t let her keep sleeping like this. What if there¡¯s something wrong with her?¡± Mnie fretted. ¡°She ended up <b>in </b>this state because she tried to <b>save </b>me. If she doesn¡¯t wake up, I will me myself for the <b>rest </b>of my life.¡±


    own body. Nothing bad will happen


    Stefan patted her shoulder reassuringly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Since Lily said not to find a doctor, it means <b>she¡¯s </b>confident about her ow


    ¡°But.¡±


    Loid was getting annoyed and didn¡¯t want to hear her endless worrying. He said coolly, ¡°Go home and wait. Don¡¯t disturb her rest<b>.</b>¡±


    ¡°L¡± Mnie red at him. ¡°I didn¡¯te to see you.¡±


    After that, she ignored Loid and sat aside quietly, waiting for Lily to wake

 Chapter 181

    <b>Chapter </b><b>181 </b>Parent<b>¨C</b><b>Teacher </b><b>Conference</b>


    <b>Recent </b>events had Cyril and his team feeling overwhelmed. It wasn¡¯t just Cyril; even the group of shareholders around him was deeply concerned. They hadn¡¯t expected things to


    escte <b>to </b>this extent.


    ¡°We all know you¡¯re capable, but now that thepany is in this situation, it¡¯s definitely rted to you. You have to tell us how to solve this.¡±


    Initially, when a few projects were snatched away, the shareholders didn¡¯t pay much attention. After all, project snatching wasn¡¯t unheard of in the business world. But the subsequent events made them realize that things were not so simple.


    <b>So </b>this time, everyone came directly to seek an exnation from Cyril. His face was also very unsightly.


    ¡°<b>Since </b>we¡¯ve already taken on these projects, there¡¯s no way they¡¯ll be taken away just like that. You can rest assured; I guarantee it.¡±


    The projects that were snatched away, Cyril couldn¡¯t do much about. But if the things in his hands were snatched away again, then it would be a problem of capability. Cyril had managed to expand their family¡¯s originalpany to its current scale not just by luck but also by his abilities.


    The shareholders still believed in Cyril, so hearing him say this reassured them somewhat. After all, what they were more worried about was that if Cyril did nothing now, they would incur even more losses.


    ¡°What exactly is going on? We¡¯ve never had any conflicts with theirpany before. Even if we did, it should only be those things between you and Sylvia, right? It shouldn¡¯t escte to thepany level.¡±


    Actually, the shareholders were a bit undecided about this matter. There were indeed conflicts, but they had nothing to do with thepany. So why had things escted to this extent?


    After hearing this, one shareholder snorted discontentedly and spoke up, ¡°What else could it be but personal grudges? It¡¯s directly escted topany issues after private grievances. If you ask me, the problem lies with how you handled that matter in the first ce.¡±


    They were already married. If you¡¯re going to fool around outside, you should at least be more discreet. Making things so bad, now look, a big problem has arisen. After hearing this, everyone didn¡¯t say anything more. How should I put it, it was toote to argue about these things now. After all, thepany had already suffered losses. ¡°I know what you mean, but as I¡¯ve said, there are some things I absolutely won¡¯t let go of. Since the cooperation we¡¯ve secured now is ours, it won¡¯t be taken away by anyone. Instead of talking about me here, why don¡¯t you talk about what you have in Sylvia¡¯s hands? There are many things concerning you there. If she¡¯s not happy, you won¡¯t be safe either.¡±


    Cyril wouldn¡¯t agree to push all the conflicts onto himself. Moreover, these shareholders didn¡¯t seem all that clean either. He knew what they were doing behind the scenes, even though he didn¡¯t have absolute evidence like Sylvia did. But he was clear in his mind that these shareholders were not so clean behind the scenes.


    After hearing Cyril¡¯s words, the shareholders didn¡¯t speak anymore. After all, they had their own ambitions.


    ¡°It seems you don¡¯t have anything else to say. Since there¡¯s nothing else to say, let¡¯s each go our own way. You don¡¯t need to worry about the follow¨Cup; I¡¯ll handle it.¡± After Cyril finished speaking, the shareholders also didn¡¯t stay any longer and turned to leave.


    After fussing for several days, Sylvia finally had some free time to go shopping. Originally, she was supposed to go with Juliette, but Juliette was suddenly called away by Bruce, so Sylvia ended up going shopping alone.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    As Sylvia drove past an elementary school, she noticed that there were a lot of people today. Suddenly realizing that today was the day for new student registration, Sylvia waited at the entrance for a while. When most of the people had left, she prepared to leave. Suddenly, a child ran straight to her, startling Sylvia,


    When Sylvia reacted, she felt a bit frightened. Looking closely, she saw that the child blocking her car was Jimmy.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Seeing the child here, Sylvia was a little surprised. She looked around but didn¡¯t see Miles¡® figure, nor did she know where Miles had gone.


    ¡°My dad came to attend the parent¨Cteacher conference for me today. I saw beautiful Auntie from afar, but my dad doesn¡¯t know where he went. Can you call my dad? Or can you attend the parent¨Cteacher conference with me? Dad said this school is very good, and I¡¯ll be studying here from now on.¡±


    Seeing Jimmy¡¯s expression, he seemed a bit unwilling. Sylvia didn¡¯t know if he was dissatisfied with the school or dissatisfied because Miles didn¡¯te today. When Sylvia saw his appearance, she imagined a little and was about to take out her phone to call Miles to ask about the situation. At that moment, Miles appeared.


    Miles nodded at Sylvia and then handed the bag he was carrying to Jimmy. With his free hand, he lightly tapped Jimmy¡¯s head, causing Jimmy to cover his head discontentedly. ¡°What are you doing? Stinky Dad, why did you hit me?¡±


    ¡°Why did I hit you? Then why don¡¯t you tell Auntie what you just said? What do you mean I don¡¯t care about you? Didn¡¯t you ask me to buy something for you? Now that the stuff is bought, you¡¯re still scheming behind my back. Who did you learn this from? Did I not teach you not to be two¨Cfaced?¡±


    Hearing Miles say this, Sylvia understood. So this kid, in order to stay, not only didn¡¯t let go of his own biological father but also came to her directly. It¡¯s no wonder Miles was


    angry.


    Sylvia smiled. These two were really funny. Although they weren¡¯t biologically rted, their rtionship was really good.


    ¡°He said it¡¯s the parent¨Cteacher conference today. You two must be very busy. You go ahead. I¡¯ll leave now and won¡¯t dy your time here.¡±


    Sylvia suggested leaving, but Jimmy stopped her after taking a few steps,


    ¡°Don¡¯t go, don¡¯t go. It¡¯s clearly my dad attending the parent¨Cteacher conference, and it has nothing to do with me. Sister, let¡¯s go out and y together.¡±

 Chapter 182

    <b>Chapter </b><b>182 </b><b>Romance</b>


    1/1


    Sylvia looked at Jimmy without saying a word, making Jimmy feel a little guilty.


    This kid called her sister one moment and auntie the next. Anyway, Sylvia wasn¡¯t too concerned about the parent¨Cteacher conference, but she knew she couldn¡¯t just take Jimmy away like that.


    <b>¡°</b><b>It¡¯s </b>not going to work. Your dad is going to attend the parent¨Cteacher conference for you, so of course, you have to stay here. Plus, I have other things to do and can¡¯t take you with me. <b>If </b>something happens on the way, I can¡¯t just tape you up.¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>No</b><b>, </b>it won¡¯t. I can have my dad write you a guarantee. If anything happens to me on the way, it¡¯s my own problem, nothing to do with you, sister. Please take me with you. I really don¡¯t want to stay here alone.¡±


    Jimmy resorted to using the ¡°pouting¡± tactic, but it didn¡¯t work on Sylvia because she used the same tactic on her brothers when she was younger.


    Sylvia smiled at Miles, gesturing with her eyes for him to handle the situation. After all, seeing how his son clung to her, shouldn¡¯t he, as a father, have something to say?


    Miles actually thought about it seriously for a moment, then took out his phone. Just when Sylvia thought the matter was about to be resolved, she suddenly heard Miles say into the phone, ¡°Come to the school, attend the parent¨Cteacher conference for my son. I have something to attend to.¡±


    Sylvia was stunned to hear this. What else did Miles have to attend to? And shouldn¡¯t he be attending the parent¨Cteacher conference himself? Why delegate it to someone else? This didn¡¯t seem quite right.


    ¡°Why that expression? Do you think there¡¯s something wrong with what I said?¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Miles looked at Sylvia with a amused expression.


    Sylvia looked at Miles seriously and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate to delegate your own matters to subordinates, especially when it involves your son. How can you not attend the parent¨Cteacher conference yourself? And it seems you don¡¯t have anything particrly important to do today. Besides, I have other things to do.¡±


    Sylvia subconsciously didn¡¯t want to be with the two of them, because she had a feeling that if she got more involved with them, things might spiral out of control beyond her expectations. Sylvia didn¡¯t want that to happen.


    Miles chuckled when he heard Sylvia¡¯s words. ¡°I made an appointment with your assistant today. He said you were resting and not epting any appointments. So most likely, you¡¯re going shopping today.¡±


    Miles gestured at Sylvia¡¯s casual outfit today. Sylvia¡¯s clothes today were very casual, indicating that she wasn¡¯t going to do anything very important, which was why he had said that just now.


    Sylvia sighed. Dealing with smart people was quite helpless because they were too smart. Some things you didn¡¯t need to say, they would understand the meaning behind them. Sylvia felt quite helpless.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Okay, but do you really not need to attend the parent¨Cteacher conference? After all, he¡¯s a new student, and maybe the teacher would like to get to know him better. You never


    know.¡±


    Although Sylvia had never raised a child, she knew very well that taking care of a child was not an easy task. So she took the initiative to ask Cyril if he really needed to attend the parent¨Cteacher conference, so as not to dy his time because of her.


    Miles shook his head. ¡°No need. This school is funded by me. If there¡¯s anything, the teacher will inform me in time. That¡¯s why this kid doesn¡¯t want toe.¡±


    Sylvia understood. Going to school in one¡¯s own school, big or small matters, one¡¯s own father would be informed. Anyone wouldn¡¯t like that. It¡¯s no wonder Jimmy showed such a rejection today. This matter, no matter who it was, would probably be rejected.


    Sylvia smiled and suddenly her eyes shed with something.


    Sylvia¡¯s mind went nk for a moment, and suddenly she knew what had just happened.


    Miles was also shed by something, but he didn¡¯t think much of it, just feeling a little ufortable.


    ¡°It¡¯ste now. If nothing unexpected happens, tomorrow¡¯s headline will probably be the exposure of our rtionship, or that we have been together for a long time, and today we came together to apany the child for enrollment.¡±


    Sylvia knew too well how these unscrupulous media outlets would say and write, so she felt a headache. She was considering whether to ask her elder brother to suppress this news, but if she suppressed it, simr things would probably happen in the future. But if she didn¡¯t suppress it, it would be a nominal harm to herself.


    Miles had never experienced such a thing before, so when he heard Sylvia say this, he was quite surprised. Obviously, he hadn¡¯t expected it to be like this.


    <b>¡°</b>It seems I¡¯ve caused you trouble today. But if they really publish it, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s entirely wrong.¡±


    Miles looked at Sylv¨ªa seriously. Sylvia had just divorced Cyril, and her previous marriage had brought her nothing but unhappiness.


    Now Sylvia¡¯s mind was only thinking about how to make thepany make money as soon as possible, to soar in her career, and she had no intention of getting married again. Miles understood this. Although Cyril and Sylvia¡¯s affairs, he could easily know the whole process of the matter, but a failed marriage did not mean that the next marriage would


    also fail.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I know telling you this might make you feel troubled, but the reason <b>I </b>said it was to let you see my determination.¡±

 Chapter 183

    Chapter <b>183 </b>Thoughtfulness


    When Miles suddenly spoke these words, Sylvia felt a bit rmed. She hadn¡¯t expected Miles to develop feelings for her.


    Contrary <b>to </b>what Miles said, they hadn¡¯t actually known each other for very long. <b>For </b>Sylvia, the time she had known Miles could only be considered as barely more than strangers.


    <b>Yet</b><b>, </b>here they were, inexplicably entangled as strangers. Miles even mentioned pursuing her, which Sylvia found absurd.


    ¡°This joke isn¡¯t funny at all, you know. Think about how long we¡¯ve known each other. I only see you as a friend, nothing more. It¡¯s not funny to say such things, especially with <b>your </b><b>son </b>here. <b>If </b>your son starts to think of you as unreliable, it wouldn¡¯t be good.¡±


    Sylvia avoided the topic, brushing it off as a joke. Adult jokes were affordable, right?


    Miles paused, then chuckled. It seemed as if the previous conversation had been nothing but a casual exchange, like discussing the weather,


    However, Jimmy, sitting beside Miles, looked a bit bewildered. Were his dad¡¯s words just now all lies? What was so funny about it?


    ¡°But Dad, didn¡¯t you say if you really met someone you liked, you¡¯d bring her home? Isn¡¯t Auntie pretty? Didn¡¯t you say you wanted Auntie to be my stepmom?¡±


    Children often spoke without considering the situation. Some words weren¡¯t meant to be said here, yet he blurted them out. Sylvia felt a bit embarrassed, and even Max felt a bit awkward.


    He nced at Sylvia and smiled, changing the subject with his phone. He gently tapped Jimmy¡¯s head, signaling him to stop talking. If they continued, it might be difficult for them to meet again.


    Jimmy felt a bit wronged. He had only said what his dad wanted to say. Why did his dad have <b>to </b>scold him?


    Forget it, let¡¯s not talk about these things.


    Sylvia wanted to go shopping, and Miles suggested getting something for Jimmy. He admitted he wasn¡¯t good at choosing things for children alone, so he asked Sylvia for help. Sylvia didn¡¯t refuse; shopping alone was boring anyway. The three of them set off together.


    When they entered the mall, Sylvia felt relieved that the paparazzi seemed to have lost interest. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh in relief. If they had followed, she wouldn¡¯t know what to do.


    ¡°Are you that afraid?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not really fear. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve developed a psychological shadow over these years. I just want to live an ordinary life, but my status and everything I have don¡¯t allow me to.¡± That wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. Sylvia just felt a bit overwhelmed. After thinking for a moment, she decided to call her brother to suppress tomorrow¡¯s entertainment news. Without a doubt, if her outing with Miles was exposed, Bruce would be furious. But there was nothing she could do. She had stumbled into this.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, today¡¯s events won¡¯t make tomorrow¡¯s headlines. Of course, if there are any unexpected situations, I can¡¯t guarantee.¡±


    Since Sylvia wasn¡¯t keen on these matters being exposed, Miles naturally wouldn¡¯t refuse. He smiled lightly.


    The three of them were supposed to help Jimmy choose some things, but Cyril suggested Sylvia go buy her things first. So Sylvia ran into various women¡¯s clothing stores, trying on clothes one by one.


    Miles and Jimmy became her audience. Every time Sylvia tried on an outfit, both of them wouldpliment her. Especially Jimmy, who would even p enthusiastically. This made Sylvia very happy.


    When someone responds to you so warmly, there¡¯s no reason to feel unhappy. Sylvia was in a great mood, so she ended up buying several sets of clothes, shoes, and bags. After buying these things, Sylvia still felt a bit unsatisfied. It was then she remembered she was supposed to buy things for Jimmy today. She felt a bit embarrassed as she looked at Miles.


    To her surprise, Miles was holding many of the bags she had bought, leaving her empty¨Chanded. She turned to talk to Jimmy but found him holding a bag almost half his size. Sylvia was taken aback, immediately taking the bag from Jimmy¡¯s hand, who was reluctant to let go.


    ¡°No, Dad told me boys should be gentlemen and not let girls carry heavy things. Sister, give me this bag. I can carry it, and when I grow up, I can carry even more than Dad!¡± Sylvia couldn¡¯t help butugh at Jimmy¡¯s words. Miles was indeed a very thoughtful person, evident in how he educated his son.


    No doubt, when Jimmy grew up, he would surely be a very considerate gentleman.


    ¡°No need, I still have to buy you somethingter. If you hold this bag, how can you try on clothester? Wait until we finish shopping, then you can carry it, okay?¡±Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Jimmy pondered Sylvia¡¯s words and found them reasonable. Although his dad didn¡¯t seem to know what to buy for him, since his dad said so, he naturally wouldn¡¯t refuse.


    So their next <b>stop </b>was the children¡¯s clothing store. At this moment, Sylvia noticed that although the paparazzi didn¡¯t follow them, almost everyone in the mall seemed to be paparazzi.


    Especially when they saw Sylvia and Miles walking together, everyone was a bit excited, secretly taking photos and posting them online.


    Of course, Sylvia and Miles werepletely unaware of all this. They were still helping Jimmy pick out clothes.


    As Sylvia helped with the clothes, she suddenly had a feeling that she was out with her husband buying things for their child, and Miles was clearly the suitable candidate.

 Chapter 184

    <b>Chapter </b><b>184 </b>Ran <b>Away</b>


    This feeling was <b>really </b>strange. Sylvia felt a bit embarrassed. Miles¡® attention was all focused on Jimmy, yet here she was, getting upset about something trivial. She quickly brushed away these unwarranted thoughts from her mind.


    Helping <b>to </b><b>choose </b>several sets of clothes, Sylvia didn¡¯t refuse the current child, especially Jimmy. He was very cute and looked very handsome in the clothes she picked. <b>Especially </b>the clothes Sylvia picked for him, Jimmy liked them very much. This was much better than when his dad had the clothes sent directly to their house by those brandpanies<b>. </b>It made him happy.


    After buying clothes, it was almost time for dinner. Sylvia was about to leave, but she was stopped by the two of them, especially Jimmy.


    <b>¡°</b><b>Sis</b><b>, </b><b>you </b>helped me pick so many beautiful clothes today. I¡¯ll definitely make Dad treat you to dinner. Otherwise, if you don¡¯t want to eat with Dad, you can eat with me, okay? I¡¯ll use Dad¡¯s money to pay, and when I have money in the future, I¡¯ll treat you.¡±


    Jimmy was willing to give up eating with his dad just to have dinner with Sylvia. Miles gave his son¡¯s head a firm knock. This kid was really something.


    ¡°Dad, can¡¯t you see? Beautiful sis doesn¡¯t want to eat with you. Look, since we came out, beautiful sis has been very nervous, always looking around. There must be someone secretly taking photos. So, you can¡¯t eat here. Let beautiful sis and me go eat together.¡±


    Sylvia was surprised. She didn¡¯t think her actions just now were so obvious, but Jimmy noticed them.


    Miles noticed Sylvia¡¯s reaction and, as they walked along the sidewalk, he took the opportunity to exin to her.


    ¡°His father used to be a very famous painter. After hemitted suicide by jumping off a building, the media hounded him incessantly. He lived under the spotlight for two years. That¡¯s why he¡¯s <b>so </b>sensitive to these things. He¡¯s been receiving psychological counseling all along, which has helped him a lot.¡±


    Sylvia nodded. She didn¡¯t expect such a young child to have experienced such things, but she also felt very sorry for him. Such a young child had lost his father.


    She said to Miles, ¡°Although he lost a father, he also gained a very loving father, didn¡¯t he? By the way, I know there¡¯s a very good private kitchen nearby. Shall we go together?¡±


    Without continuing the previous topic, it was not a big deal for adults, but for a child, it might be a wound that was hard to heal.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    After they agreed, Sylvia led the way to the private kitchen. Security was tight, and privacy was well protected. They didn¡¯t have to worry about someone suddenly taking out a phone to snap a photo and post it online here.


    ¡°The desserts here are delicious. Does Jimmy still eat sweets? I can rmend some ice creams. They¡¯re really good. Would you like to try?¡±


    Jimmy nodded vigorously. Of course, he wanted to. He was currently in the stage of changing teeth, so Miles strictly limited his sugar intake. But with Sylvia here, he wasn¡¯t afraid. He had to indulge himself at this moment.


    After Sylvia ordered a few dishes, she handed the menu to Miles, who also ordered a few dishes. Then they waited for the food to arrive.


    There wasn¡¯t much to talk about between them, but having Jimmy there made it less awkward.


    Soon the food was served. The three of them ate andughed. During the meal, Miles showed his thoughtfulness by constantly serving Jimmy and taking care of Sylvia.


    After finishing the meal, the sun was about to set.


    As the three of them walked out together, Miles suddenly reached out and tucked a strand of Sylvia¡¯s hair behind her ear.


    This gesture was a bit intimate and ambiguous. Sylvia instinctively stepped aside, feeling ufortable all over.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to do that.¡±


    Miles quickly apologized. He didn¡¯t expect himself to suddenly tuck Sylvia¡¯s hair behind her ear like that. If he had known Sylvia¡¯s reaction would be so strong, he wouldn¡¯t have done it.


    Sylvia just smiled and didn¡¯t say anything, but she felt that the gesture with her hair had a strange power, making her feel particrly ufortable.


    ¡°Let me walk you home.¡±


    Although it wasn¡¯t a big deal, after what happened just now, Sylvia instinctively, almost like fleeing, shook her head and took two steps back. ¡°No need. I have a friend to meet. It¡¯s almost time. I¡¯ll leave now. You two take your time.¡±


    After saying this, Sylvia ran away faster than a rabbit, Miles was silent, and Jimmy was extremely curious.


    ¡°Why did sis react like that? Doesn¡¯t she want to be with us?<b>¡±</b>


    ¡°Of course not. She¡¯s just a little shy. It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll see her more often in the future and talk to her more.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, should we go back too? But who is the friend she¡¯s meeting?¡±


    Miles thought about it. Probably Juliette and the friends around Sylv¨ªa,


    In fact, it was exactly as he thought. After Sylvia left, she immediately called the people around her. Although she called so many people, she excluded Duncan. If she called Duncan, things might not be so simple. ¡°Why did you suddenly call us all outte at night? The branch leader <b>is </b>still busy with nightlife at this time.¡±


    Mn yawned. When he went out today, Duncan was supposed toe with him. If it weren¡¯t for Sylvia¡¯s words, he wouldn¡¯t have dared to bring Dandan along. He really wanted


    to see the excitement.


    Kateughed on the side and raised her phone. ¡°I just saw you and Miles eating together, and now you¡¯re here. Did you just run away?¡±


    ¡°Online?¡± Sylvia was surprised. She took out her phone and flipped through it, and sure enough, she saw messages about her and Miles eating and shopping. Sylvia felt a headacheing on.

 Chapter 185

    Chapter <b>185 </b>Out <b>of </b>Control


    The more you don¡¯t want something to happen, the more likely it is to happen. Sylvia didn¡¯t know how to exin to the two people around her. She just wanted to say that this <b>wasn¡¯t </b>the case at all. Finding herself in this situation, she definitely didn¡¯t want to see it happen.


    Their friends looked at Sylvia with a curious expression, and Sylvia felt a bit helpless. Nevertheless, she weakly exined, ¡°I really just bumped into him today. There was nothing <b>else </b><b>to </b>it. I just wanted toe out and have some fun by myself. Originally, Juliette was supposed toe with me, but she had somethinge up at thest minute, so I had to <b>go </b>alone. I helped him pick out a few clothes for his son and then we had a meal together. There¡¯s nothing else to it.¡±


    ¡°Why would a perfectly fine person like him need you to pick out clothes for his son? Doesn¡¯t he have his own fashion team? Why did he have to go with you? What¡¯s your rtionship with him?¡±


    Miranda¡¯s words hit the nail on the head, directly pointing out the problem. Sylvia suddenly found herself in this situation. Why didn¡¯t she think that her clothes were usually delivered to her door? Logically speaking, Miles¡® family must be the same. How did it turn into this?


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it easy to exin this? He must have taken a liking to you, so he wanted to hang out with you. What ¡®bumping into each other by chance¡®? How could such a coincidence happen? I think he¡¯s interested in you. Could <b>it </b>be that he wants to pursue you?¡±


    Kate took a sip of her drink and leisurely spoke. Sylvia was also drinking and almost choked. This reaction instantly stunned both of them. The next moment, Miranda tentatively spoke, ¡°Could it be true, Kate? Is he really pursuing you? If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s not a bad thing. Compared to Cyril, Miles is very reliable, and he¡¯s a good person.¡±All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it! I¡¯ve just finally freed myself from marriage. Am I crazy to want to go back to that confinement again?¡±


    Sylvia quickly shook her head to clear up the misunderstanding. Although Miles was indeed a good person, there was no way she would agree to be a family with him.


    ¡°If he wanted to pursue you, would you even know about it? Anyway, I think Miles is a really good guy. If you¡¯re considering marriage, you can consider him.¡±


    Kate shrugged.


    If it were someone else, they wouldn¡¯t say such things, but Miles was indeed a good person. They had more or less had some contact with him, and after getting to know him, they thought he was a good person. So they were quite willing to see Sylvia interact with him. Of course, if Sylvia didn¡¯t want to, there was nothing they could do.


    ¡®Can you guys stop saying these things? The more you talk, the more I get a headache.¡±


    Sylvia sighed. She had called them both over just to help her calm down, not to continue gossiping about herself and Miles or gossiping about Miles.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t. Look, upstairs, there¡¯s someone about to lose control. I feel like they¡¯re about toe down and ask you why you were with Miles today, why you had dinner together, and why you went shopping together.¡±


    Miranda had been paying attention to them for a while, so she nced at Cyril. Cyril was tightly holding onto his ss, his eyes fixed on them without blinking. It was obvious which direction he was looking. He knew Sylvia was here and hade over because of that.


    It looked like Cyril was about toe down, but he kept controlling himself from doing so. Perhaps he was afraid that if he came down like this, he would quarrel with Sylvia. Sylvia didn¡¯t like him to begin with. If they quarreled, wouldn¡¯t they just drift further apart?


    Sylvia nced in Cyril¡¯s direction and then looked away. She had felt a bit annoyed just now, but now she felt even more annoyed. Before, she was annoyed because of the gossip about her and Miles, but now she was annoyed because of Cyril.


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, should we go up and say hello to him, or are you leaving?¡±


    To be honest, meeting Cyril here was something they hadn¡¯t expected. None of them liked Cyril, so if Sylvia wanted to leave, they had no objections.


    ¡°Why should I leave just because Cyril is here?¡±


    Sylviaughed directly. Why should she leave? Clearly, this was a ce she often came to, and why should she care about Cyril¡¯s opinion?


    ¡°We have nothing to do with each other now. He can think whatever he wants. Even if I¡¯m married to someone else today, what reason does he have toe down and question me?¡±


    ¡°Although that¡¯s what you say, he obviously regrets it. Speaking of which, how did you like him in the first ce? Now that he regrets it, are you sure you don¡¯t want to reconcile with him? Maybe after you two make up, he¡¯ll treat you better.¡±


    Miranda spoke with some disregard, clearly knowing that her brother liked Sylvia very much, but at this time, she didn¡¯t consider her brother¡¯s feelings at all.


    ¡°Listen to what you¡¯re saying! You obviously know how much your brother likes Sylvia, but now you¡¯re not helping your brother, you¡¯re helping Cyril. Do you think that¡¯s appropriate?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be appropriate? I think it¡¯s very appropriate. Even if it¡¯s my brother, so what?¡±


    Even if it was her own brother, she still had to think about Sylvia¡¯s happiness. Obviously, Cyril hadn¡¯t entered Sylvia¡¯s heart, which meant they weren¡¯tpatible. Since they weren¡¯tpatible, why hold onto this matter? It would be better to take this opportunity for each of them to find their own happiness.


    Miranda and Kate had different opinions on this matter. Unexpectedly, Kate was on Duncan¡¯s side, which caught Sylvia off guard.


    As they talked, they became more and more excited, almost about to argue. Sylvia felt that the situation was getting out of hand and immediately acted as the peacemaker.


    ¡°Or should we leave? I feel like Cyril¡¯s presence here is affecting not only my mood but also yours. If we continue like this, you two might end up fighting here.¡± After years of friendship, it would be meaningless if they argued because of a man.


    IWUDAR?

 Chapter 187

    Chapter <b>187 </b>Trouble


    Silvia remained silent, so Cyril thought she was contemting her rtionship with Miles and Bruce.


    In that moment, Cyril¡¯s anger swelled like a balloon, growing bigger and bigger. He couldn¡¯t ept that a woman he had once been involved with was now involved with someone else.


    <b>¡°</b>What kind of person is he? I should know better than you.¡± Cyril believed he had all the evidence to understand who Silvia truly was. After he finished speaking, everyone was


    stunned.


    ¡°The reason you wanted to divorce me, unwilling to discuss anything, was it because you felt guilty deep down? You¡¯ve been involved with other men behind my back, so why do you think everything is my fault? Are you so innocent?¡± Cyril¡¯s interrogation seemed increasingly advantageous, as if everything he said was unquestionably true.


    The expressions of the others became even more peculiar, especially those around Silvia, who looked at Cyril with confusion, seeming to want to ask him why he spoke that way, if he had misunderstood something.


    But this was not surprising; after all these years, Cyril seemed to have never truly understood Silvia¡¯s identity. He just assumed what Silvia¡¯s role should be and automatically believed their divorce was not his fault, and Silvia couldn¡¯t escape me either.


    Silvia couldn¡¯t help but sneer, ¡°So you think the one not taking this marriage seriously is me?¡±


    ¡°Am I wrong? You must have been involved with these men before our divorce. Yet you still see Karina as your rival. I don¡¯t understand your thoughts. You know no one could threaten our marriage, including Karina.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since our divorce, I don¡¯t want to say anything. But today, I¡¯ll tell you that our divorce has nothing to do with Karina or anyone else. It¡¯s because you, here, feel so self¨Crighteous, thinking you¡¯re justified in everything you do. Do you want to see what I¡¯ve done for this marriage over the years? Just because I don¡¯t talk about it doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m foolish.¡±


    Silvia knew very well what she had done during their marriage. Cyril didn¡¯t say anything, even after the divorce. He didn¡¯t want to bring up past issues with Cyril, just wanting to maintain some dignity for both of them.


    But obviously, Cyril didn¡¯t want this; he dared to im that she was the first to betray the marriage. Maybe he should really investigate who betrayed first


    <b>¡°</b>It seems there¡¯s nothing more to say between us. Since there¡¯s nothing left to say, let¡¯s end it here. Today, I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t see you, and I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear what you said. I don¡¯t want there to be a next time.


    If you keep bothering me like this, I wonder what I could do to you using Ivan Group. Yourpany has grown, and it won¡¯t be easy for you to exin to your shareholders if I snatch away many projects from you. So please, be rational, use your brain to think about what¡¯s really important.¡±


    Silvia no longer wanted to entangle with him. She had been entangled with Cyril for a while, and she started to doubt her own judgment. Cyril wasn¡¯t as good as she thought. Even up to now, he kept avoiding responsibility, not realizing the problemy with him. How foolish was she to marry him in the first ce and endure this marriage for so many years?


    Silvia didn¡¯t want to continue talking with him. She grabbed Miles¡® hand and left.


    Seeing Silvia leave, others nced at Cyril with disdain. If Silvia hadn¡¯t intended to end things, Cyril wouldn¡¯t have stood there and spouted so much nonsense.


    After leaving the bar, Silvia had thought about finding another ce, but now she didn¡¯t want to anymore. She just felt extremely annoyed.


    ¡°I feel like you two still have something to discuss<b>, </b><b>so </b>we won¡¯t disturb you. We¡¯ll leave now. Let us know if you need anything.¡±


    Kate and Miranda exchanged a nce. Honestly, Miles¡® behavior today surprised them greatly. But it also showed that Miles was a good person. If the two of them could be together, it would be perfect.


    So they left, giving them time and space to be together. It happened so quickly that even Silvia, abandoned by her good friends, found it unbelievable. She watched them leave in silence.


    ¡°Did my appearance here today cause you any trouble? If it did, you can tell me directly. I didn¡¯t mean to cause you any problems with what I said that day.¡±


    Miles looked at Silvia earnestly. His feelings for Silvia were genuine.


    But if his affection for her would cause her any trouble, then he thought he should pursue her in a more indirect way.


    Losing herself in Miles¡® sincerity, Silvia fell silent. She didn¡¯t know how to respond to his words.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    But Miles didn¡¯t understand Silvia¡¯s meaning. What was her expression? Did she think he was wrong? Or was it something else?


    ¡°I know you probably don¡¯t like me now, especiallying out of that marriage. You probably don¡¯t want to enter another intimate rtionship so soon, and I understand. But I want you to see my sincerity. Whether you ept it or not is up to you, but I won¡¯t cause you any trouble.¡±


    ¡°Wait<b>, </b>that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    Miles¡® words <b>left </b>Silvia feeling a bit helpless.


    To be honest, in all the years she had been with Cyril, she had never encountered someone so normal. Suddenly, someone was talking to her in such a normal manner<b>, </b>even pursuing her, which really surprised Silvia.


    Chapter 188 Years of Emotion

 Chapter 188

    <b>Chapter 188 </b><b>Years </b><b>of </b><b>Emotion</b>


    Miles<b>¡® </b>perspective truly surprised Silvia. However, they hadn¡¯t known each other for long, and it was possible that Miles¡¯s words were just a passing interest.


    Surely, no one would pursue someone so recklessly, right? After all, they were all adults who considered the consequences before acting. Even Cyril¡¯s decision to marry her had been made after careful consideration of pros and cons.


    ¡°All these things, including the trouble you might cause me, as you mentioned earlier, I just got out of your not¨Cso¨Cgood emotional life. So, for a long time, I don¡¯t want to get involved in any emotional entanglements. I appreciate your liking towards me, but¡­ I can¡¯t give you any response right now. I suggest you seriously reconsider your feelings for me. In the adult world, besides emotions, there are many other things <b>to </b>consider.¡±


    Silvia looked earnestly at Miles. Over the years, she had learned a lesson: if she didn¡¯t like someone, she shouldn¡¯t give them any ideas. <b>If </b>a rtionship needed to end, it should be cut off<b>.</b>


    Miles paused for a moment, then smiled, ¡°I thought you would sharply reject me from getting closer to you. But since you said that, I¡¯ll definitely think about it. But if after thinking, my feelings for you are sincere, I won¡¯t easily give up.¡±


    Silvia nodded slightly. Since the words were spoken, and she believed apetent businessman like Miles knew what was beneficial for him.


    Oh, yes, she almost forgot. Miles now knew her identity, so perhaps his actions were influenced by that. With their simr backgrounds, if they were to unite, it would be beneficial for both theirpanies.


    In such a win¨Cwin situation, Miles pursuing her wasn¡¯t surprising.


    Thinking this, Silvia¡¯s mood lightened. How could the adult world be so straightforward?


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s about time. I¡¯ll leave now. We¡¯ll contact each other if there¡¯s anything.¡±


    After Silvia finished speaking, she headed towards the underground parking lot. She knew her friends were probably lurking nearby, so she needed to get to her car quickly. They knew each other so well; they couldn¡¯t resist gossiping.


    Sure enough, when she reached the parking lot, her friends emerged from somewhere and crowded around her.


    ¡°Tell us what happened. Forget about Cyril, what about you and Miles? What did you both say just now? And were you defending Miles just now? Weren¡¯t you uninterested in him? Yet you were so close. Is that appropriate?¡± they bombarded her with questions.


    ¡°And Miles, he seems like a decent guy. You should consider him, but be careful. He just came out of a marriage, and he has a son. Think it through. Anyway, let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. Do you want to go somewhere else for a drink?¡±Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Their eyes sparkled with gossip, and though they spoke for her benefit, Silvia could see through their intentions. They just wanted to pry information out of her.


    ¡°Forget it. I have nothing to say to you two. You both have partners; what coulde out of my mouth?¡±


    Silvia crossed her arms, refusing to indulge their gossip. She didn¡¯t want to talk anymore.


    They exchanged a nce, sighing helplessly. What could they do? Silvia had learned to keep her mouth shut; their attempts to get information out of her were futile. ¡°We just care about your emotions over the years. How could you think of us like this?¡± they said, feigning innocence.


    Silvia chuckled bitterly, finding their pathetic act amusing.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of our years of friendship that I still don¡¯t know what you two are thinking. Dream on,¡± she retorted.


    In truth, even Silvia¡¯s mind was a bit muddled. She couldn¡¯t figure out the dynamics between them all, but there was no need to dwell on it too much.


    She believed Miles¡¯s interest in her was probably influenced by their backgrounds.


    Realizing this, Silvia felt she didn¡¯t need to discuss it further with her friends. Perhaps her previous pondering had been a waste of energy.


    Since Silvia didn¡¯t want to talk, her friends decided not to push it. Eventually, Silvia drove off, but her car was abruptly stopped.


    Miranda spoke up, ¡°Let¡¯s go out together in a few days. I¡¯ll send you the details.¡±


    They had been busytely, but if they had time to go out, Silvia wouldn¡¯t reject the idea. After agreeing, Miranda let her go.


    Kate looked puzzled, ¡°When did we decide to go out? Why wasn¡¯t I informed?¡±


    ¡°We just decided to go out. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a good idea <b>to </b>invite Miles after we go out? Silvia didn¡¯t say much just now, but her expression was off. Miles must have said something. We need to figure out what¡¯s going on,¡± Miranda exined seriously.


    Although they were curious about what had transpired between Silvia and Miles, they didn¡¯t want Silvia to repeat the mistakes of her past.


    Understanding Miranda¡¯s intentions, Kate had nothing more <b>to </b>say. She immediately took out her phone to search for a suitable ce for rxation.


    But then came the question: ¡°How do we invite Miles out?¡±

 Chapter 189

    Chapter <b>189 </b>The Son <b>of </b>a Rival


    Since Duncan and Miranda returned, they had both been working in thepany. Although they were both employed there, Miranda¡¯s workload was always lighter than his. So while Miranda enjoyed herself outside, he was stuck in the office, unable to lift his head from work.


    ¡°Do you want to take a look at my workload now? And here you are talking about going out. Aren¡¯t you being a bit too much? Don¡¯t you care about your brother¡¯s well¨Cbeing?¡± Duncan looked at Miranda with resentment. With the amount of work in thepany, he didn¡¯t want to do anything after each day.


    Now Miranda was talking about going out again. He had to work so hard while she was out having fun. Did she expect him to go out with what? Was he supposed to go out with the half of his life that work had taken away from him?


    Miranda looked disdainful. When they returned to take over thepany, their father had given them the choice of who would lead. Duncan had decided to take over the entirepany at the time, but Miranda had no such intention. Now that he had taken over thepany, he felt that the workload was too much.


    ¡°You were the one who decided to take over thepany at the time. Now you¡¯re the one who says you don¡¯t have time to go out.¡±


    ¡°And let me tell you, we have an important mission this time we go out. I know you really like Silvia now, but does she have any feelings for you? So why don¡¯t you listen to your sister? Your sister can help you.¡±


    Duncan didn¡¯t want to talk anymore. Listening to Miranda¡¯s words, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder what help she could provide. What had she done for him over the years? And even if she did help him, how could he and Silvia have no progress at all?


    ¡°If you listen to your sister, you¡¯ll realize that we have no rtionship now. You¡¯re just my brother. And we have a good rtionship with Silvia. It¡¯s not easy to cross that barrier. You understand that, right? It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but our rtionship is very awkward. So if there¡¯s someone else to help you, it might make you look different from each other. Then when you pursue Silvia, your chances might be higher, right?¡±


    Miranda¡¯s argument sounded reasonable, but Duncan felt something was off.


    ¡°Wait a minute. You said you want someone else to help me, so who do you intend to help me with? You can¡¯t mean Cyril, can you? Does Cyril need to help?¡±


    Duncan thought about it seriously before saying this. Besides Cyril, there seemed to be no one else around Silvia who could influence his position.


    Hearing this, Miranda¡¯s mouth twitched. She didn¡¯t even dare to tell her twin brother that the most threatening person to Cyril was no longer Cyril, but Miles.


    And they all had a good impression of Miles, so if they had topare, Duncan was probably the one who looked different from Miles. But how could she tell her brother about this<b>?</b>


    ¡°Never mind who it is. Just tell me if you can do it or not. If you can, I¡¯ll find a way to make it happen now.¡±


    Miranda didn¡¯t want to continue arguing with Duncan. If they kept arguing, her n would be discovered. So she asked directly if he could do it.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    What a joke! Finally, her sister had a conscience and was willing to help her. How could Duncan refuse?


    ¡°Of course, no problem. You can rest assured that I can handle it. But there¡¯s nothing going on this afternoon anyway. Why don¡¯t I go and find Silvia?¡±


    Miranda blinked. It wouldn¡¯t be a good idea to go find Silvia now.


    After saying this, Duncan threw the work in his hands aside. His actions were fast; after all, there were so many people in thepany.


    He didn¡¯t have to stay here; he could solve these things without being here.


    Miranda didn¡¯t say anything. She started to sit down and deal with the documents Duncan had left behind.


    After leaving thepany, Duncan drove quickly and went directly to Silvia¡¯spany. On the way, he bought a bouquet of flowers, ready to give them to Silvia. Just as he arrived downstairs of herpany, he saw a child tiptoeing and talking to the receptionist.


    He didn¡¯t know which employee¡¯s child hade so early and what the matter was.


    Probably out of a sense of empathy, Duncan felt a bit more sympathetic to the child. So he walked over and immediately asked what was going on.


    ¡°He wants to see the vice president, but the vice president is in a meeting now, and we don¡¯t know this child, so we dare not let him go up. <b>If </b>something happens, we can¡¯t exin it,<b>¡± </b>the receptionist said with a troubled expression. To be honest, she really didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Duncan seemed to recall something simr, so he squatted down and looked at the little boy with a very friendly smile, ¡°Why do you want to see Silvia?¡±


    Jimmy tilted his head and looked at the stranger in front of him, then spoke cautiously, ¡°Then who are you looking for? Are you here to see Silvia too?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Silvia¡¯s friend. I¡¯m here to see Silvia. If you tell me why you want to see Silvia, I can take you to see her directly. What do you think?¡± Duncan thought the condition he gave was very tempting, but Jimmy didn¡¯t respond, taking out his phone from his bag and calling his dad.


    ¡°Dad, I met your rival. He¡¯s here to see the beautiful sister too. Hurry up ande.¡±


    Hearing what the child said, Duncan was stunned. What did he mean? Was this child his rival¡¯s child?


    But why didn¡¯t he know he had a child? When did thise up? What happened during the time he was busy with work?


    Duncan was confused and started to ask his sister. But Miranda was busy with work at the moment and didn¡¯t have time to deal with Duncan<b>.</b>


    Without Micanda¡¯s answer, Duncan had no choice but to call Silvia. When Silvia learned that both a man and <b>a </b>child were downstairs, she felt a headacheing on<b>.</b>


    Chapter 190 ying Together

 Chapter 190

    <b>Chapter 190 </b>ying <b>Together</b>


    1/1


    41


    ¡°<b>Bro</b>, both Jimmy and Duncan are downstairs. Why don¡¯t you tell them that I¡¯m very busy and don¡¯t have time to see them? This is too much hassle.¡± Sylvia felt she couldn¡¯t show <b>up </b>here<b>. </b>If she did, trouble would surely follow. So without hesitation, she went straight to Bruce and asked for his help to handle the situation?


    But when Bruce heard this, instead of nning to help Sylvia, he began to think. If Duncan and Miles were to meet, who woulde out on top?


    <b>¡°</b>What are you thinking, bro?¡±


    Seeing her brother¡¯s contemtive expression, Sylvia felt something was off. What was he thinking about?


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m just considering a very important matter. You said both Miles and Duncan are interested in you. If you had to choose between them, who would you pick?¡±


    Sylvia frowned. She had juste out of the marriage tomb. What was her brother implying? Was he trying to involve her again? How could he dislike her so much?


    ¡°If you think I¡¯m here to fight for family assets, then I won¡¯t inherit thepany. Don¡¯t disgust me with such talk, okay?¡±


    Bruce chuckled, ¡°What are you talking about? I didn¡¯t mean that. I just said it casually. I was just asking what you meant. If you don¡¯t want to say, it¡¯s okay. But have you thought about how to handle these two who came to see you at the same time? Duncan has been your good friend for so many years, and Miles¡®pany is also nning to coborate with yours. What do you think of these two?¡±


    Bruce looked very serious. He had indeed been observing Miles, mainly because of the way Miles looked at his sister, which seemed suspicious.


    But now he began to think, if his sister really wanted to get involved emotionally again, whom would she choose?


    To be honest, after experiencing what happened with Cyril, their family didn¡¯t want Sylvia to be so impulsive and enter into another rtionship. They had a big family business, and there was no need to let Sylvia suffer again.


    ¡°We¡¯re all on your side, you must know that. Anyway, if you like anyone, we won¡¯t object. Just think it over.¡±


    Sylvia sighed helplessly. She knew best what her brothers were thinking. They were all afraid of her being hurt again, so she wouldn¡¯t refuse their kindness. But the problem now was whether they could help her solve these external matters.


    ¡°I have no feelings for either of them. My current thought is just to solve thepany¡¯s affairs first. So, bro, can you help me with this matter?¡±


    Bruce raised an eyebrow slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Instead, he called the front desk and asked them to bring the two visitors, one big and one small, to his office.


    Seeing Bruce starting to help her with this matter, Sylvia breathed a sigh of relief and immediately ran into the office lounge to wait. After a while, sure enough, the visitors arrived, but it wasn¡¯t just one big and one small; it was two big and one small. Bruce was stunned to see Miles leading Jimmy in. He had thought only Jimmy hade, but he didn¡¯t expect his dad toe too.


    ¡°You¡¯re here too. I thought you wouldn¡¯te.¡±


    Miles nodded at Bruce. ¡°Originally, I didn¡¯t want toe, but this kid insisted on finding Sylvia to y and ran over here. I just found out about it, so I came to take him away. He didn¡¯t cause any trouble for you and Sylvia here, did he?¡±


    Bruce didn¡¯t know if they had caused any trouble for Sylvia, but they hadn¡¯t caused any trouble bying here. If there was any trouble, it would probably only be Duncan¡¯s fault. Looking at the child¡¯s absent¨Cminded appearance, it seemed quite pitiful.


    ¡°Sylvia is busy and has left. She didn¡¯t have time to deal with this, so she called me. As for going out to y, I think it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m going on a business trip these days, so I¡¯ll leave thepany¡¯s affairs to Sylvia. If you want to go out and y, try to take your work with you. People can go out to y, but they can¡¯t forget about work.¡±


    Duncan was dumbfounded. Could you still take your work with you when you go out to y like this?


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it inappropriate? After all, the purpose of going out to y is to rx. You still want him to work. Isn¡¯t that wrong?¡±


    ¡°Why not? When Sylvia wanted me to go out with her, I did the same thing. Doing work while ying won¡¯t dy anything. What¡¯s wrong with that? What I can do, can¡¯t he?¡± Bruce didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with what he said. Besides, changing the workce while ying could increase work efficiency. In fact, he was very willing. Of


    what he said didn¡¯t represent Sylvia¡¯s thoughts. If Sylvia didn¡¯t want to, these tasks would still fall to him in the end.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    course<b>,</b>


    Duncan didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment. He didn¡¯t expect this family to be so inward¨Clooking, making him feel a bit out of ce.


    ¡°Since you two have other things to discuss<b>, </b>I¡¯ll take the child and leave first. Sorry for the intrusion today.¡±


    Although Miles didn¡¯t know the identity of the person next to him, judging from their conversation, they seemed to have known each other for a long time. After nodding slightly at the two of them, he led Jimmy away.


    When Jimmy left, he still seemed a little unwilling. He wanted to y here a little longer. After all, he hadn¡¯t seen Sylvia yet. Wouldn¡¯t his purpose foring here be in vain?


    Duncan had no intention of leaving, so he simply sat down directly. ¡°Bro, do you want to go out and y with us? I think that person just now seems to like Sylvia. Is he Sylvia¡¯s admirer?¡±

 Chapter 191

    <b>Chapter </b>191<b>: </b><b>I¡¯m </b><b>Better</b>


    Duncan carefully recalled the process of meeting Miles. Miles was indeed a very nice person, but Duncan had never dealt with him before and wasn¡¯t sure what kind of person he was. However, seeing him getting along so well with Silvia made Duncan feel a bit ufortable.


    Bruce was still working on his tasks when he heard Duncan¡¯s words. He looked up briefly, then lowered his head again to continue working as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°So what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°What can I do? I just casually asked. But is Silvia¡¯s taste not good? Why would she be interested in Miles? That guy clearly has a son, and their standards seem to need some improvement. Comparatively, I¡¯m better.¡±


    Hearing Duncan¡¯s shameless words, Bruce finally put down his pen and looked at Duncan seriously. After scrutinizing him carefully, Bruce felt a bit creeped out and withdrew his


    gaze.


    ¡°Although I don¡¯t know why you feel this way, I must remind you, he¡¯s not inferior to you in any aspect. Also, that son is his brother¡¯s child. After his brother passed away, he has been taking care of the child. So, in terms of responsibility, Miles is indeed a good person. Additionally, I¡¯ll say something you might not like to hear: his face is actually better looking than yours.¡±


    What Bruce said before didn¡¯t matter much, but the most important thing was thest sentence<b>. </b><b>For </b>Duncan, it was a devastating blow.


    ¡°So what if his face is good¨Clooking? That doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is the person¡¯s character. Look at Cyril, his face is quite good, isn¡¯t it? But what¡¯s the result?¡±


    Duncan emphasized, feeling a bit aggrieved. It was true that he couldn¡¯t do much about his looks. Although he wasn¡¯t bad¨Clooking,pared to others, he fell slightly short. But he couldn¡¯t ept it.


    Apart from that, appearance wasn¡¯t something he could change easily. He couldn¡¯t just go and make himself look better. And even if he did, it would deviate from his original appearance, which would probably make Silvia like him even less.


    ¡°Regardless of the oue, it was his face that initially caught my sister¡¯s attention. Now, he has caught Miles¡® attention with that same face, What¡¯s so surprising about it? Anyway, I won¡¯t talk to you about this anymore. Why did youe here today? Looking for my sister? She¡¯s not here.¡±


    Bruce was toozy to continue arguing with him.


    He straightforwardly asked why Duncan hade. If he was here to find Silvia, judging by the situation, Silvia wouldn¡¯te out. But if it was for something else, then he should go find Silvia himself. Bruce didn¡¯t want to deal with Duncan.


    ¡°Silvia isn¡¯t here? Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? If I knew she wasn¡¯t here, I wouldn¡¯t have said all this. I¡¯m tired of talking so much with you. Oh, by the way, about that matter, we¡¯re nning to go outter. Do you want to join us?¡±


    Duncan asked.


    Bruce shook his head. He wasn¡¯t fond of participating in such activities. These so¨Ccalled young people¡¯s activities were almost irrelevant to him. Since the age of 18, he had been involved inpany matters. Although he was well aware that these matters would eventually be handed over to his sister, he hoped that when his sister took over, it would be easier for her. Therefore, he had hardly rxed over the years.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    This led to his character being more reserved and introverted than others, and he basically didn¡¯t participate in such activities.


    Seeing him shake his head, Duncan wasn¡¯t surprised. Every time they nned to go out, he would refuse eight out of ten times. The remaining two times were probably when Silvia wanted to go out and cause trouble. Then he would go along, but his purpose was just to keep an eye on Silvia.


    ¡°Alright, if you don¡¯t want to go, forget it. Silvia really isn¡¯t here, right? She wouldn¡¯t be hiding and eavesdropping, would she?¡±


    Duncan looked around the office and then fixed his gaze on the door of the lounge. He had a feeling that Silvia must be inside, but he didn¡¯t dare to go and look. After all, it wasn¡¯t his office.


    ¡°If you want to know, go and see for yourself. Stop talking nonsense here.¡±


    Bruce said. Since Duncan didn¡¯t dare to do it himself, he certainly wouldn¡¯t. He smiled, said goodbye, and left. A few minutes after Duncan left, Silvia slowly opened the door of the lounge and walked out.


    She sat down in front of Bruce with a speechless expression: Bruce looked at Silvia with a half¨Csmile, half¨Csneer.


    ¡°How was it? Do you feel that the quality of your peach blossoms has improved a lot after your divorce? If you really can¡¯t stand Miles, consider Duncan. At least Duncan is a very nice person. I still approve of him.¡±


    Silvia felt a headacheing on. She had heard their entire conversation in the lounge just now. Duncan¡¯s words sounded a bit shameless, but she knew Duncan very well after <b>so </b>many years. However, could her brother stop acting like this?


    ¡°Although I think Brother¡¯s words make sense, we grew up together since childhood. I don¡¯t think he has such thoughts. If he really did, how could I have waited until now? Don¡¯t say these things here anymore. It¡¯s quite annoying. And didn¡¯t <b>you </b>see? Even if I wanted something to happen with him, I wouldn¡¯t have stayed outside all the time.¡±


    Her words did make sense, so Bruce didn¡¯t say anything more. But with one Duncan, one Miles, and one persistent Cyril, these two weren¡¯t easy to deal with. Thinking about it, Silvia felt <b>sorry </b>for her sister. After all, in medicine and entertainment<b>, </b>there were plenty of opportunities for development. Why did they


    have to go abroad? They could do the same thing in the country.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call your two brothers backter and let them develop in the country. The environment here is also very good. Always fooling around outside, not even having time to protect their own sister<b>, </b>really useless. Also, think about whether you want to go out with uster. <b>If </b>you really don¡¯t want to, forget it.¡±


    Silvia sighed. If she had known earlier that Duncan would also go along, he would definitely have refused. But now that he had agreed, could he really <b>not </b><b>go</b><b>?</b>


    He had to go, but he would have to find a way to minimize contact <b>with </b>Duncan as much as possible. He didn¡¯t want Duncan to develop feelings he shouldn¡¯t have. After all, the current situation was already good, and he couldn¡¯t respond to Duncan¡¯s feelings. That would only hurt Duncan unnecessarily.

 Chapter 192

    <b>Chapter </b><b>192</b><b>: </b><b>She¡¯s </b>Gone <b>Mad</b>


    On the day of departure, Silvia realized how crazy her friends around her were when they actually invited Miles along. Today, she came out alone and didn¡¯t invite Jimmy.


    After asking, she found out that Jimmy had caused trouble at school a couple of days ago, so Miles punished him by making him stay home for two days to reflect and write a self- criticism. When they returned today, Jimmy would have to read it out loud in front of everyone. If his reflection wasn¡¯t deep enough, he would continue to stay home and not go anywhere<b>.</b>


    <b>For </b>a five or six¨Cyear¨Cold child, it was very difficult to stay still and not go anywhere at home. Jimmyined a lot, but he had no choice. He couldn¡¯t argue and could only stay at home, trying his best to write his self¨Ccriticism.


    ¡°Why did youe out then? I remember you just returned to develop in the country not long ago. ording to reason, you should still be concerned about these domestic matters. Won¡¯t going out to y waste your time?¡±


    Silvia walked side by side with Miles, and the people around them were very tacit and didn¡¯t disturb them, except for Duncan. However, with Miranda blocking him, he wouldn¡¯te over to disturb them.


    But Duncan felt very angry. Why wouldn¡¯t his sister help him and had to help another outsider?Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Silvia and Miles didn¡¯t notice Duncan¡¯s situation over there. Miles thought for a moment about the things in his hands and smiled, ¡°If I want to be busy with these things, I definitely won¡¯t finish them all. But I can¡¯t do nothing just because I can¡¯t finish them all. Besides, I¡¯ve said I really want to pursue you, so I have to show my attitude. Time? Machines can have it, and I can always find time to deal withpany matters.¡±


    Silvia fell silent at his attitude. She felt like running away again. When she was with Cyril before, Cyril never had such thoughts. Everything was focused on his own affairs. Therefore, he wouldn¡¯t consider so many things. But when Miles put down all his affairs just to apany her and express his attitude, the contrast made Silvia feel a bit at a loss.


    Compared to his calm refusal of Duncan, Silvia always felt a littlecking in confidence when facing Miles.


    ¡°As long as it doesn¡¯t dy your matters, it¡¯s fine. If it does, you can leave anytime. Don¡¯t worry about them. We often hang out together.¡±


    Anyway, it was necessary to rify the situation first Miles nodded with a smile and continued walking forward with Silvia.


    This time, they nned to go mountain climbing, but as soon as they left, they encountered a situation.


    They met at Miranda¡¯s house, ready to set off, but found someone causing trouble at the door. At first, no one took it seriously, but when they heard the woman¡¯s voice, they realized something was wrong.


    ¡°Silvia, I know you¡¯re there. You¡¯ve ruined me like this. Do you just want to pretend nothing happened? Come out, you!¡±


    She was yelling there, and Silvia was surprised to hear the voice. She turned around and found it was Karina.


    Karina was wearing very thin clothes, her hair flying everywhere, and she looked crazy. She didn¡¯t seem very normal.


    ¡°I heard a few days ago that he went to the mental hospital for a check¨Cup. It¡¯s said that his mental state isn¡¯t very good, so he¡¯s been receiving treatment during this time. ording to reason, he shouldn¡¯t be here. It¡¯s estimated that someone let him out.¡±


    Miles stood by Silvia¡¯s side and exined to her. Duncan originally wanted to take this opportunity to show off in front of Silvia, but he didn¡¯t have the chance.


    So he gave Miles a fierce look. What¡¯s the big deal about this? Couldn¡¯t he investigate these things himself without selling information? Could he not?


    Silvia nodded. It turned out that he wasn¡¯t mentally normal, but he definitely wouldn¡¯t have known she was here <b>if </b>someone hadn¡¯t let him out.


    Thinking about it, Silvia decided to go and see how this former female star, who was now mentally abnormal, had be like this.


    Seeing Silvia walking towards Karina, Karina became even more frantic. She tried her best to break free from the hands of several security guards, but her strength was limited and she couldn¡¯tpete with these security guards. So she could only struggle weakly, and when Silvia stood in front of her, she couldn¡¯t do anything to her.


    ¡°What do you want to tell me? Do you think I¡¯m the one who caused you to end up like this?¡±


    Silvia looked Karina up and down and couldn¡¯t help but feel a little shocked. Karina¡¯s current appearance was indeed difficult to ept, but how should she put it? All of this was Karina¡¯s doing, she was reaping what she had sown. Could anyone be med for this?


    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I me you? If it weren¡¯t <b>for </b>you, how could I have separated from Cyril? I should have been the one to marry him. I¡¯ve be like this now,pletely sealed off by him. Do you know? Do you know how cruel he is to me? It¡¯s all because <b>of </b>you!¡±


    Karina couldn¡¯t ept everything she was experiencing now. She felt that if it weren¡¯t for Silvia, she and Cyril wouldn¡¯t have reached this point today, and her good career and beautiful future wouldn¡¯t havee to an end.


    Of course, what she couldn¡¯t ept the most was that she clearly wasn¡¯t sick, but everyone said she was sick and wanted to send her to a mental hospital. And all of this was just because the man she deeply loved wanted to do so.


    Silvia looked at Karina¡¯s crazy appearance and didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°When we were together, I didn¡¯t know you liked him,


    and he never showed any intention of being with you. The scandals after marriage were between you and him. I never did anything to you. Later, after the divorce, I made room for you. It was your own failure to seize the opportunity. And do you really think I¡¯m the only one responsible for all of this, without anyone else?¡±


    Silvia had her pride. She would never do anything to ruin someone else¡¯s rtionship just because she liked a man. So what Karina said was simply untenable, and she hadn¡¯t really understood the true cause of all this. Thinking about this, Silvia looked at Karina with a hint of pity in her eyes. There was a time when she was as crazy as Karina, unable to <b>see </b>the truth of things.

 Chapter 193

    <b>Chapter </b>193<b>: </b><b>Mountain </b>Climbing


    Karina slowly calmed down<b>, </b>perhaps thinking of something, but the next moment, she became somewhat disappointed, as if unwilling to ept the truth.


    ¡°<b>Don¡¯t </b><b>spout </b>nonsense here. Everything that¡¯s happened is because of you. If it weren¡¯t for you<b>, </b>it wouldn¡¯t have turned out like this. You¡¯ve ruined my life, ruined my future<b>, </b>I¡¯ll make you pay!¡±


    Silvia sighed helplessly. What was the use of continuing this endless argument?


    <b>¡°</b>You¡¯ve got one thing wrong. The whole situation, which has turned out like this, has nothing to do with me or you. The one you should me is Cyril. If Cyril had been willing to rify things earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have pursued him. And if Cyril really liked you, he wouldn¡¯t have treated you like this. The most important thing in his heart has always been himself, not you or me. So everything he¡¯s doing now is in his own interest.¡±


    <b>So</b>, at this point, the only person to me was Karina. If she really wanted to find the culprit, it should be Cyril.


    ¡°I do think you¡¯re pitiful. You think I was pitiful before. There¡¯s no difference between your past and mine. But you¡¯re ming me for everything. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a bit ridiculous? If you really want to hold someone ountable, you should find the real culprit.¡±


    The conversation could only go this far. If Karina still didn¡¯t understand, then Silvia had no more options. Karina was in agony, wondering how things hade to this.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡¯s anyone else¡¯s fault but yours!¡±


    Seeing Karina¡¯s disbelief, Silvia knew there was no point in saying more. When someone refuses to believe, no matter how much you say, they¡¯ll just think you¡¯re lying. So Silvia didn¡¯t want to waste any more words.


    ¡°Let me guess, the one who brought you here must be the old man, right? He¡¯s always trying to cause trouble for me, so he must have brought you out. And only he could do it.¡±


    Silvia could see through the whole situation at a nce. In the past, she was trapped in the game and couldn¡¯t see clearly. But now that she had freed herself from the game, she could see clearly what was going on.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let yourself be used as a tool.¡±


    Silvia hesitated for a moment and said before leaving.


    After turning around and leaving, she paid no more attention to how Karina was yelling.


    Karina yelled loudly and was finally rudely asked to leave.


    The others sighed a little.


    Karina had really reached a miserable state.


    However, no one felt much sympathy for her because, apart from Cyril¡¯s issues, Karina herself was also to me.


    Soon they forgot about the whole thing and set off to climb the mountain.


    Seeing the high mountain, Silvia felt a bit lost.


    Usually, they were busy sitting in the office all day. When they finally had some free time, most of it was spent at home or in the gym. They thoughting out for a day would be more rxing and leisurely, but who knew they would decide toe mountain climbing.


    ¡°Whose brilliant idea was it to go mountain climbing?¡±


    Anyone could tell that Silvia¡¯s words were ironic. Although she said it was a great idea, in reality, it was far from great. It was simply exhausting.


    Everyone looked at each other, not wanting to speak. How should they put it? This idea was really terrible.


    ¡°Sitting in the office all day isn¡¯t enough for you guys, so you have toe out and make yourselves unhappy by climbing a mountain?¡±


    Although that¡¯s what she said, everyone still obediently climbed the mountain together.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    On the way up the mountain, Duncan kept trying to get close to Silvia, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t.


    Mainly because the people around him didn¡¯t give him the chance to get close to Silvia, so he felt miserable alone.


    Along the way, he nced at Miranda countless times, feeling resentful. But Miranda pretended not to see anything. Although she was his sister and they were twins, it was obvious that Silvia had no feelings for him.


    But if Silvia did show some interest in him, they wouldn¡¯t just stand by and watch.


    Silvia was forced to walk with Miles. Their rtionship wasn¡¯t that familiar, so they didn¡¯t know what to say when walking together. But his friends didn¡¯t care about Silvia¡¯s life or what she thought and just talked among themselves.


    ¡°How¡¯s Jimmy these days? Last time he messaged me saying you punished him and he came crying to me <b>to </bin.¡±


    The two walked together in silence, and the atmosphere was unusually eerie. Silvia suddenly came up with a topic they could talk about, but after saying it, she felt it was a bit strange.


    Miles was also taken aback. He didn¡¯t expect Silvia to bring up Jiminy on her own. He smiled and talked about Jimmy¡¯s recent situation, ¡°He¡¯s alright. He caused a little trouble at school<b>, </b>so I kept him at home. But it¡¯s nothing major. By the way, you two exchanged phone numbers temporarily, which is quite strange to me.¡±


    ¡°It was just a temporary exchange, nothing particrly strange about it. How¡¯s your recent cooperation going? I heard from my brother that you¡¯ve been negotiating several cooperations quite well, but because they¡¯re not local brands, most people don¡¯t trust you.¡±


    Indeed, that was the case. Although he was <b>very </b>strong in the foreign market and doing well, it was still not the domestic market. So people <b>still </b>had some doubts about him. And Silvia could vaguely feel that the reason why Miles was struggling <b>so </b>hard in the domestic market was mostly because of Cyril.


    Thinking about this, Silvia felt a headacheing on. Cyril¡¯s actions to arge extent, were because <b>of </b>her, but normal businesspetition definitely shouldn¡¯t be like this.


    ¡°Thankfully, when I decided toe back for development, I had already considered this situation. But <b>most </b>of <b>my </b>industries are overseas, <b>so </b><b>I¡¯m </b>not particrly concerned about the situation here<b>. </b><b>If </b><b>there¡¯s </b>a <b>loss</b><b>, </b>then <b>so </b>be <b>it</b>.¡±


    When he decided to bring his industry back to the country<b>, </b>Miles had <b>thought </b>about many possibilities, and the current situation was <b>within </b><b>his </b>expectations.

 Chapter 194

    <b>Chapter </b>194<b>: </b><b>Contest</b>


    They started a conversation, talking about work¨Crted matters. Originally, they had nned to chat with Silvia, but seeing her and Miles engrossed in business discussions, Kate and Miranda quietly walked away. These two were really crazy, clearly out here to rx in the snow, yet still thinking about work. When the two of them got together, nobody knew who was right or wrong.


    ¡°Do you think they¡¯re showing great teamwork? We¡¯re all out here to have fun in the snow and rx, but they¡¯re still discussing business matters. And look at them, they¡¯re clearly vying for dominance. Neither of them can convince the other.¡±


    Miranda nced back and saw Silvia and Miles in that situation. There was nothing much to say.


    The original purpose ofing out together was to rx, of course, and to respond to Miles¡® suggestion. But seeing them discussing business matters together, it was a bit unexpected for them.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it great? Putting all your focus on business, I think it¡¯s great. If things aren¡¯t going well in your personal life, at least let your career flourish. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re <b>so </b>anxious to push them to do something. Silvia has her own thoughts. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any need to rush.¡±


    Kate shrugged. She didn¡¯t care much about rtionships and hadn¡¯t even thought about getting married in the future. So when Silvia put her mind into her business, she agreed with it. Even now, she didn¡¯t really want Silvia to immediately get involved in another rtionship. It was better to focus on work for now, and as for other things, they could be consideredter.


    Miranda thought about it and realized it made sense. But they thought Miles was a nice person and worth getting to know, so they wanted Silvia to interact with him more. Whether there was any other meaning behind it depended on the two of them.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    As they chatted slowly, they finally reached the mountaintop. There were quite a few people out here for mountain climbing, most of them here for pics and barbecues. They were prepared for it as well. As soon as they reached the top, someone came to greet them. But they didn¡¯t expect to encounter a group of people they didn¡¯t want to see here.


    Cyril and his good friends were also here.


    Jonathan even had two skewers of barbecue in his hand.


    Seeing Cyril, Duncan¡¯spetitive spirit was ignited. He went straight to Cyril¡¯s front and looked at him impatiently from head to toe. He couldn¡¯t understand why just because of this face, he waspared unfavorably. It was so infuriating.


    Cyril had seen this group of people before, not as Silvia¡¯s husband, but he had met them with this group in the mall before. But Kate was someone he had met before, and his rtionship with Silvia was quite good. They had even argued because Kate¡¯s appearance was too neutral.


    Cyril nced around and locked eyes with Silvia, who was discussing business matters with Miles at the back of the crowd. He had to admit, when she was seriously working, both men and women looked exceptionally handsome and charming. So at this moment, Silvia was exceptionally charming in Cyril¡¯s eyes. He remembered the days gone by and felt he should have observed her more carefully.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    Miles also noticed Cyril¡¯s gaze on Silvia, and it seemed a bit unusual, so he asked.


    ¡°Nothing, just didn¡¯t expect such a thing to happen. It¡¯s quite unlucky.¡±


    They were quite happy on the way here, but encountering Cyril here made their mood sour instantly.


    In fact, both sides were unhappy about suddenly bumping into each other. Whether it was Cyril or Silvia, they couldn¡¯t muster a smile.


    Jonathan saw the close rtionship between Silvia and Miles and nced at the man beside him. Cyril¡¯s expression was unusually dark.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking. Some women always want something else, without considering whether they deserve it.¡±


    Jonathan¡¯s words hit Cyril right where it hurt. He couldn¡¯t say anything back, and he had to admit that he was indeed going through a divorce recently.


    He was indeed entangled with the women outside, but only the few of them knew about it.


    Now that it was known by this group of people with Silvia, it was torture.


    ¡°We should have investigated thoroughly before going out today. If we knew you would be here, we definitely wouldn¡¯t have chosen toe here. In my opinion, we should all go to an amusement park or something.¡±


    Theypletely disregarded the reactions of the others and expressed their disdain unreservedly. They didn¡¯t know how to put it.


    Jonathan was quite angry, but didn¡¯t know what to say. Unfortunately, whenever they spoke, they could urately hit his sore spots.


    Cyril didn¡¯t pay attention to what they were saying. He just stared at Silvia, as if trying to see through her.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Silvia looked calmly at Cyril. She didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with what their friends were saying, and what they said was quite correct.


    ¡°So, are you already with Miles now? We¡¯ve only just separated, and you¡¯ve already chosen the next one. Will you not be with him for long before moving on to someone else again?


    ¡°1


    Silvia wasn¡¯t that kind of person, and her previous love was very passionate<b>, </b>which everyone knew. But just because this love wouldn¡¯t fall on him again, Cyril couldn¡¯t ept it.


    So he resorted to such words to insult Silvia<b>, </b>trying to make her angry. But he underestimated Silvia. When she heard these words, she showed no expression on her face, a bit puzzled<b>, </b>as if she didn¡¯t quite understand why Cyril would say such things,

 Chapter 195

    Chapter 195: <b>New </b><b>Affection</b>


    Both sides fell into a moment of silence. It was obvious that uttering those words surprised them.


    Although the purpose of their outing this time was indeed to see what kind of person Miles was, they hadn¡¯t expected to encounter Cyril here.


    And Cyril¡¯s attitude towards them was extremely hostile.


    ¡°Cyril, Jonathan, what are you doing here? We¡¯ve been waiting for you for a while.¡±


    Just as everyone was silent, a woman¡¯s voice suddenly came over. The woman¡¯s voice sounded very crisp.


    She walked over in a yellow dress and went straight to Cyril¡¯s side, reaching out to link arms with him.


    Just by looking at them<b>, </b>it was clear that their rtionship wasn¡¯t simple. Everyone looked at Cyril with extremely unfriendly eyes.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Just a moment ago, they were all pointing out various ws in Silvia, and now suddenly there was another woman. Who was pping whom in the face?


    Miranda rolled her eyes impatiently. She really didn¡¯t understand what this man was thinking. He was here criticizing Silvia in every possible way, and yet he was doubting Silvia. But what about himself? Why didn¡¯t he mention what he had done?


    ¡°Some people are too good to themselves, exaggerating everything others do, but not caring about their own actions at all.¡±


    Miranda hooked her arm with Kate¡¯s and leisurely continued, ¡°It¡¯s like they think the whole world owes them something.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they can only see others doing worse than themselves. When others do better, they get a bit defensive. Men always seem to be like this. Sigh, but birds of a feather flock together. If he¡¯s like this, then probably the people around him are too. Isn¡¯t your wife divorcing you? Haven¡¯t you forgotten that? After all, you have so many girlfriends outside.¡±


    Although they were initially targeting Cyril, as they continued, they targeted everyone around Cyril, making everyone¡¯s expression extremely ugly, but they didn¡¯t know what to


    say<b>.</b>


    There was no way around it. After all, the women in front of them didn¡¯t have much dirt to dig up, but these men didn¡¯t seem to have anything particrly clean. The more they dug, the more they found.


    The girl beside Cyril was a little scared as she approached him, not understanding what had happened.


    ¡°What are you talking about? We¡¯re just ordinary friends. There¡¯s nothing between us. You can suspect me, but you can¡¯t talk about the rtionship between the two of us like that. It¡¯s really not good.¡±


    The girl¡¯s attitude made everyone roll their eyes. Who was she trying to fool? Did she really think they couldn¡¯t see through her tricks? It was ridiculous.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve found someone new, isn¡¯t it unnecessary to continue pestering Silvia here? After a divorce, you should handle the divorce matters properly. Haven¡¯t you heard a saying? A good ex is like dead, never to appear again.¡±


    Duncan¡¯s words were extremely sharp, making the group of people on the other side even more serious. And that girl¡¯s face was even more unpleasant.


    ¡°You¡¯ve really misunderstood the rtionship between me and him. I really¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, there¡¯s no need to exin nonsense here. Do you think we can¡¯t see through your tricks? If you really like him, you could have been with him. We won¡¯t say much about it anyway. After all, it¡¯s all over.¡±


    Seeing the girl needing to exin the rtionship between her and Cyril, Kate directly interrupted her.


    The girl looked at Cyril with a look of grievance, wanting him to speak for her. But Cyril¡¯s face was also very ugly now, and he was only staring at Silvia, as if trying to see something from her face. Otherwise, he would have pushed the girl aside just now.


    After waiting for a while without Cyril speaking up for her, the girl felt a little sad.


    Originally, she thought their rtionship was different, otherwise Cyril wouldn¡¯t have brought her along. Or did Cyril know Silvia was here from the beginning, so he brought her along?


    ¡°Is that what you think too? Do you think I brought my new love out here just like you?¡±


    Cyril¡¯s words were unreasonable. After everyone heard them, besides being speechless, they were still speechless.


    Silvia didn¡¯t quite understand why he would say such things. Regardless of whether he was speaking to others or to her, one thing was clear: if he wanted to target a man, then he shouldn¡¯t focus his gaze on a woman. I would never be hispetitor. You can be sure of that. I¡¯m the kind of person who never looks back once I¡¯ve made up my mind, but I also don¡¯t go back on my word.¡±


    For him<b>, </b>Cyril was already in the past tense. Now was the past, <b>so </b>there was absolutely no possibility of turning back. Even if he let go, he would do it elegantly. <b>He </b>wouldn¡¯t linger and act like he didn¡¯t care. It wasn¡¯t his style.


    ¡°Also, if I was really just ordinary, why did he marry me in the first ce? That¡¯s just crazy. And if you want to belittle me, there¡¯s <b>no </b>need <b>to </b>use Cyril¡¯s mouth. Do you think Cyril won¡¯t expose you? I think what you¡¯re doing is just a bit foolish. He won¡¯t say anything to you now, but this person only loves himself the most, so what you said today wille back to haunt you in the future.<b>¡±</b>

 Chapter 196

    Chapter 196<b>: </b>Challenging


    Silvia had been by Cyril¡¯s side for so many years. In the past, she couldn¡¯t see clearly, couldn¡¯t understand anything, but now she had seen through it all. So when Silvia wanted to use Cyril <b>to </b>challenge herself, Cyril was already displeased with her in his heart. This had happened several times during this period, with Karina being the most prominent example.


    Look at Karina. She used to be so morous, but now she was like dust, fallen from the clouds. No matter how good their rtionship had been, how much affection they had, now there was nothing left.


    ¡°And Cyril, I think we¡¯ve already cleared up everything between us. Now that it¡¯s clear, there¡¯s no need to do disgusting things like this anymore. If there¡¯s anything you can¡¯t say, you can ask the men around you to do your dirty work for you. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s disgusting?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯re so great. In the end, you¡¯re <b>just </b>relying on your family and your own conditions. When your conditions aren¡¯t so good, do you think you can still stand on the moral high ground and criticize others?¡±


    Silvia actually didn¡¯t want to argue with them about these things, because addressing these things would make her seem very low¨Css. But if she hadn¡¯t been so angry today, she would never have directly confronted this group of people like this.


    The words Silvia spoke made her friends around her feel particrly relieved, but as for Cyril and the people around him, their faces became increasingly ugly.


    They did indeede from good family backgrounds, butpared to the top¨Ctier elites, they were stillcking, especially Jonathan, who was the most enthusiastic.


    ¡°To be honest, you¡¯ve been married to your wife for so long, but you treat her like this. Believe me, someone who is unfaithful in rtionships and doesn¡¯t take their wife seriously will sooner orter face retribution.¡±


    After saying these words, he put on a very formic smile, treating them as if they were the people he was negotiating contracts with.


    ¡°Alright, everything that needs to be said has been said. I don¡¯t know if you have anything else to say. If you don¡¯t, then let¡¯s leave it at that. In theing days<b>, </b>you can do your thing, and we¡¯ll do ours. I think as long as we deliberately avoid each other, we¡¯ll never meet again. Do you agree?¡±


    After Silvia finished speaking, no one answered her. Silvia didn¡¯t bother waiting for their response either. Anyway, she had already said what she wanted to say. Whether they paid attention to it was their business.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t we have other ns for today? There¡¯s no need to dy what we want to do because of these people.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t easy for everyone toe out together to have fun. There was no need to worry about the feelings of a group of unimportant people.


    They all listened to Silvia¡¯s words and left in a grand manner. Watching them leave with Silvia at the center, someone suddenly asked.


    ¡°Silvia¡¯s status isn¡¯t that great, is it? Shees from an ordinary family background. Now she¡¯s divorced and working in Ivan Group¡¯s mode. How could she have such good rtionships with so many people?¡±


    This question indeed left everyone in silence.


    If we don¡¯t count Miles, then how do we exin the people around her? Miles owed Silvia a lifesaving favor.


    As for the others, they were all born into top¨Ctier elite families, each with their own business circles that were simr. And someone like Silvia had never been able to fit into their circle.


    So how did Silvia manage to do it? It couldn¡¯t be by relying on men, could it? If she relied on men, how could these people be so protective of her? It just didn¡¯t make sense. Jonathan was the first toe to his senses. ¡°Can¡¯t you see how amazing she looked just now? This woman¡¯s methods are even more formidable than you imagine. Have you ever thought about how Cyril was forced to marry her in the first ce and how he¡¯s now being forced to divorce her? This woman will do whatever it takes to achieve her goals and make connections with these people. It¡¯s not that strange at all. You guys justck insight. If you had more experience, you would understand how formidable this woman is.¡±


    Although they felt that something wasn¡¯t quite right, they couldn¡¯t find another way or reason to exin it.


    Moreover, they preferred to believe what they saw rather than the truth. As for the real truth, that wasn¡¯t their concern. They would rather believe that Silvia could do all this because she relied on improper rtionships, rather than believing that Silvia and they were real friends.


    ¡°I really feel disgusted meeting them here today. But these people have never been very smart. They probably think that the rtionship between you and us is different. They may even think that you used some improper means to connect with us.<b>¡±</b>


    Duncan had done a lot of work before, treating Cyril as his rival in love, so he had analyzed Cyril and the friends around him in various ways.


    So when Duncan said these things, others also felt that they made a lot <b>of </b>sense, and Silvia wasn¡¯t surprised either.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    <b>¡°</b>If they don¡¯t think like that, then I¡¯d be surprised. But it doesn¡¯t matter. The more they think like that, the happier I am.¡±


    After all, being taught a lesson by someone they had once looked down upon, and never being able to turn the tables again, that was the most interesting part.


    Of course, Silvia didn¡¯t have such strong ambitions. She knew very well that having hate or love for someone meant caring about them. Since she had decided to let go of the past and Cyril, she shouldn¡¯t have any feelings for him anymore. In fact, during this time, her work and life had slowly made her let go of her attachment to Cyril.


    ¡°They can think whatever they want. As long as I know it in my heart that¡¯s enough. And that girl, she¡¯s probably going to be abandoned by Cyril after this. Cyril only cares about his own face<b>.</b>¡±


    Although she said that, Silvia was still quite curious about how this <b>girl </b>ended up by <b>Cyril¡¯s </b>side. She couldn¡¯t figure out what Cyril really liked from this girl. It¡¯s also possible that his tastes changed after the divorce.


    fatentional Fall

 Chapter 197

    <b>Chapter </b>197<b>: </b><b>Intentional </b>Fall


    The unpleasant incidents were quickly forgotten as everyone began to enjoy themselves thoroughly. They had thought they wouldn¡¯t encounter them again, but after finishing lunch and deciding to y board games together in the afternoon, Cyril¡¯s group appeared again. However, this time they were very taciturn and didn¡¯t choose <b>to </b>disturb Silvia. And <b>of </b>course, Silvia¡¯s group had no intention of approaching Cyril¡¯s group either.


    However, the two sides were fundamentally ipatible, so their rtionship in ying together would also be affected, especially Cyril¡¯s side. It wasn¡¯t as simple as it seemed.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we change ces? I feel strange sitting with them. And don¡¯t you think it¡¯s likely that something else will happen?¡±


    <b>Just </b>a moment ago, they had an unpleasant encounter, and if they continued like this, wouldn¡¯t it escte into a fight?


    Jonathan rolled his eyes. ¡°Are you kidding me? Just because it¡¯s Silvia, we shouldn¡¯t care about these things? Forget about it. Silvia is just like that. We do what we need to do and


    don¡¯t bother with Silvia.¡±


    Anyway, if something really happened, they could deal with itter. At least for now, there were no problems, right?


    Everyone seemed to agree with this reasoning, so they didn¡¯t say anything and just went about their own business. Despite the somewhat awkward situation, they managed to maintain harmony as they continued to y for the rest of the afternoon.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s about time. Let¡¯s consider whether we want to have dinner together here or go back. If we go back, we can have another round, and you can book us a bar.¡±


    Everyone was a bit reluctant to stop ying, especially since their work was usually very busy. Being able to rx like this made them all very happy. So when the suggestion of having another round and going to a bar was made, no one objected.


    Miranda enthusiastically took out her phone to check the location and then called Juliet. Juliet couldn¡¯te because of work, but she would definitely have time after work.


    However, Juliet hadn¡¯t replied yet, probably because she was still very busy. So they continued with whatever they were doing.


    ¡°Silvia, can I talk to you?¡±


    They were sitting together, drinking, when suddenly the girl walked over, looking at Silvia with a grievance and a hint of stubbornness.


    Kate was a little annoyed. What did she mean? Wasn¡¯t the drama just now over? Now she wasing over to cause trouble again. This was asking for trouble.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Didn¡¯t we just say not to interfere with each other? Why are youing over now and pushing people? Are you okay? And don¡¯t you feel that there¡¯s nothing to talk about between you and Silvia? Or do you think you have the status to chat with Silvia? Don¡¯t overestimate yourself, okay?¡±


    The girl looked at Silvia with a look of grievance, ignoring Kate¡¯s words, just wanting to see something from Silvia¡¯s eyes. Silvia saw it, though. This person wouldn¡¯t stop until they achieved their goal. If she didn¡¯t go over, she might still be standing here, affecting everyone¡¯s mood.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Silvia decided to walk away with her to chat. Others were a little hesitant, but since Silvia said so, they had no choice. Only Miles silently took out his phone and started recording.


    Duncan saw it and was a bit puzzled. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Collecting evidence.¡±


    This way of collecting evidence was indeed something that people didn¡¯t really want to know about. Silvia and the girl walked to the side. The girl intentionally stumbled a little, almost leaning against Silvia, but Silvia had already sensed that the girl¡¯s actions were unusual.


    Just as the girl was about to fall, Silvia immediately took a big step aside, her hands barely touching the girl, while she stepped back several steps herself.


    From the side, it seemed like the girl fell by herself and had nothing to do with Silvia. But because of this little stunt, it still caused amotion on Cyril¡¯s side. Not for any other reason, just because when Silvia fell, she let out a scream that sounded extremely miserable.


    The girl¡¯s voice instantly attracted Cyril¡¯s attention. They immediately stood up and walked over to the girl. Cyril¡¯s guests gently helped the girl up.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just identally fell just now. It has nothing to do with Silvia, and Silvia didn¡¯t even touch me.¡±


    Listening to this statement was like drinking the utmost in green tea. The more she denied it, the more righteous she seemed. They suspected that Silvia had done something.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    This scene looked very familiar, and Silvia sneered.


    She wanted to see what Cyril would do next, whether he would act the same as before, or if there would be any significant differences.


    As for the others, they had already seen that the girl fell by herself and had nothing to do with Silvia. All of the girl¡¯s actions just now were facing away from them. If it weren¡¯t for them, they wouldn¡¯t have known. But the more they didn¡¯t know, the more they could see how Cyril handled this matter.


    Then Duncan turned his head and looked at Miles, who was still recording silently, and fell into a moment of silence.


    Well, if Miles hadn¡¯t recorded the video just now, this matter might not have been so easily resolved.


    ¡°Are you crazy<i>? </i>Didn¡¯t we just say not to interfere with each other? Why are you pushing people now? Are you okay? It¡¯s one thing to bully Karina just now, but now you¡¯re bullying a girl who has nothing to do with you. Don¡¯t go too far. Just because you have someone to help you, doesn¡¯t mean you can harm innocent people recklessly!¡±


    Jonathan was already dissatisfied with Silvia. Now that he had the chance, he naturally wanted to retaliate fiercely. But when he retaliated, he didn¡¯t consider the true facts <b><i>of </i></b><b>the</b>


    matter.


    For years, their attitude towards Silvia had been the same as Cyril¡¯s. They must have thought that Silvia was the bully because others seemed weaker than Silvia.


    ¡°Are you sure I did all those things?¡±


    Silvia chuckled, not bothering to respond to Jonathan¡¯s evaluation of herself; but instead looked at Cyril. With just one nce, Silvia suddenly felt a pang of pain in her heart. Even after all this time, she could still see through Cyril¡¯s true thoughts and what he wanted to express.

 Chapter 198

    Chapter 198: All the Same


    From now on, <b>Cyril </b>didn¡¯t need <b>to </b>say anything anymore, and thedy could feel that she was starting to suspect that she had done these things herself, and there was no reason <b>to </b>suspect herself.


    Silvia suddenly understood that, regardless of whether <b>those </b>girls who had followed Cyril for all those years were Karina or other girls, as long as they were the girls Cyril held dear<b>, </b>they would always <b>be </b>treated the best by him. And whenever someone got hurt, regardless of who the real culprit was, they would always bear the me.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    The person who did wrong must be herself.


    She had never noticed this before. She had stubbornly believed that Karina was different in Cyril¡¯s heart. But now Karina waspletely different in Cyril¡¯s heart, and there was another new girl.


    However, this new girl they encountered waspletely different from the others<b>.</b>


    ¡°But regardless of whether they are different, Cyril¡¯s attitude hasn¡¯t changed at all. He still treats this girl as¡­¡®


    11


    <b>¡°</b>Is that what you think? You think I¡¯m still the same as before, bullying every girl who appears around you, regardless of whether she is innocent, a victim, or an aggressor?¡± In fact, in the past few years, Silvia had been very envious of Karina.


    Whether Karina did something right or wrong, she would always stand by Cyril¡¯s side.


    Just like now, Cyril would stand by different people.


    ¡°So you treat everyone the same way. As long as they matter to you, they will earn your trust. But once that person bes me, they will never earn even a bit of your trust, right?¡± Silvia was angry, but now Cyril didn¡¯t need to say anything; he understood everything.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t said anything yet¡­¡±


    Cyril did indeed suspect immediately that Silvia had done this. But when Silvia said these words, he felt that these things couldn¡¯t have been done by Silvia. If it really was Silvia who did it, why would she say these things? Wasn¡¯t that just causing trouble for herself for no reason?


    Silvia shook her head. Sometimes, just one look was enough to understand the other person¡¯s thoughts.


    Whether you say it or not, there isn¡¯t much difference.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t bully people too much. Don¡¯t think that just because there are more of you, you can do whatever you want!¡±


    Duncan couldn¡¯t bear to see it anymore. He snatched the phone from Miles and walked up to Cyril.


    ¡°Don¡¯t <b>go </b>too far. Let me tell you, everything that just happened has been recorded. Do you really think the woman by your side is so simple?!¡±


    To be able to devote so much effort to stay <i>by </i>Cyril¡¯s side ande here, she was definitely not simple. So, did these people have any brains at all? Was their brain on top of their head for show, or was it there to highlight their pretty yet stupid empty heads?


    The phone was handed to Cyril, who opened the video. Others also crowded around, and the girl¡¯s expression instantly became somewhat ugly. But she thought about what she had just said; they said it wasn¡¯t Silvia who did it but Cyril. They didn¡¯t believe it themselves, so this matter couldn¡¯t be med on her, right?


    The video wasn¡¯t long, but after watching it, those people couldn¡¯t say a word. They wished they could find a ce to hide right away. Would the things they said now make these people hold a grudge against them?


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything now? Weren¡¯t you all so eager to me Silvia just now? You were all ming her, and now you know you were wrong, but none of you are saying anything, especially you, who shouted so loudly. You deserve your wife to divorce you. You don¡¯t deserve to get married. I think you should be alone for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t said anything yet. Moreover, even if this time it has nothing to do with Silvia, Cyril already has evidence of him bullying Karina¡­¡±


    ¡°He already has evidence of Cyril bullying Karina, doesn¡¯t he? If he didn¡¯t have evidence, why would Karina have such a miserable time? She¡¯s already been directly banned.¡±


    This was said by Miles. He took his phone back from Cyril and stood beside Silvia.


    He silently supported Silvia in this way. Silvia felt touched in her heart.


    Others might not know why Karina had be like this recently, but they knew very well. Besides Cyril, no one else could have made someone like this.


    Jonathan was stunned for a moment and subconsciously looked back at Cyril. Seeing Cyril¡¯sck of intention to refute, he realized that what they said was true.


    ¡°In the future, keep your eyes wide open. If there¡¯s nothing wrong, don¡¯t approach Silvia anymore. It¡¯ll only make you look more ridiculous. Without evidence, you shouldn¡¯t open your mouth. Even the police wouldn¡¯t handle things like


    you do<i>.</i><i>¡±</i>


    f


    Miranda sneered repeatedly and forcefully pushed the girl.


    ¡°Did you see that? This is what it means to push someone down<b>. </b>If you don¡¯t understand what pushing down and falling down by yourself means, I can demonstrate it again for you<b>, </b><b>so </b>you can see clearly what being pushed down is like.¡±


    It was unexpected that Miranda would suddenly resort to violence and push the girl to the ground.


    Then Silvia stepped forward again, looked down at the girl condescendingly, and raised her foot as if to step on her.


    The girl screamed in fear, thinking she was about to be taught a lesson by Silvia. But in fact, Silvia¡¯s foot never touched the ground. It was just a scare tactic.


    ¡°This is what it means to intimidate someone. Remember, next time I intimidate someone, I will force you to bankruptcy. If you don¡¯t believe it, you can try it. After all, in your minds, I¡¯m a very scheming woman who will use all avable connections to teach you a lesson.¡±


    Silvia looked coldly at them. Since they all thought of her as a person who leaned on a powerful backer, then she might as well let them believe that there was someone behind her who would make them behave and not provoke her.


    ¡°Manage the people around you. If there¡¯s another time, try to see who can oust whom, Ivan


    Group or yourpany.¡±


    Silvia finished speaking and retracted her leg. The girly pale on the ground, trembling uncontrobly.


    If she had known that these two people were so ruthless, she wouldn¡¯t have dared toe over just now to assert her dominance. These people were not ones she could afford to A provoke, including Cyril


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m sorry, I just¡­¡±

 Chapter 199

    <b>Chapter </b>199 <b>Comfort</b>


    Originally<b>, </b>he wanted to exin a bit more, but Silvia didn¡¯t give him the chance at all. What was there <b>to </b>exin anyway? What he intended to do was evident to everyone <b>present</b>.


    Because everyone had already seen what he was up to, so their expressions were filled with disgust and disdain.


    Of <b>course</b>, although <b>they </b>were angry with Cyril¡¯s reaction, Cyril¡¯s actions and attitude unintentionally exposed how Silvia had been wronged before. Originally, they were <b>on </b>Silvia¡¯s side, and now knowing how much Silvia had suffered, they couldn¡¯t bear it.


    ¡°In the past, because I liked you, I could tolerate all these things. But now that I no longer like you, it would be troublesome if you didn¡¯t manage those around you. I have a temper, as you know. I¡¯ve been living toofortablytely, so I don¡¯t want others to cause trouble in front of me.¡±


    Silvia looked calmly at Cyril, making him extremely nervous. Although Silvia only mentioned that his temper wasn¡¯t good and asked Cyril to manage those around him, Cyril had a feeling. If he couldn¡¯t control those around him and they continued to cause trouble for Silvia, she might actually take action.


    ¡°Do you remember the big gift bag I gave you on your grandfather¡¯sst birthday? No matter what you thought of me before or what you think now, you need to change your attitude. Don¡¯t let these people bother me anymore.¡±


    With that said, Silvia¡¯s face carried a hint of a smile,pletely different from the tough words just now. Those around them felt a bit uneasy seeing this transformation. They hadn¡¯t expected Silvia to be so tough, but the more ruthless she was, the better they felt.


    ¡°In the past, you didn¡¯t cherish it. Now that you¡¯ve changed partners, you¡¯re bullying again. How can there be such a person? And the bunch of hangers¨Con around you aren¡¯t good either. Mixing with them makes things even worse. Fortunately, we¡¯re all here today. If we weren¡¯t, who knows how we¡¯d be bullied?¡±


    ¡°The reason you can live so peacefully today and even bully Silvia is all because she used to like you. If Silvia didn¡¯t like you, do you really think you¡¯d be in such a good position now?<b>¡±</b>


    ¡°Blind as a bat.¡±


    Duncan, Miranda, and Kate each mocked before leaving, leaving Cyril and his group standing there, unsure of what to do. They looked at each other, feeling that what the three of them said wasn¡¯t entirely false. Silvia was indeed different from before.


    ¡°What should we do now? We can¡¯t just leave it like this, but what was that woman doing just now? Suddenly falling to the ground like that.¡±


    Although they didn¡¯t know why this woman was following Cyril, they thought she might be Cyril¡¯s new lover, so they didn¡¯t say anything. However, her sudden copse and the ensuing chaos made everyone ufortable, but what made them most ufortable was Silvia¡¯s attitude today.


    Cyril remained silent, his face dark. Up to this point, he had to admit that Silvia waspletely different from before. They could bully Silvia before because she was willing to back down<b>, </b>but if Silvia wasn¡¯t willing to back down, no one could make her.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing left to do but leave.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know if he was talking to the student behind him or to the woman on the ground. The woman looked at Cyril¡¯s merciless back with a pale face, knowing she was truly done for this time.


    When he came today, he had hoped to establish some rtionship with Cyril, but when he saw Cyril leave without a second nce, he realized how ridiculous his thoughts were.


    Cyril left so quickly, not even willing to look back at him. His future was already ruined today.


    The woman regretted it terribly. She now understood why she was able toe with the male photographer today¨Cit was because he resembled Silvia in some ways, especially his eyes. Seeing her eyes probably reminded Cyril of Silvia, so he could follow along. But it was toote for all this now.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Now, the only way to think about it was whether she could keep what she had in her hands. If she couldn¡¯t, then it would truly be over.


    Thinking of this, the woman quickly stood up from the ground, stumbled down the mountain, and ran. She had to be faster, otherwise, with just one phone call from Cyril, all her years of effort would have been in vain.


    After Silvia and the others left, they each went to do their own things. Silvia had wanted to help, but they didn¡¯t want her to. They probably wanted to discuss something behind Silvia¡¯s back. Silvia didn¡¯t care. They had been holding back their anger for so many years, <b>so </b>it was best to let it out now.


    So, he prepared to get something else, but as soon as he turned around, he bumped into Miles¡¯s arms. Miles also reached out and hugged Silvia, making her stunned for a moment. What was he doing?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything else. I just saw that you weren¡¯t in a good mood today, so I wanted tofort you. If you think this position isn¡¯t good, then I¡¯ll take it back now.¡±


    Nars quickly withdrew his hand and even took two steps back, distancing himself from Silvia, so that she wouldn¡¯t feel ufortable.


    Silvia was indeed a little stunned. She hadn¡¯t realized it when Miles suddenly held her, but now that she reacted, Miles had also timely let go of her and distanced himself from her, as if the light embrace just now was an illusion.


    ¡°You¡¯ve spent money to report to me about these things. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s toote now?¡±


    Silvia was a bit speechless. She understood Miles¡¯s meaning and could also feel Miles¡¯s desire just now. In fact, there was no meaning at all. Miles was just thinking too simply and too fragile. He wouldn¡¯t fight for life or death for a man, of course. But now he definitely wouldn¡¯t be like this anymore.


    Milesughed when he heard Silvia¡¯s words. It was indeed like this

 Chapter 200

    <b>Chapter </b><b>200 </b><b>Here </b><b>Comes </b>Again


    ¡°I actually know that you¡¯re a very serious person and won¡¯t be affected by these things, but I just felt that you weren¡¯t in a good mood and needed someone <b>to </bfort you. Your friends are probably plotting how to help you vent, so I reluctantly offered somefort¡­<b>¡±</b>


    Miles said earnestly, as if he genuinely wanted <b>to </bfort her.


    But Silvia felt it wasn¡¯t that simple. If Miles really just wanted to casuallyfort her, he wouldn¡¯t have held onto her like he did just now. However, Silvia didn¡¯t expose him.


    Even though he had let go of those things just now, Cyril¡¯s actions had still made him very upset. So Miles¡® hug just now, to be honest, along with the words afterwards, did make him feel much better.


    ¡°Anyway<b>, </b>thank you very much for yourfort just now. I¡¯m feeling much better now. Oh, how about going to the amusement park with meter? Bring your son along?¡±


    Silvia suddenly changed her mind, wanting to go to the amusement park. Sometimes when she wasn¡¯t feeling well, she liked to go out and have fun by herself. In the past, she would drag a few friends along.


    Butter they all thought it was quite childish, so Silvia started going alone. Now, she suddenly remembered Miles had a son, maybe the kid would like to go with her.


    And now the three of them were probably still plotting how to deal with Cyril, so they wouldn¡¯t have time to apany her.


    Miles was stunned for a moment, seeing Silvia¡¯s expression was genuine, before taking out his phone to call home and ask about Jimmy.


    Originally unwilling in his heart, having the chance to go out and y at home was naturally very happy, so he agreed immediately.


    ¡°When we go backter, we¡¯ll just go directly. The folks at home will take Jimmy along. But your way of relieving stress is really unique. It¡¯s fortunate to have a child willing to apany you. If it were someone else, they might think your approach is very childish.¡±


    Silvia nodded seriously. They did indeed think their approach was very childish.


    ¡°Although it does seem childish, <b>I </b>still like it very much. Maybe in the future, I¡¯ll borrow your son a few more times to apany me.¡±


    Silvia¡¯s attitude made Miles feel amused. If it were for something else, Jimmy probably wouldn¡¯t be too willing, but if Silvia said she wanted to take Jimmy out to y, then Jimmy would definitely be very happy.


    ¡°He¡¯s always reluctant to hold up in school. If you¡¯re willing to take him out to y, he¡¯ll be very happy, and even eager for you to be his mother. Of course, bit silly. Only children would say such things.¡±Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Seeing Silvia¡¯s somewhat awkward expression, Miles quickly changed the topic.


    He naturally knew that now, taking a child to pursue Silvia would make her feel ufortable.


    Moreover, Silvia had just escaped from a marriage, so how could she enter into another rtionship so quickly?


    I know he¡¯s just a


    ¡°He¡¯s very smart, just like his father. And he loves drawing, he¡¯s very talented at it. If you take him out to y, you¡¯ll probably receive one of his drawings as a gift, and each time you go out, he¡¯ll give you a different one. Hopefully, you won¡¯t find it troublesometer.¡±


    This was about Jimmy¡¯s talent, and Miles had never interfered with it. He didn¡¯t need Jimmy to be too good. He just wanted him to be happy. Even if in the future, Jimmy didn¡¯t want to take over thepany and only wanted to do what he liked, Miles didn¡¯t mind.


    Silvia could see Miles¡¯s attitude. To be honest, although the two of them weren¡¯t biological father and son, Miles¡¯s attitude towards Jimmy was evident. He cared a lot about this child, not just because he was his brother¡¯s child, but because he genuinely liked him. If someone could be so good to his brother¡¯s child, they could probably be even better to


    their own child.


    Thinking of this, Silvia suddenly felt that her thoughts were a bit wrong.


    Clearly, she didn¡¯t have much to do with <b>it</b><b>, </b>so why did she suddenly think of this? It was probably because Miles was just too good, which made her think such thoughts.


    ¡°You¡¯re a very good person. I think Jimmy would be very happy to live with you.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. He always tries every means to distance himself from me. He always feels it¡¯s too tiring to be with me, and he always feels that I¡¯m pressuring him too much to study. He¡¯s too tired, so he always tries to make me angry.¡±


    Miles also showed a hint of headache when he said this, but it was just their way of getting along, and it wouldn¡¯t affect them too much. After all, even between biological father and son, there were still many more conflicts. What¡¯s more, they were just two people.


    Silvia heard him say this and smiled, not saying anything.


    The two of them took the opportunity to talk about other things. As they chatted, they found that they had some simr hobbies, so when the three of them from before came over, they found that Silvia¡¯s mood had improved a lot, and she evenughed and talked with Miles.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say they had no chance before? Look at Silvia¡¯s attitude now, it doesn¡¯t seem impossible at all. When did she ever chat with someone else so quickly?¡±


    It really made them feel very strange. Silvia always had a bit of distance when making friends, and she would only slowly get closer when she felt that the person was suitable to be


    friends with.


    This speed was a bit too much.


    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s not the point. The point is<b>, </b>why did Cyrile again? How does he always manage to intrude? Didn¡¯t he just hear those unpleasant words we said to him earlier? Does he think what we said wasn¡¯t harsh enough and wants toe over to find trouble again?¡±

 Chapter 201

    Chapter 201 Sending Flowers


    The three of the felt a bit ufortable, preparing to go teach Cyrill a lesson, <b>but </b>Cyril went to <b>Silvia </b>and said a few words, then quickly turned and left before Silvia could react, asdfald Silva would chase after him.


    cyr¡¯s artitude, along with what he said, was heard by the others. He came just to apologize to Silva, something that was never even imagined before.


    ¡°Is he crazy? Cyril never does something like apologizing even <b>if </b>the heavens fall, and considering what happened today, I thought he¡¯d hold a grudge against you ande to give you a lecture. I didn¡¯t expect he just came to apologize¡±


    This made them all feel very strange about Cyril¡¯s attitude today. Wasn¡¯t what Cyril did today a bit beyond normal?


    However, although they were curious, no one continued to think too much about it. Since Cyril wasn¡¯t here, they had a great time ying. By the afternoon, Silvia parted ways with <b>them </b>and went to the amusement park


    ww Silvia getting off, he ran excitedly and


    Miles also arranged the time with his family. When they arrived at the amusement park, Jimmy was eagerly waiting for Savia. When he <b>saw </b>hugged her.


    ¡°Sister, you¡¯re so nice! Do you know I¡¯ve been bored <b>at </b>home, <b>and </b>Dad doesn¡¯t want to let me out to y? He even wants me to reflect on my mistakes. But now you¡¯re finally here to take <b>me </b>out to y. Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go! I know so many fun things here. Do you want to go to the haunted house first? Let¡¯s take Dad in and scare him<b>!</b>¡±


    As soon as he said this, Jimmy¡¯s head was fiercely hit by Miles. When he was speaking ill behind someone¡¯s back, couldn¡¯t he see if there was anyone around? He said such things while he was still there, really not afraid of getting beaten?Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    Jimmy held his head, feeling proud of <b>himself</b>, and nced at his father. Although he knew his father was there, he didn¡¯t expect his father to hit him so hard in front of <b>Silvia</b>. It really hurt just now.


    ¡°Dad, you¡¯re so mean! You just hit me like that. Do you know how ufortable 1 am?1 won¡¯t talk to you anymore. Sister, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s y.¡±


    After saying that, Jimmy couldn¡¯t wait to drag Sihda into the amusement park Miles followed behind, taking one step at a time. How <b>could </b>he not see through this kid¡¯s little thoughts?


    had too many tricks.


    After saying so much to Silva, Jimmy actually didn¡¯t want Miles to take Silvia away with them. But how could Miles let Silvia go with them directly? This kid had to What if he tricked silvia while they were in there? What would they do then?


    happy


    However, Miles was thinking too much in the next period of time because many didn¡¯t actually n to watch <b>Salvia</b><b>. </b>Instead, he took Silvia around and made her very h


    As the sun set<b>, </b><b>the </b>three of them spent the <b>whole </b>afternoon at the amusement park. Silvia and Miles sat on the side, each holding an ice cream, enjoying themselves<b>.</b>


    ¡°Sister, wait for me here!¡±


    Suddenly, Jimmy saw something and said to Sida, then ran to say a few words to his father. Seeing Miles nod, he happily ran away.


    Simia was a bit curious about what he was going to do.


    ¡°He¡¯s probably preparing a surprise for you.<b>¡±</b>


    Miles saw Silvia¡¯s curious expression and exined, but after exining, be didn¡¯t know it this exnation could be considered a surprise.


    via was quite curious, wanting to know what surprise jimmy could prepare for her. After waiting for a few minutes, Jimmy ran back. He still had a bunch of flowers in his hand.


    So this was the surprise Miles mentioned. To be honest, when Silvia saw Jimmy holding this bunch of flowers, she thought it was quite cute.


    Jimmy was st young, and the flowers almost blocked his way, but he still ran very fast, carefully holding the flowers as if they were something very important


    When he finally ran to Silvia¡¯s side, panting heavily, and handed her the flowers, his face was still full <b>of </b>happy smiles, and there was sweat on his forehead Silvia took out a <b>tissue </b>to wipe his sweat.


    ¡°Sister, these are flowers for you. Dad said roses shouldn¡¯t be given to you, but i think since you¡¯re so pretty, you should have roses. So, do you like these flowers? If you don¡¯t like them, I¡¯ll go <b>buy </b>another bouquet for you now, okay?¡±


    Jimmy was still young, but he knew roses were given to people you liked. He liked silvia very much, so he wanted to give her this bouquet of roses. There shouldn¡¯t be a big problem, right<b>?</b>


    Just as he <b>finished </b>speaking, <b>Miles¡¯s </b>mouth twitched. Where did this kid learn from? He even went to give flowers to someone.


    ¡°So, did you learn anything good at home today? Or just want to give flowers to someone? Are you used to giving things to people like this at school?


    Miles suddenly remembered a few days ago when he went to school and saw his hesitant expression. In the end, the teacher only sald politely that although children were young, their values formation was still very important. What did it mean for parents to lead by example? But when he saw the flowers in Silvia¡¯s hands just now, he suddenly understood the meaning behind the teacher¡¯s words.


    ¡°wonder why that little girl always has a bunch of flowers in her hands. It turns out it¡¯s from you, huh? What have you learned at school?¡±


    Like a little scoundrel at such a young age, Miles was not light¨Chearted. He grabbed Jimmy¡¯s ear and Jimmy winced in pain, wanting to look for Silvia, but Silvia couldn¡¯t help at all, Just burned her head away, not wanting to get involed in the father¨Cson matter


    Of course, even Siria didn¡¯t expect that Jimmy would know to give flowers to a girl at such a young age. This was quite interesting


    Fortunately, Miles did lewe some face for <b>Jimmy</b><b>, </b>not letting him lose face here, after scolding him a bit, he let go of his hand,


    Timmy sat pitifully beside Silvia, holding onto her a


    tightly.


    ¡°Sister, why didn¡¯t you save me just now? Dad was about to throw me out just now!¡±

 Chapter 202

    Chapter <b>202 </b>High Profile


    Silvia couldn¡¯t help but smile. If it weren¡¯t for this child doing something secretly to make Milles angry, Miles wouldn¡¯t have done something like this.


    ¡°Do you want to tell me what exactly you did at school to make your dad <b>so </b>angry? Only then will I know what to do.¡±


    Silvia blinked<b>, </b>seeming to coax Jimmy. After a moment of silence from Jimmy, she decided not to ask anymore. If she said it out loud, she¡¯d probably feel very unstable. It wouldn¡¯t be good if she looked down on Jimmy¡¯s father<b>,</b>


    ¡°I think it¡¯s better not to say. These things don¡¯t need to be talked about. What do you think, sister? Otherwise, let¡¯s just go out and y. I know <b>many </b>fun ces.¡±


    To prevent Silvia from continuing to <b>ask</b>, Jimmy grabbed her and wanted to leave. Silvia, of course, cooperated very well, knowing the kid didn¡¯t want to say much, so she didn¡¯t ask more After they yed around for a while, untill it was dark and the lights in the amusement park came on, they left.


    After ying around, they were both hungry. Miles had already thoughtfully made arrangements. He waited until they had enough fun, then drove them to the restaurant. This time, when they went to the restaurant, Silvia felt something was off. It seemed like they were bring followed


    Subconsciously, she turned her head and saw a car behind them, following them all the way,


    ¡°There were people staring at us in the amusement park just now. If nothing unexpected happens, it should be reporters wanting to dig out some news from us this time we came out to y. But <b>don¡¯t </b>worry, my people will <b>handle </b>it.¡±


    As soon as Miles knew that there might be reportersing in, he was ready. He had already instructed his people to handle these things, so there was no need for Shia to worry


    too moch.


    Silvia nodded. She believed Miles could handle these things. However, he owerlooked how fast those reporters spread news online and immediately posted the photos they took Now, everyone online was looking at pictures of Silvia and Miles ying with the child at the amusement park. They didn¡¯t expect their outing this time to be so high¨Cprofile Were they starting to date?


    Of course, not only did onlineizens see these photos<b>, </b>but also Brace Bruce happened to see this photo at home, and his face darkened for a moment, but he smiled the next second. Forget it, as long as his sister was happy, they wouldn¡¯t care too much about what his sister did<b>.</b>


    ¡°Whether those online news are true or false, it doesn¡¯t matter as long as you¡¯re happy. By the way, how has thepany been doingtely? Does your sister have any thoughts on thepany?¡±


    Stanford also <b>saw </b>the online news, but he <b>didn¡¯t </b>care much. After a casual smile, he asked about thepany¡¯s affairs. Bruce put away his phone and began to discuss the online andpany matters with his father.


    ¡°Little sister is very smart, <b>so </b>I estimate that in another year or two, she¡¯ll be able topletely take over all the affairs of thepany, not only domestic but also foreign. But if she¡¯s willing to slow down, it doesn¡¯t matter to wait a few more years. Besides, I can take this opportunity to pave the way for her a bit more¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to pave the way for her deliberately. She¡¯s very smart and can handle these things on her own. So you just need to <b>take </b>care of your own affairs. By the way, how is the contract negotiation going with Miles? Their contract is quite good, and what about your development ns?¡±


    Stanford nodded. His children all had their own ideas, so he wasn¡¯t in a hurry.


    <b>But </b>he heard that several coborations in thepany had stalled for a while. He didn¡¯t know why, but he had left these things to his children to <b>handle</b><b>, </b><b>so </b>Stanford wouldn¡¯t <b>ask </b>too much. He just wanted to know why they hadn¡¯t moved for so long


    ¡°These things <b>are </b>all handled by my sister. She wants to take this opportunity to clean up some people in thepany, so everything will be slower. But don¡¯t worry, Dad, my sister can handle these things well¡±


    ¡°Icertainly believe that your sister can handle these things well, but I¡¯m a little worried about whether your recent <b>actions </b>are too rxed. Although your sister has the ability, you also need to help her handle these things well what if she¡¯s tricked by this group of people?¡±


    After hearing what Stanford <b>said</b>, <b>Bruce </b>fell silent. When he took over thepany, Stanford didn¡¯t care about his life or death at all. He struggled to get to where he was today. And why hadn¡¯t he helped his sister yet? if he hadn¡¯t helped, Silvia wouldn¡¯t know how long it would take to sort out those people, let alone clean up that group. That would take


    even more effort.


    Forget it. Since their whole family cares so much about Silvia¡¯s thoughts, they wouldn¡¯t pay too much attention to what their son does


    When the three of them finished dinner and came out, they met a group of reporters. The reporters <b>saw </b>Silvia extremely excited and rushed over. If it weren¡¯t for Stanford and the group of bodyguards around Silvia stopping the reporters<b>, </b>they would probably have to aim their cameras at them and take pictures.


    ¡°These reporters are really crazy, but will they delete these photos they took? Actually, I don¡¯t care about my data, but I think the child is still young. Doing this now, the news, it probably won¡¯t be good.¡±


    if it gets on


    Silvia had a terrible headache. She knew that with her current situation, news was amon urrence, so <b>she </b>had long since grown indifferent. But she just didn¡¯t want to Involer children in these maners. After all, Jimmy was still young. Exposing him to such things so early wouldn¡¯t be very friendly to him.


    Moreover, she didn¡¯t know what these peop/


    the inte would say about such a young child, so Silvia was more worried about this


    But Miles serned unusually can. ¡°I think if they really take pictures, they¡¯ll subconsciously delete Jimmy. After all, they don¡¯t want <b>a </b>third wheel¡±Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Hearing this, Jimmy posted on the side. Why was he the third wheel?

 Chapter 203

    Chapter 203 InterrogationAll content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    The next day at work, Sylvia learned that the news of her following Miles yesterday had already spread.


    Although most of the news had been intercepted, Miles realized that some of it had already been leaked before being intercepted. So, whatever they did was already a bit toote. However, these news didn¡¯t have much impact on Syha. Regardless of how much these rumors spread online, they <b>didn¡¯t </b>affect her. She went about her work as usual. The only inconvenience was that there were paparazzi almost every time she went out.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite interesting, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯re not even from the entertainment industry. A celebrity just goes out for a meeting, yet these people keep hovering <b>around </b>you,¡± Juliet said, ncing outside. Last time when Sylvia and Miles went out together, she didn¡¯t join them because of workmitments. Later, when she saw Sylvia and Miles leaving together, <b>she </b>thought they were going out alone.


    After contacting others, she found out that they went out together after the mountain climbing activity. Sylvia¡¯s energy was indeed impressive. Even in such circumstances, she could still go out


    ¡°They¡¯ve been hovering around me for quite some time, so it¡¯s not really surprising anymore. But you seem to be very curious about these things,¡± Sylvia remarked.


    ¡°How could I not be curious? Miles seems like a nice guy. Even though I realized something was off that day and wanted to get some information, I knew Miles had already taken care of it beforehand. We saved a lot of trouble,¡± Juliet replied,


    If Miles hadn¡¯t taken care of those things beforehand, they would have been in trouble by the time they found our


    Of course, the enthusiasm of these online people couldn¡¯t be stopped. <b>They </b>all wanted to know what the rtionship between Sylvia and Miles was. After all, Sylvia had divorced Cyril not long ago, and suddenly there was another person around her. How could they not be curious?


    ¡°But I am curious. What¡¯s the situation between you and Miles? Why were you together at that meeting, and he even brought his son? Do you really intend to steal someone¡¯s ount? I <b>don¡¯t </b>care what he thinks, but I think we should focus on our <b>career </b>now. You need to take over thepany. Your brother¡¯s goal is for you to take over the entirepany within two years.¡±


    Taking over the entirepany meant a lot of work. It meant that for the next two years, Sylvia would probably have to work tirelessly before she could fully control thepany. After all, when Bruce took control of thepany, it took several years. Even though someone paved the way for her now, Sylvia would still have to work very hard for two years.


    Sylvia nodded. She knew her brother¡¯s n very well. As for the situation between her and Miles, it seemed like no matter how she exined it, nobody believed her, so she didn¡¯t bother exining. Anyway, even if she didn¡¯t exin, those who believed in her would still believe in her.


    ¡°There¡¯s a party tonight, and I¡¯ll go with you. But there might be a small problem. The people we¡¯re dealing with at this party are quite difficult, especially at the dinner table. They don¡¯t listen to reason. Be careful then. I¡¯ve also arranged nwo bodyguards for you. If it¡¯s really not working out, <b>let¡¯s </b>just tear up the agreement¡±


    Juliet was a little worried. If it were any other matter, it would be okay, but if Sylvia were to be harmed this time, it would be really bad.


    ¡°Oh, I see. Anyway, your arrangements are fine. Whatever you arrange, I¡¯ll follow,<b>¡± </b>Sylvia said.


    Syria didn¡¯t think there would be any major problems with these matters. After all, Juliet had arranged everything for her. When they arrived downstairs at thepany, they saw another car parked there. It was Cyril¡¯s car


    Ignoring it, they were about to go in when they were stopped.


    ¡°Do you have time? I want to talk to you properly. I know we have no rtionship now, but I still want to sit down and talk, shouldn¡¯t be a big problem, right?¡± Cyril said. Syhtaughed when she heard Cyril¡¯s words, Even if she had time, she didn¡¯t want to talk to <b>Cyril</b>.


    Moreover, wasn¡¯t there a big problem with their previous rtionship?


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything to talk about between us. And as for our previous rtionship, what rtionship do we have? What are you pretending to be emotional for?¡± Sylvia¡¯s words embarrassed Cyril, as he knew Sybia wouldn¡¯t give him any face.


    ¡°The things between you and Milles have caused quite a stir. Do you know the impact of doing this? Although I don¡¯t <b>know </b>how you got this job, I still hope you can live your life well Don¡¯t <b>get </b>involved with Irrelevant people anymore,¡± Cyrill <b>said</b>.


    Sylvia found Cyril¡¯s words amusing. Where did he get the face <b>to </b>say these things to her? Didn¡¯t he know what their rtionship was like before? Did he need toe here <b>and </b>say these things to her<b>?</b>


    ¡°Since you think everything I have now hase through illegitimate means, what¡¯s the point of saying these things to me now? I¡¯ll be with whoever I want to be with. What¡¯s it to you? Besides, who are you to me? What are you doing here talking to me? Don¡¯t you find yourself disgusting?¡± Sylvia rolled her eyes and pushed Cyril aside. With Juliet, she walked into the building, leming Cyril behind. What¡¯s wrong with him? He came here early in the noming, saying these things to her. Is his brain not working properly?


    ¡°I heardst time be banned Karena, saying she¡¯s gonepletely crazy. What is he thinking? Clearly, he was very affectionate towards Karena before, but now he¡¯s turned his back on her.¡±

 Chapter 204

    Chapter 204 Banquet


    Isn¡¯t that right? Back then, how good he was to Karena, all these people saw it. But now, Karena says she¡¯s been banned<b>, </b>and it¡¯s all over. <b>The </b>new and naive, pushing someone to the brink, it¡¯s no wonder. Actually, he¡¯s not a good or kind person either. Yet, here he is, full of sorrow,ing to Sylvia and saying so many things.


    Honestly, it¡¯s quite surprising to see. Is he really capable <b>of </b>doing such things?


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother about him. He thinks he¡¯s angry now and all the things he¡¯s doing supposedly for me are just to satisfy himself. Let¡¯s just pretend we didn¡¯t see him. But <b>today¡¯s </b>headlines will probably be quite lively again. ¡±


    Although Cyril¡¯s actions did move him somewhat, Sylvia was still quite troubled by the trouble he brought aftering to seek sce.


    <b>So</b>, after discussing these matters with pallet, Sylvia immediately instructed her assistant to suppress all information about him and Cyril for today. If <b>anyone </b>dared to leak it, they would be in trouble.


    After handling this matter, Sylvia and Juliet immersed themselves in today¡¯s work. It wasn¡¯t until the afternoon that Sylvia finally stopped.


    ¡°Your brother won¡¯t be joining us for the afternoon party today. We need to leave together,¡± Juliet said as she came to find Syha early. They needed to change clothes before going out since it was quite an important asion. Sylvia was already prepared, so they could leave whenever. After packing their things, they left.


    Both of them changed into dresses before heading to the venue of the banquet.


    It must be said that there were quite a lot of people at the banquet today. Sylvia quickly found them and the <b>person </b>they were supposed to talk to. As she walked over, she noticed that the other person¡¯s eyes were extremely ally when he saw her. Sylvia lonew that today¡¯s banquet probably wouldn¡¯t go smoothly.


    ¡°This guy is famous in the circle for being a pervert. He doesn¡¯t even know your identity. If he really does something out of line today, you don¡¯t want to give him face. We don¡¯t have to seal the deal today, but we¡¯ve been set up this time, so we have toe¡±


    Juliet whispered in Sylvia¡¯s ear. They were indeed set up this time, and it seemed that someone among the shareholders didn¡¯t like Sylvia, so they deliberately left this trap. If they had known earlier, they wouldn¡¯t havee here to talk Unfortunately, it was toote now.


    Understanding Juliet¡¯s implication, Sylvia and Juliet went straight to greet the person. The other party didn¡¯t know Sylvia¡¯s identity but thought she was a woman close to Bruce, the shadowy woman. In such <b>a </b>situation, the man¡¯s gaze towards Sylvia was particrly disgusting. Sylvin wore an impable smile on her face, but when she noticed the <b>man¡¯s </b>gaze, her eyebrows couldn¡¯t help but twitch.


    ¡°Although Theard that Bruce is not interested in women, I didn¡¯t expect the women around him to be so¡­. Intriguing. Both you and Juliet really shine,¡± the man said, his gaze bing even morescivious. Why did he dare to speak like this to her? It was probably because of Juliet¡¯s status that he didn¡¯t dare to offend her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve <b>also </b>heard that your wife is someone you can¡¯t afford to offend, <b>so </b>you¡¯ve been very obedient recently. But it seems that the rumors outside are a bit off, aren¡¯t they? Sylvia¡¯s words instantly made the man¡¯s expression extremely ugly. Although many people knew that he was afraid of his wife, not many dared to say such things to his face because they often mocked him behind his hack.


    Now, hearing Sylvia say this, his face became extremely ugly.


    ¡°So, you don¡¯t even know why you¡¯re here today. How dare you talk to me like this? Aren¡¯t you afraid that if we don¡¯t reach a cooperation today, the people in yourpany won¡¯t let you off?¡± The man¡¯s tone became threatening


    Hearing the man¡¯s insinuations, Sylviaughed directly. Was he joking? Who was ying whom among the people in thepany? <b>And </b>what did it have to do with this man they couldn¡¯t reach a deal today?


    ¡°Then I¡¯m sorry. If we really can¡¯t reach a deal today, I¡¯m sure there won¡¯t be any problem on my end. But if you do something here today, and your wife finds out about it, then I¡¯m not sure,¡± Sy threatened lightly. Who wouldn¡¯t threaten others? Sylvia smiled lightly, causing the man¡¯s face to lose all its light.


    Sering this, Sybia felt that there was no need to continue socializing too much. She suddenly felt that it was meaningless. As she was preparing to leave, she suddenly saw someoneing from afar. This person was none other than a shareholder of thepany.


    Sering this person, Sylvia understood why she was talking to him today. It was probably because this shareholder deliberately set her up. Now that she¡¯se, if she doesn¡¯t give this shareholder the trouble he deserves, then hering here today would be in vain. Just as she <b>was </b>about to leave, she hesitated for a moment


    juliet still had other things to do, right? So she didn¡¯t follow Sylvia. Therefore, she didn¡¯t know what had happened on Sylvia¡¯s side, but she believed that with Syhta¡¯s character, <b>she </b>definitely wouldn¡¯t let herself be wrongedAll content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    Moreover, she <b>had </b>already told sylvia beforeing here how to handle things if something bad happened. So Sylvia must be able to handle these things well


    Therefore, she went about her own business confidently. When she saw the shareholder and then looked at Sylvia¡¯s expression, she knew that the shareholder was in for a rough


    today. But it didn¡¯t matter, anyway, that shareholder deserved it

 Chapter 205

    Chapter 205 Renclusion


    5


    1/T


    Chapter 205 Resolution


    That shareholder still didn¡¯t know what had happened exactly. He only <b>knew </b>Sylvia wasing today. Originally, he didn¡¯t want toe to this kind of banquet. But he thought about how he had tricked Sylvia intoing before, so he wanted to see how much trouble <b>Sylvia </b>would be in today. That¡¯s why he decided toe. As expected, many people recognized his identity, and when they saw him, they all wanted to chat with him, stroking his ego greatly.


    ¡°Sering you all here<b>, </b>I don¡¯t need to run anymore. I was worried I wouldn¡¯t find you today. <b>Oh </b>right, Sylvia, how¡¯s the cooperation you¡¯re supposed to talk about today? <b>The </bpany has high hopes for you. You must make this deal happen. Otherwise, even with Bruce, you might not be able to stay,¡± the man threatened as soon <b>as </b>he <b>opened </b>his mouth. Sylviaughed upon hearing this. Who was trying to intimidate whom?Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This deal definitely won¡¯t happen today, But Bruce won¡¯t trouble me. As for whether he¡¯ll trouble you, I¡¯m not sure. Oh, and you usually wouldn¡¯te to events like this. Today¡¯s sudden decision toe must be to see me embarrassed, right? But you¡¯re toote. The joke s¡¯already over. Also, next time youe to bother me, at least investigate properly. This is a guy alcaid of his wife. If his wife hears about what happened today, you won¡¯t be able to escape. Wow, you really aren¡¯t afraid to offend me. I might as well take away all the power you have,¡± Sylvia calmly replied. <b>These </b>people all wanted to scheme against her, but did they even have the ability to do so


    50?


    After Sylvia said this, both the shareholder and the man¡¯s faces turned extremely ugly. They didn¡¯t expect Sylvia to say such things. Sylvia¡¯s words clearly showed she wasn¡¯t afraid of <b>what </b>might happen today.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you¡¯d dare to tell Bruce about what happened here today. If he finds out, do you really think he¡¯ll keep you? Don¡¯t forget, you only got into thepany through some shady means. Now, if you make <b>him </b>unhappy, don¡¯t think about staying here anymore. I won¡¯t care how much effort you put in to enter thepany,¡± <b>the </b>man continued, trying to threaten Sylvia, Sylvia remained silent. She knew what these people said was true. Bruce might be the sole decision¨Cmaker in thepany, but many people still wanted to <b>pull </b>him down from that position, and they would resort to disgusting means. This had happened before.


    But with Bruce¡¯s current capabilities, removing someone¡¯s power was as easy as pie. Did these people ever think about what would happen if they got into trouble and Bruce decided to deal with them?


    ¡°If you think.¡±


    ¡°A group of people surrounding a woman here, using intimidation, doesn¡¯t seem right. Everyone knows the purpose of today¡¯s banquet. You brought people here, thinking Sylvia would be easy to manipte. But have you ever thought about whether she really is?¡±


    Just as Sylvia was about to <b>speak</b>, a voice interrupted her. She turned to see Cyriling over. Recently, she had seen Cyril much more often than before. Sylvia furrowed her brows slightly, not quite understanding <b>Cyril¡¯s </b><b>actions</b>. However, she didn¡¯t dwell on it too much. If Cyril wanted to do something, let him do it. It didn¡¯t concern her much..


    But what <b>Sylvia </b>couldn¡¯t ept was why he always said he was by her side. Did he think this would improve their rtionship? Wasn¡¯t that a bit unrealistic?


    Seeing Cyril approaching, the others restrained the expressions on their faces. Although they dared to yell at Sylvia, they didn¡¯t dare to treat Cyril like that. After all, they couldn¡¯t afford to offend Cyril


    <b>¡°</b>We didn¡¯t mean that. Actually, what we meant was¡­.


    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯ve seen plenty of you before. You just want to sell a woman and gain some benefits. A man has to rely on a woman for profit. Don¡¯t you think your actions are ridiculous?¡± Cyril, already used to such things in this circle, quickly saw through their intentions. He just hadn¡¯t expected to meet Sylvia here. Did Sylvia really understand the nature of this banquet beforeing? What if something really happened here<b>? </b>What should he do?


    Thinking of this, he felt a bit worried. Seeing <b>Sylvia¡¯s </b>expression, he hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to leave this ce.


    Pursing his lips, Cyril said to them, ¡°I can pretend I didn¡¯t see anything today and take these people away. But if you do anything dirty behind the scenes, I think Bruce¡¯s desk will be full of information about you tomorrow morning.¡±

 Chapter 206

    Chapter 206 Making Myself Miserable


    Beforeing <b>here</b>, you mentioned that you had thought about many things that could happen, such as being drugged at the wine table. But you never imagined you would be in trouble before even reaching the wine table.


    And it was Cyril who unexpectedly came to your rescue. You couldn¡¯t help feeling embarrassed about it. You could ept help from anyone, but <b>you </b>couldn¡¯t ept Cyril¡¯s help.


    ¡°Why are you <b>here </b>today? Cyril stopped in his tracks and turned to ask Sylvia directly. Her tone was somewhat unfriendly, which made Sylvia want tough. What does Cyril have to do with me? Who is he to meddle in my affairs?


    ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m here? Of course, I¡¯m here to discuss cooperation. How can¡¯t you see that? If you can¡¯t see it, I suggest you go to the hospital and get your eyes checked again,¡± Sylvia replied bluntly, her tone impatient. Cyril paused slightly after hearing this.


    Originally, he came forward to help Sy, not to make her feel any dicerent. The reason he did this was actually to let Sylvia see the true face of this banquet. But Sylvia¡¯s current attitude was unexpected.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why thepany sent you here, but do you know this banquet has always been about sending women to these unclean people? They use women to gain benefits. Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re doing well on your own? Why did you make yourself so miserable? Cyril looked at Sylvia with some concern, but even he didn¡¯t notice the sudden pang of distress in his eyes.


    In the years of marriage with Sylvia, although they both had different feelings about this marriage, he knew Sylvia was indeed a wronged woman. But he would never <b>let </b>Sylvia experience such things. If being with Bruce meant experiencing such things, why continue with it?


    ¡°You have better choices. Why do you have to be with Bruce? If Bruce really cared about you, he wouldn¡¯t let youe to these things. And Miles, do you know Miles will alsoe here today? He¡¯s not good for you either!¡± Cyril looked at Syhta, wanting to speak urgently. But seeing Sylvia¡¯s impatient expression, he hesitated. Why was Sylvia always so indifferent to him? This made him feel a sense of powerlessness. Obviously, he did all this for Syhia¡¯s good, but why did Sylvia¡¯s attitude make him feel like the distance between them was growing?


    ¡°I might have made a mistake, but you seem to feel very miserable today. That¡¯s just how you feel, but I don¡¯t feel miserable at all,¡± Sylvia interrupted Cyril¡¯s words, not wanting to continue the conversation with him.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Anyway, thank you very much for helping me out today, although I don¡¯t think it was necessary,¡± Sylvia added. Cyril looked at Sylvia <b>and </b>realized she really didn¡¯t care about these things, or even about what he said. Suddenly, he felt a little powerless. Clearly, he did all this for Sylvia¡¯s good, but Syhta¡¯s attitude made him feel like the distance between them was growing


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. I just.. Cyril tried to exin, <b>but </b>Sylvia interrupted him.


    *Enough, I think you¡¯ve said and done what you wanted to <b>today</b>. You¡¯ve always wanted us to meet and talk about recent things. I¡¯ve given you the chance now. I¡¯ve said what I had to say. There¡¯s nothing else to discuss,¡± Sylvia interrupted Cyril¡¯s words. Every time she met Cyril, she felt her mood would be very bad. This time was no exception.


    Cyril didn¡¯t speak anymore. Since every time <b>he </b><b>said </b>something, Sylvia would interrupt him, there was no need to continue talking


    ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    After waiting for a while and seeing that Cyril really had nothing more to <b>say</b>, Syria waved her hand. After today, there shouldn¡¯t be any reason for him to want to talk to her again. She went to the side and called Julie to let her know she hade out. Julie had been watching Sylvia bring taken away by Cyril just now, and she was stunned on the spot, not knowing what to say


    Then she immediately called Bruce to report the situation here. Bruce also had a puzzled expression. Now that Sylvia had taken the initiative to call, julle rushed over without hesitation, wanting to ask what was going on between Sylvia and Cyril, and why they ended up together again.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree when we left home? we should focus on our careers. Why are you getting <b>involved </b>with Cyril again? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re having second thoughts. I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m the first one to disagree! Julle eximed anxiously


    ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. I really didn¡¯t think Cyril would show up here today. Please <b>calm </b>down. There¡¯s no basis for what you¡¯re saying,¡± Sylvia replied, feeling a headaching on. Why did it feel like what Jolie was saying had happened <b>a </b>long time ago?


    Jelenbviously didn¡¯t believe Sylvia at first, after all, Sylvia had a history.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. I didn¡¯t know he would show up here today. He inexplicably pulled me over and said tonight¡¯s event was all about using women towork. But what does that have to do with me and him?¡±

 Chapter 207

    Chapter 207


    The two of them huddled together, feeling puzzled by Cyril¡¯s actions today, but they couldn¡¯t be bothered to think about it anymore.


    After finishing their tasks, they went their separate ways. After all, they still had a lot of work to do, and it wasn¡¯t worth wasting their time over such a small difference


    After several busy days, Bruce was about to go on a business trip again.


    <b>The </b>original n was for Juliette to apany him on this trip, but for some reason, on the day of departure, there <b>was </b>a sudden change, and Juliette took a week off, refusing to leave the house.


    At first, <b>Sylvia </b>didn¡¯t think anything was wrong until the third day when she suddenly <b>saw </b>a message from Juliette online.


    There was only a blue <b>sky </b>above, but the caption below was a crying emoji Seeing this expression and caption, Sylvia immediately realized that something was wrong, and she Immediately called Rate and the others to inform them. Kate and the others didn¡¯t know what had happened to Jullette, but when they saw the message she sent, they all looked puzzled


    So that night, they called Juliette out Juliette had been living aimlessly for the past few days, showing no intention of dressing up at home, looking extremely dispirited When they saw Juliette, they felt like they were seeing the wrong person. How could they have seen juliette in such a sorry state?


    When they saw each person¡¯s shocked expression, Juliette couldn¡¯t help but sigh. She didn¡¯t want this either, but what could she do? Secretly loving someone was really too painful


    ¡°Could it be because of my brother? He¡¯s gone abroad on a business trip, and originally, you were supposed to go with him. But somehow, it changed at thest minute, and he took someone else instead. That¡¯s not right. My brother always ns things in advance and never changes them. Your appearance has made me a little anxious.¡±


    Sylvia was just testing the waters because she knew that Juliette¡¯s change in mood over the years was rted to her brother, but what had happened between them? How could they change so much all of <b>a </b>sudden?


    Sylvia was puzzled, and not just her, even the others felt a bit awkward. Among them, it wasn¡¯t <b>a </b>secret that Juliette liked Bruce However, Juliette never said it to his face, and Bruce probably had no idea either.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    Originally, Juliette hadn¡¯t nned toe out today or tell them what had happened to her, but then she thought that she couldn¡¯t keep these things hidden for too long. Instead of waiting for them to findoutter and make things awkward, it would be better to rity things now,


    ¡°I was supposed to go on the business trip with him, but I <b>drank </b>a little too much before he left, and then I confessed to him. You should have noticed that Bruce never had thoughts about me. So when I confessed to him, he rejected me without hesitation. <b>Or </b>should say, he didn¡¯t reject me, I didn¡¯t say anything, he just said that I hadn¡¯t figured


    any


    things out yet, so he asked me to think it through before saying anything. Then he took someone else on the trip with him. He said it himself, isn¡¯t that a rejection? So what else is there for me to say?


    After saying this, everyone was shocked because they never thought it was because of this. They looked at each other, at a loss for words for a moment.


    They had known for a long time that Juliette liked Bruce, but it had been so many years, and Juliette hadn¡¯t said a word or shown any signs. So they thought that maybe nothing had really happened. But when Juliette said this, they realized that they had born <b>too </b>nave


    ¡°Sex you got d


    t drunk this time and made a mess of things. But I don¡¯t think my brother meant to reject you. Maybe he was just surprised and really wanted you to think it over. Maybe you¡¯re overthinking it a bit. It shouldn¡¯t be thatplicated.¡±


    Sylvia thought that her brother was indeed capable of doing such things. He wouldn¡¯t directly reject Juliette, especially <b>after </b>so many years of knowing each other. But to say that he rejected juliette seemed a bit off. However, Syria couldn¡¯t quite figure out what was missing.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t it thatplicated? Don¡¯t you know my brother? If he doesn¡¯t like someone, how could he keep going around in circles with you? He just doesn¡¯t like me, so he transferred me away and didn¡¯t let me go on the trip with him. I¡¯ve known for a long time that he doesn¡¯t like me, so this confession was just my wish. I knew a long time ago that there was no chance between us. Well, that¡¯s it. I¡¯ve decided to hand over all my work in a few days and go home. My mom called me a few days ago and said that I can¡¯t keep fooling around like this, so I¡¯m thinking of getting married.¡±


    Juliette¡¯s indifferent attitude shocked everyone. They gasped, some looking incredulously at Juliette. Could such words reallye out of Juliette¡¯s mouth?


    In the beginning, Juliette <b>didn¡¯t </b>want an arranged marriage in her family, so she came to Ivan Group to work <b>as </b>Bruce¡¯s assistant. <b>Now</b>, she wanted to go back for an arranged marriage because of Bruce. To be honest, it was very difficult for anyone to ept.


    er all these years of knowing each other, and I really


    ¡°How about you think about it again? I¡¯ll call my brother and see what he thinks. I don¡¯t think my brother is that heartless. After all Think ¡±


    originally intending to deceive herself, Sylvia suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say when she thought about Bruce¡¯s attitude. There really wasn¡¯t much difference in how he treated them, mainly because Bruce treated them all like younger siblings, but since they were the same age as him, there wasn¡¯t really anything different in his thoughts.


    juliette smiled bitterly, em Sylvia didn¡¯t know what to say, so was it necessary for her to deceive herself here? It wasn¡¯t necessary at all. If he doesn¡¯t like me, he doesn¡¯t like me. I won¡¯t cling to him

 Chapter 208

    Chapter 208 Can¡¯t Let Go of You


    Juliette put on an indifferent front, but deep down, everyone knew she hadn¡¯t really moved on from this.


    She waved her hand with a smile and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me too much. It¡¯s just a man, no big deal. I did like him, but it might have been just youthful foolishness, and after all these years, I was just eager to get <b>an </b><b>answer</b>. Now that I have the answer, I have nothing to dwell on. You don¡¯t need to worry about me I¡¯m fine oh, I heard there¡¯s going to be an auction by the Woolood family in a while, Let¡¯s go check it out together¡±


    With the person involved speaking like this, what else could the others say? They could only nod, feeling <b>a </b>sense of regret in their hearts. Loving someone for so many years, to suddenly let go, how could one possibly move on?


    simr to Juliette¡¯s. So, over the years, they sympathized with each other and


    Sylvia understood this best. Just like how she had pursued Cyril for so many years, her feelings were si became the <b>best </b>of friends due to their shared secret.


    For <b>anyone</b>, choosing to let go was a very difficult decision. Sylvia understood this very well, so she understood where Juliette¡¯s sadness wasing from. She didn¡¯t say anything, just tightly held Juliette¡¯s hand. No matter what decision Juliette made, Sylvia would always stand by her side. Whether she liked it or not, it was ultimately a personall choice.


    ¡°If you¡¯ve really made up your mind like this, then we¡¯ll definitely be with you. After all, you¡¯re the most important to us. As for <b>Bruce¡¯s </b>side, Sylvia will have to worry about that.¡±


    Kate and Brenda directly expressed their attitudes. Duncan didn¡¯te today because they all felt Duncan was too unpredictable, so they didn¡¯t call him. In fact, their decision was quite right. Bringing Duncan here might have led to unpredictable consequences.


    ¡°I know I¡¯m the most important to you guys, so I told you about this. Well, my feelings for him have ended


    led anyway, so it¡¯s


    so it¡¯s time for me to <b>start </b>anew. I think it¡¯s fine. My mom sent me a photo this moming. I think the <b>guy </b>looks quite handsome Based on that, I think it¡¯s necessary to go on this blind date. How about we go together?


    When Juliette talked about handsome guys, her eyes lit up, leaving everyone unsure of what to say. But deep down, they felt relieved. If they could move on from this, it would be for the best. As for other matters, they could deal with themter. After all, they weren¡¯t particrly important.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going on a matchmaking date, you must bring us along. If the other person doesn¡¯t like you and likes one of us instead, where will we cry? Also, don¡¯t go causing trouble everywhere. You know about Sylvia¡¯s situation recently. She and Miles are making progress. Don¡¯t mess things up for them.¡±


    Kate butted twice. He didn¡¯t want to join in the fun. He wasn¡¯t at the age to get married yet, so he wanted to see what the other person was like. Watching the fun was fine, but getting involved wasn¡¯t something he would agree to.


    Upon hearing Kate¡¯s words, Sylvia was speechless. He had already said that he had nothing to do with Miles, so why didn¡¯t these people believe ham? Did his usual attitude really show that he cared so much about Miles? This made him a bit uncertain.


    ¡°<b>You¡¯re </b>always clinging onto Sylvia. If things don¡¯t go wellter, I want to see how and ward you¡¯ll be. Alright, let¡¯s not talk anymore. <b>Today</b>, I¡¯m going shopping. I have to dazzle at that auctionter. After all, this is my official debut to everyone. I can¡¯t afford to lose face.¡±


    When Juliette spoke, the others didn¡¯t say anything. They just obediently went out with her to pick clothes. The ces they frequented were all high¨Cend, so they didn¡¯t encounter any trouble along the way, leaving them all very satisfied


    After picking several outfits, Juliette felt much better, and everyone could sense her improved mood. It was just that the others felt a bit exhausted from following her around. ¡°Thad a great time shopping today. Thanks to all of you foring with me. So, to show my appreciation, I¡¯ve decided to treat you to drinks at the bar tonight¡±


    juliette¡¯s state didn¡¯t seem right, especially since she wanted to go to a bar. No one said anything, just apanied her. But when they arrived at the bar, they suddenly realized that today¡¯s n might not <b>have </b>been a good one.


    Because they ran into Cyril here, along with his buddies. Suddenly, they felt a bit embarrassed.


    Because nobody had forgotten what happened on the mountain that day, especially Cyril and Jonathan. They were the ones who lost the most face that day, besides Cyril.


    Jonathan didn¡¯t want to see Sylvia and his group, so when he saw Sylvia approaching, he just turned and lett


    ¡°We¡¯re all here for a gathering, and he still follows over. It seems this woman still has a ce in his heart. Since she¡¯s with you, he caused so much trouble on the mountain that day. I think he¡¯s a bit confused about his identity. Don¡¯t give him any good looks, or he won¡¯t even know who he is.¡±


    Jonathan said this as he left, <b>not </b>afraid of Sylvis hearing. In fact, he said it so Sylvia could hear


    When Syria and the others heard this, they rolled their eyes. Jonathan and Cyril seemed to be taking themselves too seriously.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t your bar, I¡¯lle if I want to. Saying 1st have him in my heart is the biggest insult to me. Also, have you been too idletely? Your wife wants a divorce, and you <b>don¡¯t </b>min care, <b>do </b><b>you</b>?¡±


    Everyone knew where it hurt, so they hurt each other. Who was afraid of whom?All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    Everyone knew about the recent trouble between Jonathan and his wide.

 Chapter 209

    Chapter 209 Gift for <b>You</b>


    Chapter 209 Gift for You


    Jonathan¡¯s face darkened when he heard these words. The fact that these people knew about his family affairs made him uneasy. If they brought it up openly now, he would truly


    <b>be </b>astonished.


    <b>¡°</b>Now you¡¯re unhappy? If you know you¡¯re unhappy, then keep your mouth shut. Do you have no sense of what to say and what not to say? What¡¯s going on in your head?¡±


    Juliet was not in a good mood today. Anyone who approached her received a couple of harsh words from her. Jonathan¡¯s face didn¡¯t look good, and he got his share of rebuke as well. Afterwards, he kept quiet, not daring to speak again. These people seemed to escte things with just a few <b>words</b>..


    Originally, Cyril had something to say to Sylvia<b>, </b>but with the situation escting, there wasn¡¯t much left to say. So, they all went <b>back </b>to their seats, but Cyril¡¯s gaze asionally


    fell on Syhria


    In the end, this situation didn¡¯tst long, mainly because Cyril kept staring at Sylvia, making everyone ufortable. Why was he staring at her like that? It was all in the past.


    Initially, after the encounter at the bar, Cyril might have tried to approach Sylvia again. Unexpectedly, for more than half a month until Bruce returned from his business trip, Cyril


    made no moves.


    However, in this month <b>and </b><b>a </b>half, Juliet did have some other actions. She handed in her resignation. When Bruce received this resignation, he didn¡¯t react much because he knew <b>Juliet¡¯s </b>background and knew she wouldn¡¯tst long in thepany anyway. So, het resignation didn¡¯t <b>surprise </b>him.


    There was no attempt to retain her, so Juliet left. She felt extremely <b>sad</b>. That evening, she attended the auction <b>in </b>splendid attire, looking exquisite <b>and </b>beautiful, causing everyone¡¯s eyes to linger on her.


    When Sylvia saw Juliet dressed like this<b>, </b>she nced at her brother subconsciously. However, she was a bit disappointed that her brother had no reaction, acting as if he hadn¡¯t


    noticed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think Juliet seems a bit


    seems a bit different today? Why are you so calm?¡± sylvia said, somewhat <b>puzzled</b>.


    Bruce, hearing Sylvia¡¯s words, nced at Juliet and nodded. ¡°She looks very beautiful <b>today</b>. After <b>all</b>, she¡¯s here to show her true identity, so her attire is understandable. What¡¯s wrong? Do you think she doesn¡¯t look good today?¡±


    Seeing Bruce¡¯s expression, Sylvia didn¡¯t know what to say Was this what he meant?


    ¡°Forget it, you never understand what I¡¯m trying to say. You¡¯ll end up lonely someday if you continue like this. I wonder who could tolerate your personality,¡± Sylvia said, feeling exasperated.


    Sylvia didn¡¯t bother to argue with Bruce anymore. She turned around to find Juliet, Juliet was busy talking to a few other people whom she had befriended. Since everyone knew Juliet¡¯s identity, they were quite happy chatting with her. When Sylvia walked over, Juliet and Sylvia lett to talk privately.


    Though they weren¡¯t sure about Sylvia¡¯s identity, they could guess that she was friends with Jebet. Her identity couldn¡¯t be that bad.


    ¡°oh, let me tell you, on my way here today, I ran into Cyril. He was dressed quite nicely. It seems he came for you. Did Milese today? If he did, maybe he <b>could </b>help you with something.¡± Juliet said.


    Sylvia hadn¡¯t encountered Cyril on her way here, so she didn¡¯t know about the situation Jullet mentioned.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we handle things ourselves? Do we really need Miles to solve everything? Besides, what does Cyril have to do <b>with </b>me now? You think too much<b>, </b><b>and </b>maybe he came today for other reasons. Besides, today¡¯s auction is quite substantial¡±


    Hearing Sylvia¡¯s words, Juliet stopped talking. She seemed a bit annoyed, as if she understood what Syhda meant.


    ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s not a big deal. I won¡¯t sit with you today. After all, I¡¯ve revealed my identity today and need to entertain others. By the way, when will you reveal your identity? Many people asked me about you today. Since they know they can¡¯t just approach you casually, they¡¯re curious. But if they find out you¡¯re the future heir of the Ivan tamily, will they be shocked?


    Juliet looked at Sylvia curiously. She was quite curious about what Sylvia would say. What would happen when Sylvia¡¯s identity was revealed, especially to Cyril, after knowing the gem be let go of?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. It¡¯s a matter for the future. Besides, people want to establish good rtionships with you now. Why do you keep dragging me into this? Anyway, let¡¯s stop here. I¡¯ll go up first. My dad really likes a vase today, so my brother and I must buy it for him.¡±


    Although Juliet had decided to let go of Bruce, she still felt very sad, especially when Bruce¡¯s wisdom was mentioned. She seemed a bit absent¨Cminded.


    Sylvia also realized she had said something wrong and looked nervously at Juliet, hoping her words wouldn¡¯t cause any reaction


    Juliet smiled, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. After all, I¡¯ve already decided to let go.¡±


    Hearing juler¡¯s words, <b>Sylvia </b><b>didn¡¯t </b>feel relieved. Instead, she became more worried. She felt things weren¡¯t as simple as they seemed.


    After talking for a while, when they were about to return to their seats, Cyril came over holding a booklet. Sylvia immediately recognized it as the booklet used for today¡¯s auction. She wondered why Cyril was holding it.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Take a look and see if there¡¯s anything you want. I want <b>to </b>give it to you.¡±


    Cyril¡¯s woods made Sylvia stop in her tracks, looking at him strangely. She thought Cyril might be seriously ill today, otherwise, why would he say such a thing?

 Chapter 210

    Chapter 210 Humiliation


    Sylvie and Juliet looked at each other, both silentlymunicating with their eyes, feeling that Cyril today was truly reaching the <b>peak </b>of absurdity.


    Sylvia nced at the auction booklet in his hand and calmly withdrew her gaze.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anything, and there¡¯s not much between us. So, you don¡¯t need to think about giving me anything. I don¡¯t need these things. If I need something, I have the capability to obtain it myself.¡±


    Sylvia wasn¡¯t lying. With her current wealth and status, it would be quite difficult for her not to be able to purchase anything here. She wasn¡¯t foolish enough to wait for gifts from others.


    Cyril remained silent, gazing at Sylvia.


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy for you toe bere either. I saw a ruby ne today that I thought would look great on you. So, I want to give it to you, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°I do mind very much, so please don¡¯t give me these things. I¡¯ll say it again, what I want, I can obtain through my own status and position, far better than you imagine.¡±


    Sylvia said this eamestly to Cyril, but she wondered if he believed her.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    In reality, Cyril didn¡¯t believe Syhda¡¯s words. He thought she was pretending to be strong. He didn¡¯t believe she didn¡¯t want these things. He really wanted to help her obtain them.


    ¡°Enough, Cyril. She doesn¡¯t want them. Why do you insist on giving them to her? After all, she¡¯s <b>already </b>the vice president of the Yuan Group. She doesn¡¯t need our things. If you give them to her now, she¡¯ll just see it as you hindering her rtionship with Bruce.¡±


    Jonathan, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, spoke, making his words <b>sound </b>irritating. They didn¡¯t know about the rtionship between him and Bruce, so they always thought their contact with Brace was for advancement. Sylvia had never bothered to exin. What was the point?


    Belief is belief, disbelief is disbelief. He never felt the need to exin to <b>these </b>people, because he no longer had any rtionship with them. What was the point of exining? It was better not to exin at all.


    Juliet rolled her eyes beside them.


    ¡°Are you guys crazy? Sylvia doesn¡¯t need it now<b>, </b>so why do you keep insisting? is it to impress Sylvia or to impress yourselves? When we got married, I didn¡¯t see you care so much about Sylvia. Howe now, when she¡¯s divorced, you suddenly remember her good qualities? Now you want to start making amends. Have you ever thought about what you¡¯ve done over the years? And let¡¯s not talk about other things. Can I just ask, can we be so presumptuous to give you things here? Do you take yourself so seriously?¡±


    Juliet¡¯s words sessfully silenced Jonathan because they only found out today about Juliet¡¯s other identity. Indeed, with Zhou Lian¡¯s identity, there was nothing difficult for her to obtain. Besides, these people, who had no idea of juliet¡¯s identity before, always assumed that anyone who could y with Sylvia wasn¡¯t of high status. They looked down on people, and only now did they realize how absurd their actions were


    ¡°Your presumption is quite impressive. Not only towards Bruce but even towards women, isn¡¯t it? <b>Why </b>do you still feel unsatisfied after getting Bruce? Do you need to find someone else to maintain your position? Syhda, you are even more disgusting than imagined. I thought tricking Cyril into marrying you was the most despicable thing you <b>could </b>do, but now you¡¯re even more detestable.¡±


    These words from Juliet were clearly meant to humiliate Sylvia. <b>But </b>Sylvia took it as if it didn¡¯t matter because she had heard too much humiliation over the years. If she took every word they said to heart, she would have died of anger long ago.


    Moreover, ultimately, it was because of Cyril¡¯s indulgence. If Cyril hadn¡¯t indulged in these things, how could they say such things in front of her?


    In the end, it was because Cyril didn¡¯t value her. <b>If </b>he valued her, these things wouldn¡¯t have happened today. In fact, even before, they wouldn¡¯t have happened.


    So, after hearing these words, Sylvia remained expressionless, <b>just </b>looking at Cyril. She wanted to see what Cyril¡¯s attitude towards these matters was. When she turned her head, she found Cyril¡¯s face was dark and unsightly. Both Juliet and Sylvia were stunned by his expression. It was as if they suddenly realized that something was wrong. Wasn¡¯t it <b>a </b>bit boote now?


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Do you always humiliate Sylvia like this? you clearly know that when I married Sylvia, I never considered divorce.¡±


    Cyril¡¯s face became exceptionally grim because he realized that the words Jonathan used to humiliate Sylvia today were words he had heard before. But back then, <b>he </b>didn¡¯t take them too seriously. But now, he realized that such humiting words had been sald many times before.


    Clearly, they knew that when they got married, they never thought about divorce, But they had never given themselves this face, let alone Sylvia in their eyes. Was Sylvia really so cheap? Of course, at this moment, she suddenly realized that they thought Sylvia was cheap because of her attitude. Before, it was because he didn¡¯t protect her properly. Now that he knew, he would protect Sylvia properly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be affectionate here. Who are you trying to impress with this act? Now that you know they¡¯re humiliating Syba, what were you doing before? Did you not know anything before? Enough, like you, who clearly knows these things, but doesn¡¯t want to intervene. Now you realize how wrong they are. Do you think you have no faults at all? What kind of man ignores his wife¡¯s feelings?¡±


    Juliet was really fed up. She kept highlighting her loving wife here. Didn¡¯t they find it disgusting? Even outsiders felt a bit intolerable.


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop <b>talking </b>about this. Don¡¯t we have other things to do today? Don¡¯t waste time on such trivial matters.¡±


    Seeing Juliet angry, Sylda gently patted her back, asking her not to be so angry. It wasn¡¯t worth getting upset over such trivial matters. <b>Sooner </b>orter, he would realize how wrong he was,


    Chapter 501


    Chapter 501

 Chapter 501

    Chapter 501


    Marve ended the call


    Approaching her, Mason asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°You and Bryce stay and meet some senior figures in the entertainment industry here. I have another matter to attend to, and I need to go now,¡± she exined.


    ¡°Bet can you just leave this event?¡±


    CLAY


    ncing over at Sergio, who was deep in conversation with Bryce, Maeve replied<b>, </b><b>¡°</b><b>I¡¯ll </b>slip away quietly.¡±


    linaway unnoticed.


    with that, she downed a ss of red wine, handed the empty ss to Mason, and deftly lifted her gown to slip away


    Mason wanted to call out to her, but she was too swift. In a blink, she vanished and reached the entrance of Brooks Estate.


    15 minutester, a sports car sped toward her. Maeve arrived at the estate¡¯s gates, where Lyra stepped out of the car hastily.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s with the sudden reconciliation?¡± <b>Lyta </b>questioned.


    ¡°<b>Yeah</b>, Maeve, did Sergio threaten you? Don¡¯t worry, he wouldn¡¯t dare touch you with Zion around,¡± Charlie chimed in


    Marve responded, ¡°He didn¡¯t threaten me. We <b>made </b>a deal,


    ¡°What kind of deal<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>


    ¡°I had an agreement with Sergio. We¡¯ve already signed the divorce papers, and now we¡¯re pretending to <b>be </b><b>a </b>loving couple to repair the Brooks family¡¯s image.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lyra eximed angrily, ¡°Sergio is quite something! He¡¯s ying his cards right, knowing the divorce is final and using you for his benefit¡±Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Charlie frowned. ¡°Maeve, have you thought about how you¡¯ll exin this to Zion?


    Charlie and Lyra had observed the bond between Mare and Zion, and it was clear they were a couple. However, now that Maeve agreed to publicly show affection for Sergio, Zion would dismantle the Brooks family if he were to findout.


    ¡°Thaven¡¯t figured out how to tell him, but it¡¯s my only chance to get a divorce.¡±


    Maeve knew Zion had discussed divorce with Sergio before, but Sergio would never back down. Both of them were powerful figures who wouldn¡¯t yield. She had to handle it her


    ¡°Hey! What¡¯s going on?¡±


    In the distance, guests were fleeing from Brooks Estate.


    Maeve and the others turned their attention to themotion, noticing guests streaming out of the estate, and the once well¨Clit estate had suddenly gone dark.


    Chaos erupted <b>at </b>Brooks Estate.


    Spotting Za rushing out, Maeve hurried over and grabbed her arm, demanding, ¡°<b>What¡¯s </b>going on?!


    ¡°Ms. Scott, you¡¯re here,¡± Za panted.


    ??


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    The estate was intact when Maeve lett. She wondered how things had gone awry so quickly.


    ¡°Somebody entered through the back door. It looks like a robbery!¡±


    <b>¡°</b>A robbery?¡±


    With Brooks Estate¡¯s state¨Cof¨Cthe¨Cart security, a robbery seemed impossible.


    Marve tried to approach to take <b>a </b>look but was restrained by Za. <b>¡°</b>Ms. Scott, it¡¯s d


    dangerous! You can¡¯t go there!¡±


    ¡°Where are Bryce and Mason? Are they out yet?¡± Maeve asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re <b>safe</b>, probably lost in the crowd. But Mr. Brooks and the others are still inside¡­


    Maeve stared at the entrance where guests had fled in droves. She moved to go in when Lyra pulled her back. ¡°Mavy, stop! With so many security guards at Brooks Estate<b>, </b>nothing could possibly happen.¡±

 Chapter 502

    Chapter 502


    ¡°How could there be robbers <b>at </b>Brooks Estate <b>out </b>of nowhere?


    Maeve was aware of the formidable security measures at Brooks Estate. Besides <b>the </b>20 security guards, there were numerous maids and bodyguards.


    with the presence of the Brooks family¡¯s memorial hall, the estate itself was fortified with state¨Cof¨Cthe¨Cart security doors at both front and back entrances, making it nearly impregnable.


    She wondered who this skilled intruder would be, to breach from the back door of Brooks Estate.


    ¡°The police should arrive soon. Let¡¯s not escte the chaos here, Mavy,e on, let¡¯s go,¡± urged Lyra, her voice tinged with fear as she grasped Maeve¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call the police. I¡¯m going in,¡± Marve replied, furrowing her brow


    ¡°Maeve, are you out of your <b>mind</b>?¡± Charlie eximed<b>, </b>staring at her in disbetet.


    Maeve nced toward the entrance of Brooks Estate. If her suspicions were correct, the intruder inside was exactly who she suspected.


    She buried to the entrance of Brooks Estate.


    The estate was nowy in disarray, cloaking in darkness.


    Suddenly, someone grabbed both of Maeve¡¯s arms in the darkness.


    ¡°Boss, we got a woman!¡±


    The voice of the henchman immediately drew the attention of a man lurking in the shadows. As soon as his gaze fell on Maeve, his brow furrowed.


    ¡°Let her go,¡± he ordered.


    ¡°Butboss-¡±


    ¡°I said let her go!¡±


    Though the voice was lowered, it was unmistakably famr to Marve. She knew exactly who stood before her.


    ¡°Mavy, run!¡± <b>Sergio¡¯s </b>voice, weak from his recent injury, echoed in the dark.


    Maeve approached cautiously in the darkness. Despite the mask, she easily recognized the man,


    ¡°Enough. The police will be here soon,¡± Maeve stated, her volor low.


    The man stiffened visibly.


    She lifted her gaze and continued, ¡°You¡¯ve beaten them and vented your anger. Isn¡¯t it time to leave?¡±


    Her words were uttered softly, intended solely for their ears.


    There was a moment of silence from across before the henchman finally spoke up, ¡°Boss, we¡¯ve taken control of the entire Brooks Estate. I¡¯ll take care of Sergio Brooks and settle the score for you!


    The sound of a crisp p rang out as the man¡¯s hand strock the face of the henchman. He quickly protested, ¡°<b>Boss</b>!¡±


    ¡°Leave,¡±manded Zion, his voice low and authoritative, brooking no resistance.


    ¡°Do I need to repeat myself?¡±


    Zion¡¯s disinterest in continuing the conversation was palpable. He walked out of the estate, leaving the others with no choice but to release the security guards and maids they had restrained. Soon, they all exited through the estate¡¯s entrance.


    Marve held her breath and instructed, ¡°Restore the power.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m on it!¡± Larry eximed, ensuring safety before rushing to the electrical room on the first floor


    Soon enough, lights flickered back to life throughout Brooks Estate.


    Sergioy slumped on a couch in the hall<b>, </b>blooding profusely from a stab wound to his abdomen, his face pale.


    ¡°What are <b>you </b>waiting for? Get the <b>first </b>aid kit and call us!¡±


    The people in the <b>hall </b>snapped out of their shock at themand. Some rushed to fetch the firstaid kit, while <b>others </b>dialed emergency services.


    Approaching Sergio, Maeve assessed his <b>injury</b>. The de was embedded in his left abdom<b>, </b>but fortunately, it was not withdrawn, or he might not havested until the ambnce arrived


    ¡°Hang in there. We can¡¯t remove the de now. I¡¯ll apply for <b>a </b>hemostatic agent. We¡¯ll wait for the ambnce and the paramedics. ¡°She reassured him.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Sergio¡¯s gaze fixed on Maeve¡¯s profile. He managed <b>a </b><b>smile</b>, saying, ¡°Alright, trust you


    <b>¡°</b><b>The </b>first aid kit¡¯s here!¡± said a maid, cing the kit in front of Mave.


    Lyra and <b>Charlie </b>arrived just <b>in </b>time, witnessing the chaotic scene and the aftermath of the robbery. They new exactly who was the culprit behind it, Furrowing ber brows, Lyra suggested, ¡°Take my car. Who knows when the ambnce will arrive.¡±

 Chapter 503

    Chapter 503


    ¡°Alright,¡± Maeve agreed.


    She directed the security team to transfer Sergio into <b>Lyra¡¯s </b>waiting <b>car </b>outside the gate.


    At <b>the </b>hospital, doctors swiftly <b>began </b>emergency treatment on Sergio.


    Lyra sat beside Maeve in the corridor, offering reassurance. ¡°Everything will be fine. The doctor said <b>it¡¯s </b><b>not </b>life¨Cthreatening.¡±


    ¡°But excessive bleeding could still be fatal.¡± Maeve rubbed her forehead and inquired, ¡°Where¡¯s Charlie?¡±


    ¡°He.. He had something to attend to,¡± Lyra replied.


    ¡°To <b>see </b>Zion, isn¡¯t it?¡± Maeve asked.


    They knew it well that the intruder at Brooks Estate today was none other than Zion. His reckless actions seemed impulsive, and while the stab wound hadn¡¯t been fatal, the situation was precarious


    ¡°Who is the family member of Sergio Brooks?¡± loctor emerged from the operating room, questioning. ¡°We need someone to sign the admission papers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Maeve stepped forward to sign the necessary documents and asked, ¡°When will he regain consciousness?


    The doctor exined, ¡°The anesthesia hasn¡¯tpletely worn off. It may bete tonight.¡±All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°<b>Alright</b>, I¡¯ll stay with him in the meantime.¡±


    ¡°<b>Mavy</b>!¡± Lyra looked at Maeve, her expression filled with concem.


    Turning to face her, Maeve spoke <b>firmly</b>, ¡°Let Charlie handle Zion. I¡¯ll return once Sergio¡¯s condition stabilizes.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>But¡­¡± Lyra hesitated


    They knew Zion¡¯s temperament very well. His brazen intrusion at Brooks <b>Estate </b>spoke volumes about his anger. This wouldn¡¯t be smoothed over easily, even with Charlie and Zion¡¯s long¨Cstanding rtionship


    ¡°When you return and meet Charlie, let him know that Zion¡¯s Impulsive actions could leave behind a trail of evidence. He must <b>handle </b>it. It won¡¯t end well for <b>Zion </b>if the police get involved.¡±


    Lyra nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll talk to him as soon as I return.


    Maeve fell silent.


    Just then, Sergio, who had been in the operating theater, was sent to the ward


    When Larry hurried over, he found Maeve keeping watch by Sergio¡¯s side. ¡°Ms. Scott


    Maeve interjected, ¡°Larry, did you see the robber¡¯s face?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Larry replied with a shake of his head. The Brooks family had umted numerous adversaries, but this was the first breach of their estate


    Maeve nced at Larry, her expression questioning. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call the police immediately?¡±


    In such critical situation, Larry¡¯s typically sharp instincts would have prompted him to alert the authorities immediately. Yet, neither the police had arrived nor responded to his attempts to contact them.


    She had prevented Lyra and Charlie from calling the police because she knew Zion was behind it, but the Brooks family could never know the intruder¡¯s identity.


    Larry responded, ¡°Mr. Brooks instructed me not to. I simply follow his orders.¡±


    He appeared perplexed, unaware of Sergio¡¯s intentions


    Maeve furrowed her brows, a faint chuckle escaping her lips. It was just as she had suspected


    ¡°You stay here and keep an eye on Mr. Brooks I leave for now!!


    Larry hurriedly questioned, ¡°Ms. Scott, aren¡¯t you going to stay with Mr, Brooks?¡±

 Chapter 504

    Chapter 504


    Marve nced at the unconscious Sergio lying on the bed and replied faintly, ¡°No, I¡¯ll return when he¡¯s feeling better.¡±


    With that, she briskly exited the ward without turning back


    At that moment, Sergio, who was lying <b>on </b>the bed, opened his eyes. It surprised Larry who was standing nearby.


    ¡°Mr. Brooks? Are you¡­¡±


    ¡°Help me <b>up</b>.¡± Sergio¡¯s voice was hoarse.


    Larry hurriedly assisted Sergio to sit up, his concern evident as he asked, ¡°Mr. Brooks, are you using this injury as <b>a </b>tactic?¡±


    Sergio stayed silent.


    He had sensed something amiss earlier when the security rms went off. The intruder could only be Zion, given his capability. When the henchman lunged forward with the de, Sergio could have easily dodged it. However, he took the blow head¨C<b>on </b>He wanted to gauge if Maeve would <b>be </b>concerned and sorrowful for him.


    A bitter, resigned smile crossed his face as he uttered<b>, </b>¡°Larry, perhaps she still cares


    s for me¡±


    ¡°Mr. Brooks.¡± Larry hesitated, then continued, ¡°Ms. Scott used to care deeply for you. She must be worried now that you¡¯re injured.¡±


    ¡°Is she worried?¡± Sergio murmured, ¡°If she were, she wouldn¡¯t have left.¡±


    Despite being awake, Sergio¡¯s face remained pale with the injury,


    <b>Marve</b>, perceptive as ever, must <b>have </b>picked up on clues from her conversation with Larry and decided to depart.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired. Arrange for my discharge,¡± Sergio instructed.


    ¡°But, Mr. Brooks.¡±


    ¡°Do as I say,¡± hemanded.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    In the hospital corridor<b>, </b>as Maeve prepared to enter the elevator, a figure emerged from the shadows and grabbed her arm.


    She frowned, and before she could speak, the person pressed her against the hospital walk


    ¡°Zion.¡± Maeve asked in a soft voice, ¡°Is that you?¡±


    The figure tensed, clearly surprised by Maeve¡¯s deduction


    In the dim light, Zion finally removed his maskPublished by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    Seeing his face, Maeve¡¯s anger red ¡°Who gave you permission to cause a scene in the hospital?


    As she finished speaking, Maeve pushed his hand a


    1 away


    Sensing her anger, Zion nervously hugged Marve, his voice low and hoarse with emotion. ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not angry. Mr. Spencer<b>, </b>you can do as you please. How could I possibly be angry?¡± she snapped.


    Zion straightened up at Marve¡¯s words<b>, </b>his eyes betrayed a hint of loneliness. ¡°I¨CI¡¯m not good at making women happy. What can I do to make you feel better?


    ¡°Tell me, or you can hit me to vent your anger. If you¡¯re upset about the stab on Sergio, Lcan let him stab me back.¡±


    Chapter 505

 Chapter 505

    Chapter <b>505</b>


    ¡°What are you talking about? Maeve countered<b>, </b>angrily punching Zion¡¯s chest.


    <b>Zion </b>was never a reckless person<b>, </b>but <b>his </b>actions earlier werepletely irrational. The real reason <b>that </b>triggered him was Maeve¡¯s and Sergio¡¯s public announcement <b>of </b>their remarriage.


    Turning away in frustration, Marve retorted, ¡°I¡¯m upset because you don¡¯t trust me, and you acted like a child¡±


    Zion replied in a low voice, ¡°Tacted like a child because of you.¡±


    Reflecting on the night, Zion realized how absurd his actions <b>had </b>been.


    He knew Marve wouldn¡¯t return to Sergio for his mere words, and it was all a show for the media. Yet, he couldn¡¯t stop himself from storming in with his men.


    ¡°Did you consider what would happen if you left evidence? You promised me you wouldn¡¯t do anything dangerous again,¡± Marve added.


    The men Zion had brought along today were a group of desperadoes who used to work for him, and she had never seen them before.


    In her previous life, Maeve knew Zion had another reason foring to Seathburn City. His target was always Serglo. Though she was unsure of Zion¡¯s exact purpose, one thing was clear: Zion aimed to be Seathburn Cry¡¯s overlord, with Sergio as his main obstacle.


    However, to her surprise, despite the things happening in this life and the disruption of future events, Zion¡¯s goal remained unchanged, and he still harbored such a terrifying force by his side. If any of these men were caught, Zion would face irreparable consequences.


    Maeve didn¡¯t dare to think too far ahead. She looked <b>at </b>Zion, sently urging for his exnation


    Zion remained quiet, prompting Maeve to inquire pointedly, ¡°You have other matters to attend to in Seathburn City, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°<b>Y</b><b>¨C</b>Yes<b>¡±</b>


    ¡°You¡¯ve already established dominance overseas, yet you¡¯re here in Seathburn City to expand. Conner has everything he desires in Lentimas City, but he set his sights here years ago <b>as </b><b>well</b>. What exactly does this city offer? Wealth or status?¡±


    Marve¡¯s questions hung in the air, leaving Zion speechless.


    ¡°Since you have no intention to exin, I won¡¯t press further. I have no desire <b>to </b>dominate this city as you all do. <b>I¡¯m </b>simply seeking a peaceful life for myself and the Scott family, and to protect my father¡¯s legacy¡±


    Her tone chilled as she continued, ¡°Being with you brings too many unknown dangers. Perhaps¡­ It¡¯s best if we break up¡±


    Zion¡¯s grip on her arm tightened with the revtion. ¡°Give me some time, I¡¯ll sort this our


    ¡°I¡¯ve given you plenty of time, Zion. Remember when you assured me you¡¯d cut ties with your dangerous past and promised a stable future? You¡¯ve broken that promise¡± Maeve¡¯s expression remained calm. Having lived through a second chance at life, she was clear about her desires, and 25on couldn¡¯t fulfill them.


    Feeling utterly drained, she stepped into the elevator.


    Just then, her phone rang with an unknown caller ID.


    After a brief hesitation, Maeve answered, greeted by Levi¡¯s voice on the other end. ¡°Look to your left once you exit the hospital¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    Intrigued, she walked out of the elevator and made her way toward the hospital entrance.


    True to Levi¡¯s word, <b>a </b>sleek ck Maybach awaited on the left. The rear window glided down, revealing Levi¡¯s pale, bloodless face.


    ¡°How many phone numbers do you have, Mr. Hackett?¡± She couldn¡¯t remember how many of his contacts she had saved.


    Levi offered a faint smile and spoke in his usual gentle and elegant tone, ¡°Get in.¡±


    Maeve took a deep breath before getting into his car.


    The streets were quiet in thete hour.


    Gazing out the window, Marve said, ¡°Just drop me off at the entrance to my apartment.¡±

 Chapter 506

    Chapter 506


    ¡°I¡¯m not here to <b>drop </b>you home.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    It was only then that Marve btedly realized she had boarded Levi¡¯s car without knowing their destination.


    Levi instructed the driver, Alex Smith, nonchntly, <b>¡°</b>Alex, pull over.¡±


    ¡°Yes, <b>sir</b><b>.</b>¡±


    Alex stopped the car at the side


    ide of the road. The night air was cold, and Maeve sneezed as she stepped out


    Levi book off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.


    ¡°Follow me inside,¡± he <b>said</b>.


    Before them stood an unassuming vi, nestled in one of the city¡¯s most exclusive neighborhoods. Each property in this area held immense value, and only the extremely wealthy or influential could live there. However, it appeared rarely upied


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to own such a distinctive house here, Mr. Hackett,¡± Maeve remarked.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t mine,¡± Levi replied casually


    Before Maeve <b>could </b>react, he pulled out a key. He coughed softly a few times, looking sightly unwell, and proceeded to open the <b>vi¡¯s </b>door.


    Maeve stepped forward, asking, ¡°Why would you have the key if this isn¡¯t yours?¡±


    ¡°A friend gave it to me.¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    There were few people in Seathburn City whom Levi would call friends. Maeve¡¯s mind immediately turned to Zion.


    Levi swung open the door<b>, </b>and Maeve followed him inside


    The vi appeared in from the outside but was exquisitely decorated inside, with a timeless elegance.


    As Levi flicked on the lights, Marve took in her surroundings, mating the pristine condition that suggested regr maintenance. It <b>was </b>clear this wasn¡¯t Levi¡¯s first visit here.


    ¡°I have people clean it regrly,¡± Levi remarked, observing Maeve¡¯s curiosity. ¡°It¡¯s been kept just as it was.¡±


    ¡°Did Zion used to live here?¡± she asked.


    Zion had never mentioned this ce to her. On the yacht, he had hinted at fragments of his past, but she knew very little.


    Levi motioned for her to sit on the couch in the living room. There, she noticed a wedding photograph hanging on the wall.


    It depicted a beautiful pregnant woman with <b>a </b>gentle smile, standing beside Bryan Spencer, thete eldest son of the Spencer family and its former patriarch


    ¡°This ¡±


    ¡°This was Mr. and Mrs. Spencer¡¯s wedding house,¡± Levi said, his voice tinged with nostalgia


    Though he had been young at the time, he vividly remembered the genuine love between the couple. Unlike the superficial disys often seen in business circles, Bryan¡¯s affectionate gade toward Christine was unmistakably sincere,


    He continued, ¡°The Spencer family originally stemmed from military origins, tracing back to Mr. Spencer Senior¡¯s generation. With the onset of peace, they gradually shifted from the center of power tomerce in Seathburn City<b>, </b>ultimately bing the renowned Spencer family we know today.¡±


    ¡°I know that, but what I don¡¯t understand is why Zion had to suffer overseas and why didn¡¯t the Spencers bring him back even if they had the means?¡± Maeve inquired.


    With the Spencer family¡¯s vast influence, finding their only heir, Zion, should <b>have </b>been easy.


    ¡°Mr. and Mrs. <b>Spencer </b>died in a meticulously nned car ident. Does that ring any bells for you, Ms. Scott?¡±


    ¡°A car ident<b>?</b>¡±


    Maeve¡¯s thoughts raced to her own parents¡® fatal car crash, a chill running down her spine. ¡°What do you mean<b>?</b>¡±

 Chapter 507

    Chapter 507


    Maeve hadn¡¯t revisited the memory of that car ident¨Cthe one that left her an orphan at a young age¨Cfor years. She had always believed it was simply a tragic ident.


    Now, seated across from her, Levi suggested it might have been a meticulously nned conspiracy.


    ¡°It was a fa?ade for Zion¡¯s parents to die in <b>the </b>car crash,¡± Levi exined.


    ¡°Mrs. Spencer, pregnant at the time, survived. In order to keep her sate and hidden, Mr. Spencer Senior sent her abroad<b>, </b>and Zion was born shortly after.¡±


    Rumors had always painted Christine as a mistress kept secret by Bryan, depicted <b>as </b><b>a </b>limatic harboring a grudge and instilled in Zion a desire for revenge against the Spencers.


    However, Zion himself had confirmed these ims as mere public fabrications Christine was not a mistress but Bryan¡¯swful wife, the rightful Mrs. Spencer.


    ¡°Tell me, who wanted his parents dead? And how are my parents connected to all this?¡± Maeve asked urgently. She was desperate to seek an answer for the tragedy back then.


    <b>Levi </b>toyed with <b>a </b>ring on his finger, responding, ¡°In the generation before Mr. Spencer Senior, several prominent families <b>guarded </b>a secret in Seathburn City. These families included the Hacketts, the Spencers, the Fosters, and¡­the Scotts.¡±


    Marie¡¯s gaze shot up, stunned at the unexpected mention <b>of </b>her family.


    He continued faintly, ¡°The Spencers, with their military backgrounds, held crucial information. While your family, the Scotts, were with respectable schrly heritage. <b>Your </b>marriage into the Brooks family was partly because they valued the Scotts long¨Cstanding influence in Seathbu City


    ¡°Though the Scott family has declined in recent years<b>, </b>as the heiress, you should be aware of your family¡¯s former glory.¡±


    Maeve did remember the Scotts <b>past </b>prominence. Back then, Scott Manor had <b>a </b>memorial <b>hall </b>that Patrick would ahays take her to visit, and every Christmas, they would return


    to Scott Estate.


    Nheless, she hadn¡¯t visited the Scott Estate ever since Patrick¡¯s death.


    ¡°I want to know.. What is the secret of Seachbum City?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Zion wanted to keep you out of it, which is why he kept silent,¡± Levi exined. ¡°Don¡¯t me him for withholding information. That group can be a lifeline in a crisis.¡±


    ¡°<b>So</b>, you¡¯re here to speak on Zion¡¯s behalf?¡± Marve pressed on.


    ¡°I just hope you won¡¯t do something you¡¯ll regret,¡± Levi said calmly


    Maeve pursed her lips together.


    He continued, ¡°I can see <b>you </b><b>care </b>deeply for Zion. He would sacrifice everything for your safety. Can you, in return, pretend not to know anything and embrace the happiness that¡¯s yours?¡±


    His words resonated with Marve, and she forced herself to stay calm.


    ¡°So <b>how </b>did my parents really die? Are the people who killed Zion¡¯s parents the same ones responsible for my parents¡® deaths?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Levi responded.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    She probed, ¡°<b>You </b><b>don¡¯t</b>?¡±

 Chapter 508

    Chapter 508Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    Maeve rose, and her face flushed with anger.


    ¡°How could you not know? You¡¯re the head of the Hackett family, with ess to so much information. The fact that you know about these events proves you¡¯ve been investigating all these years. You must know who¡¯s behind it!¡±


    Levi was suddenly seized by <b>a </b>violent coughing


    Seeing this, Maeve realized she had been too harsh<b>. </b>She immediately stepped forward to help him catch his breath.


    ¡°I¨CI just want to know who killed my parents,¡± she stammered.


    ¡°Maeve, stop asking.¡± Levi said, his face pallid and lined with exhaustion. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t change anything even if you knew. Isn¡¯t it better to find peace and move on with your life?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the heiress of the Scott family, and <b>it </b>was my parents who were killed. I have the right to know everything!¡± she blurted.


    Seeing Maeve¡¯s resolve, Levi gripped the table¡¯s edge, straining to support himself as he leaned heavily against his wheelchair


    ¡°I can share about the four major families, but I truly don¡¯t know who killed your parents, just like I¡¯m still clueless about who was responsible for the deaths of Mr. and Mrs Spencer after the long search,¡± he uttered.


    Levi¡¯s expression appeared earnest and truthful.


    After a moment of silence, Maeve inquired, ¡°Do <b>you </b>know the full story about those four families from back then?¡±


    ¡°I have a general understanding of it,¡± Levd replied.


    ¡°The Spencers, with their military power, held absolute authority. The Hacketts, on the other hand, possessed the strongestwork. The Scott family, under Mr. Otis Scott¡¯s leadership, served as renowned strategists.


    ¡°Meanwhile, the Fosters, who began <b>as </b>deputies to the Spencers, were known for their wealth <b>and </b>close bonds to the Spencers, making their ce among the four major families


    Maeve listened quietly. She had heard Philip <b>mention </b>the Scott family¡¯s former glory under Otis¡® leadership. It was his astute nning that had allowed the Scotts to settle down <b>and </b>establish such a formidable business in Seathburn City


    Levicontinued, ¡°The Spencers, Hacketts, Scotts, and Fosters worked as one, dominating Seathburn City together.


    ¡°There were rumors that their rapid rise to power was fuelled by a treasure from thete 17th century, which gave them immense wealth. With such financial might, it was effortless for them to dominate the city.¡±


    ¡°A treasure from thete 17th century? That¡¯s unbelievable.¡°Maevemented, incredulous, but Levi¡¯s steady gaze <b>kept </b><b>her </b>from dismissing it outright. ¡°Please, continue. 1 won¡¯t interrupt.¡±


    ¡°Though it sounds impossible, such rumors <b>often </b><b>have </b>a basis in truth. Seathburn City does harbor a secret that has drawn the attraction of many covetous eyes. The Normans abroad <b>and </b>the Jeffersons in Lentimas City are two examples.¡±


    Levi¡¯s words left Maeve deep in thought.


    This shed <b>light </b>on <b>a </b><b>mystery </b>that had long troubled her: why Conner, despite hisfortable life in Lentimas City, would spend <b>over </b>a decade trying to ingratiate himself with the Ramez family <b>just </b>to gain a foothold in Seathbar City.


    With his considerable wealth, he wouldn¡¯t have needed to go to such lengths.


    Shequered, ¡°Conner is after the rumored treasure of Seathburn City, but why did he align himself with the Ramoz tamily? Are they one of the original major families?


    ¡°They don¡¯t measure up,¡± Levi said tly.


    Marve agreed II the Hamoz family were truly one of the four major families, they wouldn¡¯t be submissive to Sergio.


    ¡°The Hamor family is indeed old and has a legacy that stretches back to the same era as the four major families. Their ancestors were skilled and resilient, which allowed them to survive and build a substantial family business


    ¡°However, they were one of the original tour. Instead, they were more like trusted aides who eventually branched out from the Fosters,¡± Levte.

 Chapter 509

    Chapter <b>509</b>


    ¡°What about Sergio? Why is Zion targeting him?¡± Maeve questioned.


    She remembered that in her previous life, Zion had arrived in Seathburn City and shed fiercely with Sergio within a few years.


    Their rivalry was well¨Cknown by all, and it was clear Zion <b>saw </b>Sergio as his staunch adversary. It would be <b>able </b><b>to </b>say Zion wasn¡¯t focused on Sergio.


    Maeve clenched her fists and asked, ¡°Is it¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Levi interrupted, seemingly anticipating her question.


    He continued, ¡°Zion¨Conly has suspicions, but no concrete evidence. The Brooks family is not one of the original four major familles, and their rise was unexpected.¡±


    ¡°But the Brooks family <b>has </b>been established for a century <b>too</b><b>,</b>¡± Maeve pointed out


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m not particrly sure<b>, </b>Levi responded.


    ¡°However, ording to <b>family </b>records, the Brooks family isn¡¯t listed among the four major families. Their prominence began with Sergio¡¯s grandfather, reached its peak with his father, and Sergio has brought the family to its current level of power. The Brooks family are formidable.¡±


    Finishing his words, <b>Levi </b>coughed <b>and </b>said, ¡°Could you get me a ss of water?¡±


    Maeve quickly handed him a ss of water, realizing he had been speaking for quite some time.


    ¡°So, do you mean Zion believes the Brooks family is behind his parents¡± deaths? Does he think they¡¯re after the supposed treasure of Seathburn City, or are they trying to advance their position?¡±


    20 years ago, the Spencers were at their peak, while the Brooks had yet to be the leading family <b>in </b>Seathburn City. Removing the Spencers leader, Bryan, and his unborn child, Zion, would have made a significant impact


    ¡°Perhaps Zion thinks so,¡± Levi said calmly. ¡°Even though I believe the Brooks family is not connected to those events, to uncover the truth<b>, </b>Zion must be at the pinnacle of Seathburn City. Only from there can he being the culprits to light.


    ¡°Anyone who could stage a car ident <b>and </b>kill Zion¡¯s parents must be someone of considerable skill. They shouldn¡¯t be obscure in Seathburn City¡±


    It was no wonder Zion suspected Sergio Maeve would likely have the same doubts herself.


    ¡°I¡¯ve shared everything I know about the four major families. Do you have any more questions?¡± remarked <b>Let</b>


    ¡°Given our ancestors were once so closely connected, why aren¡¯t we familiar with each other?¡± she asked.


    With a faint smile<b>, </b>he responded, ¡°I¡¯ve met you before, but you were too young to remember¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve met me? When?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps when you were just born,¡± Levi exined.


    ¡°The Hackett family has always preferred to stay in the background, only making appearances when necessary. Your ancestor, the Scott family, had a strained rtionship with the Fosters, so there was little interaction. Your father and <b>Mr. </b>Spencer did have dealings while you were still unborn.¡±


    Maeve nodded at his words. ¡°That exins why I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    As the youngest in her generation, many events had happened before her time,


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll send you home,¡± Levi <b>remarked </b>as he turned his wheelchair.


    Noticing his struggle in moving it, Maeve naturally stepped behind him. ¡°Let me help¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    As they exited the vi, Marve quipped, ¡°Do you really believe there¡¯s a treasure in Seathbum City?¡± ¡°Perhaps


    Do you truly not know who killed my parents?

 Chapter 510

    Chapter 510


    Levi went silent for a moment before finally <b>speaking </b>¡°I don¡¯t know,¡±


    Maeve furrowed her brows and then escorted Levi to the car.


    Alex helped Levi into the back seat while Maeve, still full of questions, settled in the car herself


    It was going to be a sleepless night for her.


    In a soft voice, Maeve asked, ¡°Could you take me to the Scott Estate


    ¡°Give me the address,¡± Levi responded.


    She pulled out her phone and sent the <b>address </b>to Levi


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Levi instructed Alex.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Hackett.¡±


    ording to <b>the </b>Scotts¡® tradition, Scott Estate was only visited during Christmas. After Patrick passed away, Maeve had lived with Philip and hadn¡¯t returned to the estate since.


    Although it was known as Scott Estate, no one had lived there since Otis¡® generation. This ce was a stranger to Marve.


    The estate was in the city center and had beenrgely uninhabited for years, save for <b>asional </b>cleanings.


    The night wind was bone¨Cchilling Maeve stepped out of the car, pulling Led¡¯s coat tighter around herself. The yard was dested, clearlycking a gardener¡¯s touch, but the security remained impable.


    Maeve pushed Levi¡¯s wheelchair toward the yard. The <b>inside </b>of it could only be unlocked by ay at the Scotts


    She retrieved an old, well¨Cwrapped key from her <b>handbag</b>. It was a key she always <b>kept </b>close and never let out of her sight.


    She opened the gate, revealing a vintage two¨Cstory vi. Though it didn¡¯t appearrge from the outside, it was among the most luxurious of its time a century ago.


    After Otis¡® passing, Maverick had moved out, leaving the ce to serve as a memorial hall for their ancestors.


    ¡°If I remember correctly, the memorial hall should be in the building of the backyard,¡± Maeve said as she walked in, following her memory.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    The backyard was hidden behind tall walls to conceal <b>this </b>second building. It was a quaint structure, contrasting sharply with the vintage renovation of the front building. This part of the estate looked much older as if it were a fer centuries old.


    ¡°I never understood why there was such an old building here,¡± Maeve mused


    ¡°My dad once told me that it had always been part of the estate. The Scotts were prominent in Seathbu City, with ancestors who held govemment positions. But I didn¡¯t grasp the significance back then and never took it to heart¡±


    ¡°The Scotts¡® ancestors indeed held high positions in the government,¡± Levimented. ¡°Your grandfather was a dedicated schr <b>and </b>became a brilliant strategist.¡±


    As they approached the entrance, Marve was startled to see a lock on the door. ¡°I don¡¯t have a key for this,¡± she stammered.


    Levi started coughing after hearing her words.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. <b>I </b>don¡¯t recall it being locked¡± she said.


    ¡°The memorial hall is usually locked,¡± Levi replied. ¡°The key, along with the estate key, should have been with your father. Think carefully. Who might <b>have </b>the memorial hall¡¯s key now?¡±


    ¡°Uncle Phil?¡± Marve guessed


    Philip was currently in prison, and all his personal belongings had likely been confiscated. He hadn¡¯t given Maeve the key when she inherited the estate.


    ¡°That¡¯s possible. I¡¯ll have my people check with the police. They should be able to find it,¡± Levi said.


    ¡°No, let me go. I have some questions for him anyway.¡±


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