LOGINThe moment Winnie finished speaking, Mrs. Olson tapped the call button on the table twice.The private dining room doors swung open, and people rushed in from outside, immediately surrounding Winnie.A man grabbed her arm tightly. She struggled, but with her strength, she was powerless. Her glare shot straight to Mr. Olson."You forged the agreement. What else do you want now?" she spat.Mrs. Olson chuckled softly. "Isn't it obvious? You're married. If you secretly do something underhanded against the Morrison family, you'd be violating the agreement.""No one will believe your twisted schemes. I'll call the police—""Believe it or not, it doesn't matter. As long as we create the facts, you'll be seen as violating the agreement. Besides, with your reputation, how many people would believe you? Even if Michael trusted you, where's the evidence?" Mrs. Olson's laugh turned cold and sharp.Winnie instinctively reached for her phone. No signal.From the moment she arrived, they had
Mr. Olson's tone remained calm and measured, almost as if Winnie were the one trying to take advantage.Mrs. Olson chimed in, "That's right. Your mother's patent is a hot potato. You'd be wise to listen to us—taking something tangible is far safer."Winnie's voice was low. "You want my mother's patent to sell it to Olympus?""Winnie…" Mrs. Olson began."You want to sell my mother's property to Olympus, help them snatch resources from the Morrison Group, and then, when the Morrison Group falls, come to me—a lowly employee who can only rely on the Morrison Group—to settle accounts?" Winnie's words dripped with sarcasm, piercing straight to the heart of their intentions.Mrs. Olson's face flushed red; Mr. Olson's jaw clenched in anger."It's not selling—it's cooperation. Olympus has royal connections and international resources. Your mother's patent can only reach its full potential in their hands. Do you want it to rot forever in a custodial account?"Mrs. Olson sighed and quickly
Winnie shot Mrs. Olson a cool, dismissive remark.Mrs. Olson didn't miss a beat. She just smiled warmly. "That came out of nowhere. We're family. Honestly, the friction between you and Veronica over the years—that was on us as parents. So here's what I'll do. I'll give you a black card, no limit, half yours. Use it at any Olson family store. That should put your mind at ease, don't you think?"Mr. Olson's face darkened, but when Mrs. Olson laid down the law like that, he quickly pulled out his phone and made it happen."Winnie, is there anything else you need? Just say the word. Your wedding's coming up. You're our daughter—whatever you want for your wedding gift, name it.""No, thank you," Winnie said, smiling at how ridiculous this all was. She puffed out her cheeks, chewing slowly, and only after a long moment swallowed everything in her mouth.The food was delicious. Too bad she was stuck with the wrong company. Her appetite had hit its limit."Don't be shy," Mrs. Olson said,
Winnie didn't even bother showing the least bit of respect toward the Olsons, who had raised her."Winnie, why don't you greet us? Still sulking?"Mrs. Olson smiled gently, sliding into the seat beside her. She poured a cup of steaming tea and placed it carefully in front of Winnie."Sulking? Why would I be angry with you?"At Mrs. Olson's words, Winnie finally lowered her phone slowly. She glanced at the cup, at the delicate, lavish appetizers and pastries on the table, and allowed the faintest curve to her lips.She was no longer at the age where she could be trapped by childish resentment toward the Olson family. Human nature was ugly, and holding grudges against them would only keep her stuck in the same world of pettiness.Now, she had only one thought: reclaim what was rightfully hers.Khloe had already contacted her yesterday. Things on Nick's side were grim, and only Mrs. Olson's patent could help. Since it concerned Khloe, she couldn't shirk the responsibility. And, aft
"But how could we possibly get Winnie to voluntarily give up her inheritance?"Veronica felt that Olympus's people were deliberately making things difficult.Right now, the Olson family was only temporarily holding Winnie's mother's patent. And the Morrison Group was still protecting Winnie, so they couldn't openly or secretly touch her.By contrast, Olympus, as a third party, was openly competing with Morrison Group. Taking the patent from Winnie would have been a trivial task for them. Yet, Olympus deliberately insisted that while they were eager to cooperate with the Olson family, the patent didn't belong to them. It left the Olsons in an incredibly awkward position.Veronica's frustration boiled over, but her father saw things clearly. "Olympus isn't harmless. If we want to get on their ship, we have to play by their rules.""They haven't even established a foothold yet—what nerve!" Veronica frowned in displeasure, but her father had already dialed the phone, instructing his p
The Olson family had always used the patent as an excuse, refusing to sell it to foreign powers—but in truth, it was out of self-interest. They hoped to leverage this top-tier technology to attract investment and eventually surpass the Morrison Group.Yet, a hot potato is still a hot potato. The Olson family had underestimated just how difficult it would be to control the patent. Revoking Winnie's inheritance was one thing, but multiple factions had been watching him for years. Any move involving this technology could spell disaster for their company—and the consequences were unimaginable, perhaps even unmanageable.Over time, the Olson family gradually realized the truth. Perhaps Winnie's mother hadn't entrusted them out of trust at all; perhaps she had been using them. After all, Winnie was an orphan with broken wings. Even inheriting her mother's legacy, she might not have survived.Now, with the Morrison and Hunt Groups controlling the economic power of all Goldmont City, and Mi
On the way back, Delilah told Khloe a little about Henry.Although he was currently recuperating, he still served as chairman of several chain brands under the Morrison Group. In recent years, he had also founded a highly successful supermarket brand and a chain of hotels in Naraida.Delilah said
"Madam, we've got good news."As the call connected, the person inside the car withdrew his arm, rolled up the window, and let out a low chuckle."Understood."Clarice ended the call and lowered her gaze to the set of photos that had just come in on her phone.Nick had actually arrived in Naraid
"Did something happen? Is Henry giving you a hard time?" Nick asked.Though the words sounded soft and intimate, Nick's intuition caught every nuance.Khloe was usually reserved. Even when she longed for him deeply, she rarely spoke of it outside private moments, outside their own rooms."No…"I
Khloe wasn't very hungry, and having sampled quite a few wines at the winery that afternoon, she was already feeling a pleasant buzz. After a brief chat with some of Henry's friends, she decided to head back.The winery was a fair distance from the main estate. Just as she was about to get into the







