Jasper's languid tone pained Landon. "Jasper, stop sounding so defeated. Chin up, won't you? Sometimes, when I struggle to face the boomers in top leadership as the company president, I mimic what you do."You're my role model, and you need to act like one. Who else am I going to learn from?"To Landon, who lost his father young, Jasper was more than a true friend; he was also an older brother who contributed significantly to Landon's growth.Jasper managed a smile, his frosty expression softening. Still, Landon's remark failed to lighten up his mood.Right after Jasper ended the call, everyone else's phones buzzed with notifications in unison.Sean, who had been out dealing with work matters on Alyssa and Jonah's behalf, hurried back frantically. "Mr. Jonah, I have bad news!"As the words rolled off his tongue, he turned white and froze on the spot upon noticing the other family members present. Alyssa, Jasper, and the others had checked the push notifications on their respect
Utterly stunned, Mandy's hand halted mid-air, the sting of impact pulsing through her palm. She had landed a hard slap on Jonah's face instead.Julien gazed at Jonah, who had unhesitatingly shielded him, his heart pounding so hard that it was about to explode. "Jonah, I…""Aunt Mandy, please do not hit Julien. He's not to be blamed. It's all my fault."A deathly silence descended on the corridor after Jonah addressed Mandy. His calmness in the face of unyielding pressure felt the more pitiful. "Julien has suffered through beatings for me and the Taylor family. I do not ever want to put him through anything like that. I will protect him to the best of my ability."Jonah's declaration caught everyone by surprise. Meanwhile, Julien's head hung low. Though Jonah's gesture touched him, he found himself weighed down by guilt and self-blame. Since childhood, Edgar and Mandy had instilled in him the belief that he was the hope of the Lovelace family, thus impressing upon him the expectat
With a meaningful look, Winston shifted his gaze from Jonah to Julien.Moments later, he rasped, "Jonah, let's have a private chat."…Winston and Jonah were alone in the room. Winston stared out the window with his back to Jonah without saying a word.Jonah had expected a barrage of questioning and scolding, but they did not come. The silence, however, proved more agonizing than direct confrontation."Dad, everything you've read and seen is true. I'm sorry," Jonah broke the silence and apologized profusely to Winston. "I'm deeply sorry for all the time and energy you invested in me, only to end up being a disappointment. This is entirely my fault. I only ask one thing—please don't make things difficult for Julien."Winston remained silent. Seeing that, Jonah slowly straightened up and suggested, "I know my scandal has landed KS Group in a crisis. I will turn in my resignation tomorrow and kickstart the handover transition. I will also step down from the board of directors."Hea
Setting aside Winston's titles, he was first and foremost a father. He had promised Jennifer to protect their children as long as he was alive.…Following the exposé, Jonah and Julien's relationship created a huge stir online. One could only imagine the level of insults hurled at them by the public and KS Group's business rivals, who wished for the company's downfall.Someone wrote, "What the fuck? That's revolting. Don't homosexuals lead a promiscuous life and are prone to getting AIDS?""How obscene! That's against the law of nature.""The homosexual circle sounds pretty messed up. They could sleep with anyone. True love doesn't exist for them.""Jonah Taylor's image is irreparably ruined. He was once the perfect president of KS Group, but he's done for now!""I'm more shocked by his lover. It's Julien Lovelace of the Lovelace Group! OMG! The rich certainly chase after thrills.""What a waste of two hotties!"The Taylor family was in disarray after the scandal. Lyla, Colene
"I've looked into Winston's video that got leaked online," Axel muttered with a hint of menace.Jasper lifted a brow in amusement as he pressed his lips unyieldingly. He had wanted to quietly resolve the issue for Winston and Jonah without Alyssa knowing, but it seemed like Axel had beaten him to it. Axel had tirelessly fought him for first place in class during military school. They often engaged in battles as students, but Jasper never anticipated that the competition would persist long after graduation. It appeared that Axel refused to give him a chance to prove himself.Thankfully, Axel wasn't a female, or they might end up in an enemy-to-lover trope.Jasper's gaze hardened. "Dominic was behind this, right?""Awesome. Mr. Beckett, you seem to solve cases through guessing," mocked Axel with a grin."The angle of the footage clearly proved it was a camera in the meeting room. After I sent Winston to the hospital, I immediately made Mr. Benton delete the footage. I believe so
Jasper held back the urge to roll his eyes as he tapped out of the chat.…Alyssa, seated in another room, repeatedly scrolled through the malicious comments online. Heartbroken and tearing up, she nearly crushed the phone screen. Silas and Liam kept her company, not knowing what to do except to exchange looks because they'd never come across such a situation."Lyse, don't fret about it. Jonah and Julien aren't in the entertainment industry. The scandal will die down after a while," Silas comforted Alyssa.He sighed, feeling sorry for Jonah."Sure, the gossip will eventually die down, but Jonah and Julien will be scarred forever." Alyssa closed her eyes, taking deep breaths to calm herself. "Jonah is the president of KS Group. We might own the company, but Jonah's reputation and public image have taken a huge hit. "This is what the mastermind wishes to see—to tarnish Jonah's reputation so that he couldn't face the public."Julien isn't a public figure, but the Lovelace family i
Silas and Liam exited the room and closed the door behind them to offer Alyssa and Julien some privacy."Julien…" Alyssa called out to him softly.Suddenly, she found herself at a loss for words. It did not seem like an appropriate time to comfort him or discuss his relationship with Jonah. After what felt like a long silence, Julien hung his head low as a tear rolled down his cheek. "Lyse, I'm sorry."Shaking her head furiously, she gently comforted him, "Julien, this is not your fault. You don't owe anyone an apology. There's nothing wrong in loving Jonah.""It's my fault…" Julien mumbled with his head kept low like a criminal. His confident self was nowhere to be seen. "Aunt Mandy was right. I ruined Jonah's life. Things would have been different if I had listened to her."Lyse, I am at fault. I'm being selfish. I would rather be the one to pay the price. I'm willing to sacrifice anything as long as Jonah isn't hurt. I would like everything to go back to how it was, but I thi
"What?" Enraged, Alyssa snapped impatiently, "Son of a bitch! How dare they challenge me when I'm still pissed at them? It's time to teach them a lesson!""Jonah is with Winston. I haven't informed them about the Lovelaces yet." The look in Jasper's eyes hardened. He whispered, "We all know the reason the Lovelaces are here. "Jonah ought to refrain from appearing during this delicate period. The same goes for Winston. Otherwise, the Lovelaces would make a greater fuss about it. God knows what they'd resort to doing.""Hah! Try me." Her eyes were filled with rage when she recalled the suffering that the Lovelaces inflicted on Julien. "Julien is a kind young man who got beaten up all because he wanted to treat Winston. "The Lovelaces clearly treat Julien as their punching bag! How dare they call themselves his family? They have no right to!"Jasper nodded knowingly. "Well, this is a conflict between the Taylors and the Lovelaces. As an outsider, it's not my place to interfere in t