Yale broke out in a cold sweat from the scolding."I understand.""And one more thing, tell those shareholders we're having a meeting next Monday."Tyler had been busy lately, and some people were clearly starting to push their luck.Yale nodded. "Yes, sir."Tyler was just about to open the driver's side door when he noticed Rachel still standing by the passenger side. He glanced at her."What, waiting for me to open it for you?"Rachel blinked, caught off guard, and quickly explained, "I didn't mean that, I just—"Before she could finish, Tyler was already walking toward her. Despite the casual scorn in his tone, his actions betrayed him. He stepped up and opened the door for her himself.Watching from nearby, Yale suddenly felt a wave of regret.Why wasn't he born a woman?He used to think Tyler treated everyone with equal indifference, man or woman. But ever since Rachel came into the picture, he'd seen firsthand what favoritism really looked like.Rachel probably didn't
Thomas sighed and waved. "Forget it. But seriously, you know exactly what Tyler's like. Why would you go and provoke him?""I tried to talk William out of it, but you know the history between him and Rachel. Dad, can't you try talking some sense into Tyler? He's dating William's ex-wife! If word gets out, it won't just damage William's reputation—yours will be dragged down with it, too. The Lewis family name has stood strong for generations. Are we really going to let it all fall apart because of Rachel?" Cassandra insisted. Of course Thomas understood all that, but what could he do?He had spent his life keeping everything under control. Everyone in the Lewis family revolved around him, everyone except Tyler. He was born defiant.No matter what Thomas tried, nothing ever worked on Tyler. Their relationship had deteriorated to what it was now simply because neither of them would back down. If either one had been willing to compromise even a little, things might've turned out diffe
Soon, Tyler and Rachel made their way back into the living room. Inside, everyone was still chatting with Thomas, but they were all careful not to bring up anything about Tyler and Rachel.Anyone with eyes could tell that no matter how stubborn Thomas was, even he couldn't go up against Tyler.Tyler had been hard-headed since he was a kid. If he weren't so stubborn, William wouldn't have taken control of Lewis Enterprise in the first place. Tyler would've been the one running the show years ago.Luckily, Tyler was capable enough to back it up. If he didn't, he would have paid the price for his reckless choices a long time ago.Someone leaned close to Thomas and whispered, "Tyler and Rachel are here."The moment Thomas laid eyes on them, his cheerful expression darkened. He was all smiles just a second ago, but now his expression was cold as ice. Even his voice lost its warmth."It's about time. Let's start eating."Just as Thomas was about to head to the dining table, Tyler said
Cassandra ran over as soon as she saw William's face turn pale and his body hunched over in pain."William! Are you okay?""It hurts… I think my wrist's broken."His voice had gone weak and hoarse. One could tell how much pain he was in from the sound alone.Cassandra looked harshly at Tyler, her patience wearing thin. But even then, she didn't dare raise her voice too much. There was still a lingering fear."Tyler, no matter what happened, William is still family. How could you do this to him over a woman who's not even blood-related? How could you be so cruel?"Anyone else might've tried to explain themselves or argue back, but not Tyler. He didn't even blink."You already know I'm cruel, so why keep poking the bear? You all know exactly what I'm like. I don't play nice. And if you're smart, you'll stay away from Rachel."He wrapped an arm around Rachel's waist. When his gaze shifted to her, that stormy edge in his eyes softened."If we stay any longer, no one's going to be
Rachel refused without hesitation. "Absolutely not. This isn't the first time William has talked to me like this. Why should I keep putting up with it?"She didn't care about the looks being thrown her way. Her voice was clear and unapologetic."William is going to apologize to me today. Period."William clenched his jaw and raised his voice. "Rachel, you did this on purpose, didn't you? You got close to my uncle and wormed your way into the Lewis family just to get back at me. It seems you still have feelings for me.""William! You're really pushing it, aren't you? I've been tolerating you, but you clearly don't know where to draw the line. Do you want me to pull up the videos and messages from before? Remind you exactly what you and Samantha were doing behind Rachel's back?" Tyler roared.His words dropped like a bomb.William, just seconds ago puffed up with bravado, suddenly deflated.Around them, the relatives started whispering."I'd heard something about this before. Was
Cassandra had no way of dealing with Tyler, so her only option was to try talking some sense into William. It wasn't like she could go talk Tyler down. When had anyone ever been able to reason with him?Besides, who in their right mind would pick a fight with Tyler? Even Thomas couldn't keep him in check. What could they possibly do? It was laughable to even think they had a chance.William was so worked up by now that he wasn't thinking straight anymore."Mom, what are you even thinking? Rachel used to be my wife! And now out of nowhere, she's going to be my aunt? That's already insane enough, and now you expect me to apologize to her?"Cassandra snapped too. She yanked her arm out of his grip and shot back, "If you insist on being this stubborn, then I have nothing more to say. When your grandfather comes looking for you later, let's see how you explain yourself."With that, she turned to leave."Mom!" William called, panicking. "Oh, now you remember I'm your mother? A real