Chapter 5

Damon's gaze swept over Nyla's gown. It clung to her body from the rain. He took off his suit jacket without hesitation. He threw it to her.

"Put this on," his tone left no room for argument. "Get in the car."

Nyla caught the jacket. She draped it over her shoulders. It still carried his body heat. A faint cologne scent lingered. She followed him to a black Maybach. Rain dripped down her hair.

Inside the warm car, Nyla realized how expensive the jacket was. She touched the cuff. It had fine handmade stitching. She couldn't help asking. "How should I return this to you?"

"Keep it," Damon said. He focused on driving. His tone was casual. "I have plenty."

Nyla paused. She recognized the brand. It was from an Italian master. Worth at least hundreds of thousands of dollars. He just gave it away. And he let it get rained on earlier.

No wonder he was the most powerful man in New York.

The car stopped in front of Nyla's house. She got out. She thanked him again. "Thank you for tonight."

Damon nodded. He watched her figure disappear into the rain. Then he started the car and left.

Inside the car, her faint scent remained. It reminded him of last night's passion. An alluring aroma. He felt his body react. His cock hardened. His pants grew tighter. He took a deep breath. He forced himself to calm down. But his eyes still followed her vanishing figure in the rearview mirror.

The next day, Nyla felt unwell from last night's rain. She went to the hospital for an IV drip. She was in the waiting area. Suddenly, a familiar voice came from the doctor's office.

"Doctor, is everything normal with the baby?" That was Clark's concerned voice.

"Everything looks perfect, Mr. Summer. The baby is developing very well," the doctor replied.

Nyla's blood froze. She looked through the half-open door. Clark was holding Jordyn's hand. Jordyn's belly was clearly swollen.

She turned to leave. But Clark had seen her. He hurried out. He grabbed her wrist.

"Nyla, wait!" His grip wasn't hard. But his tone was urgently soothing. "Let me explain. It's not what you think. Jordyn was just scared about coming to these appointments alone, so I offered to accompany her a few times."

He deliberately avoided mentioning Jordyn's belly. His eyes drifted to Nyla's pale face. "Once we get through this busy period, we can focus on starting our own family. I'll be much more attentive then, I promise."

"Clark," Nyla's voice was soft. But it carried bone-chilling coldness. "When you say 'get through this busy period,' do you mean after Jordyn's baby is born?"

Clark's face stiffened instantly. He let go of her wrist. His tone turned impatient. "Why do you always focus on the wrong things? I told you I'm just helping out!"

She didn't argue anymore. She just stepped back. She created distance between them. Her voice was calm, like discussing the weather. "You don't need to explain your affairs to me anymore."

Clark's confident expression froze. He saw the coldness in Nyla's eyes. A strange panic surged in his heart. But he still refused to believe it. The Nyla who chased him for eight years, who never mentioned leaving even when alone in an empty house—how could she really want to leave him?

As he stood stunned, Nyla turned. Her handbag slipped from her arm. She bent to pick it up. The platinum necklace around her neck swayed. Clark's pupils contracted. It was the birthday gift he gave her casually last year.

Jordyn tried to come over to help. But Nyla avoided her. She clutched the necklace tightly. Her fingertips turned white.

Clark watched her protect the necklace. His tense nerves relaxed suddenly. A mocking smile crept back onto his lips. It seemed she still loved him. She was cherishing the gift he gave.

He turned to Jordyn. "You go home first. I need to spend some time with my wife."

Then he linked arms with Nyla. His tone became gentle again. "Come on, let's go get some lunch. We need to talk."

Clark took Nyla to her once-favorite French restaurant. He ordered her favorite dishes. He acted considerate and attentive. But at that moment, Nyla's phone buzzed.

It was a message from Jordyn. With an ultrasound photo. "This is mine and Clark's baby. Hope you don't mind me sharing the good news with you."

Nyla looked at the phone screen. Her heart stung for just a moment. Then she felt nothing else. Like a nerve that had gone numb. It couldn't feel pain anymore.

She set down the phone. She picked up her bag. "I need to make a phone call."

She walked outside the restaurant. She dialed Damon's number.

"I need a job," she said straight to the point.

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds. Then Damon's low voice came through. "How much do you need? I can transfer ten million to your account right now."

"I don't want money," Nyla said firmly. "I just need a job."

She had been a caged bird for too long. She gave up her career for a man. Now she couldn't even leave him because she had nothing of her own. She needed to get her old self back.

Back then, Clark got old Richard's favor even relying on her research results. But now, she had become the discarded piece. The most useless one.

On Monday morning, Nyla arrived at Damon's company building half an hour early. She took off her dress. She changed into a clean white shirt and black suit pants. She clutched her resume tightly in her hand.

The divorce wasn't resolved yet. Clark was still pestering her. But this job would become her backbone.

The receptionist notified her. She walked into the top-floor office. Damon set down his pen. He pointed to the chair opposite. "Mrs. Summer is more decisive than I expected."

"Please call me Nyla," she said. She handed over the resume. Her tone was flat. "I saw that your company is hiring a Biomedical Research Director. I have five years of experience in genetic engineering, led two national-level projects, and published results in Nature subsidiary journals. I hope to join your team."

She only stated her qualifications. She avoided personal matters.

Damon flipped through the resume. Approval showed in his eyes. "Impressive credentials. Why choose my company?"

"Great platform, excellent growth opportunities," Nyla said. She looked straight at him. "And I need somewhere Clark wouldn't dare to interfere easily."

Just as she finished speaking, Clark suddenly shoved the door open. His face was terribly grim. "Nyla! I knew I'd find you here! What the hell are you doing at my uncle's company?"