ANMELDENThe news of Nadia pouring her lemonade all over Owen had spread throughout the elite circle of Country D. What had started as a humiliating encounter had quickly become a public scandal, and the attention was beginning to affect Dame&co reputation and even its stock.Owen sat in his office, staring at the stack of multimillion-dollar contracts from Dame & Co. spread across his desk. He had spent hours thinking about Daphne's request and he knew the risks. Awarding some of the company's biggest projects to Laurent Empire meant terminating or restructuring contracts with long-standing partners. His family would certainly question his decision but Daphne's words kept replaying in his mind.Owen finally picked up his phone.“Get the legal team in here.”Within hours, the decision was made, Dame&co would award several of its major projects to Laurent Empire, the news reached Daphne almost immediately. A wide smile spread across her face when she heard the announcement, this was exactly wh
Adrian continued staring at Aveline. There was something strangely familiar about her little brown eyes. They reminded him of the mysterious woman he had met five years ago, and for a fleeting moment, a crazy thought crossed his mind.“How old are you?”“Four,” Aveline replied innocently.The thought disappeared as quickly as it had come, Adrian crouched down to Aveline's height.“Where are your parents?”Aveline's lips immediately formed a small cute pout.“I came to look for my mommy, but I can't find her.”There was something about the little girl's innocent expression that made Adrian's usually guarded demeanor soften.“Why don't I help you find her?”He extended his hand toward her and Aveline stared at it for a moment before placing her tiny hand in his. Despite all the lessons her mother had taught her about never trusting strangers, she found herself trusting this particular stranger for reasons she couldn't explain.A few feet away, Colin watched the scene in disbelief. His b
“I am not coming back to Country A anytime soon. I need to find out who I really am,” Nadia said to Jade over the phone after telling her everything Genevieve had revealed earlier that day.“I completely understand,” Jade replied. “But Aveline is going to be devastated. She has already spent so much time preparing for your return.”“I know.” Nadia sighed. “I guess I’ll have to leave you to deal with her.”“It’s fine. I just want you to be careful.”“I will.”Jade suddenly remembered something.“Don’t forget that Brad is back in Country D,” she said, referring to her older brother, who had been head over heels for Nadia for years. He didn't seem to care that she had a daughter, and Aveline adored him, often seeing him as a father figure.“Oh my!” Nadia exclaimed. “I completely forgot your brother was back.”“I knew it. You two should meet up and catch up over lunch. I’m sure he’d be more than willing to help you.”“Of course he would, but I don't think I should involve him. He is alrea
The next morning, Nadia dressed early. She had barely slept the night before. The information from the private investigator kept replaying in her mind. If what the private investigator said was true, then everything she had believed about her childhood was a lie and she needed answers.“Miss Nadia, are you sure you want to do this alone?” Faye asked as she drove toward the Laurent estate.“I'll be fine.”Nadia stared through the window.“I just want to talk to Evelyn.”“About your adoption?”“Yes.”She turned her gaze back to the road.“If she knows something, I want to know what it is.”A few minutes later, they arrived at the Laurent estate. Nadia stepped out of the car and walked into the mansion without hesitation. She found Evelyn sitting in the living room, enjoying her morning tea. The moment Evelyn looked up and saw her, the cup in her hand nearly slipped.“Nadia?”Nadia smiled politely.“Good morning, Evelyn. I guess it's only you around.”Evelyn's expression immediately hard
Alexander walked into his penthouse and immediately noticed the familiar smell of freshly cooked food. He smiled when he saw the woman sitting comfortably on the sofa.Flora Williams, his late mother's younger sister and the woman who had raised him after his mother's death. Flora had never treated him like a nephew. She had loved him like her own son, and over the years, Adrian had grown so accustomed to her presence that calling her Mom had become natural.“Oh, look who is finally home,” Flora said with a warm smile.“Hey, Mom.”Adrian walked over and pulled her into a hug, Flora laughed softly.“I always feel so small whenever you hug me. You used to be this tiny.”She held her hand out to indicate his childhood height.“And look at you now. You're practically twice my height.”Adrian smiled.“All thanks to you taking care of me.”Flora patted his arm.“Let me guess. You are here because you brought me some of your homemade food.”“Of course.”Flora nodded proudly.“I also brought
Nadia smiled faintly as Faye drove her toward Laurent Empire, she knew this meeting was coming. For the past three years, the Laurent family had desperately wanted to establish a partnership with Aveline & Co., and now they were finally going to sit across the table from the very woman they had once treated as worthless, Nadia couldn't help but smile at the irony and she wasn't going to make things easy for them.In fact, she intended to make them sweat a little, she had deliberately allowed her identity as the CEO of Aveline & Co. to circulate among the elite. She knew exactly what she was doing. The Laurent family would eventually find out, and she wanted them to feel the shock before they had any chance to prepare themselves.Aveline & Co. was no longer the small company Nadia had started five years ago. It had become one of the fastest-growing companies in Country A, and its reputation had spread far beyond the country's borders.Meanwhile, Laurent Empire was struggling. Vincent w







