LOGINRayne immediately seized the opening. "Dad, I heard our company signed a long-term partnership with Zibli River Studio. Is that right? Could you get the other two firms to join you and cancel their contracts too? Zibli River is Otto and Lucille's studio! Those two are behind this whole scandal!"Rayne took the opportunity to spill the entire story, embellishing it further and portraying the charity dinner debacle as a carefully orchestrated trap set by Otto and Lucille.As he listened, Steven's sympathy for his daughter gave way to towering fury at Otto and Lucille.He slammed a hand down on the table, rattling the dishes. "This is outrageous! I never imagined those two could be so morally corrupt! No matter how brilliant their designs are, we'll never work with people of such rotten character!"Fine. I'll have someone repay the money the Westbrook family is demanding immediately, and we'll cancel the contract on the spot!"And that's not all. I'll use every connection I have in C
Elsewhere, by the time Gideon hurried to the dinner venue, the atmosphere in the private room had grown suffocatingly tense.Rayne sat huddled to one side with her head bowed and a wounded expression. She did not dare make a sound.Steven's face remained dark, and he did not spare her so much as a glance.The moment they saw Gideon push through the door, both rose instinctively.Rayne seemed to seize on a lifeline and hurried forward, her eyes instantly reddening. "Giddy, you're finally here. Dad and I have been waiting a long time."Gideon gave a slight nod, his manner distant, then turned to Steven. "My apologies, Mr. Riserow. Traffic was heavy on the way here. I'm sorry to have kept you both waiting."With that, he turned to the waiter. "Let's have the food brought out. Dinner's on me tonight."After the waiter withdrew, Steven's expression eased somewhat, and he gestured politely toward the table. "Mr. Prescott, you have plenty on your plate, so it's understandable. Please,
Wanda: [I'm not mistaken. It's absolutely true! Rayne, what's the matter with you? How do you not even know your own ex-husband that well?]Rayne: [...]Michelle, who had been silently lurking in the chat, finally couldn't resist chiming in.Michelle: [Wanda, what exactly are you getting at? Why are you bringing all this up out of nowhere?]Wanda: [I get the feeling Otto has hidden depths none of us realize. He might even be harder to deal with than Lucille. You two had better be careful.]Her words struck Rayne squarely in her rawest nerve.Rayne: [Yeah... He really is hard to read. We were together for five years, and I barely know a thing about him.]On the other hand, Michelle brushed it off entirely.Michelle: [Who cares! Right now, I just want both of them dead! Best case, they end up locked away together forever. If we're going to strike, we might as well hit them both at once!]By then, Wanda had already returned home. She locked her bedroom door and threw herself onto
Hamilton was momentarily stunned by his daughter's outburst.It took him a while to collect himself before he finally answered in a slow, measured voice, "Otto Westbrook has always kept a low profile and specifically asked that his identity not be made public, so I never mentioned it. What happened, sweetheart? Did you run into him?""Run into him is putting it mildly!" Still seething, Wanda poured out every ounce of her grievance and fury at once, recounting the hospital incident in furious, embellished detail.Hamilton had always indulged her and blindly taken her side, regardless of who was actually at fault. Wanda was certain her father would side with her this time too and settle the score for her.Instead, Hamilton's expression changed the instant he heard the story.His voice cracked with shock. "Wanda, have you lost your mind?! You actually dared to offend Mr. Westbrook?"I... I've spoiled you rotten. That's the problem!"How could you not think this through? Do you thin
Even as he spoke, Otto emptied the cold potatoes from Lucille's plate and replaced them with a fresh, steaming portion. "That potatoes had gone cold. It's not good for your stomach. Eat these while they're hot, and make sure you have plenty."Milena and Joanne exchanged a glance, knowing amusement flickering in their eyes.Milena let out an exaggerated, wistful sigh. "Ah, sons really do grow up and forget their mothers. My potatoes have gone cold too, but no one's rushing to refill my plate."Otto immediately reached for Milena's plate. "Mom, come on. Lucille's the one who's sick right now, isn't she? Here, I'll get you and Joanne fresh, hot plates too."Milena covered her plate with one hand. "Neither of us needs that. We're not so old that we need to be waited on. Just focus on taking care of Lucy."Joanne laughed in agreement. A moment later, she rose to her feet and gave Milena's arm a subtle tug. "Exactly. Cold potatoes aren't very good anyway. Milena, why don't I treat you t
Wanda stopped dead in her tracks, as though some invisible force had pinned her in place. Her chin remained stubbornly raised.A lifetime of privilege had bred in her a deep arrogance and a complete disregard for those she considered beneath her. Lowering herself now seemed almost impossible.At the sight of her defiance, Gordon broke out in a cold sweat. He shot her several frantic looks, but when she failed to respond, he hurriedly turned to Otto with an ingratiating smile."Mr. Westbrook, Wanda is still young and a little rash. She was only acting out of concern for her grandfather, that's all. I'm sure she knows she was wrong. Even if you won't do it for her sake, could you let this go for mine?""Mr. Clancy," Otto cut him off. His tone remained calm and measured, but it left no room for argument. "She seriously offended my friend just now. I want her to apologize in person. That's not asking too much, is it?"The words struck Gordon like a hammer blow, and his heart lurched.
Lucille drove back to Blossom Court, the villa she shared with Gideon.When she pushed open the front door, Grace Lewis, the elderly housekeeper, and Nancy Wells, the maternity nanny Lucille had hired, were playing with the baby.The moment they saw how pale she looked, both women were startled."Ma
Inside the banquet hall, Lucille kept her eyes fixed on Gideon.He looked flushed and in high spirits as he moved from table to table with Rayne, raising his glass and offering toasts. "My buddy Otto is overseas right now on a confidential infrastructure project. He won't be back for a year, so I'l
Holding her swaddled daughter, Lucille Sandwell kept her voice steady, though a hint of hope slipped through. "Gideon, today is our daughter's one-month milestone. Can you come pick us up?"On the other end, Gideon Prescott's voice remained even and unreadable. "Something came up. I'll have the driv
The moment Gideon opened his mouth, Lucille felt her heart drop straight into hell. "Gwen, stop trying to stir things up. Lucy is baby Connor's aunt. We're all family. If she can help, she should. There's extra milk anyway."'Baby Connor. He said the name with such easy intimacy, as if the boy were







