Harold shrugged, picking up his glass again. "Well, good for you. I just got back from overseas a month ago myself. My father officially handed over the family business to me. He's finally retiring." The waiter arrived just then, placing two plates of delicately arranged food before them. Eleanor gave a polite clap. "Congratulations, Harold. You really deserve it." Harold's expression softened. "Eleanor, I never had the chance to explain myself to you back then. After you broke up with me... it left a hole. What happened between us back then—it left a hole in me that took years to even begin to fill. I was young, stupid, and worse, arrogant. Cheating on you with your best friend was the biggest mistake I ever made." She held up a hand, cutting him off. "Harold, please. It's all in the past. I believe we've all grown passed it." "But I need you to know how sorry I am," he insisted, leaning forward. "I owe you that much.""Harold, please," She sighed. "We were both young and f

After the meeting ended and the boardroom slowly emptied out, Barry quietly excused himself and took a different route around the hallway. But as he turned a corner near the back lounge of the estate’s corporate building, he heard hushed voices. Voices he recognized.He carefully pressed himself to the wall near a half-closed door, just out of sight, and listened. Lydia was breathing fire and brimstones. "How the hell did she pull this off? $10 million. Just like that? She doesn’t have the connections, the clout—" "She must've sold her soul," Serena said, cutting in sharply. "That woman has done one shady dealings with the devil. It's the only way."Elliot chimed in. "She didn't sell her soul. I flipped through the documents when father wasn't looking. The investor's Harold Grant. I know that name. Eleanor dated him back in high school. She must’ve gone crawling to him for this deal." Barry stiffened behind the wall.Lydia let out a derisive snort. "Of course, how predictable.

The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, revealing a lavishly decorated corridor on the top floor—North wing. Barry’s fists were clenched, his jaw tight as he marched forward beside the trembling servant.At the end of the hall, the servant stopped in front of a polished mahogany door, its handle gleaming under the dim lights. “There,” the servant pointed nervously, then stepped back. “That’s the room. He’s in there.” Barry didn’t wait. He shoved the servant aside, stepping up to the door. He pressed his ear against it.Silence. Not a breath, not a sound. Just the pounding of his own pulse in his ears. Alarm shot through him. He stepped back, took a deep breath, then charged forward like a bull. With all the strength he could muster, he rammed his shoulder into the door. Wood splintered. The lock cracked. The door swung wide open with a crash. Barry burst into the room—and froze. There, sprawled across the king-sized bed, was Harold, shirtless and red-faced, lying ov

Eleanor’s heart skipped a beat. Her hands clenched at her sides. “What condition?” she asked, already fearing the answer.Harold stepped closer, his voice dropping to an intimate tone that made Barry’s fists clench. "Look, Eleanor. Let’s cut to the chase. I love you. I still do. Even after all these years." He gestured dismissively at Barry. "Divorce this man and marry me instead. You’re without children. We can start fresh. Just the two of us. I promise I'll take proper good care of you." Barry, sitting quietly in the corner with dried blood on his cheek and cuts on his knuckles, slowly shook his head. His eyes locked on Eleanor’s, silently pleading with her not to fall into the trap. "Don't do it," he muttered.Eleanor turned her face back to Harold. “If I accept to be your wife,” she asked steadily, “Barry is released? No further harm comes to him?” Harold spread his hands. "I give you my word. He walks out of here free. No charges. Nothing." She didn’t responded immediatel

That same morning, Mr. Dayton received a devastating news that ruined him. Eleanor was filing a lawsuit against Harold Grant, their benefactor and Savior.Dayton threatened to disown her if she made such a reckless mistake, but Eleanor had already made up her mind.Worse, she resigned, leaving him desperate to salvage the mess she'd created.Overlooking the city, Mr. Dayton's black Mercedes screeched to a stop in the guest parking lot. The old man stumbled out of the vehicle, visibly shaken with panic. Sweat clung to his forehead as he straightened his tie and marched toward the penthouse entrance, his mind racing.Time was not on his side. Eleanor’s resignation and her lawsuit against Harold had triggered an impending collapse of everything he had built. He couldn’t let it happen. Not after all these years. He stood at the marble steps leading to the private entrance of Harold Grant’s top-floor residence, nervously glancing at his watch. Minutes ticked by until a gleaming Roll