*****For several endless seconds after Jason addressed Nicholas, the only sounds remaining were the frantic heartbeats echoing inside everyone's chest.Every pair of eyes widened to their limits, their mouths slowly fell open, and their minds simply... stopped working.'Sir...?' That single word exploded inside every person's head like thunder. 'Master Jason... called him... sir?'The guards felt their scalps go numb, while Captain Johnson's knees nearly buckled beneath him.All of them couldn’t believe their ears.No.They found it difficult to believe; after all, who was Jason Hunter?He was the CEO of Stellar Group, one of the most influential corporations in Ironstone City.Rumor had it that the company possessed terrifying connections reaching all the way into the Imperial Capital.On top of that, Jason himself belonged to the mighty Hunter Family… an A-rank household whose influence stretched far beyond Ironstone City.Countless business tycoons treated him with utmost respect,

*****Jason silently thanked every god he could think of that he had kept his phone beside him the entire morning, checking it almost obsessively while waiting for Nicholas's message.Every few minutes, he had glanced at the screen, fearing he might somehow miss the notification by a single second.He thanked his lucky stars that he had seen the message the instant it arrived.More than that, he thanked fate that he hadn't hesitated even briefly, hadn't gone looking for his personal driver, and hadn't wasted precious time asking someone to prepare one of the luxury cars.Instead, he had bolted out of the villa, seized the first vehicle within sight, and driven toward the front gate like a man racing against death itself.Otherwise... Jason shuddered violently, refusing to let his imagination finish that dreadful thought.Ultimately, he drew a slow, steady breath, barely managing to suppress the fury boiling inside him."Please forgive me, sir," he said respectfully as he turned toward

*****Inside the car, pin-drop silence currently enveloped the entire space, making the atmosphere unusually heavy and almost suffocating.The steady hum of the engine only emphasized the uncomfortable quiet.Jason sat stiffly behind the steering wheel, every muscle in his body drawn tight.His palms clung to the wheel, damp with sweat, while the back of his shirt had already become soaked.His heartbeat also refused to settle.‘What is Sir thinking now?’‘Is he still upset about what happened at the gate?’‘Did today's incident destroy the relationship I've been painstakingly building with him?’One anxious thought chased another without mercy.Every few seconds, he stole a cautious glance toward Nicholas, desperately hoping to find some clue on his face… anger, disappointment, annoyance, and anything at all.Yet there was nothing.Nicholas remained as relaxed as ever, leaning comfortably against his seat with an almost lazy expression, as though the humiliating confrontation at the