"Regret?" Brandon lowered his gaze, his eyes remaining fixed on the ground for several long moments before he finally found the strength to speak. "I don't regret loving my wife."Harold didn't interrupt, quietly waiting for him to continue.Brandon swallowed hard as a faint, bittersweet smile crossed his face. "And I'll never regret loving my daughter either…. But I regret making a wrong decision by putting my trust in wrong person.” The words struck Harold instantly, and the stern expression on his face softened with visible surprise. His brows drew together as he searched Brandon's face, trying to make sense of what he had just heard."Daughter?" He repeated slowly, genuine astonishment replacing the frustration in his voice. "You have a daughter?”Brandon gave a small nod, though the movement felt almost mechanical. His voice carried a quiet emptiness, as if every word was being pulled from somewhere deep inside him."I did. And I lost her. All she left me with were memories that

"Grandpa, wait! Don't you think you're being too dramatic!” Victoria hurried toward Harold, nearly dropping two of the shopping bags in her panic. Her cheeks had turned crimson, and the embarrassment in her eyes only deepened when she noticed her grandfather staring at Brandon with the same expression a man might wear after witnessing an impossible miracle.Harold lifted a hand, signaling her to stop. "No, I'm not… I'm absolutely being serious.” "But grandpa.” Victoria tried to explain only to be getting a red signal once again from her grandfather."I need a moment."He pressed two fingers against his temple and released a long breath before glancing toward the cloudless afternoon sky."I've spent all these years worrying this girl would never bring anyone home," he murmured. "Now she suddenly shows up with my favorite student and nearly gives me a heart attack.”Brandon let out a helpless sigh. "Professor, I think there's been a misunderstanding."Harold lowered his hand and look

"You're unusually quiet, Brandon."Harold leaned back in his chair, his weathered hands resting comfortably on the armrests. Through the open glass doors, Victoria remained in the garden, still occupied with her phone call. The conversation inside the house had fallen into a comfortable silence after everything they had shared about her.Brandon offered a faint smile. "I was just thinking.""I can see that." Harold's eyes carried the calm wisdom of a man who had spent decades reading students far younger than himself. "Although I doubt your thoughts are still about my granddaughter.""They aren't.""I didn't think so."Harold reached for his teacup before continuing in a quieter voice. "Tell me about yourself instead."Brandon appeared slightly puzzled."I know the brilliant engineering student who constantly challenged my lectures. I know the researcher whose papers professors still reference today. What I don't know is the man sitting across from me."A brief silence followed."What

"Do you think I invited you here by mistake?" Victoria raised an eyebrow, her calm gaze fixed on him.Jake immediately sensed that he had misspoken. His confidence vanished as he hurried to explain himself."No... no, Miss Ashford. That's not what I meant.""Then what did you mean?"He cleared his throat, choosing his words more carefully this time."I was only wondering... how someone like me could possibly be of any help to someone like you.”Victoria didn't answer immediately.She calmly picked up her coffee, taking a slow sip before placing the cup back onto its saucer with practiced elegance. Her silence lingered just long enough for Jake's curiosity to grow. Every passing second made him increasingly aware that she wasn't someone who felt compelled to answer questions the moment they were asked.Only after allowing the silence to settle did she speak."Open it."Jake hesitated briefly before sliding a finger beneath the flap of the envelope, he carefully removed the documents i

"How did the meeting go?" The secretary inquired the moment Victoria stepped into the back seat of the waiting car. After closing the door behind her, she walked around the vehicle and settled into the seat across from her.The vehicle pulled away from Le Chateau in complete silence, leaving the restaurant behind as the city slowly came back into view through the tinted windows.Victoria removed her gloves and placed them neatly beside her handbag. "It went better than I expected.""Glad that everything went well for you." Her secretary tilted her head slightly. "So Mr. Jake agreed to your deal?""For whose sake?" Victoria let out a quiet, humorless laugh. "Looks like he'd already have the same thing in mind, before he sat down with me. Judging by the way he spoke, he's far more eager than I am to see Brandon and his wife get divorced.”The secretary picked up on the implication immediately. "And?”Victoria looked out the window, watching the passing streets without lingering on any p