Eric tried to keep his expression calm.“Mr. Rothwell, I don’t understand what you mean.”“It doesn’t matter if you refuse to admit it.” Joseph studied him for a moment. “But I like your methods. When I was young, I did something similar to resolve a conflict—dragging a third party into it without having to get my own hands dirty.”Eric merely nodded.Clearly, there was no point trying to explain himself any further. The elderly man before him already knew far more than Eric had expected.Seeing that Eric still appeared cautious, Joseph finally smiled.“There’s no need to be so tense. I’m not someone who likes dragging out a problem.” He leaned back comfortably in his chair. “In fact, I appreciate young people who know how to use their heads.”The pressure Eric had been feeling gradually eased.Joseph glanced at the bottle on the table and made a small gesture.“Have a drink with me.”Eric immediately poured some of the liquor into the small glass before him. He raised it slightly tow

Vivian pulled out the chair beside Xavia and sat down without waiting to be invited.Tony and Ethan took their seats beside her.Tony immediately pointed at Eric.“Mom, this is the man.”Vivian turned her attention to Eric.She looked him up and down for several seconds without making the slightest effort to hide her judgment.“So, you’re Eric?”Eric gave a slight nod.“That’s right. Is something wrong, ma’am?”Vivian let out a quiet breath.Instead of answering him, however, she turned toward Xavia.“Xavia, from now on, you should spend less time with people like him.”Xavia frowned.“What are you talking about, Aunt Vivian?”“He beat Ethan so badly a few days ago that Ethan had to be taken to a clinic. And it was all over something trivial.”Hearing that, Xavia merely gave a small nod. The corner of her mouth even lifted slightly.She knew Eric well enough by now.If he had gone so far as to hit someone, Xavia didn’t believe the reason could be as simple as Vivian claimed.“All righ

Eric and Joseph’s conversation didn’t last much longer.After speaking for a while, Joseph glanced at his watch.“It seems I should be heading back. My own party isn’t over yet, and I’ve already left quite a few guests waiting at home.”Eric was slightly startled by the realization.“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ve caused you so much trouble that you had to come here personally, Mr. Rothwell.”Joseph chuckled.“There’s no need to feel guilty. I came because I wanted to.”He stood and straightened his suit.Eric rose from his chair as well.Joseph looked at him for a moment.“In that case, I’ll see you tomorrow.”Eric smiled and nodded.“All right. I’ll see you tomorrow, Mr. Rothwell.”Joseph responded with a small nod before leaving the table.Before departing, he approached Yarta to say goodbye.“I’m sorry I can’t stay any longer. I would have liked to enjoy your party for a while, but I still have many guests waiting at my residence. As it happens, we’re both hosts today.”Yarta smiled in under

Eric didn’t answer immediately.He exchanged a glance with Robert before looking back at Joseph.“Mr. Rothwell, what is your opinion of the pharmaceutical industry?”Joseph frowned slightly.He hadn’t expected their conversation to take that direction.“It’s a massive industry with a market that never disappears,” he answered briefly. “But I’ve never been particularly interested in studying it.”Eric slowly nodded.“I’m planning to establish a pharmaceutical company.”This time, Joseph looked at him more seriously.“A pharmaceutical company?”“That’s right. And I would like to hear your opinion of the plan, Mr. Rothwell.”Joseph remained silent for a moment.His gaze then fell upon the box on the table.“So you—”Eric nodded before Joseph could finish.The elderly man immediately understood what he meant.He briefly exchanged a glance with his assistant before turning back to Eric.“We have several promising formulas that can be produced on a large scale,” Eric continued. “One of them

“What kind of relationship?” Eric asked.Issabel fell silent for a moment before finally gathering her courage.“I want us to be together again.” She looked intently at Eric. “I’ve always had feelings for you. Those feelings never truly disappeared.”Eric frowned slightly.“I’m sorry. I don’t have feelings for you, and I have no intention of starting our relationship again.”His firm answer caused Issabel’s expression to change.“Is it because of Xavia?”Before Eric could respond, Issabel continued, “Remember this, Eric. I’m the one who truly liked you from the beginning. When everyone else wouldn’t even look at you, I already had feelings for you.”Her eyes filled with tears again.“I promise I won’t make the same mistake twice.”Eric studied her for a moment before glancing at his watch.“That’s enough.”Issabel fell silent.“If I were you, I’d be ashamed to say any of that.”With those words, Eric walked straight past her.Issabel didn’t follow him.She remained rooted to the spot,