“Your company’s bankrupt now, what do you have to return to me? You might as well print investment tickets and drop them,” Emily pouted reluctantly.
James was trembling with anger, struggling to contain it. He asked for the last time, “Emily, even if my dad has no money and is left to die, you’re not planning to return the engagement money, are you?”
With red eyes, Emily surprisingly put on an aggrieved look, as if he was aggressively pushing her. “A starving camel is bigger than a horse. I don’t believe your family is missing that small sum of engagement money…”
He couldn’t bear to listen to her anymore. He turned and walked away.
As he reached the club’s entrance, a waiter came up and asked him to pay for the coffee he had just ordered. James, his face darkened, took out his wallet, only to find Emily’s photo inside.
He let out a bitter laugh, taking the photo out of the wallet, intending to return it to her.
However, before he could approach Emily, he overheard her complaining to her companion, “James has gone insane with his poverty, wanting things back that he’s given away. Does he think I’ve wasted all these years sleeping with him for nothing?”
…
James shook his head in pain, unwilling to relive that unbearable scene.
He opened his eyes and looked at the girl in front of him. Isabella had a delicate and fair face, as clear as ever.
“Isabella, did you already know about Emily and Jason?” James asked.
Isabella hesitated for a moment, feeling that it was unnecessary for him to still dwell on these matters. “Emily dated the son of a real estate tycoon when studying abroad. They were planning to get married, but she found out he was into drugs, so they broke up, and she also aborted the child.”
Isabella furrowed her brow slightly, her tone puzzled, “I didn’t mean to hide it from you, but at that time, you and Emily were deeply in love. Even if I told you, you might not have believed me or might have thought I was trying to cause trouble.”
James clenched his lips and did not argue. The foolish version of himself might not have believed her words.
“Also, I did hold a bit of resentment towards you back then, thinking that teaching you a lesson might be a good thing,” Isabella added.
James listened but could only shake his head with a wry smile.
As the two walked out of the hospital gate, in a crowded place, Isabella habitually put on sunglasses and a mask.
James, momentarily stunned, only then realized that she was a public figure now. “I’ve been too busy lately; I haven’t congratulated you on your award.”
She smiled slightly, raising her chin with confidence and pride. “I told you, I’ll do better than you.”
…
Isabella’s car was parked in the hospital parking lot.
She crossed the street and reached her car, opening the door and sitting in the driver’s seat. She reached up to remove her sunglasses and mask.
She lowered her head to fasten her seatbelt when her phone vibrated inside her handbag placed on the passenger seat.
She reached for her phone and answered the call.
“Uncle.”
“Your aunt cooked today. If you’re free tonight, bring Mr. Andrew and the kids over for dinner.” William spoke from the other end of the line.
An invitation from her uncle for dinner meant she should make time no matter what. However, William referring to Andrew as “Mr. Andrew”? Her uncle was being overly polite.
After hanging up, Isabella dialed Andrew’s number and upon connecting, she commanded directly, “Tonight, Uncle wants us to bring the kids over for dinner. I’ll pick you up at 5 PM. If you dare not be there, see how I’ll deal with you.”
When Andrew answered the call, he had just finished a video conference. Several department heads were waiting for the CEO to adjourn the meeting. The room was unusually quiet, making the phone conversation sound particularly abrupt.
His assistant, Nathan, stood behind Andrew, trying hard not to burst into laughter.
Ryan, on the other hand, didn’t have as many reservations and directly burst into laughter.
At the meeting, his elder sister, Layla Turner, was present, wearing a dark and unpleasant expression. She picked up some documents, stood up, and stormed towards the meeting room door. Passing by Andrew, she dropped a line, “Come to my office.”
Andrew raised his slender hand, closed the laptop in front of him, and calmly said, “Meeting adjourned.”
He then stood up, grabbed his coat, and left the meeting room.
Layla’s office was next to the CEO’s office. She was a board member of the group but didn’t usually frequent the company.
Andrew put one hand in his pocket and symbolically knocked on the door before pushing it open and walking in.
Inside the office, Layla was seated on the boss’s chair, staring at him coldly. “Close the door.”
Andrew acted as if he hadn’t heard and left the door open, aware that she might be cautious with her words.
His tall figure sat casually on the nearby black leather sofa, one arm resting on the sofa’s armrest, his features deep-set, exuding an air of casual elegance.
Helpless, Layla furrowed her brow and said, “The woman who bore Asher, didn’t I tell you to settle it with money? Why are you still entangled with her? Are these peripheral women the type you should be involved with? Have you considered your status and hers?”
Layla didn’t know much about the whole affair. She only knew that the younger ones were fooling around. Beta Ryan had paid a high price to get an outsider woman for his younger brother, and Andrew, inadvertently, ended up having a child. Their family were all werewolves, and her brother, as an Alpha of the shadow clan, actually had a child with a human woman, which was ridiculous!
She adored the child as her brother’s own, but the mother’s status was unacceptable. She couldn’t accept it, and neither would their father.
Andrew, appearing nonchalant, patiently waited for Layla to finish speaking before lazily saying, “Aren’t you not going back to Schenectady town this weekend? Cool off, being so hot-tempered isn’t good for your health. I’ll have my secretary book your flight.”
Layla was taken aback for a moment, then retorted, “Mind your own business.”
“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking too,” Andrew replied indifferently. Implicitly, it meant that his affairs didn’t need her meddling.
Layla glared at him, frustrated and helpless.
Andrew left the office, checked his wristwatch, it was 4:15 PM. From the company back to Maple Leaf Road apartment, it would take about half an hour without traffic.
He instructed the driver to get the car ready and then left the company.
Andrew returned to the apartment, but Isabella hadn’t come back yet.
The time frames she set were meant to restrain Andrew, although she herself rarely adhered to them. He was already used to it.
He instructed Amelia to change Asher’s clothes for an outing and then went to his room to change into more casual attire.
When he and the child were dressed, Isabella finally walked in.