"Bennett started harassing my mother from the moment they first met, making every other member of the Evans family mock and insult her for being shameless. When she was a freshman in university, Bennett's mother shoved her to the ground and stepped on her face in front of all her classmates. Later, my mother swore to cut ties with Bennett, even choosing to drop out of university to get away from him. Still, she failed, and Bennett locked her up in his home. She wanted to flee, and it was during one of these attempts that she met my father. Alas, money makes the world go round. Ultimately, she failed to escape from Ashweir City. I don't think I need to elaborate on what happened next—you're both intelligent enough to guess."Darius raised an eyebrow. Indeed, he could guess what had happened, but that didn't diminish the shock. He heard Erin gnashing her teeth through the speaker and shook his head helplessly. Though his tone was gentle, his words were cold and ruthless as he said, "Wha

"I didn't have any other choice!" Tears gathered in Hansley's eyes as he spoke.Adversely, Darius remained calm like always. He crossed his arms while wordlessly staring at the former. That said, he no longer seemed curious; instead, there was a distant look in his eyes as if he had fallen into deep thought.Hansley noticed it but soon shifted his gaze away from Darius. Chills crawled into his heart as he lowered his head and took a deep breath. Only then did Hansley continue, "During the incident, I saw a man in black robes sneaking you out of the car. There were also other black-robed figures there, but I still followed the person that took you away, thinking I could save you since he would eventually be alone. What happened next shocked me; the man brought you to an orphanage without hurting you. He didn't leave a scar on you, which I didn't think was possible! Yet, it did. Because of that, I thought long and hard before deciding to conceal the truth."Not a flicker of emotion sho

Darius straightened his back, placed his hands behind his back, and gazed ahead calmly. He even spoke composedly. "There's no need for that because those people outside are a match for Bridget, even if they attack her all at once. Besides, we're in my villa, so Bridget isn't the only bodyguard on duty; Edward's here too."Hansley's pupils constricted in defeat as he met Darius' calm but confident stares. With a long exhale, he replied, "There's nothing much I can do to help you since that's the case. Nevertheless, I still want you to protect my son by keeping him with you. He's not a rotten egg—that, I'm sure. After all, I have faith in my and my wife's genes. Perhaps he's merely figuring out himself and bumped into the wrong influences along the way that caused him to end up how he is now. My heart aches at the thought of parting with my son. I also know it's irresponsible of me to entrust him to your care, but this is the best option for all of us."With that, he exhaled deeply, the

After some time, Darius sighed and stated, "Many things are affecting the company now, so I don't wish to waste any time on both of your pathetic tantrums—" He lifted his gaze off the ground to meet Winston's eyes. "As for what Ursula told you, there's no need to believe a word she says because she's currently being held captive in my basement. I suggest you act on your urges if you have any now."Only after saying that did he speedwalk back to his villa. Once there, he locked himself inside his study, then sighed helplessly at the pile of urgent problems in the company that he needed to sort out. The irony was his progress in dealing with those things got interrupted by his future employee, Winston, and his father's ex-best friend, Hansley. Darius knew he shouldn't have allowed such an interference to occur. He took a deep breath, his features loosening into an exasperated expression. Sitting on a nearby chair, he crossed his legs and continued sighing. At the same time, his thought

Darius raised a brow but soon put his hands behind his back again.Upon seeing that, Bridget sighed in relief and opened the gate. With a soft click, everyone—including the other bodyguards in the villa and the three arguing unannounced visitors—turned to look at her.The man dressed in trendy sportswear rushed toward Darius once he saw the latter. "Hey! You're that Darius Reid, right?"Darius flashed an unimpressed stare but nodded, saying, "Yes, I am. May I know why you've approached me?"Almost instantly, the man's arrogant grin turned into a polite smile. Even his prickly attitude softened with civility. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Reid. My name is Craig Fledor. Maybe you haven't heard of my name before, but you need only know this—I can pay you twice the amount you used to purchase this estate, including the renovation and furnishing fees. After all, I would never use any furniture or appliance that you've already broken in. Consider all of this a splendid opportunity for you."By th