Receiving this order from Alex, Ava obeyed immediately.The following morning, Nancy Stewart was jolted awake by a faint, persistent knocking on her bedroom door. Her secretary entered, holding a ringing cellphone.“Ma’am, you have a call.”Nancy’s irritation was evident. “Who’s calling at this early hour? Let it ring. The call can wait.” She turned to go back to sleep, but the secretary persisted.“Ma’am, it’s from the Sebastian Southlake Corporation.”Nancy’s eyes snapped open. The Sebastian Southlake Corporation had never reached out to her first. She was always the one initiating contact, often enduring a series of frustrating follow-ups to get a response. To receive a call from them at such an early hour was both unusual and alarming.Curiosity overpowered her annoyance. She leaped out of bed, grabbed the cellphone from her secretary, and said, “Hello, Nancy Stewart speaking.”“Mrs. Stewart, this is to inform you that the president of Sebastian Southlake Corporation has directed

Daniel chuckled, but the sound felt hollow, forced. He stepped aside, letting them pass to claim their seats, masking the growing tension beneath his calm demeanor.As he was about to lower himself into his seat, a well-dressed man in a sharp suit appeared from the elevator. His voice rang out, cutting through the air, “Mr. Daniel Stewart, please come in.”Daniel froze for a second, glancing over at Anastasia with a smirk that barely concealed his arrogance. Straightening his suit, he stood tall, radiating the confidence of a man who believed his name alone could open any door. With another smirk, he strode towards the office.As he entered, the first thing Daniel noticed was that the man who’d summoned him wasn’t the one doing the interview. Instead, sitting behind the desk was a different man—older, with glasses perched on the edge of his nose and dressed in a dull gray suit. He barely acknowledged Daniel’s presence, engrossed in whatever he was typing on his computer. Not even a gl

Arriving at the Stewart Mansion, Anastasia felt a strange hollowness in the air. It was unsettling—too quiet for a place that was usually buzzing with life. She realized, with a sinking feeling, that it was just her and Nancy. No one else from the family was around, only the housekeepers and the ever-watchful secretary. Not even her cousin, Daniel, was in sight. She sighed softly, her fingers brushing the cool surface of the dining table as she sat down to wait for Nancy to appear.The announcement of her arrival must have reached Nancy by now. Anastasia imagined her grandmother getting ready upstairs, mentally preparing for what was sure to be another heated conversation about Alex. With a heavy heart, she gazed at the rich surroundings and the elegance that had shaped her childhood. But today, it all felt distant.Upstairs, Nancy was indeed prepared, both physically and mentally. Her wrinkled hands moved methodically as she put on her jewelry, each piece symbolizing years of hard-ea

 “How can you hate me so much when you’ve never even met me?” Jackson’s voice rose, a mix of frustration and desperation in his tone. “I told you I love you, and even your grandmother wants us to be together, to eventually get married.”His words were forceful, more like a command than a confession. It was as if he believed he could make Anastasia bend to his will with sheer determination.Nancy, who was watching from nearby, frowned deeply. She knew this wasn’t the right way to approach a woman, but she felt powerless to stop Jackson. She desperately wanted Anastasia to date Jackson, even if it meant pushing her into it.“Leave me alone!” Anastasia shouted, her voice shaking with anger and fear. But Jackson didn’t back down. Instead, he grabbe

Arriving home, Jackson’s mind was a storm. The interviewer’s cryptic words replayed in his head, like a song stuck on a broken loop. He hadn’t done anything wrong—or at least, he couldn’t think of anything. But the unsettling feeling wouldn’t leave him.“Could Anastasia be behind this?” The thought hit him out of nowhere, sending a sharp pang through his chest.“No,” he shook his head, as if to push the idea away. “That’s impossible. Her grandmother wanted us married. She wouldn’t—couldn’t—do something like this.”Yet, his chest tightened as doubt gnawed at him. He began pacing the room, each step quicker than the last.His mind spiraled. He replayed every interaction fr