As soon as Hector drove Meira back to the hotel where she was staying, she turned her head to glare at him.“Why are we here?” she questioned, not understanding why he had brought her back to the hotel.“This is where you’re staying, isn’t it?” he asked.Her frown deepened. “Didn’t you see my luggage, Uncle?” she inquired. “I canceled my reservation at the hotel because I heard you were going to pick me up. Since Mom doesn’t want me staying in the same house as her, I thought I’d stay with you.”Hector was taken aback. “Wait…what?”It wasn’t strange to him that she wanted to live with him; it just surprised him that she mentioned her mother before asking.“Mom said you were going to pick me up.”“It was only for today,” he replied. “I told her I’d just be your guide for the day, not beyond that.”Hearing this, a soft expression appeared on Meira’s face. “Is that how much you hate me, Uncle?” she asked, her eyes flickering with sadness. “Don’t you feel bad for leaving me when I was a ki

“He is actually the new shareholder who acquired 21% of the shares,” she announced, not wanting to delay it further.The men rose from their seats in shock, unable to believe what they had just heard. Their eyes bulged, and silence filled the room. The silence was so intense that Hector’s brows arched.‘Was it so surprising that the shares could be acquired?’ he wondered.The housekeeper had been the one who bought the shares while they were available and had asked him to check if the company was to his liking. From their discussion so far, he could tell it was a design company, but he had no idea what kind of design it specialized in.Moreover, he realized the men in the room were only interested in the shares, not the ongoing discussion. He could also tell that John wanted the deceased man's shares and, if he hadn’t overheard them, he wouldn’t have known he had purchased the shares of a dead man.Or was the man alive when the transaction was made? All of that didn’t matter to him at

Meira scowled at him. “Aren’t you supposed to be married to my mother?!” she snapped, her glare unwavering.Hector stared back, utterly baffled. From what he knew, he and Miranda were nothing more than childhood friends who grew up together.“Was I supposed to marry your mother?” Hector asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion. “Who told you that?”Her expression faltered, shifting from confusion to anger. Before Hector could process what was happening, Meira stood abruptly, brushed past him, and slammed the door behind her.Hector sighed, picking up the photo she had knocked over and placing it back on his desk.“What’s going on?” he muttered to himself. “Is taking care of a teenager always this complicated?”He resolved to give her space to calm down before trying to talk it out. Something must have triggered her outburst.Pulling his phone from his pocket, he checked it for messages. Still nothing from Madison, though Abigail had sent a flood of texts. He frowned. Calling Abigail back

Hearing Paul address Hector, Madison turned around to find him standing behind her. She had seen him leave earlier and had no idea he was back. Why did he have to return now, especially with Paul still trying to taunt her?“Oh, it’s a gift from Grandma,” Hector replied, holding up the gift box.Paul pretended to be curious. “And where did you get it from?”“I got it from the gift store,” Hector said, a smile forming on his face. “I think it will suit Grandma perfectly, and I used all the money on my card.”To be honest, Hector had indeed used up all the money he had transferred to his previous bank account. Since he didn’t have a joint account with Madison, it was easier for him to spend it all.“Used up all your money?” Paul demanded, bursting into laughter. “That money wouldn’t even amount to a hundred dollars! How dare you think Grandma would want something you bought with such a meager amount? And from a gift shop, no less!”Mocking laughter filled the room—loud and taunting.“A gi

"Had she just lied?" Hector questioned, his eyes rounding in disbelief.The rest of the guests looked stunned, but no one in the room was as shocked as Madison. The lady had just claimed the fake bracelet was real. Her words were enough to sway the guests, who quickly changed sides.Madison's heart sank. She knew her grandmother was lying; the woman didn’t have an eye for authentic jewelry. Madison had often been tasked with selecting bracelets for gifts before, and her grandmother’s disinterest in such details was glaringly obvious.She stared at her grandmother with wide eyes, disbelief etched in every line of her face.“You must check it properly, Grandma!” Hector pressed, his voice tinged with desperation as he turned to the room. “It is definitely fake and harmful. Are you going to accept a gift like that?”The old lady’s glare was sharp enough to cut through steel as she pointed a trembling finger at Hector. “What do you mean, check it properly? I already examined it under the li