Days and days later, Mr Cyrus was fully recovered and fit to be discharged from the hospital. After which he went back to the Royale mansion. But when Mr Cyrus got back home, it was a desolate place because none of his children or grandchildren were staying in the house. Luckily for him, the staff who came visiting upon hearing of Mr Cyrus's return to the Royale mansion were there to help him get things sorted out. He had left the hospital without telling any of them because he was hoping to support them at home. He had expected them all to be staying at the mansion together as a form of support while he was sick.Mr Cyrus had also heard of Ellis's mental breakdown, so he understood that it was for Ellis's own wellbeing, he was with Zoey at the time. But now that he was back, Ellis would have to come back home. He would also try to convince the rest of them to come live with him for a while even if they had their own personal places. Ellis stood in the doorway of Zoey's apartment, hi
The front door opened before he even had a chance to fish out his key. "Ellis! It's so good to have you home." The butler said cheerfully. The butler's cheerfulness mildly surprised Ellis. The butler was not known to be overly cheerful like this. Despite his frail appearance, the genuine warmth and relief in the butler's voice was palpable. Maybe he missed having people in the house after Ellis left to stay at Zoey's place.Ellis managed a tight smile, doing his best to push aside his inner turmoil. "Good afternoon, sir. Thank you."Just then, Mr Cyrus came down from his room upstairs, looking like he had not been sick and bedridden for months. Now that the poison on his aura was gone, he could freely heal himself with his own cultivation skills. That was why he looked healthier so fast. He smiled at Ellis, as though he had been expecting him for too long. They embraced, and Ellis could not deny the reassuring familiarity of his father's frame and comforting scent. No matter what h
Mr. Cyrus could hardly believe his eyes as he strode into the gleaming lobby of Royale Company's corporate headquarters. The once pristine space was in disarray, with papers strewn about and a general air of neglect. The workers were few, and it seemed like most of them had gone on a strike or something. His firm jaw clenched as he took in the scene before him. This was not the reputation he wanted to leave as a legacy. He worked hard to build this company, and seeing it in such a state made him angry."What has been going on here?" He asked Ellis, who walked at his side with a similarly disgusted look on his face."I don't know, dad." Ellis said simply. "Well, haven't you at least come around to check on the place since then?" Mr. Cyrus asked. He had never seen his company this disoriented. Why were papers thrown around like this was just some newbie company with no principles?"I hate to think that this is as a result of your absence here, since your collapse," Ellis said carefully
"A personal crisis?" Mr. Cyrus roared, his face flushing with fury. He closed the distance to the table in three long strides and slammed his palms down with enough force to make the wood groan. "You speak like I conveniently took some time off to frolic about, I was poisoned, you sanctimonious bastard! And by your reckoning, I should have just kicked the bucket so you could swoop in and take the reins? Is that it?"Mr Clark puffed out his chest in a vain attempt to seem intimidating. "Of course not. But with you incapacitated we had a responsibility to the shareholders to keep the company afloat. What else were we supposed to do? The shareholders…""The shareholders?!" Mr. Cyrus interrupted with a bark of mirthless laughter. "You mean yourselves! Your main aim was to enrich yourselves at the expense of my life's work! This company belongs to me, not us, me. You may all own shares, and you may all be executive members of the board, but at the end of the day, you all work for me." He
Ellis's feelings for Zoey had developed into something more. Zoey was trying to hold back in order not to get rejected again, but the more time they spent together, the harder it was for her to deny that she was still in love with him. Meanwhile, Ellis was still trying to make it up to her after the rejection issue. He was serious about making sure she was courted properly. Zoey was the most beautiful girl in Ellis’ eyes, but it wasn’t just about her physical beauty. Zoey was smart and funny too, she was a great listener, and always inspired him to put in his best in everything he did. Ellis wanted to ask Zoey out on a date but he was nervous. He did not know if she liked him back — not after he had rejected her the first time. Of course she liked him too, he could see it in her eyes. It was only his nerves speaking. One day, Ellis decided he had to try. He wanted to make a move now before it was something he could not do again. Ellis took a deep breath in his room as he picked up h
As they looked over the menu, Ellis could not stop sneaking glances at Zoey. Why hadn't he noticed how beautiful she was until now? He loved the way her eyes sparkled in the candlelight. And that dress, damn, she looked like a DATEgoddess in it. When they walked into the restaurant, he could see several men turning to stare at her because of how beautiful she looked. That made him decide within himself that next time, he would book the whole restaurant if they went out for dinner again. That way, no one else would be around to ogle her. They ordered some fancy dishes that Ellis thought Zoey would love to try out. Over their meal, Ellis and Zoey talked and laughed together easily, like they had done many times as friends. But now there was an extra spark of excitement since it was an actual date. Ellis loved discovering new things about Zoey that he had not known before, like how she had always wanted to be a writer before venturing into law. “Why did you never tell me this?” Ellis
"I had such a wonderful time tonight, Ellis," Zoey said, looking into his eyes. "Thank you for treating me to such luxury. You know I'm not used to all that lifestyle, but it was fun.""You're so welcome, Zoey. I'm the one who should be thanking you for saying yes and making this the best night of my life," Ellis replied sincerely. "And as for the luxury, you deserve it all and more."An awkward pause followed after that. The tension in the air was stifling but they both seemed too shy to want to make the move that would solidify their feelings. Zoey was more withdrawn and hesitant to try because of being rejected again. And Ellis was wondering if she was still willing to give him a chance after what happened last time. But he decided to take a chance, so he leaned in slowly, to give her enough time to pull back if she decided to. But she didn't pull back, so he kissed her on the lips. It was a soft, gentle kiss, but fireworks seemed to be going off for Ellis. When their lips parted,
When Ellis finally asked her officially to be his girlfriend, of course she accepted. She had no doubt now that he had feelings for her. And even though she was rejected before, she didn't want to hold a grudge, or try to get revenge. She was giving their love a chance to prosper. Their favorite thing was spending lazy weekends together. They would linger in Zoey's bed late into the morning, cuddling and talking about everything and nothing. Zoey loved the way Ellis played with her hair. Ellis adored Zoey's infectious giggles. In the kitchen, they would make extravagant breakfasts together. Zoey would whip up perfect omelets and Ellis would create beautiful fruit salads. All the while they would dance and sing terribly to music played on Ellis's vintage record player.The afternoons would be spent on the couch watching old movies or reading books side-by-side. Such simple domesticity made them both incredibly happy. Just being together felt like coming home.As weeks went on, their l