"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' mind was in disarray throughout that conversation. He knew Hansley had likely sided with the enemy. Still, he knew such a sudden switch couldn't have happened randomly. It was likely that things had strayed from his plans, meaning something had occurred in the hospital during his coma. Upon realizing that, he placed both hands on the keyboard and speedily typed something. The only person that could work faster than him was Erin, who had already sent a reply after receiving his instruction to investigate past happenings at the hospital."Apologies, sir, I knew about this long ago. I failed my job again by not informing you firsthand," she stated in her text before explaining the situation, "A figure in black robes entered Stephen's ward while you were unconscious. However, nothing mattered more than keeping you two safe at the time, so we set the matter aside when the figure didn't cause any trouble. We planned to deal with the matter later on but didn't have time to do so unt
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
Even though Emerson's head hung low, Darius only needed a second to notice the former's grim expression. He placed his hands behind his back and maintained a stoic expression. "Why have you lowered your head, Emerson? If I were you, I'd raise my chin and face my future boss. After all, I'm the only one who can guide you toward a brighter future."That convinced Emerson to slowly lift his gaze to meet the former. Still, his voice sounded hoarse as he spoke. "I apologize. I was merely desperate to end the issue I'm currently facing. It torments me every second of the day."Darius nodded, sighed, and answered, "Very well. Since you've already started explaining things to me, I'd like to ask what's causing you so much stress?"Hansley could no longer stand the two's slow conversation, so his head shot upward to face Darius. His gaze hardened, but his lips thinned with hesitation.Upon sensing Hansley's stares, Darius turned to face the former but kept his hands against his lower back. On
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
Winston's gaze swept past Hansley before landing on Darius again. His eyes darkened with gravity as he declared, "I can help achieve Hansley's goal. I'm doing this to atone for the many awful things I did, especially since I continued my horrible ways after accepting your advice and offer to work in your company. I realize now how severe my mistakes are, and I'd like to make up for them.""Sure," replied Darius, who kept calm while slightly raising one brow. "I'll give you one last chance to prove yourself."He then pivoted on his heel to face a trembling Hansley. It was plain to see that the latter had reacted that way out of pure rage. Again, Darius sardonically lifted a brow but kept his tone neutral as he asked, "You seem bothered by this, Hansley."Hansley paused, inhaling deeply before lifting his gaze off the ground to meet Darius. With a nod, he said, "Yes—"He was about to elaborate on his reasons for refusing Winston's help when a clamoring erupted from the spot below the wi
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
The two workers bent down to help Craig off the ground. One of them simultaneously glared daggers at Darius, then shot the same stare at Bridget."I'm sure you've seen how that specific worker looked at me, right?" Darius voiced, causing Bridget's cheeks to pale like chalk.She lowered her head, shut her eyes, and sighed. It took her a moment to reel in her emotions before reopening her eyes. When she did, her expression resumed its usual frostiness. "Yes, sir. I understand. I'll deal with him right away." While saying that, she rolled up her sleeves and approached the rude sales office worker.As for the worker, his brows furrowed with disappointment at Bridget.That was when Darius placed his hand on Bridget's shoulder, exerting some pressure so she couldn't move forward. A sigh left his mouth as he shook his head and remarked, "I've always seen you as an intelligent woman, Bridget. But I never thought you'd pick this guy as your boyfriend, or even have feelings for a man like him