Chris' POVI had breakfast in the dining room, and so did Adeline. The woman sat beside me, eating her food noisily and occasionally glancing at my silence.I wanted to quickly finish my breakfast and return to my room, avoiding any interruptions the woman might have planned."Chris, do you want to be fed? It looks like you're having trouble cutting that steak." Adeline said, coming closer to me, who could easily cut the meat for one bite, unlike that woman's words.I ignored her, knowing she had already planned to bother me again. Usually, she would tease me in a petty way, but maybe she had a little thought to turn it into this.Still, I wanted to eat faster so I could get out of the dining room, but chewing the steak so that it was easier to swallow was a priority for me. I didn't want to digest food that wasn't appropriately consumed and then get sick. I finally tried to be patient.Adeline grabbed my hand that was still holding the dinner knife, pressing down on top of my hand ha
Chris's POVSomeone knocked on my office door before walking in. He seemed to walk hurriedly before approaching my desk and bowing. I didn't look at him but strained my ears to listen to the man's report."I'm sorry, sir. We were unable to reach an agreement with the Duncan family." Nathan said, catching the attention of me, who was working earlier.It's been a few days, and the deal we sent should have been approved soon, like our other business deals. Not only were they late, but they also gave a rejection that I did not expect at all."Proposal?" I asked, confirming the integrity of my secretary's report that I disliked."They've read the proposal and rejected it, sir."Nathan opened the tab and showed me the contents of the email, which was neatly written and structured. In one look, I could tell they were giving me an honest answer with an apparent reason. There was no gap in their rejection, which read subtle but firm."We tried to convince the Duncan Family again by discussing
Nicole's POV"Mommy!"I heard Richard's voice calling me and immediately hugged the boy tightly when he was in front of me.I loosened my hug and asked him. "Where have you been, Richard? I've been looking for you."I checked Richard's condition with my eyes. From head to toe to make sure my son was okay. How worried I was when he disappeared when I only averted my eyes for a moment.The boy held my face gently, looking at me with a stern look that was unlike the usual children. "Mom, don't worry. I was fine during the walk and returned to Mom's side."I looked at Richard's face, which didn't seem frightened but instead unremarkable after walking around alone. I did allow that boy to go wherever he wanted, but he left when Key wasn't with him.I closed my eyes for a moment before opening them again, controlling my feelings before saying something to my brave boy."Although you are able to act very mature, you are actually still a child, Richard. Please remember that for Mom's sake, ok
Nicole's POVInstead of the meeting we didn't get to attend, Richard and I were eating at a restaurant with a VIP room.The room was limited to customers who wanted a private area for their family or themselves, which was perfect for me, who didn't want to be known and felt much more comfortable compared to a public room."How was the upcoming stock meeting, Key?" I asked, looking at Key, sitting across from Richard while my son ate quietly.The man had just cut the meat and was about to feed it to his mouth, but stopped because of my question. He unlocked the cell phone on the table and moved the screen, looking at me as he said."We've prepared everything, Miss. This is the list of shareholders confirmed to be present at the meeting." He handed me the phone.I took it, skimming through each name on the screen, the company name, and the number of shares they held. There was one name that I didn't see even though I had searched all the way to the bottom.I frowned, handing Key's phone
Nicole's POVI had just slept with Richard in his room, keeping him company until the boy fell asleep. I stroked his hair, then smiled a little when I saw his hand resting near mine on the bed."Sleep well, my son." I rubbed his cheek gently, ensuring his breathing was regular before leaving.I walked out as I closed the door to Richard's room slowly, not wanting to disturb him. There, I saw Key, who was walking towards my son's room."Is Young Master already asleep, Miss?" Key whispered, which I immediately nodded back.I placed my index finger on my lips and gestured for us to walk the other way. Key obeyed, following my steps as lightly as possible to not wake Richard, walking towards the hallway with many paintings.The house was very spacious. There were many long hallways on every floor except for the attic, which was left empty with only a few unused items. I hadn't been there yet, but Richard, who had been going around the house from the beginning, told me.I chatted while dis
Nicole's POVA few days passed, and the long-awaited shareholder meeting finally arrived. Richard and I were ready in the car, dressed appropriately for the driver to take us.I stared out the window as the car started to move, seeing the beautiful scenery around our spacious house slowly replaced by a cityscape filled with towering buildings."Mom, are you feeling scared or anxious today?" Richard asked, grabbing both hands folded on my thighs while looking at me intently.I could see that my son was worried about me not speaking earlier, not because of the two feelings he had just expressed, but rather a sense of impatience to attend.I shook my head with a smile, patting Richard's hand lightly to calm him down. "This is easy for you, Richard. It's okay. You know that I often watched you work."Edwin was my primary teacher throughout my life as part of the Duncan Family. He taught me a way of behaving I had never received from my previous family, especially being calm in any situati
Nicole's POVI saw the shocked looks of everyone listening to my words. Some of them were also whispering to each other, talking about my identity, which was too amazing for them to accept right away.One of them cleared his throat very loudly, giving me a sharp look that did not believe me. "Madam, you'd better not say nonsense in front of us.""We are important people who have long known every member of the Duncan Family as well as their subordinates, but no one with your name is listed."I remained silent, knowing that the man's words were just another form of denial they were showing me.Seeing them still giving me a glare but also whispering to each other already told me that they did not recognize the Duncan Family name that I bore.Although I knew that Edwin hid our family information well, I also couldn't blame their ignorance for not recognizing who I was.The security system the old man used was so good that it couldn't be easily penetrated by anyone unauthorized."Even if y
Nicole's POV"Scared? I'm not scared at all, Miss Nicole." Mr Brown smiled casually to cover the nervousness that had been visible but then cleared his throat and returned to his serious demeanour.The man's gaze looked sharp and still condescending to me, belittling my obvious superiority over him. But he still tried to be defiant, relying on hia age, which was much older than me and close to Edwin."It is Miss Nicole who is being disgraceful by discussing something like this in an important meeting, especially to me, who holds the success of our business in such high regard. You are tarnishing my good name as one of the current shareholders."Two or three people whispered, seemingly shaken by Mr. Brown's seemingly confident words. As one of the oldest, I knew some shareholders considered him a role model.They didn't know the rot that the old man was hiding, as well as some of the other shareholders involved. As such, I did not hold back from showing the evidence our company gathere