"Rain boots?" Damon guessed.


    "No," N replied curtly.


    "Galoshes?" Damon tried again.


    N didn''t bother responding.


    "Knee-high socks?" Damon ventured.


    "No! They''re torn socks! Didn''t you see the little ripped parts I drew?" N cried.


    "I thought those were just wear and tear," Damon reasoned.


    For a moment, N doubted her artistic ability. Was she really that bad at drawing?


    "Damon, be honest with me. Are my drawings really that abstract?" she asked.


    Damon hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "Not exactly. Some words are just harder to draw. Maybe try simpler ones next time."


    Mason, unbothered, chimed in, "Daddy, stop sugarcoating it. Her drawings are abstract."


    Damon red at him. "Be quiet."


    Mason crossed his arms. "Fine. But I''m definitely not ying Pictionary with Mommy again!"


    "Then I''ll y with her!" Damon countered.


    Mason and N were both speechless.


    Truthfully, N didn''t want to y this game anymore, either. She quickly said,


    "Alright, it''s gettingte. Let''s have dinner."


    "Okay," Damon and Mason chorused.


    After dinner, N followed Damon into the study.


    "Damon, is something going on at thepany? You seem distracted," she asked.


    Damon turned to look at her, his gaze deep: "Nothing serious. Just tired. By the way, Alexander went to see you today. Why didn''t you


    mention it when you were at the office?"


    N was surprised he knew. "I didn''t think it was important, so I didn''t bring it up. How did you find out?"


    "I''ve had someone keeping tabs on him ever since he saved Buddy. He must''ve told you about your connection. What do you think?" Damon asked.


    N lowered her gaze and fell silent for a moment before speaking. "I won''t leave with him. To me, he''s just a stranger."


    "Good. That''s all I needed to hear," Damon replied.


    Hearing this, N looked up at him and huffed, "What''s that supposed to mean? Did you really think I''d leave you?"


    "No, but I was worried you''d agree to go to Meristate out of a desire to see your mother," Damon exined.


    N hesitated, then said quietly, don''t want to see her. She''s nevere back for me all these years. She has her own family now There''s no point."


    Damon pulled her into his arms, gently stroking her head. "You have me and


    Buddy. We''re your family now. Don''t let it upset you."


    "Mm," N hummed quietly.


    After a moment of affection, N left the study.


    ...


    Pedro sneered when he heard that N had refused to help. "I expected this. She


    and Damon are on the same side-there''s no way she''d help us."


    The thought of Damon holding 10% of the Wilkie Group''s shares kept Pedro up at night, a heavy weight pressing on his chest.


    Theo''s face was grim. "Grandpa, what should we do now?"


    Without recovering that 10%, managing thepany would always feel precarious.


    Pedro''s expression darkened.


    After a long silence, he finally spoke. "If Damon won''t take the easy way, then


    we''ll use force to get those shares back."


    Theo''s eyes lit up. "You mean..."


    "There are plenty ofpanies in Saintornia that want to take down Prospectus Technology. If we can''t work with Damon, we''ll work with his rivals," Pedro said.