As soon as Mason set down the phone, a knock came at the door.


    "Buddy, who were you talking to just now?" N asked.


    Mason swallowed hard and called out, "Mommy, I wasn''t talking to anyone. I was just... talking to myself."


    "It''ste. Go to bed soon," N urged.


    "Okay, Mommy," Mason replied.


    The sound of footsteps faded from outside the door, and he let out a breath of relief. If N had walked in just a moment earlier, he wouldn''t have been able to exin himself.


    The next morning, Damon, N, and Mason sat at the breakfast table.


    Damon set his tablet aside and suddenly turned to N. "N, let''s get married."


    The thought of Drake circling N like a predator had left Damon uneasy. He couldn''t shake the feeling that he was on the verge of losing her.


    N froze, looking up at him.


    Seeing the seriousness in his expression, she couldn''t help butugh. "Other people propose with a ring or at least some flowers.


    "But you? You just hit me with a casual, ''Let''s get married.'' What am I supposed to say to that?"


    Damon pressed his lips together. "You''re right. That was thoughtless of me. If you''re willing, I''ll go buy a ring right away."


    She rolled her eyes. "You''re unbelievable. No sense of romance or surprise at all."


    As she took a sip of her milk, she was about to add something more when Damon''s phone buzzed on the table.


    He nced at the screen. Upon seeing it was a call from Spencer, his expression darkened. Spencer rarely contacted him early in the morning unless it was urgent.


    Damon stood and answered the call a few steps away. "What''s going on?"


    "Mr. Sumner, we just got a call from the Wilkie Group. They said they want to terminate all our partnerships," Spencer reported.


    His tone wasced with anger. The Wilkie Group had been teetering on the brink of bankruptcy not long ago, and it was Prospectus Technology that had bailed them out.


    Now, they were turning their backs so soon? He''d never seen anyone so shameless.


    Damon''s expression remained calm. "Understood. I''ll handle it when I get to the office."


    He wasn''t surprised. Ever since he had refused to sell the 10% shares of the Wilkie Group back to Pedro at a rock-bottom price, he''d anticipated something like this. He just hadn''t expected it to happen so soon.


    Returning to the table, he told N, "Something''se up at the office. I''ll need you to drop Buddy off at school today."


    "It''s no trouble. You go ahead," N replied.


    "Thanks." Damon turned to leave but stopped at the door when he heard hurried footsteps behind him. He turned around to see N approaching. "What is it? Did I forget something?"


    "You forgot your cufflinks." She opened her palm to reveal the diamond cufflinks. Damon chuckled. "Guess I was too busy to notice."


    "Let me help you put them on," she offered.


    "Sure." He extended his arm, and N carefully fastened the cufflinks onto his sleeves.


    When she finished, she looked up at him. "If you''re not swamped tonight,e home early. I have something to talk to you about."


    "Okay. If I leave on time, I''ll call you first," Damon answered.


    After he left, N returned to the dining table to finish her breakfast.


    ...


    After dropping Mason off at


    kindergarten, N was about to


    head home when she spotted a familiar figure by the roadside. She instinctively turned to get a better look and confirmed it was Alexander.


    She frowned, and she took a deep breath before walking toward him. "Mr. Kinsey, what are you doing here?"


    Seeing the guarded expression on her face, Alexander sighed. "N, I just want to talk."


    "We''ve already talked, and there''s


    nothing more to say. I don''t want to


    waste either of our time. And I''d


    appreciate it if you stopped


    contacting Buddy or meeting him," N warned.