The ongoing teen drama series was so boring that it almost put Larissa to sleep. She struggled to stay awake. Her gaze happened to catch a glimmer of light seeping through the door crack.Kevan pushed the door open and walked in. He waved to Larissa. "Can you step out for a moment?"As she was still holding a grudge from the previous night's 'feud,' she pretended not to hear him. She remained nonchalant at him. Kevan smiled faintly. He approached her, bent down, and picked her up."Aaaaaaah—" she exclaimed. She was squirming in his arms.Wendy was munching on potato chips and watching them with keen interest. She thought that the scene was more entertaining than the cheesy teen drama.Kevan held Larissa's flailing hands in place. He apologized to Wendy. "I need to talk to her."Wendy nodded confidently. "Yeah, sure! As long as you need to!"Larissa turned and glared at Wendy. Kevan carried Larissa into the study. He locked the door behind them. He gestured for her to sit on th

Soon, the day of the trial arrived.Thanks to Lewis' influence, not a single respectable lawyer in Westonia dared to take on the task of defending Edmund, no matter how much he was willing to pay.Larissa had rehearsed her testimony at home in advance. Tears welled up in her eyes as she took the witness stand. She sobbed uncontrollably as she recounted the scary experiences after being kidnapped. Her emotional testimony moved the jury deeply. She cried so many times during her testimony that she could barely hold herself together.The key witnesses, including Vick, corroborated her account.The text messages and contracts exchanged between Vick and Edmund were presented as evidence.Such proof could potentially send Edmund to jail.Everything was proceeding smoothly, except for a minor hiccup during Wendy's appearance. Kevan was concerned about her mental state.So, he had coordinated with the prosecutor to place her as the last witness.Edmund was completely taken by

The reporters that Kevan had arranged were waiting outside the courthouse. At least ten cameras pointed at Edmund as soon as he came out.There were continuous shutter clicks. Reporters were bombarding him with questions.These finally exacerbated Edmund's already volatile emotions."Get the hell out of here! All of you! Get the hell out!" he yelled. His facial expression was so scary that it was almost distorted.His outburst was captured on cameras. It was spread across the entire Caldor's internet that day.He was somewhat of a public figure in Caldor, just not as famous as his own brother, Cody, or his cousin, Kevan.This was due to his connections with Soaring Corporation and the Regal Dynasty Hotel. So, him committing a crime and serving time in Aldovia became a sensation. The story had a significant social impact because of the incident itself and the shame it brought to the nation.Most media in Caldor was under Kevan's control. They added their own spin to the

With Edmund behind bars, Larissa finally was able to put the matter to rest.However, what troubled her the most was Blue Star's crisis.One by one, their long-time clients were being poached by Moorewell Shipping.So, their top priority was to acquire new clients to ensure the stability of the company's revenue. Indeed, they had a dedicated department for attracting small and medium-sized clients.However, dealing with larger clients usually relied on the company's top executives and their connections.Gary had plans to shift the business' focus to Caldor. This meant establishing closer ties and collaborations with major companies there. However, he didn't have the same level of access in Caldor as he did in Westonia; Caldor had numerous large shipping companies. They had no incentive to work exclusively with him.Considering the current situation in Caldor, Lewis didn't dare to allow Gary to travel there in person. After some discussions, a decision was reached.Lewis wo

Kevan wasn't particularly worried about this; his parents were definitely easier to handle than Larissa....But before dealing with his own parents, Kevan had someone else to deal with.At the airport, when Lewis saw Aster and Kevan getting out of the car behind Larissa, his expression immediately darkened."Why are they coming with you? Larissa, we're here in Caldor for business, not a vacation," he asked with an unpleasant tone."It's not what you think," Larissa replied.She felt a twinge of guilt due to Lewis' sudden accusations.She then pointed at Kevan."He just happened to have some matters to attend to in Caldor. And since there's no one at home to take care of Aster, he brought him along. After we land in Caldor, they will go their separate ways. They won't interfere with my work," she assured Lewis.Lewis's mood didn't improve with her explanation. However, he couldn't say anything more.There was an ongoing pandemic in Caldor. So, flights from Westonia to Caldo

The man realized his mistake and chuckled awkwardly. "Hey, my apologies, Mr. Lewis," he said, carefully extending his apology, before swiftly changing the topic, saying, "Mr. Lewis, will you all be riding in my car, or how would you like to proceed?" His use of "you all" included Kevan and Aster, who had been sticking close to Larissa.Lewis pulled Larissa aside and stated, "It will just be the two of us.""Got it! Sure thing!" The man took the initiative to help with the luggage cart.He smiled as he continued, "My car is parked outside. So, please follow me for a short walk."Larissa turned to Dylan and inquired, "What about you?""My car is parked on the basement level. We're headed in different directions," Dylan replied, gesturing casually behind him.Larissa turned her attention to Aster. She embraced him and planted a kiss on his cheek.She ruffled his hair as she advised, "Be a good boy and listen to Daddy. I have to work today, but I'll come see you tomorrow."As

Kevan noticed Dylan's hesitation and decided to take matters into his own hands. He lifted Aster and placed him firmly in Dylan's lap."Lock the doors and keep him safe," he instructed with determination before jumping out of the car without further ado."Hey—" Dylan tried to intervene but it was too late.He watched as Kevan strode purposefully toward the commotion."Damn it!" Dylan muttered in frustration.Following Kevan's instructions, he locked the car doors but remained uneasy."Uncle Dylan, where did Daddy go?" Aster asked with a worried expression.Dylan shifted his gaze away from Kevan, mustering a forced smile. "Well ... he is not feeling well and needs to use the neighbor's restroom."He concocted a poor excuse.Aster responded with a simple "Oh" and lowered his head, obediently nestling in Dylan's arms.It was unclear whether he believed the excuse or not.The sound of the knife striking the gate abruptly stopped."You've finally decided to show your face! Y

Both Anthony and Violet were utterly charmed by Aster.Anthony couldn't wait to take Aster from Violet. He bounced Aster around happily, saying, "What a good boy!"The scene of the grandparents and grandson enjoying themselves together was heartwarming.But Dylan's focus wasn't on that. He asked, "Violet, where's Kevan?"She gestured upstairs and replied, "He said his clothes got dirty, so he went upstairs to take a shower and change. You know his cleanliness habits …"Kevan's penchant for cleanliness was no secret in the family."Oh." Dylan didn't inquire further."Aster, would you like some snacks? I made cinnamon rolls and cream puffs. Even your mom says they're delicious!" She held Aster's hands, trying to win him over."After snacks, how about going for a stroll in the yard with me? I'll show you the crickets I'm raising. It's a lot of fun!" Anthony chimed in, also vying for Aster's attention.Dylan sat on the couch.He felt somewhat out of place amidst the current atm

"Life imprisonment?" Dylan narrowed his eyes. "That's still lenient for him!"In fact, Edmund confirmed that Cody had poisoned Old Mr. Rogers. However, Kevan didn't intend to submit that video as evidence due to suspicions of coercion during the confession."Once he's behind bars, it won't be up to him whether he lives or dies," Kevan said. He was smiling, but his dark eyes were chilly. There were plenty of hardcore criminals in prison. Fights and brawls happened at the drop of a hat. It wasn't all that uncommon for inmates to end up killing each other. Handling it wouldn't be much of a hassle. After all, individuals like those inmates wouldn't mind taking another life.Besides, there were already two members of Bernard's family in prison. Since Maria got herself into trouble today, she'd likely join them behind bars. With Cody's relatives no longer around, there would be no one to investigate the cause of his death.The matter would probably be swept under the ru

Violet looked surprised. "Wait, you haven't remarried Lari yet?"You've been constantly over there, staying for weeks at a time. "I thought you'd have it all sorted by now." Her eyes sparkled with teasing, and her tone was playfully mocking.Kevan cleared his throat, feeling somewhat uneasy. "Well, I still need to discuss it with you and Dad.""Are you telling me that you won't remarry Lari if Anthony and I disagree?" she countered. Her eyes were filled with understanding.He grew even more uncomfortable and used the act of breaking a piece of bread to avoid her gaze.His confidence waned a bit."It's not quite like that.""So, when are you planning to remarry her?" She paused and focused on their conversation."We'll wait until the situation in the country improves a bit. I plan to have the wedding here, but I haven't discussed it with Larissa yet.""You haven't talked about it yet?" She sounded anxious. "Don't tell me you're rushing into this without careful considerat