Dwight Estate

    ???

    b55 /byour hors

    The loud pping sound echoed before Samuel could even say a word. “Look at what you did!” Vanessa Dwight screeched. “The board already decided to kick you out as the CEO and now… and now…” she patted her chest as if forcing herself to calm down.

    Seeing his mother’s reaction, Samuel let out a sigh. “Mom, calm down. It’s not a big deal.”

    “What did you just say?” Vanessa’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Not a big deal? You publicly embarrassed Talia and evenid hands on her, and now you’re telling me this isn’t serious?” She could already picture the headlines, the legal threats, and thewsuits piling up. Her voice rose as frustration took over. “This is getting out of control, Samuel! Do you even understand what you’ve done?”

    Seeing how Samuel just ignored her, Vanessa’s voice rose again. “Do you- Do you not realize what you’ve done? Talia’s parents already called me. They want her back at their house. If we don’t return her, they’ll press charges against us for kidnapping. Kidnapping and assault, Samuel! Do you want the entire Dwight family dragged into court?”

    Her hand flew to her chest as she tried to catch her breath. The rage boiling inside her made her feel like striking him again, but when she raised her arm, Samuel stepped back this time, his face nk and drained of all fight.

    “I’m tired. Mom,” he said tly. “I want to rest.”

    “You-“Vanessa’s hand trembled bas /bshe pointed at him. “I am still talking, Samuel! Don’t you dare turn your back on me!”

    But Samuel had already turned away. He walked past her, shoulders slumped, ignoring her words as if they were nothing more than background noise. The sound of his footsteps up the stairs only deepened her anger, leaving Vanessa shaking in the middle of the room, her palm stinging from the earlier p.

    “Did you already send flowers to the Be family?” Vanessa asked as her assistant handed her a ss of water. She drained it in one go, pressing a hand against her chest bas /bthough steadying herself.

    “Yes, madam,” the assistant replied carefully. “But… they refused to ept them. They wouldn’t even allow the delivery man to step inside the Be Building. I tried sending the arrangement directly to their mansion instead, but again, their staff turned it away at the gate.”

    “Tsk” Vanessa clicked her tongue, her jaw tightening as she sat back down. “Send the flowers again,” she ordered her assistant. “And this time, bmake /bit loud. I want the press to see it. Let’s see if the Bes will still refuse when it’s in front of everyone’s eyes”

    i“/iYes, madam,” the assistant said quickly.

    Vanessa leaned back, pressing her fingers to her temples. A dull ache spread across her head, the stress piling heavier by the day famurd was no longer CEO, the board had stripped him of the title, and the man didn’t even seem to care Instead of cleaning up the mess, he was wasting his time chasing Emery like some love–struck fool

    Her teeth clenched. “That girl she muttered bitterly “She’s ying hard to get Isn’t this what she wanted!! Samuel on his knees, groveling, begging for her forgiveness! So why isn’t she taking him back? What is she trying to prove?

    She mmed the empty ss on the table and turned to her secretary “Call Roni Now”

    Minutester, Komi walked into the room, sull as always Vanessa’s starp gazended on him “How long have you been working for Samuel?”

    “More than five years, ma’am, Koni answered

    173

    b5:02 /bbpm /bP PPD

    b55 /bvouchers

    “Then you must know something about Emery,” Vanessa pressed. “Her favorite food, flowers, colors–anything.”

    Roni’s lips pressed together. He said nothing at first, his mind drifting. He remembered the banquet, the rumors, the shock of discovering that Emery wasn’t a gold digger at all, but richer than the Dwights themselves. Back then, he had called Emery gold digger countless times behind Samuel’s back. Now the truth made him uneasy.

    “Well?” Vanessa’s voice snapped him back.

    Roni cleared his throat. “I… I don’t remember, madam.”

    Vanessa’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean you don’t remember?”

    Roni hesitated, then spoke slowly. “Because… it was always her catering to him. Emery never really said what she liked. Everything was done around what Samuel wanted.” This time, he decided to be honest about it. He didn’t want to get dragged into this mess anymore.

    Vanessa frowned. “Exin.”

    Roni shifted ufortably. “Dinner reservations? She made them. Always at ces Mr. Dwight liked. Gifts? When he gave her something, she just smiled and took it. She neverined, never told him what she really wanted. Most nights she’d spend hours cooking meals for him, even packing lunches so he wouldn’t skip meals at work. But Mr. Dwight never lifted a finger for her. It was never the other way around.”

    But back then, Emery neverined. Everyone simply epted that Samuel would always be busy. After all, he was the CEO of a multimillion–dorpany, and his schedule was the excuse that covered everything he failed to do.

    Vanessa stared at him, shocked. “So you’re telling me that for years, it was only Emery who made the effort?”

    Roni winced. “Well… Mr. Dwight bought her things–nes, handbags, gifts. But she never showed much preference for them. And she never demanded anything. Not once.”

    Vanessa’s expression hardened.

    Roni added reluctantly, “If anything, Mr. Dwight treated her like a prop. She was there to make him look good, to boost his ego. If she was tired, it didn’t matter. If she was sick, she still had to show up smiling beside him. And when he wanted something, she bent over backwards to give it. But when she needed something? He barely noticed.”

    Vanessa’s mouth parted slightly, disbelief flickering across her face.

    “She carried that rtionship, madam,” Roni finished quietly. “And he never even realized it.”

    “So, all this time…” Vanessa didn’t want to finish her sentence. She recalled calling Emery gold digger, an opportunist, a whore. She recalled bullying her into doing their housework to prove to them that she deserves Samuel. Then she recalled something. “Well, what about Samuel? Does he know what she likes?b” /bHe is her man. Surely, he knows what jewelry she likes?

    Or the color that she wants to wear?

    She looked up and found Roni just staring nkly at her. “What?” she asked.

    “I–I think Mr. Dwight never asked,” Roni said. “For years, I didn’t hear Mr. Dwight asking her what she wanted.”