Wichst date without biking antire demor was vacant and dazed. Even his voice


    111. New Year''s Eve today


    y heart was illi racing from the nightmare I nodded lightly meeting his qaza


    Thinking he wanted to rush back home, I followed his ad and said. "Have you finished up everything here i feel much better now. We can head back whenever you''re ready Nichs had been crouching in front of me. After I finished speaking, it was like all the energy had


    I


    drained out of him


    His body copsed onto the floor, limp like a deted balloon. He wrapped his arms around his legs, burying his face in his knees.


    "My dad is dead"


    His words hit me like a sledgehammer, stopping my breath as my heart seized


    Twas stunned. "Wasn''t he doing better just before the holidays..."


    Nichs allowed himself a single second of vulnerability before pushing himself up, although it took him two attempts to stand. Hisrge frame swayed slightly in front of me "udia said the doctors called it a final rally before death"


    His emotionless expression weighed on me like a shadow. "My dad waited for us toe back, but he didn''t get to see me before the end"


    He sat down slowly on the edge of the bed, gently caressing my cheek. "If it weren''t for Pete, we wouldn''t havee here, right?"


    His voice grew colder. His eyes filled with a hatred so intense, it seemed like he wished Pete were already dead


    I i trembled all over. Nichs pulled me into his arms, patting my shoulder in an attempt tofort me." Just hanging there. We have to return tomorrow."


    By the time we arrived back at the manor, it was already New Year''s night. After more than ten exhausting hours of travel, I was even weaker.


    Nichs carried me to the bed and told me to keep sleeping. He left the room without looking back.


    The entire Hawk Manor was draped in ck cloth. Everyone moved silently like restless spirits. I could only see the maids busying themselves, not a single sound to be heard.


    In the week that followed, Nichs held a funeral for Daniel. Meanwhile, I kept in constant contact with Dous, trying every possible way to help Pete.


    I didn''t know if the bitterness in Nichs''s heart would be taken out on Pete, so I had to prepare for the worst. But nothing turned out the way I expected This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    After the funeral, Nichs became eerily calm, as if a great burden had been lifted. There were no moves against Pete at all. Even Dous found it strange. "Are you sure your information is urate? If this keeps going, the stability of Jones Corporation will be


    at risk.


    "Several projects have already stalled, and many of our partners are unhappy, but they''re too afraid to speak out because of you and the Hawks."


    I understood the underlying tension


    and even anticipated the day when things might explode, leading to retaliation from otherpanies Still, no matter how much I resented Pete couldn''t just stand by and do I


    nothing.


    Nichs remained extremely busy, so much so that I barely saw him, and he rarely came home. But I didn''t dare ask him about it.


    The tension between us was palpable. Plus, udia would often drop hints about Pete''s worsening situation was too afraid to provoke a man who had just lost his father and whose emotions were so unstable.


    Thankfully, Nichs didn''t take any drastic actions. Jones Corporation could still hold on for a while. I fold Dous we should wait and see how things y out. Suddenly, Nichs came home. The relief I had started to feel quickly vanished when he asked to meet me in the study. My heart tightened again....