?


    "I know," Damon replied.


    Looking at his expressionless face, Lydia hesitated for a moment before cautiously asking, "Mr. Sumner, what''s your n from here?"


    "I''m not sure yet. For now, I''ll handle thepany''s remaining affairs," Damon answered.


    Filing for bankruptcy didn''t mean everything was finished. There was still a mountain of follow-up work to manage.


    Now that he had epted Prospectus Technology''s bankruptcy, his immediate priorities were tying up loose ends and suing Nyce Tech for stealing thepany''s core data.


    Lydia finally breathed a sigh of relief upon noticing that, despite his exhaustion, Damon didn''t look utterly defeated. As long as he hadn''t lost hope, that was what mattered.


    What she feared most was that Damon might crumble under the blow and let his thoughts spiral into something irreversible.


    "Mr. Sumner, you didn''t eat dinnerst night. You must be hungry. Let me make you some breakfast. What would you like?" she asked.


    Damon pondered before answering, "It''s been a while since I''ve had your pancakes. I''d like those."


    Lydia''s face brightened. "Alright, I''ll make them now."


    She headed to the kitchen, her steps noticeably lighter.


    Meanwhile, Damon grabbed a change of clothes and stepped into his bathroom to shower.


    When he emerged, Lydia had just finished cing a steaming batch of fresh pancakes on the dining table.


    "Mr. Sumner, the pancakes are ready. Would you like to eat now?" she asked.


    "Yeah," Damon replied.


    He sat at the table and had just taken a bite when Spencer arrived.


    "Mr. Sumner, I brought over some paperwork and documents for the bankruptcy filing," Spencer announced.


    "Alright." Damon stood, nodded, and said, "Let''s talk in the study."


    Spencer followed him to the study and handed over the documents. "Mr. Sumner, please review these and let me know if anything''s missing."


    Taking the stack of papers, Damon flipped through them for a moment before setting them down.


    He looked at Spencer and said, "Everything seems fine. You''ve done an excellent job. You''ve worked hard all these years."


    Hearing this, Spencer felt a lump rise in his throat. "Mr. Sumner, is there truly no other way besides filing for bankruptcy?"


    He had joined Prospectus


    Technology straight out of university


    el.


    as Damon''s assistant. At first, he struggled to keep up with Damon''s relentless pace and was often reprimanded. During his first he workedte into the night nearly every day and came close to quitting several times.


    et


    But he stuck it out. Over time, he adapted, tearned to anticipate Damon''s needs, and found his footing. Work became smoother, and he developed a deep emotional connection to thepany swnovel


    He had always envisioned working alongside Damon for his entire career. Never had he imagined Prospectus Technology would face bankruptcy.


    All night, Spencer had reyed


    scenarios in his head, wondering if there was anything he could have done to prevent Henry and Gabriel from conspiring against thepany and driving it into ruin.


    Yet regret couldn''t change the oue.


    Damon met his gaze and nodded. "I suggest you start exploring other job opportunities. If you need rmendations, I''ll do what I can, but I can''t promise anything."


    "Mr. Sumner, aren''t you nning to make aeback?" Spencer asked.


    After a pause, Damon replied, "For now, my focus is on closing Prospectus Technology''s affairs. I haven''t thought about anything beyond that."


    Spencer hesitated before saying, "I''m not nning on looking for another job for at least three months. If you do decide to start over, I''ll be honored to remain as your assistant."


    Damon blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting Spencer''s offer.