It was the peak of the morning rush, and the first-floor lobby was packed with employees on their way to work. They were all stunned to see their CEO appear at the company with his arm around a petite woman—a woman who was not the much-rumored Clara Jacobs. Everyone’s eyes went wide in astonishnt.
Jay Keane was the first to react. He stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said, "Mr. Sinclair, good morning. Mrs. Sinclair, good morning."
Aiden Sinclair looked pleased. He gave Jay Keane a slight nod. "Mm."
Seeing this, the others quickly followed suit, stepping forward to offer their greetings.
"Good morning, Mr. Sinclair."
"Good morning, Mrs. Sinclair."
The greetings rose one after another. A smile touched Aiden Sinclair’s lips as he wrapped an arm around Nina Walsh’s waist and guided her into the private VIP elevator.
As the elevator ascended, Aiden Sinclair asked,
"I have a eting in a bit. Do you want to co with , or would you rather rest in my office? After the eting, I can take you shopping, how about that?"
Nina Walsh offered the sa single word, "Whatever."
Aiden Sinclair didn’t seem to mind. He led her to his office, which had a sofa and an adjoining break room.
Aiden Sinclair often worked late, so living and eating at the company was normal for him. The break room was fully equipped.
"Mr. Sinclair, all departnt heads have arrived. The eting starts in five minutes," Jay Keane said as he entered.
Aiden Sinclair glanced at the dazed Nina Walsh and said to Jay Keane, "I’m going to the eting. Get Mrs. Sinclair a glass of water."
Jay Keane understood imdiately. ’Mr. Sinclair doesn’t trust leaving Miss Walsh alone in the office, so he wants to stay with her.’
"Mrs. Sinclair, please let know if you need anything," Jay Keane said, bringing her a glass of warm water.
Nina Walsh rembered the last ti she had seen him. It was at the entrance to Maelie’s place. Her check had been torn to shreds, and in the end, she had been forced to kneel before Clara Jacobs.
Nina Walsh flicked her hand, knocking the cup onto Jay Keane. "Last ti, were you the one who had my check torn up?"
Jay Keane was Aiden Sinclair’s trusted confidant; he handled all these minor tasks.
It took Jay Keane a second to recall the incident Nina Walsh was referring to. He chose his words carefully and explained,
"Mrs. Sinclair, you’ve misunderstood. The matter of the three-million-yuan debt was handled by Mr. Sinclair’s mother, who intervened to vent Ms. Jacobs’s anger. Mr. Sinclair wasn’t aware of it. As soon as he found out, he imdiately sent you a check for six million, but you didn’t accept it at the ti, Miss Walsh."
"The next day, when Mr. Sinclair had send you another check, my attitude was poor, and for that, I apologize. But there was a reason. That day, you had just gone to see Julian Sinclair, Miss Walsh, and right after, the Old Master found out about Mr. Sinclair’s insomnia. The Old Master changed his will on the spot and stripped Mr. Sinclair of his inheritance. I thought you were the one who had snitched, Mrs. Sinclair, which is why I was disrespectful."
Nina Walsh froze, silently recalling the events of that day.
Jay Keane wiped the water from his clothes and then opened the door to the break room.
"Mrs. Sinclair, Mr. Sinclair’s break room is this way. If you’re tired, you can rest for a while. His eting will last at least an hour."
Nina Walsh wanted to refuse, but her feet, as if guided by so unseen force, carried her inside.
This place—Aiden Sinclair’s private space—was sowhere she had been curious about countless tis during the two years of their secret marriage.
The break room was simple, like a basic bedroom, with a bed and a wardrobe.
Nina Walsh’s gaze fell on the scattered bandages and a digital thermoter on the bed.
Jay Keane stepped forward and gathered the items into a dical kit.
"Last week, Mr. Sinclair was stabbed in the waist. He was supposed to be hospitalized, but soone in the company leaked confidential information, and Julian Sinclair snatched away three whole months of orders. Mr. Sinclair had no choice but to work at the office for twelve hours with his injury. The wound split open, got infected, and caused a high fever. He almost burned himself into a stupor."
Nina Walsh asked subconsciously, "Did they catch the person who leaked the information?"
Jay Keane shook his head. "He didn’t catch them, nor did he investigate. Mr. Sinclair said it was his own carelessness and took full responsibility."
Nina Walsh realized she was showing concern for Aiden Sinclair and quickly suppressed the feeling.
"You can go. I want to rest for a bit."
"Of course."
Jay Keane put away the dical kit and turned to leave.
An hour later, Aiden Sinclair returned from his eting.
"What did she say?"
Jay Keane recounted his conversation with Nina Walsh to Aiden Sinclair in full detail.
Aiden Sinclair patted his shoulder. "I know you were deliberately making excuses for . Thank you."
Aiden Sinclair then pushed open the door to his office. As it opened, he saw a small, slender figure standing before the large floor-to-ceiling windows.
Outside the window was a forest of skyscrapers, the view as expansive as if from a mountaintop. Sunlight bathed her entire body. It should have been a grand and majestic scene, but her silhouette was thick with loneliness and sorrow, radiating an extre coldness.
Aiden Sinclair grew alert and deliberately made his footsteps heavier. "What are you looking at?"
Nina Walsh’s answer was a non-sequitur. "I’m not afraid of heights anymore. It turns out that when you embrace the will to die, you really can overco fear."
Aiden Sinclair’s brow furrowed. Without a word, he swept her into his arms, pulling her away from the floor-to-ceiling windows.
"I have a gift for you."
He sat her on his lap and pulled a docunt out from under the desk for her to sign.
Nina Walsh suddenly laughed. "Last ti it was a kidney donation. What am I donating this ti?"
"Heh heh, what—ev—er—"
She deliberately dragged out the word, not even glancing at the docunt as she picked up a pen and signed her na.
Aiden Sinclair silently endured her heart-stabbing sarcasm. He had brought this on himself, and he was willing to accept the punishnt.
"That agreent was fake. I tricked... Never mind... I’m sorry. It’s my fault..." Aiden Sinclair apologized sincerely.
Nina Walsh tossed the pen aside and stood up, feeling uncomfortable.
If he had brought her to the company four months ago, she would have scread with joy and spent the entire day nestled in his arms.
But there were no "what ifs" in this world. So much had happened between them in these past four months. Her heart was already riddled with holes, utterly beyond repair.
Besides, there was one fact she could not ignore no matter what—the man before her was her half-brother.
’Why should I be the only one to suffer? I should tell him, let him have a taste of this tornt!’
At this thought, Nina Walsh lifted her gaze to Aiden Sinclair. Just as she was about to speak, his phone rang.
Aiden Sinclair put the phone to his ear. The person on the other end said, "Mr. Sinclair, your mother is here at the company."
Aiden Sinclair hung up and called for Jay Keane. "Jay, take my wife to the car first. I’ll be down shortly."
The mont Jay Keane led Nina Walsh into the VIP elevator, the door to the regular passenger elevator nearby opened. Sophia Sawyer, her face grim, marched straight toward Aiden Sinclair’s office.
"What did you say to Clara? She took a whole bottle of sleeping pills last night! If the maid hadn’t found her in ti, she’d be dead!"
Even when hearing about a stranger’s suicide attempt, most people would show so asure of concern.
But faced with the news of Clara Jacobs’s near-death, Aiden Sinclair’s expression was completely placid.
"I just told her a few facts. I have never liked her, not from the beginning."
"You!" Sophia Sawyer charged forward, raising her hand to slap Aiden Sinclair.
Aiden Sinclair raised his own hand, easily shaking off her wrist.
"Was I wrong? I rejected her six years ago. It was you and Clark Jacobs who wanted to build her a fantasy, to give her a false illusion. This is the backlash for your own arrogance."
Facing his own mother, there was an unspeakable hatred in Aiden Sinclair’s eyes.
He was her child, but from his youth all the way to adulthood, she had never shown him any care or affection. All she ever gave him were orders and demands.
When he was young, she demanded that he study relentlessly to surpass Julian Sinclair and beco the most outstanding heir of the Sinclair family.
When he grew up, she tried to control his emotions, forcing him to pursue a woman he didn’t like.
In her eyes, he was just a tool, worth less than an outsider like Clara Jacobs.
Sophia Sawyer saw the expression on his face and suddenly realized sothing. "You used Clara not only to sche against Julian Sinclair, but also to get revenge on , didn’t you?"
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