Chapter 7
And that was just the appetizer.
First, the tax bureau suddenly launched an audit on the Lewis family. Then, the environmental department conducted a surprise inspection of their factories, issued a massive fine, and ordered them to halt operations entirely.
The smaller companies that once relied on the Lewis family began quietly distancing themselves–some even made underhanded moves against them.
The Lewis family was on the verge of collapse.
Lucian, now graying with stress, desperately sought help, only to find that all the so–called brothers and friends from the past were either avoiding him or bluntly saying they couldn’t help.
Their capital chain was about to break. The whole empire stood teetering on the edge.
Mason’s life had been turned upside down.
The family name he once wore like armor had lost its shine overnight.
He could no longer afford his luxurious apartment. High–end boutiques stopped welcoming him. He was forced to sell every piece of property under his name.
Emma’s life wasn’t any easier.
She had entered one of the top research institutions thanks to the Lewis family’s connections. But now, rumors about her being a “homewrecker,” her relationship with her student, and her out–of–wedlock pregnancy spread like wildfire within the institute.
She tried to prove her worth, but her reports were shelved, and her research access revoked.
The admiration and praise she once enjoyed had turned into unfiltered ridicule and pity.
Mason couldn’t take it.
The fights between him and Emma became more frequent.
She blamed him for being useless, for failing to protect her and the child.
He accused her of being reckless, of bringing all this upon them with her impulsiveness.
During one explosive argument, Mason lost control and pointed at the baby in her arms, shouting-
“It’s all because of you! If you hadn’t back then-
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“Mason!”
Emma cut him off with a furious scream, her face pale.
“Are you insane?! That’s your child!”
Mason froze, terrified by the words that had slipped from his mouth.
He sank to the floor, silent tears streaming down his face.
“What was I supposed to do? The Garcia family is trying to destroy us. My dad yells at me every day. Everyone’s laughing at us! Emma,
I feel so helpless… What are we going to do…”
A week later, a bigger storm hit.
Emma was reported for academic fraud, and the case was officially filed for investigation.
Her entire world collapsed.
She locked herself inside the shabby apartment Mason had rented. The curtains stayed drawn.
Chapter 7
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She knew all too well what it meant if the fraud was confirmed -total disgrace, a ruined future, and even the possibility of jail.
“It was her! It had to be Olivia! She’s the one behind this!”
“She wants to destroy us!”
Mason stared at the woman before him, now spiraling into madness. His heart filled with fear and disgust.
“And now you’re blaming her?! Why didn’t you say anything when you did those things?!”
He looked around at the rundown room, the lingering smell of cheap fast food hanging in the air.
Their child was crying loudly, caught in the middle of his parents‘ screaming match.
Outside the window, reporters waited in ambush.
The news was flooded with headlines about the Lewis family’s bankruptcy.
“It’s over… It’s all over…”
Mason collapsed onto the floor, eyes vacant and lifeless.
After that, Mason tried to see me countless times.
He even knelt outside my company building.
Three days straight.
Slapping himself in the face over and over.
The Mason of today no longer cared about pride or dignity. He would have given anything to turn back time just a few months.
But there was no medicine for regret in this world.
The Lewis Group had collapsed in ruins.
Emma was arrested.
Mason, left alone with the child, couldn’t even afford the cheapest apartment.
The last I heard of him, someone had seen him by the sea, sitting silently with the child in his arms, staring out at the waves.
My assistant asked if I wanted to send someone to check on him.
I shook my head.
We all walk the paths we choose.
I would never interfere in Mason’s life again.
Our paths would never cross.
Today, the hospital called. My mother had fully recovered.
I prepared a bouquet to go pick her up.
When I walked into the flower shop, I reached for the same bouquet at the same time as another man.
Before I could say anything, he quickly pulled his hand back and glanced at me.
“If you like it, you can have it,” he said.
To ease the awkwardness, I smiled and teased him.
“Planning to give it to your girlfriend?”
Chapter 7
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He shook his head and said it was for his late sister.
I didn’t know how to comfort him. All I could offer was a dry, awkward, “Sorry for your loss.
Then, he suddenly shoved the bouquet into my arms.
“That’s my mom’s dog. But I used to call her my sister–when I was little, I always envied the neighbors for having big sisters.”
Then he told me, in a lighthearted tone, about funny little stories from his past.
And as fate would have it, we were headed to the same hospital.
A string of coincidences made me silently marvel at how strange and beautiful fate could be.
We talked for a long time and exchanged numbers before parting.
On the way back, I looked into the distance and smiled.
The people who once haunted my memories had long since faded.
The road ahead of me was still long.
Sunlight, flowers, and love—
They were never meant to define me.
They were simply those rare, magical moments when life made your heart skip a beat.
Chapter 7
