?Chapter 1411:


    Ten minutester, Raymond returned with the login details for the Laitis Restaurant’s surveince system. “The reservation hasn’t been canceled,” he said. “But the front desk said Javier changed the guest from a client to his son.”


    “Excellent,” Eileen said, taking the login information. She returned to the office just as Bryan finished signing the contract.


    After seeing the CEO out, Eileen settled into Bryan’s chair, logged into the surveince system, and quickly navigated to the live feeds.


    She zoomed in on the room Javier had reserved and nced at her watch. “They should be there any minute,” she said with a smirk. “Come here; you won’t want to miss this.”


    Bryan strolled over and settled into the chair, pulling Eileen onto hisp.


    Eileen had given up her seat for Bryan. Now, perched on hisp, she was surrounded by his warmth and the subtle scent of his cologne. It felt a bit odd, but she couldn’t deny the feeling offort and security that enveloped her.


    About thirty minutester, Javier and Amoura entered the room. Amoura fidgeted in her seat, constantly checking her phone and ncing nervously out the window.


    “Why are you so on edge?” Javier asked, noticing Amoura’s restlessness. “It’s only Colby we’re meeting. It’s not like we’re meeting some big shot.”


    Amoura tensed up. She stered a fake smile on her face. “There’s something I haven’t told you, Javier,” she confessed. “I was afraid you might be upset if you knew.”


    Javier’s brow furrowed as he scrutinized Amoura, his voiceced with concern. “What is it?”


    Amoura hesitated, her fingers twisting nervously. “It’s Colby. Presley’s actions have devastated him. He has always known how much you longed for a grandson, and he wanted nothing more than to fulfill that wish. But when Presley terminated the pregnancy… It shattered him. Their marriage had been loveless for years, and this was the final blow. He hasn’t been in a good state recently.”


    g?lnσν????s, the heart of storytelling


    She settled beside Javier, her hand resting gently on his shoulder. “He has lost an rming amount of weight. He begged me not to tell you, fearing you’d worry. That’s why he has been avoiding you.”


    Javier’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Lost that much weight? Over a woman?” Skepticism colored his tone.


    Throughout Colby’s marriage, he had nevercked female attention. Javier had always doubted the depth of his son’s feelings for Presley.


    Amoura leaned in, her voice earnest. “It’s more about his pride than his heart. When you see him, please be gentle. He needs support right now, not criticism.”


    Javier nodded, struggling to imagine his once-robust son losing so much weight.


    The sound of approaching footsteps broke the silence. A waiter opened the door, ushering in a figure that made Javier squint in confusion.


    Gone was the burly man he knew. In his ce stood a gaunt stranger, his face barely recognizable. Only a faint glimmer of familiarity remained.


    “Dad, you wanted to see me?” the fake Colby said.


    He slid into the chair across from Javier, exuding an air of nonchnce.


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