"Enough with the overthinking!" Lydia chided. "Take this time to rx. Once they''re back, you''ll probably be drivingte nights again."


    "Fair enough," Walter remarked.


    In the car, Damon nced at N. "The ce we''re going is a bit far. You and Buddy should rest. I''ll wake you when we get there."


    She nodded. "Okay."


    Leaning back, she closed her eyes but couldn''t fall asleep. Thoughts of leaving Damon and Mason in just three days weighed heavily on her.


    After a while, she opened her eyes, gazing at Damon with a mixture of longing and reluctance.


    Sensing her stare, Damon turned to her briefly. "What''s wrong? Can''t sleep?"


    "Yeah," she admitted softly. "I just wanted to look at you. Don''t mind me."


    Damon smiled. "N, do you really think I can drive normally with you staring at me like that?"


    His teasing tone made her roll her eyes. "Buddy''s here. Be serious!"


    From the back seat, Mason piped up, "Mommy, I covered my eyes! Pretend I''m not here. I can''t see or hear anything!"


    N turned around and saw that, while Mason''s hands were indeed over his eyes, he was peeking through the gaps. She couldn''t help butugh.


    Kids these days were so sly. When she was his age, she''d been ying with dolls, not pulling little stunts like this.


    Damon chuckled, and the tension eased. The car filled with warmth andughter.


    In an upscale restaurant in Saintornia...


    Drake and Alexander sat across from each other.


    Drake''s expression was dark with anger, while Alexander remained calm.


    "Mr. Kinsey, why didn''t you tell me N was leaving for Meristate with Mrs. Nixon?" Drake demanded, his voice sharp.


    He wasn''t happy about being thest person to know the news.


    Alexander raised an eyebrow. "Why


    Sou''re neither a member


    the Nixons nor the nor the Kinseys I


    you nothing,


    of


    Drake''s face hardened. "Don''t forget our agreement. You said you''d help me be N''s fiancé!"


    "That was before," Alexander said smoothly. "Back when N refused to return to Meristate, I needed you to deal with Prospectus Technology. But now that she''s agreed to go youre irrelevant. Besides do you really think my aunt would ever


    approve of you?"


    Drake sneered. "What if your apprentice finds out who you really are? Do you think


    he''ll stick around then?"


    Before Drake had returned, he had


    already known Alexander was


    on as though the boy


    would one day be his sessor


    Alexander''s gaze turned icy. "Drake, do you think you''re in a position to threaten me?"


    The Nixons viewed Drake as nothing more than a tool—a dog to be discarded once its use was over.


    Drake''s smile was cold. "Your aunt still needs me for her ns. You can''t touch me just yet."


    He added, "I''ll let this go for now. But next time, it won''t be so easy to pull one over on me."