Colin worried about his older brother. He had a vague memory that his mother had secretly sent his two older brothers abroad, but his own memory was fuzzy.


    "Mom, if I go now, what about my brother? He has surgery this afternoon. He can''t be alone."


    Wendy smiled and patted his hand reassuringly. "Colin, among you four brothers, you''re the most level-headed. Your oldest brother is too blunt, your second is a bit slow, and your youngest is stubborn and single-minded. You''re the one best suited for business. Don''t worry, I''ll take care of your brother. You just focus on what I''ve asked you to do. I''ll have Ms. Rogers go with you."


    "The Don family has a hundred years of power behind it. We can still rise from the ashes."


    "All these years in business, Mom has always left herself an escape route. As long as you four brothers are willing to change, our family won''t fall far."


    Wendy''s smile was gentle. The sudden turn of events had smoothed away her usual stubbornness and pride.


    Colin was filled with guilt. They had been so headstrong all those years. The family''s bankruptcy had forced him to grow up fast. He understood so much more now, but for some things, it was toote.


    "I''m sorry, Mom. We were so immature before."


    Wendy smiled, a deeper bitterness in her heart. "It''s not toote to understand now."


    Wendy nced at the two women still caught in their struggle and walked over with a smile. "Well, well, Mrs. Scott. Weren''t you so fond of Sophia? Wasn''t she your perfect daughter-inw? How can you bring yourself to hit her?"


    At the sound of Wendy''s voice, everyone turned to look at her.


    Wendy wasn''t down-and-out as they''d imagined; she was as elegant and poised as


    ever.


    Mrs. Scott Sr. suddenly let go of Sophia, her eyes filled with regret.


    She was regretting it now. When Wendy was her daughter-inw, she received a 100,000-dor allowance every month. Now, she had nothing.


    Her murky eyes showed a deep sense of loss.


    The old woman shouted hoarsely, "Wendy, this bitch is not human! She deserves to be hit!"


    "Wendy, what are you doing here?" Sophia looked disheveled, but at that moment, Wendy was thest person she wanted to see.


    She hadpeted with her their entire lives, only to end up the most pathetic one.


    Wendy smiled elegantly. "I''m here to inform you that all the money you spent raising ''your'' son must be returned I''ve recorded the whole thing. You will pay back every dor you took."


    Sophia was speechless.


    "Wendy, in your dreams! Nathan''spany earned that money, not you! What right do you have to ask for it back?"


    "Whether I have the right is for me to decide. You know better than Nathan how hispany came to be, don''t you?"


    Sophia''s face fell.


    A soft curve formed on Wendy''s lips,


    her smile graceful. "Nathan, so this


    is why you forced me to divorce,


    you


    So you could raise another man''s son?"


    Her mocking gaze stung Nathan''s heart.


    "Wendy, you don''t need to mock me. I don''t regret my choice," Nathan said


    stubbornly. He knew there was no going back for them.


    He had been such a fool,pletely blind to Sophia''s deception. If he could do it all


    over again, he would never have made the same choice.


    Wendy''s lips curled slightly, her voice calm. As long as you don''t regret it. It''s a good thing you forced me to the


    sigh those papers to sever


    ties. But it doesn''t matter. You may


    have lost a son, but you still have a daughter."


    Wendy nced pointedly at Joanna.


    An immense pain seized Nathan. He was filled with regret, so much so that for a moment, he couldn''t breathe.


    Sophia red at Wendy and said with a low, menacingugh, "Wendy, you''re the one who called the old hag here, aren''t you?"