Numerous cigarette butts littered the ground at Noah''s feet. It looked like he''d been here for a while.


    Bet tapped a cigarette out of the pack and held it between his fingers.


    Seeing this, Noah offered him his lighter.


    Bet cupped his hands around the me, lit the cigarette, and took a deep drag. Then he heard Noah ask, "How... how is she? Has she been doing well all these years?"


    "She seems fine," Bet said, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "Cynthia is a strong woman. The broken engagement affected her, but it won''t break her."


    "Right. She''s the eldest daughter of the Scott family. With Mr. Scott Sr. backing her and her parents nning for her, no one would dare let her suffer." Noah couldn''t help butugh at himself. "Look at me, worrying for nothing."


    Cynthia''s fiancé had cheated on her, keeping a college student who hadn''t even graduated as his mistress.


    Cynthia had broken off the engagement without any hesitation. Her ex-fiancé got nothing out of it, losing nearly half his fortune in the process. The college girl was expelled, her reputation ruined.


    Bet smoked a cigarette with Noah. After stubbing it out, he patted Noah on the shoulder.


    "Noah, you should go home. It''s getting cold. You''ll catch a chill if you stay out here too long."


    "Yeah." Noah seemed to take the advice. He put out his cigarette, coughed a few times, and got into his car.


    Bet stood there and watched Noah''s car drive away before turning and heading back to his own.


    "Noah didn''t seem to be in a good mood," Yvonnemented to Bet.


    "Yeah," Bet agreed. "Cynthia''s return has really affected him."


    He wrapped an arm around Yvonne''s shoulders and said with a smile, "You know us Thompson men. We''re devoted."


    "If he were so devoted, he wouldn''t have married someone else," Yvonne said, pushing him away.


    Bet was pushed back into the driver''s seat. As he buckled his seatbelt, he exined, "Noah had ident back then that kept him from joining the military. He was afraid of holding Cynthia back, so he broke up with her. Later, when


    Cynthia got engaged, he lost all hope and married Karina. Timing is everything. Too early or toote, and things rarely work out."


    Karina appeared at just the right time, when Noah was at his lowest,pletely disheartened. She stayed by his side and helped him through it.


    Noah has always had a strong sense of responsibility. As long as Karina doesn''t cause trouble, she will always be thedy of the Thompson household.


    Bet started the car again, and the ck Mercedes pulled smoothly onto the main road.


    "You barely ate anything at the Scotts'' ce. How about I take you out for food?" Bet asked, his hands on the steering wheel.


    "I''m full of anger thanks to your esteemed Miss Thompson. I don''t need to eat," Yvonne huffed.


    At the mention of Vanessa, Bet''s eyes turned cold.


    "Vanessa and her family won''t be leaving Istra anytime soon. My grandmother was hospitalized for heart failurest week, and it was serious All she cares about are Eden and Vanessa. If we kick Vanessa out of the country now, the shock would probably kilbher. And my father, the ever-filial son, will definitely do whatever she wants."


    "This time it was a transportpany and that plot ofnd in Riverbend. Next time, my


    grandmother will probably mak


    ???


    some deathbed request, and he


    might just hand over the entire Thompson Group to that bastard son."


    Bet''s voice wasced with sarcasm. "If my mother hadn''t had the foresight to transfer the Thompson Group shares to my name, who knows whose hands thepany would be in now."