He looked at this child who looked so much like him, and the more he looked, the more pleased and excited he became.


    He felt like his life was finallyplete.


    "Excellent, excellent, truly excellent! My daughter, Walden Wells''s daughter, is so brilliant, so remarkable." He was so excited he was practically babbling. He couldn''t resist reaching for his daughter''s hand again. This time, Yara didn''t pull away.


    "Yara, what do you want? I''ll give you anything. Everything I have will be yours from now on." Walden was desperate to express his paternal love.


    "What did you major in? What are you interested in? I''ll invest in you, start apany for you, or you can continue your studies. I can send you to the best schools in the world. I''ll support youpletely."


    At that moment, in Walden''s mind, Vanessa and all the other women meant nothing. Only this brilliant daughter, who had appeared so suddenly, was the greatest gift heaven could have given him-thefort and pride of hister years.


    Yara looked at her father. Something in her softened anyway—an instinct she didn''t want to name. She finally let go of her reservations, and her expression softened. "Will you marry my mother?"


    Walden was taken aback. He looked at his former assistant standing beside him. Twenty-six years had passed. The guilt he felt, coupled with the hardship she had endured raising their daughter, finally pricked his conscience. He nodded.


    "Yes," he said quietly. "If you''ll have me, I want the two of you in my life properly." Olivia''s eyes reddened with relief. She secretly wiped away her tears. She had her own selfish reasons; she had to marry Walden Wells.


    That was the only way her daughter could fully inherit his wealth, securing her future.


    In the ck car, Vanessa sat in the back, her mind aplete nk. All she could see was the way Walden looked at his daughter, a look that treasured her beyond measure. It was clear that things between her and Walden werepletely over.


    Moreover, Walden''s daughter was no naive little girl. She had every right to im all of Walden''s assets, and he would undoubtedly cater to her every whim.


    When they arrived at the hotel, the driver announced, "We''re here, Miss Shannon."


    Vanessa noticed the driver didn''t even bother to open the door for her. It was a clear sign of how quickly her status had plummeted among Walden''s staff.


    She pushed the door open herself and got out quickly. In the hotel''s adjacent cafe Laverne saw her return. She checked the time-it was only eleven-thirty. Why was Vanessa back without even having had her meal?


    Laverne hurried over to meet her. "Vanessa, what happened?"


    Vanessa struggled to catch her breath, trembling with a fury she could barely contain.


    "I was kicked out," Vanessa hissed, biting her red lip fiercely. The humiliation was still fresh.


    "What do you mean? Didn''t Mr. Wells send someone to pick you up personally?"


    Vanessa''s voice turned shrill. "Walden Wells... he has a daughter! A biological daughter, about my age!"


    "What?" Laverne was just as stunned.


    Vanessa whirled around to re at


    her. "Why didn''t you investigate this Why didn''t you find out he


    proper


    had a biological daughter? Do you


    have any idea what you''ve done to


    me?"


    Laverne flinched under Vanessa''s resentful gaze. Was Vanessa really ming her?


    It was Vanessa who had set her


    sights on Walden in the first ce.


    Laverne had invested so much time and energer. How was it helping Laverne''s fault that she couldn''t


    secure her sugar daddy?