Vanessa had just imed that her daddy didn''t love her mommy, so she feltpelled to ask him herself.


    "Have you ever liked anyone else besides Mommy?" Evelyn asked, her voice still loud.


    A sh of pain crossed Vanessa''s face. Was she really being forced to stand here and listen ton''s confession of love for Eleanor Sutton?


    Evelyn''s big eyes sparkled when she heard her father''s answer. She wrapped her arms around his neck and said, "Okay, I get it now!"


    Vanessa trembled, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You-you''re kicking me out of the country?n, you don''t have the right—"


    "I don''t have the right?"n scoffed. "You''re wee to see if I do or not."


    Just then, Serena Goodwin walked over to him and said to her niece, "Evelyn, let''s go y on thewn."


    Evelyn peeked out from her father''s arms and then leaped into Serena''s.


    Serena carried Evelyn away, not wanting her to witness her older brother''s stern warning to Vanessa. Personally, she hoped her brother would make Vanessa disappear from the Goodwins'' lives for good.


    "Ian, on what grounds—" Tears welled up in Vanessa''s eyes, a mixture of humiliation, shame, and even resentment.


    The man she had loved with all her might for ten years was now casting her out?


    "You can choose not to listen, but I guarantee that every day you remain in this country will be a hundred tim?s mor? painful than this, an''s voice was frigid,ced with an


    undeniable power.  S


    He would absolutely make good on his word.


    Vanessa knew it, too. Withn''s power and influence, making her disappear would be child''s y.


    "You-you can''t do this to me," Vanessa''s voice wasced with tears and despair.


    "You brought this all on yourself."n gave her onest cold nce before turning and walking toward his daughter.


    Vanessa sank into a chair as if her knees had finally given out. She reached for a ss of water, only to find her hand shaking uncontrobly.


    Just then, she saw Gael Brown a few steps away. He was watching her with a scrutinizing gaze before his eyes flickered towardn H? seemed to understand that Vanessa was now a hot potato.


    "Mr. Brown!" Vanessa cried out, as if grabbing onto a final lifeline.


    Gael scratched his head. "Ms. Shannon, it seems you and Mr. Goodwin have quite the history!"


    "Mr. Brown, it''s not like that, I—"


    "He''s already kicking you out of the country. I don''t think this is going to work out between us. Excuse me." With that, Gael turned and walked away quickly.


    As the current chairman of The Guild of Commerce, Jan was a powerful man and Gael''s family still relied on his connections. It would be foolish to offendn over a woman.