Third Person's POV
"Olivia was the woman who had an affair with Mark back then? I thought you'd already dealt with her," Nick said with a cold sneer after hearing his father's request. He believed Mark's misplaced mercy back then was like burying a landmine for himself.
Richard gritted his teeth. "Not killing her back then was my mistake, but now she must disappear."
"Why did you spare her back then, Dad?" Nick's piercing gaze made Richard somewhat flustered.
"I thought she wouldn't betray me," Richard equivocated.
"Come on, loyalty that can be bought with money isn't loyalty at all," Nick sneered. "I know the truth—you couldn't bring yourself to kill her because she has the face of your first love. Lust truly does cloud judgment. Your obsession with that woman even drove Mom to her death!"
"Nick!" Richard roared, as if struck in a sore spot.
Nick's eyes turned cold and he fell silent.
Richard realized his approach was too aggressive and softened his tone. "Don't dwell on the past. Without your mother and me, there would be no you today."
Nick's face turned pale, a flash of disdain in his eyes. "If I could choose, do you think I'd willingly be your son?"
Richard felt as if his strength had been sapped, collapsing listlessly onto the sofa. "I'm sorry... I haven't been a good father... Have I made you feel ashamed?"
After a long silence, Nick spoke. "Any leads on Olivia?"
Richard looked up, a flicker of hope in his eyes. "Are you willing to help me?"
"What choice do I have? You're still my father," Nick said with self-mockery. "Tell me your plan."
"Olivia has an illegitimate daughter," Richard explained. "Back then, she was imprisoned for drug use and handed the child over to her sister. We can use this daughter to lure her out."
Nick frowned. "She's still on drugs? What a troublesome woman."
"Exactly. I was the one who helped her kick the habit back then, which is why she worked for me," Richard said. "Now, if we capture her daughter, Olivia will have no choice but to show up."
Nick nodded. "Let's do it. Hopefully, this will plug the leak."
Richard pushed the file on Olivia's biological daughter toward Nick.
As Nick took the documents and scanned through them, he felt a wave of dizziness upon seeing the name "Sunny" and her identity as "Leo's girlfriend."
"Why are we getting mixed up with the Royal Pack again?" Nick's face turned ashen.
He thought he could handle anyone, but the Royal Pack was an exception—one Blake was already hard to contend with, and now there was Leo as well, a double blow.
Richard sneered. "Seems like we're natural archenemies with them. But there's no time for lamenting. Sunny's now a somewhat famous actress. There was even news of her taking on two thugs alone. We need to be extra cautious."
"Oh, her," Nick recalled. "I've seen that video. The woman's got skills."
"It's no surprise she has them," Richard sneered. "Olivia must have trained her in self-defense from a young age. Even her self-defense is well-thought-out—this woman's not simple."
"The two fools last time did help us, though," Nick analyzed. "At least we learned Sunny's not easy to deal with. Sending amateurs only alerts the police."
"Right, this time we need to send elite operatives," Richard emphasized.
"But she's a public figure. If she goes missing, the police will get involved," Nick frowned. "Are you sure you want to take this risk?"
"What choice do I have?" Richard gritted his teeth. "If Blake gets to her first, I'm done for. No matter the risk, we have to try. Olivia must be silenced forever."
"Fine, I'll help, but don't expect me to get my hands dirty," Nick shrugged, inheriting Mark's selfishness. "The family needs a fallback."
Richard was taken aback, then quickly nodded. "Of course. If it fails, I'll find a scapegoat and won't drag you into it. You're my only son. We must pass on the family genes—even if our generation loses, future generations can reclaim the glory."
Nick suddenly laughed. "If I can't make it happen in my generation, you'll die unsatisfied, won't you?"
"Absolutely!" Richard said earnestly.
Nick laughed again, finding his father somewhat ridiculous. "Suggest sending someone to get close to Sunny first, lower her guard. We can't just kidnap her on the street like those two fools last time."
"Good idea. I'll pick the right people right away," Richard nodded.
Nick got up to pour water and looked out the window. "Can you get Emerson to transfer all his shares?"
"There's a last resort, but I don't want to use it," Richard's face darkened.
"You're planning to threaten him again?" Nick guessed. "Emerson doesn't have long. Are you not afraid he'll pass before you act?"
"Even if he dies, he'll leave the shares to me—they're rightfully mine!" Richard's eyes glinted menacingly.
"As you wish, I won't interfere," Nick said indifferently.
At the Royal Pack's manor, Patricia, wearing reading glasses, sat on the sofa with Abigail, organizing the guest list for a banquet.
"Abigail, are you used to living alone?" Patricia asked suddenly.
Abigail paused, then nodded. "I'm quite used to it, thank you for asking."
"The other day, someone asked me," Patricia said with a smile, "whether you'd like to find a companion again."
Abigail stiffened, embarrassment coloring her face. "No, please decline any offers on my behalf. I'm too old for that."
"Still thinking of Halsey?" Patricia lowered her voice.
Abigail's face flushed as she stammered, "Why do you suddenly bring that up?"