No matter how endless the sleepless night may seem, dawn always arrives.
Brilliant morning light pierced through the clouds, bathing the earth in its glow.
Uncle Carlos gazed at the gradually brightening sky, his eyes brimming with worry—concern for Sinclair and his wife, and equal apprehension for Grandpa Luther’s health.
"Sir," Uncle Carlos ventured, disregarding the old master’s earlier orders as he stepped forward once more.
"Miss Iris made it clear—it’ll be at least another dozen hours before Mr. Sinclair and madam emerge.
Please, go rest in your room for now."
"I won’t sleep until I see those two safe and sound," Grandpa Luther shook his head, his weary face still radiating authority.
"How are the security arrangements around the estate?"
Uncle Carlos replied solemnly.
"Everything has been carried out as you instructed.
We tripled the perimeter guards—not even a fly could slip through."
"And not just keeping outsiders out," Grandpa Luther added sharply, his piercing gaze sweeping across the courtyard.
"Make sure no one steps out of line either."
Grandpa Luther gave a solemn nod, his expression icy as he continued, "Keep a close watch on those inside too.
Not a single whisper of this must leak out."
His sharp, penetrating eyes narrowed slightly.
"This concerns the safety of Sinclair and Camilla.
We can’t afford to be careless in the slightest!"
Uncle Carlos nodded gravely, his face etched with seriousness.
"What about the situation with Jonathan?"
Grandpa Luther’s voice was low and measured, revealing nothing of his true thoughts.
"After returning home, the young master hasn’t stepped out since,"
Uncle Carlos reported truthfully.
"The same goes for those around him—no movement whatsoever."
"Keep monitoring them," Grandpa Luther said, the tension in his dark eyes easing just a fraction.
"Let’s hope I’m just overthinking things."
Even the most useless son was still the last remaining bloodline he and his wife had left in this world.
At this thought, his gaze drifted toward the southwest direction.
It had been months since he last visited his wife.
Grandpa wondered if she resented him for his absence.
Taylor Family Estate.
Melissa stormed into the study, her black-and-pink Disney dress fluttering with each indignant step.
"You just recovered, and you’re already pulling all-nighters?!"
Taylor barely spared his sister a glance before turning his attention back to the video conference in front of him.
Only then did Melissa realize her brother was in the middle of an internal Taylor family meeting.
The massive screen displayed the faces of various branch family heads and key figures. Oh no!
She had just made a fool of herself in front of all these old foxes!
Panic twisted inside her, but she schooled her expression into perfect composure.
Straightening her posture, she strode confidently to the desk specially prepared for her and took a seat—right in full view of the conference attendees.
Picking up a document at random, she began flipping through it with an air of concentration.
For a moment, her serious demeanor almost mirrored Taylor’s.
Vicente leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, a faint smile playing on his strikingly handsome face.
Not bad at pretending.
Of course, that was assuming one ignored the upside-down document in his hands.
Out of the corner of her eye, Melissa caught his smirk.
She shot him a fierce glare over the top of her papers—or at least, what she *believed* was a fierce glare.
To Vicente, it looked more like a tiny kitten puffing itself up, baring its claws as if to say: *Watch out—I’m dangerous!*
It wasn’t the least bit intimidating.
If anything, it was downright adorable. His smile deepened. Just then—
"Let’s adjourn for today."
Taylor’s unhurried tone carried the quiet authority of someone accustomed to command.
"The rest can be discussed in person tomorrow."
The mention of an *in-person discussion* made several of the Taylor family elders shift uneasily.
As the meeting concluded, Taylor turned his gaze toward Melissa.
Before he could utter a word, Melissa nervously swallowed and sprang up from her seat.
"Bro, I had no idea you were in a meeting," she blurted out, raising three fingers in a solemn pledge.
"I swear I’ll knock next time."
"Your promises mean nothing to me," Taylor replied coolly, his composed gaze lingering as he turned to Vicente.
His usually minimalist-dressed friend was now sporting a hoodie in the exact same color scheme as Melissa’s.
The outfit softened his usual sharp edges, lending him a more youthful air. Taylor knew his sister all too well—this was undoubtedly her doing.
But since when did someone like Vicente indulge her whims?
Vicente met his scrutiny with a faint, unreadable smile.
There were some things he could hide from everyone—except Taylor.
Meanwhile, Melissa had been anxiously studying her brother’s expression and immediately caught where his attention had landed.
The moment she realized he was eyeing Vicente’s outfit, a triumphant grin spread across her face.
She looked at Taylor with an ingratiating smile.
"I picked out several outfits for you too, big brother.
I’ll bring them over for you to try later."
"No need," Taylor leaned back in his seat, his tone light but firm.
"I really can’t bring myself to accept them.
You keep them for yourself."
"Brother, why are you ?"
Melissa pouted, her voice tinged with dissatisfaction.
"I worked so hard to pick these out for you."
* She had just grabbed one of each—*while he was the one who actually carried them.*
"Melissa, step outside for a moment," Taylor said, his gaze clear and his voice smooth.
"I have some important matters to discuss with Vicente."
"Oh... alright," Melissa frowned, but since it involved serious matters, she didn’t dare act recklessly.
Reluctantly, she walked out of the room.
A hint of fondness flickered in Vicente’s deep-set eyes.
Seems like the girl had completely forgotten she was here to demand answers.
"This is my favorite tea,"
Taylor said, pouring a cup and sliding it across the table with a faint smile.
"I’ll pass on the tea.
I’m not accustomed to the roundabout ways you businessmen operate," Vicente replied, leaning back into the sofa.
His dark eyes held an inscrutable yet composed amusement.
"If you have questions, just ask directly."
"Ah, I forgot about that," Taylor chuckled softly.
Taylor took a sip from his own cup before lifting his gaze to meet Vicente’s.
His voice was measured as he spoke.
"You like Melissa?" "I do," Vicente answered, the warmth in his eyes unwavering, though his tone turned earnest.
In most situations, he preferred to be direct. Taylor wasn’t surprised by this answer.
His slender fingers traced the rim of the cup absently.
"Vicente," he said, his voice measured,
"I want her life to be ordinary and stable."
Those two words clearly had nothing to do with Vicente.