The male lead in the daydream suddenly transformed from a kind-hearted prince into a distant and icy ruler. His gaze was so intimidating that it looked like he wished to choke the person on the other side of the door without even opening it.

    "I''ll handle it," Dominic said, moving from the dining room.

    As he passed by Vespera, he yfully patted her backside. "You keep doing what you''re doing. I''ll take care of this."

    Vespera thought about saying she wasn''t interested in dealing with it anyway.

    "Fine, you handle it," she replied, heading back to her room.

    They both realized who had arrived. It was probably Nancy who had persuaded Raymond or Gerard to show up. As long as she provided a casual reason, they couldn''t refuse. After all, she was acting on behalf of the chairman''s wife.

    Dominic swung open the door. As anticipated, he was met with a familiar face. Nancy, who had been anxious but still harbored some hope, felt so crushed upon seeing who opened the door that she struggled to breathe. Beside her stood Raymond, overwhelmed by a feeling of helplessness.

    She had been asking about Dominic''s location since morning. Later, she was determined to go see for herself. After some consideration, Raymond figured that if Dominic truly was at Vespera''s and Nancy could witness their amicable rtionship firsthand, maybe she would realize it was time to move on.

    "Dominic, you''re here as well." Nancy unclenched her hands and managed a soft smile.

    Despite her inability to truly smile and the deep ache in her heart, she was willing to change and be the gentle, well-behaved, and obedient person he preferred, as long as it meant he would give her another chance.

    Dominic''s face remained impassive, betraying no emotion.

    "What do you want?" he asked.

    Nancy replied, "I came to have breakfast with Ms. Gildon. I need to discuss some work-rted issues with her."

    Dominic responded, "She just woke up and needs time to get ready. She doesn''t have time for breakfast with you. For work matters, consult the person who told you toe back."

    With that, Dominic shut the door. Tears filled Nancy''s eyes.

    "Ms. Acosta, don''t keep hurting yourself. It''s important to look ahead," Raymond advised.

    He had watched her grow up and knew her well. Though she had her sympathetic traits, her stubbornness was@verwhelming, and his attempts to reason with her were in vain.

    Nancy''s expression became icy and forlorn. "He used to be so kind to me. He helped me with my homework. He smiled at me, cared for me, patiently guided me, and took care of me when I was ill..."

    "Mr. Reid has always been good to his younger siblings, and he treated you the same way."

    "But I''m not his sister! You don''t understand his feelings for me. I''m in his heart. He loves me, and we were in love before."

    Raymond sighed, feeling at a loss. "Let''s go have breakfast first. Try not to overthink it."

    Nancy paused for a while before finally following Raymond upstairs.

    Vespera freshened up by washing her face and brushing her teeth. She changed her clothes and applied makeup before stepping out. She noticed Dominic casually enjoying his breakfast in the dining room, with no one else present in the living room. She sighed in relief because pretending was truly exhausting.

    Putting up an act both morning and evening, while also improvising the script and dialogue on the fly, was incredibly tiring. She went over and sat down for breakfast.

    Dominic noticed that she had no intention of asking about who had arrived. She

    was solely concentrating on enjoying her breakfast.

    He smiled and said, "Ms. Gildon is simply notpetitive."

    "Compete for what?" Vespera asked, not understanding his point.

    Dominic looked at her and replied, "For me."