The elevator quickly ascended to the sixty-eighth floor.

Upon entering the CEO's Office, Glades Horne settled onto the sofa and looked directly at James Horne, cutting to the chase. "Tell me, what does this have to do with Julia?"

Even if he suspected James was about to confess his feelings, he wasn't one to evade a problem. He disliked beating around the bush, and he didn't want James to do so either.

Whenever it concerned his sister-in-law, his elder brother always treated the matter with utmost seriousness.

At that moment, James couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy toward Julia Bluen. It was the kind of steadfast attention he had always craved.

He also sat down on the sofa. His gaze inadvertently fell upon a snack cupboard built into a nearby wall. His expression tensed, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He couldn't resist standing and curiously wandering over to the snack cupboard, observing the five-tiered cabinet brimming with all sorts of snacks.

A closer look made his heart ache. They were all Julia's favorites. At home, his elder brother spoiled Julia rotten, and even at the company, he was always prepared to indulge her completely. Such deep, intense affection made him feel like an outsider just by standing there. He had believed his love for Julia was as profound as his elder brother's; he knew all her preferences and would willingly do things for her. Yet, at this moment, he understood his affection for Julia could never rival the depth of his brother's. Take the snacks, for instance. He knew what Julia liked, but he had never gone to such lengths as his brother had to *gather* them. *Gather*! Such a common word, yet when applied to an extraordinary matter, it became deeply affectionate.

"James, I'm pressed for time," Glades said tersely.

Taking in every nuance of James's expression, Glades felt a chill in his heart—His woman was off-limits, even to his own brother!

Snapping back to reality, James casually picked up a bag of pistachios, recalling how Julia often munched on them as a child. As he returned to the sofa, he met a frosty, warning glare from Glades. Unperturbed, James tore open the bag and began to eat.

After eating a handful, he finally revealed the purpose of his visit.

Naturally, he wasn't there to confess his feelings to Glades. Having resolved to bury them deep within his heart, how could he possibly admit to them? He was there to tell Glades that he had seen Nicholas Coldwell harassing Julia at the Golden Phoenix Inn the previous day.

He had thoroughly investigated Nicholas Coldwell's past as Julia's ex-boyfriend and knew full well that Nicholas had abandoned her. To his astonishment, Nicholas still had the audacity to pester Julia repeatedly. He informed his elder brother that if Glades didn't take decisive action, he wouldn't mind taking matters into his own hands.

For him, crushing Nicholas Coldwell would be as easy as squashing an ant. While his elder brother was targeting Cosmos Group, James preferred a more direct approach: dealing with Nicholas Coldwell himself.

Upon hearing this, Glades's face darkened, his anger surging like fire.

His efforts to dismantle Cosmos Group had never ceased. He had assumed Nicholas Coldwell wouldn't dare bother Julia again, as doing so would only accelerate Cosmos Group's demise.

But unexpectedly... he had truly underestimated Nicholas Coldwell's shamelessness.

"Big Brother, it was fortunate I saw it yesterday. If Auntie or Adele had witnessed it, you know the consequences full well," James said, his tone now cold and firm, devoid of its usual gentleness. "Big Brother, you've never been soft on rivals in love. It's time to make a clean break. Some people shouldn't be toyed with; they require swift, decisive action. It will be better for them, and for you too."

Glades's face grew even darker.

Indeed, he had been toying with Nicholas Coldwell. Listening to James, he suddenly realized he had been too lenient, not ruthless enough. This was primarily because Julia wanted to witness Nicholas being systematically stripped of everything, to watch him suffer that painful downfall. Since he was no longer inclined to play the cat, he naturally wouldn't mind making a clean break.

Nicholas Coldwell! I'll have you destitute on the streets within three days!

Glades clenched his hands tightly.

「Elsewhere:」

A black Mercedes meandered aimlessly through the streets and alleys.

While driving, Julia Bluen kept glancing at Rachel Bailey beside her, who had been utterly silent since getting into the car.

Julia had just finished a meeting when Rachel called. Rachel hadn't specified the reason, only asking Julia to meet her at Serendipity Cafe.

Unsure what Rachel wanted, Julia sensed an unusual tone in her voice. Fearing Rachel might be in some kind of danger, she immediately dropped her work and rushed to Serendipity Cafe.

When she arrived, Rachel wasn't waiting inside the cafe. Instead, she was standing out front, seemingly helpless against the cold winter wind, looking anxious and lost in thought.

There were no suspicious individuals around Rachel. This only made Julia more worried; Rachel was acting very, very unusually today.

"Rachel, where do you want to go?" Julia asked for the nth time.

Rachel, however, seemed not to hear her, still lost in her own turmoil.

Hansen Ruiz had actually proposed, asking her to marry him. It was that proposal that had thrown her into such an agitated state. Regardless of her feelings toward Hansen Ruiz, the impact of his proposal was immense. An ugly duckling, a Cinderella, being proposed to by Prince Charming—if she weren't troubled by it, she'd have to be heartless. After calling Julia, she had turned off her phone. Too preoccupied with the proposal, she couldn't focus on business, her mind trapped by his words. She didn't know if Hansen's proposal was genuine, nor how she should handle their relationship. Meanwhile, Mrs. Ruiz's domineering words still echoed in her ears. She was truly distressed. The usually optimistic Rachel transformed when faced with matters of love. It could be said she didn't love Hansen Ruiz yet, but she certainly didn't dislike him; in fact, she rather enjoyed his company.