The Sway and Slide of Love

After a pause, Leah suddenly realized something. "Right. If it had really been Noelle, you wouldn't have hurt her to the point of needing to go to the hospital."

Dylan didn't respond. Clearly, he wasn't interested in what she had to say.

"But that makes it even worse! If it wasn't here, why cause such trouble? If this gets out, do you know how people will ta—"noveldrama

Dylan cut her off impatiently, "So, you dragged me here just to say all this?"

His tone made Leah freeze. After a moment, she stammered, "I-I'm just worried about you. You've worked so hard to get to where you are, and if the others used this to bring you down, then-"

"You're overthinking it," Dylan interrupted her again with a cold smirk. "No one would dare to make a fuss over something this small. What you're really upset about is that I refused to go on the blind dates you've arranged for me, isn't it?"

Leah fell silent. Seeing her stunned expression, Dylan knew he'd guessed right.

"Sorry, but I won't be meeting those women. Not now, not ever. And stop trying to control my life, got it?"

Leah's expression instantly changed. She then slammed her hand against the cabinet beside her and said through gritted teeth, "What do you mean by that? Dylan Pritchett, I am your mother! Is this how you speak to me? Is this how I've raised you?"

Dylan had already turned to leave, but at the words, he stopped dead.

Then, he recalled the dream he had last night. The boy from the dream-who had once been full of hope and expectations for the future, only to have everything shattered-seemed to appear right in front of him.

He slowly turned his head.

Leah was glaring at him resentfully.

Dylan suddenly smiled. "Yes, this is

how you raised me. Do you event

remember what you taught me? Looking back now, don't you find it

all so ironic and ridiculous?"

His smile vanished. The look he gave her was filled with unmistakable hatred.

It stunned Leah into silence. She sat there, gaping at him.

Dylan didn't bother waiting for a response. With a cold scoff, he turned and walked out.

He quickly arrived at his office and made a call. "Speed up the Amity project. I want to see results by the end of this month!"

After hanging up, his assistant walked in with an invitation in hand.

"What is this?"

"It's an invitation from the president of the Chamber of Commerce, inviting you to

a banquet this weekend."

In the past, Dylan would have treated such an opportunity as invaluable. After all, it was a personal invitation from Anton

Vel

Sherman. But now, he only let out a cold scoff and tossed the invitation aside.

After a moment, he suddenly remembered something. "Who else is invited to his banquet?"

"Mr. Swift should be on the guest list, along with—"

"I mean, what about Hendrix's mother, Beatrice? Hendrix is dead, and she's been cooped up at home for so long. Shouldn't it be time for her to show her face?"