The next second, Edward flicked Carol on the forehead with his fingers - not too hard, but definitely more than a mosquito bite.

The warm sting took her by surprise, while Cheryl instantly panicked, "Mr. Dawson!"

"Handle it quickly," Edward tossed the words behind him as he turned to leave.

Carol gave a glance, and the security guards immediately dragged Cheryl away.

On the 66th floor, Carol was about to head over to the Mergers & Acquisitions department to speak with Michael Peyton about the deal. To her surprise, Michael beat her to it, already waiting with files in hand.

"Director Peyton? What's this about?"

"Mr. Dawson said he wants to sit in-told us to use his office."

Edward didn't inform her. Carol had no idea what he was up to, but went along without complaint.

Once in the president's office, Edward really just sat there, not interfering at all. "You two, go on."

Carol had retouched her makeup earlier, so the red mark on her forehead was barely visible.

She wore a slit dress today, her figure more than enough to catch Edward's eye. His gaze lingered for half a second before he crossed his legs and looked away like nothing happened.

Michael, of course, didn't notice any of that, focused solely on the papers. "Ms. Bright, I went through your revised acquisition proposal. Regarding payment, we had agreed on 40% in cash and 60% through a stock issue. Cutting the stock entirely... don't you think that's too aggressive? Acquiring Serenor in full cash might strain the group's funds. It's safer to go with stock issuance."

Carol parted her lips slightly. "It's just Serenor. Director Peyton, are you being overly cautious?"

"Ms. Bright, I think..."

"I'm not interested in what you think. What I think is what matters."

Carol had a reputation for being direct and assertive. Backed by her competence, no one dared to go against her.

As head of the investment department and one of Edward's trusted people, Michael usually had a voice. "Ms. Bright, I think you may not fully grasp the investment team's standpoint."

Everyone knew about Carol and Edward's ambiguous relationship, so Michael had to keep his tone in check. If it were someone else, he might've kicked them out already.

"Being this aggressive could backfire during the negotiations," he added more tactfully, barely holding back from saying he thought she should be replaced.

Carol easily read between the lines. She tapped her index finger on the table gently. "Director Peyton, have you even looked into Serenor's equity structure? They're tightly held, which makes a full cash acquisition ideal. Issuing stock won't necessarily shift control, but if someone sneaky exploits it, who's going to take the hit?"

"You're heading the investment team. Don't tell me you missed such a basic detail in an acquisition case?"

Her voice was calm, but the chill in her eyes was hard to ignore. The air tensed.

Michael stayed quiet, clearly shaken. He really had overlooked that.

Carol might come off tough, but she knew when to balance carrot and stick. She smiled and added, "I know you mean well, Director Peyton. At the end of the day, we're all just employees here. Why not let Mr. Dawson decide?"There was a flicker of appreciation in Edward's eyes, but his tone stayed laidback. "Up to you guys."

Then he turned to Michael. "Who's the person in charge on the Moran side?"

"Initially it was me and their mergers director. But since you wanted Carol assisting me, they swapped people too. Looks like Mr. Moran himself is handling the first round."

Edward narrowed his eyes slightly, fingertip tracing the edge of his jaw as he glanced briefly at Carol. "Then let's see what you two can pull off."

...

After stepping out of Edward's office, Carol went to find her right-hand woman, Vivian Price.

She was still stewing about Cheryl smacking her that day. Sure, she hit back right away, but the anger hadn't really gone away. She wanted Cheryl to get a real taste of what the world was like.

Back when Cheryl was chasing after Edward, Carol had dug up some dirt on her-not enough to totally wipe her out of the modeling world, but definitely enough to cause trouble.

Carol handed the info to Vivian, who immediately took the lead. "Don't worry, Carol! I'll make sure it's handled beautifully."

With a faint smile, Carol decided to move ahead. Once things with Cheryl were set in motion, it was nearly time for her meeting with Michael and Mr. Moran.

She called Michael, but he shot back a message: [Mr. Dawson says they're holding off today. He's rethinking the lineup.]

Wait, didn't he just say she was in charge? What now?

Edward's thoughts really were impossible to get a handle on...

Vivian worked fast. The very next morning, while Carol and Edward were having breakfast, the TV chirped on showing a scandal about Cheryl.

"-According to reports, rising model Cheryl has exited the industry due to poor professionalism and lack of skill. Her brand endorsement contracts involve high compensation penalties..."

Cheryl's face appeared on the big screen. In just one day, she'd gone from high-flying to rock-bottom-completely devastated.

Carol paused mid-spoonful of oatmeal. Weird. The info she gave Vivian was enough to rattle Cheryl a bit, not kick her out of the industry entirely.

And those words-"unprofessional and incompetent"? That kind of label was career-ending. Someone big had clearly moved behind the scenes...

She glanced at Edward, subtly trying to read him. But before she could ask, he beat her to it. "Was that your doing?"

He didn't even look up. And just like that, Carol felt a bit foolish. Right, what made her think it was actually him?

She kept her voice low. "It wasn't me."

Edward's eyes flicked up, skeptical. She misread the look, thinking he was upset for Cheryl. "If you're trying to protect her..."

"Don't talk while eating."

Carol: "..."

At that moment, Nathaniel walked in. As Edward's chief aide, he was well aware of how things stood between Edward and Carol.

"Mr. Dawson, the old gentleman wants to see you."

Hearing that, Carol got up to gather her things. Normally, when Edward headed to the family home, she'd go too.

But Nathaniel quietly added, "Miss Bright, the old gentleman asked to see only him."

Carol raised an eyebrow, glancing at Edward's calm face-

So, something hush-hush was brewing. She wasn't in the loop.

Carol stepped into the company, only to be greeted by an overly excited Vivian, who looked even more thrilled than she did.

"Carol, if I'd known Mr. Dawson was planning to get back at Cheryl for you, we wouldn't have bothered trying to contact the press at all! You were being too soft before, but look at him-one move and Cheryl's basically done for life."

If even Vivian believed Edward was behind it, then the rest of the office probably thought the same.

Carol didn't bother explaining. Since Edward clearly had no intention of helping Cheryl out, she might as well let everyone assume he was on her side. It'd keep unnecessary trouble off her back-why not?

The weather was downright cold, heavy clouds hanging low like they were smothering everything.

Edward had just stepped out of the family's old estate, looking visibly worse than when he went in.

For someone like him-always laid-back and cocky-it was rare to see him look like that.

He slid a cigarette between his lips, lit it casually, the flicker of flame bouncing in the fog-like smoke swirling around him, ember slowly burning.

A bright orange Aston Martin rolled up next to him. The window on the driver's side slid down, revealing Jonathan's effortlessly handsome face, full of that signature smugness.

"Went by the company to see you. Turns out you ghosted me."

With the cigarette still dangling from his lips, Edward glanced at him with a lazy posture, mumbling, "What's up?"

Jonathan leaned back, one hand on the wheel, one resting on the door. "Can't I drop by for the hell of it? Come on-thought we'd grab a drink."

Edward got in without a word.

"So, I heard you're tying the knot?" Jonathan asked.

Edward bit down on the cigarette, half-lidded eyes looking half-bored. "Who told you that? Christopher?"

"Who else could it be?" Jonathan raised an eyebrow as the car rumbled to life. "Still... kind of random, no? Who's the lucky girl?"

Edward didn't answer this time.

"What about Carol? You've been with her for years. What's your plan?"

Jonathan was pretty much the only one who dared to say it out loud-that Edward and Carol had a thing.

Edward's hair fell messily across his forehead, long lashes casting sharp shadows across his face. In the flickering streetlights, that sculpted profile of his went dead still like frozen stone.

Jonathan glanced sideways, realizing he'd stepped in it. Classic foot-in-mouth moment.

He scratched his nose, then smoothly changed the subject. "Oh, heard Jessica's coming back from Y Country. She's looking better than ever-killer looks, killer body. Shouldn't we show some respect and throw her a 'welcome back'?"

Edward's tone was slow, casual, with a half-smile, "We'll see."

Jonathan expertly turned the wheel, clicking his tongue. "Cold, man. Real cold. You remember the night she left? You drank yourself right into the ER. They thought it was alcohol poisoning."

The moment he brought it up, Edward's eyes darkened a shade. Jonathan caught the shift and quickly dropped the topic.The two of them ended up in a private room at the Royal Club, drinks flowing freely. With alcohol blurring his senses, Jonathan Lowe suddenly brought up Carol again, "You know, I used to think Carol would end up marrying your brother. I mean, the way she looked at Christopher, it was pretty obvious to me."

The moment he said that, the crystal cufflinks on Edward's wrist caught the dim light and gleamed with a sharp chill. His knuckles tensed visibly.

In the low lighting, he slammed his glass on the table with a dull thud, so heavy and sudden that it snapped Jonathan half out of his drunken state.

What's he pissed about now?

Before Jonathan could ask, Edward had already grabbed his blazer with one hand and left the room, his eyes dark as a storm cloud.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the night slipped quietly through the thin curtains. Traffic streamed endlessly over the elevated highway, winding toward the ocean-no end in sight.

By the time Edward got back from Royal Club, Carol was already asleep.

He stared at the lump under the bed covers, tossed aside his jacket without a care, climbed in quietly, and wrapped his arms around her from behind, his lips burning against her neck.

Half-asleep, Carol asked groggily, "Edward? That you?"

"Who else? Think it's Christopher?" he shot back, his tone immediately on edge. "Or... did you want it to be him?"

Carol blinked herself awake, trying to turn around, but he held her still. "Don't. Just... let me hold you."

The alcohol on his breath hit her full force, making her frown. "You've been drinking?"

He didn't answer, just kept going stubbornly. Then, almost accusingly, he nipped at her ear gently, tugging with his teeth. "Tell me the truth-have you liked Christopher all along?"

Carol sighed, "You're drunk."

Edward held her even tighter, his arms locked around her. "Answer me."

Back when she was around the Dawson family more often, she and Christopher did get along-at least until that incident... since then, things were different.

Outside, the wind howled. Inside, the tension was thick.

Late at night, people's minds slow down, and Carol had officially run out of patience after dealing with Edward's drama. She spoke without thinking, almost wanting to provoke him. "Yeah. Sure. I like Christopher. Always have. Happy now?"

Edward held her down, knees on either side of her hips, his voice as cold as a blade, "Right, I'm the reckless one. But you think Christopher's some kind of saint? He's not. He's not a good guy, and you and him? Never gonna happen."

Carol was used to Edward flying off the handle, but hearing this still stung a bit.

If there was no chance with Christopher, then what about her and Edward? That was even more of a dead end.

She couldn't help thinking-maybe this thing between her and Edward... was really gonna be over.

They had a rough night.

When Carol woke up, the space next to her was already empty, the sheets cool to the touch.

On the nightstand was a sticky note with just two words, scribbled quickly-

[Business Trip.]

Carol knew his schedule inside out. He didn't have any planned trips. Probably just stormed off again to cool his temper.

She tore the note up and tossed it in the trash without a second thought.

An hour later, just as she stepped into the office, Vivian came rushing over, lowering her voice as she leaned in, "Carol, Christopher's here. He's in Edward's office right now."

Christopher was both a shareholder and board member.

Carol's guard instantly went up. Edward had just left... and now Christopher shows up?

"Did he say why he's here?"

Vivian shrugged. "No idea."

Carol gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Can you make me a cup of coffee?"

The coffee was ready soon, and Carol walked into the CEO's office with the cup in hand.

The man sat facing away, a book in hand. His blazer was draped over the chair, just a shirt on.

Anyone unaware might've thought Christopher was the actual boss here.

Carol steadied herself, keeping her expression neutral. "What brings you here, Chris?"

Christopher turned, setting the book down. There was a soft smile on his refined, handsome face. "Not happy to see me?"

"Of course I am."

Carol placed the coffee beside him and sat down across the table, getting straight to the point. "Is something up?"

"I heard Edward's out on a trip. Thought I'd drop by to check things out."

Carol hadn't expected him to admit it that easily. No one in the Dawson family played it simple-especially not Christopher, who used his gentle demeanor to hide his real game.

He took a sip of the coffee and smiled. "You've still got it-your coffee tastes just like before."

Carol gave a faint smile. She knew he didn't show up just to compliment her coffee.

"Normally, Edward'd take you along when he traveled, but this time..."

Compared to his roundabout way of asking, Carol kept her tone light. "Guess he didn't feel like it."

Christopher looked her in the eye, like he was trying to read her mind.

Then he set his cup down, casually tossing out, "So, how's the Serenor acquisition going?"

A flicker of unease crossed Carol's eyes. So that's what he was really here for.

"Everything's on track for now."

Christopher clasped his hands on the table. "There's a good chance the project lead might change."

That caught Carol flat-footed. Her fingers clenched slightly. She instantly recalled what Michael had said yesterday...

"You sure about this?"

Christopher didn't hide it. After a pause, he admitted, "Pretty likely. Word is it's from Grandpa. He's recommended someone new."

Carol's face stiffened a little. If that were true, unless Edward stepped in to protect her, she was probably out of luck.

Turned out, Christopher came just to deliver that heads-up. But instead of leaving, he waited for her to clock out and insisted on taking her to dinner.

It wasn't easy to brush him off, so the two of them went out for Japanese food.

Carol could tell he had something on his mind, like he wanted to say something but kept hesitating. She didn't ask.

By the time they walked out, the chill of the early spring evening hit hard.

Carol was lightly dressed, so Christopher took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders... and maybe it was just her, but he seemed extra attentive tonight.

They hadn't gone far when Carol stumbled. Thankfully, Christopher caught her in time-but she ended up bumping right into his chest.

And, just a few meters away, a camera silently caught every second of it...

Edward landed in the capital at 3 PM three days later, and specifically asked Carol to pick him up.

The sky, originally sunny and clear, suddenly turned dark as heavy rain poured down like someone flipped a switch. The air felt suffocating, like being locked in a giant cage.

Carol stood by the window watching the rain: Great, just great. Clearly not a day to go out. But orders were orders-she had no choice.

She threw on a beige trench coat and drove toward the airport. Just as expected, the car gave up halfway-completely stalled. The rain had eased a bit, and she wasn't too far from her destination anyway, so she called for repair and another car before grabbing her umbrella and walking to the VIP gate.

The wind didn't do her any favors. Half her coat got soaked, and a passing car splashed muddy water onto her legs. Thankfully, she was only here to pick up Edward-not attending a gala or anything-so it wasn't a total disaster.

She stood at the VIP entrance, waiting. The heating there was barely working, and her damp clothes didn't help. She shivered.

After the plane landed, she waited another ten or so minutes before spotting Edward, sticking out like a sore thumb in a loud floral shirt-bold, cocky, and totally himself.

He didn't even glance her way, acting like she was invisible. Did she tick him off again, or what?

Just as she was about to speak, she saw the woman next to him, and even someone as composed as her froze for a moment.

A gorgeous, elegant girl had her arm looped around Edward's. Compared to Carol, who was clearly a mess from the rain, the other woman looked glowing, almost unreal.

It was obvious which of them was more in his world.

It felt like the noisy world suddenly shattered into icy silence around her.

Even after all these years, Carol recognized her in seconds.

Jessica Green, the Green family's precious daughter-and Edward's childhood friend. Back in high school, Jessica was one of the only girls in Edward and Jonathan's circle-spoiled and protected by all of them.

When Carol moved in with the Dawsons, Jessica's family had already relocated overseas, so they'd never really met.

Edward might treat most women the same, but Carol knew deep down he treated Jessica differently. Most of the women around him dressed flashy, scheming for his money. But Jessica-polished, graceful-wasn't one of those girls.

Carol stared at her face, overlapping it in her mind with the one she'd seen in the photo Edward kept in his pocket watch... They looked almost identical-especially the eyes. So that girl from his youth was Jessica?

Carol stood still, her legs rooted to the spot.

Jessica smiled gently, her eyes soft like shimmering moonlight. She stepped forward and held out her hand. "You must be Carol! Edward talks about you a lot. Hi, I'm Jessica."

Even Carol had to admit-Jessica was the definition of class.

Carol quickly gathered herself. She didn't want to seem out of place, so she reached out too. But her palm was still damp from holding the umbrella.

She hesitated for a split second, but Jessica didn't flinch. She warmly grasped Carol's hand, her smile full and genuine.

Carol forced a smile back. "Nice to meet you, Miss Green."

While the two of them talked, Edward's gaze briefly brushed over her damp coat, and his lips moved slightly like he wanted to say something.

"Come on, don't be so formal-since you're Edward's sister, that means you're my sister too. Just call me Jessica," Jessica said lightly.

Carol couldn't help glancing at Edward then.

He despised being called her "brother," even Jonathan had been warned off from calling him that.

But hearing Jessica say it? Not a flicker of annoyance crossed his face.

Yep. He definitely treated Jessica differently.The Green family was real old money-five generations of politics meant enough connections to shake up the whole capital. Jessica? A textbook elite. She and Edward were from the same world.

Carol? She was just a tagalong, barely able to catch a glimpse of that lifestyle thanks to Sophia Turner.

Jessica had it all. Carol had nothing.

Edward was never short on flings-she'd seen all types by his side over the years.

But this time... this time felt different. There was a sharp sense of threat creeping in. The gap between her and Jessica was brutally obvious, a canyon shaped by social class and birthright-something no amount of hard work could fix. If she wasn't wrong, Jessica was probably the woman Timothy had picked for Edward.

The Dawsons ruled in business. They needed the political muscle of the Greens.

So that's what Christopher had been about to say the other night.

And Edward's excuse of a "business trip"? A cover to go fetch Jessica from abroad. No wonder he didn't bring her along.

Now Edward was standing in front of her, squinting as he looked her up and down with that teasing grin of his. "What'd you do, fall into a ditch?"

She didn't answer.

Jessica stepped in smoothly, saving the awkward moment like a pro. "Some drivers clearly weren't taught manners. It's pouring and still they don't slow down. Carol, we're around the same size. I have a spare jacket-let's get you out of that wet one before you catch a cold."

She took a coat from her assistant behind her.

Carol wanted to refuse but paused. With so many eyes around, straggling behind them in that soaked, mud-stained coat would only make things worse.

People respect the way you look before they know who you are. Always have.

Fine. She'd already lost the upper hand. No point in making it worse.

"Thanks, Miss Green."

She took off her damp coat. Jessica didn't just hand her the jacket, she gently draped it over her shoulders and even tied the belt at the waist, her smile warm and soft like a big sister doting on her sibling.

Carol recognized the jacket brand-it was one of ten pieces worldwide. Limited edition.

At the parking lot, she and the driver loaded the luggage. He was used to the work, but she struggled.

As she was putting it down, her hand accidentally got caught under the luggage. Pain shot through her and she crouched down, trying not to cry out.

The driver looked worried. "Ms. Bright, are you okay? Need a hospital?"

She shook her head, forcing herself up. "I'm fine."

She went to open the backseat, but saw Edward and Jessica already settled in. Paused for a split second, then quietly shut the door and climbed into the passenger seat.

Jessica's gaze swept over her hand-subtle, but she noticed.

The whole ride, Jessica chatted away about those good old high school days with Edward.

He chuckled and nodded sometimes, clearly not minding the trip down memory lane.

Carol glanced into the rear-view mirror and met Edward's deep eyes. They were nothing like his usual playful gaze-there was something chilling about them.

It startled her. She looked away instantly.

Jessica turned to her. "Carol, where'd you go to high school?"

"Ravenscar Academy."

Jessica raised an eyebrow, surprised. "No kidding? Same school as Edward and me. What a small world."

Ravenscar Academy wasn't just any school-it was the best in the country, especially in the capital, packed with the kids of the rich and powerful.

It had taken a lot of effort on Sophia's part to get Carol in.

"Oh, you and Mr. Dawson were basically legends back then," Carol said with the kind of polite, distant smile people used for small talk.

Jessica gave her an easy smile. "Come on, Carol, don't be so formal. You're Edward's sister, aren't you? You should call him like that."

Carol just smiled without replying.

When she'd first moved into the Dawson house, she had called him that. Edward didn't like it. She assumed he just didn't want anything to do with her or Sophia.

Now, he grabbed a water bottle, twisted it open and took a big swig. "She can't call me bro," he said flatly.