Theo wore a grateful look. “Eaton…”

Eaton reached out and gave Theo’s shoulder a reassuring pat. “We are friends. If you ever find yourself in trouble, you can count on me.”

He then turned toward Brayden. “At the very least, I won’t betray my family and friends.”

Nearby, Brayden frowned slightly, his eyes hard and cold.

“Please don’t say it that way,” Theo said with a weary sigh. “The tension between Brayden and me is nothing more than a misunderstanding. Time will eventually show who I truly am.”

“If you find the funding insufficient, just inform me,” Eaton added calmly.

Brayden gave a low, mocking scoff. “What a clueless fool.” Fixing his gaze on Theo, he continued, “If you insist on keeping that footage hidden, I’ll find Dad myself. Your fabricated stories won’t stay buried forever.” With that, he spun around and walked out.

Eaton frowned deeply. “Since when did he become so sharp and hostile? He was never like this before.”

“It’s probably because my new project is putting pressure on Gracie,” Theo replied, sighing once again. “We’re competitors now, after all. When people are in the same industry, even family members can become enemies. And honestly, I was partly to blame. If it weren’t for the adverse effects of my health product, my grandpa wouldn’t have gotten sick.”

“Don’t blame yourself like that. His illness was simply an unfortunate coincidence,” Eaton said quickly.

“I should head back to the company now. With your support, the project can finally move forward without obstacles.” After thanking Eaton again, Theo left hastily.

Not long after, Eaton’s office door swung open once more, and Brayden stepped back inside.

“Both Jessie and Brayden have cautioned me…” he muttered under his breath. “Could there really be something wrong with Theo?”

Elsewhere, in Avelonia, Gracie woke just as the first light of dawn crept through the window.

She gently nudged Jessie awake, and together they headed downstairs to the dining room for breakfast.

The phone resting beside her vibrated softly.

After glancing at the screen, her expression tightened immediately. “Jessie, your brother has invested in Theoria Sciences.”

Suddenly, Jessie’s cutlery slipped from her hands and clattered onto the table as she looked up in shock. “What? When did that happen? I haven’t heard a word about it.”

“It must have happened today,” Gracie said gravely. “Theo’s illegal experiments could spiral out of control, and Holt Group could take the hit. The Stanley family has cut off his funding, so he’s turned his attention to your brother instead.”

A chilling realization surfaced in her mind. In her previous life, the collapse of the Holt family had likely begun the same way—Theo had used similar excuses to slowly drain their resources. He had never been as innocent or harmless as he pretended to be.

“He’s completely unhinged,” Jessie said, already dialing her parents in frustration.

Even after ending the call, she was still seething. “I honestly don’t get it. What kind of spell did Theo cast on my brother?”

“He’s an expert at putting on a convincing act. If I hadn’t lived through it myself, I wouldn’t have seen through his ambition either,” Gracie replied. “Should we go back home tomorrow? I have a bad feeling about this.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Jessie replied. “If my parents can’t talk sense into my brother, then going back ourselves won’t change anything. Besides, I came here to unwind with you.”

“Hi, ladies,” Yousef’s voice came.

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he dropped into the seat beside them. “Do we have anything planned today? If not, we could head over to my training ground.”

“You have a competition coming up,” Gracie said. “Don’t you need more practice?”

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