Early in the morning, Elsie planned to escort Lilian to the hospital before heading to the company. As the two women stepped out of the door and were about to enter the Ferrari 250 GTO, Cayden approached calmly, his smile cool and refreshing like the night breeze.
"Good morning, ladies," he greeted warmly, walking straight toward Lilian.
Elsie returned his greeting with a genuine smile, then glanced at Lilian, who stood dazed as Cayden approached. With a playful grin, Elsie remarked, "It seems my presence isn't necessary."
Turning to Cayden, she added, "Mr. Russell, since you're here, I'll entrust Lilian to your care. I have a lot to handle at the office."
She gave Lilian a gentle nudge, then rushed into the car, stepped on the gas, and drove away.
Only then did Lilian come to her senses. She looked at Cayden, who was smiling at her, and asked, "Derek… didn't you say you'd be going back to Beverly Hills yesterday?"
Cayden gazed at her dotingly, nodding. "Yes, but I decided to stay, so I could accompany you to the hospital today."
---
Lilian raised her brow. "Then who's bringing Noel over?"
Cayden suddenly remembered that he had told Lilian earlier Noel was on his way to her house. Luckily, he had driven himself. He smiled charmingly, as usual. "I asked my driver to bring him over."
Lilian sighed, still looking at him worriedly. "But Derek, you've been away from the company for a long time searching for me. You really need to go back. I can handle these minor issues."
Cayden held her hand, gazing deeply into her eyes. His voice was serious, filled with devotion. "Lily, believe me—whatever concerns you is never minor to me. You're more important than anything else. Besides, my assistant is very capable. He can take care of the company's affairs. You need not worry."
He gently guided her to his luxury car, opened the door, helped her sit in the co‑pilot's seat, then closed the door. Walking around to the driver's side, he slid in and drove away.
---
Meanwhile, in Avaldos City, every newspaper, TV channel, radio station, and social media platform was filled with reports of the Jerome family's predicaments.
Netizens mercilessly criticized, cursed, and insulted the Jeromes.
"So despicable," one commentator wrote. "A family like the Jeromes shouldn't exist on the surface of the earth. How can people like that still regard themselves as human?"
"Honestly," another said, "the Jerome family are animals in human form. They don't deserve to be called human at all. And they certainly don't deserve the presidency. A leader should lead by example. Where are the good examples?"
Others shouted: "Let the Jerome family vamoose from office! Let a deserving leader take over. The Jeromes are disgusting. Do they think the presidency of Avaldos is their family heritage? Dream on! Get out—we don't need people like you ruling us!"
The hurtful remarks and insults increased daily.
---
A division formed within the armed forces. Air Chief Marshal Douglas Dawson, Morgan Jerome's best friend, had strong ties with the Inspector General of Police. Both sided with Morgan.
But Shane Wesley held the advantage. As General Chief in charge of Avaldos' armed forces, he commanded respect. The Chief of Naval Staff, though neutral, supported only what was right—and thus stood with Shane.
For this reason, the country teetered on the brink of war. Most cabinet members disagreed with escalating violence, causing a stalemate between the two factions.
In response, Douglas Dawson, Inspector General Jefferson Hoover, and other powerful figures allied with the Jeromes held an urgent meeting. Their plan: strip Shane Wesley of his position, accusing him of rebellion—claiming he was not only trying to stop violence but also supporting it.
---
As the heated discussion continued, Douglas Dawson received a call from his beloved younger sister. No matter what he was doing, he would always drop everything to attend to her.
Their parents had died when Douglas was seven, leaving him to raise his nine‑month‑old sister, Aria Dawson. She was his only blood relative. He spoiled and pampered her endlessly.
When Aria introduced Calvin Miles as the man she wanted to marry, Douglas insisted Calvin join the military and undergo special training. The Miles family was wealthy but weak in defense. Douglas knew he couldn't always protect Aria. Once she married Calvin, her safety would become his responsibility.
Now, hearing her painful cries over the phone, Douglas frowned. His mind was in chaos. He couldn't even process her words through the heart‑wrenching sobs.
He rushed back into the private room, whispered something to his friend, then scurried out. Morgan Jerome, knowing how important Aria was to Douglas, nodded silently when he heard it concerned her.
---
By the time Douglas reached the Miles family estate, he was flabbergasted by what he saw.
He stood quietly, expressionless. It was the calm before the storm.
Overwhelmed by emotion, he staggered several times before managing to grab hold of a sofa. He sank to the floor, painfully clutching his head, sobbing silently.
The heart‑wrenching pain of his cries was inevitable.