The CEO Gets What He Wants

Claire was extremely protective of those she held dear.

That was especially the case with Nicole, whom she had come to regard as her own daughter after losing her biological daughter. Her heart wrenched in pain when she saw Nicole on the verge of tears.

She cooed while holding Nicole, “Tell me what made you so sad, Nicole.”

Although Nicole felt like complaining about how heartless Cayden was to her, she didn't wish for her mother to have a biased opinion of him, so she bit her tongue.

Her gaze flickered for a moment as she whimpered, “Mom, Cayden... doesn't seem to like me. Besides, Avery isn't someone to be trifled with. She embarrassed me at the Moore residence today by setting me up as a fool. She even showed off in front of Old Mr. Moore using her wits. Now, Old Mr. Moore is treating me with indifference while being partial toward her. Mom, I like Cayden a lot. He's the first man I've ever fallen for. What should I do?”

Nicole leaned against Claire's shoulder as tears rolled down her cheeks.

After witnessing the melancholy brought upon Nicole by her tragic love life, Claire lovingly wiped the tears away with some tissues.

She handed Nicole a glass of warm water while comforting her, “Don't cry, my dear Nickie. I will do my best to set you up with Cayden if you like him.”

Holding onto the glass of water, Nicole muttered pitifully, “I wonder if I've made a mistake. I love him even after knowing that he isn't into me. My love hasn't waned because of his disregard for me. Instead, it began simmering like a pot of water, slowly reaching boiling point. I think I'm hopelessly in love...”

As someone who had been there, Claire was aware that Nicole was head-over-heels in love when she noticed the listless look on the latter's face whenever Cayden was mentioned.

While she felt for Nicole, she had to set things right. “There's nothing wrong in liking someone, more so when Cayden isn't married to Avery. However, if he is focused on and serious about her, we shouldn't interfere with their relationship. You are my brilliant daughter, and we're way above interfering with other people's relationships.”

Initially, Claire wasn't too concerned about someone as inconsequential as Avery.

She figured that Nicole was far superior to Avery in terms of familial background, looks, and career, so she believed that her daughter should be able to secure Cayden's affection.

However, it was apparent that she had underestimated Avery.

To Claire, Nicole was mature, kind, and knowledgeable. On the contrary, Avery was arrogant, stubborn, and of lower birth, which made it impossible for her to marry into the Moore family.

Nicole closed her eyes to cover up the complex look in her gaze.

Cayden was the only decent surprise she had had in her life, but that surprise ended up becoming a blade that drew blood while piercing through her heart and torturing her mind.

Nonetheless, she refused to let go.

She could give up everything except for Cayden.

It was almost New Year in the blink of an eye.

After the company employees had gone on holiday, Cayden fell ill, which was a rarity.

After all, he had overworked himself as of late.

He would hurry to the company early each morning and work overtime till late at night, spending almost every waking hour at work.

Moreover, the arson that happened at Chartreuse Garden added more work to his already busy schedule, given the need to bring the case to a satisfying close.

The verdict for the perpetrator, Jenna Doyle, would be passed after New Year.

He had promised Anthony that he would make sure that Jenna would be given capital punishment.

As a man of his word, he was determined to deliver the promise.

Thus, he had contacted a few higher-ups at the capital whom he knew. After private discussions over the phone with them, he held a board meeting at the company to deal with changes in shareholding.

Then, he had two meetings over video calls with foreign collaborators to secure two projects that were worth hundreds of millions.

The twins had a stomach ache in the afternoon and were in so much agony that their faces paled. He had no choice but to send them to the hospital alongside Avery. It was already evening by the time their conditions stabilized, and he was finally able to relax.

By that point, Cayden had already pushed himself past his limit, and his body could take no more. He ended up having a fever due to him having overworked himself.

His nose had been blocked and his throat had been aching when he woke up early for work that day. Although he felt that something was amiss, he assumed that he would be able to pull through and paid the symptoms no heed, only for them to worsen by night.

There was a burning pain in his throat, while his body temperature cycled between that of a fever and a cold, giving him an awful time.

Worse, his head was in so much pain that he felt like it was splitting in half. His body felt as if someone had poured concrete into it, and it felt so heavy that he could hardly breathe.