“Same here,” Emmeline’s voice caught. “If it were me, I would do the same.”

“I once had a woman,” Abel said ruefully. “She suffered with my child, but I wasn’t there for them. So, taking care of Kendra is, in a way, me making up for my own guilt.”

As soon as he spoke, Emmeline froze. Abel, did he still have feelings for her?

“Mr. Ryker,” Emmeline shook his arm excitedly. “What about that woman of yours? Why isn’t she with you?”

Abel gave a wistful smile. “Let’s not talk about her. It’s all in the past.”

It’s all in the past?

Emmeline’s feet faltered.

The hope that had just risen was extinguished by his words.

Has she become a thing of the past for Abel?

She thought he had brought up the subject because of his feelings for her, but it turned out he was only remembering the past.

A tear fell from Emmeline’s eye with a soft “click.”

Abel happened to catch sight of her tears and asked with concern, “Emmett, why are you crying when everything is fine?”

“I…” Emmeline sniffled. “When you mentioned your woman and child suffering, I felt sorry for them.”

“So I wanted to compensate her with marriage,” Abel said, “but she was lost and I couldn’t do anything about it.”

Sniffle, Emmeline couldn’t hold back her tears anymore.

Abel, I’m right in front of you, but I’ve become the most familiar stranger to you.

Waylon, give me back my man! Damn you, Worryfree!

Ugh…I feel so sad!

“Emmett, what’s wrong with you?” Abel was startled and quickly pulled her into his arms.

“Why are you crying? Who upset you?” he asked with concern.

“Mr. Ryker, I feel so sad. Let me cry for a while…sob…” Emmeline snuggled into his arms, sobbing softly.

“What are you so sad about? It’s okay, Emmett, everything’s fine now,” Abel said, trying to comfort her with gentle words.

Emmeline’s sadness had stirred up Abel’s emotions, and he could only hold her tightly and soothe her.

People passing by in the corridor looked on with surprise at the sight of two grown men embracing each other.

“Stop staring, haven’t you seen big brother comforting little brother before?” Luca whispered sharply.

Back at the Precipice, Emmeline settled into a guest room.

She opened the closet and found it filled with clothes that Abel had bought for her, but which he had removed from their bedroom.

Emmeline couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness.

Fortunately, Kendra and Quincy were brought back by their bodyguards.

The sound of the little baby’s crying and laughter filled the villa, making the atmosphere much cozier.

The next morning, Emmeline followed Abel to the Ryker Group.

The secretary couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw Mr. Ryker bringing in such a handsome young boy. If a boy could look so beautiful, then what about herself, who had undergone aesthetic procedures? She felt inferior when comparing herself to him.

Her eyes kept wandering towards the CEO’s office, and the last time she looked, Abel slammed the door shut with a loud “bang!”

A group of executives gathered at the secretary’s desk, all admiringly commenting, “Mr. Ryker is so capable, where did he find such a handsome young man?”

“He’s even more beautiful than all the women in our company.”

“But he’s a man, haven’t you seen the little mustache he’s got?”

“Exactly, if this were a woman, where would that leave the rest of us?”

“With him around, I feel like there’s no point in even trying,” they sighed, before heading back to their offices to surreptitiously check their reflections.

“You’ll be learning about management in various departments from me,” Abel sat down behind the large desk and told “Emmett,” “How much do you want to be paid?”

“I don’t really care about the salary,” Emmeline twirled her little mustache and smiled, “Mr. Ryker didn’t even ask me for tuition, and besides, I don’t really need the money.”

“That’s not the point,” Abel replied, “You’re interning with me, and according to regulations, you have to be paid. You wouldn’t want me to make a mistake, would you?”