Meanwhile, Abel was swamped with work, barely able to keep up. As he was buried in his tasks, his secretary knocked lightly on the half-closed door.

“What is it?” Abel asked without looking up.

“Mr. Abel,” the secretary said, “there’s a visitor here, but they didn’t have an appointment.”

“Turn them away,” Abel replied, still focused on his work. “I don’t have time for unannounced guests.”

“Sure,” the secretary said, turning to leave. “I’ll let them know.”

“No need,” a clear voice spoke from behind the secretary. “I’ve already made my way here.”

At that moment, Abel raised his gaze, and his eyes landed on a young woman standing tall at the door. She was stunning, possessing a classical elegance that was undeniable. But he didn’t recognize her.

“Miss,” the secretary frowned. “Mr. Abel doesn’t have time to see you.”

“Not even if I’m a member of the Murphy family from Altney?” The woman smiled lightly, her tone friendly.

“The Murphy family from Altney?” Abel furrowed his brows. “Who might you be, miss?”

“Evelyn,” the woman smiled. “The name should be familiar to you, Mr. Abel.”

Abel set down his pen.

Evelyn. He knew that name.

A few years ago, the Murphy family from Altney had approached the Ryker family to arrange a marriage between their families. And the person they had in mind was Evelyn.

At the time, Abel was not yet the successor of the Ryker Group. But the Murphy family had made it clear that they would only consider the successor of the Ryker Group as a suitable partner.

Little did they know that once Abel had taken over, he had immediately declined their proposal.

His Ryker Group didn’t need to strengthen its position through a marriage alliance. And Abel himself had no interest in such matters.

So the proposal had been forgotten and never mentioned again.

Now, the sudden appearance of Evelyn had caught Abel off guard.

“I’ve heard of Mr. Abel’s reputation as a talented individual,” Evelyn said, smiling gracefully. “And seeing you today, it’s clear that your reputation is well-deserved.”

Abel’s tone was cold and distant as he asked, “May I ask what brings you here today, Ms. Evelyn?”

“Wouldn’t you invite me in for a chat, Mr. Abel?” Evelyn smiled politely.

Abel gestured for Evelyn to come in, and she gracefully made her way to the sofa, placing her expensive Hermes handbag on her lap.

The secretary quickly brewed some tea and left the room, but as she was about to close the door, Abel spoke up, “Leave the door open, please.”

The secretary was taken aback but quickly understood that Abel was trying to avoid any suspicion, so she opened the door and left it ajar.

Evelyn’s face showed a hint of displeasure, but it quickly disappeared.

“If you have something to say, Ms. Evelyn, please do,” Abel said, his tone still cold and businesslike.

Abel remained cold and aloof in his tone.

“Is that so,” Evelyn’s bright eyes flickered as she spoke softly, “Lizbeth came over a while ago and told me that you had lost the love of your life to another man and that she had three children with him…”

Abel’s thin lips curved slightly, a hint of a cold smile on his face.

“I felt sorry for Mr. Abel after hearing about it, so I came to visit him,” Evelyn said, her eyes flashing.

“Thank you,” Abel replied with a cool, shallow smile.

“Don’t mention it, Mr. Abel,” Evelyn continued. “We have an unusual relationship, so it’s only natural that I come to visit you.”

“Clap clap,” Evelyn clapped her hands twice.

The attendants waiting outside the door brought in a few gifts.

“These are carefully selected gifts for Mr. Abel,” Evelyn said, “I hope Mr. Abel will accept them.”

“I don’t need any gifts,” Abel waved his hand, “take them back.”

“Wouldn’t that be impolite?” Evelyn’s face darkened slightly, “These are all fine gifts that I personally picked for Mr. Abel.”

“We have no connection between us,” Abel’s eyes were indifferent, “we are complete strangers. How can I accept gifts from a stranger?”

“But we do have a certain relationship,” Evelyn said, “Mr. Abel is unmarried, I am unmarried, and we have a marriage agreement. How can you say we have no relationship?”

“I think Ms. Evelyn has misunderstood,” Abel said, “the actual situation is not what you think.”

“Mr. Abel, what do you mean?”

Abel didn’t answer but instead picked up the intercom and dialed Luca’s phone.

“Mr. Abel,” Luca answered, “what can I do for you?”

“Bring them over,” Abel said.

“Yes, Mr. Abel.” Luca hung up the phone and motioned the four little ones to follow him back to the CEO’s office.

In just three or four minutes, the four little ones returned, beaming with excitement.