"I never questioned his character. But Aiden, everyone knows how much he favors you. You don’t need to swoop in and play the nice guy." Andrix’s usual calm was gone, replaced with simmering hostility. "Painting yourself as the perfect big brother only makes me look ungrateful. What? Is that fun for you?" "Andrix," Aiden asked calmly, "do you really think Dad plays favorites?" Andrix frowned and snapped, "What do you think? All the money, all the power—it’s always been yours. I couldn’t even get into the company, but Alex—Alex!—that idiot gets a spot. And I’m the one left out? How is that fair?" "You’ve only got yourself to blame," I cut in before I could stop myself. Andrix immediately lost it. "What’s that supposed to mean? You’re blaming me for this? He shuts me out, and somehow that’s on me?" "If you hadn’t spent your whole life acting like some selfless saint, always talking about saving lives, do you really think Robin would’ve pushed you to become a doctor? And if you weren’t so soft—so passive—do you honestly believe he’d have kept you out of the company? You don’t have the edge for corporate life, and he knew it. Andrix, do you seriously think Aiden had it easy? He’s the heir. That title comes with relentless training and pressure you wouldn’t last a day under. Everything he has—he earned. You think he stole something from you? That’s not injustice. That’s you refusing to see reality." My words left both Aiden and Andrix speechless. They had no idea that when I’d looked into Aiden’s past during the whole investigation with his ex, I also uncovered details about his childhood. That’s when I started to understand Robin—and why the way Andrix always paints himself as the victim irritated me so much. "Say whatever you want," Andrix said coldly. "It doesn’t matter. I’m with Lawson Corp now. Like it or not, that makes us rivals." He stood up. "Anyway, I’ve got another meeting to get to. I won’t waste any more time here." Aiden, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke. "You’re acting like a child, Andrix." Andrix paused, then smirked. "Whatever." After he left, Aiden looked frustrated. I tried to reassure him. "It’s okay. Let him go." "I wish it were that simple," he muttered. "But the way he is now, Andrix is going to do everything he can to go against Eclipse. Running the company’s not going to be easy." Andrix might have a dark side, but he had a talent for business. The way he ran that massive hospital proved he had business skills. If he really joined Lawson Corp, Eclipse was in for a serious fight."Doesn’t matter," I said. "Whatever happens, I’m with you." Aiden looked at me, his gaze softening, the tension in his face easing for just a moment. "Come on. Let’s go check on Dad." … At the clinic, Robin was lying in bed, eyes closed, resting. Regina sat nearby, the worry written all over her face. The moment she saw us, she stood up. "Aiden," she asked, her voice strained, "how did it go with Andrix?" Aiden shook his head. "No change. He still won’t listen." Tears welled up in Regina’s eyes as she sat back down, her voice cracking. "Why does this hurt so much…" "Don’t cry over him," Aiden said gently. "You tried your best. You gave him everything you could. If he still chooses to turn his back on us, that’s on him—not you." Regina wiped her tears. "I really thought… If I just loved him enough, he’d start to see me as his real mother. That’s why I kept the truth about his past hidden all these years. But he still found out anyway..." "Mom, none of this is your fault. He believes his birth parents died because of Dad. That’s why he turned on us. It’s not about you." Regina nodded slowly. "I know… he’s proud, and he can’t handle the truth yet. He’s blinded by his own pain. But I’m not giving up—I’ll keep trying to talk to him." The Salvatore brothers exchanged quiet, helpless glances. Andrix wasn’t listening to anyone. There was no way he’d suddenly come around just because Regina tried talking to him. Robin eventually woke up, and when he heard how Andrix had behaved, all he could do was sigh. Regina’s health hadn’t been great lately, so Aiden arranged for her to stay at the clinic too, letting her recover alongside Robin. He asked Alex to stay and help keep an eye on them. Adam had wanted to stay too, but Aiden had already finalized his contract termination. Now it was my turn to bring him into Light Corp and help him get his career back on track. He didn’t have time to hang around the hospital anymore. And to make sure nothing slipped, I decided to personally bring Adam to Light Corp myself—just in case someone blurted something they shouldn’t and gave away who I really was.Aiden headed back to the office to deal with company matters. … On the way, I noticed Adam seemed distant, lost in thought. "You okay?" I asked. "You’ve been out of it since we left." He let out a heavy sigh. "I just feel… useless. I can’t even get back on my feet without someone else stepping in to help me. You’re the one lining up this job for me." "What are you talking about, rockstar?" I shot him a look, teasing. "I’m counting on you to blow up and bring in a fortune for Light Corp. So don’t go getting all down on yourself now." Adam chuckled, a little embarrassed, then looked up at me, suddenly serious. "Wait—what do you mean bring in money for Light Corp? Raelyn, what’s your actual connection to the company?" Crap. I slipped up. I rushed to cover it. "It’s not what you think. You know Light Corp belongs to Bluewater. Jackson promised me a share of the profits once it takes off, so of course I want the company to do well. That’s all." But my explanation didn’t sit right with Adam. "Raelyn…" he said, eyes narrowing, "you’re not… like, the secret boss behind Bluewater or something… are you?"