At dawn the next day, the sky was just beginning to lighten.
When Silas Sutton woke up on the black leather sofa in his office, every bone in his body protested.
He remained stiffly on his side for a full half-minute before slowly sitting up.
Massaging his aching neck, Silas felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.
Having slept for less than three hours last night, the dark circles under his eyes looked as if he had been punched twice.
The office remained a mess from the previous night’s grueling work.
Stacks of documents littered the desk, several open financial reports were scattered across the carpet, and three empty coffee cups had accumulated to the side.
The stale scent of day-old coffee mixed with paper hung heavily in the air.
Barefoot against the carpet, Silas walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Looking down from this height, the city had yet to fully awaken, with only a few cars passing through the streets below.
He remembered every morning over the past three years in prison—whenever the police whistle blew, he would wake up to Sprout’s radiant smile.
“Sprout…” he murmured softly.
His phone vibrated, interrupting his thoughts.
It was a message from Special Assistant Grant: “Mr.
Sutton, breakfast and the data reports you requested are ready.
Should I bring them up now?”
Silas replied with a brief “Yes,” then turned and headed to the adjacent CEO lounge.
Calling it a lounge was an understatement; it was more like a small apartment.
It featured a minimalist black, white, and gray design, a marble bathroom, and a walk-in closet hung with crisply ironed shirts and suits.
He thought about Sean Crane and Ryan Rhodes—those two guys…
A barely perceptible smile tugged at the corner of Silas’s lips.
He knew exactly whose handiwork was behind these meticulous arrangements.
As warm water washed over his exhausted body, Silas closed his eyes, and Sprout’s face appeared uninvited in his mind once again.
Every detail of the scene at the school gate yesterday was etched into his memory.
She had been wearing a white dress, her hair much longer than it was three years ago.
And the man beside her—the man who had opened the car door for her—wore a gentle smile and moved with thoughtful care.
But what stung the most was the way she looked at him.
It wasn’t anger; it was a kind of…
calm detachment.
It was as if he were just an insignificant old acquaintance, a passing stranger she had bumped into by chance.
“I’d rather she hated me.” Silas buried his face in the running water, the splashing masking his suppressed sigh.
By the time he finished washing up and changed into a dark gray suit, Special Assistant Grant had already arranged his breakfast and the reports neatly on his desk.
“Mr.
Sutton, here is the analysis of the Cosmos Group’s financial statements for the past three years, along with the personnel structure changes in each department,” Special Assistant Grant said, meticulous as always in his speech and actions.
“Also, Mr.
Crane and Mr. New chapters come out on g.com first.
Rhodes sent a message last night saying they want to take you out for dinner after work today.
They insisted you don’t schedule any other tasks.”
Silas nodded and took a seat at his desk.
As the bitterness of black coffee spread across his tongue, he forced himself to focus on the documents.
Silas rubbed his temples.
He spent the entire morning buried in meetings and paperwork.
By five in the afternoon, he had finally finalized a few of the most urgent decisions.
When he handed the files back to Special Assistant Grant, the man hesitated.
“Mr.
Sutton, these decisions…
might step on the toes of some of the older shareholders.”
“I know,” Silas said without looking up.
“Just do it.”
Just then, his phone rang.
It was Ryan Rhodes.
“Boss!
Don’t forget about our plans tonight!
Sean and I will pick you up at six!”
Silas wanted to refuse, but swallowed the words before they left his mouth.
Perhaps having a few drinks would actually help numb the pain.
After dining at an exclusive private restaurant owned by Cosmos, Sean and Ryan dragged him to The Imperial Club for some leisure, using “work inspection” as a flimsy excuse.
As night fell, the neon lights of The Imperial Club stood out glaringly against Silverport’s evening backdrop.
As the most high-end private club under the Cosmos Group, it was situated in the most bustling area of the city.
Its marble exterior gleamed with a cold luster under the lights.
Rows of luxury cars were parked out front, and uniformed doormen respectfully opened doors for the arriving guests.
Sean’s red sports car pulled up to the entrance with a beautiful drift, and the three of them stepped out.
“Boss, isn’t your outfit a bit too serious?” Ryan looked Silas’s impeccable suit up and down.
“Loosen up, this is our own turf!”
Silas didn’t say a word, his gaze sweeping across the club’s magnificent doors.
He had been dragged out straight from work and hadn’t thought to change.
Three years ago, he frequented this place, but his state of mind back then was entirely different from how he felt now.
Stepping into the lobby, the light from the crystal chandeliers cascaded down, reflecting off the polished marble floors.
The air was filled with premium aromatherapy and the faint scent of alcohol, while the sounds of music and laughter could be faintly heard from upstairs.
Seeing Sean and Ryan walking behind Silas, the manager immediately realized his identity and jogged over to greet them.
“Mr.
Sutton, Mr.
Crane, Mr.
Rhodes!
Please follow me.”
The private room was on the top floor, spanning a massive two hundred square meters.
Outside the panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows lay the dazzling city skyline, while the interior was furnished with the utmost luxury.
It boasted leather sofas, a marble bar, professional-grade audio equipment, and even a small pool table.
Seven or eight people were already gathered inside, all close friends from Silas’s old circle.
Seeing him walk in, they stood up one after another.
“Boss!
You’re finally back!”
“Three years, and you’re still as handsome as ever!”
“We’re not going home tonight until we’re wasted!”
Surrounded by the crowd, Silas was ushered into the seat of honor, and someone immediately handed him a glass.
He took it, clinked glasses lightly, and took a small sip.
It was top-shelf whiskey, the amber liquid swirling in the glass.
Having matured over the years, he didn’t actually enjoy these kinds of gatherings anymore, but in this moment, he needed the noise to fill the emptiness inside him.
Sean and Ryan quickly blended into the atmosphere.
One was showing off his skills at the pool table, while the other dragged a few friends into a dice game.
The music was playing loudly—a popular electronic track with a heavy bass thumping against their eardrums.
Silas sat alone on the sofa.
Watching the extravagant indulgence playing out before him, he felt an absurd sense of detachment.
“Boss, don’t just sit here drinking alone!” Ryan walked over with a glass and plopped down next to him.
“Yesterday…
what exactly happened between you and your girl?”
Given their close relationship, they had always talked about everything.
But yesterday, Silas was radiating such a terrifyingly dark aura that they hadn’t dared to say a word.
It had been two days now, and seeing that his mood was still abysmal today, Ryan couldn’t hold back his questions any longer.
Sean sidled over as well, and the two exchanged a glance.
Silas swirled his glass and stayed silent for a few seconds before finally speaking.
“It’s exactly what you saw.”
“And then?” Ryan asked eagerly.
“She has a fiancé,” Silas said, his voice so calm it betrayed no emotion.
“They’re getting married next weekend.”
“She’s actually getting married?” Ryan felt a sudden, inexplicable wave of sadness.
“Then, Boss, what about you…”
Yesterday, it had just been a guess.
Now, hearing their boss admit it himself, their hearts ached for him.
“She said she loves that man,” Silas interrupted, tilting his head back to down half his glass in one gulp.
The hard liquor burned his throat, but he found a masochistic sense of pleasure in the sting.
Sean bit his lip in hesitation before asking cautiously, “Boss, what do you plan to do then?”
Staring at the remaining ice sphere in his glass, Silas gave a bitter smile and said slowly, “What else can I do but wish her the best?”
“Wish her the best?!” So their boss was the one who had backed down.
Looking utterly indignant, Ryan said, “Boss, that’s not like you!
We could snatch her back in a heartbeat!
I’ll make the calls right now…”