The car turned into Caius’ mansion—a massive property with a front and back garden, a pool, even a neatly trimmed patch of lawn meant for pets.

Of course, Caius had no pets—at least, not yet. But the lawn was kept perfectly trimmed, empty, as if waiting.

Jada had lived here for some time before making her public reappearance in front of Walter.

She had studied the changes in the business world, approached Caius with an offer, and once he agreed to cooperate, she moved in—rarely returning to the Brooks family home.

Mr. Brooks was a workaholic. Jada’s absence didn’t raise suspicion.

She changed her shoes at the door and glanced at Caius sitting in the living room, his back to her.

When he didn’t speak, she called out a polite greeting and went upstairs.

Strangely, when they first struck their deal, Caius’ one condition had been that she move in with him. But since she’d done so, he’d given her a separate bedroom and had never tried to cross the line.

She couldn’t figure him out.

Not that it mattered. She didn’t care about the eccentricities of a business partner.

Caius’ mansion was coldly minimalistic—white, gray, black everywhere.

Her own room had started that way too, but over time small touches appeared: pale-blue curtains, warm star-shaped fairy lights, a plush white rug.

She hadn’t asked for any of it, but by the time she noticed, the room looked like a place she would have once loved.

After showering, she half-dried her hair, collapsed into bed, and fell asleep almost immediately.

Downstairs, Caius sat by the window, staring into the night. After a long silence, he took the cracked phone Ethan had retrieved and dialed.

“Any progress on what I asked you to investigate? The days when she was kidnapped three years ago—what really happened?”

The voice on the other end was faint. “All surveillance was destroyed. But per your lead, we found traces of the one kidnapper who escaped. Catch him, and we’ll have answers.”

“But he slipped away again. We need time to track him down.”

Caius’ hand tightened on the phone. After a pause, he said coldly, “Do it. At any cost.”

When the call ended, he dismissed his men and wheeled himself upstairs.

At Jada’s bedroom door, he hesitated, then knocked softly.

No answer.

He opened the door.

Warm light spilled from the bedside lamp. Jada was already asleep.

Caius stepped closer, took her hand gently.

All the emotion he had forced down during the day surged up. His dark eyes softened with unspoken love and pain—dangerous, burning, threatening to consume what little reason he had left.

Jada’s sleep was restless.

Ever since Sophia Quinn’s soul had awoken in this body, Jada hadn’t had a full night’s rest.

Her nightmares replayed every disappointment, every betrayal, every wound—alongside the memories of the real Jada Brooks, whose pain and hate now doubled her own.

Waking in the middle of the night again, she checked the time—3 a.m.

Her head ached. She touched her hair, surprised to find it completely dry—as if someone had dried it for her while she slept.

Strange, but she didn’t dwell on it.

Thirst drove her downstairs in search of water.

This part of Caius’ mansion was still unfamiliar to her. She rarely roamed the house at night, and she had never run into Caius at these hours.

Tonight, she stopped short when she saw a faint red glow by the window.

There he was—sitting in his wheelchair, a cigarette glowing between his fingers.

Jada froze, startled not just by finding him awake, but by the fact that he smoked at all.

The slight sound of her movement made him turn. The moment he recognized her, he crushed out the cigarette.

Jada hesitated only a moment before walking over. “Mr. Martino.”

As she approached, Caius studied her quietly. The cool edge in his voice softened. “Couldn’t sleep?”

“Just thirsty,” Jada replied with a small smile.

“Drink something warm. The night’s cold.”

The unexpected concern made her pause before nodding. “I will. Thank you.”

She drank her water and returned upstairs without prying.

The next morning, she deliberately stayed in bed with her phone on silent.

When she finally got up and checked, there were sixteen missed calls—thirteen from Walter, three from Mr. Brooks.

She called her father first.

“Jada,” Mr. Brooks said immediately, “Mr. Grant came to the house first thing this morning.”

Jada had already told him she wouldn’t be coming home after the engagement party.

Mr. Brooks wasn’t the talkative type, and he didn’t interfere much in her love life.

He knew Caius had quietly helped save Brooks Materials Inc. from collapse and that Walter had publicly claimed her as his girlfriend before explaining to Mr. Brooks that his engagement to Carmen was a business arrangement.

Though Mr. Brooks disapproved, he said nothing—only urged her to keep Caius’ help secret and to be cautious.

He felt guilty that his daughter had been left unprotected after the car accident that left her in a coma for months. So now, he didn’t try to stop her from whatever she was planning.

Walter showing up at the Brooks home wasn’t a surprise.

“What did you tell him?” Jada asked.

“I said you were staying with a friend,” Mr. Brooks replied. “Didn’t say who. He didn’t believe me at first, but when I left for work, he finally left too.”

“Good. Thanks for covering for me, Dad. I’ll handle the rest.”

Mr. Brooks hesitated, then said carefully, “Jada, I saw a supercar parked near the house this morning—the same one Ms. Quinn drove to the country club last night. Whatever Mr. Grant’s reasons are, he’s still an engaged man. Not a good choice until that’s resolved.”

Jada smiled. Even her father could see the problem—yet Walter himself acted like it was nothing.

She’d been blind to have given years of her heart to a man like that.

“I know, Dad,” she said softly. “Don’t worry. I won’t let myself get hurt again.”

After hanging up, Walter’s call came through again. She locked the screen and went downstairs.

Caius had already left for work. The estate was quiet except for the house staff.

“Breakfast is ready in the kitchen,” the housekeeper said warmly.

Jada thanked her and went to eat.

The food was light and healthy—good for recovery.

She suddenly thought of Caius last night and murmured, “Mr. Martino really is disciplined—his meals are so healthy too.”

The housekeeper chuckled. “He’s not really that disciplined. This is for your sake.”

Jada’s brows lifted. “Oh? He didn’t always eat this way?”

“Not at all. Before you moved in, he skipped breakfast most days.”

Jada narrowed her eyes. “I see.”

The housekeeper sighed. “It’s better this way. You can’t burn out your body just because you’re young.”

Jada didn’t comment further, lowering her head to finish her porridge.

Grant Holdings was an old-money powerhouse, rooted in San Francisco for generations. Its businesses spanned real estate, hotels, luxury brands, jewelry—countless subsidiaries.

By contrast, Quinn Enterprises was a rising star, built on Mr. Quinn’s sharp market instincts.

At its peak, Quinn Enterprises collaborated heavily with the Grants, earning a place at the very top of San Francisco society.

But as Mr. Quinn aged, his drive waned. With Walter’s obsession with Sophia Quinn, their two companies maintained tacit cooperation, but Quinn Enterprises slowly turned conservative and began to falter.

After Sophia’s death three years ago, Quinn Enterprises became almost paralyzed with caution, losing ground to newer competitors.

The engagement between Carmen and Walter was meant to leverage Grant Holdings’ influence to restore Quinn Enterprises to its former height.

Brooks Materials Inc., compared to the other two families, was much smaller—its building materials business easily replaceable. A single shift in partnership from Grant Holdings could devastate them.

Over a year ago, the real Jada had been harassed at a private gala, rescued by Walter, and began to fall for him.

At that time, Sophia had been dead nearly two years, and Walter was still single.

Jada used every connection she had to get closer to him.

She never confessed her feelings—only tried to make him happy. Once, she even made him laugh.

Carmen saw that moment and, out of jealousy, tampered with Jada’s car.

Jada never knew. The crash left her in a coma for months—and when she woke, Sophia’s soul had taken her place.