Sheldon shook his head. "Nope. I thought it was really interesting."

Seriously? A five-year-old who actually enjoyed a board meeting? Definitely a little business prodigy in the making. Barnes looked at him, a warm look in his eyes.

It was rare for a kid to sit through such a long, dry meeting and not just stay awake-but genuinely enjoy it. And Sheldon wasn't faking it-his interest was real.

It reminded Barnes of Lyndon. He used to bring Lyndon along to meetings, and just like Sheldon now, Lyndon would sit there quietly, absorbing everything.

"Barnes, Dad, I need to go to the restroom," Sheldon said, squirming a little. He'd been sitting still for over an hour -he'd earned the break.

"Mylo, take Sheldon to the restroom," Barnes said to the assistant waiting outside. He had something to discuss with Lyndon alone.

Mylo came in and quietly took Sheldon to the restroom.

Once the door closed, Barnes turned to his son. "Lyndon, were you serious about what you said just now? You really plan to make Sheldon your successor?"

Lyndon nodded without hesitation. "Yeah."

Sheldon wasn't just smart-he was his son. Who else would take over the Fernandez Group if not him?

Barnes paused, clearly unsure how to proceed.

Then he spoke up. "Look, I know Sheldon's sharp and shows real promise... but he's not truly a Fernandez by blood. If you name him the future head of the company, the board might push back."

He liked Sheldon too—how could he not? But facts were facts.

And as a father, he felt the need to remind Lyndon of the bigger picture.

Lyndon stayed firm. "Dad, running a company isn't about bloodlines-it's about ability. Sheldon's shown time and again he's got what it takes."

Lyndon paused and then delivered the last sentence with intended effect. "Besides, I'm telling the truth—Sheldon is my biological son."

Barnes stayed quiet, thoughts racing. He remembered the DNA test. Sheldon wasn't biologically a Fernandez. So there was no point in Lyndon insisting otherwise.

Still, Lyndon was right: the company needed capable leadership, not just a name. It was just a pity that Sheldon wasn't a Fernandez.

"Alright. You're in charge now. It's your call." Barnes stood up, clearly done with the conversation.

Lyndon had planned to keep talking about Sheldon, but seeing his dad brush it off, he let it go for now.

He had a bigger plan—he was just waiting for Tilda to come clean first.

Meanwhile, Tilda had been on set all day, then caught a flight to Betton the next morning.

As soon as she landed, she called Brea and found out Lyndon was at the hospital for a check-up. Without missing a beat, she headed there directly.

Brea gave her the room number, and Tilda took the elevator up, heart pounding the whole way.