Tomorrow was the weekend. That night, nestled in her mother's arms, Evelyn

chattered excitedly about their hiking trip. Bathed in the soft light from the window, Eleanor looked at her daughter's chubby cheeks and couldn't resist leaning in to kiss her.

Feeling her mother's love, Evelyn wrapped her arms around her neck, curling up like a little kitten. She cupped Eleanor's face and kissed her. "Mommy, I love you so much! I love you the most."

Eleanor smiled and stroked her little head. "Mommy loves you the most too."

Later, after her daughter had fallen asleep, Eleanor found herself unable to sleep. She got up and went to the master bedroom's balcony, standing there alone for a while. As the night wind blew past, she whispered softly to the night sky, "You have to come back safe."

At that moment, in a villa on the other side of the city, Vanessa was on her iPad, watching an interview with a man in his early sixties. He was a tech tycoon, the head of a globally renowned tech company. Despite his age, he was energetic and charismatic.

Vanessa watched the interview over and over, a calculating glint in her eyes. This tycoon, Walden, was not only worth hundreds of billions, but more importantly, his company was a competitor to Goodwin & Co. in several sectors.

That made Walden and lan rivals. If she could successfully become Walden's woman, lan could forget about controlling her with that contract.

She still had her whole life ahead of her. She couldn't let lan have her in his grip, especially now that he had no more resources to offer her. She had to find a new patron.

Beside her, Laverne spoke up. "I've found out some of Walden's itinerary. He's coming to Ashford City next Wednesday for a tech summit. This could be your chance."

Vanessa's red lips curled into a smile. "Then find a way to get me an invitation!" "But Vanessa, this Mr. Wells has a pretty bad reputation. Do you think it's a good idea to get involved with someone like that?" Laverne asked, worried.

"If he wasn't that kind of person, I might not even have a chance," Vanessa said, toying with a lock of her hair.

With a man like lan, who was famously uninterested in women, she could have spent ten years trying and it would have been for nothing.

"But this Walden character does have a particular fondness for artists. You might actually have a shot," Laverne said, happy for her.

Vanessa lifted her chin confidently. "Men are all the same. They just pretend to be respectable."

Vanessa was determined to make Walden her new backer, to show lan and everyone who looked down on her that she, Vanessa, would never admit defeat.

Seeing the confidence on Vanessa's face, Laverne paused. She had been thinking of leaving, but now she decided to put that plan on hold for the time being.

The next morning.

At 8:30, Eleanor's doorbell rang.

Joslyn opened the door to find lan standing outside. He was dressed in a gray casual tracksuit, and his graying hair looked quite natural in the morning light.

"Daddy!" Evelyn flew into his arms like a happy little bird. Dressed in a pink tracksuit, she was full of energy.

lan took his daughter's hand, his gaze shifting to Eleanor as she

walked out. She had her hair in a

simple ponytail and wore a white tracksuit that made her look

especially fresh.

"Ready to go?" lan asked in a low voice.

Eleanor nodded, a sports bag on her back. Behind her, Joslyn waved. "Evelyn, have fun! I'll be waiting for you at home."

"Goodbye!" Evelyn waved back politely and took her father's hand as they walked to the elevator.

A three-car convoy headed for the

outskirts of the city lan's car was in the lead with Eleanor and her daughter in the middle, and a bodyguard's car following behind.

To give Evelyn a truly wild experience, they chose a remote pristine mountain with

man made trails. It was surrounded by green hills and clear water, with a deep blue lake at its base.