The CEO's Empathy Pregnancy Pains

"Dad, what are you..."

Roger started to speak but was immediately silenced by the imposing presence of Leo.

Sitting at the head of the table was an elderly man with graying hair, but his broad shoulders and piercing eyes radiated authority. Despite his age, his face had a rare, healthy flush.

"Roger, stand up straight!"

Leo's voice boomed like a thunderclap, filled with commanding energy.

Roger was too scared to utter another word. He had no choice but to stand obediently.

Luna, equally frightened, shot a glance at Alice, hoping for some support. But Alice didn't even look at her, maintaining a cold, stern expression as if someone owed her a fortune.

Luna pouted and turned her head back. She was absolutely terrified of Leo. Normally, she was a spoiled rich girl at home, but whenever Leo was around, she became as meek as a mouse.

"What did you do?" Leo demanded, directing his question at Roger.

Roger hesitated, unable to respond. Leo, losing patience, turned to Alice, who didn't hesitate to recount Roger's feud with the Smith family and how he had framed Emily at the party.

Roger's face turned red with anger. He pointed at Alice and shouted, "Hey, are you even my daughter? How could you say that about me?"

"What did she say wrong?" Leo cut him off, defending Alice.

With Leo backing her, Alice could say anything without fear of contradiction. She laid everything out, leaving Roger no choice but to hang his head in defeat.

Roger knew Leo valued connections above all else. By severing ties with the Smith family, he had crossed a line Leo wouldn't forgive.

As expected, Leo exploded with rage. Despite being nearly eighty, he moved with the vigor of a much younger man. He grabbed a cup and smashed it in front of Roger. "You... you're going to be the death of me!"

Roger couldn't understand what he had done wrong. Even if he had made a mistake, it was all for the Ward family!

Leo's voice cut through his thoughts. "Do you have any idea how important the Smith family is in Emerald City?"

"By antagonizing them, what good could come to us? Isn't the Ward family already in enough trouble? Roger, look at the trouble you've caused. You might as well leave the country!"

Leo paced back and forth, then added, "It's bad enough you embarrassed yourself, but you dragged the Ward family and your two daughters into it!"

"Thank goodness Alice had the sense to apologize to Mason and take him to the hospital. Otherwise, the Smith family would have been our enemies, and Mason wouldn't have reached out to me!"

Apologize? Reach out?

Roger was stunned. How could this be? He had no idea any of this had happened.

He glared at Alice, but Leo stepped in, blocking his view.

"Don't even think about taking this out on Alice! Roger, you know our overseas business is struggling. Instead of mending fences with the Smith family, you ruined everything over a 10% stake..."

Leo looked like he wanted to hit Roger but was too exhausted from his outburst. Roger quickly apologized, trying to calm him down.

After a long while, Leo finally cooled off and dismissed everyone, leaving Roger alone in the living room.

Luna followed Alice upstairs. Given the situation, she couldn't make a scene in front of Leo, but she could still find fault with her.

"Alice."

Just as Alice was about to enter her room, Luna called out. Luna was already in a bad mood, unable to go out and have fun. Seeing Leo favor Alice only made her more upset.

With Leo around, Luna couldn't dress as she pleased and had to wear a loose nightgown, without makeup, pretending to be a good girl. The more she had to conform, the more she wanted to rebel.

Alice stopped, also in a nightgown. Despite not wearing makeup, her skin was flawless, and her long lashes framed her eyes beautifully.

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"What do you want?" Alice asked.

Luna crossed her arms and lifted her chin. "I know you're eager to call Bryan. But

before that, why don't we have a chat?"

Luna emphasized Bryan's name, reminding Alice that if she didn't comply, Luna would

tell Leo and Roger about her secret relationship with Bryan.

Though they grew up together, the Ward family forbade Alice from dating anyone local, especially someone not in business. Bryan ticked none of those boxes, yet he and Alice were secretly dating.

Meanwhile, Bryan anxiously awaited Alice's call. He knew today was the day Leo returned and was furious about the Smith family incident. He hoped Alice wouldn't be caught in the crossfire but couldn't help worrying about Leo's temper.

As he debated whether to call Alice, there was a knock at the door. Bryan lived alone, having moved out of the Watson Mansion. Few people knew his address, so he thought it might be Alice.

To his surprise, it was Michael.

Bryan was taken aback. The last time Michael visited was to see Emily. Why was he here alone now?

Bryan stood frozen, and Michael's expression was cold as he asked, "What? Not welcome?"

Bryan wasn't sure how to respond. Their relationship had been awkward since they were sixteen, each meeting a reminder of unpleasant memories.

But this time, Michael looked utterly defeated. Something had happened.noveldrama

Bryan stepped aside, gesturing for Michael to enter. Michael walked straight to the couch, not bothering to take off his shoes, and sat down, his eyes fixed on a photo on the table.