"Boss, are you sure you want people to know about Miss Ivy?" Taylor asked cautiously, still unable to hide his surprise after hearing that Xander planned to sign her under one of their agencies.

Globe International owned countless companies, and a modeling agency was just one branch among them.

The moment Ivy refused to work as a finance manager, Xander had immediately agreed to her request to try modeling. However, the condition he imposed without even asking for her opinion was simple.

If she wanted to model, she would do it under his company.

Xander calmly flipped through the documents Taylor had prepared before finally lifting his gaze toward him.

That single look made Taylor swallow nervously.

"I’m not questioning your decision, Boss," he clarified quickly. "But you’ve always kept your family matters private. You know better than anyone how your enemies are constantly waiting for an opening."

Taylor was genuinely concerned.

Even if he did not have the best relationship with Ivy, he still did not want her dragged into danger again.

The memory of the previous attack was still fresh in his mind.

She had taken a bullet for Xander without hesitation.

That was not something ordinary people would do.

No matter how he looked at it, Ivy had risked her life to save his boss. Because of that, Taylor no longer disliked her the way he used to. But at the same time, he did not want her repeatedly becoming a target because of Xander.

Xander remained silent for a moment before placing the papers down.

"I already brought her into my life," he said calmly. "But that doesn’t mean I can control every decision she makes."

Taylor looked slightly startled by his words.

"If she wants to work, then I’ll let her work," Xander continued. "She has the right to choose what she wants for herself."

Taylor stared at him in disbelief.

Did his boss even realize what he had just said?

Xander had never been the type to carefully filter his words, but sometimes his honesty caught people off guard.

Especially now.

The way he casually said he had brought Ivy into his life sounded far more personal than contractual.

To Xander, Ivy might have moved to his house because of an agreement, but that did not mean he intended to cage her beside him.

If she had dreams, ambitions, or something she wanted to pursue, then he would not stop her.

Even if it meant exposing her to the public.

Taylor let out a helpless sigh.

"You really like her, don’t you?" he blurted out before he could stop himself.

The room instantly fell silent.

Xander slowly raised his eyes toward him again.

That cold stare alone was enough to make Taylor regret opening his mouth.

"I spoke too much," Taylor said immediately.

But surprisingly, Xander did not deny it.

Instead, he leaned back in his chair and looked toward the window thoughtfully.

"She’s my son’s mother," he said simply. "Protecting her is natural."

Taylor almost laughed internally.

Maybe his boss still had not realized it himself yet.

"Right," Taylor replied calmly.

He did not argue further, even though he knew Xander’s words completely contradicted the detached expression on his face.

Anyone could tell there was something different about the way Xander treated Ivy.

Unfortunately, the man himself seemed completely unaware of it.

Taylor decided not to point it out again unless he wanted to lose his job today.

Clearing his throat, he shifted the topic back to business.

"There’s another matter you should know about," he said as his expression turned serious.

Xander glanced at him. "Speak."

Taylor stepped forward and placed another file on the desk.

"It’s about Gavin."

The moment that name was mentioned, the atmosphere in the office noticeably cooled.

Xander’s eyes darkened slightly as he opened the file.

"He’s been secretly meeting several investors over the past few weeks," Taylor explained. "At first we thought it was related to his own company projects, but after digging deeper, we discovered something else."

Xander silently scanned through the photographs and reports inside the file.

Every page contained evidence of Gavin meeting businessmen connected to Globe International.

"He’s trying to turn them against you," Taylor continued. "Some of the investors were approached with partnership offers if they agreed to reduce support toward Globe."

A cold smirk slowly appeared on Xander’s face.

"So he finally started moving openly."

Taylor nodded.

"From what we gathered, Gavin has been telling people that Globe International is becoming unstable because of the recent attacks and internal conflicts." He paused briefly before adding, "He’s trying to weaken your influence before making his next move."

Xander closed the file with a soft thud.

For a few seconds, silence filled the room.

Then he leaned back against his chair, his expression calm in a way that felt far more dangerous than anger.

"He’s getting impatient," Xander said lightly.

Taylor frowned slightly.

"Aren’t you worried?"

"About Gavin?" Xander let out a quiet scoff. "No."

To him, Gavin’s actions were predictable.

The man had always been ambitious and reckless. The fact that he started targeting investors behind his back only proved he was running out of patience.

"What should we do?" Taylor asked.

Xander tapped his fingers against the table thoughtfully before speaking.

"Don’t interfere yet."

Taylor looked surprised. "Boss?"

"Let him continue," Xander said calmly. "If Gavin wants to expose himself, then I’ll give him the opportunity."

A chill ran down Taylor’s spine.

That tone alone told him Xander had already started planning something.

"And the investors?" Taylor questioned carefully.

Xander’s lips curved faintly.

"Anyone who can be swayed that easily was never loyal to begin with."

Taylor fell silent.

Sometimes he genuinely pitied the people foolish enough to challenge Xander Emerson.

Because once his boss decided to move seriously, there was rarely any room left for mercy.

***

Meanwhile, the atmosphere at Daffodil Academy had turned unusually tense after the principal publicly addressed the recent bullying issue.

Although no names were mentioned directly, everyone understood who the warning was aimed at.

For the first time in a long while, Nate’s influence over the students had begun to weaken.

The fear he once used to control others was slowly disappearing.

"Nate, what are we supposed to do now?" one of his friends muttered anxiously. "Students aren’t even scared of us anymore."

He subtly pointed toward a group of boys standing near the hallway lockers.

One of them glanced directly at Nate before laughing with his friends without bothering to hide it.

"They’re openly mocking us now," another friend added bitterly.

Nate’s jaw tightened.

He stared coldly at the boy who had laughed earlier. The student met his gaze for a brief second before casually turning away and continuing his conversation as if Nate no longer mattered.

That only made Nate angrier.

Ever since Teacher Clement had been suspended, things had started spiraling out of control.

Without the teacher backing him up from behind the scenes, Nate suddenly felt exposed.

Worse, the principal’s warning had encouraged students to stop tolerating his behavior.

People who once avoided eye contact with him now whispered behind his back.

Some even laughed openly.

To Nate, the humiliation was unbearable.

As if school was not frustrating enough already, things at home had become worse too.

His father had scolded him harshly the previous night, calling him incompetent and useless for allowing the situation to grow this far.

The memory alone made Nate clench his fists tightly.

No matter what he did, it was never enough.

He had spent years trying to earn his father’s approval, trying to prove that he was capable and worthy of recognition.

But somehow, his father always looked down on him.

And now, even the students at school were beginning to treat him like a joke.

The frustration burning inside him grew stronger with every passing second.

One of his friends lowered his voice carefully.

"What if the principal starts investigating properly? If someone talks, we could all get dragged into this."

Nate’s eyes darkened instantly.

"No one will say anything," he replied coldly.

"But things are already changing," another boy argued nervously. "People aren’t scared anymore."

That single sentence hit Nate’s pride harder than it should have.

Fear.

That had always been his advantage.

Without it, what authority did he even have left?

His breathing grew heavier as anger slowly took over his expression.

Then suddenly, Nate let out a sharp laugh.

The sound unsettled the boys standing around him.

"If they think this is over," he said quietly, "then they’re seriously mistaken."

The cold look in his eyes made his friends exchange uneasy glances.

Because whenever Nate became this quiet, it usually meant someone was about to suffer for it.