His Son, My Enemy I She was so thin she barely looked human

Xylia couldn't hide how exhausted she was . 65 vouchers Joshua , feeling a pang in his chest , reached out and softly stroked her cheek . That alone wasn't enough - he had to mess up her hair a little too . " Running a company is just like living life - it's never all smooth sailing , " he said . He didn't tell Xylia , " I'm here ." Joshua planned to prove it with every move , always being her safe harbor . But he also wanted Xylia to remember : the road ahead wouldn't be easy , and there'd be a whole lot of unknowns waiting for her .

Xylia knew she had to mentally brace herself for all the challenges that kept coming her way . Joshua's words soothed her . With a steadying breath , Xylia refocused and threw herself back into work . By the end of the day , the store was back online and rolled out a brand - new collection of womenswear . Xylia and Josie had mapped all this out in advance . They realized that just doing custom orders wouldn't be enough if they wanted to build their brand . They had to stock up on ready - to - wear pieces as a solid starting point .

That's why , over the past few weeks , Xylia and Josie teamed up to design a whole batch of women's outfits . After hashing things out with Henry , they decided to kick things off with a few thousand sets and put them up for sale online . The plan for opening a physical store would depend on the feedback they received from their online sales , shaping the roadmap for a brick - and - mortar launch .

Joshua suggested that Xylia bring in a team of professionals to take over both the online and physical store operations so that she and Josie could devote themselves to developing the high - end collection . For starters , they could enter international competitions to build their personal reputations as designers , break into the global scene , and make a splash in top fashion magazines . Both tracks would move forward side by side . Xylia and Josie totally agreed with Joshua's suggestion .

Since they're both all about action , without missing a beat , they started recruiting a team of professionals . After a whole day hustling non - stop , Xylia finally made it to the end - she could almost taste the relief of clocking out . Joshua , without missing a beat , grabbed Xylia's bag and slipped his fingers into hers , leading her out with that easy , caring style that just screamed ' I've got you ! Xylia curled her arm around his , leaning her head gently on his shoulder . The way she was glued to him , Chapter 262 inside and out , made the world between them shrink to nothing .

55 vouchers " Joshua , you're totally my behind - the - scenes MVP . With you by my side , everything just feels a whole lot easier , " Xylia said , her voice soft . When Xylia opened up like that , Joshua's grin stretched even wider . " I'll always have your back , " he promised . Xylia loved hearing that . As their car rolled out of the open - air parking lot , Ziggy stood alone on the empty lot , eyes locked on their retreating figures . His face was clouded with something unreadable - whatever was brewing in his head , nobody could guess .

After a moment , he slipped into his own car and drove off , not sparing them another glance . Early the next morning , in the CEO's office at Sadler Group , Kaden was greeted by Ziggy , who'd dropped by unannounced . Kaden didn't bat an eye at the unexpected visit , handling it all with his usual calm . When the secretary came in carrying tea , Ziggy instinctively reached out to take the cup . But with a quick twist of her wrist , the secretary handed the cup straight to Kaden , leaving Ziggy awkwardly hanging . Ziggy felt awkward . Kaden didn't even bother to look up , his tone flat : " Mr.

Schultz , you're not here for tea . Spit it out - what do you want ? " Ziggy bristled at Kaden's chill attitude . He leaned back on the sofa , his gaze rebellious and locked onto Kaden . " Mr. Sadler , I came here today to settle some scores , " Ziggy said . " Oh ? What are you here to settle ? " Kaden took a sip of his tea , put the cup down , and said , " Far as I know , Sadler Group and Schultz Group haven't ever done business . So what exactly do we owe each other? " " It's not about business deals , " Ziggy replied .

" I'm talking about personal favors ." Kaden just raised his eyebrows , silently telling him to go on . Ziggy sat back like he owned the place , voice loud and clear as he spelled out his reasons for coming . " Xylia Schultz - now your sister , Xylia . Let's get one thing straight : you only have her in your life because the Schultzs raised her . That's a favor your family owes us , right ? " Ziggy declared . " Of course , " Kaden replied coolly . Kaden stayed totally unfazed , just calmly waiting for Ziggy to lay out what he wanted .

Chapter 262 Just as expected , the moment Kaden said nothing . Ziggy cut straight to his demand . 55 vouchers " Back when Xylia was living with the Schultzs , we made sure she wanted for nothing . She was loved like one of our own . So here's the deal - the Sadler family owes us 600 thousand . Pay up , and the whole debt- emotional or otherwise - is settled . After that , Xylia is yours , and the Schultzs are officially out of the picture , " Ziggy said , his tone firm . Kaden mulled it over for a moment , then nodded coolly . " No problem ," he thought .

He told his secretary , " Print up the contract ." " Once the paperwork's signed , I'll have the 600 thousand check ready for you . That work for you ? " Kaden said . Ziggy couldn't believe how easy this was - when Kaden agreed right away , it threw him for a loop . As soon as he snapped out of it , he didn't hesitate to say yes . He'd tried to get 300 thousand out of Xylia before and totally struck out . He'd come in today expecting to argue his head off with Kaden . Who would've thought that if he hiked up the price to 600 thousand , he'd actually get it handed over just like that ?

' If I'd known , I should've said 900 thousand instead ! ' Ziggy kicked himself , feeling like he totally missed a golden chance . ' Man , I really dropped the ball on that one , ' Ziggy thought , cursing his own carelessness . After signing the paperwork , Ziggy didn't stick around at all - he took the 600 thousand check and walked straight out of Sadler Group . That money was more than enough for Ziggy to get Schultz Group back on its feet . After Ziggy left , the secretary turned to Kaden and asked , " Mr. Sadler , are you really going to hand over that much money ?

Ever since they found their biological daughter , the Schultzs have treated Miss Xylia like an enemy . I heard they even tried to force her to pay them back ." Kaden recalled the days he'd investigated Xylia's past with the Schultzs , the memories playing in his mind . ' If I hadn't looked into it myself and seen the truth ... ' ' Handing over 600 thousand isn't something I'd do if I hadn't made sure the Schultzs genuinely cared for her back then , Kaden thought , his expression unreadable . " The Schultzs raised Xylia , and that's a debt I've just paid .

But everything Tessa did to hurt her after she came home - don't think I'll let that slide , " Kaden said coldly . The secretary finally put the pieces together , understanding exactly what Kaden meant . ' So this is what it means to keep grudges and gratitude crystal clear ... ' the secretary thought , equal parts shocked and impressed . Chapter 262 55 vouchers " Get things ready . When Schultz Group's back from the dead , we'll make sure Ziggy gets a ' gift ' he'll never forget , " Kaden added . " Got it , " the secretary replied , nodding .

After the secretary left , Kaden's gaze grew icier by the second . Ziggy wasted no time - he grabbed the 600 thousand and headed straight back to Jupiton . He'd heard all about Tessa's drama , but after the Schultz family's downfall , he and Tessa had been on the outs . When Schultz Group went under , she turned tail and ran , hiding out like nothing was her problem . So now that Tessa was in hot water , Ziggy figured she was on her own . Besides , the evidence against Tessa was ironclad .

Even if he shelled out for the best lawyers , facing a pile of proof and the whole world rooting against her , he'd have to be bored out of his mind to get mixed up in that mess . When Ziggy got back to Jupiton , Yves and Gia sought him out - the first thing they did was bring up Tessa's situation . Ziggy , beyond annoyed , didn't bother hiding it . He laid out two choices for them , his tone sharp with impatience . " I've got 600 thousand right now . So tell me which is it ?

Do you want me to use it to save the company , or waste every penny on Tessa , knowing she's still headed straight for jail ? " Ziggy said . Yves and Gia went completely silent , not a word between them . In the end , Yves made the final decision - he was the one to determine Tessa's fate . ' She needs to pay for everything she's done , ' Yves declared , his voice leaving no room for doubt . While waiting in lockup , Tessa's mind couldn't stop spinning - she imagined every possible way this could go down . Connor ? Forget it . She could see it in his eyes lately - he was completely over her .

Hoping he'd swoop in was just pointless . But at least she still had her parents and Ziggy . They were her family - they had to love her , right ? Tessa held tight to one thought : when disaster struck , her dad , her mom , and her brother would never let her face it alone . Someone would definitely come to save her . But as the days dragged on , nobody from the Schultz family came to the station to get her out . All she got was the worst news imaginable : her official sentencing . Twelve years behind bars , plus 600 thousand to pay the victim's family - no way out .

Even when the verdict was read out loud , Tessa's eyes darted around , desperate for someone from her family 8:33 Thu , Sep 25 Chapter 262 to swoop in and save her . But nobody showed up . Only then did it sink in - she'd been completely abandoned . Chapter 263 Sara Lili Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland's breathtaking cold.