It was only now that truly felt the weight of regret.

"If I'd gotten along with Annalise back then, maybe she would've put in a good word with Mr. Huxham," he said. "And maybe my company wouldn't be facing all this now."

Picking up on the regret in his voice, the person on the other end of the line responded, "Why did you even do it if you're going to regret it now?"

...

Standing by the balcony, Carlisle stared out into the distance. Since Shane had shattered his heart, he'd been looking to his extended family's children to find a successor for the company. But they weren't his, and their perspectives were narrow and were driven by short-term gains.

The moment an opportunity arose, they diverted money to their families. They never once thought of the company or its future. Carlisle eventually sent them all home.

He had been wondering if he should reconsider his search among the extended family for a potential heir when Shane's money transfer arrived. He checked the balance on his phone and thought to himself that Shane really did know how to show he cared.

Carlisle couldn't help but wish Shane would wise up soon, return home, and take charge of the company to relieve him of some of the weight.

Just then, his phone rang. He saw Justin's name pop up and answered promptly, "Hello?"

Justin delivered his report without hesitation. "The investigation is done. Shane's managing fine for now. He's been freeloading meals, and his friends have been accommodating. But he..."

Justin's words trailed off.

Carlisle felt a flicker of unease, but with his experience in handling all kinds of situations, he said nonchalantly, "Go ahead, just say what you need to."

"He's complaining that the meals he's been treated to aren't fancy enough," Justin said.

Even he couldn't wrap his head around it. What was there to complain about when someone else was footing the bill? Shouldn't Shane just appreciate the meal he was given?

"The meals his friends bought him weren't exactly cheap, though," Justin added. "I've sent you a list of what he's been eating. You can take a look."

Carlisle opened the conversation window with Justin and quickly saw that a single meal cost tens of thousands. His brow twitched. Was that still not enough for Shane?

Justin continued, "One of his friends even paid for him to stay at a hotel, but Shane wasn't happy with it, claiming it was too cheap. From what i can tell, though, it costs at least ten thousand a night.

Carlisle was left speechless, his mind reeling. Even when Shane was at his lowest, his friends were still stepping up to help-that was true friendship. And yet, Shane had the nerve to complain. noveldrama

He rubbed his temples. It seemed Shane still needed to experience more hardship before he'd change. "I had intended to bring him back home," Carlisle said. "But it seems he'll need to tough it out for a bit longer."

"He met with Sasha afterward,"

Justin said. "I'm not sure what went

down between them, but he seemed to have changed after that. He moved into a friend's

place someone with a modest background-and now he's set on finding a job."

Carlisle perked up. "Do you think it's because Sasha agreed to be with him? That could be why he's changed."

Justin hesitated for a moment before responding, "I don't think that's the case."

The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!