Jacob hadn't made attempts in such a long time, and because of that, he felt a little different from
others. It was not because he was paranoid but because Jacob understood it all.
Life would never be a smooth ride––it was always full of harsh struggles. But in the process of living,
Jacob had learned a better understanding of life.
If a person understood those struggles and what life really was, he or she could live better. Jacob knew
this better than anyone else.
Standing at the door, everyone watched him with a bitter look on their faces. Jacob was kicked out of
the company just because of a trivial matter.
And all of them thought it was unreasonable, but it was his own choice.
Even as he walked out of the Shi Group office building, there was no hint of nostalgia on his face.
For one, the sense of nostalgia showed that a person was reluctant to leave; for two, it exhibited that
the person was afraid of losing. And Jacob was neither of those––he was not afraid of losing.
Meanwhile, Cindy helplessly watched him get in the car until he drove away. Only then did the people
in the company finally realize what entirely happened. Jacob's career as the Shi Group CEO had really
come to an end, and they were not satisfied with it.
This might probably bite them in the future, and by then, they would really regret that they didn't keep
Jacob today. Although it was hard to change his firm decision, no one tried their best to persuade him.
And to rub salt to the injury, they believed that the company could continue to run no matter if he left. Of
course, that was their most naive idea.
One day, they would really regret what happened today. And when they looked back, they would
realize how narrow-minded they were.
Meanwhile, sitting in the car, Jacob breathed a sigh of relief. Everything he had––his car, clothes, and
house––was all arranged to match his status as the CEO. Now that he had resigned as the CEO, he
would lose those privileges.
Although he was no longer running the company, he still owned some of its shares; he could still live a
comfortable life and do well in business.
Resigning and giving up those shares were two different things. Even if he quit leading the Shi Group,
there was no way he'd give up his shares. Jacob was bent on doing this.
But there was one more thing he worried about––it was James. Would he and James still be the same
as before?
To be honest, Jacob found it hard to believe. He knew James cared for him, but he could also tell that
something was wrong.
Jacob couldn't point it out because he was too naive to see through it. Besides, his father and James
were like brothers, and this relationship hindered him from seeing the truth.
It was not until now that he realized that all of this might not be true. Did they deliberately fool him just
to spare him the pain of knowing the truth?
Jacob shut his eyes and leaned back against the leather seat. The driver gazed at the mirror and saw
his sullen mood.
The latter obviously viewed him differently. If faced with this situation, others would do whatever it took
to keep their position instead of letting others get what they wanted.
Everyone knew that some people in the company wanted Jacob to step down so they could control
everything. But much to their surprise, Jacob disdained to compete with them.
Squinting his eyes, Jacob heard his phone ringing.
He picked it up and saw Sara's name on the screen. He was too busy to remember that Sara might
have seen the news and was probably worried by now.
Thinking of this, Jacob answered the phone.
"Hello, Sara. How are you?" Jacob tried his best to calm himself down.
He knew that he was Sara's mainstay after all. When Sara heard his voice, she was too surprised to
utter a word. How could Jacob still worry about her feelings when he was the one supposed to be
asked that question?
'He has definitely changed, ' she thought to herself.
"Sara, what's wrong? Are you crying? It's all my fault. I'll come to you after I'm done dealing with
something. I'm sorry for always making you worry about me."
Jacob's voice flowed gently like lake water. It was calm but still quivered with some slight ripples.
"I'm fine, Jacob. What are you going to deal with it?" Sara's tone was coated with tears, not because
she was sad, but because she was moved. Even amidst this adversity, he was still thinking of her own
good.
"Don't cry, Sara. I will take care of it. And when I'm done, you can punish me however you like."
Jacob wanted to come to her comfort right now, but there were so many things around him that he
couldn't get rid of. Because of this, he began to slightly feel annoyed. Yes, irritated that things were not
going his way.
Suddenly, the car braked sharply and halted at the gate of the villa. Jacob got out of the car while the
driver helped move his stuff into the house.
It was a sunny day, and the temperate breeze coated the atmosphere. But Jacob's mood was not as
warm as this pleasant day.
As he stood in front of the gate, his heart started pounding.
Looking back at the past, Jacob felt that he had finally grown up a lot. There were a lot of things he
couldn't understand before, but now, a strong urge of shining light on them surged within him.
In the end, Jacob had unraveled the secrets he wished he never had.
If he didn't discover them, there would still be a way back. But just like any other curse, knowing those
secrets ultimately placed him in jeopardy. He couldn't believe that it was him who agreed to sign the
agreement.
Heaving a deep sigh, Jacob opened the gate and walked to the front door of the villa. As he pushed the
golden door open, an illuminating light suddenly attacked his eyes.
The entire villa was blanketed with an eerie silence, and Jacob thought someone must have ordered it
to be that way. But he didn't want to think about that.
As he walked inside, he saw James watering the flowers on the balcony. For a moment, Jacob just
stood there, watching and not wanting to disturb him.
However, just as he was about to turn around and go back to his bedroom, James suddenly spoke.
"You're back?" His voice was dignified, without the usual tenderness he would emit.
In an instant, Jacob felt his body stiffened. He was stuck between leaving James or stopping to hear
him out.
But after hesitating for a while, Jacob finally decided to stop on his tracks. Then, he walked over and
settled on the sofa in the living room. Having been prepared to confess, Jacob's heart beat fast.
"Yes," he answered blankly.
But James didn't say anything and just continued to water the plants he brought from the Shi clan's
ancestral mansion. The man was obviously nostalgic and was sentimental about the things in the old
house.
In this regard, Jacob was evidently different from his uncle. Whether he was not as good as James and
whether he wanted to compete with him were two different things. And no one else knew that better
than Jacob.
After a long time, James stopped his business with the plants and came over. As he walked, he wiped
his hands with a duster cloth. They must have been wet from watering the succulents.
At the same time, Jacob swallowed as he watched him walk closer, obviously a little scared of the
upcoming conversation. He obviously didn't want to have this talk, but the guilt would just consume him
if he were to avoid it.
"Let's talk," James announced and sat on the sofa opposite Jacob.
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