Chapter 980
Nyla lifted her tear-streaked face, eyes full of sorrow. She choked out, “Andy… my dad… he’s forcing me… He wants your formulas. He’s making me steal them and bring them back to him.”
She broke down into sobs. “Andy, Dr. Aicker, you should fire me. I don’t deserve to stay at Moonlit Apothecary anymore. I don’t even have the face to show up here!”
The words poured out of her as the tears fell. She had finally revealed everything because her trust in Andrew and Francesca was unconditional.
Her loyalty to them ran deeper than blood, and when it came to Dominic, the man who was supposed to be her father, she felt nothing but heartbreak and betrayal.
She had come to see that the man who once called her his daughter had turned into someone cold, greedy, and unrecognizable. He wanted her to betray Andrew – to steal from someone who had only ever been kind to her.
Nyla realized she simply could not do it. She would rather tell the truth than live with that kind of guilt. Francesca exploded with fury. “Dominic is out of his mind! That man’s nothing but a monster! Even Hidden Dragons and Quinton wouldn’t dare touch Andrew’s miracle formulas – who the hell does Dominic think he is?” Andrew’s voice was calm. “Nyla, what if I gave you the formulas? Would you take them?”
Nyla gasped. “Andy, no! You absolutely mustn’t do that! Even if you offered them to me, I’d never take them.”
Andrew smiled. “Why not? If you gave them to your father, wouldn’t he start treating you better? Wouldn’t that solve everything?”
Nyla shook her head, tears pouring down again. “That’s not how it works. You’ve been so good to me—I could never take advantage of you like that. And besides, my father’s in the wrong. Going after your formulas is greedy, selfish… It’s just wrong. The man he used to be is gone. I don’t even recognize him anymore.”
Francesca narrowed her eyes. “So that slap on your face—he was the one who did it, wasn’t he?”
Nyla nodded, her voice cracking, “Andy, Dr. Aicker, I think I should stop coming to Moonlit Apothecary. I don’t belong here anymore.”
Andrew sighed and gently patted her head. “Silly girl. Who said anything about firing you? You’re still a vital part of Moonlit Apothecary – nothing’s changed.”
Nyla’s voice trembled. “But my father wants to rob you. He’s not a good man anymore.”
Andrew said calmly, “Then that’s on him. But you, Nyla—you’re still the same kind-hearted girl I’ve always trusted.”
She had every chance to betray him, to hand over formulas worth more than gold. Instead, she chose honesty and loyalty – something Andrew rarely saw in a world ruled by greed.
In an era consumed by ambition and materialism, even the great families in Blumedale were tempted by the Vitality Pill and the Titan Essence Pill.
And the Goth family? They were barely staying afloat in Jaymodale, always struggling to stay relevant. If they wanted to claw their way up using underhanded tricks, Andrew could understand that desperation.
However, that did not mean he would tolerate it. The Goth family was playing a dangerous game – and if they insisted on walking toward destruction, he would not stand in their way.
A thought began to form in Andrew’s mind. “Fran, I’m thinking of making Nyla the new head of the Goth family. What do you think?”
The words struck her like a bolt of lightning.
Nyla stared at him, completely stunned. Even Francesca froze in disbelief.
“Wait, Nyla? She’s barely out of college. She’s young, inexperienced – and a woman on top of that. How could she possibly take over the Goth family?” Francesca let out a short laugh, thinking Andrew was joking.
Andrew just smirked. “Qualification isn’t the question – it’s about who’s backing her. The Goth family is asking for a hard reset. Nyla’s been mistreated and used by her own family. So why not clean house and let her take the throne?”