The Manipulated Villainess

Aston and Nicole just arrived at the main mansion of the Yang family. It was the exact house where Nicole grew up and where all her nightmares occurred. Just half a year ago, this was still the place that Nicole dreaded, the place which she didn\'t want to visit unless she was summoned.

Things had changed a lot now as the Chairwoman started making good memories in the exact house. Those haunting memories were slowly replaced by memorable and fun ones which won\'t be overshadowed by darkness anymore.

Once the couple walked inside, they were welcomed by Garcia Han and Carson Jun who were busy preparing dinner.

While it had already been a while since Aston was discharged from the hospital, the Chairman of JK Group was only discharged recently. Just like Mathias Jung, he was in a coma for a pretty long time. So, they were here to celebrate his successful recovery.

"Is it good for you to move around too much? It\'s not even long since you were discharged," Nicole said to the Chairman. Her concern was pretty evident in her face and tone.

"You don\'t have to worry, Nicole," Carson Jun simply said with his usual friendly smile. "I\'ll be tougher than you thought. Besides... " He briefly glanced at Garcia Han who was standing beside him and said, "I don\'t do anything in the kitchen. Your stepmother won\'t let me."

Garcia Han darted her eyes to him and frowned. "You should stop complaining," she said in a stern voice. Then she looked at the couple and said, "Aston should still be careful too. So, I think he should rest with Carson. I can prepare the dinner with Nicole."

Before Aston could say anything, Nicole nodded. "That will be good."

Soon, Nicole went to the kitchen with her stepmother while the two men sat in the living room, pretty bored and not knowing what to do.

When one thing crossed the mind of Carson Jun, he quickly looked at Aston and said, "I heard some report saying that you might leave the entertainment industry."

Aston nodded at his words. "I\'m still considering. To be honest, I\'m not sure of what to do."

"What about business?" Carson Jun promptly suggested. "Do you want to try it out?"

Aston Kang simply smiled at the suggestion, taking it as a joke. "I know nothing about it."

"You can learn," the Chairman insisted. "It\'s not hard as you thought."

"I don\'t even get to finish high school, let alone entering a university," Aston confessed. "I don\'t have the qualification."

"Don\'t you know that I only finish high school myself? Yet I still managed to establish my corporation," Carson Jun mused. "Business is not all about qualification, Aston. You\'re only 27 and I\'m sure that you will have the talent. You\'re a naturally intelligent person who have the ability to succeed whatever way you choose."

Aston Kang realized that Carson Jun was more serious than he thought. Business? That never once crossed his mind.

Observing the actor\'s expression, Carson Jun adjusted his posture, taking this matter even more serious. "You can learn from me. I need a successor anyway."

Successor? The word made Aston blinked. He thought that the Chairman was talking about founding a business!

"You\'re surprised, right?" Carson Jun said with a little smile. "But I\'m serious. I think you will make a great businessman. I can teach you and I can be like an uncle to you."

"Uncle?" Aston asked, slightly chuckling. "I bet you do know that you\'re only 12 years older than me, Chairman."

"Who cares about that?" Carson Jun shrugged. "Don\'t you know that some of my acquaintances are almost the same age as their nephews or nieces? Compare to them, we have quite an age gap."

"You\'re only 39," Aston continued arguing. "Why do you care about a successor now?"

Carson Jun let out a sigh as he glanced at Aston. "I might only be 39 but it\'s been two decades since I started working endlessly. So, I\'m quite tired and I wish to retire soon. Besides, my purpose when I started my business was to help Garcia. That\'s not necessary anymore."

Aston already knew that this man was an admirable man. However, hearing what he just said made him admire the Chairman even more.

People often said that the more humans had, the more their greed grew. However, that\'s not the case for Carson Jun. He began with just one purpose in mind and even after two decades, he still stayed true to his purpose and even himself. The immense wealth and power he possessed didn\'t even bother him at all.

"Why don\'t you give a thought?" Carson Jun spoke up after a few seconds of silence. "As long as you\'re willing to learn, I will teach you. That way, I might get to retire soon," he added jokingly.

When Aston gave him a strange look, the Chairman laughed and said, "Why are you giving me that look? You will surely marry Nicole and I plan to marry Garcia soon. We will become a family soon enough and no one will question my decision then."

Aston only nodded and the chat continued casually.

Meanwhile, the two women were busy preparing dinner in the kitchen. While Nicole was making some stew, Garcia Han paused what she did and took a moment to look at her.

"Seems like your cooking skills have improved a lot," she remarked with a small yet amusing smile.

"I cook a lot for Aston while he was in the hospital," Nicole replied. "Maybe that paid off."

Garcia Han still remembered how Nicole never liked cooking. But now, it\'s obvious that she didn\'t dislike it so much anymore. She had really changed a lot.

"Do you really plan to withdraw from the nomination?" Nicole asked, shifting her gaze to Garcia Han. "Chairman Jun told me that becoming the President is your dream since you were young."

"Not every dream can come true, Nicole," Garcia Han said in a calm voice. "Besides, someone like me shouldn\'t occupy that position. I will only dirty it."

"But you\'ve changed, Mother," Nicole argued. "Isn\'t that what mattered the most? You can use it to do many great deeds."

"Things aren\'t as simple as you thought," Garcia Han stated. Letting out a sigh, she asked, "Just what did Carson say to you? You spent so much time with him these days. I think he only led you astray."

Now, it was time for Nicole to let out a sigh. "He did nothing wrong," she argued. "He told me that while you were a child, your parents were ill but you don\'t have money to look after them. Then you promised your brother that one day, you will become the leader of this country and worked for the well-being of the poor."

Garcia Han still remembered the time she said those words to her late brother. That created a stinging pain in her heart. "I was only 10 when I said those words. No need to take it so seriously," she said to Nicole.

"But I heard that you never broke your promise to your late brother," Nicole uttered. Still, she had no intention to back down easily. "Why don\'t you give a try, Mother? I really want to see you being the President and work for the poor."