Chapter 539

In the end, James pulled out another phone.

"Here, your dad gave this to you. His number's in it, so you can hit him up whenever you miss him," James said.

Paxton reached out slowly, taking the phone and gripping it tightly.

James kept going, "Your dad's a bit of a man-child. But he does care about you, Parker. Remember, you're the golden boy, everyone adores you."

"I know, thanks, Dad," Paxton replied.

James was taken aback, "What did you just call me?"

Paxton spoke up, "Since I'm crashing with you guys, I figure I'll end up calling you Dad sooner or later, so why not start now?"

With that, Paxton got up, "Dad, I'm hitting the hay. You should catch some Z's too. Night."

Paxton left calmly, like it was just a regular bedtime routine.

James, on the other hand, was anything but calm.

He stayed put on the balcony.

Though his heart was racing, his face stayed blank.

After a bit, Emily happened to swing by.

"Why aren't you heading back to your room?" She asked.

When James turned around, Emily was taken aback.

He was grinning like a goofball.

Emily rarely saw James like this.

Her first thought was that something was off with James.

After all, he had just woken up not long ago, and the doc had mentioned that his brain was still in recovery mode when he left the hospital, warning of possible unexpected stuff.

Emily hurried over.

She squatted beside his wheelchair, grabbed James's hand, looking worried, "What's up with you?"

James kept chuckling. After a moment, he said, "Parker called me Dad."

Emily breathed a sigh of relief.

At least he wasn't acting crazy.

Wait, what?

"What did you say?" Emily was also shocked.

A hint of pride flashed in James's eyes, and he couldn't hide his joy on his face, "Parker called me Dad."

Emily was surprised and happy at the same time.

In fact, Emily had never told Parker to accept James.

She knew that in Parker's heart, John was irreplaceable, no doubt.

But now Parker chose to call James Dad.

It proved that he really liked James and had truly accepted him.

Suddenly, James maneuvered his wheelchair, eager to leave.

Emily hadn't caught on yet, "Where are you off to now?"

James stopped, turned to Emily, and said, "Make a call, get Bodhi here now."

Bodhi was the legal eagle for the Smith Group, running the top-notch law firm, Starry Capital.

Emily looked puzzled, "It's late. Why do you want Bodhi to come over now?"

James said, "To reshuffle the company's shares, split them evenly, give Parker a piece too. Whatever Ami has, Parker should have too. Funds, trusts, nothing should be left out."

"I'll make the call myself," James added.

Emily couldn't help but laugh.

She stopped James in his tracks, "I know you're stoked, but chill for now."

"Parker called me Dad, so I gotta treat him right," James insisted.

Emily chuckled, grabbing his wheelchair, "Alright, alright. Parker will get what's coming to him, but not right now."

"Why not?"

"Because it's two in the morning. Calling Bodhi at this hour will probably get us an earful."

Days went by.

James's body was slowly getting back on track.

From needing help to stand due to stiff legs at first, he could now manage to stand on his own for a few minutes.

But too much time in bed and some motor nerve damage meant it would be a while before he could walk again.

The doc mentioned that being able to stand for a few minutes, even taking a few steps with a little support, was a big step forward.

James also eased back into work.

Though Emily was wary of him overdoing it.

Axel and Oscar thought that after a year in a coma, James needed to get his brain back in the game to speed up his recovery.

They promised Emily they'd be there to support James during this transition.

Yet, just two days into James's return to work, Axel and Oscar were struggling to keep up.

Whether dealing with official matters, asserting his authority in the company, or resolving long-standing issues, James was sharp and effective.

Some problems that had been bugging Oscar for months were sorted out with just a few calls by James.

Oscar sighed, "Being a CEO takes skill. I've been grinding, stressing out every day. How does Uncle James effortlessly fix everything? I feel so defeated."

Axel patted his shoulder, consoling him, "Don't sweat it, you're not alone in feeling beat."

So, Oscar and Axel decided to throw in the towel and head back to their own businesses, not bothering to show up at the Smith Group anymore.

Meanwhile, Preston had some good news on the horizon.

Preston popped the question successfully and was gearing up for his wedding.

He was finally tying the knot with the love of his life.

Winter had grown a lot compared to before.

After going through so much, she wasn't the same arrogant and stubborn heiress she used to be.

She had become more composed, kinder, and had started working.

She was studying law and interning at Bodhi's law firm.

Winter's first case involved Armando.

Armando had woken up early, recovering in just six months under Harry's care.

But now, he was dealing with various settlements.

Armando turned himself in to the cops, confessing to all his shady dealings over the years.

Seemingly resigned to his fate, he willingly wanted to do time.

Luckily, Olivier had documented all his criminal activities in detail.

These records had long been with the police.

So when Armando turned himself in, he was seen as an accomplice or coerced into crime.

Even Betty's death, initially pinned on Armando, was actually Olivier's doing.

In the end, Armando came clean about his crimes and got a three-year sentence.

Before heading to the slammer, he transferred all of Cassia Group's shares to Emily.

However, Emily turned them down.

She preferred crafting fragrances over jewelry design.

She aimed to open her own studio, launch a perfume brand, and nurture it with her passion, letting it blossom over time.

As for whether this venture would take off, Emily was content to let things unfold naturally.

She simply wanted to savor every moment in life, be it in her career or with her family.