I Quit Being a Stepmother (Cypress Gem) novel Chapter 534

Most of the employees at Sawyer's company probably had no clue about his personal life.

But his secretary and driver had a front-row seat for it.

Sawyer used to seem like he cared only about work. But he set his own goals and never dragged anyone else into working overtime with him.

He was the kind of man who kept himself disciplined, demanded the best of himself, and excelled at everything he did.

For most people, those qualities alone were enough to define perfection. Any minor flaws were negligible by comparison.

For example, Sawyer came from an ordinary background and even had a sister with a mental illness. No one knew whether it was hereditary or acquired.

In the past, some business owners had taken notice of Sawyer. He was sharp in business, resilient, and the kind of man women found attractive. With no powerful family backing, he was easy to win over as a prospective son-in-law without worrying about him being uncontrollable.

But the moment they learned about Sylvia's condition, most of those plans evaporated.

What if the illness were hereditary? What if Sawyer eventually developed the same condition? Or maybe he wouldn't, but his future children might.

That was the kind of risk that could ruin a family line.

Especially for large family-run companies, any hint of mental illness in the next generation was unacceptable.

However, Sawyer never made a big deal about it. He didn't hide Sylvia's condition either. If people asked, he openly acknowledged that he had a sister and that she was receiving treatment in a hospital.

Some people genuinely advised him to keep Sylvia a secret. But Sawyer would just smile and shrug it off. "Without Sylvia, I wouldn't even have finished college. She's sick, and as her brother, I'll take care of her."

However, Sawyer's boss knew everything. The man had personally mentored Sawyer, trusted him completely, and understood him thoroughly.

Jackson Ortega, who spent the whole year abroad on vacation, called him.

"Yes, Mr. Ortega," Sawyer answered.

Jackson was an old man approaching 70. He had served in the military during his youth, then entered the business world. He had ridden the first wave of commercial opportunities and made a fortune.

Later, he grew a small pharmacy into a full-scale pharmaceutical company. Bit by bit, he built it up to its current scale.

Over the past decade, the company had largely moved away from retail and had focused on drug research. With labs established across the globe, it had grown into what was now Zolantix Pharmaceuticals.