Kingsly Scott was conversing with several government officials when Helen approached him and whispered a few words in his ear.
With a confident smile, Kingsly glanced at Rachel Foster standing in the corner but made no response.
Helen returned to Rachel. "I'm sorry, Miss Foster, but Mr. Scott doesn't have time right now."
Her face is stern; Rachel grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and walked towards Kingsly.
Kingsly had already noticed Rachel's graceful figure approaching but pretended not to see her. He continued to sip his red wine until Rachel arrived at his side with a composed and elegant smile. "Mr. Scott, congratulations on securing the Shallow Bay project."
Rachel's abrupt interruption displeased the officials, causing them to frown.
Kingsly smiled slightly. "Ah, Miss Foster."
"Mr. Scott, you promised me a drink earlier. I hope you don't mind me inviting myself over."
Kingsly glanced at the stiff-faced officials, looking at her with interest.
The officials, recognizing Kingsly's interest in Rachel, exchanged understanding glances and found excuses to leave, giving them privacy.
As soon as the officials left, Rachel dropped her elegance and frowned. "What are you trying to do? Noah is my brother; don't pretend you didn't know. Why did you assign him the Shallow Bay project?"
Kingsly took a sip of his wine, his tone light. "As his sister, shouldn't you be happy for your brother's achievements?"
"Tell me, what is your real agenda?"
Kingsly handed his wine glass to a waiter, his inscrutable gaze casually resting on Rachel. "I'm merely giving a capable young man an opportunity. But suppose the Shallow Bay project encounters issues, and this young man makes mistakes due to inexperience, leading to financial loss or legal troubles. In that case, that's beyond my control."
"Are you threatening me?"
Kingsly chuckled, his hands in his pockets, gracefully approaching Rachel. "How could it be a threat? I'm creating opportunities for us since you've avoided me."
"I've repaid what I owed you."
"If you think a kiss settles the debt for my help, you're mistaken. I'm a businessman; I don't engage in losing deals. That kiss was only the beginning..." Seeing her face turn pale, he smirked arrogantly. "No matter how you avoid it, you can't change the fact that you're destined to be my woman. So you'd better decide quickly. If you wait until you're married to Jasper and our relationship is exposed, he'll surely divorce you, and you'll lose everything."
Rachel glared at him. "Despicable!"
Kingsly looked at her impassively. "Now that's a threat."
Rachel lowered her head, her face drained of color.
"Think carefully. If you stay with me, I promise you won't be mistreated, and your brother will have ample opportunities at Titans Group."
Leo Thompson followed Helen inside the 88th-floor president's office of Titans Group."Hi, Kingsly."
Ignoring Leo's uninvited entrance, Kingsly Scott asked, "How is Noah Foster performing?"
Helen replied, "He is diligent and serious, and he gets along well with his colleagues."
Kingsly nodded. "Assign someone to assist him with the Shallow Bay project."
"Yes."
Leo chuckled. "Mr. Scott certainly has a way of pursuing women. Miss Rachel Foster will surely be grateful once Noah Foster makes a name for himself in the business world."
Kingsly glanced at him. "You've taken quite an interest in meddling lately."
Leo feigned innocence. "I'm just here to remind you that you shouldn't be so high-profile when pursuing a woman. When Noah Foster appeared at the business summit, everyone searched for his identity. Now, everyone knows about his relationship with Rachel Foster. Even if people don't speculate about your relationship with her, aren't you worried Miss Luna Bennett might get jealous?"
Kingsly calmly replied, "I work nine to five and come home on time, so what is there to fear?"
Leo pouted. "Kingsly, you say you care about Luna, so why are you so interested in Rachel Foster? Are you aiming for a harem?"
Helen stifled a laugh.
Kingsly leaned back in his chair, smiling slightly. "What if that's exactly what I want?"
Leo exclaimed. "Kingsly, you're crazy!"
"I enjoy my marriage with Luna but desire to be with Rachel Foster. What do you think I should do?"
Leo frowned in difficulty. "Technically, my wife and Luna are best friends, so I should side with Luna. But honestly, Luna's quiet nature might not bring much excitement to your marital life. In contrast, little Miss Foster would surely make life interesting with her sharp wit."
Helen laughed. "Mr. Thompson, perhaps you are also tired of married life and envious of the president."
Just then, the phone on the desk rang. Kingsly pressed the intercom, and the assistant's voice came through the speaker. "Mr. Scott, Miss Foster is on line one."
Kingsly's eyes shifted from bright to dark, inscrutable and mysterious, as he slowly curved his lips. "Don't take any of her calls from now on." With that, he hung up.
Leo and Helen exchanged shocked glances. Leo spoke up. "Kingsly, haven't you been going to great lengths to make her come to you alone?"
Kingsly turned his chair to face the 360-degree surrounding glass, his back to the two of them. His voice, devoid of any emotion, spread through the air. "Do you know why Titans Group exists?"
Leo and Helen exchanged puzzled looks.
"Do you know the cause of my parents' deaths? How long have I waited for her to come to me?"
Helen shook her head, confused, while Leo seemed to have an epiphany.
"Leo, I've mentioned my first love to you."
"Yes, but you didn't say much, only that you loved her very much."
Behind the chair was a dead silence, so quiet that only Kingsly's slightly erratic breathing could be heard. Kingsly spoke in a low voice. "She is my first love. Because of her, I founded Titans Group. Because of her, my parents died in a car accident."
Leo was stunned. "Her, Rachel Foster?"
"Back then, our relationship was strong, and we saw each other as lifelong partners. But then my family went bankrupt, and she broke up with me, saying she couldn't spend her life with a poor man... I tried hard to win her back, but nothing changed her mind... After that, I was dejected and negative. I gave up on myself until one day, while driving my parents and thinking only of her, I accidentally collided with a truck... That accident took my parents' lives and killed a part of me inside that will never come back to life." When the hurt is immense enough, one's heart becomes numb, eventually dying.Leo was silent. No one could have imagined that someone as proud, confident, and booming as Kingsly Scott had such a dark past.
It took Kingsly several years before he could slowly remember this period.
The deeper the love once was, the deeper the hatred now is.
Leo finally understood why Kingsly hadn't indeed been happy all these years.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, the distant horizon, beautiful and romantic, burned with fiery red clouds. However, only dimness and chill remained after the brief twilight, eventually giving way to a vast, dark sky.
Kingsly withdrew his gaze from the horizon, his voice still calm. "I've waited seven years for this day."
For seven years, he worked tirelessly, wanting her to regret, to prove to her that her past choice was a mistake, to make her feel the same pain he did, to make her regret for life.
"I want to see what happens to someone who can forsake love for money when she's ultimately betrayed by money." For seven years, he waited for today.
In those seven years, if she had reached out to him even once, he might have hesitated...
But she hadn't. Over those years, she flaunted her relationship with her boyfriend in public, constantly showcasing her current sweetness and happiness... It seemed she had forgotten entirely the bond they once shared.
He couldn't understand how some people's memories could be so fleeting. Had everything they once had been false?
On the day she decided to break up with him, he told her that one day, he would become one of the wealthiest people in the world and that one day, she would regret it. Seven years later, when she came to him on behalf of Jasper, that day finally arrived.
Kingsly looked at his lonely reflection in the window, a slight smile on his lips. No matter how outstanding Titans Group's achievements were, they are all for this day. He wanted to watch her fall into an abyss from which there was no return. The smile on his lips spread enigmatically, and he said softly, "Helen, send a bouquet to her office."
Frustrated at not reaching Kingsly Scott, Rachel Foster was interrupted when her assistant Linda walked in carrying a bouquet.
The large, beautifully wrapped bouquet covered much of Linda's face. "Miss Foster, someone sent you flowers."
Rachel stared at the vibrant red roses on her desk, stunned. It took her several seconds to retrieve the card nestled within the bouquet.
Thinking of you—Kingsly.