Chapter 14 - The Unwanted Journey

Rachel Foster was startled, her mouth slightly agape. How... how did he know she was cursing him in her mind? This man was terrifying.

Kingsly Scott caught her startled expression from the corner of his eye and smiled faintly. "In the future, when dealing with me, it's best not to think badly of me in your mind."

Who would want to deal with you!!

Rachel felt awkward but tried to remain composed. "Mr. Scott, you have a wife, and I have my fiancé. We are not suitable for each other at all. Given your status and position, you can have any woman you want, so why choose someone as ordinary as me?"

"Rachel, you're being modest. To me, you're anything but ordinary. At the very least, you've caught my attention," Kingsly replied, still focused on his documents, his tone casual.

"I understand that reciprocation requires effort. I didn't expect you to help me for free, but that night, you..." Rachel's face turned slightly red. Having never experienced romantic affairs, she felt shy recalling how he had carried her to the bed that night yet ultimately did nothing.

All she wanted was a transaction, after which they would continue as unrelated strangers with no worries. But he pretended to be noble, making her think he was still the person he used to be—kind and warm-hearted, loyal in love. The truth proved she was too naive; if he hadn't been ruthless and relentless in business in seven years, he wouldn't have achieved what he had.

He had changed... His dream had once been to become a pianist. Still, now he dominated the business world, a transformation from artist to capitalist, driven by a change in character.

Thus, the man before her was no longer the Kingsly Scott from seven years ago; he had become entirely someone else.

Kingsly finally closed the document, looking at her slightly flushed face, chuckling softly. "A capitalist values long-term benefits, and I seek the long term."

Rachel gripped the seat cushion in anger. "I will never agree to your terms..."

"You don't have to give me an answer now, considering Noah hasn't officially started the project."

"Are you threatening me again?"

Kingsly seemed to enjoy looking at her deeply, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on her lovely face, still smiling faintly. "I'm merely reminding you."

"I will convince Noah to resign!"

"If you could truly persuade him to leave Titans Group, you probably wouldn't be in my car now." Kingsly spoke confidently as if he had caught her in a bind.

"I don't think there's anything more for us to discuss." Rachel fumed, opening the car door to leave.

However, his calm voice slowly drifted to her as she stepped out. "You can certainly leave the car, but in half an hour, Noah will hold a project commencement press conference at the Grand Hotel, where he'll officially take on the Shallow Bay project."

What? Rachel was alarmed. If Noah had taken on the project, it would have been too late to change anything.

He looked at her suddenly pale face with satisfaction, speaking softly. "You can still make it to Grant Hotel if you stay in my car, but if you choose to call a cab now, I'm afraid you'll miss your brother's impressive press conference."

Throughout the journey, she tried to calm herself, knowing that dealing with Kingsly required her to maintain her composure. She gradually quieted down.

Kingsly, on his part, didn't engage much with her, taking several business calls along the way.

The car finally stopped at the entrance of the Grand Hotel. She got out first and watched the driver respectfully open the door for Kingsly.

Kingsly walked ahead and followed behind, keeping her head low as many people respectfully addressed him as "Mr. Scott."

Entering the elevator, when they were alone in the confined space, she couldn't help but feel a bit anxious, sneaking a glance at him.

He stood tall, one hand in his pocket, watching the elevator numbers change without any expression on his face.

Looking at his profile, she couldn't help but remember when she loved to watch him like this quietly.

The elevator dinged, the doors opened, and his long legs stepped out. She hurried to follow.

Helen was already waiting at the elevator, surprised to see her with Kingsly, but still nodded politely to her.

Helen immediately briefed Kingsly on some details regarding the press conference. Kingsly nodded without comment, and a hotel staff opened a mahogany door for him. Kingsly walked in.

Rachel assumed the room behind the door was the conference venue and hurried in after him, but as soon as she stepped inside, she regretted it. There was no conference room; it was the most luxurious presidential suite at The Grand Hotel.

The large, spacious room was exquisitely furnished, exuding nobility and luxury from every corner. Losing patience, she asked, "Where is my brother?" After the business summit, she had called Noah once. Still, he insisted on staying at Titans Group, straining their sibling relationship, and now she couldn't reach him.

Kingsly still needs to answer Rachel. He removed his suit jacket, loosened his tie, and walked deeper into the room.

Seeing this, Rachel hurried to catch up, moving before him. "I want to see my brother."

Kingsly tossed his loosened tie aside, unbuttoning his shirt, and replied, "I promised you could see him, and I won't return on my word. The press conference hasn't started yet. You can wait here or go for a walk. I'm a bit tired and want to rest for a while."

Only then did Rachel notice Kingsly's face displaying a hint of fatigue, his eyes showing slight redness, and clear signs of sleep deprivation.

"Then..." Rachel began to speak but stopped short as she saw Kingsly had unbuttoned his shirt completely, revealing his well-toned chest. She quickly turned her head away, blushing, awkwardly saying, "Isn't the press conference about to start? How do you have time to rest?"

Kingsly walked past Rachel, casually saying, "I misremembered earlier. There's two more hours before it starts."

What?

Rachel stood there, mouth slightly open in shock, watching Kingsly walk into the bathroom.

For a moment, she truly wanted to turn and leave, but reason reminded her she couldn't.

Grant Hotel was vast, and asking floor by floor if there was a business press conference today would be time-consuming and might not even lead her to Noah. Most importantly, Kingsly Scott might have deceived her into coming to the hotel, and there might not have been a press conference today.

But regardless of Kingsly's intentions, if she wanted to find Noah, she had no choice but to rely on Kingsly.

It wasn't long before the sound of water stopped, and Rachel calmed down, turning to see Kingsly stepping out of the bathroom.

He wore a black velvet robe from a distance, his hair slightly tousled from the moisture. He shed his usual stern demeanor and appeared much more approachable.

She couldn't help but wonder if this was how he usually looked at home.

He seemed genuinely tired. Pulling back the covers, he lay on the bed, immediately closing his eyes. His long body took up most of the bed.

By the time she gathered her thoughts and wanted to inquire about Noah, she heard his even breathing.

Then, a knock sounded at the door.

She wanted to wake him, but seeing his peaceful sleeping face, she felt reluctant to disturb him and answered the door herself.

Outside stood Helen, holding a freshly pressed set of clothes: a suit, shirt, tie, and socks.

Helen glanced inside and asked, "Miss Foster, is Mr. Scott resting?"

She nodded blankly.

"Could you please take these clothes in for Mr. Scott to wear later? I don't want to disturb his rest."

This task wasn't Rachel's responsibility, but Helen's usual politeness made her feel a bit obliged.

"Alright."

Helen thanked her and turned to leave, but then, smiling, she added, "Miss Foster, Mr. Scott dislikes noise. He would appreciate it if you could draw the curtains to help him sleep more soundly."

Rachel said nothing, but as Helen left, she quickly asked, "Helen, is there a press conference for the Shallow Bay project this afternoon?"

"Yes, there is."

Rachel sighed in relief. Thankfully, Kingsly hadn't lied to her.

Helen noticed her expression and smiled gently. "There was a small issue with the Shallow Bay project yesterday. Mr. Scott called an emergency meeting with the company executives until 3 a.m. Then, Mrs. Scott had a flight to the U.S. at 4 a.m., and Mr. Scott personally took her to the airport. By the time he returned, it was already 6 a.m., and he hadn't had time to rest. Several important matters at the company required his immediate attention. With the Shallow Bay project conference today, Mr. Scott had to come directly to the hotel and catch a short rest in between."

So he hadn't slept since last night, so it's no wonder he seemed so tired.

Like everyone else, she only saw his glamorous exterior and never considered the effort behind his current achievements. However, despite his exhaustion, he still took the time to send his wife to the airport; he was very considerate towards her.

Rachel carefully drew the curtains, and the room fell silent, with only the sound of his even breathing remaining.

She intended to wait for him outside the room, but her feet stopped as her gaze inadvertently swept over his sleeping face.