Ivy Morgan suddenly grasped Rachel Foster's hand tightly, her eyes red and filled with unshed tears. "Rachel..."
Startled by Ivy's demeanor, Rachel quickly embraced her. "Auntie..."
Ivy's hand trembled as she held Rachel's, her voice shaking. "You can't let Jasper sell Silverstone, Rachel..."
"I know, Auntie," Rachel said, gently patting Ivy's back to soothe her. "I won't let Jasper do that."
Ivy's gray-brown eyes, clouded with age, brimmed with tears. "Silverstone is the Reed family's legacy; the Reed family can't lose it..."
Rachel nodded continuously, her voice firm. "Auntie, I know. Please trust me, I won't let Jasper do this."
Ivy broke into tears. "Silverstone is the lifeblood of the Reed family; under no circumstances can Jasper sell it..."
Seeing Ivy in such distress, Rachel felt deeply guilty. She gently held Ivy, letting her lean against her shoulder, and comforted her while stroking her back. "I'm sorry, Auntie. Since I met Jasper, I've brought trouble to the Reed family..."
Ivy shook her head vigorously, slowly lifting her head from Rachel's shoulder. "Rachel, Auntie doesn't mind the trouble. After all these years, I know you're a good girl, and I've long considered you my daughter-in-law..."
"I know..."
"I didn't expect Noah to get into such big trouble this time... No matter how much money it takes to help Jasper, I would never object, but Silverstone..." Ivy sobbed, her voice growing more choked. "Silverstone is the Reed family's legacy, and on his deathbed, Jasper's father entrusted him to manage it well. The Reed family can't lose Silverstone..."
Rachel's eyes were red as she took a deep breath to remain calm. "Auntie, I promise I will never let Jasper do this."
...
By the window, Rachel received a call from Noah. "Sister, Jasper just came to see me. He said he would take care of the money problem for me... Have you found a way to help me?"
Rachel looked at the birch tree in the garden, its leaves almost entirely fallen. Her expression was blank, and her voice was calm. "Noah, is Titans Group giving you a hard time?"
Noah replied, "Mr. Scott is returning tonight. The best-case scenario is that he allows me to continue with the conversion project, meaning I only need to repay three hundred million. But if Mr. Scott decides to turn his back on me, I'm afraid..."
Rachel couldn't help but wrinkle her nose in discomfort. "Noah, don't worry. I've found a way to help you handle this. Avoid the media for the next few days; I don't want this to escalate and affect your future."
"Understood, Sister... I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble."
Ending the call, Rachel stood by the window for a long time, staring blankly at the birch tree in the garden. A cold breeze blew, and the tree's last withered leaf fell in solitude.
Her phone rang at that moment. She answered it expressionlessly, and Helen's polite voice came through. "Apologies, Miss Foster, but the CEO says he doesn't have time to see you in the next few days..."
She learned from Helen that Luna Bennett had not returned to the city with Kingsly Scott this time.
From 7 PM until 10 PM, she waited anxiously until Kingsly Scott's dark gray Bentley finally drove into the villa.
Her heart raced as she fixed her gaze on the car's tinted windows, hoping to catch a glimpse inside. Unfortunately, the windows were too dark to reveal anything.
She thought the car might stop as it approached her, but to her surprise, it drove right past without any intention of slowing down.
Stunned momentarily, she quickly ran after the Bentley, which had stopped at the villa gate, awaiting the servant to open it. She stretched out her arms to block its path.
At that moment, she saw him sitting in the back seat.
His face was expressionless, showing no surprise at seeing her. His handsome features appeared indifferent, almost cold.
The darkness cast a rare chill over his usually charming face, causing her to shiver. Not seeing him for half a month had deepened her fear of him.
The driver glanced at him in the back seat, seemingly seeking guidance on what to do next.
She didn't know what he said to the driver, but the driver got out of the car, approached her, and smiled. "Miss Foster, Mr. Scott invites you over."
She glanced at him in the back seat. His gaze was calm, his face holding a faint, inscrutable smile. His deep, dark eyes observed her slightly pale, tense face with an apparent interest in her disheveled state.
After a final internal struggle, she slowly walked over to him.
The driver opened the car door, revealing Kingsly dressed in a dark suit with a black overcoat.
He turned his head to look at her, his dark eyes slightly narrowing, his smile mingling with an air of indifference.
Facing his unfathomable gaze, she sensed a trace of disdain and contempt.
Perhaps he hid it well, but she could feel it. He had always looked at her with such eyes.
Yes, always.
Since the first time she went to the golf course to find him, he had regarded her with such disdain. Of course, outsiders wouldn't notice, and she didn't understand why she could easily see through someone as inscrutable as him.
She didn't care how he viewed her; she was puzzled by why, despite his disdain, he seemed so interested in her.
She believed her ordinary appearance couldn't intrigue him beyond his disdain for her physical form. So, did he have other intentions toward her? For some reason, she had a premonition that she might wish she never had when she eventually learned the answer.
He stepped out of the car, his tall frame towering over her pale, calm face.
He curled his lips into a smile, about to speak when his phone rang inside his coat.
She was very nervous, unsure of what he might say to her—perhaps ridicule, perhaps mockery—and unprepared to defend herself. Fortunately, the phone call temporarily spared her.
She breathed a sigh of relief as she watched him take the call.
It was the first time she had seen him speak so gently, his voice so soothing it seemed capable of melting the Antarctic ice.
"Yeah, just got back to the villa... Of course, I miss you. My phone's almost out of battery; I'll call you later, okay?"
Naturally, the person who could make him speak so tenderly was Luna Bennett.
After ending the call, he casually handed his phone to the driver beside him and glanced at her again.
After hearing him talk to his wife, her previously nervous and anxious heart suddenly calmed down.
The greatest fear in relationships between men and women is developing genuine feelings in a relationship that cannot progress, which invariably leads to sadness and pain. Therefore, if she were to start an unconventional relationship with Kingsly Scott, any unnecessary emotions would be consequences she couldn't bear. But if this relationship were based solely on physicality, without any soul or emotional attachment, her relationship with him would be much simpler.
Thus, she needn't feel nervous or timid because in the unconventional relationship she might maintain with Kingsly, there was no possibility of developing emotions beyond the physical.
His tender affection for his wife indicated his undeniable love for her. So, to him, she was like a meal eaten out of leisure—perhaps delightful the first time, tolerable the second, but tiresome by the third. Ultimately, he would return home for his meals, meaning he might have many women outside, but he would always love Luna Bennett.
Thinking this way, as long as she could ensure she wouldn't get emotionally involved in this relationship and always treat it as a transaction, there would come a day when they would part on good terms.
And, having missed her youthful chance with Kingsly Scott, she was confident she wouldn't get emotionally involved in this relationship or disrupt his current happy life.
With that understanding, what did she have to fear? At most, she would lose a few years of freedom.
He smiled nonchalantly, "Just now, you looked like you'd seen a ghost, but now you're calm, not a hint of fear on your face?"
A chill rose within her. Kingsly Scott had a natural ability to read people, making her feel exposed before him.
She bit her lip slightly and said, "I want to talk to you."
He smiled faintly, "Do you know what appearing before me now means?"
She looked up, her voice steady, "I lost, you won. Ultimately, I couldn't escape the trap you meticulously set."
He laughed louder, "Rachel, you're giving me too much credit. To force you to give in, I'd gamble five hundred million? That's rather extravagant."
She narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at him skeptically.
He chuckled, "To be honest, I am somewhat interested in you. I'd gladly accept if a little favor could bring you into my arms. But what I dislike most are women who pretend to be noble. If you can't be noble, don't act high and mighty. If you do act proud, then play the part thoroughly. That might even make me regret not having you during my leisure time. Yet here you are, appearing before me, having torn apart your facade of nobility but still feigning pride when asking for help, looking helpless and wronged. I wonder, who is that pitiful face for?" His lips curled further as if finding her increasingly amusing.