Chapter 71
“Mom, I’m afraid that the dream would come true,” Kate said. “I’m afraid that you and Dad would really… For the safety of my family, I’d rather believe that the dream is a warning than be careless.”
“Have you ever thought that it might be because of this dream that you and Kyla have turned against each other?” Celia said. “Did Kyla really do what you dreamed?”
Kate could not say that those things had happened during the phase of her life before she traveled back in time. She could only quote Alfred, saying, “Mom, as long as I’m the Sutton family’s biological daughter, Kyla and I will turn against each other sooner or later. Even if I don’t fight with her, she will fight with me.”
Celia stopped talking.
‘Kyla was nurtured by us as the successor of the company’ she thought. ‘Although she looks gentle and polite on the surface, she’s an ambitious woman. She has always believed that everything in the Sutton family belongs to her, and she has worked tirelessly to enrich herself, wanting to bring Sutton Group to greater heights after taking over Sutton Group and elevating the Sutton family to become a top-tier wealthy family. All of a sudden, she learned that she wasn’t a biological daughter of the Sutton family but a child of someone from the countryside. There’s no way she could accept this fact. Even more so, she is unwilling to see everything in Sutton Group fall into Kate’s hands.’
Then, she thought of Kyla and Chris…
‘Kate said that in the dream, they had an affair behind Kate’s back, and they even had an illegitimate child. They also caused the deaths of both me and my husband, and Kate’s daughter…
Celia’s expression changed.
She believed there was no way someone could dream so many interconnected things. It was like a memoir, with scenes unfolding one after another, each one frightening her.
‘No wonder Kate made such a decision after waking up from that dream,’ she thought.
Kate comforted her mother, saying, “Mom, don’t worry. I’ll work hard to become powerful and protect you and Dad. I won’t let that dream become a reality.”
Celia said firmly, “Kate, you’re right. It’s better to consider it a warning and not ignore it. Rest assured that no matter what, I’ll always side with you.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
While the mother and daughter were talking about their heartfelt feelings, something unexpected happened at Cohen Group.
The CEO of Cohen Group, who was Chris’s father, brought Chris out of the CEO’s office. As they walked, Lennon Cohen instructed his secretary, “Bring all the documents. Don’t keep Mr. Parker waiting.”
Lennon had gone through a lot to arrange a lunch with Evan Parker. He intended to discuss the new project collaboration too, so he took this meal very seriously.
“Mr. Cohen, all the documents are ready.”
The secretary had confirmed multiple times that all the required documents were ready.
“Okay,” Lennon replied with a bob of his head. Without stopping, he led his son and secretary toward the elevator.
Ring, ring, ring…
The secretary’s phone suddenly rang.
She looked at the caller ID and said to Lennon, “It’s Mr. Parker’s secretary.”
“Answer it now,” Lennon urged.
The secretary answered the call from Evan’s secretary.
After hearing what Evan’s secretary said, her expression turned grim. She said to Lennon, “Mr. Cohen, Mr. Parker’s secretary informed us that we don’t have to go there. Mr. Parker has already reached an agreement for his collaboration with Mr. Davidson. The contract has been signed.”
“What?” Lennon said, widening his eyes and suspecting that he had misheard his secretary.
Chris’s expression changed drastically as well. He asked, ” Did Mr. Parker’s secretary really say that? He clearly had a pleasant discussion with us and had a keen intention to collaborate with the Cohen Group. Why did he suddenly collaborate with Mr. Davidson and even sign the contract?” ‘He acted incredibly fast, he thought.
“Mr. Cohen, this is what Mr. Parker’s secretary told me. He didn’t say why. He just said we don’t need to go anymore, and he then hung up.”
The person who snatched the business deal that the Cohen Group valued was Alfred, the titan in the business world of Sherpsel. Even though the Cohen Group was angry, they could not do anything.
In terms of capability, Cohen Group could not catch up with Regency Group.
What made Lennon and his son puzzled was that although Cohen Group did not have a major collaboration with Regency Group, they did have some business dealings. Cohen Group had always carefully curried favor with Regency Group, adopting the mindset of not offending Regency Group even if they were not able to form a close relationship with Regency Group.
‘Mr. Davidson intervened to stop us from clinching the deal, they thought. ‘Is this a sign that Regency Group is going to turn against Cohen Group?’
“Chris, come into the office with me,” Lennon said before turning around and walking back with a sour expression.
“Miss Mason, go ask around now and find out if Mr. Davidson did it on purpose,” Chris said.
Chloe Mason nodded. Only then did Chris turn around and trot to catch up with his father’s pace.
As soon as he entered the office, Lennon turned around and asked, “Chris, tell me. Did you offend Mr. Davidson?”
Chris cried out in grievance, “Dad, I won’t dare to offend Mr. Davidson. Every time I see him, I’m respectful and treat him like an emperor. I’m eager to please him, so there’s no way I would offend him. Even if I find life annoyingly smooth-sailing, I won’t drag Cohen Group into hot water.”
“Because of Kate, you went to the Davidson family’s home recently. If it’s not you offending Mr. Davidson and bringing trouble to Cohen Group, who else could it be?”
Chris carefully recalled his meeting with Alfred and said with certainty, “Dad, it definitely isn’t me. I really didn’t piss Mr. Davidson off. He even told me that he will attend my engagement party with Kate when we get engaged.”
Ring, ring, ring…
The internal phone rang.
Lennon paused his reproaching and walked over to pick up the receiver.
It was unknown who had called him, but after listening to the caller speaking, he slammed the receiver down and yanked the phone cord out.
Chris had a sense of foreboding.
“Dad, what’s wrong?”
Lennon turned around and glared at his son intently. “Chris, come clean with me. What did you do when you went to the Davidson family’s home? Mr. Baxter, who handles Regency Group’s business, just told me that Mr. Gordon from Regency Group informed him that the business relations between our company and Regency Group are cut off.”
Oswald was Alfred’s chief secretary and his capable assistant. His position in Regency Group made many people who wanted to work with Regency Group eager to fawn over him. However, Oswald was impervious to flattery and could not be bribed by anyone.
His loyalty to Alfred was unimaginably deep.
Before Chris could say anything, Chloe knocked on the door again and entered.
“Mr. Cohen, I found out that…”
“What did you find out? Shoot!”
Thinking that there was a turn of events, Chris urged Chloe to speak right away.
Chloe then looked at Lennon and answered carefully, “Mr. Cohen, there are rumors going around that Cohen Group has offended Regency Group.”
Lennon was so angry that his face turned ashen. He said angrily, “Rumors, rumors! Get the PR department to clarify things and find out who created the rumors. I’ll sue them until they go bankrupt!”
After Evan reached an agreement with Alfred to collaborate, Regency Group coincidentally happened to cut off its collaboration with Cohen Group. Rumors then spread everywhere, causing people to wonder if Regency Group was taking action against Cohen Group or if someone was using Regency Group to deal a blow to Cohen Group.
Cohen Group had a lot of business partners, and their collaboration with Regency Group was not significant. However, with such rumors spreading, things would be very unfavorable for the Cohen Group.
Lennon’s business partners were afraid of getting dragged into trouble. To protect themselves, they would cut off their collaboration with Cohen Group, which would subsequently cause Cohen Group to suffer significant losses.
Regency Group’s influence in Sherpsel was so significant that other than Purchas Group and Weaver Group, no other companies could handle the impact of the rumors.
Chapter 72
“Miss Mason, inform Mr. Baxter to come with me to Regency Group immediately,” Lennon said.
Lennon knew that the best way to salvage the situation
was to let people witness the scene of him chatting happily with Alfred or Oswald.
That way, the rumors would be naturally disproved.
As for Regency Group’s decision to end the collaboration with Cohen Group, there must be a reason. Lennon wanted to clear things up. Even if it meant getting dealt a blow, he had to have a clear understanding of the situation.
“Got it,” Chloe replied and quickly went to inform Aaron Baxter.
“Dad, what about me?” Chris asked, wanting to go with his father to Regency Group too.
Lennon glared at him and said angrily, “Think about it carefully and determine if you have unintentionally offended Mr. Davidson. Our family and his family have always been on good terms. After you went to the Davidson family’s home a few times, such issues happened.”
“Dad, I really didn’t do anything that would drag down Cohen Group.”
Chris felt extremely wronged.
“It must be you. You were the one who told your mom that you wanted to go to the Sutton family’s home to propose marriage to Kate, which offended the Davidson family. Chris, you can’t get a woman to be your wife, huh? Why must you insist on fighting with the Davidson family?”
Lennon recalled this matter.
Other than this, he could not think of any other reasons for offending Regency Group.
Chris was at a loss for words for a moment. Then, he said, “
Dad, it’s our family that went to the Sutton family’s home to propose marriage first.”
He thought, ‘The Davidson family went later. There’s always a sequence of events, right?’
“So, it must be because Kate wanted to get married to you, so she went to Mr. Davidson to cut her wrist, trying to take her own life to refuse the marriage with Mr. Davidson, and now Mr. Davidson is taking it out on us.”
“But, Dad, Mr. Davidson said that as long as Kate and I get engaged, he will definitely give us a generous gift and attend our engagement party.” It was precisely because of Alfred’s words that Chris was so eager to get engaged and marry Kate.
Lennon could not analyze the situation clearly now. He said, “Stay away from Kate from now on. That woman is a Scourge. Putting aside all other issues, just her violent method of rejecting marriage shows that marrying such a woman will cause trouble to the family of her husband.” He then hurried out of the office and rushed to Regency Group with Aaron and Chloe.
Unfortunately, by the time the three of them arrived at Regency Group, Alfred had already left the company. After all, they arrived when employees were knocking off work.
*****
Kate, who was having a meal with her mother, did not know that such a thing had happened in the business world.
The mother and daughter were serving each other dishes, enjoying a cheerful meal together.
“Kyla, you’re back. Mrs, Sutton is having a meal with Kate. Have you eaten? I’ll get you a set of dishes and cutlery.” The servant’s words, along with Kyla’s hurried footsteps, disturbed Celia and Kate, who were enjoying a cheerful meal.
“Kyla,” Celia said, looking pleasantly surprised when she saw Kyla rushing in. She asked with concern, “Kyla, have you eaten? If not, come join us.”
Trying her best to suppress her anger, Kyla forced a smile and said, “Mom, I ate with my biological mother while I was taking care of her in the hospital.”
Kate took a bite of her food, gave Kyla a sideways glance, and asked, “Your footsteps are hurried, and your smile is phony. Kyla, is something bothering you?”
“It’s okay, Mom,” Kyla said. “You and Kate go ahead with your meal. I’ll wait for Kate in the living room. I have a few questions for her.”
Kyla restrained herself and did not question Kate in front of her foster mother.
She then turned around and walked out of the dining room, leaving Celia puzzled.
Kate’s expression was calm, but she was actually guessing what questions Kyla wanted to ask her upon rushing back.
Half an hour later, the two nominal sisters walked along the tree-lined path in the villa area, appearing to be taking a stroll, but only Kate knew that Kyla was struggling to control her anger.
Kate grew increasingly curious, thinking, ‘What have I unknowingly done that causes trouble for Kyla?’
They were far away from the Sutton family’s villa and other people. Kyla then stopped in a quiet spot.
She turned around and tried to slap Kate, but Kate swiftly grabbed her wrist.
“Kyla, when did you start to enjoy slapping people? Have you ever thought about the consequences of hitting me? How are you going to explain yourself to Mom and Dad?” Kate shook off Kyla’s hand in a good-natured manner, still wearing a smile on her beautiful face. She looked like she was considering things for Kyla’s sake, making Kyla want to tear her apart.
In Kyla’s eyes, the current Kate was just an angelic bitch.
“Kate, stop putting on an act in front of me. After a year back, your true colors have finally been displayed. You returned to the Sutton family’s home because you covet the Sutton family’s assets.”
“The Sutton family’s home is my home. The Sutton family’s assets now belong to my parents. They can give them to whoever they want in the future. Hurling such accusations at me, your intentions are despicable.”
Kate leaned in close to Kyla, her pretty face was so close, making Kyla want to scratch it.
“Kyla, you came back in such a fluster and even brought me here, away from Mom’s sight. What exactly do you want to ask me?”
She stood up straight, and her expression became sharp. Kyla, if you want to argue with me, please come up with a good excuse. I haven’t provoked you recently.”
“Kate, did you speak ill of Chris in front of Mr. Davidson?” Kyla questioned, “You incited Mr. Davidson to deal with Cohen Group. Kate, are you crazy? How has Chris offended you? Just because he didn’t make time to visit you when you were injured, you’ve held a grudge ever since? Don’t you love Chris dearly? Is this how you show your love to him? Kate, you asked Mr. Davidson to deal with Cohen Group so that when Cohen Group is at its wit’s end, you will come in as the savior and tell Chris that you can help Cohen Group, making Chris eternally grateful to you. Is that correct? Kate, Chris has already said he will marry you, but you still used such lowdown tactics. You’re shameless. You’re totally shameless!”
Without giving Kate a chance to speak, Kyla unleashed a stream of accusations, leaving Kate bewildered.
Kate was rude to Chris in front of Alfred, but she had never incited Alfred to take action against Cohen Group.
“Did something happen to Cohen Group?” she asked.
“Yes. Cohen Group is facing a PR crisis. Are you satisfied now? Were you the one who spread the rumor that Cohen Group offended Regency Group?”
From Kyla’s series of questions, Kate had roughly guessed what had happened.
Looking at the flustered Kyla from the corners of her eyes, Kate said coldly, “Kyla, that’s Cohen Group’s business. It’s not that something has happened to Sutton Group. Do you have to be so antsy? You even brought me here and hurled accusation after accusation at me. Also, before you accuse me, please clear things up and find out if I did that kind of thing. Wrongly accusing someone can have consequences, which can be severe or mild.”
Kyla’s concern for Chris was completely exposed at this moment.
‘Let’s see how Kyla will encourage or incite me to be with Chris in the future, Kate thought.
Kyla said nothing, momentarily left speechless.
She also realized that her reaction was too intense.
After receiving the news, she was worried about Cohen Group, and Chris. In her impulsiveness, she then came home to settle the score with Kate.
Chapter 73
“Kate, Sutton Group, and Cohen Group also have a partnership,” Kyla said. “I’ve known Chris for a few years. When I suddenly heard this news, I was worried that if Cohen Group were to face a crisis, it could affect our collaboration with them and result in some loss for us.” Kyla calmed down and analyzed the situation in the business world with Kate.
In the business world, there were no permanent friends or enemies, only interests.
Many large companies and corporations had some business dealings with each other. Sutton Group and Cohen Group did have business dealings, but Kate did not know how extensive the collaboration was.
“I was too impulsive earlier, and my tone was a little harsh,” Kyla said. “I’m sorry.”
After apologizing, she changed the subject and lectured Kate. “Kate, you’ve been back for a year. Although you haven’t been involved with our company’s business and don’t know the company’s situation, you know about some connections. You’ve already offended Mr. Davidson, and you’ve been taken home to serve as his unpaid maid. Do you want to offend the Cohen family too? I’m not asking you to ease the burden for Dad and me. Just don’t keep dragging us down.”
When Kyla was done lecturing, Kate smiled faintly. “You mentioned that I’ve been taken home by Mr. Davidson to be an unpaid maid as he wants to get back at me. How on earth would I have the nerve to instigate him to go after Cohen Group then? Yes, I have a grudge against Chris. I’ve also gained clarity on the issues between us. I won’t miss him anymore, but what happened this time wasn’t my doing.”
She thought, ‘I do not yet have the ability to easily put Cohen Group in crisis.’
Kyla scrutinized Kate and sensed that Kate did not seem to be lying. She then forced a smile and took a step forward to link arms with Kate affectionately, but Kate pulled away and said, “Do you have any other questions?”
“Kate, I’m really sorry for what happened earlier. I handle many businesses in the company, including the collaboration with Cohen Group. I know more about these things than you do, which is why I got antsy and ended up accusing you.”
Kate smirked and said sarcastically, “That’s right. You’re impulsive. You’re too impulsive. In Sherpsel, everyone knows you as someone who acts with composure. Such impulsiveness shouldn’t be associated with you.”
She thought, ‘She’s clearly doing this for Chris’s sake, yet she portrayed herself as being responsible and concerned about the company’s interests and bottom line. She directly and indirectly blamed me for not understanding the company’s business and for offending people to bring losses to Sutton Group.’
Kyla was at a loss for words.
She then changed the subject. “Kate, did you just say that you’ve gained clarity on the issues between you and Chris? Do you truly intend to give up on him? You fell in love with him at first sight, and he has feelings for you. You two are a great match.”
Kyla actually cared a lot about this.
‘I wonder if Kate has really moved on from Chris or if she knows about my situation with him and is deliberately trying to lure me into revealing my true feelings, she thought.
“Kyla, did you know that Mrs. Cohen was here today?”
“What brought her here?” Kyla asked, having a sense of foreboding.
Kate stared at her intently, prompting Kyla to ask, “Kate, why are you looking at me like that?”
“I want to congratulate you,” Kate said with a smile. While Kyla was in puzzlement, Kate added, “Mrs. Cohen came to our house today to propose marriage.”
“Propose marriage?”
Kyla’s voice became sharp.
Soon, she returned to her usual self and asked Kate, “She must have come to propose marriage to you on behalf of Chris, right? I should be the one congratulating you.” Kate said, “Mrs. Cohen came to propose marriage to you on behalf of Chris. She even prepared wedding gifts and came to our house in a grand manner to send those gifts. She told Mom that she wanted you to be her daughter-in-law. This is a joyful event. I really have to congratulate you.” Ignoring Kyla’s stunned expression, she leaned closer and continued softly, “But Mom was pissed off. She rejected Mrs. Cohen’s marriage proposal.”
With that said, she walked past Kyla and strode toward home.
Kyla was overwhelmed by this news and remained unsettled for a long while.
She thought, ‘If I were still the biological daughter of the Sutton family, Chris and I would probably have held a grand wedding. Aura came to propose marriage to me on Chris’s behalf, but I now feel no joy at all. Instead, I’m flustered. How come Aura came with wedding gifts without notifying me first? Everyone in Sherpsel knows Kate likes Chris. Chris. has said he wants to marry her, but Aura came to propose marriage to me on Chris’s behalf. It’d be strange if my foster mother was not mad. Not only that, but that will also make my foster parents think that I have snatched away Kate’s romantic fate…
Kyla immediately took out her phone and called Chris. After Chris answered the call, she asked, “Chris, your mom came to my house today to deliver wedding gifts. She even said she proposed marriage to me on your behalf. Do you know about this?”
Chris was stunned for a moment before he exclaimed softly, “How could my mom do this? She didn’t even inform me, and she sent wedding gifts to your place. Kyla, I didn’t know. I really didn’t know about this.”
“I assume you didn’t know either. Our plan has been messed up by your mother. We’ll probably have to replan.” Chris lowered his voice and asked, “Kyla, how did your mom react when my mom went to deliver the wedding gifts? If she agrees to our marriage, why don’t we go with the flow?”
Kyla was extremely calm at this moment.
She thought, ‘I can’t get married before Kate does. Once I get married into my husband’s family, Dad will be wary of me. When I was the only child in the Sutton family, everything was set to be inherited by me. Dad once told me to make sure to protect Sutton Group and not let my husband’s family get involved with the Sutton family’s assets. Now that Kate is also the daughter of the family, Dad will definitely focus on nurturing and supporting her if I get married. After all, she’s his biological daughter.
“Chris, we can’t be together yet,” Kyla said calmly. “I can’t get married before Kate does. Chris, it’s not that I don’t love you. I really, really want to be your bride. You know what I want to do. Can you wait a little longer? What you need to do now is resolve Cohen Group’s crisis. I asked Kate earlier, and she said she didn’t incite Mr. Davidson to retaliate against Cohen Group. I don’t think she’s lying. Mr. Davidson isn’t someone a woman can instigate. Let’s not overestimate Kate. Also, no matter how busy you are, you need to make time to explain to Kate that your mom’s visit with the wedding gifts has nothing to do with you. Kate loves you a lot. I don’t believe she can quickly move on from her feelings for you.”
Kyla thought about how her recent actions had been driven by impulse. It was because she was too impulsive that led Kate to suspect she was involved with Chris, leading to the situation today.
Chris’s anticipation of marrying Kyla gradually disappeared.
‘The woman who said she loves me very much always pushes me to another woman for the sake of her benefit and her ambition,’ he thought. ‘In the past, I hated Kate a lot, but for the sake of the ambition of the woman I love, I have no choice but to pretend to have a pleasant relationship with Kate…’
Chapter 74
“Chris, I’m outside and can’t talk much right now,” Kyla said. I’ll hang up now.”
Kyla looked around, worried that someone might overheard her phone conversation with Chris.
“If you need any help from Sutton Group, just let me know. I have some say at Sutton Group.”
‘After all, I’m still the candidate to take over Sutton Group,’ she thought. ‘As for Kate… even if she really joins Sutton Group, with her around, I won’t let her have a chance to become powerful.’
“Thank you.”
Chris thanked Kyla. After she hung up, he took a few deep breaths. Initially, he wanted to call his mother to give her a piece of his mind, but he ultimately decided against it. He did not contact Kate immediately to explain either.
Kate changed so quickly that he was caught off guard. He seriously suspected that Kate had been replaced by someone else.
He was afraid that if he called, Kate wouldn’t answer.
‘I should first deal with Cohen Group’s crisis, he thought. Then, I’ll figure out a way to placate Kate.’
As soon as Kate got home, she received a call from her friend Xena. “Kate, I’m back,” Xena said. “I just got off the plane. Do you want to pick me up? I brought you a lot of delicious food and fun stuff.”
Xena went on a trip. Every time she arrived at a tourist spot, she would buy some local specialties and bring them back for Kate to satisfy her cravings.
“You’re finally willing to come back,” Kate said. “You heartless person. You didn’t even tell me you were going on a trip. If you had told me, I would’ve made sure we had an impromptu trip together.”
Xena giggled and teased, “Is it me who’s heartless or you?
You’re completely focused on Chris, always traveling with him and never with me. You value romance over friendship. I don’t know what kind of bewitching potion Chris has given you, making you fall head over heels for him.”
Perhaps it was a case of not being able to see the forest for the trees.
Xena had always felt that Chris’s feelings toward Kate were not sincere. She had also privately reminded Kate, but Kate turned a deaf ear to it.
“I’m clear-headed now and not being bewitched. Wait for me at the airport. I’ll come to pick you up right away.”
Xena smiled. “Alright. I’ll wait for you at the airport. Drive carefully and don’t go too fast. I’m not in a hurry. I happen to be hungry now, so I’ll go grab a bite while I’m waiting for you.”
“Got it. Don’t worry. My driving skills are badass.”
Xena was left speechless.
She thought, ‘Kate’s driving skills are indeed badass. When she’s in a hurry, sitting in her car makes me feel like I’m on a flight. It could scare one’s heart out.’
After ending the call with her friend, Kate disregarded Alfred’s warning and went inside her house to get the car keys from her mother. She then happily drove off in her mother’s BMW and headed to the airport to pick up Xena.
Just as she was leaving the villa, she ran into Kyla, who asked, “Kate, where are you going?”
“Mind your own business,” Kate said.
She then stepped on the accelerator. The car swooshed and went far away. Soon, Kyla was left far behind.
There were many intersections on the roads in the villa area, and cars often came out suddenly.
Driving here, one could not go too fast. Speeding increases the risk of accidents.
This was the case for Kate.
When she left her home, she noticed that there were no cars on the road ahead. Her love for speeding made her drive increasingly fast.
At the turn ahead, she merely slowed down slightly.
Unexpectedly, cars came from the opposite direction. It was a convoy of cars. She slammed on the brakes, but because she was driving fast, it was too late even if she slammed on the brakes.
She was so antsy that she swerved the steering wheel again and managed to avoid the oncoming cars. However, she ended up crashing into a roadside tree because she veered off the road.
“Bang!”
There was a loud crash.
Kate was shocked, thinking, ‘Oh no! I’ve wrecked Mom’s car.’ After recovering from her shock, Kate quickly pushed open the door and got out of the car to take a look at the extent of the damage.
The cars approaching from the opposite direction all stopped.
Yael turned to Alfred in the backseat and said, “Mr. Davidson, it’s Mrs. Davidson.”
Alfred had already recognized that the person driving the car was Kate when she hurriedly dodged his convoy and crashed into a roadside tree.
He thought, ‘I’ve mentioned that she is not allowed to drive by herself anymore. If she wants to go somewhere, she should tell James, and he will help her arrange a car. She turns a deaf ear to my words. Whenever she returns to her parents’ home, she drives, speeding every time.’
“I want to get out of the car!” Alfred said coldly.
Yael immediately took action while silently expressing concern for Kate.
He thought, ‘While Mrs. Davidson was speeding previously, Mr. Davidson happened to see it. He then instructed us to remove the wheels from her car. This time, Mrs. Davidson was speeding again and almost crashed into our car… She probably won’t even have the chance to touch the steering wheel from now on, right?’
Kate’s car front was severely damaged. Looking at the consequences of her speeding, she felt extremely frustrated.
She thought, ‘Who would have expected that cars would suddenly come from the opposite direction?’
After staring blankly at the damaged front of the car for a minute, Kate turned to look at the convoy of cars that had stopped.
Her face turned pale, thinking, ‘Oh no! It’s my man. Why am I so unlucky? Every time I speed, Alfred always catches me. Previously, he had the wheels taken off even though
nothing happened. Now that something has happened, will he have the car destroyed?’
Looking at Alfred, who was being wheeled over by Yael, Kate’s mind raced, thinking about how to resolve this “crisis”.
She grinned at Alfred and even waved at him as a greeting, saying, “Mr. Davidson, what a coincidence!”
Alfred and the bodyguards were left speechless.
“Mr. Davidson, how come you are here? Are you here to look for me? See how thoughtful I am. I knew you were looking for me, so I came to welcome you halfway.”
When Alfred was six feet away from Kate, he raised his hand, signaling Yael to stop wheeling.
He sat in his wheelchair, coldly watching his wife put on a show.
“Uh… I had an urgent matter come up suddenly and didn’t have time to inform James to arrange a car for me. After all, I’m at my parents’ home, and James is at the Davidson family’s home. Help from afar is not effective for urgent and immediate needs, so I borrowed my mom’s car.”
As Kate spoke, she became too embarrassed to continue. Her face went from pale to flushed. She was feeling sheepish.
“Are you done talking?” Alfred asked, finally speaking.
Kate nodded repeatedly. “Mr. Davidson, I’m done.”
“Why are you blushing?”
Kate touched her face and said awkwardly, “Well um, it’s hot. That’s right. The weather is very hot. It’s so hot that my face is flushed.”
Alfred’s face darkened, thinking, ‘This woman’s ability to bullshit amazes me.’
“Come here!” he ordered coldly.
Kate immediately felt a chill down her spine, and she thought, ‘Is he about to knock on my head again?’
Kate, knowing the importance of being adaptable and strategic, quickly lowered her head and admitted her mistake, saying, “Mr. Davidson, I know I was wrong. promise I won’t speed anymore. D…- Don’t be mad, okay?” Alfred was expressionless, but his tone was unusually cold and sharp. “Kate, I told you to come over. Don’t make me say it a third time!”
Kate panicked and looked at him cautiously as she moved slowly like a snail toward her husband.
Chapter 75
It was just a distance of about six feet. Even if Kate were really a snail, she would eventually get there.
She dawdled her way over to Alfred and stopped in front of him before saying with a sweet smile, “Mr. Davidson.”
After interacting with him for so long, she finally understood that this man could not resist her sweet smile.
When she made a mistake and got into trouble, all she had to do was smile sweetly at him and say a few words to admit that she knew she was wrong. He would often be exceptionally merciful and spare her.
This time, Kate’s smile didn’t work. Alfred was still glaring at her coldly. That icy gaze made her cower.
“Which part of your body got hit?”,
A long while later, a low and cold voice reached Kate’s ears, leaving her momentarily stunned.
She thought Alfred would fly into a rage. Unexpectedly, he showed her concern.
His expression was cold, looking as if he had a grudge against her for killing his father and snatching his wife, and his words were also cold. However, that was his way of showing concern for her.
Kate felt nothing but a sense of warmth.
She thought, ‘I’m incredibly lucky to have received his kindness before and after I traveled back in time.’
“I’m fine,” she said. “It’s just that the front of the car was severely damaged. I’m fine. I’m just scared.”
The glare from his eyes was extremely sharp, but Kate no longer found his gaze cold.
‘He is cold by nature,’ she thought. ‘Even when he shows concern for someone, he is also cold. It’s okay once people get used to it.’
After examining Kate and confirming that she was not injured, Alfred’s lips curved into a graceful smile. He mocked with a sneer, “You got scared too? I thought you were not afraid of anything.”
“I’m not afraid of anything, but I’m afraid of you, Mr. Davidson.”
As soon as she finished speaking, a large hand grabbed her wrist. A powerful force pulled her forward, and she fell into Alfred’s arms.
A familiar scent wafted into her nose.
“Ouch. Mr. Davidson, be gentler. It hurts. Be gentler.”
Alfred grabbed her ear.
She tried to escape his embrace while also trying to protect her ear.
Alfred only let go after tugging her ear until it was flushed.
“You lie so easily and naturally. Afraid of me? If I hadn’t seen you speed twice, I would have believed you. Kate, you just can’t remember what I told you, right? When you go back, write a ten-thousand-word self-reflection essay.”
Kate rubbed her sore ear, thinking, ‘When Mom is mad, she will pull my ear too. Now Alfred is doing the same thing to me.’
Kate almost jumped up after hearing the punishment he gave her.
“Ten thousand words!” she exclaimed softly. “Mr. Davidson, a ten-thousand-word essay? I can’t write that. I can’t even write a thousand words, let alone ten thousand words.”
Alfred said coldly, “If you complain loudly again, it’ll be twenty thousand words. Finish it before midnight tonight. Otherwise, you won’t be able to step out of the Davidson family’s home again.”
Kate was stunned. “Mr. Davidson, I really know I was wrong. You’re a magnanimous person. Please let me off this time. Look, I’m fine. It’s just the car that’s damaged. Don’t worry. I won’t ask you to compensate me for my new car this time.”
Alfred ignored her and pushed the wheelchair to the front of the car. As he looked at the badly damaged front end, he recalled the heart-stopping scene from moments ago.
Then, his attitude, which had turned a little lenient, became unyielding once more.
‘If I didn’t punish her severely, she would keep speeding next time,’ he thought. ‘With her driving speed, if she really crashed into someone else’s car, she’d either die or be crippled. I can’t bear to see such an audacious woman die. Keeping her around and teasing her daily will make me happier.’
“Yael, call someone to tow the car,” Alfred instructed in a serious voice.
Yael immediately made the call.
Alfred glared at Kate, who was still trying to negotiate, and ordered, “Come here and wheel me over.”
Kate immediately trotted forward and said ingratiatingly, Mr. Davidson, we’re husband and wife after all. They say a short period of being together as a married couple creates a lasting bond. For the sake of this bond, please let me off this time. Can the essay be reduced by nine thousand five hundred words?”
She thought, ‘I’ve never written a self-reflection essay before and really have no idea how to write it. If it’s a few hundred words, I can manage with some effort. But ten thousand words? Even copying will take me a while.
Alfred pursed his lips, saying nothing. Judging from his icy expression, it was obvious that he did not want to let her off.
Returning to the front of Alfred’s private car, Kate
thoughtfully helped her husband into the car, but she didn’t get in.
“Mr. Davidson, I… -I have to go to Sherpsel Airport to pick up my friend. I promised her.”
Kate then stammered as she asked, “Mr. Davidson, can you lend me a car? I’ll return the car to you after I pick up Xena. I’ll also help you wash the car and refuel it to its maximum capacity. I absolutely won’t damage your car.”
“You still have the guts to drive!”
‘With her skill of driving a car in which she speeds as if she were piloting an aircraft, I do not dare to let her drive again,’ Alfred thought. ‘One moment, she told me that she knew she was in the wrong, and the next, she asked me to lend her a car. So, this woman won’t learn her lesson unless she’s punished severely.
Kate stuck out her tongue and said awkwardly, “Well, Mr. Davidson, can you arrange for a bodyguard to act as my driver and take me to the airport to pick up Xena?”
“Who’s Xena?”
Alfred was a little displeased with the person whom Kate still had to pick up even after she had a car accident.
If Xena knew what was happening, she would probably think, ‘Good thing I’m a woman. Otherwise, I would have become Mr. Davidson’s love rival, and I wouldn’t even know what kind of hot water I would end up in.
Kate said, “She’s the heiress of the Phillips family, and she’s my good friend. I grew up in the countryside. After I reunited with my biological parents, my mother enthusiastically took me to various parties to befriend the women and heiresses of the upper-class society in Sherpsel. Xena is the only one who truly doesn’t despise me for being a country bumpkin and treats me as a friend. Mr. Davidson, I take my promises very seriously. My word is my bond. Since I promised Xena to pick her up, I have to do it.”
Alfred sneered. “Taking promises very seriously? Your word is your bond?”
Kate blushed.
“Um… My word is my bond from now on.”
Alfred knew a little about how Kate had fared in the past when he investigated her. At that time, he did not care.
His initial intention of marrying her was to treat her as an unpaid maid and make things difficult for her every day.
After spending time with her, his initial intention gradually changed.
Unknowingly, he had begun to treat her as his wife.
He thought, ‘The upper-class people in Sherpsel despise my wife for being a country bumpkin. I’ll make her the envy of all the women in Sherpsel.’
“Yael, drive her to the airport and come back after picking up her friend.”
Alfred agreed to Kate’s request and instructed Yael to send Kate to the airport to pick up Xena.
“Mr. Davidson, it has been a long time since I last saw Xena. Now that Xena has returned from her trip, we have a lot of heart-to-heart talk to catch up on. Can you let me send her home and stay for another two hours?”
“A ten-thousand-word self-reflection essay,” Alfred said coldly before closing the car door and ignoring Kate.
Kate was left speechless, thinking, ‘A ten-thousand-word self-reflection essay. He might as well stab me right away. That would be more pleasurable.’
Chapter 76
Alfred left a bodyguard behind to wait for someone to tow the car. Then, he continued to head toward his destination with the rest of his bodyguards.
Kate was escorted by Yael to the airport to pick up Xena.
On the way, she asked Yael, “Where is Mr. Davidson going?”
“Mr. Davidson said he’s going to his mother-in-law’s house,” Yael replied.
“Oh, Mr. Davidson is actually going to his mother-in-law’s house? Isn’t that my house?”
Yael wanted to laugh.
“Mrs. Davidson, it’s not every day you remember that you’re Mr. Davidson’s wife.”
Kate blushed. “Yael, don’t be sarcastic. Since I insisted on being responsible for Mr. Davidson back then, I’ll be committed to it. I always remember that I’m his wife. Yael, stop with the sarcasm. What brings Mr. Davidson to my house?”
She thought, ‘I’m heading straight to the airport, so if he’s looking for me, he should be heading back. If he’s not looking for me, then he must be going to see my mom. “Does a son-in-law need a reason to visit his mother-in-law?” Kate was left speechless, thinking, ‘Alfred’s bodyguards are just like him. They can make people speechless. Why is Alfred going to the Sutton family’s home? He initially wanted to go there and pick me up, but after my accident, he changed his mind. He’s heading there to complain!’
*****
At this moment, Alfred was sitting in a wheelchair, facing Celia.
Kyla had always been afraid of Alfred and did not have the guts to face him, so she wanted to go upstairs to avoid him. “Miss Sutton.”
Alfred’s greeting made Kyla’s footsteps feel like they weighed one thousand pounds. She could not lift her legs. She turned around and stole a glance at Alfred, thinking,” This man is really handsome, but he’s so ruthless. Cohen Group and Regency Group had some minor business dealings and usually got along fine, but suddenly, Regency Group went after them. Cohen Group was immediately confronted with a crisis before they had time to recover.’ “Mr. Davidson,” Kyla said respectfully. On the surface, one really could not tell that she feared Alfred as if he were a demon.
“I’d like to discuss a serious matter with Mrs. Sutton. It’s not appropriate for a third person to overhear, so please step outside for a moment.”
Kyla looked at Celia and quickly said, “Alright.”
She then said to Celia, “Mom, I’ll go to the hospital to take care of her.”
“Okay, go ahead,” Celia said before calmly reminding Kyla.” Drive carefully while you are heading there.”
The moment Kyla left, Alfred’s bodyguards followed her out.
Celia felt that they were not stepping aside to avoid overhearing the conversation. Rather, they went out to guard the main door, not letting anyone in.
She thought, ‘What does this gentleman want to discuss with me?’
“Celia,” Alfred said in a serious voice, making Celia’s heart skip a beat.
She truly felt uncomfortable being affectionately addressed by Alfred.
On the surface, Celia showed a loving smile and asked gently, “Mr. Davidson, what would you like to discuss with me?”
“Celia, Kate had an accident.”
“What?”
Celia’s smile immediately faded. She got up abruptly with a panicked expression and asked anxiously, “Where did Kate get into the car accident? What’s the extent of her injuries?”
“Celia, don’t panic. Kate is fine. It’s just the car that’s damaged. She insisted on going to the airport to pick up her friend, so I arranged for Yael to send her there.”
Hearing that it was just the car that was damaged and that Kate was fine, Celia slumped back onto the sofa right away. While patting her chest, she said, “I was scared stiff. Fortunately, she’s fine.”
She thought, ‘The car is damaged. We can just replace it with a new one. We have several luxury cars in our garage.’
“What about the driver of the car she hit? Did the driver suffer injuries? Are the injuries serious?”
Alfred pursed his lips and said, “The injuries are considered serious. The tree trunk was almost split in half, and the leaves were all over the road.”
Celia was speechless for a moment before saying, “Kate crashed into a roadside tree?”
“Yeah.”
Celia heaved a sigh of relief, thinking, ‘Thankfully, there won’t be a lawsuit over a death.’
“Celia, are you aware of Kate’s driving skills?”
“Pretty good. I’ve been in her car before. She drives very steadily.”
Alfred fell silent for a moment.
“Well, maybe I was seeing things, but she was indeed the one who sped previously. She was also the one who drove the car with such speed today like she was piloting a plane. If her driving speed wasn’t high, she wouldn’t have almost collided with my car, and she wouldn’t have crashed into the roadside tree while swerving.”
Celia was at a loss for words.
A long while later, she asked cautiously, “Mr. Davidson, what is your purpose in coming here?”
“To complain.”
“To complain?”
“Celia, don’t let Kate drive alone in the future. She’s not as calm as you think she is. Rather, she likes to speed. Watching her speed could give someone a heart attack.” Celia opened her mouth unsure of what to say.
“I have many drivers at home. Wherever she wants to go, she just needs to tell my butler, and the butler will make the arrangements. She doesn’t have to drive the car with such speed like she is piloting a plane just because she is in a hurry.”
“Celia, I believe you wouldn’t want something like this to happen again. Kate was lucky today. She only crashed into a roadside tree. The car was damaged, but she’s fine. What about the next time? With her speed, if she crashes into someone else’s car, it could lead to injuries for both parties and even death.”
Celia’s expression changed immediately.
“Mr. Davidson, I’ll listen to you. From now on, I won’t let her drive alone when she comes back.”
Before Kate returned to the Sutton family’s home, she ran an art training institution. Besides, she had learned self-defense techniques like boxing and kickboxing. She couldn’t possibly be as gentle and graceful as a true heiress. After returning to the Sutton family’s home, she reined in her previous boldness and was careful and deliberate in her actions. Celia knew this well. Her daughter was the heiress of the Sutton family, so she should be educated, polite, and gentle. Kate was willing to restrain her past boldness, so Celia could not ask for more.
However, this did not mean that Kate’s personality had changed.
“Thanks, Celia.”
“Mr. Davidson, you’re too kind. Kate is my biological daughter. I care about Kate more than you do.”
She thought, ‘I care more about Kate’s well-being and safety.’
After complaining, Alfred fell silent, which left Celia unsure of what to say.
Although Alfred was her son-in-law, she did not dare to treat him as one.
Alfred suddenly asked, “The Cohen family come to make a marriage proposal, huh?”
Celia didn’t even try to guess why he knew. She quickly explained, “Mrs. Cohen did come, but I chased her away. Plus, she didn’t come to propose marriage to Kate on behalf of her son, but to Kyla. Mr. Davidson, please don’t misunderstand Kate. She had no idea Mrs. Cohen would come.”
Alfred thought, ‘The Cohen family proposed marriage to Kyla?’
His expression gradually turned cold as he recalled having his people investigate every detail between Chris and Kate. ‘Chris and Kyla are in love with each other, he thought. When Kate fell in love with Chris at first sight, Chris pretended to get along really well with her, and Kyla wholeheartedly supported them to be together. I can guess what they are up to. Kyla! I’ll let Chris’s family shamelessly deal with her. I won’t take action myself. As for the Cohen family, I won’t tolerate them.’
“The Cohen family is really fickle,” Alfred said coldly.
Celia said angrily, “Mrs. Cohen did that on purpose because she wanted to get back at Kate. I’m so darn pissed off.”
Chapter 77
Alfred did not respond.
He sat for a moment and then said to Celia, “Celia, I need to go back to the company. I’ll leave now. When I have time and the situation is right, I’ll arrange for my parents to invite you and Leland for a meal.”
‘It’s considered meeting the parents of both families, he thought.
Celia smiled on the surface, but she was feeling incredibly worried.
‘Kate and Alfred are currently in a secret marriage, and the Davidson family is still unaware of it,’ she thought. ‘So, even though Alfred is making things difficult, he won’t casually appear in front of Kate. Even more so, he won’t make things hard for her. Once Kate officially becomes Mrs. Davidson, with the past unpleasantness, will those elders of the Davidson family who have always been protective treat her well?
‘This is the path Kate chose herself. As a mother, all I can do is worry, yet I can’t help her through it. I can only place my hopes on Alfred, hoping that he will fall in love with Kate. If he does, even if Kate becomes unreasonable or unruly, no one in the Davidson family will dare to make things difficult for her as he will protect her.’
Celia made a decision inwardly.
‘When Kate comes back home next time, I need to advise her to capture Alfred’s heart early, she thought. ‘Even if they can’t have a normal marriage due to Alfred’s condition, Alfred still has feelings. With his protection, not only will Kate be safe in the Davidson family’s home, but she can even act as she pleases like nobody’s business in Sherpsel.’ “Alright,” she said. “I’ll wait for your arrangements then.”
Alfred gave a slight bob of his head and gestured for his bodyguards to wheel him out.
Celia personally walked them out.
Standing at the door and watching as Alfred was escorted away by his bodyguards, she could not help but let out a long sigh.
She thought, ‘The universe must be jealous of Alfred’s exceptional blessings to have arranged such an accident, leaving him crippled. It is truly a pity that such an outstanding man is now wheelchair-bound and has even become impotent.’
Alfred’s convoy disappeared into the distance. It was only when it was out of sight that Celia turned around and walked into the house, taking out her phone to call Kate. When Kate received a call from her mother, she guessed Alfred might have complained about her.
As soon as the call was answered, she held her phone at a distance.
“Kate, come home immediately after you return from the airport!” Celia said.
“Mom, I-I’m quite busy with something,” Kate said. “I won’t be going home today. I have to go back to the company to work with Dad tomorrow, so I don’t have time to come home. I’ll return another day. When I’m free, I’ll come back and spend time with you.”
“Don’t try to go through the motions with me. Listen, from today onward, you’re not allowed to drive alone. If I find out you secretly drive alone. I’ll tear up your driver’s license and break your legs.”
Kate stuck out her tongue. “Mom, could you bear to break my legs?”
“Try me and see if I could bear to do it.”
“Okay, okay, okay. I’ll listen to you, Mom. I won’t drive alone anymore. Mom, don’t be mad.”
Kate placated her mother like how she placated Alfred.
Celia hung up after giving her daughter a piece of her mind over the phone.
“It’s just crashing into a roadside tree,” Kate muttered.
Yael said indifferently, “Mrs. Davidson, that was a dangerous move. If you had made the slightest mistake, you would have lost your life.”
“Okay, it’s my fault. They’re all concerned about me. I shouldn’t have complained.”
Leaning back in her chair, Kate said self-deprecatingly, “I’d better google for self-reflection essays written by others to learn.”
She thought, ‘I’ll just copy it then. After all, Alfred didn’t say that copying from Google wasn’t allowed.’
*****
At Sherpsel International Airport, Xena sat for a while after eating and drinking her fill before texting Kate to ask if she had arrived.
While she was at it, she sent her location to Kate.
Kate replied that she would be there in another ten minutes. Looking at the time, Xena sent another message.
[Kate, drive slowly. I’m not in a hurry. You don’t have to rush. Be careful.]
Kate immediately took a photo of Yael’s profile and sent it to Xena.
When Xena received the photo from her good friend, her eyes lit up, thinking, ‘This man’s profile is so attractive. He must be a dreamboat when I look at his full face.
Xena, who was the same age as Kate, loved admiring handsome men. When she met particularly good-looking men, she would secretly take photos of them and post them as scenic pictures all over her room.
Kate had once teased her that if her future husband walked into her room one day and saw photos of other men all over the room, he would definitely be extremely jealous.
Xena was petite and delicate with a refined appearance. Her personality was somewhat similar to Kate’s, which was why they became good friends.
Knowing that Kate wasn’t driving, Xena felt at ease and called her good friend.
“Kate, is he a driver newly hired by your family? Isn’t he handsome? His profile is so attractive that my eyes lit up when I saw it.”
Kate looked at Yael, who was driving with a sulky expression.
‘Alfred’s personal bodyguards are all tall and cold, and Yael is the most so, almost on par with Alfred himself, she thought. ‘Plus, Yael is the most good-looking among them. Of course, he can’t overshadow Mr. Davidson’s good looks. With Alfred’s handsome looks, few women can match his level of attractiveness, let alone men.’
“It’s not my driver,” Kate said with a smile. “I’m in an Uber ride. He’s my Uber driver.”
Yael was Alfred’s personal bodyguard and a cold person. Kate did not want her good friend to provoke Yael lest she get hurt.
Hearing Kate refer to him as an Uber driver, Yael’s expression became even more sulky, but he didn’t clarify his identity.
‘The person who is on the phone with Mrs. Davidson is the heiress of the Phillips family,’ he thought. ‘Xena’s eyes light up when she sees a handsome guy. Even if she isn’t truly a love-struck fool, people say she is. I’d be a fool to clarify my identity. I don’t want to be pestered by Xena.
“An Uber driver. Are Uber drivers this handsome these days? I’ll book Uber rides whenever I go out from now on. I’m too lazy to drive myself.”
Kate giggled. “Good idea.”
“Is he really an Uber driver?”
Xena was not easily fooled.
“In any case, he’s not my family’s driver. It’s up to you whether you believe it or not.”
Xena just didn’t believe it.
‘The Sutton family is also wealthy, she thought. ‘As the heiress of the Sutton family, does she need to book an Uber ride when she goes out?’
“Kate, where’s your car?”
“Someone removed the tires of my car, so I can’t drive to the airport to pick you up.”
Xena was stunned. “Which bastard did such a thing? That person actually removed your tires!”
“It wasn’t done by a bastard. It was done by a brash dictator.”
‘Alfred is someone who boldly does whatever he pleases in Sherpsel, Kate thought. ‘Isn’t he a brash dictator then?’
Xena was taken aback. “Who’s that brash dictator? You don’t want to teach that dictator a lesson, huh?”
Kate smiled. ‘That’s right. I should teach Alfred a lesson.
“I’ll tell you in the future. Xena, we’ve arrived at the airport. We’ll find a spot to park the car first, and I’ll come over to look for you. Stay where you are and wait for me.”
“Okay.”
Xena hung up reluctantly.
‘I haven’t found out who that brash dictator of Sherpsel is, she thought. ‘I was born and raised here, yet I actually have no idea who the brash dictator of Sherpsel is.’
Soon, Xena felt cheerful again.
This was because she would soon be able to see the Uber driver whose profile was enough to charm her.
She wanted to take a frontal photo of his face, post it on social media, and paste it on… ‘Oh no,’ she thought. ‘It seems that the walls of my room have already been covered with photos of handsome men, so there’s no space left.’
Chapter 78
Yael parked the car. After a dozen seconds of silence, he said to Kate, “Mrs. Davidson, I’ll wait for you in the car. You go find your friend.”
Just as Kate was about to open the door, she paused and turned to look at Yael. “Why?” she teased. “Are you afraid that Xena will take a frontal photo of your face? Yael, be it men or women, good-looking people will easily attract attention wherever they go.”
Yael remained silent.
“Alright then. Wait for us here. I’ll go meet Xena and come back.”
Kate did not force Yael to accompany her to meet Xena. Although Yael sent her to the airport, he worked for Alfred, so he would only obey Alfred.
Kate got out of the car and went to look for Xena herself.
With Xena’s location shared, she soon found her.
“Xena,” Kate called out as she trotted toward her friend with a smile.
When Xena saw her good friend approaching, she dragged her luggage forward while responding to Kate.
When they got closer, the two good friends who had not seen each other for a while gave each other a strong hug.
After the hug, Kate looked Xena up and down and said with a smile. “You’ve been out on a trip for so long, yet you haven’t gotten a tan. I’m so envious.”
Xena’s skin was flawless, which was what Kate envied the most about her.
Xena touched her cheeks and said narcissistically, “I was born with flawless skin and a beautiful face. You won’t be able to have that.”
“Come on. I only gave you a compliment, and you become full of yourself.”
Kate wanted to help Xena pull her luggage, but Xena quickly said, “I’ll do it myself.”
“With your build and strength, dragging such a large suitcase will tire you out. Let me do it.”
Kate forcefully pulled the suitcase over.
Xena stopped fighting with her over the suitcase.
When the two of them were together, Kate always took care of her. It couldn’t be helped. She looked petite and delicate next to the tall and slender Kate.
Kate envied her flawless skin, while she envied Kate’s tall and slender figure.
“What’s in this suitcase of yours? It feels heavy even when I pull it.”
“They’re all presents for you.”
Kate smiled. “You’re so kind to me.”
“You are my best friend. If I don’t treat you well, who should I treat well?”
“I treat you well too, coming to the airport to pick you up in person.
Xena linked arms with her affectionately, and they chatted while walking.
“I know you are the kindest to me, so I told my driver not to come over. Instead, I’ll wait for you at the airport for you to pick me up.”
Xena then giggled and asked Kate, “Is that handsome guy really an Uber driver?”
“Why? Did you take a liking to him?”
“I haven’t even seen him in person yet, so how can I easily fall in love with him? For someone like me who has seen lots of handsome guys, I won’t fall in love with a man so easily.”
Xena loved collecting pictures of beautiful people.
Of course, what she collected the most were photos of handsome men. There were also many photos of beautiful women, but they were not pasted in her bedroom. Instead, they were pasted in another room which she had claimed as her own. Her family could not do anything about it. Kate was one of the most beautiful people in her collection of photos.
“I can’t reveal his identity to you right now.”
“So secretive.”
Kate smiled without saying anything.
Xena was tactful. She would not get to the bottom of things that Kate did not want to say. That would be annoying.
Although the two of them were best friends, their friendship had only just reached a year.
It was normal for Kate to hold back from sharing certain things.
“Kate, how were things between you and Chris while I was away? Have you gotten your parents’ approval? If your parents are still against it, give up. It’s said that one doesn’t have to marry the person one’s parents ask one to marry, but one has to consider carefully about marrying the person one’s father doesn’t approve of.”
Chris was also considered a handsome man, but Xena just didn’t like him. He was not among the handsome men in her collection of photos.
“I’ve given up.”
Xena stopped and asked, “What’s wrong? You’ve genuinely given up on Chris, huh?”
Kate could not help but laugh. “When I was infatuated with him, you persuaded me to let go and said he wasn’t suitable for me. Now that I’ve given up, you’re shocked. Xena, what do you want me to do?”
Xena looked her up and down. She even touched Kate’s forehead and said, “You don’t have a fever. That means your behavior is normal. Kate, you have truly given up on Chris, huh?”
“Yeah. I’ve given up completely.”
Xena grinned. “You’re finally saved. Chris is quite scheming. You’re careless and can’t control him. Besides, he’s known your sister for a few years, and they have always been quite chummy with each other. I’m not denigrating you, but at present, Kyla is better than you in all aspects. Can you guarantee that nothing is going on between Chris and Kyla? I used to see you being so submissive to Chris, completely devoted to him, and losing yourself for his sake. I got antsy looking at you like that, but I couldn’t talk you out of having a relationship with him. Every time I tried, you’d just walk away with a scowl.”
Xena’s heartfelt words made Kate think of the phase of her life before she traveled back in time.
Prior to her time travel, her friendship with Xena ended when Xena kept persuading her to give up on Chris.
She felt that Xena was not doing this for her own good. Xena clearly knew that she loved Chris deeply and that she would do anything for Chris. Yet, Xena persuaded her to give up, which made her feel that Xena was clearly trying to make her suffer.
She even suspected that Xena might have feelings for Chris, which made Xena furious.
The two of them then cut off all contact after a major argument.
Now that she had traveled back in time, she would no longer question Xena’s kindness toward her.
“Xena, thank you.”
Kate’s words had a double meaning.
Before traveling back in time and after traveling back in time, she owed Xena thanks.
“Why are you thanking me? I didn’t help you much. I’m just giving you some advice as a friend. I’d be happy if you are not annoyed by my tendency to talk about people’s faults and behavior.”
“I won’t.”
‘It’s said that good advice may be harsh, but it’s beneficial, just as bitter medicine is effective for healing, Kate thought. ‘Xena genuinely wants the best for me, so she tells me harsh truths. Kyla, on the other hand, wishes for my downfall, so she deceives me with sweet words, making me devoted to Chris, losing myself, and ultimately dying in grievance.’
“Let’s go. Don’t keep the driver waiting too long.”
‘That’s Alfred’s personal bodyguard, Kate thought.
Just thinking of Alfred reminded her that she had been
given the punishment of writing a ten-thousand-word self- reflection essay. Her good mood was affected.
‘That guy is so ruthless!’ she thought, letting out a sigh. Ten thousand words. I don’t even know what to write to hit that word count.’
“Kate, have dinner at my place later. Don’t go back tonight. We haven’t seen each other for a long time. Let’s have a good chat.”
“Xena, we’ll have plenty of time to chat in the future, so it’s not important to spend this particular day catching up.’
“Do you have something important to attend to?”
Kate nodded honestly. “I do have something very important to attend to. I’ll need to leave after dropping you off at home.”
She thought, ‘I need to finish writing that ten-thousand- word self-reflection essay tonight. Otherwise, Alfred will make my life unbearable.’
Xena was understanding. “Alright then. It’s Grace’s birthday the day after tomorrow. You’ll attend the party with that sister of yours, right? She and Grace are good friends.”
Xena did not have much liking for Kyla either.
Chapter 79
Chapter 79 Good Idea
Chapter 79 Good Idea
When Kyla was still the only daughter of the Sutton family, she would be cold and indifferent toward Xena when she ran into her occasionally at parties. She could not be bothered to chat with Xena, despising her for lacking the grace of an heiress from a wealthy family and constantly being a love-struck fool to handsome men.
“Yeah,” Kate replied.
“What are you going to give Grace for her birthday?” Xena asked.
She thought, ‘Given the status of the Weaver family and the fact that Grace is adored by everyone, the gifts given to her mustn’t be too modest.’
“I’ll just casually give her a set of cosmetics I haven’t used yet.”
Xena was stunned. “That’s it?”
“What more should I be expected to give? It’s fine as long as there’s a gift. If one set is too little, I’ll give her two sets.”
Xena gave her a thumbs up. “Kate, you’re really bold. Cynthia probably won’t even do this.”
Cynthia’s status in Sherpsel surpassed that of Grace’s.
Even she would not casually give Grace a set of cosmetics as a birthday gift.
Every guest that received the invitation would rack their brains to prepare valuable gifts.
Making Grace smile would leave an impression on the Weaver family, which would be beneficial for business relations.
“She’s never liked me, despising me for being a country bumpkin. Even if I give her something extraordinary, she’ll also turn up her nose at it. In that case, why should I spend so much effort to prepare a gift? My cosmetics aren’t cheap. My mother gave them to me.”
Xena thought it made sense. She said with a smile, “I won’t put in extra effort to prepare a gift also then. Grace doesn’t
1/5
Chapter 79 Good Idea
like me either. As long as we don’t show up empty-handed, we’re good.”
She thought, ‘The gifts Kate and I send will probably end up in the trash can without Grace even looking at them.’ Yael saw two girls walking over while chatting and laughing.
Noticing that Kate was dragging a large suitcase, Yael quickly got out of the car and walked up to her.
Xena saw Yael’s face and found it somewhat familiar, but she couldn’t remember where she had seen it before.
“Hey, stud,” Xena greeted Yael with a smile.
Yael was expressionless and did not respond to her. He just pulled the suitcase from Kate.
Xena leaned in close to Kate’s ear and said softly, “This stud is cool.”
“Want to take a picture?”
“Of course.”
Xena took out her phone and found a good angle to take a photo of Yael’s cool appearance.
Yael shot her a glare. Considering that she was Kate’s best friend, he endured it and did not smash Xena’s phone.
After getting into the car, Xena was all smiles as she asked Yael, “Hey stud, what’s your name?”
Yael remained silent..
Xena looked at Kate, who replied with a smile, “I’m not going to help you when it comes to this kind of thing.”
‘Yael is Alfred’s personal bodyguard, she thought. ‘The moment I mention Yael’s name, Xena will figure out his identity. I haven’t decided yet if I should tell Xena about my situation with Alfred.’
Xena also smiled and did not ask further.
She thought, ‘Anyway, most of the handsome guy photos I’ve collected are of people whose names I don’t know.’
Soon, the car started moving, leaving the airport and heading toward the Phillips family’s home.
*****
Meanwhile, at Regency Group, Lennon and his group had waited in the VIP room on the first floor for a long while. Even though they knew that Alfred had returned to the company, they could not see him without permission.
“Dad, Mr. Davidson probably won’t see us, right?” Chris said. The waiting had made him very impatient. He really wanted to go home now and ask his mother why she acted impulsively and affected his plan with Kyla.
“No matter what, we have to keep waiting,” Lennon said. “If we don’t clear things up, won’t you be able to foresee what Cohen Group will face?”
Lennon was also antsy, but he was helpless.
For Cohen Group’s sake, he had to be unabashed and stay here. From time to time, he would bother the front desk staff, asking them to help him escalate his request, hoping to see Alfred.
Alfred had many secretaries. Even when reported to Oswald, who was the chief secretary, he had to filter the request before letting Lily make the internal call to the CEO’s office.
Most of the time, the requests to see Alfred were filtered out by Oswald.
Oswald was deeply trusted by Alfred and was his capable assistant, holding a very high position in Regency Group. In the business world, he was also a highly sought-after figure. Many people who couldn’t cozy up to Alfred wanted to cozy up to him.
Unfortunately, even though he was influential, not everyone could secure his favor.
In the CEO’s office at this moment, Alfred put down his pen, feeling a little tired. He leaned back in his swivel chair and spun around a few times, thinking, ‘I wonder if that shameless person has returned home yet.’
Alfred picked up his phone from his desk and called Kate. The call went through. Not only did Kate not answer, but she quickly rejected the call, causing Alfred’s expression to turn grim instantly.
He thought, ‘Kate really has some nerve to reject my call!’
“Beep beep…”
He received a new message, which was sent by Kate.
He opened the message she had sent, which was brief. [Mr. Davidson, we’re still on our way back, and I’m unable to answer your call now. My apology.]
‘Unable to answer my call?’ he thought. ‘Is it because Xena is in the car? Is she worried her friend will find out she has an excessively close relationship with me? Is it shameful for me to be exposed? I’ll deal with her when I get home tonight.’
Kate did not know that her actions had angered her husband again.
After dropping Xena off at home with Yael, she asked Yael to send her back to Davidson’s residence.
She began to rack her brains about the ten-thousand-word self-reflection essay.
‘Other than writing that I know I was wrong and promising not to do it again, what else can I write?’ she thought. Quoting classical sources to support my writing? My grades in liberal arts subjects are average. I really can’t handle quoting classical sources.
“It seems that he didn’t specify what content I need to write, right?” Kate muttered. “He only specified the word count.”
She thought of a good idea. She just needed to spend some time to meet the word count.
‘In terms of content, Alfred did not set any restrictions,’ she thought. ‘A self-reflection essay is written in a standard way! So, Kate repeatedly wrote a line in her notebook, which read, “Mr. Davidson, I know I was wrong, and I promise I won’t speed again in the future.”
By the time Alfred returned home in the evening, she had already written a ten-thousand-word self-reflection essay. “Mr. Davidson.”
Kate was waiting for Alfred in the courtyard. When she saw Alfred being wheeled in, she smiled and went forward. The bodyguards made room for her, and she wheeled Alfred into the house.
“Have you finished writing the ten-thousand-word self-reflection essay?”
Kate said smugly, “It’s done. It’s not just ten thousand words. There are even ten extra words. I counted.”
Alfred turned to glance at her, not responding.
After entering the house, Kate helped him sit down on the sofa and quickly took the self-reflection essay she had written. She handed it to Alfred as if she was asking for a reward. “Mr. Davidson, look. I’ve finished writing it.”
Alfred took the self-reflection essay, thinking, ‘It’s several pages long.”
As he unfolded the several pages of folded letter paper, he asked in a serious voice, “Did you come up with this yourself? You didn’t copy someone else’s writing, right?”
“I genuinely recognize my mistake and sincerely repent. I put in a tremendous amount of sincerity, racked my brain, and spent a few hours writing it. I absolutely didn’t plagiarize.”
Chapter 80
Alfred gave Kate two sideways glances before lowering his head to read her ten-thousand-word self-reflection essay.
The entire page was filled with lines of words that read, “Mr. Davidson, I know I was wrong, and I promise I won’t speed again in the future.” When he saw these lines, he flipped through the rest of the pages, finding the same content.
Her handwriting went from the initial neatness to the scrawl at the end.
Alfred was left speechless.
Staring at the few pieces of paper, his expression was inscrutable. Kate, with her limited experience, couldn’t make out what he was thinking.
Alfred shook the few pieces of paper and asked coldly, “Is this the ten-thousand-word self-reflection essay you wrote?” Kate knew that he would definitely be angry, but she still bit the bullet and said, “Yes, I wrote it. Mr. Davidson, you didn’t specify the content of the self-reflection essay, only the word count. I wrote it this way to meet the word count.”
Alfred fell silent, thinking, ‘She found a loophole.’
He then put away the pages.
Kate heaved a sigh of relief, and she thought, ‘I’ve finally passed. But I won’t get another chance to exploit this loophole.’
“Mr. Davidson, you must be hungry, right? Let me wheel you to eat.”
Alfred looked at her and said nothing, which was taken as agreement.
As soon as the couple walked out of the house, they saw James directing people to move potted flowers into the courtyard.
Kate instinctively stopped and asked, “Mr. Davidson, can I go there and take a look?”
She was filled with excitement as she watched. She really wanted to go over and see what kind of flowers they were. Some of them had bloomed, while others had yet to bloom. They had probably passed their flowering period.
There were many flowers and trees planted in the Davidson family’s home. There were more than ten gardeners who took care of those flowers and trees alone. During the season when many different types of flowers were blooming simultaneously, every part of Davidson’s residence was a picturesque sight.
However, Alfred’s residence had few flowers and plants. There were only some evergreen landscape trees.
At this moment, Kate saw James directing people to move a large number of potted flowers into the courtyard. It would be strange if she was not curious.
“Suit yourself,” Alfred replied indifferently before pushing the wheelchair away.
Kate hesitated for a moment. Eventually, she still chose to go over and check out what was happening.
Yael quietly took over from Kate. He wheeled Alfred out of the residence and headed toward the pavilion.
The commotion at Alfred’s residence quickly spread throughout Davidson’s residence. However, everyone only watched from afar. No one dared to come over to inquire or join in the excitement.
Kate loved flowers and plants. She had dreamed of having a garden where she could spend her free time interacting with flowers, plants, and trees.
When she was at the Garcia family’s home, she grew a lot of flowers.
James had many types of potted flowers moved in, including peonies, roses, orchids, geraniums, sunflowers, marigolds, and more. Additionally, there were many succulents that were well taken care of and looked especially beautiful.
“James, where did these flowers come from?” she said. ” They’re really well taken care of, especially the succulents. They appear increasingly attractive the more I look.”
As Kate spoke, she took out her phone to take photos. James replied with a smile, “Some of them were bought from outside, and some were moved over from the garden. Mrs. Davidson, do you like these potted flowers? Some of the flowers have passed their flowering period. When spring comes, lots of flowers will bloom. The courtyard will be as beautiful as a painting.”
“Yes, I do,” Kate said, nodding as she took photos. “These roses are blooming beautifully too, so much so that even someone who doesn’t like roses like me can’t help but like them.”
James said meaningfully, “It’s good that you like them, Mrs. Davidson.”
‘Mr. Davidson’s efforts are not in vain, he thought.
This was the first time in years of serving Alfred that James had seen him making a grand display to move potted flowers into his residence to please a woman. “Mrs. Davidson, go and have your meal first. I’ll get someone to arrange these flowers. When you return after dining with Mr. Davidson, the view will be different. It’s still a bit disorganized right now.”
Because there were too many potted flowers and they had not been arranged yet, the appearance looked a little messy.
“Okay. I’ll take a few more photos.”
Aside from taking a lot of pictures of the succulents, the flowers still in bloom also became the favorites in her phone’s photo album.
After taking a lot of beautiful photos, Kate went to look for Alfred in satisfaction…
Under the pavilion, the stone table was filled with delicacies.
Alfred sat alone at the table. He did not wait for Kate and had already started eating. However, judging from his expression, it seemed that he was not very satisfied with tonight’s dinner.
It wasn’t until he heard Kate’s footsteps that his expression changed and he started serving himself more food.
“Mr. Davidson, eating alone is not enjoyable. I’m here to accompany you.”
Kate was clearly mooching food from Alfred, but she made her reason for joining the meal sound very reasonable. She even acted as if Alfred was the one who benefited.
Back then, Alfred had asked her to be self-reliant. However, ever since she moved into Davidson’s residence, she had almost always relied on Alfred and had meals with him.
In the main kitchen, every day’s meals for Alfred were prepared with great effort, with dishes changing daily. Only the dishes that Alfred particularly liked were repeated on the table.
Every time Kate dined with him, she always felt like she was dining with an emperor as his meals were exceptionally sumptuous.
Kate sat down opposite Alfred and picked up the cutlery that the bodyguard had prepared for her. She first served Alfred some food before serving herself.
“Mr. Davidson, what made you think of having James buy so many potted flowers to arrange?”
Alfred said indifferently, “There’s so much delicious food, but it still can’t keep you quiet, huh?”
He thought, ‘No talking while eating.’
Kate smiled playfully. “I’m just curious.”
She thought, ‘His residence always feels clean, refreshing, and grand, but bringing in so many potted flowers all at once takes away the usual vibes. Considering how he rolls, the change is abrupt.’
After Kate took a few sips of the delicious soup, she suddenly asked Alfred, “Mr. Davidson, is it because of me?”
Alfred looked up at her with an unfathomable gaze.
A long while later, he said, “Don’t flatter yourself.”
Kate giggled. “I really want to flatter myself. Mr. Davidson, would you let me flatter myself?”
“Yael,” Alfred suddenly called out.
Yael immediately walked into the pavilion and asked respectfully, “Mr. Davidson, what can I do for you?”
“Go look for Logan and get some gold from him. Mrs. Davidson wants to make herself appear more impressive. I’ Il fulfill her wish.”
“Okay.”
Kate was left speechless, thinking, ‘I was just joking, and he took it seriously? But I’m also curious. I want to see if Yael would really bring some gold over.
A few minutes later, Yael and Logan arrived.
As Kate watched, the two bodyguards opened the jewelry box they brought over and let Kate see what was inside. Everything inside was gold jewelry, including necklaces, rings, bracelets, bangles, and more. Everything was made of gold, shimmering brightly.
“Mrs. Davidson, the gold has been brought here,” Yael said respectfully.
Kate was left speechless, thinking, ‘Why do I feel that Mr. Davidson is intentionally trying to give me jewelry?’
Considering Alfred’s personality, Kate believed she had mistakenly thought Alfred valued her. ‘There’s no way he would take the initiative to give me a gift, she thought.
金
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