Chapter 27: Who Kissed You?
“Who was it?” Viola demanded sternly, eyeing Kayla.
“…No one, just… an accident…” Kayla mumbled, covering her neck, looking guilty.
Viola, being astute, quickly pieced things together from Kayla’s expression. “Could it be… Ethaniel?”
“…” Kayla looked as if she would never admit it, even if it killed her.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.
This made it obvious. Viola grabbed Kayla and scolded her harshly, “Didn’t I tell you that Ethaniel is a very dangerous man and you should not get too close to him? How could you… Kayla, is your brain made of mush?”
Feeling wronged after Viola’s scolding, Kayla muttered with her head down, “It’s not like I was pestering him. He was the one who came to me…”
“Kayla!” Viola pulled her up, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes staring straight at her. “If you really want an ordinary life, you need to sever all ties with Ethaniel. It’s not just you; the entire Seatowne is no match for him!”
“I know!” Kayla bit her lip, looking troubled. “I’ve already warned him not to come after me again. Today was just an accident. Anyway, I asked him today if he liked me, and he didn’t admit it. I think he’s just curious about me. This will blow over in a few days.”
Viola stared at Kayla and continued to ask, “He didn’t admit he likes you? How do you feel about it? Are you upset? Can you stay calm?”
“Why would I be upset… Even if he does like me, I don’t care.”
“Why?” Viola was curious. With Ethaniel’s family background and looks, most women would be smitten.
“Because…” Kayla looked up at the starry sky and said softly, “I don’t have a ladder that tall to reach those stars. I’d rather sit here and admire them from afar than worry about falling from such heights.”
Usually, Kayla seemed a bit dense and foolish, but at crucial moments, she had a surprisingly clear perspective. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have managed to take down the organization Viola had painstakingly built over the years.
So, Kayla probably wouldn’t fall for Ethaniel easily.
That was good. Such a dangerous man was not suitable for the innocent Kayla.
Viola smiled with relief and, like Kayla, lay back in her chair to gaze at the distant stars.
…
Tranquility Villa, located in one of Seatowne’s top villa districts, was a luxurious area where each property was exorbitantly priced and fully equipped.
One of these villas belonged to Seatowne’s wealthy businessman, Sam. At the moment, Sam was sitting under a huge crystal chandelier in the villa’s grand hall, holding a glass of red wine and drinking sullenly.
The door opened, and Aria and Violet walked in, chatting and laughing. They immediately noticed Sam drinking alone. “Dad, why are you home so early today? Weren’t you supposed to attend a banquet?”
Sam clutched the wine glass, his face full of resentment. “The investment has been cancelled. What banquet is there to attend!”
“Dad, what happened? Didn’t you say Goldenshore Group agreed to invest?” Aria was shocked. As the operations director of the Green Group, she knew how much they had sacrificed to climb up to Goldenshore Group. They had turned down many foreign partners and spent a lot of money modifying their equipment to secure this investment. How could they suddenly lose the contract?
Sam angrily smashed the wine glass in his hand and recounted what had happened that morning.
Sam was the one who had angered Ethaniel at the luncheon. After their cooperation was canceled, he didn’t attend the investment meeting in the afternoon, so he had no idea that Kayla had participated in it.
“Just because you toasted Ethaniel, the cooperation was canceled? All our preliminary investments have gone to waste!” Aria blurted out.
Sam roared in rage, “If Ethaniel dares to ruin the Green Family, I will never forgive him, even in death!”
“The Green Family’s funds are already in a huge deficit. Without his investment, we can hardly get through this.” Violet, the family’s chief financial officer, understood the company’s situation best.
The Green Family had once been prosperous, but due to poor decisions in recent years, their market share had plummeted, and the company’s finances had been in the red year after year. Now, the Green Group was like a cake hollowed out by termites. Without external funds to fill the void, the cake would collapse!
“Are we just going to sit and wait for death?” Aria was even more furious. “No way. We need to find other investors to fund the Green Family immediately. Without a large influx of funds, our factories will shut down in less than half a year, and our family will be finished!”
Sam’s face was ashen. The commercial empire he had built with his own hands was now teetering on the brink of collapse. This feeling was like being pushed to the top of a high tower, only to be mercilessly thrown down.
Violet, always the calmest person in the family, said, “We need at least 20 billion in funding right now. Aside from Goldenshore Group, there are few financial institutions that can provide such an amount. Distant water won’t quench a nearby fire. To save the Green Family, we must rely on Goldenshore Group.”
Aria was speechless for a moment but then had a sudden flash of inspiration. “Why don’t we find a way to persuade Ethaniel to reinvest? Dad, didn’t you say Ethaniel is single? If we can form a marriage alliance with Goldenshore Group, he will definitely invest in us!”
At these words, a glimmer of hope appeared in Sam’s eyes as he looked at his two daughters sitting on the sofa.
Aria was stunning and alluring, while Violet was elegant and quiet. Both were first-rate beauties. If Ethaniel took a liking to either of them, a mere few billion dollars would be just a drop in the bucket for Goldenshore Group.
“Good! Tomorrow we will all go to the event. You must find a chance to get close to Ethaniel!” Sam had no other options left and could only rely on his daughters’ marriages to save his business.
Aria and Violet exchanged a knowing glance, not mentioning that they had already approached Kayla. They had originally planned to get close to Ethaniel anyway, and now they had an even more legitimate reason.
This time, Kayla must help them!