"Miss Kayla, I know you and Dylan Jameson have known each other since childhood. But I am truly fond of him. You, born into the cherishable Scott family, have had everything you ever needed from birth. You won't lose anything if you give him up to me."
Kayla Scott hung her head low, her long and dense eyelashes covering the majority of her emotions pooling in her eyes.
Her slender and snow-white fingers stirred the coffee slowly and steadily, revealing no hint of panic.
Kayla asked in a soft and soothing voice, "Suppose I don't, what do you stand to lose?"
Looking up, her eyes, clear as crystal, met the somewhat panicked gaze of the woman across from her.
The person here negotiating with her today was no one else but Zoey Thompson, who had been her assistant for three months.
True to her name ‘Zoey’, which meant gentle, live, and soft, she appeared so delicate that it instinctively provoked the protective nature in men.
Kayla wondered, what did Dylan find so appealing in her?
Was it her as a person?
But it was her, Kayla, who was recognized as the distinguished lady of a well-known family in California!
Zoey clutched at her hands and said, “I would be living a life miserable than death, I wouldn’t be able to go on, I would…”
Interrupting her with a soft chuckle, Kayla covered her lips and said, “It seems like your feelings for him are indeed profound.”
“Yes! So please withdraw.”
With a metallic ‘clang’, Kayla dropped the spoon she was holding onto the table. Raising an eyebrow, she looked at Zoey across from her and broke into a meaningless smile, “What if I don’t withdraw? Are you really going to kill yourself? I’ve never seen someone commit suicide, so why don’t you go ahead?”
Zoey abruptly stood up from her seat, glaring at her and said, “In this game, it’s no longer up to you whether to withdraw or not! If you know what’s good for you, vanish from our sight at once. Otherwise, the one who will face the embarrassment is you.”
Kayla elegantly picked up the coffee on the table, took a sip, then set it down saying, "He and I never started anything, so there's no need for me to retreat."
She stood up, picked up her bag lying nearby, and faced the shocked woman across her, "I forgot to tell you, some rumors in California over the years are incorrect. My name is Kayla, he is called Dylan, my father's surname is Jameson, but the one who was adopted isn't me, it's him."
The fact that Kayla was the adopted daughter of the Scott family has been spread by the people in California for many years.
Obviously, Zoey hadn't expected the truth to be like this, her eyes were filled with disbelief.
Kayla smirked satisfactorily, "Since he is the adopted son of the Scott family, he naturally can't inherit the family business."
Zoey's hands were tightly clenched, she shook her head in disbelief, "Impossible, you're lying to me!"
Kayla chuckled, leaned in, and whispered in her ear, "He makes a million a year at the Scott company, but you probably don't know that my annual dividend is ten times his. So why didn't you try to seduce me directly? I'm so much richer and more powerful than him after all…"
"You're lying to me, aren't you? You're the one who was adopted!" Zoey's face turned green and red in turns, causing quite a stir.
Kayla, as calm as ever, adjusted her hair bun and laughed, "What, didn’t you look into these matters before coming to challenge me?"
Her sharp gaze fixed on Zoey, "If you want a stepping-stone, you should at least choose one that's worth gritty sacrifice. Choosing an illegitimate adopted son, it seems you not only have a poor birth but also a poor taste! Your future, I'm afraid, is rather bleak!"
Ignoring the red-faced woman, Kayla elegantly turned around with her bag and walked away.
As she turned around, Zoey ran out of the café faster than her.
However, Kayla paused in her step. She glanced up and noticed the man sitting at the next table over.
As she looked at the man, he was also looking at her.
Kayla recognized him—Jayden Leonardo.
Jayden has frequently been appearing on the news pages of all major newspapers recently, either on financial headlines or entertainment headlines, making him unignorable.
He is both a myth and a joke.
Women of California regard him as a male god, yet they all keep him at arm's length. This is only because of the rumor that this man was unfortunately hit at a vital part of a mission, which renders him incapable of human deeds.
Jayden wore a dark shirt, a cigarette pinched between his fingertips. He leaned back leisurely in a chair, smoking.
In the hazy smoke, she saw Jayden's eyes. They were as deep as the boundless sea, easily enveloping people within.
There are things she could deceive Dylan with, but she couldn't deceive the man in front of her.
In recent years, her father had strong trust in Dylan. Everyone thought he was the predetermined son-in-law of the Scott family.
Even she had thought that she and Dylan would eventually be together, which was why many key positions had already been handed over to Dylan.
However, who would've known, before any results between her and Dylan, he had already impatiently taken the initiative.
Car accident, seizing power - each scene was more melodramatic than the last. Dylan colluded with an assistant to frame her. The sad thing was most of the Scott family now belonged to Dylan.
Currently, she has no chance of winning against Dylan.
Therefore, she needed a strong helper.
Looking at the entire California, there was no other candidate more suitable than the man in front of her!
Truthfully, she had not anticipated meeting him so early on.
Kayla smiled faintly, "Mr. Jayden, are you satisfied with this show?"
On Jayden's usually unchanging face, a faint smile surfaced: "There's no one who can stir up trouble better than Miss Kayla."
A mischievous gleam flickered past Kayla's eyes, but she chose not to speak further.
As she turned around, she cheerfully said: "Mr. Jayden, until we meet again."
Jayden watched as her beautiful profile came into view. The sunlight outside the window illuminated her elaborately made-up face, giving her a breathtakingly beautiful and stunningly attractive look.
Jayden was taken aback for a moment but quickly collected his thoughts.
Much later, Jayden recalled this first meeting.
He thought that maybe what took his breath away was not the passage of time, but his long-lonely heart.
---
Jayden didn't expect he would soon meet Kayla again, at an entertainment club.
He had an unavoidable social engagement that night and had no choice but to turn up.
She stood out among the crowd in a mini-skirt.
Beneath the mini skirt, the pair of long straight legs, fair and well-proportioned, were particularly captivating under the light, dazzling the crowd.
He recognized the person she was talking to. It seemed like the new order from the Scott family was in that person's hands, so it wasn't that surprising that she would be there.
Someone recognized Jayden and greeted him: "Mr. Jayden."
Even though Kayla was engaged in a conversation, her excellent hearing caught this voice.
From behind, the steady sound of footsteps echoed.
"Harrumph, harrumph-"
Caught in surprise, a hand reached out towards Kayla attempting to take advantage of her.
She twisted her body to avoid it and then took a step back.
The next moment, her ankle twisted. She was on the verge of falling.
Countless hands reached out her way, but it was the man coming from behind who was perfectly positioned.
Instantly, Kayla fell into an embrace, strong and steady, supporting her nearly fallen figure.
The moment she looked up, the sight of her delicate, scattered brilliance in her eyes was like a myriad of stars. A squint accompanied by a faint smile made her exceptionally captivating.
Jayden had seen beautiful women before, but rarely one as stunning as Kayla.
Her actions, and her smile, easily mesmerized the observers.
"Thank you," Kayla whispered her thanks.
The moment she stood up, a faint fragrance from her body, barely noticeable, brushed past Jayden's nostrils.
Jayden glanced downward, only to see the girl standing there, looking charming from the side.
He was momentarily taken aback, looking over her face once more, he couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity.
