Tanya tried her hardest to remain calm and composed. After clearing her mind, she adjusted her sitting position and said, "I had to do something last night, so I didn't go. Sorry."

Hearing Tanya's answer made Leon's smile turn more mischievous. Thinking that she got the kiss mark on her neck last night, he only nodded and said, "No, you don't have to apologize. It's just a party, and you're not obligated to attend. Anyway, what's your name?"

Tanya, however, pretended not to hear his question and shifted her attention to the window. She didn't want to engage in a conversation.

Hearing no response from her, Leon didn't ask further questions. He focused on driving until they arrived in front of the white carved gate of the Yates family.

Seeing the modern European-style villa with three floors sent an indescribable feeling to Tanya's heart. Needless to say, the Yates family's estate looked nothing close to where she lived. Tanya's thoughts wandered for a second, but she quickly composed herself and turned to Leon.

"It's Tanya," she softly said as she opened the car door and said thanks almost inaudibly.

Leon got confused for a second until he realized she had merely answered his previous question.

Nodding, he thought, 'Tina and Tanya. Their names are almost the same.'

Not long after their arrival, the carved gate slowly opened.

The Yates family's butler, Mark Lewis, came out carrying a suitcase in his hand. Tina soon walked after him.

She was wearing white wide-legged high-waisted pants, a red sleeveless silk blouse, trendy sunglasses, and a white sun hat on her head. What made her even more compelling was that her long brown hair tucked underneath her hat moved gracefully in response to the refreshing breeze. Tina, as always, looked like a subject that had just stepped out of a painting.

The latter didn't know Leon was coming, so seeing his black Bentley surprised her. She was about to greet him when her eyes fell on Tanya, who had just gotten off Leon's car.

"Tanya?" Tina called, even deliberately taking off her sunglasses to check. "It's really you! Why are you with Mr. Darving?" she asked, immensely surprised.

When Tanya didn't answer, Leon replied on her behalf, saying, "I happened to come across her on my way here."

Even though Tanya reported almost everything that happened at the party last night to Tina, the latter remained doubtful.

Tanya told her Leon went to the VIP lounge to look for her but soon passed out from intoxication. Then, she claimed she left before Leon woke up, but Tina wondered if it was just a coincidence that they came into the villa together.

Not wanting to waste time, Tanya walked directly toward Tina despite the pain in her ankle.

"Tina," she called as she pulled Tina to the other side of the gate so that Leon would not overhear their conversation.

After keeping their distance, Tanya looked at Tina with a troubled expression as she said, "I came here because of our deal, Tina. You promised to transfer one hundred thousand bucks to me if I attend the party on your behalf. I did everything you asked for, but I haven't received the money yet. You are not answering my calls either."

Tina frowned upon hearing Tanya's purpose of visit. She looked at Leon first before rolling her eyes at her sister, saying, "It's just one hundred thousand dollars, Tanya. What's the hurry?"

Tanya's eyes started to tear up upon hearing Tina's remark. Unable to conceal her emotion, she snapped and said, "Tina, one hundred thousand dollars may not seem like much to you, but it will help me a lot. My mother is having her surgery this afternoon, so how could I not be in a hurry?!"

"Your mother?" Tina asked, raising her brows. She looked at Tanya sharply and added, "Tanya, she's just your adoptive mother! Our real mom died five years ago, and dad is inside."

With that, Tanya fell silent.

She couldn't refute her sister's words because Tina said nothing but the truth. Even so, she didn't give the latter the impression that she was okay with everything she said.

Seeing Tanya behave like that, Tina stood before her grimly, openly pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration.

The latter left the hotel in a hurry last night after having a frightening experience. It wasn't that Tina deliberately forgot the money she promised to Tanya, but she had a lot of things on her mind at the moment to still keep track of everything.

Now, Tina could not help but feel angry that her sister, whom she had made such an effort to get in touch with after such a long time apart, cared only about outsiders.

"Dad made a great offer to you, Tanya. He promised to pay for Mrs. Hart's treatment if you return to us and cut off your connections with the Harts. You could've dealt with your adoptive mother's surgery fee without difficulty, but why do you have to be so stubborn?" Tina snapped in frustration.

She didn't even wait for Tanya to respond and successively asked, "Why did you choose to stay beside Mrs. Hart? Why didn't you come back to us? Tanya, are you trying to embarrass dad?"

"Tina, let's talk about that next time, okay? I have no time to deal with such things right now. I just need one hundred thousand dollars, please? Or maybe you can give me at least half. I need it badly," Tanya replied with teary eyes, deeply concerned for her adoptive mother, who had been admitted to the hospital for half a month due to heart complications.

Tanya's adoptive mother, Nancy Hart, had a scheduled surgery this afternoon. But then, hospital protocols were there for a reason. If Tanya failed to raise enough money for the surgery, the doctor wouldn't push the surgery through. However, Nancy's heart condition could no longer tolerate delays.

One hundred thousand dollars was not even that significant to Tina, so seeing Tanya's teary eyes softened her heart eventually.

"I forgot your account number. Sent it to me again," Tina casually said, making Tanya's eyes glimmer in delight.

"Here, wait!" she exclaimed as she rummaged through her bag to look for her bank card.

Leon, on the other hand, silently watched the two from the other side after greeting Mark briefly. He was leaning against the car door, casually puffing on his cigarette.

Now that he could see the two together, he could tell their differences well. Since Tina was wearing high heels, she looked half a head taller than Tanya.

Leon couldn't hear what the two were talking about, but it seemed to him that they were arguing.

Tina looked dead serious while Tanya was panicking.

Leon watched them for a moment before putting out his cigarette and striding toward them.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked.

Tina didn't mean to be rude by declining Leon's kind gesture, but dragging him into her and her sister's mess was the last thing she wanted to happen.

"It's okay, Mr. Darving. My sister and I can handle this matter by ourselves. For now, why don't you go inside with Mr. Lewis and have tea while Tanya and I are talking? I'll join you shortly," Tina graciously said.

Leon didn't want to be impolite, so he shook his head, smiled reassuringly, and suggested, "I'll wait here. Why don't you two go inside instead and take your time?"

But then, Tanya and Tina responded "No" in unison.

"You really are twins," Leon said, smiling in amusement.

Tanya wasn't in the mood to joke around or prolong their conversation. Thus, she quickly handed her bank card to Tina, saying, "Here. I'll forever be grateful for your help, Tina."

Being the good sister that she was, Tina shook her head and replied, "It's not a big deal, Tanya."

Tina's determination to make Tanya return to their family hadn't wavered a bit. The former promised to give the latter the money if she attended the party, so she wanted to get that over with first.

Tina opened her mobile bank app and immediately transferred the money to Tanya. After that, she turned to Leon and said, "This is my twin sister, Tanya Yates, Mr. Darving. We had looked for her for twenty years after she got lost when she was two years old. We met last month, but she had no plans of returning to our family because she got too attached to her adoptive mother. Anyway, Mrs. Hart is going to have an operation this afternoon, so Tanya came here to ask for help. I'm her sister, so as much as I envy the attention she was giving to a stranger, I could only help."

Leon couldn't help but pity Tanya's situation, but he was also a bit confused because of the kiss mark on the back of her ear. He could tell that it was a new mark, judging from the looks of it, so he thought, 'If she's this concerned about her adoptive mother's surgery, how could she still have time to engage in sex?'

But then, Leon knew he didn't have any right to judge anyone.

"Tanya," he suddenly called in his deep, majestic voice, which inevitably sent shivers down Tanya's spine.

"I have some connections with Aide Hospital. If you need anything, just tell me," Leon offered.

Aide Hospital was the premier aristocratic private hospital in Lingerfield. Their entire staff consisted of internationally renowned medical specialists who provided only the finest services and interventions. Since it was on top of the list, the cost of their consultations alone was unimaginable. Because of that, people of lower socioeconomic status would not visit this place, even if they were in desperate need.

Tanya was at a loss for words because of Leon's generosity. She had avoided his gaze since earlier, but something suddenly urged her to look at him.

The sun shone brightly behind him, so it took a few seconds before Tanya's eyes adjusted and gained clearer vision.

'I wonder how a man could look so much like a male protagonist from a book. He's irrefutably charming,' Tanya inwardly remarked.

Leon's charm remained unmistakable even though he only wore a gray and white long-sleeved shirt, dark blue vest, and dark blue suit pants of the same style.

When his blue eyes fell on her, she felt as though he would be able to pierce through her thoughts.

Tanya didn't know how long she had been staring at Leon. She got too preoccupied appreciating his looks and only snapped back to her senses when Tina tapped her shoulder. Tina said, "Tanya, Mr. Darving is talking to you. Did you hear what he said?"

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Darving. I appreciate your kindness," Tanya replied, thinking he might indeed become her brother-in-law soon.

As for what happened between them last night, no one knew about it aside from her anyway.

Leon took a business card from his inner pocket and handed it to Tanya. "You're welcome. You're Tina's sister, so if you need anything, contact me. You're no longer an outsider to me," he said.

With that, Tanya nodded and reached for Leon's business card. After that, she looked at her sister and said, "Thank you for both of your help. I don't want to bother you anymore, so I'll leave first."

Tanya didn't wait for the two to respond and left in a hurry. She walked so fast that she forgot about her badly injured ankle, causing her to trip again.

Fortunately, Leon caught her in time. If he had responded a second late, Tanya would have been kissing the ground right now.

Concerned, Tina walked toward them and asked, "What happened to your ankles?"

"I uh— I accidentally twisted it last night, but it's better now," Tanya replied as she retracted her body from Leon and fixed herself.

The latter only held her briefly, but she could feel her heartbeat accelerating significantly.

Tina was also in a hurry, so she looked at Leon and called, "Mr. Darving."

"Call me Leon," he corrected.

"Okay, Leon. Why did you come here, by the way?" Tina asked out of curiosity.

Forgetting about Tanya's presence, Leon smiled mischievously at Tina and said, "If I tell you that I missed you already, will you believe me?"

Tina, of course, didn't know what to respond, but she blushed.

Who wouldn't, though? The man who told her he missed her wasn't any random man but the unparalleled Leon Darving.

But then, even if the Darving family's heir was standing before her telling her he missed her, Tina had already planned her day.

Apologetic, she smiled embarrassedly at Leon and said, "That's so sweet of you, Leon, but I'm afraid I can't spend time with you today. Unfortunately, you're a few minutes late. An old classmate of mine had just asked me to go to Royal island to catch up. We'll spend a few days there, and our boat will leave at noon. They should be here anytime soon to pick me up."

While speaking, Tina saw Tanya sneakily walking away, so she immediately grabbed her arm, turned to Leon, and said, "But can I ask you for a favor?"

Leon only nodded and waited for Tina's response, so the latter continued, saying, "Could you please give Tanya a ride? It's a bit late, so she needs to get to the hospital soon."

Hearing what her sister said, Tanya broke free from Tina's grip, shook her hands in front of the two, and exclaimed, "No, please! I don't want to bother Mr. Darving. I can take the taxi, sis."

She refused so openly that she sounded somehow wary of Leon. Because of that, the latter, who originally had no plans of giving her a ride, suddenly got curious about her odd reaction.

"Sure. I don't have much on my plate anyway," Leon said before facing Tina and added, "I'll take you to the pier too."

Tanya stood stiffly upon hearing what he said. Tina, on the contrary, smiled after a moment of hesitation.

"Are you sure?" she asked. Seeing Leon nod, Tina smiled and replied, "Alright, I'll take your ride too. I'll just message my classmates later."

After that, Tina gestured something to Mark, and the latter, who had been carrying her luggage for a long time, nodded and put everything in the trunk of Leon's car.

Then, Mark stood at the side and patiently waited to see if Tina still had other instructions.

Leon, on the other hand, wrapped his arm on the latter's shoulders and looked at the Yates family's mansion. "Shouldn't I at least go inside and greet your father?" he asked, thinking it would be rude not to greet Tim even though he was already around.

Tina couldn't help but praise Leon's initiative and politeness inwardly. Even so, she only smiled at him and said, "That's so nice of you, but Dad is still asleep, Leon. I don't think disturbing him will be a good idea."

Mark, who had been listening to their conversation the entire time, mirrored Tina's words and interjected, "Miss Tina's right, Mr. Darving. Mr. Yates drank so much at the party last night that he still hasn't gotten up. But then, thank you for giving Miss Tanya and Tina a ride."

After saying that to Leon, Mark looked at Tanya and said, "Miss Tanya, if you change your mind and suddenly want to return home, you can reach out to me. I'll get everything ready for you."

Other housekeepers wouldn't mind whether Tanya would return to the Yates family or not. However, Mark was not just any other housekeeper. He had worked for the Yates family for nearly thirty years and was now like a family member.

Tina knew her father well, so she walked near Mark and whispered, "Mr. Lewis, please don't let my dad know that Tanya came here to ask for money for her adoptive mother's surgery."

Knowing where Tina's concern was coming from, Mark nodded reassuringly and said, "Don't worry, Miss Tina. I won't let Mr. Yates know."

Tanya, who could hear everything, looked elsewhere and didn't say anything.

After the three got into the car, Leon drove his black Bentley away from the villa. Tina sat in the passenger seat while Tanya sat in the back seat, looking at the window absentmindedly.

The weather was perfect. The sun was shining brightly, causing the River Road's surroundings to appear extra lovely. Even the river itself sparkled as the sun rays glistened on it.

An awkward atmosphere, on the contrary, permeated inside Leon's car. Tanya remained silent throughout the entire ride, not knowing what to say. Nancy's doctor called her earlier, and she became quieter after that.

Leon, on the other hand, was cold, to begin with, so he only concentrated on driving and didn't utter a single word.

And lastly, Tina hadn't been off her phone since they left the mansion. Then, she only closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat when she finished texting.

While waiting for the traffic light to turn green, Leon turned his head and looked at Tina.

"What's the matter, pretty? You're going on a trip, but you don't look so happy," he asked concernedly.

"I'm excited, but I'm still tired from last night. I even thought of canceling this trip, but everything has already been set," Tina replied weakly.

Leon felt a little guilty upon hearing what the latter said. He thought it was Tina's first time getting intimate last night, yet he had been rough with her. Because of that, Leon looked at her apologetically and said, "I'm sorry. I'm not considerate enough. Let me make it up to you next time."

'I'll give you a pleasant yet unforgettable experience next time,' he thought.

Leon also thought of surprising Tina with the golden rose his grandfather prepared when the time was right.

Tina, on the other hand, suddenly felt that something was strange about Leon's words. Even so, she only smiled at him, not wanting to stress herself about it.

"I've heard countless rumors saying you are a cold and heartless man, but I think they're exaggerating," Tina said, chuckling.