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.

"Pretty, I couldn't care any less about other people's opinion of me," Leon said as he reached for Tina's hand. He looked at her warmly, kissed the back of her hand gently, and added, "The only thing that matters is how you view me. They can call me heartless, snob, or anything they want, but I'll keep being sweet to you and you alone."

Leon spoke as bold as a lion. Since he had already decided to marry Tina, he no longer wanted to let even a single day go by without making an effort to build their relationship.

He even thought of having a child with her if things went well since it was what his grandfather wanted the most. Aside from that, his position as the Darving Group's successor would also be stable if he managed to do that.

Tanya, who couldn't help but overhear the two's conversation, bit her lower lip because of Leon's words. She suddenly recalled how his hugeness ripped her core last night.

Coincidentally, Leon suddenly glanced at the rearview mirror, causing their eyes to meet. He caught traces of panic in her expression, so he could not help but knit his brows in suspicion.

Tanya, of course, hurriedly shifted her gaze outside the car as if nothing had happened.

Even though Leon hadn't told her anything directly, she could tell that he was genuinely interested in her sister.

However, Tanya wasn't sure if Tina was on the same page as him.

When they were in the VIP lounge last night, Tina received a call before she left in a hurry. Tanya was sure that it was a man who called, and she even noticed that her sister's tone sounded soft and delicate.

Because of that, Tanya couldn't help but think, 'Has Tina fallen in love with another man? If so, why was she still clinging to Mr. Darving? It even looks like she wants a serious relationship with him.'

The more Tanya thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. Not wanting to stress over something that didn't specifically concern her, Tanya closed her eyes and cleared her mind.

She reminded herself to forget what happened last night and never get involved in such a complicated relationship.

Leon continued driving until they arrived at the hospital shortly after. Tina got out of the car first and opened the door for Tanya like a caring sister.

The latter, however, couldn't stand to hide her worry anymore. She pulled Tina to the side and whispered, "Tina, are you seeing a different man? If so, you know Mr. Darving is not someone you can easily fool, right?"

"I know," Tina briefly replied, surprised by her sister's question.

Tanya remained doubtful, so she asked again, saying, "If you are aware of that, why are you..."

However, Tina immediately cut her off. "Can you please shut up? It's not your business, Tanya," she snapped, deliberately pulling her away so Leon wouldn't hear them.

All sorts of rumors about what kind of person Leon was were all over the business field, so how could Tina not know what situation she was getting herself into?

Leon was famous among the people in the upper class. Some admired him, while others feared his competitiveness after hearing that he showed no mercy toward his brother and cousins to be the Darving Group's successor.

Even Tina's father, who had been in the business field for a long time, almost jumped in delight upon securing a fixed marriage between his daughter and Darving Groups' current president, Leon.

Even so, Tim mentioned more than once not to underestimate Leon no matter how young he was. After all, the latter won his grandfather's approval among his elder cousins, which was not an easy task.

But then, Leon remained every girl's ideal man despite all the nasty rumors about him.

He was impressively tall and charming, with a distinct manliness that resulted from his noble bearing and collected demeanor. And exaggerated as it might sound, his charm was like a raging fire in the darkness that could attract women to jump in his burning light.

Because of that, Tina couldn't deny that Leon's interest in her had given her a great sense of pride and vanity. She also knew that marrying him would significantly benefit the Yates Group.

However, it seemed like fate was playing a game with her. Since she was involved with another man, she did not dare to either accept or reject Leon's interest in her.

Seeing Tina's reaction, Tanya shrugged her shoulders and didn't dare infuriate her more.

"I'm going in. Thank you again for this money. I'll pay you back once I find a job and earn enough," Tanya said and left.

Leon, on the other hand, watched Tanya through the car window as she limped away in panic.

When Tina returned to the car, he smiled faintly at her and asked, "Why does your sister look extra timid?"

Tina wasn't sure why Leon asked, but she answered him anyway.

"A con man abducted Tanya when she was two years old, so she got traumatized. Her adoptive parents rescued her, took her in, and raised her in a small fishing village in the east. So, please understand if she gets nervous in front of an imposing man like you. She has been living away from too many people for so many years, so let her adjust," she said.

"Is that so? You sound like you know her well, but do you really know her?" Leon randomly asked.

Confused, Tina looked at him, saying, "Are you trying to imply something?"

"Nah. I'm just asking," Leon replied and started the engine.

What kind of person Tanya was, what kind of things she was into, which places she visited, or who she decided to meet had nothing to do with him.

He was interested in Tina, not her.

Meanwhile, things were going pretty smoothly with Tanya at the hospital.

The nurses brought her adoptive mother, Nancy, to the operating room at two o'clock in the afternoon and moved her back to her room at eight o'clock in the evening.

The doctor informed Tanya that her mother's operation went well. However, due to Nancy's complicated surgery, the doctor advised Tanya not to expect her to regain consciousness any time soon, as Nancy still needed to regain her strength. In addition, she stated that the surgery could cause side effects, so she would continue to monitor Nancy.

Still, knowing that her mother was fine was enough for Tanya to sigh a breath of relief. Only then did she decide to approach a nurse for her ankle.

"Your ankle has grown swollen, but don't worry. It's just a sprain and nothing serious," the nurse reassured while giving her a foot massage. She also applied some ointment, which soon alleviated Tanya's pain.

...

The night deepened, so Tanya prepared to sleep after extending the folding bed in Nancy's room. However, it had only been three seconds since she closed her eyes when someone suddenly texted her.

Tina: [Tanya, I've already arrived at Royal Island. If Leon asks anything about me, don't say anything dumb and watch your mouth, okay?]

Knowing where her sister's concern was coming from, Tanya hurriedly replied: [You have nothing to worry about, Tina. I won't say anything off about you.]

Still, Tanya couldn't help but wonder why Tina was so worried because she didn't feel like Leon would purposely go looking for her to ask anything. Tanya even thought that the likelihood of meeting Leon accidentally again was thinner than a strand of hair.

However, contrary to her expectations, she unexpectedly ran into Leon again the following night.

They met on almost the same occasion in the same embarrassing situation.

The Night Charm Bar was a famous go-to place on the side street of the Lingerfield bridge. Since it was already a few minutes past ten o'clock, it was currently the busiest hour of the night.

A group of men and women dressed in sexy and fashionable attire were swinging to the beat on the dance floor, evidently intoxicated. The DJ played heavy metal rock music to its loudest extent, where even those in the farthest corner found their ears ringing because of it.

Such places had never been Leon's favorites. Even if he dropped by occasionally for work or leisure, he would always head straight to the private room to avoid the deafening noise.

But tonight, Nathanael, the chief director of FND, persuaded him to sit among others, saying he needed to look for wild inspiration tonight.

...

Nathanael rubbed his chin as he sat at the small round table with half a dozen beer bottles and said, "I'm still baffled, Leon! I couldn't believe that I guessed wrong. How could Tina be a virgin?!"

Leon's eyes glimmered at what Nathanael said. Proud, he leisurely lit his cigarette and said, "Well, it's your choice whether you believe me or not, but let me tell you one thing. Tina is Tim Yates' daughter, and you know how strict of a father he is. So, it's not surprising that Tina was a virgin."

"Forget it," Nathanael surrendered with a sneer. "You look ready to give up a forest for one tree, so I won't persuade you anymore."

Leon immediately understood what Nathanael meant, but he didn't bother to refute it. After all, that had been his plan these previous days.

A beautiful girl caught Nathanael's eyes shortly after, so he abandoned Leon without hesitation. The latter, however, knew this would happen, so he only sneered in displeasure.

'I'll leave after finishing this cigarette,' he thought.

A young man, on the other hand, was having a blast on the dance floor with a stunning woman when he inadvertently saw Leon. Because of that, he stopped dancing.

The girl dressed in a mini halter top immediately noticed the man's stiffness, so she followed his gaze.

Then, she asked, "Lambert, is that your cousin?"

Lambert, however, didn't answer.

Hearing no response from him, the woman clutched her hands on Lambert's arm and said, "I heard from the news that he's in love with Tina of the Yates family. If they are going to get married soon, why does he still come to places like this?"

"Their marriage has nothing to do with love. It's all about business," Lambert corrected as he pulled the woman out of the dance floor. "But grandpa happens to admire how independent and successful Tina was, so Leon deliberately slept with her at grandpa's birthday party, fearing someone might steal her," he added.

Lambert was close to the VIP lounge on the night of the party when Leon went inside. He knew Tina was also there, so he stayed to eavesdrop but ended up hearing them making love.

Sensing jealousy in Lambert's tone, the woman rolled her eyes and said, "Lambert, if you want to sabotage your cousin, I'll help you."

After that, she took something from her pocket and whispered in Lambert's ears. The latter's face lit up upon hearing what her girl had to say. He seemed so pleased that he kissed her torridly before walking toward Leon with a mischievous smile plastered on his face.

"Look who we have here! What's up, Leo? I didn't know you were here!" Lambert greeted.