"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.

Traces of displeasure immediately filled Leon's face upon seeing Lambert. Uninterested in talking to him, he only nodded forcefully and continued puffing on his cigarette.

Lambert, on the contrary, cleared his throat in embarrassment and pulled her date closer after receiving his cousin's coldest response. Then, he said, "Maya, this is my cousin, Leon Darving. I call him Leo, and you can too if you want. Why don't you say hello to him?"

Lambert's date, Maya, also came from a wealthy family. Because of that, her eyes automatically glimmered in admiration upon seeing the great Leon Darving up close.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Darving," Maya politely addressed, not wanting to sound so rude on their first encounter. "I've heard a lot about you from Lambert. He said you are handsome and capable, and I couldn't agree more," she added.

Then, she casually took a beer for herself and offered a glass of whiskey to Leon. "Care to have a drink with me?" she said, sounding utterly sweet.

Leon had always been aloof with girls, unlike how he behaved whenever he was with Tina. Because of that, he only gave Maya a questioning look and didn't bother to accept the glass of whiskey.

Sensing his cousin's weariness, Lambert rolled his eyes and scolded, "Come on, Leo. I know I am the last person you want to come across here, but don't be rude to a girl. She's offering you a drink, so accept it like a man!"

"It's just one drink, Mr. Darving. I'd be hurt if you'll reject it. Please, don't embarrass me," Maya mirrored supportively.

Left with no choice, Leon frowned, took the glass of whiskey from Maya, and drank half of its content.

With that, Lambert smiled triumphantly. "That's what I'm saying! Alright then. I don't want to disturb you, so we'll leave first. Have a good time!" he said.

After finishing his cigarette, Leon turned his attention to the dance floor, where Nathanael was already grooving passionately with a pretty girl, his hands wrapped around her waist.

Planning to leave, Leon snuffed his cigarette at the ashtray, patted the corner of his coat, and got up. However, he suddenly felt an overwhelming wave of dizziness, followed by a strange feeling of throwing up.

'Fuck you, Lambert! Did he put something in my drink for me to feel this way?' Leon cursed in his mind as his vision gradually went fuzzy.

When Lambert saw Leon almost tumble, he smiled cunningly. Maya, on the other hand, encircled her hands around his neck and glowed with pride at what she did. She even boasted, saying, "See? I told you it'd work! Well, I'll go seduce him later, so take pictures. You can make up stories with that."

Maya explained that if Lambert did that, Tina would be upset with Leon, and Morris would not like it either.

But then, Lambert didn't want to shove Maya into the lion's den. So, he shook his head, smiled, and reminded her, "You're such a sly fox, honey. I'll let you go on with your plan, but if he finds out, you'll be dead. At least know what you are getting yourself into."

Leon tried to endure the indescribable feeling he felt as he walked toward the exit. He was not born yesterday, so he knew he got into this situation because of Lambert.

The latter was Morris' fourth grandson. He had always been supportive of Francis, but the opposite toward Leon. And now, he even went as far as pulling such a dirty trick to set him up.

Just when Leon was only a few steps away from the exit, Maya suddenly blocked his way and asked, "Are you leaving already, Mr. Darving?"

She looked at him seductively, her fingers sneakily traveling through the surface of his arm.

Because of that, Leon had enough and unhesitatingly pushed Maya away in disgust. Then, he glared at Lambert, who almost dropped his phone upon meeting his deadly gaze.

Still, Maya remained persistent. She boldly hugged Leon's arm and invited, "Let's dance, Mr. Darving! It's still too early to leave."

"Get lost!" Leon ordered, which sounded like a threat.

This time, he realized Lambert wanted to create some scandal and ruin his relationship with Tina. Just then, Leon caught a glimpse of a familiar face. Even though the colorful lights made it difficult for him to entirely see the girl's face, he still recognized her.

The girl, without a doubt, was Tanya. Dressed casually in jeans and a white shirt, she scoured the area with her eyes.

'Did she come here to have fun?' Leon inwardly asked, gradually feeling a burning sensation in his body.

Since Tanya and Tina looked precisely the same, a better escape plan suddenly popped into Leon's mind.

Not wanting to waste time, he pushed Maya away, strode toward Tanya, and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

The latter didn't have time to react as she found herself being pulled over by a man.

When she raised her eyes to see who it was, her heart began beating faster than the beat of rock music.

"Mr. Darving?" she called in both surprise and confusion.

"Just follow me," Leon replied.