A sour taste rose from her stomach. Leila lowered her head and swallowed the lump in her throat.

Indeed, Zachary patiently taught her to drive, and Leila learned quickly. Driving was one of the things she took pride in. It was a pity, though. Because she learned to drive, she accidentally killed someone.

If Zachary found out that she was the reason why his mother died, he would probably regret teaching her to drive.

"What are you dawdling for? Get in the car." Zachary said impatiently and tossed the car key to her. He closed his eyes and put his arm on his forehead as he leaned against the seat.

Leila stared at him for a moment before she got into the driver's seat. She squeezed the key and put it inside the keyhole, but her hands were trembling.

She was starting to become queasy. Fear emerged in her eyes, and her gaze blurred with haze. What happened five years ago was replaying in front of her as if it was happening right now.

The raging fire that frantically swallowed her seemed to burn her alive.

'Snap out of your senses! It's long gone. Come on. You can do it!' Even though she comforted herself, her fingers were cold and stiff like icicles.

She fiddled for a long time before finally inserting the key into the keyhole.

Leila sighed in relief, but her body went rigid when she saw Zachary staring at her.

'Damn! I thought he had fallen asleep!' She swore inside her head.

She averted her gaze and started the engine.

"Back then, you were confident in driving and drove smoothly. It never crossed my mind that you'll be afraid of driving now. Tell me, is there anything that doesn't frighten you?"

Leila bit her lips and refused to look at him. But she could feel his heated gaze on her face that almost bore a hole in her skin.

"What made you afraid of driving?" Zachary queried.

"I just don't want to," she muttered.

"Just don't want to? Or because it had something to do with what happened back then?" His eyebrows arched as he looked at Leila's side frame.

"Would you still teach me to drive if you knew something like that would happen?" Her eyelashes trembled as she fought the urge to cry.

'Do you regret it?' she asked inside her mind. Afraid that Zachary would say he did, she didn't dare to ask. If that happened, she didn't know how she would comfort herself.

She snapped out of her thoughts when Zachary's hoarse voice rang again.

Zachary flashed a small smile. "When did I say I regret teaching you? Even if I didn't teach you, you would have learned it when you were eighteen. Moreover, it's a good thing that I taught you because you'll still remember me."

When Leila heard this, her heart skipped a beat as a wave of warmth spread through her veins. She chewed her inside cheek and suppressed her emotions from emerging on the surface.

Zachary pulled out the cigarette case from his pocket, pulled a stick, and lit it.

Caught him red-handed, Leila shot him a look and wanted to stop him from smoking. After all, the man had a sick stomach at that moment. However, no words came out when she opened her mouth to say something.

Coincidentally, Zachary looked at her. Leila was stunned and immediately coughed to mask her embarrassment. Then she turned her head and looked straight ahead, concentrating on driving.

Zachary didn't puff a cigarette. A profound glint flitted into his eyes. He looked at the cigarette in his hand before throwing it out of the window.

After that, neither of them spoke again. Not long after, the two arrive at the Leighton Corporation.

Leila drove to the underground garage and parked the car. She saw Secretary Moore and Zachary's bodyguards were already waiting for them.

She pushed the door open and alighted from the vehicle. Secretary Moore approached her and greeted her with a smile.

"Miss Wright, President. Leighton has an important meeting, so we need to leave now. Later, I'll draft the contract and discuss the terms with you. Do you think it's okay to sign it tomorrow?"

Leila smiled and nodded. "Yes. But Zachary had just drunk a cup of black coffee. He's not feeling well, so I think it's best to send him to the hospital."

"Okay. I'll call the doctor over. Thank you, Miss Wright." Sunshine bowed and got inside the driver's seat.

"Alright."

Zachary glanced at Leila's neck, and his eyes gleamed with displeasure. He felt anger thrumming in his veins, so he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Leila took a couple of steps backward as the car made a U-turn. Sunshine raised her hand and waved at Leila before driving away.

Leila was left in the parking lot, staring at the receding car, and heaved a deep sigh.

She began walking and headed to the Imperial Medical Hospital. It was the hospital where her grandmother stayed when she fell ill until the day she died.

Back then, her grandmother bought it because she was impressed by the hospital's location and medical conditions. Before she died, she bequeathed the hospital to Leila, which wasn't one of the properties under the Wrights.

As luck would have it, no one in the family knew that the Imperial Medical Hospital belonged to Leila. Hence, she was pretty relieved to put her childhood friend there.

When she arrived at the hospital, she went straight to the top floor, where there was only one room—the VVIP ward.

Leila nodded to the bodyguards guarding the door. One of them respectfully opened the door, and Leila went inside.

Shortly after, the hospital's dean rushed to the ward and reported Allen's condition to Leila.

The doctor said Allen's state was not optimistic. His condition was gradually declining, and there was only a slight chance he would wake up.

Leila's fist clenched. She could feel everyone in the room looking at her with pity. She lowered her head and spoke softly, "All of you, get out."

The dean nodded, and they left and closed the door.

Leila sat on the chair next to the bed and stared at the handsome young man lying on the bed.

Allen had been sleeping in this hospital bed since he was twenty. It had been five years since then, and he was now twenty-five. He was in the prime of his life, but there he was, spending his time in the hospital.

Facing her childhood friend, Leila found herself talking about many things that had happened to her in the past five years. The sun had already set, yet her stories went on. She kept talking until her voice had become hoarse.

The moonlight shone on Allen's face, illuminating his delicate features. Leila stared at his face. Then her gaze crawled down to his bony fingers. On his right pinky finger, there was a tail ring.

She let out a long sigh, took off her necklace, and then put the ring next to Allen's finger.

The two fine diamonds in the rings shone brightly under the moonlight, which made her eyes hurt. She blinked and averted her eyes, staring at the window.

A strange wind gusted, and Leila seemed to hear Allen's gentle voice in her ears.

'Leila! Why are you wearing a man's ring?'

The young girl looked at Allen and smiled sweetly. 'This is my engagement ring. When I find someone I love, I'll propose to him with this ring.'

Then the young girl was surprised when she saw Allen also bought the same style of women's ring with all the money he earned from working for three years.

'Why did you buy that?'

'Of course, when a girl proposes to me one day, I can't let her go back empty-handed,' he responded with a dazzling smile.

Leila woke up from her trance and stared at the rings in front of her. She burst into laughter, but tears brimmed through her eyes.

"Allen, we have known each other for eighteen years, and I must say, you've been so good to me. Even though it's painful to think you'll be gone for good, if that happens, you'll be free from heartaches and pain. I'll pray for your soul, so you'll be reborn into a good family. In that lifetime, you'll never be hungry again. No one will ridicule you, and you'll never remember me. Someone like me isn't worth remembering."

After she said that, she wiped her tears and rose from the chair. She went out and gently closed the door.

It was already the dead of night, and only her footsteps echoed in the corridor. Leila headed to the elevator and pressed the ground floor. Shortly after, she stepped out of the elevator and wandered around the deserted street.

Unknowingly, she had reached the mall. She stopped in her tracks, raised her head, and looked at the LCD screen that was displaying today's news outside the mall.

Zachary was clad in a gray business suit, attending a ribbon-cutting ceremony at a hotel.

As far as Leila knew, the Leightons built that hotel. It was the first six-star hotel in Tesanera City.

Even though she could only see him on the screen, she could feel his imposing and austere aura. His devilishly handsome face was highly eye-catching. Coupled with his smile, Leila was certain most ladies in the city would fall in love with him. Despite that, Zachary's eyes gleamed with the astuteness that businessmen had.

Leila unknowingly watched the news until the end. After the ribbon-cutting, Zachary refused all interviews and brushed past the crowds as he got inside the luxury car.

Subsequently, the news came to a halt as Zachary left.

Leila's forehead scrunched up. She inexplicably felt that Zachary's complexion was pallid, as if he didn't have enough blood.

She abruptly raised her head and saw countless raindrops begin to fall. She walked toward a nearby waiting shed and stayed there as the rain became heavy. The wind blew briskly along with the raindrops, inadvertently hitting her.

At the same time, a black Maybach was parked not far away from her. A pair of green eyes watched as she wiped the raindrops that hit her forehead.

Sunshine followed Zachary's gaze and saw Leila. Her eyes darted back to her boss, and she sighed heavily. Seeing the man's pale complexion, she was reminded of what had happened earlier.

When she was about to call the doctor to have him check on her boss' stomach, Zachary vehemently refused, saying he was fine and the meeting was starting, and thus, she could only give up.

As a result, Zachary collapsed in the backseat as soon as he got into the car after the event.

Sunshine had always been calm and collected, but she was scared out of her wits at that moment. Panic-stricken, she sent him to the nearby hospital. The Leighton Medical Hospital.

She always thought her boss' stomach problem had been cured. It never crossed her mind he would have a relapse, and it was way more severe than before.

The doctor said Zachary needed to recuperate in the hospital for a week. But the moment he woke up, he insisted on leaving the hospital because he still needed to deal with some work he had left at the company.

Since Zachary was determined to leave, they could only obey him.

Never had Sunshine imagined that her uncompromising boss, who insisted on working despite his unwell body, would stop the car so he could stare at the woman in the waiting shed.

She didn't know whether to pity or praise him for admiring someone. She shook her head and sighed.

"Mr. Leighton, do you want me to give Miss Wright an umbrella? It might rain more heavily later."

As if he didn't hear her, Zachary didn't respond. Leila's figure when she left the hospital earlier filled his mind. Of course, he was keenly aware who she was visiting in that hospital. It was Allen, her childhood sweetheart—the orphan rescued by the Wright family.

The people who didn't know him mistook him for Leila's boyfriend.

In fact, he had met Allen before. That man had a gentle temperament, yet he looked straight at him in the eyes. People seldom looked at his eyes because of his background, but that man actually dared and even spoke to him with conviction.

'Mr. Leighton, Lei isn't the type of young lady who would agree to a marriage of convenience because she's looking forward to marrying the man she loves. Moreover, Lei and I have an excellent relationship. Look at this ring on my hand. This is what I'm going to propose to her. We've known each other for so long, and we're meant for each other. So please, Mr. Leighton, stop chasing after her. You don't deserve her.'

Zachary sighed and looked at Leila. "Secretary Moore, ask someone to bring her an umbrella."

Sunshine was stunned. She thought he wouldn't answer. She collected herself and immediately replied, "I understand."

She dialed a string of numbers and gave instructions. After that, the black Maybach moved again.

On the other hand, Leila was surprised when someone gave her an umbrella. Nevertheless, she was grateful and accepted it. Otherwise, she will get sick.

Subsequently, she headed home, but her pants still got soaked because of the heavy rain.

When she arrived at the Wright Villa, Uncle Morris hurriedly gave her a towel. Coincidentally, her stomach growled.

Uncle Morris shook his head and went to the kitchen. When he returned, he gave her a sandwich and a glass of milk.

"Thank you, Uncle Morris." Leila smiled softly.

In the past, Uncle Morris worked as her grandmother's confidant at the Wright Corporation. However, when her grandmother passed away, he stopped working there.

Her grandmother left him a sum of money, but instead of leaving, he stayed with the Wright family as a butler.

Uncle Morris sighed. Initially, he thought the young man from the Leighton family would save Leila from her suffering, but it never crossed his mind that Zachary would instead push her into a darker abyss.

His eyes grew red as tears welled up in his eyes. "Miss, please don't wait for Mr. Leighton or Young Master Allen. Don't hurt yourself."

Leila picked up the glass and gulped down the milk. "Well, Zachary or Allen, I want neither of them."

The night overflowing with sentiment passed, and the most anticipated day came. Leila stood in front of the Wright Corporation, admiring the enormous building that became the landmark of Tesanera City. It witnessed the previous generations and how the Wright ancestors passed down the business to the succeeding heirs.

This would be the first time she'd step into the company after she returned to the Wright family.

Once, her grandmother told her the Wright Corporation had a hundred thousand employees. Then those employees and their families relied on the Wright Corporation to feed themselves. And every decision made by Wright's President would affect their lives.

Back then, she thought as long as she loved someone else, she would give up everything for him because it was the most dashing and selfless thing in the world. As she realized this, she wanted to laugh at herself for being stupid and willful.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated, pulling her out of her trance. Without looking at the caller ID, she accepted the call.

"Miss Wright, Mr. Allen's condition has improved and has stabilized."

The dean of the hospital's cheery voice sounded at the other end.

Upon hearing this, the gloom inside Leila's heart diminished, and a beam of happiness waved through her. A smile blossomed on her dainty lips. "Thank you so much for looking after him. If something crops up, please notify me as soon as possible."

The dean agreed, and Leila subsequently hung up the phone.

The massive boulder pressing on her heart alleviated from hearing the good news. She took a deep breath and finally entered the building with confidence.

Not far away from where she had stood, a car parked at the roadside. Inside the vehicle was Secretary Moore. She brought along her subordinates and was supposed to head to the Wright Corporation and meet Leila at ten o'clock in the morning. However, her phone rang when she was about to step out of the car.

"Don't come in yet. Go in after two hours have passed." The voice at the other end was relatively firm.

Sunshine was confused when she heard Zachary's words, but she still adhered. "Yes."

She looked at her subordinates and shook her head. They sat in the car and waited until they could leave.

While waiting, Sunshine couldn't sit still with the confusion hammering her mind, so she reviewed the contract repeatedly.

At the same time, in the conference room on the top floor of the Wright Corporation, Johannes Ramirez, the second largest shareholder, looked at Leila with impatience.

He tapped the table in annoyance. He then faced Macey Adams, the company's secretary.

"Secretary Adams, it's been an hour, yet they aren't here. Why don't you give Leighton's representative a call?" he said, expressing his discontentment.

"Okay." Secretary Adams nodded and went out.

In truth, she had already called Secretary Moore five times in a row, but the latter's line was busy.

She tried again, but the other line was still busy. Then she finally called Leighton Corporation, but the other party said Secretary Moore had already left the company and gone to the corporation.

Macey returned inside and reported the situation to Mr. Ramirez.

Leila finally spoke, "Wait a little longer. They'll be here."

Johannes looked at her and said nothing. He leaned against the chair and waited.

Time goes by.

He glanced at his wristwatch, and his jaw tightened. 'It was already noon, yet no one had come!'

Without a word, he stood up and walked out of the conference room. However, before he could leave, Leila blocked his path.

He frowned. "Miss Wright, what do you think you're doing?"

"Uncle Johannes, please give them a little more time," she hurriedly said.

"A little more time? I've given them two hours! Tell me, how many hours should I wait, huh?" He almost shouted, but he repressed his anger.

He was mild-tempered, but they had wasted his two hours for nothing. Despite that, he suppressed his anger because he didn't want Leila to lose face.

If this happened to other people, Johannes would bet they would have scolded Leila long ago.

Leila hung her head low and didn't respond. Although Zachary said he would help her, she wasn't sure if he would really do so. Hence, she could only bite her lip and keep silent.

"Leila, remember that theoretical knowledge differs from practical knowledge. Even though you have excellent grades, you should also have work experience." After saying this, Johannes brushed her aside and pushed the door out.

When the rest of the directors and shareholders saw Johannes leave, they all got up and walked out. However, when they brushed past Leila, they either gave her a stern or disappointed look.

Leila stared at them, leaving one after another, and sighed inwardly. Although she wanted to stop them, she wouldn't be able to stop them all, even if she had ten arms, since they were determined to leave.

However, shortly after they left, she heard a commotion in the corridor.

Leila looked at the person who had arrived and saw an elite woman dressed in corporate attire. She was blocking the board of directors who were about to leave. If it wasn't Sunshine Moore, who else could it be?

"Sorry, there's a traffic jam on the road, so we got here a little later than the agreed-upon time," Sunshine said with a smile.

The directors who wasted their two hours waiting for her fell silent. They couldn't find fault in her words, and they knew they shouldn't slap a person in the face when she was smiling at them. Moreover, she apologized to them.

However, Leila's thoughts differed from theirs. Her lips curled up into a sneer. She knew that Sunshine's late arrival was because of Zachary.

Secretary Moore nodded at Leila and went inside the conference room while the directors trailed after her.

As soon as she was seated, she opened her mouth to speak. "President Leighton wanted to come in person, but something cropped up in the European branch, and he needed to deal with it, so he sent me here instead."

Sunshine waved her hand, and her subordinates distributed the documents to the directors. "As for the contract signing, all directors can look at the documents first and ask if you have questions."

Johannes was the first to look through the documents. His forehead scrunched up, and he turned to look at Sunshine. "Why isn't there a capital injection yet?"

"President Leighton said that Miss Wright would decide about the investment amount."

Philip, who had been silent since earlier, interjected, "What about the upper limit?"

He swept his gaze at Leila and looked at her as if he was hinting at something.

Leila smiled lightly. "There is no upper limit."

As soon as her words fell on their ears, almost everyone in the room gasped in surprise.

They were still astonished, despite knowing Zachary was the wealthiest man in Tesanera. He was extremely good at financial investment. Besides, the Leighton Corporation had an immense influence on real estate. Hence, it wasn't surprising that Zachary's wealth was immeasurable.

Johannes was quite surprised as well. He had been staring at Leila for a few moments before he said, "Then can Miss Wright give us an amount?"

Leila straightened her body. Her mind swirled with countless numbers. She had a lot of experience on the American stock exchange, so she was unfazed by this sum of money. She then said tersely, "Ten billion."

"Only ten billion?" Sunshine exclaimed. Since there was no upper limit, Mr. Leighton asked her to prepare more funds. Thus, she was expecting that the amount wasn't just ten billion.

Leila nodded affirmatively.

"Alright. The money will be transferred today," Sunshine said with a smile.

"Ten billion isn't a small amount. Can Mr. Leighton fork it out today?" one of the directors couldn't help but ask.

For them, ten billion was almost the entire working capital of a corporation. Even though Leighton's wealth could rival the country's reserves, transferring ten billion by today should not be easy.

"President Leighton is a man of his word," Sunshine spoke sonorously.

Before anyone could react to her words, someone knocked on the door. Shortly after, Secretary Adams opened the door and walked in.

"Mr. Clark, the chief financial officer, said we have already received the ten billion."

'What? They transferred the money even before the contract was signed?'

Everyone had the same thoughts. They were all astounded and looked at Sunshine agape and in disbelief. Questions and opinions arose in their minds, but they could do nothing but bow before Zachary's overbearingness.

"Happy cooperation." Sunshine gave a small smile.

The directors became enthusiastic. Then they signed the contract. After that, Leila sent off the directors, along with her father.

As the door closed, only her, Sunshine, and Macey, who appeared to be her left and right-handed men, were left in the conference room.

Leila turned and faced Sunshine. "Secretary Moore, I've troubled you this time. When you return, please tell President Leighton I'll remember this favor."

She already knew the mishap earlier was intentionally done by Zachary. It was as if he was telling her that she would accomplish nothing without him. However, she knew he couldn't say it to her face.

He was an indomitable and unfathomable man. That was the real Zachary Leighton.

"Okay, Miss Wright. I'll tell him." The smile on Sunshine's lips froze. It took her a few seconds before she regained her bearings and tried to make her smile seem natural.

She always felt that Leila was no different from Mr. Leighton. They were both cold and indifferent. Leila always appeared unperturbed, without showing whether she was happy or sad. Sunshine thought that even if the sky were falling, Leila wouldn't be bothered.

Staring at Leila's placid expression, Sunshine suddenly remembered the first time she met Leila. It was a scorching summer, and at that time, Mr. Leighton fell ill, so he sent her to pick Leila up.

"Mr. Leighton, how can I find that lady?" Sunshine was worried she couldn't do her task because she didn't know who Miss Wright was.

She expected to hear something like a description, but Mr. Leighton simply said, "You'll see her in the crowd."

Sunshine felt helpless and could only smile wryly.

'What if I got it wrong?' That thought swirled in her mind as she went to the cafe. She sat inside the car and scanned the floor-to-ceiling window, and soon after, her gaze landed on the girl sitting in the corner.

After seeing her, she immediately understood what Mr. Leighton's words meant. Indeed, that girl stood out from the crowd.

The girl donned a short white lace dress. Her every movement exuded elegance while wearing a soft smile on her lips.

Her expression starkly contrasted with the fuming girl sitting across from her.

The latter stood up, pointed her finger angrily at Leila, and shouted shrill, paying no heed to the people looking their way.

Leila was unruffled. She smiled and said, "I did it on purpose."

Although Sunshine couldn't hear it, she understood what Leila had mouthed. Then she saw the girl opposite Leila, grabbing the cup of coffee and pouring the drink on Leila's face.

After that, the girl left in a huff, leaving Leila alone.

Sunshine saw Leila was in a mess and thought she would flee in embarrassment, but contrary to her expectations, Leila calmly pulled out the tissue and wiped the coffee stains off her face and dress.

She gasped in surprise. She waited for a while before she got out of the car and went inside the cafe, and then she walked over to Leila's table.

"Hello, Miss Wright. I'm Sunshine Moore, Mr. Leighton's secretary. Mr. Leighton asked me to pick you up—" Sunshine pretended she was surprised to see Leila's state. "What's wrong with you?"

Leila nodded. A weak smile tugged on Leila's lips. She raised her head and placed the wet tissue on the table. "Secretary Moore, can you please take me to the nearest hotel?"

"Okay." Sunshine acquiesced. She didn't have a good impression of this girl, but since it was Mr. Leighton's order, she had to do what she wanted.

As they agreed, they stopped at the hotel, and Leila changed her dress. After that, they headed to Zachary's villa.

When they arrived, before Leila entered the house, she faced Sunshine and spoke with a hint of warning in her tone. "Secretary Moore, I hope the matter earlier won't reach his ears since you also enjoyed watching the farce today."

Sunshine's body stiffened. Since she had been sitting in the car earlier, she thought Leila was oblivious that she was watching her.

She nodded, and Leila finally went inside.

After that incident, even though she didn't tell a soul, Mr. Leighton still found out about that matter. Then he asked her to investigate that girl's identity. It was Krissy Hamilton, the girl who deeply loved the young man named Allen and regarded Leila as her rival in love.

Sunshine had also looked into Allen's identity, and when she got the information, she handed it to Mr. Leighton. She didn't know what was inside the envelope, but the following day, when she passed another document to him, she saw countless cigarette butts on the ashtray. Apparently, Zachary smoked the entire night.

Later, she met Leila again. It was always when the latter was with Mr. Leighton. At that time, she didn't know that Leila was 'the Leila' from the Wright family.

Sunshine watched from the sidelines and observed Leila. Whenever she was around Mr. Leighton, she was always elegant and spoke less, unlike the girl Sunshine saw with her in the cafe, a provocative lady.

Moreover, Mr. Leighton, who was taciturn, became wordy whenever he was with her.

However, Sunshine felt Leila was somewhat indifferent to Mr. Leighton for some reason. Nevertheless, she could see she loved Mr. Leighton deeply, and the latter also felt the same.

Hence, she thought the two would be together for a long time.

After Leila sent off Sunshine, she discussed the details of tomorrow's press conference with Macey. After they had come to terms, she hurriedly went to the Imperial Medical Hospital to visit Allen.

When she reached Allen's ward, she was stunned to see Krissy inside the room. It seemed the latter felt her gaze as she turned and faced her.

"Oh, hello. Come here," Krissy greeted her and smiled brightly.

Krissy had been visiting Allen in the hospital for the past five years. The two hadn't met because Leila had stayed abroad for those years.

Leila walked over and stood next to Krissy. When the latter visited Allen last time, the nurse told her about his condition. She raised her head and looked at Leila and beamed. "It's a miracle, isn't it? A few days ago, when I visited, the nurse told me his condition had deteriorated. But today, there are signs of recovery."

"Soon, he'll wake up," Leila replied. Her eyes gleamed with undisguised happiness as she looked at the unconscious young man.

Krissy hummed in agreement and grumbled, "I haven't seen you in five years, yet you haven't changed at all."

Then she handed Leila a cup of tea she had brewed.

"Well, you too," Leila stated as she took the teacup.

Krissy harrumphed and flipped her wavy hair. Of course, she knew what Leila's words meant. It was about her dedication and love for Allen that didn't fade in those five years.

She eyed Leila and sized her up. "If he wakes up, can you let him go?"

Leila's eyelids trembled, but she didn't speak.

Upon seeing this, Krissy blustered, "Leila, you're so selfish!"

She sneered and added, "Indeed, you haven't changed. You're still selfish. But I won't sit idly and watch Allen get hurt because of you!"

"Okay. Let's see." Leila was unperturbed, despite seeing the fire flickering in Krissy's gaze.

The improvement in Allen's condition and the successful contract signing uplifted her mood. Thus, she stayed in the hospital and chatted with Krissy for a while. And when she was about to leave, Krissy sent her off to the door.

Krissy finally calmed down. Her face didn't have a tinge of anger she showed earlier. "Since you have already returned, visit my grandpa. He keeps talking about you, so he'll be glad if he sees you."

"I will." Leila smiled softly before leaving.

Krissy closed the door while Leila went home. As soon as she arrived, she dragged her heavy body to her bed and unknowingly fell asleep.

The next day, she woke up early and prepared for the press conference.

The Leighton and Wright families' strong collaboration was a notable event within and beyond the business industry. Even Tesanera City's officials gave it great importance and personally phoned her father, stating they were pleased to see the two leading enterprises collaborating.

When she arrived at the company, everything was ready. The press conference started precisely at ten o'clock. Aside from Zachary, who wasn't present, all the board of directors showed up.

Leila wasn't used to wearing corporate attire, but as a newly promoted executive and the person in charge of the project, she donned a khaki suit and tied her hair in a bun. She quickly rose to that position, attracting a lot of attention. Hence, she needed to dress up.

The press conference had gone smoothly. However, the temperature inside the conference room became low as one of the reporters aggressively threw a question at Leila.

"Excuse me, Miss Wright, are you going to join Wright Corporation when you have just returned to America?"

Leila stiffened for a fleeting second, then composed herself and smiled at the reporters despite the continuous light flashes. She responded in neither a humble nor arrogant manner. "Starting tomorrow, I'll oversee this project, and I'll be responsible for the cooperation with the Leighton Corporation."

"Miss Wright has just entered the Wright Corporation, but you already want to take it over? Is it because you're dissatisfied with how Mr. Clark runs the company?"

Leila was unfazed. "Wright Corporation doesn't just belong to my family. There are also other shareholders. However, as a filial daughter, I want to share my father's worries because he's not getting any younger."

Leila smiled inwardly. There wasn't anything wrong with what she said, but the meaning underlying her words implied that her father had to retire because he was old.

Philip, who was watching from the sidelines, was livid. But he suppressed his anger because of the cameras pointing at him.

Meanwhile, the reporter who asked that question was stumped by her reply. However, other reporters wouldn't let this opportunity slip away.

"So why is Miss Wright in charge of this project instead of Vice President Clark?"

The confident smile on Leila's lips froze. She fastened her expression and spoke calmly, "Vice President Clark doesn't have time because she's preparing for her marriage."

Without giving Leila any face, one of the reporters threw another question everyone wanted to ask. "Vice President Clark was spotted shopping yesterday in France. She didn't seem to be so busy, right? Is there any other reason why you said that, Miss Wright?"

Leila's heart sank. 'Damn it! Why did Talia go shopping yesterday?'

She racked her brain to think about what to say, but her mind was utterly blank. Beads of cold sweat broke out on her forehead as everyone in the venue watched her every movement. Some reporters smiled at her, which roused her frustration even more.

Leila felt uncomfortable as if she was sitting on pins and needles. She fiddled with her fingers as she desperately thought about how she would get out of this situation.

Amid her contemplation, the conference room door sprang open, and a majestic figure suddenly emerged in the gap in the door.

Her eyes darted toward him, and Leila had an illusion that the man had just stepped out of the painting. He looked dashing in his well-tailored black suit, and his imposing aura immediately stunned everyone in the room.

"I'll answer you guys on her behalf," Zachary unhurriedly said. He walked to the rostrum and stood in front of Leila.

Leila didn't know if it was unintentional or not. Nevertheless, his tall figure completely blocked those flashing lights from dazzling her.

"Regardless of how much Wright loses, I, Zachary Leighton, will make up for it. In addition, Wright Corporation's reputation is well-known to everyone, and Leighton is pleased to collaborate with such a partner. As for Miss Wright, I admired her for a long time, but alas, she had a cold heart."

As he spoke, Zachary's face seemed like he was regretful.

Nevertheless, his words made the reporters happy even though their previous question wasn't answered. It was because Zachary's words were much more juicy and explosive than Leila's.

Behind him, Leila lowered her head, and a self-deprecating smile flashed on her lips. She didn't know who was more ruthless than them.

Shortly after, the press conference ended perfectly. Leila was grateful for Zachary's timely arrival. If not, then she would have screwed up the press conference.

However, when she looked at Zachary, he was no longer there. She looked at the door and saw him leaving with bodyguards around him, protecting him against the reporters.

She made up her mind and chased after him. She should thank him since he helped her out again.

When she reached the ground floor, she thought Zachary had already left, but she saw him leaning against the luxurious black Maybach while smoking a cigarette.

Leila paused for a moment and thought Zachary's car was just like him, aloof and domineering.

Then she walked over and stopped before him. "Is your stomach okay, President Leighton?"

"Yeah," Zachary said curtly. He flicked off the soot of a cigarette with his finger as he studied the woman in front of him. "Have you recovered from your cold?"

When she heard that, Leila was confused at first, then she remembered her nonsensical excuse at his company's rooftop. She cleared her throat and nodded. She was oblivious to the profound glint that flitted into Zachary's eyes as he stared at her.

"I'll pay back the money within a month." Leila shifted the topic, which made Zachary's eyebrows quirk.

"Are you richer than me?" Zachary said with an amused grin on his lips.

Leila didn't expect this. She choked on her saliva and got caught in a fit of a cough. "No."

"Then don't mention it."

She vehemently shook her head. She didn't want to owe him. That was why she wanted to return it as soon as possible.

Seeing her being stubborn, he sighed. "Alright. Since I invested in Wright Corporation, I'll take ten percent of the shares. How about that?"

Leila hummed in agreement, but she looked at him solemnly. "But you have to wait for the return on investment."

Zachary smiled gently and spoke with his usual deep voice. "Okay. I'll wait for the day you become the president of the Wright Corporation."

A warm current spread through her veins upon hearing his words. At least there was someone who believed she could do it. "I will."

His lips curled up into a smile when he saw her confident look. He threw the cigarette butt into the trash can not far away from him and ruffled Leila's head.

Leila stared at him with surprise, which made him reluctant to part with her. Nevertheless, he retracted his hand, got inside the car, and then drove away.

Leila stood there and watched the departing figure of the car. It took her a few minutes before she returned to her senses.

She didn't have a car, so she had to hail a cab. However, when she was about to leave, someone called her.

"Miss Wright."

She turned and saw it was Sunshine. The latter was sitting in the driver's seat.

"Why are you here, Secretary Moore?" Her brows furrowed in confusion, and she thought, 'Zachary had just left, so why was she here?'

"President Leighton told me to send you home."

"I'm fine, so I won't trouble you-" Before she could finish her words, her phone rang. She fished out the device from her pocket and cast an apologetic smile at Sunshine. "Excuse me. I'll take this call first."

After a few moments, she hung up the phone. It was her father, asking her to come home quickly.

She walked out of the parking lot, but Sunshine followed her.

"Miss Wright, get inside. Mr. Leighton said I should take you home."

Leila felt helpless. She took a deep breath and hopped in.

On the way home, neither of them spoke, and shortly after, they arrived at the Wright Villa.

"Thanks." After expressing her gratitude, Leila alighted from the car and headed inside the house.

Upon entering, she saw her father holding a glass of wine. When he saw Leila, he stood up and strode before her.

Leila's nose wrinkled when she caught a whiff of the strong scent of alcohol from Philip.

"Lei, I have something to tell you. It's not something important, but I want to chat with you." Philip smiled and talked about nonsensical things, which made her thoughts drift away.

It seemed that her father had drunk a lot of wine. His face was flushed red, but she could see he was still handsome even though he was beyond a fifty-year-old man. Otherwise, how could a woman like Shiela, fifteen years his younger, have fancied him when he was an impoverished man?

Moreover, her father was also cunning and business savvy. Thus, he coaxed her mother and grandmother into handing over the Wright Corporation to him.

"Lei, do you have a boyfriend?" After beating around the bush, Philip finally cut the chase.

"No," Leila denied softly.

"Then are you and Zachary dating?" Philip looked at her eagerly, but he failed to see Leila's expression had turned ashen.

"Father, Zachary, and I..." She didn't have time to explain because he had already cut her off.

"Lei, it doesn't matter if you like him. You are also my daughter, so you don't have to worry. You have my back. If Zachary likes you, I won't interfere with your relationship."

Leila pursed her lips and said nothing. She finally understood what he was talking about. It was because Zachary 'confessed' to her during the press conference.

"Lei, don't misunderstand Dad, okay? I didn't say anything during the press conference because there were a lot of reporters. And they would doubt Talia's marriage, so I stayed silent." After explaining, Philip stretched out his hand and was about to pat Leila's head, but the latter dodged. He was embarrassed, so he laughed to mask it.

Leila listened to him, and her forehead creased. 'When did my father's face become so thick?'

"Father, if you don't have anything more to say, I'll retire to my room." Just as she finished saying this, she was about to leave, but Philip caught her arm.

"Lei, since you became the project manager, you're now one of the employees of the Wright Corporation. It would be best if you worked hard because when Talia gets married, I'll give you the position of Vice President," he spoke so enthusiastically that he didn't notice the impatience brewing inside Leila's eyes.

"By the way, today, I discussed investment cooperation with the Martin family, and I thought I should leave this project to you as well. This cooperation with them is essential, so I'm giving you this project because I believe you can do it." Philip smiled until his eyes bent into a crescent shape.

"Okay. I'll do it well," Leila replied tersely. Although she knew that her father might be scheming something because there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world, she couldn't bear to let this opportunity slip away to entrenched in the Wright family business.

After agreeing with him, Philip let her go back to her room.

Leila went to the guest room and covered herself with a quilt. It was raining, and the wind gusted inside her room, but she didn't want to close the window. She shuddered from the wind, so she hugged the quilt tighter.

As she stared outside, she was suddenly reminded of what happened in her first year in high school.

Back then, she was taciturn, so she had no friends and didn't get along with her classmates.

When she was about to go home, someone locked the classroom door, and she couldn't get it to open no matter what she did. Coincidentally, it rained heavily, and there was a power shortage. Only the lighting illuminated the dark room.

She sat in the corner, enduring the cold and hunger and the agonizing recollection of her mother's death. As she listened to the shrill thunder, her ears were buzzing as though someone was screaming in her ears. She thought she would follow her mother and almost passed out.

However, she heard hurried footsteps outside, and soon after, the door sprang open. When she raised her head, she saw the school principal and directors, but her eyes settled on the handsome young man.