Chapter 127
Chapter 127:
An awkward stillness settled over the room at once. Lionel’s face darkened. “What are you talking about? Dagmar, aren’t you going to say hello p>
With a small shift in posture, Dagmar answered without much enthusiasm, “Hello, Kailey p>
From the look on her face, Kailey could almost picture an eye roll. Oddly enough, she didn’t feel offended. If anything, she found herself appreciating her cousin’s blunt honesty.
“Hello.” Kailey returned the greeting with a smile, then remembered what she was holding. “Since this is our first time meeting, I wasn’t sure what you’d need, so I chose a bottle of perfume. I hope it suits you p>
A flicker of surprise crossed Dagmar’s face. She glanced at Kailey before accepting it and replied casually, “What I need is money. Not just for me, but for my parents too. If you’re unsure what to give next time, just give that p>
Lionel’s expression shifted immediately, but when he noticed Kailey wasn’t upset, he turned to Dagmar with a stern look. “What nonsense is that? Is this what I taught you p>
Dagmar paid him no attention and focused instead on examining the perfume.
“Dagmar p>
“Uncle,” Kailey cut in. “She’s just joking. I won’t take it personally p>
Lionel visibly relaxed, though his disapproving gaze lingered on Dagmar. “Learn something from your cousin. All you know how to do is fool around p>
That remark struck Kailey as unnecessarily sharp, and a faint crease formed between her brows. Dagmar, by contrast, showed no reaction at all, as though such comments were nothing new.
F𝘰𝗅𝗹оw 𝘶𝗌 𝘰ո 𝗀𝗮𝗅ո𝗈v𝘦𝘭𝘴.с𝗼𝗆
With decades of separation to make up for, the conversation wandered through many topics and repeatedly drifted back to Kailey’s late mother. Kailey wanted to steer things elsewhere, yet she could not find a natural way to do it.
Noticing her discomfort, Lionel lifted his glass for a small sip and said, “Kailey, I’ve heard that Ryan has looked after you since you were very young. You must be quite close to him, aren’t you p>
Hearing Lionel bring up Ryan caught Kailey off guard for a brief moment. She hesitated, then dropped her gaze before answering, “Yes p>
“Actually, his company overlaps with mine in a few areas. Since we’re family now, it makes sense to stay in close contact. There could even be a chance to work together,” Lionel continued, clearly encouraged.
Kailey caught the beginning of what he said, but her focus slipped away soon after. What was the real reason he had asked her to come today? He had claimed it was nothing more than a simple meeting, yet it was becoming clear that he saw her connection to Ryan as an opening into the domestic market. Kailey was far from gullible — her mind was sharper than most, even if she preferred not to waste effort dissecting every intention or turning people’s motives into complicated puzzles. Still, she quietly wished she was reading too much into it.
Keeping her expression light, Kailey leaned back slightly and offered a polite smile. “I haven’t spoken to him in a very long time p>