Chapter 304
Chapter 304:
Instinctively, his hand shot forward to stop her — yet his fingers closed around nothing but empty air.
In that frozen instant, an overwhelming dread flooded his senses, as though the most precious thing in his world was quietly slipping beyond his reach, drifting farther and farther away until it no longer belonged to him at all.
When Kailey stepped back into the private room, Kyson had already paid the bill. He held her coat over his arm, and both of them were dressed in black, as if they had planned it that way.
The strain from earlier had faded. She tilted her head and gave him a quiet smile.
Kyson crossed the room and pulled her into his arms without hesitation. “Why does that smile look like you’re up to something p>
“You don’t have to wonder. I’m definitely up to something p>
𝖱o𝗆𝖺𝗻𝗰е 𝘢n𝘥 𝗉𝘢ѕ𝘀i𝘰𝗇 𝘰ո
“Oh?” He lifted a brow, his tongue brushing lightly over his teeth. “Now you’ve got my attention p>
Kailey swatted his arm and shot him a look. “Stop right there. Don’t twist it into something dirty. That’s not what I meant p>
They reached the door while they were still talking — and Ryan was standing there waiting.
Kailey couldn’t tell if she was imagining it, but he looked more worn down than he had before. After stealing a glance at Kyson and seeing no change in his expression, she turned back. “Uncle, we’re heading out p>
Kyson kept a faint smile on his face, his voice carrying easy warmth. “Mr. Owen, if I’d known you were here, we should’ve shared a table. Since you’re Kailey’s uncle, I should’ve been the one treating you p>
Ryan forced a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. They were rimmed red as he looked straight at Kailey. “You’re too generous, Mr. Blake. You handed me such a major project. I should be the one buying you dinner p>
Kyson’s smile deepened. “You earned that project. There’s nothing to thank me for p>
Ryan’s expression shifted at once, his eyes finally locking onto Kyson. “Earned p>
Kyson had already made it clear before — it was a token of gratitude for raising Kailey. Who did he think Kyson was? He didn’t need Kyson to thank him.
Ryan’s stare turned cold, and he clenched his teeth. “If I’d known what you were really implying, I would’ve never signed that contract p>
“Really?” Kyson’s voice lifted slightly. “If I didn’t miscalculate, this project alone could support Owen Group’s revenue for six months. You might be willing to walk away from it, but I doubt your shareholders would feel the same p>
Ryan pressed his lips together, unable to come up with a response.
The truth was hard to deny. The project was something the company had chased for a long time, and finally securing it had felt like a victory. What he hadn’t expected was that Kyson would be overseeing it personally. Now that the agreement was already in place, backing out wasn’t an option — and even if he wanted to, the board would never approve it. The breach penalty alone was more than he could bear.