In the grand Daniel Hotel,
the window wall of the deluxe presidential suite was acutely open. The evening was lovely under the starless night sky, and its silence was flustered by the saturated neon light.
Ryan wore a draping black silk bathrobe with a loose belt tied around his waist. He held a glass of red wine in his hand and gazed at the somber heavens above with a faint smile on his face.
He had caught up with everything he needed to know about Anne. His smile stretched gradually from ear to ear when he realized that he had a rare opportunity within his reach.
"Anne, I knew you would come back to me one day." His expression was menacing yet attractive as his face was painted with a bloodthirsty intention.
His father was the head of a small scale company, and that did not satisfy his skyrocketing ambitions. He needed more support to attain his goal.
Anne couldn't provide this handy financial power in the past, so he neglected the idea of being with her, but things had changed to an exceeding extent. She now owned ten percent of the shares of the AN Group.
It had been recently revealed that she was the daughter of the L Group as well. If he could put a ring on her finger, his influence in the industry would be powered to dominance. With this partnership, the other ordinary rival companies and even the AN Group might make a run for their money from his leverage.
"Invite Anne to the South Night Hotel tomorrow." Ryan made a quick phone call and hung up immediately.
It was the season of dry spring in A City, but today was oddly cloudy. The roads were quite moist even without the showers from the heavens.
Anne looked distinctly fairer in her vintage high heels and lilac turtle-neck sweater. Paired with dark crimson lipstick, she looked like a sultry queen on the city streets.
In the NY Hotel, a waiter greeted her as soon as she walked through the glass doors on the reception, and she was courteously lead to a private room right away.
The room was ill-lit due to the gloomy weather. Even if the lights were on, the ambiance still gave a melancholic feeling. Anne smiled upon seeing Ryan drinking a glass of red wine, but his presence gave a peculiar sense of alienation to her.
She was close to Ryan before, so when she saw him like this, she felt an inkling of surprise.
"There you are." Ryan smiled and placed his glass on the table.
"Hey, what's up?" asked Anne pleasingly.
In her heart, Ryan was a dear friend.
He unfolded a napkin and seemed to wipe a non-existent schmear on his lips.
"I heard that you have encountered some difficulties lately." Ryan suddenly pivoted his head. The moment he saw Anne, his eyes were filled with wonder and awe.
Sure enough, Anne was a goddess in disguise. Her beauty, complemented by her fierce temperament, gave people a warm sensation that was not to be misconstrued.
"Yes, I've been dealing with something lately, but I'm perfectly fine. I can handle it on my own," said Anne with a reassuring smile.
"We have known each other for quite a long time now, so I think you have the right to know my sentiments for you," said Ryan.
His numbing eyes contradicted his sweet words.
"We are good friends. We used to be, and we are still now if that's what you mean," said Anne with precaution as she had a bad feeling about where this conversation was leading to.
Ryan grinned in irony. "You're more than just a friend to me, Anne. If you agree to marry me, I can help you punish Kevin and take back your child. What do you think?"
His smile seemed to be strange, but Anne could tell that he was different from the Ryan she knew before.
"No, thanks. I'm fine on my own. I'll give it a thought, but thank you." Anne lowered her head as she spoke.
Ryan was painfully persistent and said, "You do have a way to take your son back, but can you treat him? I heard that the only way for your son's survival is that you bear another child to be his compatible donor, am I right? Anne, I'm the only one who could help you. Only I can compete with Kevin, and you know that. You have to listen to me."
As Ryan stepped on the pedal of determination, anger fumed from Anne's heart like a smoke-filled muffler.
"What do you mean?" She was so infuriated with his rude persuasion.
However, Ryan was poised and unbothered by her displeasure. He said, "Why are you so riled up now? Anne, you must think things through. It's clear that you have no choice but to marry me! Are you planning to lock horns with Rose over a man? She is loved by everyone, and you are a disgrace to others!"
What Ryan exclaimed was the harsh reality, but Anne found it ridiculous. She did not expect that he was such an audacious person.
"I have always regarded you as my dearest friend, and this is how you talk to me?" asked Anne in disbelief.
Ryan left the glass of wine and walked towards Anne with a disdainful coil on his lips. "You do treat me as your best friend, but I don't treat you as mine. You have always and will be my destiny."
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