Chapter 44: Drunk

Kang Youwei's facial expression tensed, his lips tightening in a moment of hesitation. Matthew's advice echoed what high-priced international lawyers had told him, the lawsuit was a losing battle for Kang Corp. The best they could hope for was to minimize the damage. But what set Matthew apart from those other lawyers?

"So, Matthew is stumped by this 'minor trouble' too, huh?" Kang Youwei prodded, masking his desperation with a feigned nonchalance.

Matthew replied coolly, seeing right through the old businessman's ploy. "If it's truly minor, then a solution exists."

Hope flickered in Kang's eyes, but Matthew didn't divulge any more, leaving Kang awkwardly hanging after his earlier sarcasm.

Xavier, sensing his friend's plight, intervened. "Matthew, if you've got a way out, why don’t you share it? Help out your Uncle Kang."

Dylan chimed in, batting her eyelashes. "Uncle Kang was always there for me. Please, Matthew?"

Matthew inwardly scoffed at the notion of a 'small favor.' Xavier was asking for a significant legal strategy as if it were nothing.

"If Mr. Kang treats his employees well, who would want to cause trouble?" Matthew suggested, leaving the actual cost of his advice unspoken.

Kang Youwei's face hardened. The suggestion was a difficult pill to swallow, it meant either a financial hit or a blow to his pride. Yet it could salvage his company's reputation.

Grateful despite the sting of the potential cost, Kang praised Matthew. "Truly, there's no one else in Zephyr City like you."

Matthew's mouth twitched slightly in response, his eyes betraying nothing.

As the evening wound down, toasts were exchanged and flattery flew, but Matthew remained the center of attention.

Dylan was thrilled, her father and his friends clearly were impressed with Matthew. She'd always known her judgment was impeccable.

As they left the Empire Hotel, Dylan, slightly tipsy, clung to Matthew's arm. "Where to now?" she slurred, her cheeks flushed.

"I'll take you home." Matthew replied, his voice steady.

Dylan, feigning greater intoxication, nestled closer. "I don't want to go home. I want to stay with you."

Matthew looked down at her, his expression unchanging. "You're drunk, Dylan."

But Dylan persisted, her heart racing, she wasn't drunk, and she wanted him to stay.

"Fine, take me home then," she conceded, her mind racing with possibilities.

Matthew, unfazed by her act, escorted her to her father's house and left promptly, ignoring her pleas to stay.

Dylan's desperation peaked as she clung to him. "Don't you care for me anymore?"

Matthew tensed. "If you want to fix things, Dylan, don't push so hard."

He left her there, in the cold, as he disappeared into the night.

Dylan, left alone, was resolute. She would win Matthew back.

Ursula, meanwhile, was a bundle of nerves at home, her phone's ringtone cutting through the silence. It was Timothy. He was downstairs, ready to come up.

Peering through the curtains, she saw his figure below. Grateful yet panicked, she couldn't risk Timothy getting involved.

"Go home, Timothy," she insisted. "It's late, and I'm in bed."

But Timothy, his voice tinged with sadness, knew better. "Why are you avoiding me? Is it because of him?"

Ursula was silent, the weight of her worries weighing her down.