Chapter 140 Trust, Because We're Friends
"Could you clarify it a bit more, Mr. Lancelot? I'm not sure I am following what you're saying," Kevin said, thoroughly confused.
Charles was silent.
Mark coughed lightly to hide the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. 'Sorry.' He didn't mean to laugh, but he couldn't help it!
"Tell me everything you know about Daphne. Name your price," Charles stated deliberately, no longer beating around the bush.
Kevin blinked. Realization dawned on him, and he asked, "So, you want me to be your insider?"
"You could say that," Charles admitted with unexpected candor.
"That's out of the question," Kevin blurted out. "If I did that, not only Daphne but Evan and the other guys would never let me off the hook."
Daphne had been nothing but good to him; he couldn't possibly betray her. It was out of the question!
"For your cooperation, I'll give you ten million," Charles said, making his offer.
Kevin refused without batting an eyelid, "This isn't about the money. I'm Daphne's friend, and friends don't betray each other."
"This isn't betrayal; it's helping me understand her," Charles tried to explain.
"But Daphne doesn't like you, and what you call understanding, she would call a disturbance," Kevin said earnestly, his voice still carrying the distinctive tone of youth. "It's irritating to be on the mind of someone you dislike."
Charles's eyes turned cold.
In the background, Mark silently gave Kevin a thumbs-up. Such backbone was rare, especially in the face of the boss's cold demeanor!
"How do you know she doesn't like me?" Charles's presence was icy, his tone sharp.
"If she's blocked you, isn't that clear enough?" Kevin truly felt timid inside, reassured only by the thought of Daphne's support. "Daphne rarely blocks anyone. If she's done that, it means she really doesn't want anything to do with you."
Charles's eyes grew darker as he spoke, "She has unblock me now."
Kevin paused. 'Unblock him?'
After a moment of thought, choosing his words carefully, he still said, "That means to Daphne, you've become insignificant. She doesn't want to waste her thoughts on you anymore."
The simple statement struck a chord in Charles's heart.
He remembered how Daphne had calmly, without a single fluctuation of emotion, removed him from her list of blocked contacts before coldly stating that it was done. That demeanor, it certainly seemed as though she wanted to draw a clear line and then vanish from his life.
"The price is fifty million," he declared, raising the stakes.
"Mr. Lancelot," Kevin began, "I have said this isn't about—"
"One hundred million."
"I really can't betray Daphne."
"One billion."
Kevin wasn't surprised or joyful at the escalating figures laid out before him; he just thought the legendary figure in the business world was being childish.
Standing up with no intention to prolong the conversation, he said, "It doesn't matter if you offer me one billion, a hundred billion, or even a trillion. I will not betray Daphne, nor will I divulge anything about her to you."
"Are you sure?" Charles taunted.
"Positive."
"Then I'll tell Daphne that you revealed her home address to me." Charles remained seated and his gaze slightly intense. "Guess how she'll react."
At that, Kevin hesitated.
At that moment, he didn't seem like the young man who was always loud and energetic at Daphne's side. Suddenly, he was serious and mature.
Looking straight at Charles, he said, "Daphne won't think anything of it. She knows what kind of person I am. Even if something did happen, she would trust me because we are friends."
The seven of them had never doubted each other; their trust was unconditional. Sometimes they joked and teased each other. But when it truly mattered, they stuck together.
"Mr. Lancelot, if you truly cared about Daphne and liked her, you would respect her," Kevin felt this man was genuinely immature when it came to relationships, "if you can't do that, at least don't bring her trouble and distress."
A chill enveloped Charles suddenly.
With an abruptness, he asked, "And in what capacity do you say this to me?"
"As Daphne's friend," Kevin said bluntly.
Charles pursed his lips, silent. He had no intention of stopping his pursuit of Daphne, not before he could figure out the emotions he harbored. He was not ready to let go.
Seeing his resolve, Kevin added, "I know about the things that have happened between you and Daphne. If you can't even trust her, how can you claim to like her?"
Those words stirred a storm in Charles's heart. But all he said was, "If she was in a room with your family and one of them died, wouldn't you suspect her?"
"No way," Kevin said, without a hint of hesitation. "I know Daphne, and I trust her."
With that, the conversation reached its conclusion.
Charles said nothing—his inscrutable gaze gave Kevin a chill before he stood up and left.
Watching him walk out the door, Kevin let out a sigh of relief so deep he could feel his spine slick with sweat. He really wasn't cut out for spending time with people who had such intense auras.
'Man, Charles was downright terrifying,' Kevin thought. Then he texted Daphne.
lab rat: [Daphne, you owe me for emotional distress! Charles nearly scared me to death just now!]
Daphne was still waiting for a call from Jesse. When she had called earlier, he was busy and responded with a text asking her to wait.
Reading Kevin's message, she texted back.
Daphne: [What did he want from you?]
lab rat: [He wanted me to act as a double-agent for him to dig up dirt on you, and he offered me a crazy amount of money—like a hundred billion!]
lab rat: [I turned him down for you. Don't you think you owe me something? Maybe fifty billion or so?]
Daphne: [Sure you want it?]
Seeing her response, lab rat chickened out! He replied immediately, claiming it was just a joke.
This was Daphne, after all!
Anyone trying to scam money out of her would end up with nothing.
He didn't want to risk it.
Daphne was about to say more, just to ensure he wouldn't get conned by Charles, but then she saw Jesse's call coming in.
She swiped to answer.
Jesse's pleasant voice came through the phone, "Boss, you needed me?"
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
"No."
"Someone special you're interested in?"
"No."
"How about a fiancée or anything?"
"No."
With three no's, Daphne felt reassured.
Before she could bring up the matter at hand, Jesse beat her to it, "Boss, are you trying to set me up on a blind date?"
"No," Daphne's eyes darted, considering Jesse's handsome face, "I need to hire you for a job."
"I'm listening."
"Pretend to be my boyfriend."
"Okay."
Daphne was taken aback, her usual poise disrupted by Jesse's immediate and thoughtless agreement.
"When do we start?" He followed up.
"Let's say in a couple of days," Daphne decided, trying to sound casual and avoid seeming too eager, "Just don't call me 'boss'. It might give us away."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
