Chapter 176 Unwilling to Let Go
"James, I didn't know your car was this expensive? Twenty million dollars."
Sitting in the passenger seat, Kaitlyn touched here and there, her pretty face full of surprise.
After leaving the airport, she had been busy chatting and sleeping, not paying attention to the license plate or the car she was in.
Now, after hearing Gary and the others discuss it, Kaitlyn finally realized. "No wonder I slept so well, turns out it's a luxury car."
"Wait a minute." Kaitlyn slapped her forehead and said, "The Smith Family doesn't have this kind of car. There's no way Mom, Dad, or Sis would buy it for you. Where did you get this car?"
She didn't have much of a concept of money, but she knew the details of the Smith Family. All their assets combined were just about two hundred million, and that was due to the surge in value of their villa and clinic.
So, the Smith Family couldn't possibly have enough money to buy such a car and license plate. Even if they had twenty million, Addison would more likely buy a house or gold.
James smiled. "If I said I rented it, would you believe me?"
"Do you think I'm stupid?" Kaitlyn rolled her eyes at James. "Which rental company would have such an amazing car for rent? Even if they did, you wouldn't rent a twenty-million-dollar car just to pick someone up from the airport."
"You don't need to mess around with me, no need to pretend to be impressive in front of me."
Kaitlyn hummed nonchalantly. "Be honest, where did the car come from? If you don't explain clearly, I'll tell my sister, and you'll face the family rules."
James chuckled, "If I said it's my car, and I got it because I did a huge favor for a friend, would you believe me?"
"Sure, why not?" Kaitlyn sat up straight. "I'm just curious, what kind of huge favor did you do for him?"
"He ran into Phillip Wilson and was plagued by bad luck. I helped him break the curse."
James smiled and told Kaitlyn, "He was too scared to drive the car, so he gave it to me."
"Phillip Wilson? Break the curse?"
Kaitlyn's eyes lit up. "James, I haven't seen you in half a year, and you've become a master? That's amazing."
James was taken aback. "You believe what I said? You don't think I'm making it up?"
"Why would I think you're making it up?" Kaitlyn blinked her beautiful eyes. "Compared to renting or borrowing a car from a friend, helping someone and getting a car in return makes more sense."
"I even checked the registration, and it really is your car." She tossed a booklet into the drawer. "Besides, if I can transform from an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan, it's normal for you to become more impressive."
James sighed lightly. If it were Mary, she would undoubtedly believe he rented the car because she wouldn't believe James owned it.
Kaitlyn was only three years younger than Mary, but their personalities and styles were worlds apart, almost like they were from different generations.
"Come on, let's not talk about the car anymore." Kaitlyn was excited. "Show me what you've learned."
James was speechless, not knowing whether to say Kaitlyn was naive and easily trusting or just playful.
"You've had a long day; you should rest early."
James gently refused Kaitlyn's request while steering the car into the villa area.
Kaitlyn pouted. "If you won't show me tonight, you have to show me another day."
James smiled helplessly. "Alright, when there's a chance, I'll show you."
"By the way, James, after all that happened today, I don't want to go to BH Pharmaceuticals anymore. I don't want to owe Gary and the others any favors."
Kaitlyn remembered something. "Do you have time in the next couple of days to take me to some headhunting companies to see if there are any suitable jobs?"
James hesitated for a moment and said, "If you like BH Pharmaceuticals, you should go for the interview. If you get in on your own merit, why worry about owing favors?"
Kaitlyn didn't hide her feelings. "I just don't want to see Gary and the others."
Although Gary helped resolve the situation, his behavior had already disgusted Kaitlyn, so she planned to repay the one million and be done with it.
James smiled. "Don't worry, they'll be leaving soon."
Kaitlyn looked puzzled. "Leaving? They're doing well, why would they resign?"
James smiled meaningfully. "I have a feeling."
As they spoke, the Smith Family villa came into view. James eased off the gas, his expression complex, feeling a bit of the anxiety of returning home.
About twenty feet from the Smith Family villa, James stepped on the brake and stopped the car. He then got out to help Kaitlyn with her luggage.
Kaitlyn looked confused. "Why are we stopping here? Drive the car in."
James replied, "Oh, I'm keeping the car a secret from Mom and Dad. I don't want them to know, or they'll take it for themselves."
Kaitlyn clearly understood Addison's personality well. "Don't worry, I'll cover for you and say you borrowed it from a friend."
"Kaitlyn, to be honest, I divorced your sister." James took a deep breath. "And it happened just yesterday. I won't go into the details, but in short, I have no more ties with the Smith Family."
"The only reason I picked you up from the airport is because I accidentally agreed to it this morning."
"Your parents and sister don't want to see me right now, and they definitely won't be happy to see me with you."
"So, I can't take you inside. You'll have to go in by yourself."
James decided to resolve the issue quickly and decisively. "From now on, we don't need to and shouldn't stay in touch."
"What?" Kaitlyn's smile froze instantly, looking at James in disbelief. "You divorced my sister? What happened?"
"The divorce is done, there's no point in discussing it." James smiled faintly. "Don't think about who's right or wrong. Let's just part ways amicably with the Smith Family."
"Don't go, don't go!" Seeing James about to leave, Kaitlyn spread her arms to block him. "James, you can't leave without explaining. I won't let you go."
"James, was it my parents making things difficult for you? Or did my sister cheat on you?"
Although she hadn't spent much time with James, for him to leave the Smith Family, something intolerable must have happened.
"There were many issues, but fundamentally, your sister just doesn't love me." James patiently explained, "I couldn't warm her heart, so letting each other go is the best choice."
"Go back, get some rest, and don't give Gary the one million. I'll handle that."
James gently advised Kaitlyn, then turned to walk to the driver's seat.
Kaitlyn's face turned pale, but she stubbornly spread her arms again. "Don't go!"
"Kaitlyn, why? The Smith Family doesn't welcome me, and your sister and I can't go back. Why are you trying to keep me? Besides, we've only spent a few days together, and we've barely talked. Today was the most we've interacted."
James looked helpless and a bit puzzled. "Why are you so determined to keep me?"
He felt that he had no emotional connection with Kaitlyn, not even a friendship, just a fragile relationship.
Kaitlyn looked at James. "That night you carried me to the hospital and I had recognized you as my brother-in-law, and a man of the Smith Family."
She said this softly, but it seemed to take all her strength.
James was shaken.
He remembered the night before Christmas when Charles and his wife were at church, Mary was working late, and Kaitlyn suddenly had an appendicitis attack, writhing in pain.
At that time, only James was home. With ambulances and taxis in short supply, James ended up carrying Kaitlyn to the hospital.
He ran so fast that he fell and scraped his knees twice, bleeding.
Addison and the others thought it was a minor thing, something James should have done, and James himself had forgotten about it. But Kaitlyn still remembered.
"Kaitlyn, that was nothing, and it's in the past."
James smiled, patted Kaitlyn's shoulder, and then walked around her toward the driver's seat.
But after taking just four steps, James couldn't move any further, as if his clothes were caught on something, a strong force preventing him from moving forward.
James turned to look.
The next moment, the thought of not contacting Kaitlyn anymore vanished completely from James' mind.
Kaitlyn, holding her suitcase, was squatting in the night wind, trembling. She looked at the ground, but one arm was helplessly clutching his clothes.
Her index finger, thumb, and middle finger were gripping his coat hem with all their might, refusing to let go no matter how hard James pulled.
James stared at her, dumbfounded.
For some reason, such a simple action made James' heart tremble fiercely.
He smiled bitterly. "Kaitlyn, I really have nothing to do with the Smith Family anymore."
Kaitlyn lifted her pretty face, looking at James pitifully. Her lips moved, but she didn't speak.
Her fingers, gripping his coat hem tightly, refused to let go no matter what.
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