Chapter 18
Kingston reached over and took the phone from Vivian’s hand. His long, slender fingers brushed her palm, leaving a faint tingling in their wake.
He quickly withdrew his hand, expression unreadable as he glanced at the screen. He tapped Confirm” beneath the bolded “Defeat” and exited the game.
Vivian pressed her lips together, thinking for a moment before speaking softly. “If you’d like, I could carry you in a game.”
Kingston raised an eyebrow.
“Carry me?” he asked skeptically.
His deep, narrow eyes locked onto hers without blinking, as if assessing her skill.
The look sparked Vivian’s competitive streak. She immediately pulled out her phone.
“I’m really good at jungling. Several of my heroes have regional badges.”
As she spoke, she swiped through her phone, looking for the app to prove her point. But it wasn’t there. Only then did she remember she had uninstalled the game long ago.
Kingston’s intense gaze lingered on her. Seeing her hesitation, he let out a quiet scoff. There was no mockery in it, yet it still felt pointed.
Vivian drew a deep breath and opened the app store to reinstall the game.
“It’s just a game. Downloading it again won’t take long,” she said, keeping her tone light despite her embarrassment.
But Kingston frowned as he put away his phone.
“If you’ve already stopped playing, don’t force yourself to download it again. I know you’re not the type to push yourself to do things you don’t want.”
Vivian froze. She was about to protest that she didn’t feel forced, but he had already shifted his
gaze away.
He pulled a cigarette from the pack on the table and headed toward the balcony.
She pressed her lips together, suddenly remembering why she had come.
Vivian looked at his retreating figure before saying tentatively, “I heard you’re interested in acquiring Whitfield Group’s shares. I came to see you today because I want to sell you mine.”
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Chapter 18
212
She went straight to the point.
Kingston paused mid–step and turned to face her. “Is that what you heard?”
Vivian nodded. “Yes. I hold 51% of the company’s shares. I’m willing to sell all of them to you, but I need you to agree to one condition.”
He held the cigarette in his left hand without lighting it, a faint, unreadable smile on his lips.
“Given our history, Ms. Hartwell… Why would I even consider doing business with you?”
It was early summer in Baymoor. Even with the midday sun, the temperature wasn’t particularly warm.
Kingston stood at a distance, and his aloofness was obvious.
Vivian’s heart sank as she suddenly realized there was another meaning behind his earlier words.
Back then, she had insisted on staying in Baymoor, even if it meant severing ties with the Hartwell family. She was determined to be with Logan and had vowed never to force herself to do anything.
Kingston had been groomed as the Howard family’s successor. He’d grown up pampered and privileged, surrounded by admirers. Being rejected by a fiancee he had never even met was probably the first setback he had ever experienced.
Vivian still remembered Camille’s warning when the Hartwell and Howard families first broke off the engagement. Their family had embarrassed the Howards, and the latter severed all business partnerships.
Given their history, Vivian and Kingston really weren’t suited for business negotiations at the moment. She lowered her gaze, silently chastising herself for being so presumptuous today.
She should have confirmed whether he truly wanted to acquire Whitfield Group before coming, or perhaps had Camille help sell the shares. That would have been much easier, especially since her sister and Kingston were high school classmates.
Vivian was confident in planning and strategizing, but negotiating business deals at a table wasn’t her strength. Now that she was here, she couldn’t just leave without trying.
I Cancel the Engagement and Level Way Up
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