It was already past 9 PM, and Jeffrey still hadn't come back. Rachel was starting to get anxious, worried that something might've happened to him.
Unfortunately, he didn't have a phone on him, so she couldn't even call to check where he was.
Rachel decided to leave the apartment and headed to the main gate of the community. She kept looking around, hoping she'd see him soon.
After what felt like forever, she finally saw that familiar figure walking toward her.
"Jeffrey!" she called out, relief filling her voice as he got closer.
Jeffrey looked a little surprised when he saw her running toward him.
When she reached him, she was slightly out of breath, her cheeks red from the cold, but her eyes were bright and clear.
"Thank goodness, you're finally back," she said.
"Rachel, were you... waiting for me?" he asked softly, brushing his fingers against her cold cheek. The chill in her skin made it obvious she'd been standing outside for a while.
"Yes, you were so late, and I was really worried. I'm just glad you're safe," she said with a smile.
His eyes softened.
She was worried about Jeffrey—not the Jeffrey from the Gray Family Corporation. He wondered if she would still care this much if she knew who he really was.
He gave her a small smile and said, "I was handing out flyers, and it took longer than I thought. Your hands are freezing. Let me warm them for you." He took her icy hands into his and gently rubbed them, just like she had done for him before.
Rachel felt warmth slowly spreading through her fingers. Even though the night was cold, it felt warm somehow.
"Jeffrey, I'm so glad you're here," she said quietly.
He smiled. "Then remember this moment. I hope you won't regret saying that in the future."
"I won't regret it," she replied firmly.
"Alright, my hands are warm now. Let's go back inside, and I'll reheat the food." She led him back into the community, not noticing the black car parked just around the corner.
At that moment, Finn couldn't believe what he had just seen from the car.
Master Jeffrey... was actually warming a woman's hands. Uh, that kind of action could be considered warming hands, right?
He had never seen Master Jeffrey do anything like that for any woman, not even for Camila, who used to be his fiancée.
But now, Master Jeffrey was doing this for Rachel, the very woman responsible for the car accident that involved Camila!
Thinking back to when Master Jeffrey personally picked up a drunk Rachel from outside the club, Finn felt like his brain was about to crash.
What on earth was Master Jeffrey thinking?
Just how important was Rachel to him?
----
The next day, while Finn was reporting Jeffrey's schedule and work updates in the president's office, he couldn't help but glance at Jeffrey's hands.
His hands were elegant, with long, slender fingers and sharp knuckles.
Even as a guy, Finn had to admit that Master Jeffrey's hands were seriously attractive.
Finn had seen these hands grip someone's neck without mercy, almost ending their life, blood dripping and making people's skin crawl.
But he had never seen those same hands warm another person's, especially a woman who'd been in prison.
"What's wrong with my hands?" Jeffrey's voice suddenly broke the silence, startling Finn.
"Ah, nothing." Finn snapped out of it, quickly looking away and handing over an invitation. "This is an invitation from the Howard Family. The Howard Family and the Patel Family are forming an alliance. In two weeks, Celeste will be engaged to Ralph. Chairman Howard hopes you, Master Jeffrey, can attend."
"Engagement?" Jeffrey glanced at the invitation.
He knew exactly why the Howard family had sent this invitation.
After all, their deceased eldest daughter, Camila, had once been his fiancée, and Ralph had been dating Rachel, the one who caused the accident.
The Howard family wanted to gauge his reaction.
"Let's go and see," he said.
Finn took note.
In the afternoon, Finn accompanied Jeffrey to a private hospital in the city.
Only the wealthy or influential could afford to be treated here.
Standing outside the hospital room, Finn watched as Jeffrey gently pushed the door open and walked in.
Finn knew that the elderly man inside had once been a powerful figure in Shen City, commanding respect and influence.
However, his only son had left home for a woman and never returned.
Years later, all that came back to the Gray family was a box of ashes—and a child.
Inside the room, Jeffrey looked at the old man lying on the bed.
This man, whom he should call grandfather, was dressed in a hospital gown with an IV drip attached to his hand.
His once-strong body now looked frail and thin.
"You're here," Old Master Gray said, looking at his only grandson.
"Yes, I'm here," Jeffrey replied.
The two of them stood there in silence, a silence they were both used to.
After a long while, Old Master Gray broke the silence. "I heard from my secretary that the Howard family and the Patel family are planning to get married?" Even while in the hospital, his secretary still kept him updated on important matters.
"The engagement is in two weeks. They've already sent the invitation," Jeffrey said.
"Are you planning to go?"
"Why wouldn't I?" he answered.
Old Master Gray stared at his grandson for a long moment before suddenly breaking into a smile. "Good, good. You're not like your father."
Ever since Camila's death three years ago, Ralph hadn't been involved with any woman.
Old Master Gray had been worried that his grandson might end up like his son, so caught up in his feelings for a woman that he wouldn't accept the arranged marriage between the Howard and Patel families.
After all, Ralph's ex-girlfriend was the one responsible for Camila's death.
Jeffrey completely understood what the old man meant by "not like him."
"Yes, I'm not him, and I won't be like him," he replied.
Suddenly, Old Master Gray grabbed Jeffrey's wrist with his wrinkled, aged fingers, gripping tightly as if using all his strength. "Remember what you said today. Never be like him. If he had listened to me back then, things wouldn't have turned out this way..."
Old Master Gray's voice was full of bitterness, and a flash of hatred appeared in his eyes. His fingers dug into Jeffrey's wrist, leaving red marks.
But Jeffrey didn't seem to care about the pain. A mocking smile slowly spread across his lips.
He would never sacrifice everything for a woman.
And he definitely wouldn't throw away his pride just to beg for one.