Durrell Landon looked down at her, raising her chin with his right hand, gently rubbing her rosy lips with his fingers:
"You are truly cruel."
It was indeed the first time he had encountered such a woman, calm to the point of being heartless, seemingly detached from all emotions in this world, yet somehow she ignited a fire in his heart.
At this moment, her phone rang, cutting through the silence of the room and disturbing the strange atmosphere between the two of them.
She pushed away the hand restraining her, took out her phone from her pocket, and glanced at the caller ID.
It was Alexander Skylane.
She walked out of the room and pressed the answer key.
"What's the matter?"
"Cece, you did promise me you'd come to the branch office's banquet, right?"
She recalled for a moment, it seemed there was such a thing.
She softly replied with a "Mm."
"I promised you, I won't go back on my word."
Hearing her agreement, Alexander's tone involuntarily became much happier: "The banquet date has been set. Where are you staying now? I'll send the invitation card over to you."
Quiana Sutton: "..."
She naturally couldn't say that she was currently staying at Imperial View Manor.
She gave him another address, and the two agreed to meet at Between Clouds and Waters.
After hanging up the phone and preparing to return to her room, when she turned around, she saw Durrell Landon leaning against the door frame, watching her with a calm expression. Yet, inexplicably, a chill ran through her, and she instinctively wanted to leave. Before she could, he suddenly approached her and grabbed her waist:
"Who were you just talking to on the phone?"
Looking into his deep, whirlpool-like eyes made her scalp tingle.
Quiana wanted to break free from his grip, but his hand was like an iron clamp, not allowing her to budge an inch. She angrily shouted:
"Let go!"
Durrell repeated the question: "Tell me, who were you just talking to on the phone?"
Seeing that Durrell was determined not to give up without an answer, Quiana resignedly said a name:
"Alexander Skylane."
As soon as the words slipped out, Durrell released her slightly, then abruptly cupped her nape with one hand and sought out her lips with his.
The taste of alcohol lingered on her lips, blurring the lines of whether it was the drink that intoxicated her, or the man, causing her heart to unconsciously race.
She didn't like losing control of herself, so she fiercely bit his lip, and both tasted the metallic tang of blood.
Durrell winced in pain and instinctively let go, covering his lips.
Gaining her freedom, Quiana immediately took a few steps back:
"You've drunk too much, I don't want to do this with someone who's drunk."
Watching her retreating figure, which seemed somewhat like fleeing, he nonchalantly wiped the blood from his lips with his thumb.
He remembered a while back, his elder brother had someone deliver an invitation—one that Alexander Skylane specifically sent to the Landon Family to celebrate the official establishment of the Aisha Group in the Capital City. His brother handed this invitation to him, and although he originally had no interest in it, he now changed his mind.
Quiana returned to her room, took a cold shower to calm herself down.
She never believed there was genuine love in this world.
Playing games was fine, but if it ever came down to truly falling in love with someone, she absolutely would not allow it.
One painful lesson was enough.
At this moment, even the moonlight in the night sky seemed to have dimmed considerably, hidden behind clouds and faint mist.
...
The next day.
When Quiana came downstairs, she saw Charles Foote, who hadn't appeared in the manor for quite some time.
Just then, he was saying to Durrell Landon:
"Durrell, I've repaired the surveillance footage from the accident scene, but the only problem now is that the hit-and-run driver has long gone abroad, and The Raven can't catch him for now."
Durrell's expression did not change in the slightest upon hearing this, he just responded lightly:
"Is that so?"
"Being able to be so thoroughly prepared in advance, it's clear the other party was ready for this."
After speaking, he glanced at the perpetrator's information and negligently placed it aside.
"He's just a pawn, after all. Since they were determined to kill me back then, and now that I'm not dead, sooner or later, the people behind him will reveal themselves."
At this time, he noticed Quiana not far away, his gaze locking securely onto her.
While he was looking at Quiana, she glanced at him too, then quickly looked away.
There was a fleeting coldness in his expression, but he didn't express it, instead casually asked:
"Will you be back tonight?"
Charles Foote: "..."
He hadn't been to The Raven for just a few days, and yet the atmosphere between these two had somehow turned strange.
It was as if a very ordinary husband was inquiring about a wife who wanted to go out.
Ordinary husband...
Why did it feel a bit weird; somehow this term didn't quite fit with Durrell Landon, but oddly enough, at that moment it seemed perfectly natural, even stirring a slight longing within him, though he quickly cast it aside.
This time, Durrell's tone sounded extremely gentle, but Quiana inexplicably remembered a phrase—gentle knife, cutting through intestines and bones—making her scalp tingle.
She wasn't initially inclined to answer, but she didn't want to cause more trouble either.
"Yes."
Upon hearing that she'd be back, there seemed to be a hint of tenderness on his face:
"Then go and return early."
Quiana: "..."
She didn't say anything more, just turned around and left.
Charles sat by the side, observing their reactions while maintaining his position without moving, just looking at Durrell with a complex expression.
His display was unmistakably obvious.
After Quiana left, Charles finally spoke: "Durrell, have you decided not to divorce?"
"Of course."
"Since you don't plan to divorce, are you planning to go public?"
"When the time is right, I'll make it public."
Hearing this expected answer, Charles showed no sign of relief.
"Durrell, if you insist on being with Quiana Sutton, have you thought about what you'll face? The old man won't agree, and he might even cause trouble for Quiana, potentially even… you might not get anything from the Landon Family."
Among the younger generation, the old man tolerated the least Durrell Landon slipping out of his control.
No matter who Quiana Sutton was, she clearly didn't meet the old man's chosen standards.
Before meeting Quiana, Durrell had always been indifferent to such matters.
But after meeting her, he felt everything had deviated from its course.
There was a trace of disdain in Durrell's eyes,
"So what if I don't get anything? I've never cared about what the Landon Family has to offer..."
A trace of bewilderment flickered in Charles's eyes, but such an answer was somehow within reason.
Brilliant, arrogant, that is Durrell Landon!