People eventually started grouping up.
Some were speaking with me, trying to get close to the new chairwoman of Kingsley Conglomerate.
"We have not heard of you for so long, so it is truly a shock to know that you became the new chairwoman," one CEO of a company in agriculture said.
"Riven trusted my capabilities," I replied with a polite smile.
"He had a will," one voiced out what others thought as well.
"He did. And I wish to live up to his expectation."
"But how about the projects you undertook? Did someone guide you?"
"I was guided by Grandfather and Father in the past."
Everyone furrowed their brows.
"They all guided us. But Christopher wished something else."
I allowed my voice to turn melancholic to tug at their emotions.
They changed topics and kept asking about the projects, but I know better.
What they wished to ask was about Kieran and me. They simply couldn't bring it up because I had already stirred the topic from the beginning, with my being the new chairwoman.
I would only allow them to ask about it if Kieran is by my side.
That way, no explanations would be needed. They only needed to look at Kieran, and his indifference would tell them if I was speaking the truth or not.
If he becomes ice cold once I claim that we are together, then I am lying. If there is no change, then I am telling the truth.
Glancing around, I found Kieran standing on one side with his aloof aura. Holding a wine glass.
Then he frowned before looking up, and, as if he knew where I was, his eyes instantly landed on me.
I tilted my head because I could tell that he was suddenly in a bad mood.
He started walking towards me, some eyes following him. Even those surrounding me noticed his movement.
That is how big his impact is in the corporate world.
When he arrives, everyone knows. When he leaves, everyone knows.
When he moves around, everyone knows.
They are all watching his every move.
When he got close to me, he simply looked at me. But deep within his eyes, I can see that something else was brewing.
What did I do?
I glanced down at the glass of wine he was holding. It was what made him frown a while ago.
"Let's go home?" I said, understanding that he wanted to leave.
But my words made the eyes of those still surrounding me widen.
"Yo- You two are..." one trailed off.
I tilted my head, "We are going home."
"What we mean is that you two live together?"
I smiled and wrapped my arm around his. He is in a bad mood, but he did not show any displeasure with my words.
I smiled at the people who were looking from me to Kieran, then back at me.
"We're going back now. Kieran is already tired," I said before pulling on Kieran because I can feel that his mood is plummeting even more.
No one was able to speak from shock, and I am sure that news outlets will start circulating the news about us.
Just as I want it to be.
...
When we got inside the car, Kieran handed me the wine glass he had been holding.
"You brought that with you?" I wondered, but accepted it nevertheless.
When I put it near my nose, I frowned.
"It was drugged?" I said.
I was trained to know if my food or drink has been drugged. A single smell would tell me instantly.
Michael reached his hand from the front. I handed him the wine glass while he pulled out a container from somewhere and placed the contents in it.
"You want to know where it came from? Or the contents?" I asked.
"Track down and kill."
I raised an eyebrow as I nodded my head.
"Why not include the one who was bought with money to put the drug in his wine," I replied before taking out my phone.
With a few taps, I got what I needed, but...
I frowned at what I saw.
"I'll send you the image of the waiter," I said, sending it to Michael.
The ride back to the villa was completely silent. Especially because Kieran's mood did not improve.
Instead, it remained distant.
I know that hell might let loose after we get back.
*Blag*
And just as I expected, the moment we got inside, I was slammed to the wall, his hand around my neck.
His eyes were emotionless. It's like the coldness would penetrate even the depths of my bones.
"Are you thinking about the warning I gave you yesterday?"
He squints slightly, intensifying the feeling of oppression.
"It was my intuition that something might go wrong. Riven and I have the strongest intuition in the family."
"..."
Then I sighed, "It was true that it was intuition yesterday. But you saw when I hacked into the camera of that hotel. The one who handed the drug to that waiter was none other than Thomas Levin."
Samantha Kingsley's husband.
His hand tightened at my neck, but not to the point where I could no longer breathe.
"I will apologize because it seems that my random comment turned out to be the trigger for them to actually make a move towards you."
It tightened further.
"I'm sorry I told them I sold you entertainment."
The coldness intensified, matching the current weather where the snow started falling outside.
"It was my carelessness, something you hate. And it implicated you."
I did not fight when his hand continued tightening on my throat.
It was a stupid mistake on my part.
If I die by his hands now, then that only means I am not as good as Riven thought I would be.
I... brought my own demise.