The Night I Left, He Turned Grey

Nathaniel Cole was standing right outside the door.

Leila Jennings glanced back at Mrs. Cheney and Professor Cheney at the dining table, then walked back to the group. "It’s President Cole," she said.

Everyone was taken aback for a moment.

"Professor Warren, Mr. Duncan, Professor Cheney, Mrs. Cheney, Chloe, please continue eating. I’m just stepping out for a moment." Leila Jennings grabbed her phone from the table, slipped it into her pocket, opened the door, made eye contact with Nathaniel Cole, and then shut the door in his face.

Nathaniel Cole immediately understood. Leila had guests, and it wasn’t appropriate for him to meet them.

"President Cole, what brings you here?" The air was cold, and a small puff of condensation formed as Leila Jennings spoke. She added as an explanation, "I have guests at home."

Nathaniel Cole just hummed in response. As for why he had come, it felt like some strange impulse had guided him here.

’I don’t even know how I ended up here.’

"The bid opening is tomorrow. I just came to let you know." This was the only excuse Nathaniel Cole could find. After Leila Jennings had quit and taken that box, the project—aside from his sister, Cherry Cole—was their only remaining connection. And that was only because Leila had mentioned it once, right in front of him, on the day she left.

’If I had known, I wouldn’t have given the box back. I should have given her one letter at a time.’

But whenever he looked into Leila Jennings’s eyes, there were many things he found himself unable to refuse.

"I figured you were quite interested in this project, since you made a point to mention it on your last day," Nathaniel Cole added, trying to bolster his flimsy excuse.

Leila Jennings nodded. "Then I wish President Cole the best of luck tomorrow."

Nathaniel Cole asked her, "What will you do if Sean Sinclair loses?"

Leila found his question a bit odd. After giving him a strange look, she shook her head and said, "I won’t do anything. Where there’s competition, there are winners and losers. If he can win the bid, that’s a testament to his ability. If he can’t, that’s normal too."

"What if something happens to Sean Sinclair?" Nathaniel Cole stared into her eyes, as if searching for any flicker of emotion.

Her eyes did indeed flicker for a second.

She asked, "What are you planning to do?"

"What?" Nathaniel Cole’s voice deepened. "Worried I’ll do something to harm your ex-husband?"

"His affairs have nothing to do with me." After saying this, Leila Jennings looked at Nathaniel Cole seriously. "I just think that tomorrow is an important day for you too, President Cole. It would be best to play by the rules."

A smile suddenly touched the corner of Nathaniel Cole’s lips. "Oh? So you’re worried about me."

Leila Jennings: "?"

’Talk about a man changing his tune on a dime.’

"You can think whatever you like, President Cole." Leila Jennings started walking. "President Cole, it’s not convenient to host you tonight. Let me see you out; it’s too cold out here."

It was true they couldn’t just keep standing and talking at her doorstep. Nathaniel Cole said, "No need to see me out."

Just as he turned to leave, the door behind them opened.

Leila Jennings and Nathaniel Cole turned around at the same time.

The person who opened the door was Butler Duncan.

Butler Duncan smiled. "Miss Leila Jennings, the madam has invited Mr. Cole to come in and sit for a while."

Nathaniel Cole looked at Leila Jennings.

Leila was also a bit surprised, but she turned and went back inside anyway. Nathaniel Cole followed close behind.

As soon as he stepped inside, his attention fell on Professor Cheney and Chloe.

Then, his gaze shifted to the woman sitting next to Professor Cheney. A member of the Jarvis family. She rarely made appearances in their social circles, but he had seen her before in the annually updated who’s who guide for City A that his mother had shown him.

Lydia Jarvis.

The eldest daughter of the patriarch of the Jarvis family. She had seldom been seen in public after marrying beneath her station.

His mother had told him that if he ever met her, he should respectfully address her as "Missie Jarvis."

And so, Nathaniel Cole greeted them one by one: "Professor Warren, Professor Cheney, Missie Jarvis."

Lydia Jarvis was momentarily surprised, then smiled. "I didn’t expect anyone from the younger generation to still recognize me."

"My mother has mentioned you," Nathaniel Cole replied politely, his gaze then turning to Chloe. "And how should I address this young lady?"

If Caleb Dalton had been there, he would have been utterly shocked to see Nathaniel Cole being so polite and proactively greeting others.

Nathaniel Cole was, after all, the heir to a top-tier conglomerate. Everywhere he went, people had to stand up. If they didn’t respectfully call him President Cole, they had to at least call him Mr. Cole.

It was always others scrambling to introduce themselves to Nathaniel Cole, never him proactively asking for someone’s name.

This was practically a supreme honor.

Leila Jennings had attended business functions with Nathaniel Cole before and had seen how everyone there revered him, and how he, in turn, acted as if no one else mattered. To suddenly see him being so gentlemanly and polite left her stunned as well.

’It would be one thing if it were just for the professors’ wives; they were elders, after all.’

’But he even took Chloe into consideration.’

"President Cole, hello! It’s a pleasure to meet you." Chloe immediately stood up and said formally, "My name is Chloe. I was Leila’s junior in her program."

Nathaniel Cole nodded. "Leila Jennings’s junior."

He glanced around at the people present. They were all Leila’s professors, their wives, and her junior—each one a formidable figure in their own right. He’d even seen Professor Cheney and Chloe at this year’s industry gala.

"Mr. Cole, please have a seat."

"Thank you, Professor Warren."

Nathaniel Cole sat down, and Butler Duncan set out a bowl and chopsticks for him.

Rhea Warren continued, "There are no professors here today, only Leila’s family."

Nathaniel Cole understood at once. Even if he had his own questions and suspicions, he couldn’t voice them.

It was a tacit understanding between them.

Professor Warren and Professor Cheney exchanged a satisfied look, thinking, ’Dealing with intelligent people is so much less work.’

"Leila, sit down, quick! You’ve barely had a few bites," Chloe said, tugging at Leila Jennings’s arm.

Leila had just sat down when Nathaniel Cole’s voice sounded in her ear, "So I was interrupting your dinner."

There wasn’t the slightest hint of apology in his tone.

Leila glanced sideways at him, thinking, ’Good, as long as you know.’ Outwardly, she said nonchalantly, "President Cole, please, eat up."

At the dinner table, Chloe’s eyes kept darting furtively between the two of them. Anyone could see she was dying of curiosity about the true nature of Nathaniel Cole and Leila Jennings’s relationship.

’Even if she hadn’t quit, wasn’t it a bit weird for a boss to visit a subordinate’s home?’

But Chloe didn’t dare say a word.

Lydia Jarvis saw right through her and smiled. Of everyone present, she was the most suitable person to question Nathaniel Cole.

"Mr. Cole, Leila has already resigned. Are you two still in touch?"

The question immediately put Nathaniel Cole on the spot.

He hadn’t expected to be stumped, and he froze for a moment.

But Leila didn’t.

Leila said, "I still owe President Cole three favors."

Everyone looked over, confused.

Leila continued, "He saved my life once, protected something very important to me another time, and prevented me from being taken away on a third occasion."

Chloe was astonished and whispered, "Leila, three favors? Does that mean you have to marry him three times to repay him?"

Leila Jennings: "..."

Chloe lowered her voice even more. "Then what about marrying him once? What about the other two times?"

Leila raised a hand and tapped her on the forehead.

’I was actually about to repay one of those favors,’ Leila thought. ’It’s all Sean Sinclair’s fault for suddenly showing up to check on me. Of all the times he could have done it, he had to pick that day.’

’Now I have no idea how I’m supposed to repay Nathaniel Cole’s three favors.’

Nathaniel Cole, who had sharp ears, had overheard Chloe’s comment about repaying him with marriage.

A smirk played on the man’s lips as he leisurely sized up Leila Jennings.

Leila knew instantly that he had heard.

Not only had he heard, but he also showed no signs of anger or objection.

Leila averted her gaze and did not continue to meet his.

As if unwilling to let it go, Nathaniel Cole tilted his head slightly, leaned closer to Leila, and whispered, "Have you figured out how you’re going to repay me yet?"