The Night I Left, He Turned Grey

Charles Jordan said, "President Sinclair, if she’s not at home or at The Thorne Residence, there are only three other possibilities: a hotel, a friend’s house, or her hometown."

Sean Sinclair replied immediately, "She only goes back to the orphanage for the New Year. Besides, her project is a collaboration with The Cole Group, so she won’t have time to leave City A anytime soon."

That left hotels and friends’ houses.

He had Charles Jordan check all the major hotels in City A, while he himself planned to find Miss Cole.

Miss Cole was Leila Jennings’s only friend in recent years.

"One more thing." Recalling every word from Butler Duncan and the sight of Leila Jennings’s bedroom at The Thorne Residence, Sean Sinclair decided to follow suit. "Contact the managers of all the major luxury clothing boutiques. Have them send clothes to the house in Leila Jennings’s size. You handle it personally."

"Yes, President Sinclair."

Sean Sinclair hung up the phone and drove away from The Thorne Residence.

Butler Duncan, who had a clear view from upstairs, turned and said, "Sean Sinclair is gone."

Rhea Warren nodded. "Don’t tell Leila about what happened tonight. I’m afraid that if she worries Sean Sinclair is harassing us, she’ll go see him."

"Understood."

...

「No. 9 Norsen」

Leila Jennings and Cherry Cole had ordered a table full of takeout and opened a bottle of champagne. They were just about to dig in.

The doorbell rang.

"Who is it?" Cherry Cole asked, getting up and walking to the door.

Leila Jennings thought, ’My place is certainly lively today.’

Cherry Cole looked at the monitor and saw it was her brother.

"..."

’I’m not opening it.’

’He’s interrupting my evening drinks with Leila!’

The doorbell was silenced. When the door didn’t open, a flicker of confusion crossed Nathaniel Cole’s eyes, and he pressed it again.

A second later, the doorbell was silenced again.

The man’s eyes darkened.

Nathaniel Cole took out his phone and made a call. As soon as it connected, his voice dropped ominously. "Cherry Cole, open the door."

Cherry Cole was so startled she almost dropped her phone.

"Damn! How did you know it was me?!"

"Hurry up," Nathaniel Cole urged coldly.

’How did he figure it out?’

Because Leila Jennings would never be so rude.

The last time Professor Warren and Professor Cheney were having dinner here, Leila Jennings had opened the door to see him and explain things clearly.

Besides, Ms. Neville had mentioned to him today that Cherry Cole had gone to see Leila Jennings.

The door before him opened slowly.

Nathaniel Cole raised his hand to give his sister a smack, but Cherry Cole had already anticipated it and was hiding silently behind Leila Jennings.

It was Leila Jennings who had opened the door.

His hand was raised high in front of Leila Jennings, his fingers slightly curled as if about to knock on something.

’Knock on the door?’

Leila Jennings looked up curiously, her eyes asking what was going on.

Cherry Cole, hiding smugly behind her, jutted her chin at her dear brother.

’I have Leila on my side now!’

’I’m not afraid of you!’

Nathaniel Cole shot her a cold glance.

Then, his large, gentle hand landed on Leila Jennings’s head, and the man casually and calmly ruffled her hair.

Leila Jennings froze on the spot.

The man walked past her, followed the aroma into the dining room, and then nonchalantly went to the kitchen dishwasher to get a set of sterilized chopsticks and a bowl.

Cherry Cole watched her brother and scoffed, "Shameless. Acting like you own the place."

Leila Jennings was still in a daze.

Nathaniel Cole had just patted her on the head.

The last person to pat her on the head was the orphanage director.

Leila Jennings turned her head, looking at the man who had already skillfully retrieved his dinnerware and sat down in the dining room, and slowly walked over.

"President Cole."

"Dr. Jennings."

Her form of address was polite, while his was laden with a deeper meaning.

Leila Jennings pursed her lips but didn’t offer any further explanation, not that Nathaniel Cole looked like he was expecting one.

On the day of the contract signing, Nathaniel Cole hadn’t been surprised, as if he had long since guessed.

Most people knew her identity by now, so there was no need to explain it to Nathaniel Cole all over again.

"What brings you here, President Cole?"

"Yeah, what are you doing here?" Cherry Cole glared at him. "Coming over right after work. You must have come specifically to freeload dinner, didn’t you?"

Nathaniel Cole took out an invitation and placed it in front of Leila Jennings.

"For the celebration banquet. I’m here to cordially invite Dr. Jennings." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Leila Jennings had thought it would be Zachary or one of the others who would come, not expecting Nathaniel Cole to deliver it personally.

"Thank you, President Cole." Leila Jennings accepted the invitation, got up to put it away, and when she returned, the champagne flute in front of her had been filled.

Cherry Cole immediately disavowed responsibility. "It wasn’t me."

That only left Nathaniel Cole.

Nathaniel Cole raised his glass, lightly tapping it against hers. "Congratulations, Leila Jennings."

This time, it wasn’t ’Dr. Jennings’.

He tilted his head back and downed half the glass in one go.

"Congratulations to you too, President Cole." Leila Jennings also drank half her glass.

Watching from the side, Cherry Cole’s brows furrowed in a tight frown, worried that Leila Jennings would drink herself under the table.

"Brother, Leila can’t hold her liquor. Why are you drinking so much?"

Nathaniel Cole knew she was a lightweight, and he also knew what she was like after drinking.

But he felt that after hiding her identity and suppressing her feelings for so long, Leila Jennings needed a release.

The last time she got drunk, it had been a good release. She was no longer her usual cold and distant self, but had spoken of the frustrations and grievances in her heart like a normal person.

Champagne was still alcohol. After half a glass, Leila Jennings’s face gradually started to feel warm.

She raised a hand and gently touched her cheek with the back of it.

Cherry Cole glared at her brother. ’Look what you’ve done!’

Nathaniel Cole, however, noticed her hands. They were much softer and smoother than when he had first met her.

’That bastard, Sean Sinclair.’

’After Leila stopped doing his housework, her hands have gotten soft again.’

’That bastard, Sean Sinclair.’

The man cursed him twice in his head.

He withdrew his gaze, glanced at his dear sister who was still glaring at him, and said coldly, "Eat your food."

Cherry Cole had just taken two bites when her phone began to ring off the hook.

It was the manager of her bar.

Even though she was sure her brother knew everything, she still answered the call furtively off to the side.

"What? Someone’s causing trouble?"

"Yes, the troublemaker is demanding to see the owner and says they won’t leave until they do."

"Don’t worry, I’m on my way to handle it."

Cherry Cole hung up the phone and returned to the other two. Before she could speak, Nathaniel Cole and Leila Jennings asked in unison, "What’s wrong?"

Cherry Cole looked from one to the other.

’When did these two get so in sync?’

"It’s nothing, just something urgent came up. I have to go." Cherry Cole leaned in to hug Leila Jennings and whispered in her ear, "Kick my brother out when you get the chance."

Then she went to her dear brother, leaned down, and warned him in a fierce whisper, "If you dare take advantage of Leila while she’s drunk and get handsy with her, I’ll disown you, you beast of a brother."

She shook her fist.

Nathaniel Cole glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Trouble at the bar?"

"Nope!" Cherry Cole denied it flatly, grabbing her bag and running off in a flash.

Leila Jennings said, "President Cole, don’t scare her."

Nathaniel Cole looked up, surprised, and said coldly, "You two certainly seem close."

’He sounded like a jilted wife.’

"Yes, Cherry and I are friends," Leila Jennings replied softly, continuing to eat. She took small bites, chewing slowly and deliberately.

Nathaniel Cole asked, "And what are we?"

Leila Jennings: "Business partners."

Nathaniel Cole: "..."

’He knew it.’

’He shouldn’t have asked.’

He picked up his glass and drank the remaining half.

Leila Jennings really knew very little about drinking etiquette. Seeing him down his glass, she followed suit and drained hers as well.

She saw Nathaniel Cole startle for a moment, then his lips suddenly curled into a smile.

’He’d forgive her for that "business partners" comment for now.’

The alcohol hit her quickly.

Leila Jennings felt a wave of dizziness, and she knocked her chopsticks to the floor. She bent down to pick them up.

Her forehead was about to hit the edge of the table.

THUMP.

With lightning-fast reflexes, Nathaniel Cole shot up and cushioned Leila Jennings’s forehead with his palm.

Leila Jennings’s forehead knocked squarely into the man’s palm, while his knuckles crashed against the edge of the table.

A sharp pain shot through his hand, and the man let out a soft hiss.

Because Nathaniel Cole had stood up so quickly, he knocked over the hot soup on the table, and the liquid began to flow towards Leila Jennings.

He rounded the table, scooped Leila Jennings up with one arm, and quickly moved her away from the dining table.

Leila Jennings yelped in surprise, her hands instinctively flying to Nathaniel Cole’s shoulders for support.

She sat in the crook of the man’s strong arm, her head lowered in alarm.

"Did any of the soup get on you?" The man turned his head, and the tips of their noses touched.

The scent of alcohol swirled around them, their breaths intertwining.

Nathaniel Cole’s Adam’s apple bobbed.