“It’s been a while.”
The curve of Vincent Preston’s lips was faint, the smile never reaching his eyes.
His voice was deep.
Wynn Shaw was slightly taken aback.
“Have we…
met before?”
Of course, she recognized him—who in Kaelus didn’t know the first heir of the Preston Family, with assets in the hundreds of billions?
His abilities and looks were both top-tier.
More importantly, rumors claimed he was cold and aloof, uninterested in women.
Whether in business or his personal life, he was always the one people revolved around.
But as for whether he recognized her, she wasn’t so sure.
The man’s gaze lingered on her face, so direct it made her a little uncomfortable.
Those deep, beautiful eyes seemed to see right through her.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she didn’t dare meet his gaze.
‘Why is he staring at me…
Is there something on my face?’
He didn’t answer, simply pushing a dark red velvet box slowly across the table toward her.
“What’s this…?”
‘A ring?
A gift?’ The texture of the box alone hinted at the extraordinary nature of its contents.
She opened the lid.
A massive “pigeon’s egg” diamond, accented with teal-blue gems, lay quietly inside.
In all their years together, Jaden Lancaster had never once given her a ring.
Yet this man before her presented a priceless treasure.
Wynn Shaw froze.
Vincent Preston propped his chin on one hand, the movement languid and casual.
His gaze lingered on her face for a moment before he frowned slightly.
“You don’t like it?”
She finally snapped out of it and looked up, meeting the gaze he had been holding on her.
“Thank you, Mr.
Preston.
How did you know…
I like this color?”
That streak of teal-blue along the band was a hue she was particularly fond of, one rarely seen on the market.
As a designer, she knew that creating and matching such a precise color was no easy feat.
He lowered his gaze, his long lashes casting a faint shadow beneath his eyes as he stirred his coffee with an air of nonchalance.
“I just picked it at random.”
‘Was it really a coincidence?’ Wynn Shaw wondered.
‘But then, he had no reason to lie to me.’
Just as she found herself staring back at him, he had already changed the subject, averting his gaze and letting out a cold snort.
“Back when the Preston and Shaw families were closest, I heard you refused the marriage alliance.”
She immediately replied, “I’m sorry.
I was inconsiderate back then.”
‘After all this time, he still hasn’t found someone else to marry?’
If she had known then what she knew now, she would have rather chosen to marry someone of equal status without love than to have gambled everything on something as illusory as love.
She assured him, “Once I return to the Shaw Family, I will take over the family business.
I’m confident I can create a win-win situation for both our families.
After we’re married, I won’t interfere in my husband’s affairs, as long as nothing is brought out into the open.”
The implication was clear: she wouldn’t ask about his activities outside their marriage.
Having witnessed Jaden Lancaster’s behavior, she no longer held any expectations for a man’s fidelity.
If ordinary men were like that, what more could she expect from someone like him, a member of Kaelus’s elite with countless options at his disposal?
“But why did you agree to this marriage now?” This was the point she most wanted to know.
With Vincent Preston’s qualifications, why was he still hung up on her—the woman who had rejected him before?
‘It couldn’t really be what she was thinking, could it?’
Vincent Preston listened quietly, then, as if seeing through her thoughts, he coolly broke eye contact.
His voice was cold.
“Master Shaw once saved my life, and he also expressed his wish for our marriage.
I’ve now reached the age where I should settle down.
Don’t worry, I will fulfill my duties as a husband.”
His tone deepened slightly, as if he disliked her earlier speculation, and he added slowly:
“As for extramarital affairs, you’re overthinking it.”
Wynn Shaw pressed her lips together.
It was true that when she was young, her grandfather had brought a cold, aloof boy to stay at the Shaw Family home for a while.
She had secretly peeked at him a few times, but she had no idea if he’d ever noticed her.
It wasn’t until he left that she learned he was from the Preston Family.
“So, I’m just a suitable candidate?
Combined with the debt you owe my grandfather?”
He stared at her, saying nothing, which seemed to be a silent admission.
‘A loveless, advantageous marriage.
It seemed to fit the man’s style.’
Wynn Shaw nodded slightly.
She couldn’t help but recall the media rumors from her time in Kaelus about his unrequited first love.
It seemed Vincent Preston had also grown cynical about romance and no longer cared.
In that respect, they were quite similar.
‘I’ll just take it one step at a time,’ she thought.
‘The most urgent task is to get my parents’ forgiveness and return to the Shaw Family.’
“Next month, I’ll have the Kaelus media announce our engagement.”
“Announcing it as soon as next month?”
The corners of his eyes lifted, his expression not quite a smile.
“If you want, we can do it now.”
He had originally planned to give her time to sort out the trashy people and messy situations in her life.
Now that the marriage was set and she was tied to him, there was no need to rush.
She quickly shook her head.
“No, next month is perfect.”
The atmosphere during the meal was decent.
He was outwardly cold, but his conversation was restrained and polite.
‘Of course, it’s natural to be polite when you first meet.
Whether he’ll be easy to get along with later is another story.
After all, men are so fickle,’ Wynn thought.
As they were leaving, the man shot a look at his assistant and got into the car first.
Special Assistant Warren understood, stepping forward and bowing slightly.
“Miss Shaw, I’ll see you home.”
“There’s no need to trouble yourself.
I can manage on my own.”
He had made a special trip from Kaelus and taken the initiative to meet her.
She was already very grateful; how could she trouble him further?
Special Assistant Warren opened the car door, his smile unwavering.
“Mr.
Preston doesn’t have a habit of letting his female companions return home alone.
Please understand.”
Before he finished speaking, the car window rolled down, revealing a handsome profile.
His gaze was calm and permitted no refusal.
“Get in.”
Under his gaze, Wynn Shaw found herself getting into the car.
They drove in silence.
The atmosphere was strangely quiet.
She watched the flowing nightscape outside the window and gently closed her eyes to rest.
Suddenly, his deep voice broke the silence with an out-of-the-blue remark:
“I don’t drive every woman home.”
At these words, the driver instinctively glanced at the rearview mirror.
Wynn Shaw froze and turned to look at him.
The man’s long fingers rested lightly on his knees, his profile was stern, and his gaze was fixed on the world outside the window.
Expressionless, he looked very cold.
‘Was it her imagination?
She actually felt he was being a little…’
‘…petulant?’
It dawned on her a moment later that he was explaining what Special Assistant Warren had just said.
If you didn’t think about it too much, you could indeed misunderstand and think he’d had many female companions.
She hadn’t thought much of it, but for a man of his status who was about to get married, it was natural for him to clarify things for the sake of his reputation.
‘There’s no other meaning to it, right?’
“I understand,” she replied softly.
Silence returned to the car.
When she got out of the car, Special Assistant Warren politely said his goodbyes.
“Take care, Miss Shaw.”
Outside Lancaster Villa.
Wynn Shaw thought Jaden Lancaster would have already gone to bed, but she saw him standing alone on the second-floor balcony.
When he saw her getting out of a luxury car with the license plate “888”, he didn’t even register the license plate’s Kaelus origin.
His gaze was already captivated by her slender, graceful figure.
When he got a clear look at her stunningly beautiful face, a flash of astonishment crossed Jaden Lancaster’s eyes.
He almost thought he was seeing things—
It was actually Wynn Shaw.
The woman he had never taken the time to truly appreciate.
“Wynn, why are you back so late?” He hurried down the stairs to question her the moment she entered the living room.
Wynn Shaw paused in the middle of taking off her high heels, her expression cold.
“It’s much earlier than usual.”
He had never waited up for her this late, so how would he know when she usually came home?
Jaden Lancaster was silent for a moment, his gaze still lingering on her face.
“What client did you go see?
Did you need to dress like that?”
“A friend.
We talked for a bit.”
Sensing her coldness, he felt an inexplicable irritation well up inside him.
That car had an extraordinary license plate.
How could he not know she knew such a person in Eldoria?
“Man or woman?”
“You seem especially concerned about me today, Jaden Lancaster.” She straightened up, looking him right in the eye.
“You were never like this before.”
A complex expression flickered across his face, and his tone softened.
“Wynn, I was too busy before, I neglected you.
I’m just asking now.”
Tonight was supposed to be their candlelight dinner.
He didn’t understand it himself—why, when he came home and didn’t find her, he had insisted on waiting.