Chapter 122

Chapter 122

"Remember what I'm telling you. Starting today, you and Benjamin—no private contact outside of work. Got it?"

Evelyn's tone was unusually serious, even cold.

After knowing her all these years, Kimball could easily tell she was upset.

He propped his chin in his hand, staring at the wallpaper on his computer screen.

It was a photo he'd taken on his first trip to the grasslands.

That trip had only been possible because of the opportunity Evelyn had given him.

Even now, he couldn't forget what she'd looked like the first time they met—when he was eighteen.

She'd been only sixteen then, but her eyes seemed to see through everything, all the injustice in this world.

"Come with me. I can lead you out of this mess and help you become someone people respect. If that's not enough, I can make you rich—set for life, financially secure, someone others look up to."

That was the first thing Evelyn had ever said to him.

He'd just lost a major tournament. In everyone's eyes, he was a team captain who couldn't lead his squad into international competition—who'd made critical errors during the match. Online, the insults came flooding in like a tidal wave, threatening to drown him.

He still didn't know how he'd survived that time.

But Evelyn's arrival became the turning point of his life.

She taught him elite-level game theory and trained his teammates for free.

After that, Evelyn became their team's shadow coach, helping them break into one international tournament after another—even world championships. They won titles, brought honor to their country, made a name on the global stage.

Without Evelyn, he wouldn't have any of this.

She was his friend, but also his mentor.

"I was trying to help you."

But it seemed he'd done something wrong.

At that thought, Kimball let out a sigh.

"Then don't do things like that anymore. You're just creating unnecessary trouble for me. Understand?"

Evelyn's tone softened.

She'd never let these things put her and Kimball on unequal footing.

At least in her view, they were friends. There was no need to worry about all that.

"I helped you back then because I saw your potential—your value. So to be precise, if you hadn't been that talented, you wouldn't have made it this far on your own. All these years of pushing forward—wasn't it all for your original goal?"

"To give your parents a better life, to make sure they'd never worry about money again in their lifetime. You've done that. So now you should think more about yourself. Everyone else—including me—is secondary. What matters is you."

Evelyn spoke these words with complete calm. It was what she truly believed.

"Kimball, you don't owe me anything. Back then, I just gave you some technical guidance—I didn't even support you financially that much. And now, I'm a nominal leader on your team, getting a nice cut of the annual dividends. Plus all those businesses you've opened, big and small—I'm involved in every one, profiting from every one. Strictly speaking, you've already paid back whatever I gave you."

She paused. When he didn't respond, Evelyn continued.

"I'll leave it at that. What you think is your business, but my situation with Benjamin isn't going to resolve itself quickly. So focus on your own affairs. Got it?"

On the other end of the line, Kimball's lips curved into a small smile after hearing all that.

Of course. She was exactly the same as always.

"Fine. We won't talk about this anymore. I won't 'help' where I'm not wanted. But there's a racing event coming up, and someone else will be there too. Want to come? Show her up? Oh, and I'm not talking about Benjamin."

When he brought this up, Evelyn remembered something that had happened before.

Honestly.

If this could be an opportunity to end things, maybe it wasn't such a bad idea.

"I'll be there. Don't worry. If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up now."

After Kimball murmured his agreement, Evelyn ended the call.

She sat on the sofa, lifting her gaze to the painting on the wall.

A landscape photograph Maddox had given her years ago.

She wasn't blind to what had been happening lately—everything spinning completely out of her control.

The way Maddox had treated her in those early years—she'd remember that kindness for the rest of her life. And with his health in such poor condition now, she couldn't just walk away.

But what if things continued like this?

Was she supposed to keep things awkward with Benjamin forever?

She thought maybe it was time she started thinking about herself.

The next day.

The Taylor Villa.

When Amelia came downstairs, she was meticulously dressed.

She wore a white dress, paired with top-tier jewelry—all pieces Imogen had won for her at auctions years ago.

Downstairs, Vaughn had just finished breakfast and was about to leave for the office when he saw her descending the stairs in full formal attire. "Why are you so dressed up today? Something going on?"

Under his gaze, Amelia nodded slowly. "Yes, I'm going to a gathering today. All the socialites from Silverlight City's upper circles will be there. Naturally, I need to look my best—can't embarrass the Taylor family."

Hearing this, Vaughn nodded. "All right. Come home early tonight. Have the driver pick you up."

Amelia smiled and agreed. "I will, Dad."

After Vaughn left, she made her way to the dining room.

She picked up a pastry and took a bite, only to taste honey. She frowned and immediately spat it out, then turned to look at the servant standing nearby.

"I don't like honey. Don't you know that? Why is there honey in this?"

The servant's face went pale. She stammered, "Mrs. Taylor said she wanted honey-based pastries today, so the kitchen made some."

At those words, Amelia's expression turned strange. In the past, when she didn't like something, it would never appear on the dining table.