At the doorway stood a man with brown hair and a handsome face comparable to the most famous celebrities. His smile was warm like sunlight, carrying a noble aura confident, yet not arrogant.
He wore an extremely expensive suit that highlighted his solid, sculpted physique like a finely carved statue.
In his hand was a bouquet of golden roses. The moment he saw Selvia, he smiled and said, "Long time no see, Selvia."
Selvia slightly frowned, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes. Although it vanished quickly, Kaito noticed it instantly, and his heart turned cold.
"Kaito, when did you return?"
Hearing her question, Kaito walked into the office. His greedy gaze swept briefly over Rebecca, discreet enough to go unnoticed by most, before he looked back at Selvia and smiled. "I arrived this morning. I wanted to surprise you, so I asked everyone not to mention the time of my return."
"Selvia, this is a small token of my sincerity."
He approached her desk, offering her the bouquet along with a small, exquisite red box.
Selvia stood up and accepted the flowers, her expression still indifferent and cold. "Thank you, but… you just returned to the country and immediately brought gifts like this. I feel a little uneasy."
"Hahahaha…" Kaito laughed cheerfully. "Don't worry, we're childhood friends. Who gives gifts to whom doesn't matter."
He opened the small box on the desk. Inside was an intricately crafted necklace, a blue teardrop-shaped gem encased in a golden frame hanging from the chain, giving off a harmonious and artistic aura.
"Selvia, this is the Tear of the Ocean necklace I won at an auction. It cost over 120 million. I hope you can accept it."
Selvia looked at the necklace, feeling a discomfort rise in her chest. She wanted to refuse.
"Don't refuse just yet!" Kaito quickly said with a smile. "I used your name during the auction. The winning amount will be donated to charity."
Hearing that, Selvia's eyes grew even more displeased. It meant Kaito was forcing her to accept it. If she refused, the media would create chaos.
But if she accepted it, it would imply that Kaito had drawn their relationship one step closer.
Selvia frowned slightly and spoke softly, "Thank you, Kaito. But this necklace is too valuable. Since you used my name to bid and donate it to charity, how about I donate it to the City's Gem Exhibition? All the exhibition proceeds will be donated to charity under your name, of course."
Kaito's eyes flashed with a hint of coldness and surprise, but he quickly smiled, his expression gentle as if unaffected. "Of course. It's yours now. How you handle it is entirely up to you."
Selvia nodded and picked up the box. "Then… on behalf of this city's charity foundations, thank you."
Kaito nodded and asked, "Selvia, can you have dinner with me? It's been four years since we last met. I want to reminisce about our memories."
Selvia sighed, a trace of hesitation appearing on her face. "I would like to have dinner with you, but the company is dealing with some issues that need to be resolved quickly."
"It's fine!" Kaito shrugged. "Tomorrow works too."
"Tomorrow, the day after, I won't be free." Selvia said coldly. "Kaito, you don't need to wait for me. I'm truly very busy."
Kaito's lips curled slightly, a burning anger rising in his chest as though ready to explode.
But despite the raging fire inside him, his face still maintained that warm smile.
"It's alright. Work is more important. After all, I'm just someone you've forgotten. How could I dare interrupt your work?"
Selvia heard that and her expression showed a bit of awkwardness. She wanted to say something, but Rebecca spoke first. "Director, we have an important meeting. If you want to talk with your friend, I can cancel the meeting for you."
Hearing Rebecca's words, Selvia immediately seized the opportunity and quickly said, "Sorry, Kaito. I have something I must handle. You should head back first. When I'm free, I'll contact you."
Kaito nodded with a warm smile. "I hope you won't forget your childhood friend."
With that said, he turned around to leave.
However, as he walked past Rebecca, his eyes did not only show greed but also an extreme cold fury, enough to make Rebecca shiver in fear.
Reaching the doorway, Kaito smiled and slowly closed the door.
"Ah!" Rebecca let out a long breath of relief and asked anxiously, "Director, your friend… he is terrifying."
Selvia shook her head and sighed. "Thank you, Rebecca. You really saved me just now. He clings to me like a leech, impossible to shake off. But… he's so handsome, don't you like him?"
Rebecca shuddered as she recalled the look in Kaito's eyes earlier. She pouted and said, "Director, the prettier the snake, the more poisonous it is, and the more vibrant the mushroom, the deadlier it becomes. I'm not someone who falls for appearances."
"Hm…" Rebecca suddenly remembered something and grinned. "But if it were Rover, then I might reconsider a little."
BANG!
The moment those words left Rebecca's mouth, a loud sound echoed—Selvia's ashtray had fallen to the floor.
She had just taken it out when Rebecca's words startled her so much that she dropped it.
Rebecca: "…"
"Director, do you really have to react that strongly? I was only joking," Rebecca said with a grimace.
Selvia pressed her lips together, trying to maintain her indifferent expression. "I… I just slipped and dropped it. I don't care about him."
Rebecca sighed, inwardly full of disdain. "If you like him, then tell him already. Yesterday, Rosie came to ask me for Rover's number."
Crack!
Selvia was picking up a pen to sign a document, but Rebecca's words once again startled her. She squeezed too hard and snapped the pen in half.
Rebecca: "…"
Selvia frowned and quickly said, "The company doesn't allow office romance. Why would she need Rover's number?"
Rebecca pouted. "Director, the company doesn't have that rule. And maybe she needs to contact Rover for work?"
"Rosie is an accountant and Rover is a project development employee. What does one have to do with the other?" Selvia said, her voice starting to tremble slightly.
Rebecca found her reaction amusing and added fuel to the fire. "Hehehe… how should I know? But what I do know is that if you keep being slow, someone else will snatch Rover away."
"Get out!" Selvia shouted angrily. Rebecca laughed as she ran out of the room.
While the two women were discussing Rover, nearby in an outrageously luxurious BMW parked in front of the company, Kaito sat inside, his eyes gradually turning icy cold.
Fortunately, he drove himself here. If anyone else were in the car, they would probably faint from fear just seeing his eyes.
"It seems… the rumors were true after all," Kaito murmured.
He took out his phone and opened a secret chat window. Inside were photos of Selvia and Rover.
Photos of Selvia waiting for Rover at his doorstep, photos of them eating at a restaurant, even photos of Selvia holding Rover's hand as she pulled him inside.
Every image was crystal clear, shot from angles that made them look like a couple on a date.
Kaito frowned, his eyes growing darker and colder. His hand gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
"Rover…" Kaito whispered. "Forgiving you is God's job. Sending you to Him… is mine."
…
"Hm?!" Rover jolted slightly, turning his head to look behind him, his eyes filled with confusion.
"Strange… it feels like someone was watching me." He glanced around, but aside from himself and Vivian, the villa was completely empty.
"What's wrong, Rover?" Vivian asked curiously.
Rover shook his head. "Nothing. I'm very satisfied. Vivian, use the money I gave you to hire a cleaning crew and renovate this entire villa."
Vivian wrote everything down seriously, but the more she wrote, the more puzzled she became. She tilted her head and looked at him. "Rover, this…"
"Not enough money? Don't worry…" Rover rubbed his chin. "I'll transfer more to you if…"
"No, not that. I mean… do you really want to renovate it like this?" Vivian asked softly. "It feels like you're building a fortress, not a warm, comfortable villa."
Rover chuckled. "If I just wanted a warm villa, I wouldn't be searching for bunkers or bomb shelters."
Although Vivian still had no idea what Rover intended to do, she had already decided that no matter what he planned, she would support him.
She continued taking notes carefully, occasionally asking him a few questions. After confirming everything, she smiled and said, "Rover, I'll inform the Director that I'm resigning once all the villa paperwork is completed."
"No! You should resign first. I've already paid the first one million. As for the remaining amount, you don't have to worry about it," Rover said.
He was right. In a few days, the Apocalypse would arrive. Who would care about something as pointless as legally registered property ownership by then?
Vivian nodded, then pulled out a key and handed it to him. "Rover, this is what you'll need."
Rover took the key and smiled. "Finally… the most important thing I needed is here."