âMiss Bennet.â Kyle noticed Rachel, so he said something to the man he was talking to before approaching Rachel with a smile Rachel looked back at him with a smile. âWelcome to Apliaria, Mr. Bentley! I have a gift for you.â
Right after she said that, her assistant handed the gift box they had prepared in advance to Kyle. Kyle raised his eyebrows, seeming as though he didnât expect this. Upon opening the box, he saw an exquisite glass lying in the middle of the box. The dark flannel of the glassâs rim made it even more resplendent.
âI apologize for not being able to prepare well for our meeting, because the time was rather limited. As far as I remember, you once majored in fine arts and design in this country, and that youâve always been fond of studying the process and designing of ancient cups. I also heard that you collected lots of exquisite instruments. This glass was found during my motherâs business trip, back when she was still alive. Though it may not be the most precious gift there is, its exquisite design is something to marvel at. I believe that youâll like my gift,â said Rachel Kyle took the glass out of the box. As he inspected it and held it in his hand, he marveled at its resplendence and beauty âYouâre right. I do like the gift.â He then put down the glass. âThank you, Miss Bennet!â
âIâm glad you like it, Mr. Bentley.â Having said that, Rachel casually glanced at the sunglasses Kyle was wearing.
âMy assistant reminded me just now, so Iâd like to ask aboutâ¦â
Kyle looked at Rachel, visibly confused.
âHowâs your injury?â The tone of her voice was casual enough to make it sound like she had just thought of the question The smile on Kyleâs face disappeared. But before he could respond, Rachel spoke again.
âI read about the terrorist attack about a month and a half ago, and found that you were one of the injured victims during the attack. It mustâve been frightening.â
The assistant was surprised about this fact.
âA terrorist attack? Why didnât I know about that? Is Miss Bennet mistaken or something? I didnât say anything about Mr. Bentley being in a terrorist attack before.â
The assistant wanted to tell Rachel that she mustâve remembered it wrong, and that this might strain their current working relationship with Kyle.
After all, it would be terrible if anything that Rachel said would hinder or even ruin their intent of cooperation.
But before the assistant could say anything, Kyle replied, âThanks for your concern, Miss Bennet. Iâm quite alright.â
This time, the assistant was at a loss for words.
Rachel gave him a smile and replied, âIâm glad youâre alright, Mr. Bentley. I must say, you recovered well, and so quickly at that! You were able to recover within a month and a half. Seems like you pay a lot of attention to your fitness and health!â
Having said that, she felt Kyleâs gaze through his sunglasses. It felt as if he wanted to see through her mind and find out the true purpose of her question. But no matter how Kyle looked at her, Rachel kept her smile. It was hard to read what was on her mind.
Before he could say anything else, someone approached him and reminded him that the welcome party had begun and that it was his turn to make a speech.
And so, Kyle nodded at Rachel and turned away.
As they watched him disappear into the crowd, the assistant turned her attention to Rachel.
âMiss Bennet, how did you know that Mr. Bentley was once in a terrorist attack?â She had ran a thorough background check on Kyle, but not once did she find anything about a terrorist attack Moreover, if something like that had happened in the country, it would probably be kept as a secret. If it had happened abroad, it would certainly be difficult for them to get first-hand information, considering how far away heir country was from Kyleâs. Foreigners attached great importance to privacy in their personal lives. Even if there was news about the terrorist attack, no media outlet would publicize the names of the victims.
That was why it was understandable that the assistant was confused.
Bring me a glass of red wine, thank you.
Rachel just smiled at her assistant and didnât bother to answer the question And so, the assistant decided to drop the topic, nodded, and went to get her a glass of red wine. Once her assistant had left, Rachelâs phone buzzed. She took out her phone and saw a picture and a message from Quintin, âRachel, why do you want Odinâs photos?â it read.