Chapter 7

Everything had seemed to be going fine, but things had now taken a turn. Suddenly, the spotlight was on Rachel and Tyler, making Rachel's heart skip a beat.

Everyone in the industry knew that Lewis Enterprise and LS Enterprise were rivals. In Yurelia City, only those two companies had the strength to compete head-to-head. Getting too close to the competition was bound to raise suspicion.

But as long as her acting was good enough, it wouldn't be a problem.

Rachel kept her calm and smoothly replied, "I accidentally stepped on Mr. Hunt's shoe earlier. I figured I should apologize. That's not too much, is it?"

Tyler casually responded, "That's right. Mrs. Lewis was about to apologize to me, but then you showed up, Mr. Lewis."

William glared at Tyler, his brow furrowing in frustration as his expression darkened. "You—"

"Mr. Lewis," Tyler interrupted before William could continue. "Since you're here, you apologize on your wife's behalf. I don't usually like to make things difficult for women."

Rachel stared at Tyler in disbelief. Did this man not have any shame? He nearly made her fall earlier, and now had the nerve to say he didn't like making things hard for women—with a straight face no less!

William stayed silent, his expression dark. Rachel felt something was off with him tonight, especially after meeting Tyler. He seemed more restless than usual.

A few moments later, Tyler rubbed his forehead and spoke again in a clearly impatient manner: "I thought the rumors said you treat your wife like a precious treasure. Were those lies?"

The words were casual, but the pressure in Tyler's voice was unmistakable.

There was a time when Rachel would've immediately stepped in to defend William. She hated seeing people push her loved ones around. People could mess with her, but she wouldn't let anyone mess with the ones she cared about.

But tonight, she just wanted to see what William would do.

She knew him well. He was an extremely prideful man who wouldn't just apologize to the competition. Plus, there were so many people watching. If word got out, it would be all over the news by tomorrow.

The tension in the air grew thicker.

"Mr. Hunt, it's not that big of a deal. It's just a pair of shoes, right? We can pay for them if you'd like," Samantha cautiously spoke up.

Tyler raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. "Is this young lady perhaps your next wife, Mr. Lewis?"

The words stung, and Samantha's face turned pale.

William quickly pulled her behind him. "I forgot to introduce her to you, Mr. Hunt. This is our new colleague, Samantha Judd."

Tyler glanced at Samantha briefly, then looked down at his watch with disinterest. "I see. Never heard of her."

Samantha's eyes filled with hurt, her cheeks flushed red. She clutched William's jacket, her voice thick with emotion, calling out, "William..."

William's jaw tightened, his fists clenching and unclenching as he took a deep breath.

"My wife made a mistake. As her husband, I should be the one to take responsibility. What do you want, Mr. Hunt?" he finally said, his voice low and strained.

Just then, a waiter passed by, and Tyler raised his hand to signal for him to stop. "If you drink this bottle of champagne, I'll consider this matter settled."

Samantha quickly reached out to stop him. "That won't do. William can't hold his liquor. I'll drink in his place, Mr. Hunt."

As she spoke, she reached for the champagne, ready to down it. However, William snatched it away before it touched her lips, his brows furrowed tightly.

"Don't be ridiculous! You're allergic to alcohol."

Rachel swayed where she stood, the words hitting her like a punch to the chest. She stumbled back two steps, her throat tightening. He remembered Samantha was allergic to alcohol, but forgot that Rachel was allergic to dust. Her fingers clutched the back of the nearest chair, knuckles turning white.

William drank the champagne in one go, while Samantha's eyes were filled with concern, watching him with evident worry.

Tyler looked like he was watching a show as he leaned casually against a nearby chair, his eyes never leaving William as he finished the bottle of champagne. Then, he clapped slowly, as if impressed.

"You truly have a remarkable tolerance for alcohol, Mr. Lewis."

After saying that, Tyler waved a hand carelessly, slipped his hands back into his pockets, and walked out of the auction hall.

William's stomach churned, the alcohol hitting him harder than he expected. However, he kept his composure and looked at Rachel with a pale face. He staggered over to her, grabbing her hand and trying to steady himself as he raised his hand to sign to her.

"Tyler isn't someone who should be messed with. Stay away from him."

Noticing how unstable William was, Rachel instinctively reached out to hold his arm. "You need to go home and take some medicine for this."

He nodded slowly, then turned to Samantha. "Take a cab home. Let me know when you arrive."

Samantha smiled sweetly and nodded. "Okay."

Then, she turned to Rachel and signed awkwardly, saying, "Rachel, please take care of William. His stomach is usually sensitive after drinking, and he gets severe stomach pains the next day. Also, can you make him some chicken soup?"

Rachel's breath hitched at Samantha's words. She didn't respond directly but gave a pointed reminder instead.

"Be careful on your way back, Ms. Judd. And from now on, call him Mr. Lewis in public. If someone overhears and thinks you're... something else, it could cause problems."

Without giving Samantha a chance to argue, Rachel guided William out of the room. Samantha stood there, staring at their retreating backs. She pursed her lips tightly together, eyes full of frustration.

As Rachel helped William toward the exit, she caught a glimpse of Tyler in the distance, casually leaning against his Bugatti. He had a cigarette between his lips, his head slightly lowered as he spoke into his phone.

When he turned his head slightly, his cold, dark eyes met Rachel's. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked away. As she opened the car door and helped William inside, Tyler's car drove past them, the two vehicles mere inches apart.

As Rachel got into the backseat, a strange, uncomfortable sensation crept over her. It felt like needles pricking at her back, like someone was watching her. She couldn't shake the feeling.

She didn't understand why Tyler acted that way toward William. It was clear to anyone that it was a deliberate attack.

William had been in the business world for so many years, and she had never seen him act so uneasy around anyone. It made her wonder if something had happened between William and Tyler that she wasn't aware of.

William looked miserable. After downing an entire bottle of champagne, it was no surprise that he wasn't doing well. The strong smell of alcohol filled the car, making Rachel wrinkle her nose. She fought the urge to gag and rolled down the window to let the air circulate, and the feeling of unease gradually subsided.

When they got home, Rachel and Arsen Smith helped William to his room.

Arsen noticed how drunk William was and said, "Madam, I'll prepare some hangover remedy. You take care of Mr. Lewis."

"Go ahead," Rachel replied, glancing at William.

She saw how cracked and dry his lips were, and was about to get up to pour him some water when she heard him mumbling something.

"Don't go… Don't leave me… Once I'm rich, I'll marry you, Samantha…"

Rachel felt her heart, which had been adrift all evening, plummet into an abyss.

She had always believed that William's drive to inherit the company, to earn his grandfather's approval, was for her. She thought he was working so hard to give her a better life, to make up for the pain she had suffered as a child.

Through his toughest times, she had stayed by his side. She had been there through every all-nighter, every brutal negotiation. Even that time she landed in the hospital with alcohol poisoning after attending a social event with him, she hadn't voiced a single complaint.

But now, he was telling her that his true motivation had been Samantha.

It had been that woman all along.

Then, what about Rachel?

What did that make her?