MR BRIGGS'S PLAYTHING

Kenton's eyes were unfathomably deep.

It's been over a month since they'd last seen each other. Could Mia really be this... tough?

In the past, She used to cling to him, as if she had separation anxiety.

If he didn't reply to her messages within an hour or two, she would call and send him tons of messages.

There was a time when Kenton found her annoying.

There was a time when he thought that she couldn't live without him, just as a fish couldn't survive without water.

They met in their third year of college. She belonged to the elites, while he was just a poor boy.

He was bullied by his roommates and scoffed at by his classmates for being poor.

Mia appeared in his life, like an angel.

Numerous times to save his ass, each time he was in trouble.

She was the harbinger of good tidings.

She was not only beautiful but a true goddess.

She was the legendary beauty of her school. Whether walking on the street, eating in the cafeteria, or even jogging in the sports stadium, she would attract a flock of onlookers.

But she only loved him.

She would save her limited book money to buy him large platters at the cafeteria.

She denied herself a bicycle to save money but bought him a motorbike, and not only did she never ask for gifts in return, but she also took the initiative to give him presents.

In his senior year, her father passed away.

He can still recall her crumpling into his embrace and weeping a river,

"I only have you now."

He had no choice but to kiss her time and again, holding her even tighter in the drafty room they rented together.

On the day of his engagement to Miss Moneybags, Mia was drenched to the bone.

And there Kent stood, by the window in the hotel, his heart aching as though being torn apart.

Yet, he had no other option.

After graduation, he decided to change cities with some of his juniors, making waves within just a year.

But in reality, his company was robust on the outside and weak on the inside, and teetering on the brink of a cash flow crisis.

That's when Miss Moneybags appeared.

The same old drama reenacted itself, showing him that you don't feel the pain until you get the blow.

He desperately needed the money, but he also needed to provide for his staff.

However, Miss Moneybag's bodyguards were lurking all around the engagement hotel. Any issues would dissipate this alliance of convenience into thin air,

It first started with delivering a charging cable at 11 PM, to miss money bag, which was his biggest investor at the time,

Although Mia was scared he would lose her investment, if he didn't go but she still couldn't bring herself to let him go at that time,

"Dare to go, and I'll eat you alive." That was Mia’s response. Until he decided to take his destiny by the balls.

***

"Are you serious? Are you really seeing Jake"

"At least he reports to me wherever he goes, he doesn't intentionally go missing, or frolicking around with miss moneybags."

But she had no mood to bicker with him.

"I've answered the question you've asked. I can leave now, right?"

Kenton laughed.

"Are you sincere about this? Okay, then tell me where he is now?"

She was confident.she was about answering him when he suddenly said.

"His car is right next to mine."

Kenton smirked, an enigmatic look on his face.

He turned on his mobile phone screen and shoved it under her nose.

"So you didn't feed him? Look at how anxious you've made him."

In the video, the expressions of Jake and the flight attendant were clearly visible.

Jake was looking up,

his eyes filled with dazzling infatuation.

She finished reading silently with her head bowed, then locked the screen and handed the phone back to Kenton.

"I've seen it all. Can you let go of me now?"

"Mia, aren't you angry?"

Kenton was slightly surprised.

He examined her upturned face closely, searching for traces of jealousy, anger, or disappointment.

Strange, there was none.

He had covertly followed his car, trailing behind him, suddenly appearing before her, just to see if this woman would cry, cling to him, scream in surprise.

If she would return to his arms, forgive him for hurting her heart.

But none of this happened. She was calm, looking at him almost like a stranger on the street.

He had even prepared for an argument with her, using Jake as a weapon to provoke her.

So, to prove to her that Jake was not worth it, Kenton deliberately took a video of Jake's illicit affair.

Hoping to see her frustrated, wanting her to understand that all men are the same, hoping she would understand his predicament.

Yet, she remained unmoved.

"What's there to get mad about? The more women he sleeps with, the more guilt he feels, and the more zeros he adds to the cheque he gives me."

Kenton took a deep breath to force himself back to reality, the refreshing scent of the aftershave forcefully entering her nose.

"Mia, listen to me, I know your sister needs money."

"But I am well aware of the Briggs family; Jake is nothing but the heir on paper; all the big money is in his dad's pocket."

"The money he can give you is, at most, a six-figure amount, his promise to take your sister to Hope Hospital is nothing more than a false cheque."

Kenton hesitated for a while but decided to blurt out the words stuck in his chest, though somewhat nonsensical,

"Moreover, you didn't go after money in the past."

She found it amusing inside. What else should she be after at this stage if not money? Love? Please.

Love is so elusive, for her right now, she must hold on tight to whatever can save her sister's life.

"Kenton, I want both love and money."

His expression paused, his tone began to soften,

"I know you're mad at me. But the two things you want, Jake can't provide either. Why bother with him?"

"And besides your sister, do you know how many prominent officials and nobilities are lining up to get into Hope Hospital?"

The following line, Kenton thought about it, but he didn't have the heart to say it:

"Who do you think you are, Mia that everyone has to help you out?"

She smiled,

"Do I remember correctly, your family made a living selling breakfast?"

Kenton’s family ran a small cafe, selling coffee and some pastries.

Upon hearing this, rather than getting angry, he laughed.

"Your sister is my dear friend, Leave this matter to me, I'll surely help you sort it out, even the money, and the hospital - you don't have to worry about all these."

This statement completely shattered Mia's last ounce of patience.

She couldn't stand the way he always assumed responsibility for everything. While people change their minds easily, he was like a chameleon.

"Kenton, let go. I have to leave."

If she didn't leave, the driver from the Briggs family would probably come looking.

But how could he possibly let go so easily,

"My car is outside. Come with me. Mia"

Upon hearing this, She couldn't help but laugh in exasperation.

"Mia?"

A man's voice echoed from the door.

She suddenly felt a jolt in her heart.

Jake was back, that was fast.

However, it was still better not to offend him at this moment. Keeping him might be of great use.

With a malevolent laugh, Kenton, seizing the opportunity, leaned in close to her, whispering into her ear,

“Mia, what if I were to expose your dress to him right now? Would Jared still help you, do you think?"

He immediately regretted his words after they left his mouth.

Because he saw her eyes rimmed with red, her nose flushing, looking like a pitiful little bunny.

Trapped in the corner by him, she was unable to escape.

Irritated and anxious, she pressed her back against the cold wall as he showed no intention of letting her go.

Somehow, she was reminded of her sister, whose condition had worsened to the point she could no longer speak.

All of her hands had turned blue from the multiple IV punctures, leaving the nurse with no choice but to insert the needle in her forehead.

Every time she visited, her sister, whose hands trembled so much she could hardly hold a cup, would insist on handing her a glass of milk,

"Sis, you're working too hard. Drink more and replenish your strength."

Each time she reluctantly left the hospital room, her sister’s longing gaze followed her.

She once saw her little sister being rushed by a haughty nurse to sign medical documents, her small face turning all red while she had to force out a pleasing smile.

It seemed that only Jake could help her now, yet Kenton would ruin it all. Her eyes brimmed with tears without reason.

In the next second, tears fell down her cheeks, her shoulders slightly trembling.

Kenton was taken aback when he saw her state, melting with sympathy. He immediately let go of her arms, sighed softly, and encircled her closer into his arms. He held her tighter, "Mia I can help you. I will help you break off things with him."

In raising her eyes to see Kenton's hand about to open the door, her eyes turned frosty. With one swift move, she tore off the shoulder straps of her dress with a teeth-gritted 'rip' sound, following that quickly messed up her tidy hair. She acted coldly towards the stupefied Kenton,

"Kenton, if I called you out for harassment the moment I opened the door, would your fiancée still want to marry you crying and pleading? Would you still secure your investment funds?

There would be more like Jake Briggs, but can your company still prosper and allow you to live your privileged life as the boss?"

Mia's sudden move gave him a sudden fright. Subconsciously he reached out to cover up the exposed part where the strap had ripped off.