Chapter 1609 It Was No Accident (Part One)
"I haven't eaten anything either, and I'm wondering if this lady would mind if I join you." Tiana knew that Rain disliked her. So, she asked Leena who was seated beside Rain, hoping she would agree to have her join them for a meal. Leena hesitated and glanced at Rain. "Well..." She didn't even know the woman, so she was wary about inviting her casually to sit down with them.
Angrily, Rain blurted out, "Tiana Ke, do not try to annoy me!" He had turned sullen when Tiana tried to insinuate herself. He was adamant that she should stay away because he didn't want to lose his appetite.Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.
"I didn't do anything, Rain. I only want to join you for a meal. Is that such a hardship that you have to be annoyed?" Tiana said. The more Rain refused to be with her, the more curious about Leena she became. She wondered why this woman was sharing a meal with Rain.
"Rain, since it is Miss Ke, perhaps she could just join us," Leena suggested. After hearing Rain mentioned Tiana's name, Leena surmised the woman who wanted to join their meal was a member of the Ke family. She thought of Rain and decided it would be better to invite her to eat. Otherwise, Rain could get into trouble.
As soon as Tiana heard Leena, she couldn't help but look at the woman from head to toe.
Blowing out a breath, Rain grumbled, "Since Leena has agreed, you might as well sit down! But you'd better not be saying anything horrible on this table." He warned Tiana. The man was worried that Tiana would say something to embarrass Leena, thus the warning. "Thank you for agreeing to let me join you, ma'am," Tiana said. As soon as Rain gave in to Leena, Tiana immediately sat down and shared a meal with the two happily.
"You're welcome. We only started eating. If there is something you would prefer to eat, go ahead and order," Leena encouraged her. It slightly annoyed her when Tiana addressed her as 'ma'am' when she didn't seem older than her. But she opted not to correct her anymore.
"Is this ma'am your wife, Rain?" Tiana asked curiously. Her eyes wantonly surveyed Leena up and down again. She noted the dress the woman wore was quite old-fashioned. No matter how she looked, Tiana felt that the dress was something worn by pregnant women. Leena, still looking slim, sat quietly during the cursory inspection. Apparently, Tiana didn't figure out that Leena was pregnant.
"No, I'm his sister," Leena answered for Rain. She spoke casually and thought nothing more of it. Leena didn't notice the sudden change in Tiana's expression.
"Sister? How is that possible? I remember his mother only gave birth to him! There was no other child. Unless," she paused and stared at Rain in confusion. Now Tiana was wondering if they were all cheated by that woman. So, did it mean she not only gave birth to Rain, but also to this girl?
"No, Miss Ke. Please don't misunderstand the term. We are not real brother and sister. It is just that our relationship is like brother and sister," Leena explained. She quickly realized the wrong impression it made on Tiana. So she decided to clarify things immediately. "Leena, you don't have to explain anything to her. Come on, eat more shrimps! These are nutritious," Rain cut in. He shelled the shrimps and put them on Leena's bowl. Tiana was stunned by the gesture. To her mind, Rain had always been ruthless. But right now, he humbled himself before this woman by shelling shrimps for her. That was unbelievable.
She finally surmised that this woman must be of great significance to Rain. It was either he loved Leena very much, or she had a different charming side that captivated him. Otherwise, why did he act so exclusive with her?
"All right. Thank you, Rain," Leena said with a smile. Obediently, she ate the shrimps. As long as they were good for her baby, she would not refuse to eat them. Fortunately, her morning sickness had already passed, so there was no fear of throwing up while eating until she gave birth to the baby.
Flirtatiously, Tiana fluttered her lashes at Rain and requested, "I also want to eat shrimps, Rain." Even at home, none of her brothers ever took care of her like that. So, when Tiana saw how Rain treated Leena, she was envious and wanted the same attention. "Shell it yourself," Rain said sharply. He dismissed Tiana's affectations. Besides, it was impossible for him to serve her.
Startled, Leena turned to look at Rain. She had always known the man to be pleasant, ready with a cheeky smile. She was witnessing one of the rare occasions when he displayed ruthless behavior. "But I want you to shell them for me," Tiana whined. She bit her lip, and then pouted. Her expression slightly stiffened at being rebuffed.
Disgusted, Rain said, "Tiana Ke, have you no sense of your identity? Who do you think you are?" There was always a sense of aversion each time Rain thought of members of the Ke family. He believed that he would not have been orphaned at a young age if not for them.
"Then why did you shell the shrimps for her? Am I not your sister like her?" Tiana demanded. There was an ache in her heart at being ignored by Rain. She only wanted to experience being pampered. Was it so hard for Rain to act as an elder brother?
"From the beginning, I only acknowledged having one sister. That is Leena," Rain said coldly. The cruel words uttered by Rain cut into Tiana's heart like a sharp blade. For Rain, the only reason he returned to the KD Group was to avenge his loss. He had no desire to be caught in family bonds. And he made sure to focus on that.
Bitterly, Tiana declared, "Vance was right. No matter how I try to please you, you will never regard me as a sister. Initially, I thought he was merely trying to sow dissent between us. Now I realize that what he said was true." Had there been no comparison, there would have been no harm done. But how could Rain give her a hard blow after she saw how well he treated another girl whom he considered a sister?
"It's good that you've finally accepted the reality of the situation. I hope you will no longer bother me in the KD Group," Rain said bluntly. The reason he was able to say that was because compared to other members of the Ke family, Tiana wasn't so bad.
Her response was bitter laughter. "Why not? KD Group is not yours! As a member of the Ke family, I have access to the company," Tiana remarked. Her eyes had turned red, and tears threatened to fall. Tiana now realized one truth. The greater one's expectation was, the more desperate they became when this was not met in the end.
"Of course you have the right to go to the KD Group offices. But your rights don't include free access to the President's Office," Rain declared. When he said that, his tone was so cold. It would have frozen Satan in his descent to hell.00000000000000