Regression - Second Chance At Life Chapter 305: Master At Work

"Wait," Adam calls out to Kelly, causing her to halt mid-step.

She spins around toward Adam, curious about his summons, only to spot his smile.

"What about you? Have you eaten anything yet?" Adam inquires.

Kelly blanks out briefly, caught off guard by Adam's unexpected query—guests hardly ever show concern for someone like her.

"No..." she replies softly.

"Well, why don’t you join us? We would love the extra company," Adam invites warmly, a polite smile lighting his face.

Captivated by Adam's alluring smile, his courteous tone, welcoming vibe, and her budding attraction to him, she readily accepts his invitation.

"If you don’t mind..." she responds.

"Why would we mind the company of a beautiful woman? Isn’t that right, Danny?" Adam remarks, pulling Danny into the chat to help him warm up to Kelly.

Truth be told, Danny hadn't spoken a single word to her since they met.

"Yes, we wouldn’t mind at all. Please join us," Danny chimes in after Adam, addressing Kelly politely.

Kelly glances at Danny, taken aback by his voice. Only Adam had talked to her since their meeting, but that suited her fine—her interest was clearly in Adam.

She'd figured Danny was too haughty to bother with a simple woman like her; he was a billionaire, after all.

Never did she imagine his first words to her would carry such politeness.

’Looks like I was wrong,’ she thinks, shifting her gaze back to Adam, who holds out his hand.

At the sight, she instinctively reaches for and clasps his hand.

Adam beams a bit broader, draws her nearer, and seats her right beside him.

"But what about the food?" she wonders.

"I’m sure you can handle that with a quick call. No need to head out now, right?" Adam proposes.

"I can do that," she agrees with a nod, pulling out her phone to dial.

Kelly chats on the phone, ordering meals for Adam, Danny, and herself. Adam glances at Danny, whose gaze locks onto Kelly’s legs—far more visible now in her seated position.

A tad more skirt shift, and Danny could peek at her underwear color below.

Fortuitously, Kelly fixates entirely on Adam, blind to Danny's leering. Adam can't fault the guy—he's a virgin short on intimate encounters, and with Adam's vow of action with the stunning tour guide Kelly, fantasies overwhelm his control.

To aid Danny, Adam ensures Kelly's focus stays on him, shielding her from spotting Danny's naughty stare and sabotaging his future shot with her post-Adam.

"So, Kelly, tell me more about yourself. How’d you land this job?" Adam asks, delving deeper to make her feel truly seen and valued.

Noticing Adam's keen interest in her background, Kelly starts sharing.

"Well, I grew up in the countryside. My dad was a mechanic, so I’ve always been surrounded by cars. Most of my time was spent in his workshop with him, watching him fix vehicles. That’s what ignited my passion for cars in general. I wanted to learn everything about them.

With little opportunity back in my town, I moved to this city for engineering studies. My dream is to become a racecar engineer someday. Fueled by that passion, I sought work near cars to observe pros in action. A friend’s connection got me this gig," Kelly explains.

"That’s impressive. So you’re pursuing your engineering degree now?" Adam asks.

"Yes, final year coming up," Kelly replies.

"Impressive—I hadn’t realized you juggle career goals with work; it must be tough," Adam says gently, grasping her hand and softly stroking her knuckles to convey empathy.

Danny, absorbing the exchange while scrutinizing Adam, picks up on the finesse of Adam's moves and their striking results. Mastering facial expressions to reel in Kelly? Pure genius.

Second by second, his esteem for Adam surges higher.

"Well, yes, it’s been tough. Morning work, evening classes. This city’s pricey—I need the income to make it here," Kelly shares.

"I get it. That’s gutsy. You’ll surely chase down that dream," Adam assures kindly, smiling deeply into her eyes with piercing intensity, inching subtly closer.

Kelly abruptly realizes the scant distance separating her from Adam. Her leg brushes against his, with their faces mere inches apart.

Her gaze drifts from his captivating golden eyes to his lips. A tempting impulse to kiss him surges through her mind, though she refrains from acting on it. Plenty of considerations weigh on her before she could.

As her heartbeat accelerates and her cheeks redden from those vivid fantasies, she observes Adam averting his eyes from hers toward her hands.

"This ring, are you perhaps married or engaged?" Adam asks.

The query slams into her unexpectedly. Her initial impulse is to deny it, fearing it might sabotage her prospects with Adam, but she pauses. Doubting that choice, she opts for honesty. Adam and Danny wield considerable power, after all; they'll uncover the truth regardless.

"Yes, I am engaged..." Kelly says.

"Oh, congratulations, how long have you been engaged?" Adam asks, driven not by curiosity but by spotting an opening to exploit.

Had she claimed marriage, it might have proven trickier, yet she admitted to being engaged. Observing the ring on her finger, along with the pronounced tan line and wear marks from prolonged use, Adam infers she has donned it for years.

Adam recognizes that extended engagements seldom end happily. They culminate either in a marriage laced with regrets or a breakup prior to the ceremony.

Kelly compresses her lips as her eyes flicker with annoyance. Adam detects this, certain his question struck a nerve.

"Umm... Six years," Kelly says.

"Oh..." Adam responds at once, his tone openly conveying disapproval, ensuring Kelly interprets it precisely as intended.

How could anyone remain engaged for six years without marrying?

"I don’t want to be rude, but can I know how old you are, Kelly?" Adam asks, still clasping her hands and caressing them softly to instill a sense of security.

"I am twenty-five years old," Kelly answers.

"You got engaged when you were twenty and still not married? Are you and your fiancé not doing well? Hope I am not being intrusive," Adam says, appending the final phrase to feign innocent motives, though they are anything but.

"No, it’s fine. It’s just ... Everything’s fine with our relationship. I think we have just gotten very comfortable with each other, that’s all.

I met my fiancé right after moving to this city. We dated for a few years, and then he proposed. As for marriage itself, we never talked about it afterward." Kelly says.

Adam discerns that Kelly's bond with her fiancé teeters on the brink of collapse. Their prolonged post-engagement stasis reveals deep reservations about proceeding to marriage.

Proposing after roughly two years of dating, only to linger six more without advancing to wedlock, indicates mutual reluctance toward commitment, yet neither dares end it amid their cozy familiarity and aversion to risk.

Originating from a small town, Kelly entered this relationship immediately upon arriving in the bustling city, devoid of independent urban living experience. Regarding her fiancé, Adam remains uncertain of his issues, but the stalled marriage suggests personal hurdles—perhaps financial strains, insecurities, or outright disinterest in marrying her.

Such a pairing is destined for dissolution. Adam's current interference will merely accelerate its demise.

"Well, let’s change the subject. No need to talk about depressing things. Kelly, tell me more about your passion for car racing," Adam says, redirecting the discussion while branding her relationship as gloomy, bound to prompt self-doubt.

Though Adam's maneuvers and remarks stayed understated and escaped notice from most, Danny—vigilantly observing—is thoroughly amazed at how Adam subtly dismantled Kelly's view of her fiancé and their engagement.

Danny comprehends he beholds a virtuoso in action, a man capable of captivating any woman he desires.

His esteem for Adam intensifies even more.