?


    "What''s the matter? Is there a problem?" the person outside asked.


    Sydney replied, "I''m sorry, but the car won''t start."


    The person seemed to be the driver of the armored vehicle. Growing a bit impatient, he nced at his leader''s car and then said to Sydney, "Let me take a look. Hand me the keys."


    Given that he was driving an armored vehicle, Sydney didn''t question his authority. She grabbed her bag, stepped out of the car, and handed the keys to him.


    At that moment, the window of the armored vehicle slowly rolled down.


    "Luke, what''s going on?" a deep, steady voice inquired.


    Luke Parker quickly approached. "Mr. Jackson, the car suddenly won''t start. I''m checking it out and will move it right away."


    Christopher nced at the car, then his gaze shifted to Sydney, recognizing her.


    Sydney seemed to recognize him too, her surprise evident.


    "President Harper, what a coincidence," Christopher said with a faint smile.


    Sydney moved closer. "Oh, it''s you, Mr. Jackson."Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    As the president of a bank, Sydney often attended high-profile events and mingled with influential figures. She had had the chance to meet Christopher once before and had exchanged a few words, but that was all.


    People of Christopher''s stature were not easily befriended. Even though Sydney was in a position to meet such people, it depended on whether Christopher was willing.


    Since that meeting, they hadn''t crossed paths again. It had been over a year, and she was surprised to find that Christopher still remembered her. Christopher noticed a hint of redness around Sydney''s eyes, with visible traces of tears.


    "What happened?" he asked, though his real question was why she had been crying.


    Sydney thought he was referring to her car and said, "My car won''t start."


    "Is that so?"


    The fact that her car wouldn''t start didn''t seem like a reason for tears. It was clear that Christopher


    understood Sydney had either


    misunderstood him or was


    deliberately avoiding his rea el?


    question.


    Luke quickly said, "Mr. Jackson, I''ll check her car and be right back." Christopher nodded. "Go ahead."


    Luke immediately took Sydney''s keys, approached her car, and began inspecting it to determine the issue After several unsessful attempts to start the car, he got out and popped the hood to troubleshoot the problem.


    Autumn had arrived, and the crisp air was beginning to bite. Sydney, dressed rather lightly, shivered as the wind blew, feeling the chill.


    With a sudden ng, the car door opened. Christopher shifted position and settled into the seat beside her. "Come on in. Your car might take a while."


    Sydney intended to decline, but with the door already open, she epted and took a seat inside, closing the door behind her. "Thank you, Mr. Jackson."


    The interior of the car was warm, with a faint, pleasant scent of perfume clearly a woman''s fragrance.


    Christopher noticed the traces of


    tears on her face and took out a clean white handkerchief from his pocket, offering it to her. He said nothing, simply holding out the handkerchief.


    Sydney epted it, and dabbed at the tears at the corners of her eyes. "Thank you."


    Christopher''s calm gaze remained on Sydney.


    She had a noticeable hickey on her neck, likely from a man.


    Sydney was indeed beautiful, with a youthful appearance that belied her actual age of over forty. Her beauty was not just skin-deep but seemed to radiate from within.


    The mature charm she exuded was something that younger women could not easily match.