Chapter 3 Fractured Shared History

Kingsley family and the current CEO of the Kingsley Group, with assets reaching trillions, stood as the uncrowned king of Kilos City.

Today, Valentin actually deigned to come personally, which was an honor beyond measure for the Ramos family.

Jeremy, overwhelmed with excitement, walked briskly to the car and said flatteringly with great respect, "Mr. Kingsley, I didn't expect you to come in person. I apologize for not offering you a warm welcome. Please forgive me!"

However, after Jeremy finished speaking, he waited for quite some time, but no one came out of the car or said anything.

"What's going on?"

Jeremy thought, the smile on his face suddenly disappeared.

Jessica flipped her hair, making herself look shy and delicate. She then stepped forward and revealed a gentle smile, asking in a soft voice, "Mr. Kingsley, you've honored us with your personal visit today. May I ask the purpose of your visit?"

However, even after Jessica spoke, there was still no response from inside the car.

"What exactly is going on?' Jeremy and Jessica exchanged glances, both puzzled.

They would never mistake this license plate. It was indeed Valentin's car. However, after a round of respectful greetings, neither of them received any response.

At this awkward moment, the door on the passenger side suddenly opened, and a man who seemed like an assistant stepped out.

Jeremy recognized him instantly. This man was Tom Shaw, Valentin's chief assistant.

Jeremy quickly figured out the situation. Given the current status of the Ramos family, they probably didn't have the right to have a direct conversation with someone of Valentin's caliber. Therefore, it was reasonable for Valentin to send his assistant to talk to them.

Jeremy knew that a big shot's right-hand man could never be neglected. Moreover, Tom was Valentin's chief assistant. Establishing a connection with him would be extremely advantageous for the Ramos family.

Jeremy, understanding the situation, immediately greeted Tom with a warm smile, "Hello, Mr. Shaw, you..."

However, Tom didn't even look at him, heading straight for Ashley, who was not far away.

Jeremy and Jessica witnessed this scene, feeling as if they had just been doused with cold water. They just stood there motionlessly, staring blankly at Ashley in a daze.

Tom approached Ashley, nodded slightly, and politely greeted, "Ms. Ramos, hello. I've been entrusted by Mr. Zain Kingsley to invite you to his house."

Zain?

Ashley heard the name, and a warm feeling surged in her heart. It turned out to be Zain Kingsley.

She had been left alone since childhood, raised in an orphanage, later adopted by her grandparents.

Zain was a good friend of Ashley's grandfather, and he had met Ashley when she was still a little girl.

Tom showed Ashley a pocket watch, easily recognizable as the one Zain had worn for many years. It seemed that Zain had indeed sent Tom to pick her up.

Since Zain had asked her to come over, it was hard to refuse, so Ashley nodded. "Okay, then. Thank you for picking me up." it's my pleasure!" Tom smiled warmly, taking the Suitcase from her hands.

Tom opened the back door of the car, saying, Ms. Ramos, please."

Ashley bent to get into the car, and halfway in, she suddenly noticed there was someone else in the car. It was a man.

The man sat in the back, with his long legs casually crossed, dressed in a pristine white shirt, every button meticulously fastened. He exuded an air of aloofness and restraint.

He was holding a stack of paper documents, and his fingers were long and well-defined.

Upon hearing the door opening, the man's gaze finally lifted from the documents, turning toward the direction of the door.

Just as Ashley got into the car, she bumped into a pair of ocean-like eyes.

"I'm Valentin Kingsley. I'm here to pick you up on behalf of Grandpa."

The man's voice was clear, deep, and carried a leisurely warmth like a drizzle in spring falling gently on a lake.

"Valentin...Kingsley?"

Hearing this familiar yet strange name, memories from Ashley's childhood rushed back.

Her grandpa had once told her that she would marry Zain's grandson. when she grew up, and his name was Valentin Kingsley.

So... This could only mean that the man next to her was the one she would marry.

He was her fiancé!

After Ashley got into the car, the black vehicle shot away from the Ramos family's villa like an arrow.

Jeremy and Jessica stood there, dumbfounded, as if struck by lightning. They couldn't come back to their senses even after the car had disappeared.

Throughout the whole process, Tom didn't spare Jeremy and Jessica a glance, treating them as insignificant mice, beneath his notice entirely." How...How could this be?

Jessica's elegant facade crumbled, her brow furrowing in frustration. She hated being overwhelmed by Ashley the most. That brief spectacle was an outright assault on her pride. Ashley had trampled her dignity into the metaphorical dirt.

Inside the car, Ashley sat serenely in the back seat, casting a furtive glance at the striking man beside her. She wondered if he retained any recollection of their so-called engagement.

A faint hope lingered that he had forgotten.

Ashley always felt that such a childhood promise was more like a fantasy.

Yet, Valentin, it appeared, was privy to her inner musings.

He raised an eyebrow and swallowed slightly, then uttered two words that sent a jolt through her. "I remember."

Ashley was shocked.

Her apprehension materialized into reality.

Describing her history with Valentin was akin to navigating a convoluted maze.

Despite being adopted by her grandparents, Ashley's life was one of relative comfort. Her grandfather's standing was unique, and even Zain, the former patriarch of the Kingsley family, was a bosom companion of her grandfather.

Zain frequented their home, often accompanied by his grandson Valentin. That was how Ashley and Valentin knew each other.

They were basically childhood sweethearts and got along quite well during their younger days. So, Ashley's grandfather and Zain agreed to

get them married in the future.

During those early years, Ashley had no idea what marriage meant. But ashley matured and grasped the implications of their engagement, Valentin became increasingly awkward to deal with.

Valentin probably didn't favor this engagement as well. His attitude towards Ashley morphed into an enigmatic coldness, especially when she spent time with the lad next door. Valentin often targeted her on purpose and jeered at her with every harsh word he had ever learned.

As a result, Ashley disliked him even more, and the former sweethearts soon became arch-enemies.

This strained association endured until high school, a period marked by Ashley's pinnacle of rebellion. Defiantly, she confronted her grandfather, pleading for an annulment of this ridiculous engagement, claiming to have developed feelings for a fellow classmate.

Valentin, upon learning of this, cornered her in her room. His gaze mirrored the depths of a frigid abyss. He questioned the soundness of Ashley's judgment, asserting that she could fall for any male creature that she laid eyes on.

Ashley had never seen Valentin so gloomy before, and his harsh question. led to a big fight. It was a clash of wills, and from that moment onward, their rapport soured. Later, Valentin pursued studies abroad, and they had never met again.

When Ashley glimpsed Valentin while entering the car earlier, she failed. to recognize him immediately.

Compared to her recollections, he seemed to have changed a lot...