Chapter 126

After securing a major deal with Caresol, the head partner, having enjoyed several drinks at lunch, fell asleep immediately upon returning to the hotel. With no afternoon commitments, Thalia was free to pursue her own activities.

St. Andrews, situated on Scotland's east coast, is a renowned tourist destination, famous for its historic golf courses and university. Thalia's hotel overlooked the sea, offering exceptional views of the North Sea and the golden sands of West Sands Beach. By afternoon, the temperature had risen to a pleasant 15 degrees—unusually warm for January in Scotland.

Thalia rested in her hotel room all afternoon. As sunset approached, she changed into a light sweater and jeans, applied sunscreen and sunglasses, and headed for the beach. This section of beach was relatively quiet, with only a few people strolling along the shoreline.

Thalia settled on a bench overlooking the sea, removed her sunglasses, and gazed at the boundless ocean, allowing her mind to wander. The crimson sun hung low on the horizon where sea met sky. Clouds were tinged with orange-red, their edges gilded with gold. The water sparkled with fractured light, glittering like a mirage. The sea breeze carried a hint of salt, crisp and refreshing.

Thalia sat back, leisurely appreciating the seaside sunset, feeling a profound sense of tranquility. She had been working nonstop recently, overwhelmingly busy, and hadn't relaxed like this in ages.

"Hello beautiful, all by yourself?" Thalia had barely settled when a man approached. Thalia, expressionless, didn't even deign to look at him properly. "Married with two children. My husband is looking after them in the hotel." Rather than deterring him, her response seemed to embolden the man.

He stepped closer, his gaze fixed on Thalia, leering as he looked her up and down. "Well, well, a yummy mummy! And still with such a cracking figure after two kids." Thalia ignored him completely.

The man moved closer still, uncomfortably close. "While hubby's not around, fancy a bit of fun?" Thalia turned a look of disgust toward him. "Sod off."

"Ooh, feisty one, aren't you?" the man continued with a lecherous grin. "I quite like a woman with a bit of fire." Thalia was about to stand up and take action when the man was suddenly kicked to the ground.

"Who the hell is this loser?" a new voice, with a distinct American accent, asked. Thalia turned, her brow furrowing. What was Drake doing here?

The man scrambled to his feet, cursing profusely and lunging forward to attack. The sleazy man, barely 5'7", stood no chance against Drake, who was around 6'1" and regularly worked out. Realizing he was outmatched, the sleazy man fled.

Drake dusted off his clothes and turned to Thalia. "Thalia, you okay?" Thalia's face remained cold. "What are you doing here?"

Drake sat down beside her. He had, of course, bribed one of Thalia's colleagues at the law firm to learn her whereabouts. Drake didn't admit this. "It's been so damn cold in London lately. I came to St. Andrews for a vacation. What are the odds we'd be at the same hotel? You here on vacation too?"

Thalia didn't bother analyzing how much of Drake's story was true. Whether he was genuinely on holiday or had deliberately followed her made no difference to her. "That's none of your business," she said coldly.

"Did you know Asher's in St. Andrews too? He came with that actress." Thalia's lips curled into a cold smile. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"Thalia, I told you, all men are the same. Did you really think Asher would be any better than me? Do you believe me now?"

"Right."

"I saw the news about your broken engagement. You've split up, haven't you? You're single now, so can I pursue you?"

"No."

Thalia stood up, unwilling to listen to Drake's nonsense any longer. Seeing her about to leave, Drake quickly grabbed her hand, but before he could speak, Thalia twisted his wrist with a swift countermotion, making it crack audibly.

"Jesus Christ!" Drake cried out in pain. Thalia released his hand, her eyes filled with undisguised revulsion. "Drake, I made myself perfectly clear last time. Stop pursuing me. Can't you understand that?"

Drake looked wounded, his gaze fixed obsessively on Thalia. "Thalia, I can't. I just can't let you go."

"Drake, you disgust me."

With that, Thalia turned and walked away without looking back. Drake chased after her. "Asher must have been involved with that actress while you were still together. You'd barely broken up when rumors about them surfaced. Did you end the engagement because you discovered his betrayal?"

Thalia pressed her lips together, her features cold as she quickened her pace, refusing to answer. Drake followed closely behind. "Have you seen tonight's entertainment gala? Asher and that actress are walking the red carpet together. They're making it official, Thalia. It's time to move on."

At the words "making it official," Thalia's steps faltered. Drake, seeing that Thalia had finally stopped, smirked. "Thalia, I—"

"Piss off!"

"Thalia, don't send me away. I know you're currently—"

"I said piss off!"

There were security guards in the hotel lobby. Thalia walked briskly toward them. "Excuse me, I'm a guest here. This man is harassing me. Could you please help?"

"Thalia, Thalia, listen to me." Drake followed.

The security guard held Drake back. "Sir, please refrain from harassing women here." Drake's face reddened with anger. "Harassing? She's my girlfriend. We're just having a spat. Let go of me!"

The security guard looked toward Thalia questioningly. Thalia's expression remained cold. "He is not my boyfriend."

With that, Thalia turned and walked away. Drake continued shouting: "Thalia, don't go, Thalia…" The security guard firmly restrained Drake. "Sir, please stop harassing this lady. You're disrupting our hotel's operations…"

"Let go of me! Goddamnit!"

"Sir, if you continue, we'll have to call the police."

"I'm not harassing her! I told you, we're together!"

Thalia returned to her room, closed the door, and leaned against it, staring vacantly at the floor. After a while, she numbly took out her phone and opened the trending topics. A photo of Asher and Laurina together immediately caught her eye.

"Clatter"—Her phone fell to the floor. The evening breeze blew through the window, making the white gauze curtains billow. Thalia stood frozen, as if struck by lightning, her blood turning to ice, her face deathly pale in the lamplight.