Kendall's Sacrifice

Chapter 180

Leonel brought Kendall to fish by the river, and it was about 15 feet wide and 10 feet deep. Its water was clean and clear—they could see fishes swimming around even from where they stood by the riverbank. "How did you know that there's a river here, Mr. Dawson? There are so many fish here," Kendall commented.

"My friend brought me here. Quite a lot of people know about this place. You'd see tons of fishing rods by the riverbank if you came here during the weekend," Leonel replied. He led Kendall over to find shade under a large tree before lowering the small pails he had brought along with him. "This is far from the city, but it isn't too secluded as some towns are still nearby. I'm sure you saw some crops just now. There are a few farmhouses nearby as well. The people who come here to fish during the weekend would have their lunches in the farmhouses, and the vegetables they consume would all be freshly gathered from the plantations. We are the ones who gather the food, so we are certain of how fresh it is. It tastes completely different from what you'd get in a hotel," he said.

The greens at farmhouses were much yummier than those purchased at the market. Most of the vegetables sold in the market were purchased from larger manufacturers that used a lot of pesticides, so they didn't have the same fresh taste that was found in farmhouse vegetables.

"I'll bring you over to take a look at the few farmhouses, and we can make bookings and order our dishes earlier. Of course, we'd have to queue up if we only started ordering during lunch," he commented.

Kendall smiled. "Today's not a weekend. Are there still going to be a lot of people fishing?" she asked.

"Yeah. This is one of the cleanest rivers in Orapolis, so many anglers pick this river to fish at. The farmhouses here also provide great food, which gives them more reason to come here. You'll understand what I mean after you try it out later," Leonel replied.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to have lunch with you, Mr. Dawson. I have to rush home," she declined in an apologetic tone. Dylan had told her that he would take her to sign up for the etiquette course that afternoon. He had made all the necessary arrangements, so she would cause him to break his promise to others if she were to break her promise with him. Even though no one in their right mind would dare to fault Dylan for breaking his promise, it would affect his reputation. Dylan was too nice to Kendall, so she felt the need to protect her man's name and status.

"Do you have plans with someone else?" Leonel asked.

"Yeah."

Leonel started baiting a hook while he sat down and gazed at Kendall. "You should choose to put all of your efforts into one thing when you've decided upon it, Miss Parker. You might lose everything if you try to juggle too many things all at once," he said. She knew he wasn't pleased, but she maintained her smile as she spoke. "Thank you for your advice, Mr. Dawson. I can't reject the person I'm about to meet, as that person would burn me alive if I did. So, please forgive me, Mr. Dawson."



"Burn you alive, huh? This person sounds even more impressive than Master Dylan! Who is this person?" Leonel asked. He chuckled before continuing his words. "I don't mean anything else. I just thought that fishing required patience. The joy of fishing is not something you can experience within just one or two hours of being here. If you're in a rush to leave, you won't see the beauty of fishing. I've never enjoyed forcing anyone to do anything. If you really have other plans, perhaps we can just have a meal at the farmhouse. I insist on buying you a meal at least," he said.

"I can't have you buying me meals, Mr. Dawson. I should be paying. Let me pay." When Leonel heard her words, he was sure that she would have to leave at noontime. This made him feel somewhat disappointed and dissatisfied, but he didn't show any of this on his face. "I think it's better for me to pay since I'm the guy."

Kendall no longer bothered to argue after that. Her fishing skills weren't too impressive, but she sat beside Leonel at the riverbank while they chit-chatted. They eventually got to the topic of forming a partnership. However, Leonel was a cunning man—he wasn't going to agree to work with Parker Corporation so easily, even if he secretly wanted to do so.

It had been a long while since he met someone like Kendall. How can I agree to work with her without getting a taste of her first? he thought. This woman is so in love with Jackson that she even rejects Master Dylan. I can feel my heart pumping just at the thought of how I had the honor of sharing a table with Master Dylan in the past. If I get Kendall in my hands, I'll be able to avenge Master Dylan. She's going to regret what she did to offend Master Dylan! As for Jackson… Hah. He wants to take responsibility for the lady of the Caddel Family now.

Leonel continued to chit-chat with Kendall while he thought about all of this in his head. "Miss Parker?" Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice sounded behind them, and Kendall turned around instinctively. She met gazes with Jackson's dark eyes. What's he doing here? This is a small world. I can't believe I'm bumping into this trashy man, even at a place like this.

A woman was standing next to him, looking about Kendall's age. However, her skin wasn't as fair as Kendall's, and she wasn't as gorgeous as Kendall was. Despite this, she was all dressed up and had her own charm. Although she wore luxurious items, she didn't seem too much like someone who came with new money. She had long wavy hair that she let down on her shoulders, and Kendall felt hot just staring at the woman. The woman was in a long dress that ended at her knees, revealing her calves. She was also wearing a pair of extremely high heels. As the woman walked toward Kendall, Kendall wondered if her heels were about to break. The grounds are so uneven here—isn't she afraid that she will fall or twist her ankle by wearing those heels?

"Miss Parker." The woman beamed while walking over to Kendall. Kendall stood up and responded with a smile. "Miss Caddel, right?" she said. Kendall had never seen Krystal in the past, but she recognized her because of Jackson. Jackson wanted to take responsibility for Krystal, and he wanted to form this relationship in order to avoid Yasmine's attempt of revenge on him. He also wanted this relationship as a bridge to form partnerships with Zorn Holdings.