Timothy York stopped and looked back at her.
Summer Thorne walked up to him, a smile blooming on her face. "Mr. York, you saved me on the street last time, and when you saw I was sick, you arranged a hotel and a doctor for me. I never had a chance to thank you properly. And today, you've helped me again. I was wondering when you might be free? Please, grace me with your presence and let me treat you to a meal."
Timothy York lowered his gaze slightly, his eyes landing on her face. He didn't respond right away.
Summer Thorne seized the opportunity to press on, "I was wondering what Mr. York likes to eat? Chinese or Western?"
The driver standing nearby couldn't help but glance sideways, stealing a quick look at Timothy York.
Timothy York's eyes were dark, his tone flat and formal. "It was a small matter. You don't need to go to the expense."
"How could treating Mr. York to a meal be an expense? You're a distinguished guest many people can only dream of inviting." As Summer Thorne spoke, she took out her phone and held it out to him. "Could I possibly get your contact information, Mr. York?"
Timothy York was quiet for a moment before finally reaching out to take the phone. His long fingers tapped the screen a few times, entering his number.
Summer Thorne's smile was perfectly natural. "I'll be in touch."
She clutched her phone and took two steps back. Only then did Timothy York bend down and get into the car. The driver closed the door, gave Summer Thorne another nod, and hurried back to the driver's seat.
Through the tinted windows, Summer Thorne could only see her own reflection, but she kept smiling and waving as the car drove away.
Only after she watched the car leave the club did the smile on her face gradually fade and disappear.
Evan Cheney's car pulled up. Summer Thorne opened the door, slid into the back seat, and sat there in silence.
A few minutes later, Evan Cheney couldn't hold back any longer. "Was that… the legendary York?"
"Mm," Summer Thorne replied.
"Truly an extraordinary man," Evan Cheney remarked. After a pause, he asked, "What did you two talk about?"
Summer Thorne's gaze fell on him. She countered, "What do you think I'd say to him?"
Evan Cheney suddenly cleared his throat, his voice dropping a little. "Anything you might have said would be... expected."
Summer Thorne was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.
Evan Cheney had been with Austin Sutton for ten years, so he was an old acquaintance of Summer Thorne's as well. After all, he'd cleaned up plenty of her messes in the past.
Summer Thorne said, "Looks like my past antics still have you on edge."
Evan Cheney didn't make a sound.
'He had indeed seen Summer Thorne in her rebellious, willful, and reckless youth. He also knew she had mellowed out considerably over the years. But when he learned that she was going to take over the Sutton Group, he really couldn't imagine what skills this young lady—who had married right after graduation and had zero work experience—possessed to turn the tide…'
'But just now, in the moment he saw her standing next to Timothy York at the entrance, he suddenly seemed to realize something.'
'Often, women are at a disadvantage in the business world. But sometimes, youth and beauty can be a devastating weapon.'
'But... Timothy York?'
'Evan Cheney didn't dare to dwell on it.'
It wasn't just him; Summer Thorne herself was in a bit of a daze.
The moment she learned Timothy York's identity, she had actually placed him in Mason Crawford's camp.
After all, they were relatives.
But now, she had a faint feeling that things might develop in a different direction.
Especially now, when there was almost no other hope for the Sutton Group, and things might even get worse—
After a long silence, Summer Thorne spoke again. "Is it really possible that my father will go to jail?"
Evan Cheney was silent for a moment before saying, "Wyatt Young set this up with several other shareholders. We can't even estimate how many traps they've laid. We have to prepare for the worst."
"Yes." Summer Thorne stared straight ahead. "So, I really have no choice."
Hearing this, Evan Cheney glanced at her in the rearview mirror.
'Summer Thorne was indeed beautiful—bright and captivating. The kind of beauty that could instantly capture a man's attention.'
'Even if they knew she was untouchable, that kind of beauty would still incite a great deal of covetous desire.'
'Men were just that simple sometimes.'
'Even the legendary Mr. York, said to be as dignified and proper as an untouchable, snow-capped mountain.'
...
「The next day」
Summer Thorne didn't get a call from Hugh Underwood.
She waited patiently until the afternoon, then decided to just go find him in person.
However, the result was just as she'd expected—
"Mr. Underwood has gone abroad on a business trip. We're not sure how long he'll be gone. I will notify you when he returns."
To be honest, Summer Thorne wasn't very disappointed.
The project had been shut down so decisively; it was unlikely Hugh Underwood would change his mind over a single meal, no matter how much profit they offered him.
There were probably other, hidden reasons behind it all.
Having followed Austin Sutton, Evan Cheney had likely hit this kind of wall countless times and had grown numb to it. On the way back, he just drove in silence.
Summer Thorne sat quietly for a long time, then finally took out her phone. Looking at the string of numbers Timothy York had entered with his own hands the day before, she dialed.
Just as the ringing was about to stop, the call was finally answered by an unfamiliar male voice. "Hello, may I ask who is calling for Mr. York?"
"And you are?"
"I am Mr. York's personal assistant, Ivan Gray. Mr. York has stepped away at the moment. May I ask what this is regarding?"
"My name is Summer Thorne. I'd like to ask Mr. York to dinner," Summer Thorne said.
The other person didn't ask any further questions, just said, "One moment, please." A short while later, he had a reply. "Currently, Mr. York is only free on Friday evening. I'll pencil in an appointment for you and will get back to you with a formal confirmation shortly."
"Thank you." Summer Thorne paused, then couldn't resist asking, "May I ask what kind of cuisine Mr. York prefers? Last time we had Cantonese, and he didn't seem to enjoy it very much."
"Mr. York isn't particularly fond of food from any outside restaurant," Ivan Gray replied. "So, you may arrange it as you see fit."
After hanging up, Summer Thorne sat quietly for a moment, then suddenly let out a laugh.
'Not fond of food from outside restaurants?'
'Could it be that the reason Timothy York kept interacting with her was because he thought that, as someone who had been a wife, she must be a good home cook?'
Summer Thorne sat quietly for another moment, then suddenly asked, "Where could I entertain a guest but also cook the meal myself?"
Evan Cheney drove on silently, not saying a word.
'If Summer Thorne was going to cook for Timothy York herself, she would have to choose a very private place.'
'The implications of such privacy were self-evident.'
'A man and a woman, alone together... especially a man and woman with such an awkward relationship... '
'Evan Cheney felt that it would be inappropriate for him to say even a single word.'
'Never mind the fact that he couldn't afford to bear the potential consequences; he couldn't get past it on a moral level either.'
'If he really played a part in this, what would that make him?'
Fortunately, it seemed Summer Thorne wasn't truly expecting an answer from him. She didn't react to his silence, just stared out the window, a little lost in thought, and didn't speak again.
Before long, Summer Thorne's phone rang again.
It was Timothy York's assistant again.
The man on the phone informed her that Mr. York was available to have dinner with her on Friday night.