Chapter 697
“You didn’t just save Sid today. You saved the entire Quant Group, along with the livelihoods of tens of thousands of employees and connected industries. If anything had happened to Sid, the Quant Group, lacking a successor, would have gradually declined. All those people would have lost their jobs. So, you should accept this 2 billion dollars. Compared to Sid’s life, it’s nothing.”
Melody understood Ken’s point.
Sebastian’s family had produced only one child per generation, and none of the extended family members were capable enough to step up. The entire Quant family pinned their hopes on Sid. That’s why Sebastian had once despised Ken so much, fearing he’d lead Sid astray.
“I get it,” Melody said, nodding. “I won’t sell these businesses. I’ll manage them properly.”
Ken reached out to ruffle her hair, his gentle eyes reflecting the softness of her locks.
“Exactly. And if you ever need help managing them, Zack can continue assisting you.”
Melody blushed slightly from the affectionate gesture but felt a twinge of guilt at Ken’s suggestion.
“I’ve been relying on your people so much. If it bothers you, I can find someone else to handle it.”
“Why would it bother me?” Ken frowned, shaking his head. “What kind of person do you think I am? As long as Zack can keep up with his job at Ximber Tech, it doesn’t matter how many side projects he takes on. Don’t worry about the value of these assets. For Zack, managing them is just an extra hour of overtime. He’s more than capable.”
Melody nodded quickly. “In that case, could he take care of Silk Beauty Cosmetics too? Since the bet ended and Silk Beauty Cosmetics became mine, Wilmot has been overseeing it for me.”
At the mention of Wilmot, a flicker of jealousy flashed in Ken’s eyes. But it faded when he remembered that Wilmot hadn’t seen Melody alone since he learned of their marriage.
“He’s been helping you for a while. I’ll treat him to a meal as a thank-you.”
“No need,” Melody said, shaking her head. “He’s helping me, so I should be the one to treat him. Besides, I have another favor to ask of him.”
Ken’s frown deepened.
“What is it that you need him for and not me?”
Melody, oblivious to Ken’s jealousy, answered sincerely, “Zara is going to be on ‘Artist’s Wardrobe 2’ soon. With her current status, the company will likely assign the top stylists to the other hosts first. I plan to ask Wilmot if he could handle Zara’s makeup during filming.”
Ken looked at her intently, thinking, ‘I’ll be content when Melody cares about me the way she cares about Zara!
But if treating Zara well would make Melody happy, then he was all in.
“Then let me handle the sponsorship,” Ken said. “I guarantee the clothes Zara wears on the show will be no less than this.”
Ken made a gesture for one.
Melody’s eyes widened in shock.
“A million dollars?”
Ken shook his head with a chuckle. “Ten million dollars. Do you think they’d be so stingy?”
Melody felt a mix of emotions but managed a composed nod. “Then I’ll thank you on her behalf.”
“It’s my pleasure.” Ken pointed to the back of the car. “You’ve had a long day. Lie down and rest. The chefs at the manor are preparing dinner, so we’ll eat as soon as we get there.”
“…Alright,” she said, closing her eyes. Exhaustion quickly overtook her, and she drifted off to sleep.
In her slumber, she had a strange dream.
She was back in her past life, lying on a cold operating table. She had turned into a transparent mist, hovering over her own body, watching herself vomit blood on the table.
‘What’s happening? Is this a dream?’ Melody thought.
Melody tried to pinch her leg but realized she had no physical body. She looked down and saw Mabel Fox and Yolanda Fox laughing cruelly at her lifeless form.
Mabel, with a sneer, spat disdainfully. “Did you really think you could steal my man from me?”
Yolanda shuddered after laughing. “Good thing she always looked so ugly. If she’d regained her beauty earlier, you might have been in real danger.”
Mabel’s eyes narrowed coldly. “So what if she was beautiful? She’s already dead.”
Even as Mabel spoke, she couldn’t hide her resentment. Melody, once considered unattractive, had transformed into a stunning beauty before her death, overshadowing Mabel, who had been the top socialite in their circle.
“Damn it!”
Mabel cursed and suddenly grabbed a scalpel, raising it to slash at Melody’s face.
Just as the blade was about to strike, the operating room door burst open.
A scream echoed through the room as Ulric Swanson was thrown inside.
Mabel and Yolanda’s eyes widened in shock as Ken stormed in, his expression dark.
“K-Ken?” Mabel stammered, stunned.
Melody, still floating, was equally surprised.
Why was Ken here?
Ken pulled a pistol from his pocket, aiming it at Mabel’s forehead.
But just as he was about to pull the trigger, Ulric, who had been thrown to the ground, lunged at Ken.
“Ken! Watch out!” Melody shouted.
But when she opened her eyes, she realized she was still in the car.
Beside her, Ken looked at her in surprise. “What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?”
He felt a bit helpless. ‘Why do I appear in her nightmare instead of in a pleasant dream?’ Ken thought.
Melody, now fully awake, realized it had been just a dream. But something still felt off.
When people dream, they typically don’t realize it is a dream, even when it doesn’t make sense.
‘But if it wasn’t a dream, how can I have returned to the moment of my death?’ Melody thought.
After pondering, she concluded it had to be a dream. There was no way she had actually returned to her past life.
After all, in her past life, she and Ken had been mortal enemies, never meeting face to face. ‘We stood on opposing sides, so how could he have avenged me by killing Mabel?’ Melody thought. ‘I must be a dream. Perhaps humans know so little about dreams, so they can sometimes realize they’re dreaming while in the dream!
It must have been a dream.
Perhaps humans know so little about dreams that they can sometimes realize they’re dreaming while still in the dream.
“Melody?” Ken’s voice, filled with concern, pulled her back to reality.
She smiled faintly and said, “Yes, just a bad dream.”