Sitting in the car with him

Cole answered with a straight face. "That's because the President and I were meticulous. We almost ran into you in public. What if someone recorded the whole scene and uploaded it to the internet? Our competitors could use that to plant dirt on us. As the President's secretary, I need to ensure the President and our company maintain a good reputation. We are running a business, after all."

Dwayne realized what Cole was trying to say. He contemplated for a moment before nodding, his eyes shining with seriousness. "I understand. Then I won't refuse your kindness." Dwayne suddenly became serious and polite, even bowing stiffly to Cole. His peach blossom eyes were perfectly round, like little orbs.

He looked like a formal rabbit. With his loose shirt and bag slung over his shoulders, Cole could almost imagine two ears protruding from his head. The small curl on the top of his head was also very eye-catching.

Cole resisted the urge to reach out and touch that soft curl. He turned his back and was about to open the back door when Dwayne suddenly asked, "Uhm, sir, can I sit in the front?"

He refused to sit with the scary man!

The first reason he agreed was that he knew who they were. These people were so wealthy that they wouldn't even bother with a poor college student like him.

The second reason was that he believed what they said. As an IT student, he kept up with the top companies and their latest news. He knew Vermillion Garden Corporation had faced controversies in recent years due to a family dispute.

The company's shares had even dropped by a few million because of the conflict over who would inherit the business. However, the man who had won that fierce battle had taken the company global, silencing critics and convincing the public that he was the right choice for CEO.

Dwayne couldn't imagine sitting in the same car with such a powerful person. His heart couldn't take it!

Upon hearing his request, Cole glanced at the President. He wasn't sure if the President had heard him, but knowing the President's behavior, he didn't like anyone touching or being in close contact with him. So, Cole agreed. "Sure, you can sit here."

Cole opened the passenger seat. Dwayne hopped in happily, like an excited cat. When he settled down, he accidentally looked over his shoulder and made eye contact with the scary man.

Dwayne stiffened. The dark gray eyes were so sharp and icy he felt a chill creep up his spine. With stiff movements, he bowed to the President and swiftly turned to face the front. But he could still feel that sharp, icy gaze on the back of his head.

In the middle of this tense atmosphere, Cole didn't sit in the driver's seat yet. He stood outside, his eyes on the broken bike. He arranged for a pickup to fetch the bike and get it repaired.

Tomorrow morning, he would ask Dwayne for his address so it could be delivered to his house before he left for work.

While Cole was still on the phone, Dwayne was sweating nervously in his seat. He expected the President in the back to ignore him, but he didn't. The man stared at him so intently that Dwayne had to think back on his short life to figure out if he had offended this man.

After a few minutes of this stalemate, the man finally spoke. "You."

Dwayne straightened up like a stiff cat. "Yes, Sir?"

"Why are you sitting there?"

Dwayne hunched his shoulders, trying to make himself as small as possible. He thought that maybe the President wouldn't see him if he did this. But the man was sitting right across from him in the back, making it impossible for him to hide.

Dwayne had no choice but to answer him.

"Uhm, you seem extremely busy, Sir. I really don't want to disturb you. It's already very kind of you to offer to repair my bike and take me home, and I'm really grateful. But I also know that you are a President and, uhm, Presidents are super busy, just like you. Wherever you go, you'll be buried in work, and I don't want to disturb—"

"Sit here." With just two sentences, he was able to silence Dwayne.

"Yes, sir."

Dwayne's habit of blabbering whenever he was extremely frightened kicked in. His mouth would open and start talking before his mind could catch up. The man seemed aware of this and stopped him from saying any more nonsense.

Dwayne stifled a sniff and obediently opened the car door, startling Cole, who had just finished his phone call.

"Why did you get out?"

"The—uhm, the President wants me to sit in the back."

Cole was surprised. "Really?"

Dwayne nodded, his expression equally bewildered. Cole didn't say anything and just opened the back door. Dwayne slid in silently, trying to take up as little space as possible. When the door closed, he edged closer to it, looking ready to bolt at any moment.

These small actions didn't escape Raven's notice. A small smile curled on his lips.

This child really…

"Where is your address?" Cole asked from the driver's seat.

"It's on D12 Avenue. The third house on the small road when you turn left," Dwayne answered quietly.

Raven, who had been looking at reports on his tablet, stopped and turned to look at Dwayne.

"Name?"

Dwayne's heart felt like it was about to burst out of his chest. Every time he heard the President's voice, it sent a chill down his spine. The sight of black and green strings overlapping in front of the President made him sweat nervously.

"Uhm it's Dwayne sir. Dwayne Augustus."

Dwayne closed his mouth. But Raven is still looking at him expectantly, as if saying he still need to say more information about himself.

"I'm 19, a first year college student at C University."

However, it seems it was not this information Raven wanted to hear.

"Where is the cat?"