Chapter 5: The Koch Family Crest
Seeing Chad Koch finally relented, Ham patted David’s arm beside him.
“If you see Daphne Finney again, be sure to be polite. Also, give her my contact information. Remember? She saved my life today. Even if Chad doesn’t want to marry her in the future, I still want to be good friends.”
“Understood, Grandpa Ham.”
David nodded in agreement.
As the three conversed in the car, a sudden emergency brake nearly threw them forward.
Chad Koch quickly steadied Ham before tapping the partition between the driver and the back seat.
The driver apologized, saying, “I’m sorry, sir. The security vehicle ahead suddenly braked.”
David immediately straightened his clothes. “I’ll go check, sir.”
With that, he stepped out of the car.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stop your car. I just wanted to make sure Grandpa Ham is okay.”
Daphne Finney was panting slightly as she tried to steady her breath.
“Oh, it’s you, beautiful lady. Grandpa Ham is fine. So, do you have something to say to him?”
“Can I speak to Grandpa Ham for a moment?”
Daphne had only noticed David’s polished leather shoes earlier and hadn’t taken a good look at him.
David’s slicked-back hair was meticulously styled, and his three-piece suit exuded high fashion. Was he Grandpa Ham’s grandson?
Daphne shook her head slightly in her mind. How could a grandson be shorter than his grandfather? A genetic anomaly?
David felt a bit uncomfortable under Daphne’s scrutinizing gaze. He shifted his weight slightly, snapping her out of her thoughts.
“Apologies, miss. Grandpa Ham just took his medication and is now asleep in the car.”
“Can I at least see him?” Daphne was persistent. Something about David seemed unreliable. What if Grandpa Ham wasn’t asleep but was being held against his will? She needed to see for herself before she could leave.
David had never met someone this stubborn before. The last person this obstinate had been his boss.
“Ah, that might be inconvenient,” David refused politely.
“No? Then I’m sorry, but I can’t let you leave. If I don’t see Grandpa Ham today, I’ll call the police immediately.”
Daphne pulled out her phone, pretending to dial 911.
“Wait! Miss, isn’t this a bit extreme?”
“No, unless I see Grandpa Ham is safe.”
Noticing two burly men stepping out of the lead security vehicle, Daphne stepped back but still spread her arms wide, blocking the car’s path.
West City was a mess in every way, even its roads. The single-lane circular street meant it had no way forward unless the car drove over her.
David considered the feasibility of this before recalling the conversation between Ham and his grandson earlier. He suddenly found himself intrigued by the girl in front of him. She was different from the women Grandpa Ham had brought home before. At the very least, she was courageous.
David hurriedly waved his hand. “Please wait a moment, miss. I’ll ask my boss. He’s in the car. Is that alright?”
Seeing that David remained courteous, Daphne nodded. She wasn’t as hostile anymore but still wanted to be specific. Due to her negligence, she couldn’t risk an actual kidnapping.
David walked to Chad Koch’s car and tapped on the window. Chad rolled it down slightly. Daphne tilted her head, trying to see inside, but she only saw a pair of deep blue eyes—eyes as vast as the ocean. She stared at them without backing down.
Chad raised an eyebrow. Does she have no shame, staring at a man like this? Is she trying to seduce me?
Had he considered her perspective, he’d realize that Daphne wanted to memorize the face of the person taking Grandpa Ham away. Whether the man inside was handsome or not was irrelevant to her.
“Give her money and send her away,” Chad murmured. This tactic had always worked before. This move had defeated every woman who tried to linger at the Koch estate.
He didn’t even want to follow through on his earlier promise to his grandfather. Dinner invitation? He was too busy to waste time dining with a stranger.
Chad’s abrupt change in attitude was due to Daphne stopping the car—Ham had passed out from the fall earlier.
“Understood, sir.”
David walked up to Daphne, swiftly wrote a check, and handed it to her. “Miss, Grandpa Ham wishes to thank you for helping him earlier, so he would like to offer you some compensation. He hopes you’ll accept it.”
Daphne blinked, glancing at the check. Six zeroes—one hundred thousand dollars?!
What?! That was… absurdly generous!
She quickly shook her head.
David saw this and quickly tore out another check. This time, the amount doubled.
What a greedy woman. Was a hundred grand not enough?
Daphne gawked at the two hundred thousand dollars on the new check. In West City, that was almost enough to buy a penthouse studio!
Was Grandpa Ham’s grandson this wealthy?
Wait—his wealth had nothing to do with her! She wasn’t here for money.
“I think you didn’t hear me. I said I want to see Grandpa Ham to confirm he’s asleep. Once I do, I’ll leave. I don’t want your money.”
Her voice was firm.
This time, it was David’s turn to be stunned.
She doesn’t want money? Is she virtuous or playing the long game?
David scrutinized her.
Her clothes and shoes couldn’t be worth more than two hundred dollars.
Her bag? Just a cloth tote—not worth anything.
The most valuable thing about her was probably her beauty.
Looking closer, she did bear a striking resemblance to a young Scarlett Johansson…
Feeling uneasy under David’s gaze, Daphne still stood her ground. She had to see Grandpa Ham.
Left with no choice, David knocked on the car window again, leading Daphne to the second vehicle.
As the driver lowered the window, Daphne saw Grandpa Ham sound asleep. She finally sighed in relief.
Before she could look inside, the window was rolled back up.
Seeing that Daphne had stopped making a fuss, David prepared to leave.
“Sorry for delaying you for so long. This pocket watch was something Grandpa Ham accidentally left in my pocket earlier. Since he’s asleep, could you pass it to him for me?”
When David saw the pocket watch, he froze.
The Koch family crest?!