Chapter 743

Rachel leaned obediently against Tyler’s chest, her breath filled with his cool, clean scent that, for some reason, made her feel safe.

Only now did she slowly begin to recall what had just happened.

“Honestly, I didn’t really think much about it at the time. I just didn’t want you to get hurt.”

Hearing that, Tyler’s pupils contracted. He lowered his gaze and stared at Rachel’s fluttering lashes.

“Rachel, I’ve noticed you always say one thing and mean another. You clearly like me, so why can’t you just admit it?”

He dropped his head a little further, pressing his forehead lightly against hers, feeling their shared warmth. His voice was deep and unyielding.

“Let me make this clear. Whether you admit it or not, I’m not letting you go. Understand?”

Rachel knew Tyler had always been domineering, but right now, the pressure coming off him was overwhelming. It made her feel like there was no way she could escape his grasp.

Whenever he said things like this, her mind was a mess.

“You don’t have the right to decide whether I stay or leave. Once our contract ends, I have the right to choose for myself.”

Tyler didn’t try to argue with her. “Fine. If you want to leave, you can. But wherever you go, I’ll follow.”

Rachel froze, and her gaze lifted instinctively. His brows and refined features were just as she remembered, cool and distant. But now, in his gaze, she saw something new. There was tenderness.

Tyler had always been the type to go his own way. He had his own code and his own rules. People followed him, never the other way around.

She couldn’t bring herself to believe him. She knew him too well. He could be cruel and mischievous, often teasing her just to get a reaction.

So she doubted every word that came out of his mouth.

She raised her brows. “You’re joking, aren’t you? Would you really follow me? What about your company? Everyone there still needs you. Things aren’t sorted out yet. Besides, where I’m going, you wouldn’t be able to work there!”

“What about you? How would you make a living there?” Tyler asked.

Rachel nodded in surprise. “I’d have a salary, and I’d be fed too.”

She not only had food and a paycheck, but also shares in the company. Back then, she had even started other businesses, branching into different projects. She just hadn’t managed them personally. Jerry had handled everything.

Still, every project she put her name on had turned a profit.

So when Tyler asked her questions like that, Rachel honestly didn’t know how to respond.

It was as if Tyler made up his mind about something. He nodded.

“As long as you won’t starve, that’s good enough. So when are you planning to leave? I’ll need to wrap up things here so I can go with you.”

At first, Rachel didn’t think much of it. But hearing the seriousness in his voice, she couldn’t help but look at him again.

“You’re kidding, right? You’d really follow me? What about LS Enterprise? That company is your life’s work. And what about your family?”

At the word family, Tyler smiled sarcastically.

“Family? Do you really think that word applies to me?”

At that instant, Rachel felt an unexpected ache for him. On the surface, he looked calm, but deep in his eyes, she saw hurt.

There was a wound hidden under layers of fear and longing.

Some people spent their whole lives trying to make up for what they lacked in childhood.

Tyler’s coldness came from never knowing warmth at home and from learning to instinctively wrap himself in a thick wall of defense just to survive.