Chapter 17

Kayla was so thrilled she couldn't sleep all night. As soon as morning broke, she hurried to North Investment.

But the moment she arrived, she was told that Jeremy had a packed schedule that day and was currently in a meeting, so she'd have to wait.

"Ma'am, please wait here for now. Mr. Graham will meet with you once he's out of his meeting," the secretary said, guiding her into a lounge.

"Alright. Thank you."

Left alone in the spacious, empty room, Kayla sat stiffly on the couch, her hands gripping the folder in her lap.

A long time passed, and she felt tempted to barge into the meeting room, drop the contract in front of Jeremy,and ask him to sign it right then and there.

Suddenly, there was shouting from the next room.

At first, Kayla ignored it. But when she heard a woman scream, something inside her snapped to attention.

She stood up and stepped outside. Next door, a woman was crouched on the floor,completely frantic. A little boy, barely three years old,lay beside her His face had turned a sickly shade of blue, his small limbs jerking uncontrollably

The woman cried out his name, sobbing as she tried to rouse him

The secretary rushed in, took one look, and ran to call for the doctor.

Kayla's eyes dropped to the floor. Bits of hard candy scattered beside the boy's hand. He must have choked on it

"Mrs. Campbell, the doctor is on his way!" the secretary said, panting, as she rushed back in.

"There's no time! Let me try!" Kayla stepped into the room without hesitation

The woman, Kelley Campbell, grabbed her arm in panic. "What are you doing to my child?" The wariness in her eyes was clear

"Your son's choking I have to perform first aid on him now,or he could stop breathing before the doctor gets here!" Kayla said quickly, her voice firm and urgent

Kelley froze, her hands trembling. She looked down at her son, then stepped aside

Every second mattered, and Kayla didn't hesitate. She jumped into action.

She gently lifted the child into a standing position,moved behind him, and wrapped her arms tightly around his small waist. Pressing one fist just above his belly button, she placed her other hand over it and pulled sharply

She didn't stop She kept going, about one thrust each second.

Kelley stood frozen, eyes wide with fear, her chest tight as she silently begged for her son to be okay

Kayla focused hard, watching for any sign of change -and then she saw it. The boy's face,though still pale,began to regain some color.

Finally, the child gagged, and suddenly a piece of candy shot out of his mouth.

The little boy burst out crying, the paleness in his face fading slowly

Kelley gasped and dropped to her knees, hugging him tightly,sobbing

Kayla stepped back, breathing heavily, and shook out her aching hands. A moment later, the doctor arrived. He checked the boy thoroughly and confirmed he was fine

"This young woman performed the Heimlich maneuver perfectly She saved his life. If she hadn't acted when she did, we could have lost him."

Kelley turned to Kayla with tears in her eyes. "Thank you. Thank you so much for saving my baby."

"It's okay," Kayla said softly

But Kelley couldn't stop repeating it. "Thank you.."Her knees buckled, and she started to collapse

Kayla rushed forward to catch her "Are you alright?"

"What's happening here?" The door flew open, and a tall man stepped in, his face full of worry

Kayla turned and saw Jeremy enter right behind him,along with a few assistants.

Jeremy looked surprised to see Kayla. His eyes quickly moved from her to Kelley and the child on the floor,putting the pieces together without a word.

The man who had rushed in was Kelley's husband,Zane Campbell, the CEO of a multinational corporation currently in negotiations with North Investment "Honey, our son choked on candy, but this young woman saved him."

Zane turned to Kayla and nodded gently. "Thank you."

"It was nothing, really." Kayla said with a polite smile

Jeremy stepped in. "I'll have them taken back to the hotel so they can rest. I'll also arrange for a full medical exam."

Zane nodded. "Good idea."

As Kelley was escorted out, she held tightly to Kayla's hand, whispering more thanks as she left.

Zane lingered a moment longer, his eyes settling back on Kayla. "Jeremy, is she one of your employees?"

Jeremy's reply was calm. "No."

Zane looked curious. "Then why is she here at North Investment?"

It was clear to Kayla that Zane held a lot of weight in Jeremy's business world. The way his assistants moved around him said enough

She took a step forward and spoke up. "Mr Campbell,I'm Kayla. Mr. Graham is my husband's uncle."

She didn't really know how else to describe her connection to Jeremy.

She wasn't one of his employees, and calling him a friend didn't feel right either If she didn't explain things clearly, it might cause confusion.

Jeremy gave her a deep look but didn't correct her.

Zane chuckled. "Ah, I see. So you're family. Jeremy,looks like I owe you two a favor"

Jeremy responded smoothly, "There's no need for that."

Later, in the CEO's office, Kayla stood in front of Jeremy's desk. Her eyes were fixed on the ring in her hand-a striking green stone,which looked clearly too large for her fingers.

"| can't believe Zane gave this to you. You really had some luck today."

Kayla glanced up at the man sitting across from her.That was when she noticed he was wearing a green ring exactly like the one she was holding.