Chapter 7 Chapter 7: "He's the son of an old comrade-in-arms of your Uncle John. Right, he's the new boss at your company. His name is... Herbert!" Aunt Carter replied, excited. "What?" Aunt Carter's words shocked me completely. Herbert again? Why do I keep running into him everywhere? Before I could process this, I saw Herbert and my father's family walking in. I hated these people, so I just wanted to leave as quickly as possible. But Aunt Carter pulled me toward the VIP seats. When I sat down, I realized that my father's family, Herbert, and I were all seated at the same table. I glanced around and immediately sensed the tension in the air. The woman who had once ruined my parents' marriage was named Connie Briden. Next to her sat her daughter, Emma Briden. She had big eyes, a high nose, a large chest, a very slim waist, and a curvy figure-of course, none of it was natural. I suspected that every part of her body had been altered through plastic surgery. Moreover, she wore heavy makeup. It was said that no one had ever seen what she really looked like. Herbert sat across from me, distant and detached, as if everything around him were irrelevant. My father didn't seem to acknowledge my presence either. I lowered my head and began eating, pretending not to notice anyone. After all, the food on the table was delicious, and it was something I couldn't afford to eat on a regular basis. 1@Ŧ€$† ¢#4₽Ŧ€®$ 1₦ gąℓnovels.cøm Although I didn't have to look at anyone, I could still hear everything around me. "Oh, Emma. This Mr. Herbert is the son of your old comrade-in-arms. He's now the CEO of the branch of the company, and he'll have a lot of business dealings with us in the future. You should communicate with him more!" Ryan Stepanek's voice was overly flattering. That's right. Ryan Stepanek is my father. The same father who once cheated on me and is now practically non-existent in my life. Ryan had opened a small security agency. It was said that Connie Briden and her daughter were experts at running a man's company, often causing quarrels and divorces between couples they interacted with. "Nice to meet you. My name is Emma Briden, and I hope that you'll take care of me," Emma said, her voice dripping with pretension. "Hello," Herbert responded, his face expressionless, yet still polite. "It's too formal to call you Mr. Wharton. Why don't I just call you 'Herbert' from now on?" Emma said, forcing a stiff smile. I felt an icy chill spread through me, and I couldn't help but feel embarrassed. I honestly couldn't understand why any man would be interested in a woman like her. Herbert simply lowered his head and continued eating, not responding to Emma. Unfazed, Emma continued with a smile, "Herbert, is it convenient for you to share your contact information? Maybe we'll have business connections in the future!" "You can contact my secretary for business matters," Herbert replied, raising his head. Emma, undeterred by his refusal, kept pushing. But then, Connie suddenly turned to me, her gaze sharp as she attacked. "Bella, you're being too rude. I'm your elder, after all. Aren't you going to greet me?" Connie Briden said, her tone dripping with deliberate provocation. . . . Five-year-old Annie, who can understand animals, saved Landon Hawthorne, a wealthy businessman, from suicide. Now she's his whole world and he's her legal cheat-code against every villain fate throws ...