Isla Lawson squinted her eyes, looking at Serena Sterling and said, "So, you’re choosing to abandon the Sheridan Family?" Serena took a step forward, closing the distance between them. "Threatening me?" Serena glared coldly at Isla. "Hasn’t it always been a threat?" Isla sneered. Serena squinted her eyes slightly, "I thought we were negotiating." "Heh..." Isla laughed mockingly, saying, "Serena, what right do you have to negotiate with me, a woman who relies on the Lawson Family for survival?" As she spoke, Isla shook her phone, showing a message from Vera Hansen. She gestured to a side door. Standing there was Julian Lawson, apparently talking to someone. Even in ordinary clothes, it was unmistakably her. Serena sneered inwardly; Julian, who had just refused to take Vera’s call in front of her, had now brought her here. "Serena, Brother Julian hasn’t loved you for a long time," Isla said, "Your good days in the Lawson Family are coming to an end." "Are you waiting for Vera to die, so you can continue pretending as if nothing happened and remain Mrs. Lawson?" "I’m telling you, it’s impossible." Isla’s voice came forth, yet Serena did not avert her gaze. She saw Julian leaning close to Vera, checking something on her side. In the dim light, they were very close. "Have you seen enough?" Isla said, "By working with Vera, taking down the old Sheridan allies remaining in The Lawson Corporation is a piece of cake." Serena looked away and saw the smile on Isla’s face. Isla said, "Furthermore, the Sheridan Family’s glory was during Evan Sheridan’s time. Now, it is nothing." Seeing the expression in Serena’s eyes, Isla’s smile grew broader. There was something else mixed into Isla’s smile, leaving behind a trace of melancholy. "Serena, do you know, I hate you even more." "Didn’t you win him in a gamble?" There was a restrained malice in Isla’s voice: "Let’s bet again. If you win, I won’t touch the old Sheridan allies. If you lose, you pick one of two choices: either I take over the Sheridan allies or you tell me what really happened in Frelia back then." Isla swirled the wine in her glass, "The bet is on this Miss wine. See those glasses over there? Bet on whether you can find this one among them." Serena looked at Isla. Suddenly, she felt a pang of sadness. "You’re not the Isla Lawson I knew," Serena said. The proud and noble Miss Lawson would not have stooped to such underhanded tactics to coerce others. What exactly had changed over the years to make her so unrecognizable? "What, afraid to bet?" Across from her, Isla’s bluster felt hollow. But Serena merely smiled. "Southwest vineyard of Frelia." "Lin’s private winery, producing wines with a soft, exquisite taste and overflowing with fruity aromas." "Four years ago, he personally brewed the red wine, colored ruby red." Watching Isla’s smile gradually fade, Serena said, "What you brought back is a private reserve. Lin’s winery wouldn’t have a lousy wine. This is your homecoming party, marking your formal entrance into Aeston’s social circle. News will eventually break that you brought back Lin’s reserve, so you wouldn’t dare to swap it." "Do I need to continue, Isla Lawson?" Seeing Isla standing frozen, Serena slowly walked to the long table, carefully compared the glasses, then chose one. She sipped lightly and brought it back. Her right hand slightly raised, the wine sparkled like a gemstone under the light. The glass had the number 214 engraved for this wine-tasting game. The correct answer had been written down long ago, yet remained unrevealed on the podium. Serena quietly looked at Isla. After receiving Isla’s message, she had considered what Isla might do. At a wine-tasting event, the focus is on wine. At an introduction party, it’s about debuting into the social world. The Sheridan Family, Frelia, finance, Lin—within this circle, it’s all the same person. With a little investigation, one could discover the location of his vineyard in Frelia and the origin of the grapes. Serena was not one to fight unprepared battles. Tasting and selecting wine. She was the eldest daughter of the Sheridan Family, which nearly became the fourth major family in Aeston at one point; how could she be ignorant of such things? Serena looked at Isla, and in her periphery was Julian Lawson, engaged in conversation with Vera Hansen. Over the years, traveling everywhere with Julian, especially to Jovia where his fondness for wine deepened her research in this area. With just a taste, she could discern much about these wines. "So, did I win?" Seeing Isla remain silent, Serena asked. Isla didn’t answer, continuing to stare intensely at Serena. "Is this how you won him back then?" Isla asked through gritted teeth. "No," Serena said, bowing her head slightly. That bitter victory cost her her health and her child. The wager was on the remnants of humanity within Lin. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ Nove1Fire.net The liquid in the glass glittered like flowing blood. Just like the blood that had soaked the ground when she lost her child. Serena suddenly felt very cold. The frigid pool of water, so unbearably cold. "No?" Isla couldn’t believe it; excitement made her chest heave with intensity. "He once said that calling him a playboy would be generous; he was a menace, toying with many partners within the industry. How could you..." "Serena, what exactly did you do?" Serena looked calmly at Isla, holding the wine in her hand. She composedly said, "Isla Lawson, you said it was not the method I used, but The Lawson Corporation breaking through the technological blockade." This had always been Isla’s angle in criticizing Serena. Yet, when Serena repeated Isla’s own words, Isla realized, deep down, she herself believed everything was closely connected to Serena. Seeing Isla speechless, her eyes slightly reddened, staring at her, Serena avoided her gaze. "So, can I get a result?" Serena asked, "Did I win, for the Sheridan Family..." "You didn’t win!" Isla’s voice suddenly escalated, turning shrill, drawing the eyes of those around them. "Yes, this glass is indeed the Miss, but so what?" Isla sneered, "The Sheridan Family has long ceased to exist." "The Sheridan Family is just a department of The Lawson Corporation now. The once invincible Sheridan Family is now just a dog of The Lawson Corporation!" "Serena, your father has long been dead. Even if you guessed this was the Miss, then what..." The glass of red wine poured all over Isla. The ruby-red liquid seeped and dripped continuously from her dress, blood-red. And the wineglass was in Serena’s hand.