I thought if I didn’t let Eric Shaw tell him about this, he wouldn’t know and wouldn’t worry. Who knew, what was meant to happen couldn’t be stopped. "Lily, if you don’t want to deal with her, you don’t have to." Daniel Carter was probably afraid I’d suffer losses or that Jessica Sawyer might say something inappropriate to me, so he reminded me in time. I wasn’t too concerned, "Don’t worry, I’m not that easy to bully, plus didn’t you have Mr. Shaw follow me? What else is there to worry about?" "Alright, then you make your own decision. But Jessica Sawyer should be returning to the country in a few days; she won’t be staying there forever." Even if she wanted to work hard, her family wouldn’t bear to let a rich heiress like her spend the New Year working abroad. So I wasn’t too worried. "By the way, has Amanda Gordon been released? Any progress on the investigation you asked for?" Even though I was abroad, I was still worried about this matter since it started because of me. Daniel Carter nodded, "It’s being investigated, and she’s been released." I couldn’t help but wonder how many resources the Gordon Family was willing to expend on this troublesome daughter. If this continues, the Gordon Family might really be ruined by those siblings. We talked on a video call for over ten minutes until Cherry called, and I ended the call with Daniel Carter to get back to work. In the evening, for our first proper dinner since arriving in Veyrona, I had Cherry book a nice restaurant. We all went for dinner together to celebrate the upcoming success of the fashion show. On the twenty-eighth of December, most of the major brands participating in the fashion show had arrived, and the organizers were holding a meeting to explain the relevant matters. Unfortunately, I ran into Jessica Sawyer again. I was the first to arrive and found a seat to sit down. She arrived later and deliberately sat in the seat next to me. I glanced at her, looked away indifferently, and didn’t think much of it. The meeting began, and I focused on listening to the staff explain the procedures and precautions. I inadvertently lowered my head to take notes, and my eyes accidentally caught a glimpse of the phone placed beside me. It was Jessica Sawyer’s phone. Usually, this wouldn’t be anything unusual. But what caught my attention was—the wallpaper photo on that phone! A handsome male profile, with strong and deep outline features, maturity, and determination in his brows and eyes, a graceful yet cold demeanor, serious yet tender. Such a recognizable face, was my deeply missed boyfriend, Daniel Carter. But, how could she have a photo of Daniel Carter? And such a high-resolution one! Seeing me staring at her phone, Jessica Sawyer smiled, picked it up, and waved it, deliberately saying, "Sorry, don’t misunderstand, I just find it pleasing to the eye, something that makes you feel good just by looking at it." I rolled my eyes at her and whispered, "Using someone else’s boyfriend’s photo as your phone wallpaper, what a weirdo." "Are you jealous?" Jessica Sawyer raised an eyebrow at me, seemingly very pleased. I couldn’t be bothered with her, turned my gaze back to the big screen in front of me. But she continued talking to herself, "You’re already very lucky. I heard you saved Brother Daniel when you were young, and that’s what caught his attention. If it weren’t for that, how could you ever cross paths with Brother Daniel? You’re not even on the same social level." I said nothing; she was speaking facts, and I couldn’t be bothered to argue. "Do you think Brother Daniel loves you, or is he just grateful to you? I think it’s more the latter, but unfortunately, you can’t tell the difference and dive in headfirst, and when the time comes—ah!" Before she could finish her sentence, I noticed the coffee placed by her phone and suddenly reached over, pretending to accidentally knock over the cup. The coffee spilled, right over her phone, and a lot splashed out, landing on her clothes. Jessica Sawyer yelled and stood up like she’d been shocked, quickly picking up her phone. "Lily Miller! You’re too much!" she shouted angrily. But I just smiled slightly and apologized, "Sorry, it was an accident. I can treat Miss Sawyer to a coffee, and if the phone is damaged from water, I can compensate for that too." I knew she didn’t really care about a cup of coffee or a phone, but I did it on purpose to disgust her. Everyone in the venue looked at her, each with a look of surprise and displeasure since she disrupted the order of the venue. Jessica Sawyer was humiliated, gritting her teeth in frustration, "Lily Miller, you’ll pay for this!" She picked up her phone and pushed the chair aside, leaving in a huff. I turned back and continued attending the meeting. After the meeting ended, I thought she should have left by then, but unexpectedly she had changed clothes and was waiting outside the venue. She called out to me just as I was leaving the venue. The source of thɪs content is noᴠelfire.net "What, didn’t learn your lesson still?" Thinking of what Daniel Carter said, that I didn’t have to pay her any mind or show her any respect, I felt empowered, "You ought to be a person of some stature, it’s not good to keep embarrassing yourself. Even if you don’t care about your own face, you should at least think about the reputation of the brand behind you." Jessica Sawyer originally seemed like she wanted to lose her temper, but my words reminded her, and she held it in. "I just wanted to invite you for a meal. My flight back home is tonight, going back for the New Year, and by the way...I also have to visit the Carter Family." She smiled elegantly and smugly, clearly showing off. Showing off that once she returns, she’ll have the opportunity to see Daniel Carter again. After finishing my meeting, I happened to be heading for a meal too, so I readily agreed, "Alright, I’ll treat you, as a return favor for the meal you and Grace Chandler treated me to last time." I intentionally brought that up, making her lose face. Jessica Sawyer’s face darkened as she stared at me. I responded with a smile. She held back, rolling her eyes disdainfully and mocked, "Lily Miller, do you really think you’ve become the second daughter-in-law of the Carter Family? If I were you, with a bunch of messy issues at home, a bad reputation, divorced and yet still entangled with the ex-husband’s family, I wouldn’t date or want to marry again in this lifetime, to spare others from harm." I listened quietly and nodded when she finished, "You certainly have backbone. Unfortunately, you’ve been lucky and never encountered such misfortune, so you don’t know if you could live up to your words if it really happened to you. It’s easy to talk big." "..." Jessica Sawyer glared, and if not for considering the many people from our circle around, fearing she’d lose face, she probably would have wanted to lay hands on me. Seeing her that angry, I remained unruffled, finally sighing, "Forget it, I don’t think there’s a need for dinner. I know very well what you intend to say. It’s just advising me to be sensible and leave Daniel Carter. But he hasn’t mentioned it, and neither has the Carter Family. You’re not even remotely related and yet come to remind me repeatedly, where do you get the nerve?" "Lily Miller!" Jessica Sawyer was so angry her face was ashen, "What kind of family do you think the Carter Family is? How could they possibly bring something to the table? But Grandpa Carter and Mrs. Carter’s attitude is evident, so do you expect them to spell it out for you because you lack the sense? You’re all supposed to be honorable people, yet you insist on doing such shameless and dishonorable things!" "Hmm, some people appear honorable but indeed tend to do shameless and dishonorable things." I looked at her with a faint smile, slightly raising an eyebrow. She froze for a second, then realized I was using her words to mock her. Instantly she was intolerant, raising her hand to strike. However, Eric Shaw appeared just in time, stopping her. "Miss Sawyer, please calm down, or I will have to offend you." Eric Shaw had to give some face to the Sawyer Family, so he held her wrist, first giving a reminder. If Jessica Sawyer didn’t know better, he would certainly have to fulfill his duty as a bodyguard. In the end, Jessica Sawyer still cared about her face, seeing others looking over, she immediately lowered her hand. "Lily Miller, acting so willfully, you’ll suffer sooner or later!" With those words, Jessica Sawyer stormed off angrily. Eric Shaw turned to me, "Miss Miller, are you alright?" "I’m fine, don’t worry." I reassured him, not taking Jessica Sawyer’s warning to heart, and continued busying myself with work. Back home, as families gather joyously and firecrackers set off, we celebrate with great excitement in a foreign land. Chinese people are everywhere globally, so even abroad, the thick atmosphere of the New Year can be felt. After drinking some alcohol during the noon gathering, my mind felt a bit dizzy. On the way back to the hotel, I saw a couple on the busy street, kissing openly, and it instantly intensified my longing for Daniel Carter. I couldn’t help but take out my phone and call, ringing for a while, just when I was about to hang up, he picked up. Daniel Carter’s voice came through amidst the jovial noise, clearly happy. I heard fireworks bursting and couldn’t help but be curious, "Are you setting off fireworks?" "Yes, Carter Manor is far from the city. We’re setting them off in the courtyard, it’s alright." He explained softly, seemingly walking back indoors, gradually, the sounds of fireworks became distant. "What’s up? Finished the gathering?" Daniel Carter asked with concern, I had mentioned to him earlier that we also had a lunch gathering on New Year’s Eve, followed by a half-day rest to let everyone relax a bit. "We just finished and are on the way back to the hotel. Have you finished your New Year’s Eve dinner over there?" With a seven-hour time difference, it’s daytime in Veyrona, but it’s already eight or nine in the evening back home. "The elders are still eating, and I’m with the younger ones setting off fireworks, almost missed your call." I was surprised to hear this, "You’re with the kids? Shouldn’t you be with the elders?" "I was with them too." Daniel Carter brushed it off lightly, and at the time, I sensed something was off but didn’t ask further. Later, much later, I once heard from Melissa Chandler that on New Year’s Eve, all of the Carter Family’s relatives came back for the reunion, setting up two grand tables with lively chatter. After rounds of drinks, both openly and indirectly, relatives were advising Daniel Carter, saying another year had passed, and it was time to settle his lifelong matters. Daniel Carter openly stated that he had a girlfriend and was ready to get married anytime. But Old Master Carter also openly stated that while marriage was acceptable, the bride had to be someone else. With disagreement, naturally, the atmosphere was tense. So Daniel simply took the chance to leave the table early by accompanying the kids to set off fireworks. At that time, he didn’t mention it, and I didn’t know. Before I could figure out what was off, his gentle and tender voice came again, "Are you lonely over there? Do you want me to come accompany you?" I was startled, my attention drawn back, "What do you mean? You want to come over?" "The company resumes work on the eighth day of the new year, there’s still a week, and I don’t know what to do at home." My heart sped up, unable to help fantasizing, yet I asked, "How do you spend your Spring Festival holidays usually? Couldn’t be that it’s only this year you find it so boring?" He paused, and from the sound, he seemed to be sitting down, his tone became much more relaxed, "Usually... I hang out with Natalie and the others, go for a short trip, sometimes work overtime, and feel like a week passes quickly. But this year... ever since you went on a business trip, the days have been exceptionally hard to bear."