"Who asked for your help?" I laughed coldly, mocking him, "Stop trying to put gold on your face. Even if you force it on me, I won’t take a penny. Using your money to redeem my mom’s bracelet, I’m afraid it would dirty her path in reincarnation." "Lily, why are you so venomous in your words now?" Adrian Gordon was hurt and angry. "Ha, my words may be venomous but they can’t compare to the cruelty of your actions." I angrily dropped these words, unwilling to hear another word from him, and swiftly cut off the call. I was so enraged that I felt like exploding! However, once I calmed down, the bad feeling in my heart grew heavier. Adrian Gordon knew about this, which very likely means Sophie might find out too. Given her usual habit of taking what I love, she would surely compete with me for this bracelet. I can’t let Sophie snatch this bracelet. I must gather enough money. But there are only two days left, where else can I borrow money? I was burning with impatience, momentarily losing my composure, but quickly forced myself to calm down. Mom always taught me from a young age, don’t panic, don’t be chaotic in a situation, only with calmness can we think of a strategy to tackle it. Suddenly, as I looked at the almost finished evening dress in front of me, a bold idea popped into my mind... He’s the most powerful person I can reach, and he surely has money. But we are not familiar at all, and our social status is worlds apart. Would I be considered insane for daring to ask him to lend money? I was torn internally. But after hesitating for just a while, I made up my mind—go borrow! At worst, he would refuse, mock me a bit, and our collaboration would fall apart. But what if he agrees? Then the problem that troubled me would be solved effortlessly! But I don’t have Daniel Carter’s contact information; to find him, I can only go through Butler Cross. Early the next morning, I called Butler Cross, saying the clothing design for Mr. Carter was ready and needed to be shown to him for approval before further modifications. Within a few minutes, Butler Cross replied. "Miss Miller, the Young Master is going out soon, he instructed that you should go directly to the company to find him." "Okay, and the company address is—" The whole city knows the Carter Family is prestigious and mysterious, but few people know what business they do or where their company is located. "Are you able to write it down now?" I quickly found a sticky note and wrote down the address given by Butler Cross. He added, "When you get to the opposite of this address, you’ll find the Young Master, and there will be someone at the door to receive you." "Okay, thank you, Butler Cross." After hanging up, I entered the address into my phone’s GPS, enlarged the map, and wanted to see which company was opposite. However, the map showed emptiness across the street. I grew skeptical again, feeling Daniel Carter’s work was quite mysterious. Gathering my things, I hurriedly set off. After driving for an hour, I arrived at the destination, followed Butler Cross’s instructions to find the opposite side of the address, and was dumbfounded. The gate in front of me looked plain, but the imposing and bold golden letters made people feel awed. Weapons and Equipment Research Institute. No wonder it’s not shown on the map! It turns out to be a military factory! A highly confidential unit! While hesitating, a soldier walked out from the guard post at the entrance, "Excuse me, are you Miss Lily Miller?" Still immersed in shock, I nodded upon hearing, "Yes, do you need to check my documents?" The soldier nodded, and I promptly took out my ID card. After checking, he handed it back to me respectfully, then pointed, "Go straight through the door, the tallest building is Chairman Carter’s office, his secretary is waiting downstairs." "Alright, thank you." The electric gate slowly opened, and I drove inside, finding the tallest building as instructed. The towering building was marked with bold red letters—Strengthen the Army, Serve the Nation, Develop Enterprises and Enrich the People—the spirit of awe and reverence in my heart grew ever stronger. Driving closer, someone was indeed waiting below. I’ve seen that person before. During my last visit to Carter Manor, while standing at the door talking to Daniel Carter, it was this person who reminded Daniel that it was time to leave. Fresh chapters posted on novel[f]ire.net I parked, grabbed my briefcase, and got out. "Nice to meet you, Miss Miller. I’m William Harris, Secretary to Chairman Carter," the person greeted politely, introducing himself. I responded politely too, "Nice to meet you, Secretary Harris, thank you for your assistance." He led me into the building and scanned his face before entering through the gate towards the elevator hall. "Miss Miller, Mr. Carter is busy at the moment, so it’ll likely be a while," said William Harris as we entered the elevator. I smiled, "That’s fine; I’m the one who’s being abrupt, interrupting Mr. Carter’s work." Reaching the top floor, stepping out of the elevator faced an exceptionally clean and spacious office area. Seeing William Harris, the employees all greeted him respectfully. As the chairman’s secretary, he is undoubtedly a part of the company’s upper echelon, practically second to none. "Miss Miller, please wait here. I’ll notify you once Chairman Carter finishes," William Harris instructed me as I sat in the reception room. "Alright, thank you." The reception room had full glass walls, the center had frosted texture, and there were blinds for blocking. After sitting down, I unintentionally found that through the gaps in the blinds, I could see the adjacent office. Looking more closely, the man sitting behind the large desk with a deep, composed face and a cold, majestic presence was indeed Daniel Carter. The glass soundproofing worked well, as I couldn’t hear anything from there. But I sensed a tense atmosphere there, as if the entire air had solidified. Confident that no one could see me inside, I boldly and gazingly stared at that face, completely frozen. So, even Daniel Carter, who handles affairs so courteously, has moments when his eyebrows knit tightly, radiating intimidation without anger. He was clearly facing some trouble, whether because someone underperformed or a problem arose in work. Despite hardly showing moods, his silent solemnity projects an unresistable authoritative ambience. Holding my breath, my eyes inadvertently shifted, noticing three people standing stiffly on the opposite side of his desk, their heads bowed, almost statuesque. Surely they’re sweating bullets. I suddenly came to, internally lamenting, "It’s bad timing!" He’s scolding subordinates furiously, and I’m here to borrow money, even several million—am I not courting death? Feeling out of sorts, I contemplated a strategic retreat when Secretary Harris entered. "Miss Miller, Chairman Carter is free now." "Ah?" I startled, my heart jumped to my throat, instinctively asking, "Is this a bad time?" Secretary Harris, perceptive, grasped my meaning, warmly explaining, "It’s alright, Chairman Carter judges matters, not people and won’t take issue." Exiting the reception, I coincidentally crossed paths with the three people emerging from the office. Indeed, all were wiping sweat from their foreheads as they raised their arms. For the first time, I palpably recognized Daniel Carter’s authority and prestige. It was utterly different from my previous impression of him. Uneasy, I followed Secretary Harris into the office. The space was vast and spotless, decorated with understated yet grand style; upon entering, all sensory perception seemed renewed, almost like being purified. "Miss Miller, sorry to keep you waiting," Daniel Carter rose from behind the desk, appearing once more the genteel, elegant gentleman.