"Yes, it’s a long story..." I sighed helplessly and briefly explained how Jason Miller deceived my mom back in the day, embezzled my grandparents’ business, and recently pretended to be kind by returning the shares originally belonging to my mom to me, guiding me step by step into his trap. Daniel Carter listened with frequent frowns, his eyes fixed on me with both sympathy and heartache. When I finished speaking, he asked in confusion, "Are you biologically his?" "Yes," I smiled, with a hint of carefreeness, "You can’t believe a biological father would treat his own daughter so ruthlessly, can you? But it’s true. He would rather have the dead daughter be me than Sophie Miller." Daniel Carter shook his head, speaking solemnly, "Such a person will get his comeuppance." "Perhaps, but even if Heaven doesn’t reckon with him, I won’t let him have it easy." I said with a cold face, gritting my teeth. Daniel Carter smiled slightly, "It seems you already have a plan in place." "Yes, I know him too well. When he inexplicably gave me the shares, I knew he was scheming against me, so of course, I had to be prepared." "Smart girl." Daniel Carter still smiled, "I originally wanted to ask if you needed my help; it seems unnecessary now." I looked at him, pursed my lips shyly, and said with feigned ease, "It’s a family matter, no need to trouble Second Master Carter. If I can’t handle it, I’ll ask for your help." I was telling the truth. Though it was well-known that I was not favored in the Miller Family; though I knew Daniel Carter was upright and wouldn’t make fun of me, I still wanted to save face and be strong. For things I can handle myself, I don’t want to trouble others. And the hatred between me and the Miller Family, I don’t want to put on someone else. I want to personally bring Jason Miller and Shirley Turner to ruin, leaving them with nothing and no hope of recovery, avenging my mom properly! After the dishes were served, Daniel Carter didn’t eat much, and I realized he had already eaten. "Ah? Why didn’t you say earlier that you’d already eaten? I could have eaten something simple back at the company, saving your time." I felt quite embarrassed, thinking I was troubling him and wasting his time. "It’s fine, take your time eating, no hurry." He maintained his gentle and elegant demeanor. But I still felt uneasy, "Eat a bit more, or else watching me eat puts pressure on me." "Okay." He smiled and picked up his chopsticks as well. "By the way, you mentioned Melissa came to the company to find me this morning. Do you know why?" When on the phone earlier, I was distracted and forgot to ask Melissa Chandler. "Um... supposedly she’s performing in Windmere next month and wants to know if you have time to make her a set of Chinese-style performance outfits." "When next month?" I was pondering my work schedule, thinking I could squeeze in some time. "Not sure, you’ll have to ask her when you’re free. She was impressed with the pleated apron skirt you made for my mother, which is quite unique compared to those on the market." "Oh, I see!" I laughed, "She didn’t mention it when she came to the company for measurements last time. Otherwise, I have some design drafts ready, which I can show her." At Mrs. Carter’s birthday banquet, I made her three outfits, all featuring elements of traditional Chinese clothing. That pleated apron skirt was crafted from deep red brocade with hand embroidery, very poised and elegant yet vibrant. When Mrs. Carter changed into that deep red skirt suit at the start of the banquet, she dazzled the entire venue, driving those wealthy ladies green with envy. So later, when I appeared downstairs again, a bunch of wealthy young ladies flocked to get acquainted with me, eager to schedule custom orders. Daniel Carter nodded, "Alright, you two chat and see what she likes." "Okay, I’ll ask her later." After finishing the meal, Daniel Carter insisted on driving me back to the company, so I had to get in his car once more. On the road, he kept answering calls, clearly quite busy. After finishing the calls, he opened his business laptop again, "Sorry, I have some work to handle." "No worries, go ahead." I replied with a smile. Actually, I should be the one apologising. He’s so busy, yet made a special trip for my issue, delaying his important work. I felt really bad about it. In fact, given his status, he could have resolved the issue by making a call to the tax bureau and informing the leaders, and they would have released the person immediately. But he didn’t do that; instead, he took time out of his busy schedule to personally make this trip. My heart started leaping for joy again... Is this preferential attention and regard? Does it go beyond a normal relationship between a man and a woman? Just before reaching my company, his busyness finally came to an end. As I saw him put away his business laptop, Melissa Chandler’s words to me suddenly echoed in my mind, and I blurted out, "You’re so busy with work, can your body handle it?" "Hmm?" He was taken aback, turned to look at me, and then his eyes softened, "I’m used to it, the nature of the work is special, sometimes when a project hits, it’s really busy." "Mrs. Carter and Melissa both say that you’re too obsessed with work, you don’t care about your health at all. You’re still young and strong now, but over time, it will take a toll on your body." I looked at him steadily, my heart thumping wildly as I said this, because of inexplicable nervousness and shyness, my cheeks flushed hotly. He stared at me too, his gaze calm and expression restrained. We’d met many times, but because of his noble status and strong presence, I never dared to look him directly in the eye. Today, sitting in the car, facing each other in such close proximity, I could clearly and profoundly see his face. Straight eyebrows, starry eyes, handsome features, a calm demeanor. His overall appearance is somewhere between delicate and rugged, exuding an imperial aura that leaves a lasting impression. I recalled inviting him to dinner at Holburne last time, after which Wennie ran into him and started fangirling, calling him a "top-tier godly face." It truly wasn’t an exaggeration. The two of us simply sat quietly, staring at each other, neither of us speaking for a while. I could clearly feel the atmosphere in the car gradually rising, the scent of ambiguity growing stronger between us. Until the Audi A8 slowly came to a stop, Secretary Harris turned and said, "Chairman Carter, Miss Miller, we’ve arrived." As soon as Secretary Harris spoke, he sensed something was off in the back seat, his expression immediately tensed. Daniel Carter and I simultaneously averted our gazes, both of us making a series of small movements to cover up the awkwardness. "Oh, we’re here! Okay, thank you—" I said, blushing and stumbling over my words. With that, I hurriedly turned to push the car door. For some reason, after a couple of tries, it wouldn’t open. The next second, Secretary Harris reacted quickly, getting out of the car to open the rear door for me from the outside. Embarrassed, I wished I could crawl into a hole, "Thank you." I felt extremely uneasy on the surface, thinking those words had crossed a line. I’m nothing, how dare I advise someone to take care of themselves. See, he didn’t even respond, surely thinking I was inexplicably odd, perhaps even seeing through my hidden little thoughts, and now wondering how to reject me? No sooner had I steadied myself than that clear, gentle voice came from behind me: "Lily Miller..." My ear twitched, my heart racing even faster, as I turned around, "Hmm?" Daniel Carter sat in the car, leaning slightly towards me, his eyes like cold stars, warm and smiling, saying to me, "Rest assured, I’m in good health, thanks for asking." His tone was sincere, and the tense, awkward nerves inside me suddenly relaxed. I gave him a gentle smile, "Good." I waved my hand, "Goodbye." Originally, I wanted to escape as quickly as possible. His warm response made me feel I hadn’t overstepped or offended, and my heart instantly leapt with joy as I stood by the roadside, watching his car drive away. Back at the company, Cherry immediately came up to me, "President Miller, are you okay? Miss Carter came to the company looking for you this morning, and I said you’d been taken away by the tax bureau. She said she’d speak to Mr. Carter..." "Yeah, Mr. Carter just brought me back, don’t worry, it’s all fine now." I reassured Cherry, and after she left, my face immediately fell. I secretly ground my teeth, pulled out my phone, and first called my aunt. My aunt is also a major shareholder in Jason Miller’s company. Such a big issue with the company affects her vital interests; she’s sure not to stand by idly. However, upon inquiry, my aunt was also unclear. But my aunt is well-acquainted with the company’s senior management, so she immediately called to inquire, quickly learning the details. "Lily, your father just sold all his shares to some small shareholders in the company at a low price a few days ago. He’s no longer a shareholder, so your shares are now the largest holding in the company." I was stunned, "He secretly transferred them? Isn’t that illegal?" My aunt said, "The company’s articles do not have particularly restrictive provisions, and shareholders can transfer shares to each other without needing other shareholders’ consent, just by signing a contract. Although his actions lack morality, they... aren’t illegal." I was suddenly enlightened. "He’s setting me up, laying a huge trap for me. But he’s the legal representative of the company, why am I the one taking responsibility?" My aunt hesitated, her tone slightly sympathetical, "The legal representative of the company was changed a month ago to Sophie Miller, and now that Sophie has passed away, you, the largest shareholder..." I was utterly shocked! He’s really gone to great lengths to trap me, even involving the ailing Sophie. "Lily, you must find a way to save the company, or we’ll all go down with it." My aunt realized the gravity of the situation, anxiously pleading with me. I smiled wryly, "Aunt, what can a weak woman like me do." "Lily, you must have a way, isn’t your company’s performance quite good? You must have money." "Even if I have money, I wouldn’t throw it into the fire pit left by that beastly father." Wouldn’t that fall right into Jason Miller’s trap, making him laugh his head off? Realizing my aunt wouldn’t stand by me either, I quickly hung up after a few words. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NoveI-Fire.ɴet After all, men die for wealth and birds for food—when faced with enormous interests, any familial ties are as fragile as thin wings, easily shattered. Furthermore, we’re only aunt and niece. The fact that she hasn’t kicked me while I’m down is already humane. After hanging up the phone, I checked the time, a little past three in the afternoon, still time. I picked four young and sturdy guys from the company’s security department and had them go out with me for a trip.