Lia Aiken's Gallery.

Clenching the phone tightly, Lia Aiken really wished she could crush it.

She has nothing left but her gallery now, and her father keeps using it to threaten her. She is his daughter, not his enemy!

Lia really didn't want to go back to that house, but she had to, or else her father would really destroy the gallery.

The reason her gallery business was bad was because of her father's manipulations. In River City, the Aiken Family held high status, and when her father spread the word that anyone buying her paintings would be his enemy, no matter how good her paintings were, no one dared to buy them.

Lia knew her father was pressuring her to force her into a marriage alliance with the Aibileen Family, but Ethan Aibileen was just a playboy, with more women than she had clothes.

Rumors had it that Ethan Aibileen went as far as targeting underage girls. Lia would rather stay single for life than marry such a beastly man.

Hatred filled Lia's pretty face, but she still hurried back home.

If it weren't for her mother's grave in River City, Lia would've really wanted to never return.

Her father threatened that if she dared leave River City, he would dig up her mother's ashes, preventing her mother from resting in peace even in death.

She couldn't understand why her father hated her mother so much, even after death, why his hatred extended to her, to the point of wanting to destroy her mother's ashes.

The Aiken Family's villa was still brightly lit late into the night.

Lia returned on a women's motorcycle. Her finances were blocked by her father, making her unable to use her car or bank cards, and with her gallery business being poor, if she hadn't sold a painting yesterday, she wouldn't have been able to pay her rent this month.

Her maternal relatives ignored her plight, watching her being oppressed by her father, never helping her, even forbidding her to visit them.

What kinship, as fragile as paper!

"Miss, you're back." The servant came out to help her with the door, "It's so late, Miss shouldn't be riding back alone, it's not safe."

"Aunt Luo, did anything happen at home?" Lia rode her motorcycle into the yard and parked it there, planning to return to her gallery later. This house was big, but it offered her no place of solace.

Aunt Luo glanced inside, whispering to Lia, "I don't know what happened, Sir and Madam had gone to bed, but somehow Sir got up and instructed that Miss should see him in the Study Room upon returning. Mr. looks very angry. Miss, did you upset him? Miss, take Aunt Luo's advice, don't keep fighting Mr., you can't win against him. Although Young Master Aibileen isn't a good person, marrying into the Aibileen Family would at least spare you from this."

He knew Miss's weakness, and she couldn't resist. No one dared to help her here.

Aunt Luo pitied Lia, but as a mere servant, she couldn't help her.

Lia seemed to ignore Aunt Luo's advice. She frowned, trying to recall anything she did in recent days, but she hadn't seen her father in months. Besides the half-siblings occasionally causing trouble at her gallery and a few conflicts, there was nothing else to anger her father.

Could it be those scoundrels accusing her first?

"Miss, be careful."

Aunt Luo sighed, cautioning as she saw Lia ignoring her advice.

Lia said nothing, walking silently inside.

No one awaited her on the first floor. She headed straight upstairs to the Study Room, raised her hand, and knocked on the door.

"The door's unlocked, get in here!"

Anger tinged the CEO's voice as it came through the door.

Even though the fatherly bond she had for him was worn to nothing by his torment, hearing him speak so made Lia a bit heartbroken.

Her mother had died suddenly when she was six, leaving her unprepared to be motherless. After that, her father's attitude towards her changed dramatically. She vaguely remembered he was quite fond of her before she turned six.

With a bitter smile, Lia mocked herself for still thinking of the little kindness he once showed her.

She opened the door and walked in.

The Study Room was thick with smoke. She couldn't tell how many cigarettes the CEO had smoked, but when Lia entered, he still had one in hand.

"Called me back in such a hurry, what is it?"

Lia stood a few steps away from her father, her expression blank as she asked.

The CEO looked up at her. Lia clearly saw hatred in his eyes.

Yes, hatred!

Something flew towards her.

Lia quickly moved aside; it was that cigarette in the CEO's fingers.

"When did you offend the Horne Family's eldest young master?" The CEO, seeing his daughter avoid the cigarette butt he threw, grew angrier, suddenly stood and strode over, raising his hand to slap Lia, who caught his wrist.

"You said before that until I agree to marry Ethan Aibileen, I'm no longer your daughter. Since you don't see me as your daughter, you have no right to discipline me." Lia firmly gripped his wrist, coldly adding, "Besides, I've done nothing wrong."

The CEO glared at her for a long moment, then jerked his hand free, visibly suppressing his rage as he asked Lia again, "I'll ask you once more, when did you offend the Horne Family's eldest young master?"

"I don't know the Horne Family's eldest young master. So, does that Horne Family's eldest young master actually intimidate you?" Lia retorted with sarcasm.

In River City, she clearly knew her father's influence.

Even the head of River City's top wealthiest family was courteous to him.

Unexpectedly, there was someone who could make her father uneasy.

"CEO of Valence Group in T City, Ivan Horne, you really don't know him?" The CEO scrutinized Lia, seeing her sincere expression, and frowned more deeply.

If Lia hadn't offended Ivan Horne, then what was the meaning of Ivan Horne's call?

Ivan Horne said he was inquiring about someone...

Could it be that Lia hadn't offended Ivan, but instead caught Ivan Horne's eye?

Is that possible?

The CEO scrutinized Lia once more, and she resembled his late wife, so beautiful and charming. Unfortunately, his late wife was a temptress... But perhaps because Lia was a painter, her temperament was far better than his ex-wife's.

Yet it didn't change the fact that Lia had the blood of that disgraceful woman running through her veins.

"Tomorrow, accompany me on a trip to T City." The CEO decided to take Lia directly to T City. Once they met with Ivan Horne, everything would be clear.

If this wretched girl had indeed offended Ivan Horne, he would hand her over to him. If by some stroke of luck Ivan fancied her, he would give her to Ivan Horne. Maybe, this way, he could secure collaboration with the Valence Group sooner.

"Don't think about refusing. Otherwise, you know I will do something. Get out!" The CEO preemptively threatened before Lia could speak.