"Where did you go so late?" Ethan Aibileen unabashedly scrutinized Lia Aiken.

Hmm, not bad, she’s a beauty, just his type.

"None of your business."

Lia Aiken wanted to leave.

"Lia, don’t go." Ethan Aibileen once again placed both hands on the hood of Lia’s motorcycle, pressing down forcefully as he blocked her path, smilingly saying, "Since we’ve run into each other, let me treat you to a midnight snack, come on."

As he spoke, he signaled his bodyguards, and a bodyguard came over to stabilize Lia’s motorcycle, while Ethan Aibileen reached out to grab Lia.

Lia Aiken slapped Ethan Aibileen’s hand hard with a loud smack, showing she hit with great force, "Ethan Aibileen, if you dare touch me, I’ll beat you to death!"

She even grabbed her anti-theft lock, glaring at Ethan Aibileen, warning him that if he acted up again, she’d hit him with the lock.

Lia Aiken hadn’t learned martial arts, but often fought with her half-siblings, which gave her a fierce spirit.

"Spicy, spicy! Just spicy enough! I really like it!"

Ethan Aibileen’s hand was red from the slap, yet he clapped with laughter, "Lia, I like this temper of yours. Tomorrow I’ll have my mom visit your family to propose marriage, so we can get married soon."

He had decided to marry this woman for her fiery nature.

"Shut up, don’t call me Lia!"

Lia Aiken used the anti-theft lock to slap away the Aibileen family’s bodyguard’s hand as well, "Ethan Aibileen, you’d better take your people and leave, don’t bother me again. I’m not afraid of you, if you truly anger me, I’ll drag you down with me!"

"Oh, so fierce, why drag each other down, it’s better we live together and see this beautiful world. I just won’t leave, what can you do about it?" Ethan Aibileen, relying on his bodyguards, wasn’t afraid of Lia Aiken.

Even if he was alone, he believed he could handle Lia Aiken.

"Young master, there’s a police car."

A bodyguard suddenly spoke to Ethan Aibileen.

Upon hearing this, both Ethan Aibileen and Lia Aiken looked into the distance, indeed a patrol police car was approaching.

Lia Aiken breathed a sigh of relief.

Ethan Aibileen frowned.

Lia Aiken didn’t have to do anything, as the police car stopped after driving up.

It’s no surprise that the police car would stop to inquire, given Ethan Aibileen arrogantly parked his car in front of Lia’s motorcycle, blocking her path.

Due to the police presence, Lia Aiken was able to get away.

Ethan Aibileen watched Lia Aiken leave, feeling somewhat unwilling, thinking to himself that tomorrow he would definitely have his mother visit the Aiken family to propose.

The Aibileen Family always wanted to marry Lia Aiken to Ethan Aibileen, but Mrs. Aibileen didn’t actually like Lia Aiken. The reason being that as the eldest daughter of the Aiken Family, Lia wasn’t favored, was thought of as transparent, and her father loathed her greatly.

What benefits could a daughter-in-law like this bring to the Aibileen family? It would only be a burden. Although the Aiken Family still appeared to be thriving on the surface, in reality, they were facing an economic crisis and urgently needed someone to lend a hand.

If the two families formed a marriage alliance at this time, the head of the Aiken family would definitely cling to the Aibileen family.

Back at the gallery, Lia Aiken quickly closed the door to stop Ethan Aibileen from following her, as the distance wasn’t far.

Ethan Aibileen didn’t follow her, quickly leaving with his people.

The night finally returned to tranquility.

The next day, Lia Aiken didn’t open the gallery for business; the gallery’s business was dull, open or closed, it made little difference.

Her father required her to go to T City with him, while Lia Aiken also wanted to know what was truly going on, though outwardly she begrudgingly followed her father to the airport.

The plane tickets had been booked long ago.

Seeing them off were her stepmother and half-sister Violet Aiken.

Violet Aiken was seven years younger than Lia, eighteen this year, but just as tall and slender as Lia Aiken, perhaps due to her younger age, she was even more charming than Lia and cherished by her parents.

Originally, the father said he would take her to T City, but now it was Lia going instead. Although her mother told her it was because Lia had offended Horne’s CEO, so father was taking her to apologize to him, Violet was still unhappy and occasionally rolled her eyes at Lia.

Lia Aiken didn’t even look at her.

Hours later.

T City Airport.

After getting off the plane, Lia’s father checked his phone and saw a message from Ivan Horne’s secretary, informing him that Ivan Horne was taking a sudden business trip and couldn’t meet with him today, asking to reschedule.

As Lia’s father had boarded the plane hours earlier with his phone switched off, the secretary couldn’t contact him directly, so she sent a message. Despite this, when Lia’s father saw the message, he was already off the plane.

Ivan Horne was taking a sudden business trip, it was so urgent he hadn’t even had lunch before he went straight to the airport with several senior executives, preparing to board the plane.

It happened to be fortunate for Lia and her father; just as Lia’s father finished reading the message and thought they’d come at the wrong time, his mood soured, he looked up to see Ivan Horne coming towards them with several senior executives.

Ivan Horne was tall and handsome, dressed in a sleek black suit, making bold strides. He easily became the focal point in any crowd, not to mention the impressive entourage of Valence Group elites following him.

Their group had an exceptionally high turn-back rate.

"Mr. Horne."

Lia’s father pulled Lia Aiken towards him, signaling her to follow, as he approached Ivan Horne quickly.

Ivan Horne’s handsome face was tense, probably due to the sudden trip.

Upon hearing Lia’s father’s call, Ivan barely glanced at him, probably not remembering who the calling man was, continuing without stopping.

"Mr. Horne."

Lia’s father didn’t dare block Ivan Horne’s path and called from the side, seeing Ivan not stopping, he kept smiling and tried to keep up.

This was the first time Lia Aiken saw her previously domineering father act so submissively in front of someone else, chasing after someone who probably didn’t even know who he was yet smiled and eagerly followed.

Horne, was the Valence Group CEO her father mentioned?

Lia occasionally heard from her senior classmates, understanding that Valence Group was the largest group in T City, and the Horne Family were the city’s wealthiest, holding a combination of wealth, power, and influence, which indeed was someone her father wouldn’t dare provoke.

Because Ivan Horne’s cousin, Josh Reyes, was the mysterious heir to the powerful organization Flame Gate, a level of influence her father could never achieve in his lifetime.

Lia Aiken didn’t step forward, staying in place watching her father follow Ivan Horne’s group, watching the single most handsome man walk past her.

Somehow, a seemingly familiar scene emerged in her mind.

It was him!

Lia instantly recalled.

That back view, that aura, she’d seen it before, and it left a deep impression, the scene once inspired her creativity, leading her to paint the back view; unfortunately, the painting was half-forcedly bought, she initially didn’t want to sell it...

As the painting held great sentiment for her.

Three years ago, she didn’t see the man’s face; three years later, she unexpectedly saw him, Ivan Horne! The youngest leader in T City’s business world!