When Emma Johnson returned to Sunrise Manor, dinner was about to begin, but Liam Williams hadn't come back yet.
"Is Liam still not back?"
Emma asked the butler, Oliver White.
"Mr. Williams hosted a business reception at The Grand Royal Hotel today. He called and asked me to tell you he'll be back later."
"Oh, I see."
A flicker of disappointment crossed Emma's heart. Perhaps she had grown accustomed to Liam returning home every night these past few days. His sudden absence left her feeling strangely unsettled.
She went upstairs alone. For no apparent reason, her skin suddenly began to itch. She thought she might have eaten something bad. Fortunately, the itching didn't last long—it faded after an hour. Otherwise, she was afraid she would have scratched her skin raw.
Emma wondered if she should ask Dr. Julian Moore for some allergy medication tomorrow. But for now, she decided to wait and see.
The grand hall of The Grand Royal Hotel was dazzlingly bright. Representatives from nearly every top company in the city had come to attend. After all, the host was Liam Williams, president of Pinnacle Corporation. No one dared to refuse such an invitation.
No one could have guessed what shocking news would emerge from this seemingly joyful reception.
In the middle of the party, old Mr. Taylor was so excited he could barely speak when he saw his illegitimate daughter. He never imagined he would have a daughter at his age.
Especially since this daughter looked so much like the beautiful woman he had met in the United States. It was a pity that beauty fades so easily. Leaving behind her daughter was already the greatest gift from God.
Compared to old Mr. Taylor's excitement, Daniel Taylor's face was dark as a storm cloud. A few days ago, he had been struck by terrible luck. After drinking just one glass of wine, he had lost consciousness. When he opened his eyes, he found a woman beside him crying by the bed, her body covered in scratches, barely alive.
Then came the lawsuit. Somehow, the news had leaked to the media. For days, the city was flooded with scandalous stories about him. In the end, his grandfather had stepped in, found a familiar media contact, and managed to suppress the story for a while, preventing irreparable damage.
However, his grandfather was deeply disappointed in him. He even subjected Daniel to the family's traditional punishment. His back still ached from the beating. He couldn't believe they still practiced such outdated systems in this day and age.
At the same time, he had hired a private detective to investigate whether there was a conspiracy behind the incident. After only two days of investigation, the detective told him to drop the case. Because he wanted to stay alive. They refused to reveal who was behind it.
This only made Daniel more determined to find out the truth.
Now, at the business cocktail party hosted by Liam Williams, he saw his new aunt—a top student from Harvard University. Wasn't it obvious that she wanted to compete with him for the position of the next heir?
At that moment, Daniel felt he had finally pieced together the puzzle. That night at the concert hall, he had an affair with Emma Johnson. The next day, he was caught in a scandal he couldn't escape. He was sure Liam Williams was behind all of this.
In this city, everyone knew the Williams family had influence in both business and politics. Although Liam was now in business, he still had connections in political circles. That's why the detective didn't dare to cross him.
Hatred burned in Daniel's eyes. He thought, Liam Williams, you think you can cover the sky with one hand? I'm not afraid of you.
One day, I will bring down your company and make your woman mine.
Do you think this will make me back down? Absolutely not.
Not far away, Liam Williams, who was deep in conversation with old Mr. Taylor, seemed to sense Daniel's gaze. He looked in Daniel's direction, raised his wine glass without expression, and made a respectful gesture in the air.
Daniel coldly responded, raising his glass and downing the red liquid in one gulp.
A silent declaration of war had been made. A fierce confrontation was about to begin.
Who would win in the end? Only time would tell.
"Mr. Williams, please wait."
As the business reception drew to a close, Liam planned to return to Sunrise Manor. He was worried about whether Emma had taken her medicine on time. She always struggled with taking medication. Several times, especially at night, he had to watch her to make sure she took it obediently.
He made up his mind: if the servant told him Emma hadn't taken her medicine tonight, even if she was already asleep, he would drag her out of bed and make her take it before letting her sleep.
Just then, a female voice called out behind him. He turned around and saw Kennedy Taylor—the daughter who had just been officially recognized by Mr. Taylor.
She had a tall figure, long hair cascading over her shoulders, and wore a black one-shoulder dress. Although her skin wasn't porcelain white, her wheat-colored complexion made her look even more sexy and alluring. Her single eyelids, slightly raised at the corners, gave her eyes a cat-like quality. When she looked at someone, it inadvertently evoked a lazy, charming expression. She could be called a beauty.
If it had been any other man, he would have been irresistible. But unfortunately, the other party was Liam Williams. Except for Emma Johnson, there was probably no second woman who could stir any reaction in him.
"Miss Taylor."
Liam responded lightly.
Kennedy's face was full of gratitude as she walked toward him.
"I really don't know how to express my gratitude to you. But I still don't understand why you came to me and told me about my background? As far as I know, you have no business dealings with Oasis Holdings, let alone any personal connection. I really don't understand."
Kennedy was a smart woman. She wasn't naive. If she believed that pie would fall from the sky, she wouldn't have worked so hard to get into a world-renowned school.
"I have my own purpose, but you can rest assured that it will do you no harm. As long as you do what you want to do, Pinnacle Corporation will be your strongest backing."
Liam's words stirred Kennedy's inner ambition. Although Oasis Holdings wasn't as large as Pinnacle Corporation and didn't have the same global influence, it was still a very tempting prize. She believed that if Oasis Holdings fell into her hands, it would certainly develop even better.
Although she could see that Daniel Taylor, her nephew who was about her age, looked like a devil. A few days ago, a scandal had broken out about him.
But he was still an opponent not to be underestimated. If she wanted to smoothly inherit Oasis Holdings, she had a hard fight ahead.