The Billionaire’s Aloof Wife

The moonlight shone on the lonesome figure of a woman standing on the rooftop of the Leighton Corporation.

The wind gusted with the force of a fresh spring breeze, tousling Leila's soft blonde hair into disarray. Her hair seemed to be dancing in the air, scattering in all directions.

Leila blankly stared at the moon as she brushed the stray locks of her hair behind her ear.

Her body slightly stiffened when she heard footsteps behind her. Leila knew by heart who had come.

It was Zachary Leighton.

Leila's unruffled expression cracked for a fleeting second before it returned to tranquility. When she turned around and faced the man, her face was devoid of emotion.

Despite staying abroad for the past years, Leila still heard a lot about him, even if she wouldn't deliberately inquire. His name and reputation had reached other countries. It wasn't surprising, though, because his methods in business were quite ruthless.

Five years ago, Zachary ruthlessly overthrew his father, Gabriel Leighton, out of the company and replaced him in his position as president. Gabriel couldn't accept that and eventually had a stroke. He became paralyzed and was sent to California to recuperate.

In one fell swoop, Zachary rose to the position of the wealthiest man in Tesanera City by controlling the Leighton family singlehandedly and doing several major projects simultaneously. This made him a legend in the business world. Despite his young age, he was already a business mogul.

In the same year, he got engaged to Talia, the illegitimate daughter of Philip Clark. And from what Leila heard on the TV news, Zachary deeply loved his fiance.

Leila took a deep breath and flashed a shallow yet graceful smile. "Mr. Leighton, I know you're busy, but please give me just five minutes. I promise I won't take too much of your time."

The man stared at her deeply as he whipped out a lighter and lit his cigarette. The flame in the lighter illuminated his devilishly handsome face.

With a cigarette between Zachary's thin lips, he drew in a small puff and blew the smoke back out. "Speak."

Leila didn't waste time and directly cut the chase. "Because of Wright Corporation's lack of liquidity, several significant projects had to be put on hold. Despite that, Wright Corporation is a longstanding company with a strong foundation. Though it wasn't well managed, I believe that Wright can recover its losses. So I'm hoping President Leighton will help and lend me ten billion to make a turnaround in a month. I will do my best not to disappoint you."

She spoke in one breath without breaking eye contact with him. However, even after a few minutes passed, Zachary didn't respond.

Leila waited for his reply and quietly sized him up. He was at least beyond six feet tall. He donned a black suit that perfectly accentuated his majestic figure. Even though he was only standing there, simply staring at her, he exuded an overbearing and imposing aura akin to an emperor who dominated an entire empire.

After a beat of silence, Zachary's low and magnetic voice sounded. "What's wrong with your voice?"

Leila didn't expect his sudden question and momentarily froze. She lightly coughed and said softly, "I have a cold."

A sarcastic smile flitted at the corners of his lips as he thought, 'Heh. It looks like a serious cold.'

Afraid that he would forget what she had said, Leila reminded him, "Mr. Leighton, what I said earlier"

Halfway through her sentence, Zachary interrupted her, "Why should I help you?"

His words momentarily stumped Leila, and she dumbly looked at him.

His eyes swept her face as he drew another small breath and blew out the smoke. Then he added, "Tell me, why should I, Zachary Leighton, help you?"

Leila gasped and responded meekly, "If Leighton Corporation doesn't inject capital, the Petersons and Martins undoubtedly won't let this chance slip away and would certainly try to swallow up Wright Corporation. I can't turn to them and ask for help. They're too cunning and might even use this opportunity to compete with the Leightons. Besides, I prefer the Leighton family among the four major families."

"Give me a reason why you prefer the Leighton family," Zachary said lightly.

"Because you are always at the helm of Leighton's family," she promptly replied.

Zachary threw the cigarette butt on the ground and stared straight at her. He slightly tilted his head and said, "What if I say I'm not interested?"

His fathomless eyes seemed shrouded in dark clouds as he looked at her. It gave off an impression she would fall into an abyss. Nevertheless, she stared back at him with the same intensity because her grandmother's words rang inside her head.

Her grandma once told her if someone looked at her deeply, she should also do the same because only by then would no one look down on her.

Leila heaved a deep sigh. "Please tell me what your conditions are, Mr. Leighton."

"You," Zachary said succinctly.

Upon hearing him, the calm expression plastered on her face cracked. She was rooted to the ground as Zachary closed the distance between them.

He slightly bent down his body and gently whispered to her ears, "If I say I wanted you. Will you agree?"

A trace of confusion flashed past her eyes. She subconsciously took a step back and hurriedly wretched away her gaze from him.

"Isn't it enough that you've been hiding from me for the past five years?" A cold glint flitted into his eyes as he spoke.

Leila's eyelashes trembled, along with her voice. "Sstop joking, Zachary."

Zachary stared at her, and his lips curled into a mocking smile. He then snickered, "Tsk. You're still as indifferent as you were back then."

When his words fell, she gnawed on her lips and kept silent.

Seeing her expression, Zachary glanced at his wristwatch and said, "Miss, your five minutes are up. Please leave."

Hearing the coldness dripping in his every word, Leila clenched her hands tightly, digging her nails into her palm. Without a word, she strode towards the exit, but she stopped in her tracks when she remembered something.

She slightly turned her head and cast a glance at him. "Zachary, if I give you a life in exchange, will you help me?"

As she brought this matter up, what happened in the summer of ten years ago flashed into her mind.

Leila and her family got invited to the Leightons' annual company party. The child in her got bored listening to other people's chatter. So, she ran up to the rooftop to kill time. As the elevator door opened, Leila was surprised to see a young man standing close to the rooftop's edge and staring blankly at the boundless skies.

She frowned and thought he would commit suicide by jumping off the building. She walked over and said, "If you want to kill yourself, just jump. The 108th floor is high enough to kill you."

The young man looked at her and smiled, which didn't reach his eyes, and said flatly, "If I jumped off, no one would collect my body."

His forlorn smile was laden with a desperation that didn't match his young age.

Leila thought he was really pitiful. She sighed and made him a promise. "Don't worry. If you jump and die, I'll collect your body."

A trace of surprise flashed past his eyes as he quietly stared at her. Leila lifted her chin and stared back at him, unwilling to be outdone.

Moments passed, and the young man suddenly smiled. His smile was different from the one he showed earlier. It was gleaming with innocence, yet it had a tinge of slyness.

Leila was dazzled, and her heart began thumping wildly. She had never seen a person who could smile like that.

While she was in a daze, the young man, Zachary, lazily put his hands in his pockets and strode towards the exit. But before he left, he glanced at her and said, "Little girl, because those old foxes aren't dead yet. For now, I won't bother you with collecting my corpse."

Leila snapped out of her reverie. Looking at him now, the faces of Zachary from ten years ago and Zachary currently standing before her were overlapping. The only difference was that he was more unfathomable today than he was back then.

"I'll pay you back for that life, Zach," she said softly.

As soon as he heard her words, his deadpan expression drastically changed. His thin lips pressed tightly, and his eyes were covered with heavy frost, leaving only the bottomless gloom.

He gritted his teeth and snarled, "Pay? How will you pay for it?"

Leila said nothing and smiled. She promptly walked past him. She propped herself up on the concrete railing and stood on the edge.

Zachary's body instantly turned frigid when her actions fleeted in his eyes like a flash.

"After I jump down, please save Wright Corporation. I can't let our company get destroyed in my hands. So please, save it. This life is what I owe you. And I should have given it back five years ago." Her last sentence was almost inaudible, fading in the wind.

Despite her pallid complexion, she smiled brightly. However, when Zachary saw her smile, it inexplicably irked him.

The words she said ten years ago subconsciously rolled out of his tongue. "Don't worry. If you jump and die, I'll collect your body."

Hearing this, Leila smiled. "Okay."

Subsequently, she jumped.

"Leila!" Zachary felt his heart stop. He couldn't think about anything else apart from saving her. He dashed to her and hurriedly grabbed her wrist before she fell.

Beads of perspiration broke out on his forehead as he supported all her weight. He pulled her and threw her small figure on the ground without mercy.

Zachary grabbed her collar with red eyes that almost seemed to drip blood. Veins protruded from his forehead as though it was about to burst. His mood had turned dark and dreadful in the blink of an eye.

He was so agitated that his molars almost broke as he gnashed his teeth. "Do you hate me so much that you would rather die than agree to my request?!"

Leila felt a tinge of pain in her heart, but she didn't let her expression betray her true feelings. She looked at him stubbornly but didn't say anything.

Zachary took a deep breath and suppressed the rage coursing through him. He let go of her and stood up, then strode away with a dark expression.

He stopped for a moment and said, "Alright. Since you went as far as doing this, I will help you this time. But I'll wait for the moment when you cry and beg for my help!"

After saying this, he faced the woman who had been silent all this time. "Secretary Moore, send her home. If you can't do that, you don't have to come back."

Sunshine nodded respectfully. "Yes."

Zachary left in a huff while Sunshine strode towards Leila.

A tear escaped from Leila's eyes as she inhaled sharply. Her face was eerily calm, but her insides were grinding in turmoil. She lay on the ground, unmoving.

"Miss Wright, I'll take you home," Sunshine said.

However, Leila didn't move an inch. Her body seemed to have lost all its strength. Even though she did that on purpose, it still frightened her. She gambled today because she knew Zachary would save her. But a small part of her hoped he wouldn't save her.

Slowly, Leila sat up. She lifted her head and stared at Sunshine. "Secretary Moore, even though I haven't seen you in five years, you're still beautiful as ever."

Sunshine crouched down and helped her but didn't respond to Leila's remark. They went to the elevator, and after a while, they reached the ground floor.

Leila's legs were still wobbly, so Sunshine supported her arm and helped her into the car.

After getting inside, the lowkey yet luxurious Maybach drove away and headed to the Wright family villa.

Leila absentmindedly looked out the window and didn't notice tears welling up in her eyes, clouding her vision.

"Miss Wright, we're here," Sunshine spoke and looked at her worriedly.

Leila nodded and alighted from the car. When she arrived at the front door, she took a deep breath and tried to push the sense of apprehension coursing through her body.

Five years ago, Leila's family banished her, and she honestly didn't want to return. However, Sunshine would definitely lose her job if she didn't go in.

After all, Zachary was a man of his word.

Leila took a deep breath and finally rang the doorbell. After a few seconds, the door opened, and a familiar face greeted her. It was Uncle Morris.

When the latter saw Leila, a smile blossomed on his lips. He beckoned her to come inside, and Leila nodded.

As soon as she set foot inside, a pindrop silence engulfed the entire living room.

Philip, who was happily chatting with his daughter, lost his smile. His eyes went wide as he stared at Leila in astonishment.

The shock Talia felt at this moment was no less than her father's. The apple from her hand fell, and it rolled to Leila.

"You! Why did you come back?" Philip snapped out of his trance and pointed at Leila with a hint of anger. Just two hours ago, his subordinate reported Leila was still in New York, reading magazines!

'How could she appear here now?!' he screamed inside his heart.

Leila forced herself to calm down. "As your filial daughter, it's only right for me to come back when our company becomes like this, isn't it?"

She heaved a deep sigh and continued, "Father, you really disappoint me. When you forced me to transfer my shares to you, I thought you would at least see my mother's face and run the company well. Now I finally understand how foolish I was. You're a greedy wolf in sheep's clothing!"

Her eyes, sharp as knives, almost bore through a hole in Philip's body.

"Leila! How could you say that to Dad? You don't know how distressed he is because of the problem at the company. He couldn't even eat and sleep, so how could you accuse him like that?!" Talia interjected.

Leila calmly swept her gaze at Talia.

Talia was her halfsister, who had been living a pampered life because she was the 'Princess' of the Wright Family. At age twelve, she began attending social gatherings for upperclass people and even became one of the top socialites that everyone envied—including her.

Her lips curled up into a sneer as she asked, "Then how are you doing?"

A vicious glint flitted into Talia's eyes, hearing her offhanded remark. She pinched her thigh, and instantly, tears brimmed through her eyes. "Lei, are you still blaming me for taking your place? Please don't blame dad. It's not his fault. I"

Leila smiled at her coldly and spoke sardonically, "No. How could I blame you? It's my mother's fault for loving someone like him. She was too weak to fight against your cunning mother, who became my father's mistress. I was only nine when she died, so I couldn't do anything when you occupied my home, coveted my property, and even banished me from the family. We end up like this because we deserve it! We couldn't fight"

A crisp slap landed on her cheeks before she could finish her sentence. Leila's face immediately turned sideways because of the impact. Her cheek turned red, and it began swell because of Philip's force. He struck so hard that she felt her face burning.

"Shut up for me!" Philip roared.

Leila swallowed the metallic taste down her throat and wiped the blood on the corner of her mouth without showing any expression. "This is all your retribution!"

Philip felt a little guilty when he saw a bright palm print on Leila's face. However, when he heard her words, his guilt immediately vanished into thin air.

"I don't care if you look down on me inside your heart. Only Shiela and Talia are my family! Even if you're my daughter, you shouldn't forget your surname is Wright and not Clark!" he seethed.

Leila's breath hitched. Deep inside, she was still hoping that her father would also look at her the way he looked at Talia. But his words were like knives, cutting her heart into pieces. Her fist coiled into a ball, her nails digging deeply into her flesh.

"Dad, don't be angry. Your health is important. Lei, don't fight with Dad, okay? I'll call Zach later and ask him to help us," Talia said softly, but her eyes gleamed with smugness when she mentioned Zachary's name.

Philip abruptly looked at Talia and asked dubiously, "Is he willing to help us?"

He was doubtful. After all, Zachary Leighton was coldhearted and infamous for being ruthless in business. He didn't even spare his father, let alone them, Leighton's biggest competitor. How was it possible he would help them?

A bashful smile blossomed on Talia's lips. "Of course, Zach is very kind."

Hearing her words, Leila inwardly scoffed.

"It's good if Zachary is willing to help so Wright's family will be saved," Philip said and sighed.

When his eyes darted at Leila, his face turned dark with impatience. "I gave your previous room to Talia, so just stay in the guest room for now."

Leila's jaw tightened. This was her own house, yet she had to live in a guest room. It seemed that she no longer belonged to this family in their hearts.

She silently went upstairs. As soon as she got inside the guest room, she tiredly flopped on the bed and unknowingly fell asleep.

The following day, blinding sunlight peeked through the gaps in the curtain, shining over Leila's sleeping face.

Her brows furrowed, and soon after, she woke up. She sat up and sighed. Even now, her cheek still stings.

She rose from the bed and went downstairs. While descending the stairs, Leila stopped in her tracks when she heard the vague conversation and hearty laughter.

'What were they so happy about?'

When she reached the last step of the stairs, a familiar tall and majestic figure sitting on the sofa entered the line of her sight.

'Zachary? Why was he here?' she wondered.

Leila was rooted to the stairs. Her gaze shifted to her father, who had a fawning smile plastered on his face.

"Mr. Leighton, we're delighted to have you grace us with your presence!" Philip said in exhilaration.

Even though Talia promised him yesterday, he was doubtful whether Zachary would come. But now, the renowned business mogul was in front of him. Philip was convinced Talia held great importance inside Zachary's heart.

"Talia called me last night and asked if I could help. With such a big incident in Wright Corporation, and on account of being familiar with each other, I'll help you," Zachary said lightly. He leaned languidly against the sofa and rested his arms on the ridge.

His gaze darted to the staircase, and immediately, a faint smile tugged on the corner of his lips.

The smile on Philip's face grew wider upon hearing his words. When he was about to say something, Zachary suddenly spoke.

"Who is this?" He stared at Leila and scanned her entire face. The faint smile on his lips vanished when he saw her red and swollen cheek. A cold glint flashed past his eyes.

On the other hand, Leila took a deep breath. She knew she couldn't escape since he had already seen her. Thus, she simply walked over.

Following Zachary's gaze, Philip caught sight of Leila's figure traipsing toward them. The broad grin on his face instantly faded. He let out a long sigh and fixed his expression.

"This is my youngest daughter, Leila Wright. Lei, come over and say hello to Mr. Leighton," Philip said with little difficulty.

"Miss Wright, nice to meet you." Zachary smiled and stood up. Then he gently extended his hand to her.

Leila didn't move an inch and simply stared at Zachary's outstretched hand.

Philip, who was watching her, was already in a bad mood because of her presence. Now that she had done that, he felt he had lost a great deal of face. He looked at her sharply, and only then did Leila accept Zachary's hand.

"Mr. Leighton, it's a pleasure to meet you," Leila said softly.

Zachary's palm was big and warm, fully enveloping Leila's. The latter grew conscious when Zachary slightly squeezed her palm, which made her hurriedly withdraw her hand.

As if he didn't notice it, Zachary sat down again.

"I'll ask someone to call Talia," Philip quickly interjected.

"No need," Zachary said firmly.

Philip was embarrassed by his remark and could only smile awkwardly. He couldn't say anything else and just sat there.

Leila wasn't any better. She just stood there, neither sitting nor leaving, because no one asked her to.

"Sir, Young Lady, Mr. Leighton, breakfast is ready."

Leila whipped around and looked at Uncle Morris in relief. She headed to the dining hall but still heard her father inviting Zachary to have breakfast together.

When they reached the dining hall, the food was already served. Leila sat at the end of the long table. Her eyes scanned the entire table, but there wasn't any black coffee.

Leila's solid breakfast menu was a cup of unsweetened black coffee and a slice of bread.

Of course, she knew they wouldn't care even if she told them. She lowered her head and kept silent.

Obliquely ahead, Zachary swiftly glanced at her and caught sight of her expression. He turned to look at Philip and asked, "Why is there no black coffee?"

Philip's expression stiffened, and he hurriedly responded, "Talia said Mr. Leighton doesn't seem to have a good stomach, so I purposely didn't tell the maid to prepare it."

"It doesn't matter. I want black coffee," Zachary said indifferently.

For a moment, Philip studied Zachary's expression. The latter's eyes were colder than usual. He must have lived in vain if he couldn't see that Zachary was dissatisfied with his arrangements. Philip could discern what he wanted. With this in mind, he hurriedly ordered a maid to grind the coffee.

Shortly after, the maid brought the black coffee and poured a cup for Zachary.

Zachary beckoned the maid to pour a cup of coffee for Leila as well.

The maid nodded and poured a cup for Leila, then retreated afterward.

Seeing this, he was satisfied. He picked up the cup and gracefully took a sip.

Meanwhile, two pairs of eyes were watching his every move with puzzlement.

Philip was confused when he noticed Zachary didn't touch the cup of black coffee a second time. Nevertheless, he said nothing and continued to eat.

On the other hand, Leila downed the cup of coffee swiftly and ate a slice of bread before standing up. "I'm done."

After she said that, she went to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror and suddenly turned her head when she heard footsteps behind her.

Leila thought it was Talia. She didn't want to see the latter, so she walked toward the door and was about to leave. However, she had just taken a few steps when her head bumped into something hard.

And by seeing the leather shoes, she knew it was Zachary. Leila raised her head and looked at him. But in doing so, she closely met Zachary's gaze.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and asked her in a deep voice, "What's wrong with your face?"

"Let go," she said coldly but felt inexplicably guilty inwardly.

'What if someone came inside and saw us? How could I explain why we were together? After all, they didn't know that Zachary and I knew each other.'

As if he didn't hear her, Zachary cupped her face and brushed away the stray locks on her face. His face was then shrouded with gloom as he saw the bright palm print on her cheek.

He caressed her cheek tenderly but asked sharply, "Who slapped you?"

Leila averted her eyes and whispered, "Don't pretend to care about me."

She was really embarrassed to be seen in this state by him.

"You're this tough with me, why did you let someone slap you?" Zachary frowned as his hand on her waist tightened.

Leila glared at him and snapped. "Let go of me."

Zachary just smirked and paid no heed to her words. "Just answer me."

Leila's expression distorted, seeing his grin. She pushed him away, but his body was like a wall that couldn't be moved.

She took a deep breath and raised her eyebrows at him. "Don't poke your nose into someone else's business," she said and grabbed his hand off her face and bit his wrist. She thought he would let her go, but he didn't, so she bit him harder until blood oozed out of his wrist.

As fresh blood filled her mouth, Leila hastily let go of his wrist and looked at him, perplexed. Guilt waved through her as she stared at his injured wrist.

Instead of being angry, Zachary lightly smiled as he raised his injured hand and gently stroked her cheek. "Little girl, I rushed here so I could help your company, yet you treat me like this? You didn't even smile at me. You're quite cruel, aren't you?"

Her ears seemed to buzz when she heard his words. Her initial guilt faded and was replaced by annoyance.

'How could he say I'm cruel? It was him! He rushed here because Talia called him! But when I asked him for help, I had to bring up our promise ten years ago!' she screamed inside her heart.

"President Leighton mistook me for my sister. Isn't she the one who called you? So why don't you ask her to smile at you? But she's still asleep in my bedroom, so maybe you could wait for her!" she huffed angrily.

Zachary didn't mind her disgruntled face and said indifferently, "Why didn't you throw her out when she forcefully occupied your room?"

Leila clicked her tongue. "Of course, I'll eventually do it."

A low and magnetic laugh escaped from his lips. He looked at Leila in amusement and caressed her cheek again. But this time, he forgot it was swollen and rubbed it with a bit of force.

He felt displeased upon thinking someone had laid a finger on her and couldn't stop himself from saying, "Don't worry. I won't let you suffer in vain after being hit like this."

Leila hissed in pain. She subconsciously hit his hand and took a step back.

"Sorry. Does it hurt?" Zachary retracted his hand and pulled her closer.

'Why was he asking for the obvious?' She mentally rolled her eyes and sniggered.

Zachary's eyes darkened. He suddenly lowered his head and pressed his warm lips on her cheek.

Leila froze and couldn't react for a moment. Then she felt his sultry tongue licking her cheek.

"You!" This was the only word she could say as blood rushed to her head, and she fell into a daze.

When she snapped out of her trance, Zachary was long gone. Her face flushed red when she felt there seemed to be some residual heat on her skin.

Leila hurriedly went to the sink and splashed cold water on her face. She took a deep breath to calm herself before leaving the bathroom.

When she went to the living room, she saw Philip and Zachary discussing something. She walked over and sat on the sofa.

Zachary seemed to be listening carefully to his father's words with a light smile on his lips.

"Mr. Leighton, when do you think it is better to sign the investment contract?" Philip asked. His eyes had a hint of impatience. He wanted to sign the contract immediately, so Wright's wouldn't go bankrupt.

"What do you think?" Zachary threw a question back at him. Albeit he was clearly speaking to Philip, his eyes seemed to be asking Leila.

"I'll personally oversee the payment first thing tomorrow morning," Philip hastily said. His face gleamed with excitement as he spoke.

"I'm afraid the senior management of Leighton's family won't agree if President Clark is overseeing this investment," Zachary said lightly, which immediately popped Philip's bubble of happiness.

Philip was quite dissatisfied, but upon reflection, it was up to the Leightons whether to invest in them. He swallowed his discontentment and smiled. "Then do you want Talia to be in charge? After all, she's the Vice President of Wright Corporation."

Zachary didn't respond right away. He swept his gaze at Leila, seemingly waiting for her response.

"I'll go." Leila butted in.

A faint smile tugged on the corner of his lips. 'Sure enough, this little girl definitely wouldn't let go of this opportunity.'

"What are you saying? You know nothing about the company's matters!" Phillip immediately objected.

Hearing her father's tone as if implying she was useless, a tinge of pain flitted into her heart. However, she won't back down.

"How can you say I can't handle it? I don't even try!" Leila insisted.

"Try? It is not child's play to deal with such a huge sum of money. What do you know about the Wright family's business? Plus, you don't have any work experience! You've been studying for many years, yet you accomplished nothing!" Philip huffed angrily and paused for a moment.

"If your mother were still alive, she would have been disappointed to have an ignorant daughter like you!"

Leila's heart sank. She sucked in a deep breath but said nothing. A sense of selfdeprecation coursed through her insides. Initially, she thought she had returned like a triumphant general, only to find that she had lost her battle armor and helmet.

On the other hand, Zachary scowled at Philip's words. A biting cold glint flashed in his eyes as he looked at the latter with displeasure. "Mr. Clark's words are a bit too much. Actually, I admire Miss Wright's courage."

Then he shot Leila a look. "Can you do it?"

"Yes," Leila immediately responded. Then she flashed a confident smile.

Zachary leaned comfortably on the sofa and stared at Leila with satisfaction glistening in his eyes. The latter didn't say she would try her best, and Zachary understood her character well. In Leila's vocabulary, there was no 'try your best' because it only meant one thing—a lack of ability to achieve something.

"Then try it. Ten billion is a measly sum of money for me, so take it easy. And tell me, if you run out of money, I'll reinvest," he said casually, as though they weren't discussing a tremendous amount of money.

When Philip heard him, his face turned ashen. Zachary's words were like a slap on his face. He looked at his daughter hatefully and wished he could make her disappear at that moment.

A pindrop silence hovered above them.

The sunlight peeked through the floortoceiling windows and shone on Leila's body.

A dazzling light glimmered on her slender neck when Leila leaned her body sideways.

Zachary's eyes narrowed into slits. He caught sight of a familiar male ring on her necklace.

His jaw suddenly tightened when he remembered something from the past. He suppressed his anger and stood up. "I have something else to do. So I won't stay any longer. Secretary Moore will contact your company later about the contract."

With that, he strode out of the house.

As soon as Zachary left, Philip scoffed and glowered at Leila before he went upstairs with a livid expression.

Leila collapsed weakly on the sofa. She put her hand on her forehead and stared blankly at the ceiling. Fortunately, everything went well. Now, she would have the opportunity to take back the things that belonged to her.

"Miss, it seems Mr. Leighton left his key."

Leila immediately sat up and looked at the maid in front of her. In the latter's hand, there was a car key. It was indeed Zachary's.

His cold expression before he left flashed into her mind. She rose from the sofa and hurriedly took the key from her.

"Thanks." After she said that, she ran out.

She thought his car was parked at the front door, but when she went out, there was nothing. Leila heaved a deep sigh and rushed to the gate.

Wright was a centuryold family with deep roots and was one of the four prominent families in Tesanera City. The Wright Villa alone covers a hundred acres of land.

It took Leila about five minutes to run to the gate. When she finally reached the gate, she was already out of breath.

She panted heavily and patted her chest to relieve the tension inside her. Shortly after, she looked around and finally saw Zachary. He was leaning against a massive tree while smoking.

It seemed that he noticed her and immediately looked at her.

Leila couldn't help but draw another breath before she walked toward him.

Zachary's expression was calm as he puffed the cigarette and blew out the smoke. He stared at Leila as she approached him. The latter was like an angel, bathing in the warm sunlight.

"You left your car keys," Leila said and handed him the keys. She was still gasping for air as beads of sweat rolled down her forehead.

Zachary threw the cigarette butt and stomped on it, then took the key from her, brushing his icy fingers on her.

Instead of leaving right away, Leila composed herself, looked him in the eyes, and said with extreme sincerity, "Zachary, thank you."

'Thank you for giving me the opportunity to snatch back my mother's company,' she whispered inside her mind.

"Don't mention it. I have a reason why I did that." He patted his clothes and walked to the driver's seat. He opened the door and glanced at her.

"You can go now," Zachary said tersely. As he was about to get inside, he suddenly clutched his stomach. His hand clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"What's wrong with you, Zach?" Leila promptly asked when she saw he seemed to be in great pain. Then something flashed into her mind. It was the cup of black coffee he had drunk earlier.

Without a second thought, she sidled forward and grabbed his arm with a hint of anxiousness.

Zachary cast a deep look at her, and his gaze inadvertently landed on her neck. His eyes turned colder enough to freeze her. "Let go."

Leila seemed oblivious to his current mood and reasoned, "But you have a stomachache."

She should have known he would feel uncomfortable since he drank coffee. Back then, she heard Secretary Moore say Zachary was so workaholic despite his young age that he didn't eat on time and eventually damaged his stomach. It became worse, which made his stomach bleed thrice.

"Sorry, it's my fault. The concentration of black coffee is too high. You shouldn't drink it in the future, alright?" She sighed and blamed herself as she saw Zachary's face grow paler.

As if she remembered something, she asked, "By the way, where's Secretary Moore?"

"She's at the company." Zachary's face crumpled. He was inexplicably upset to hear her tone. It was as if he was just a stranger to her.

"Then where's your driver? Come on, call him. You have to go to the hospital," Leila said and looked at him.

Albeit he was displeased with her words, he still replied, "The driver went home for his honeymoon with his wife."

A deep scowl appeared on his face. 'How difficult is it to ask her to take me to the hospital?'

"Alright. I'll give Secretary Moore a call." Leila dug into her pocket to fish out her phone but got nothing. It was empty.

She bit her lips in annoyance and looked at him. "Where's your phone?"

Zachary ignored her and leaned against the car.

Seeing he was uncooperative, Leila gritted her teeth, mustered up her courage, and began looking for his phone in his pockets. There was nothing in his right pocket. She sighed and checked the left side. Her fingers immediately stiffened when she felt something hard.

Leila hurriedly retracted her hand as if a lightning strike had hit her. Blood rushed to her head, dying her cheeks and ears red.

Zachary had an urge to laugh after seeing her reaction. But he suppressed his impulse. He lightly coughed and said, "That's a cigarette case."

Despite her embarrassment, Leila reached out to his coat's inner pocket and felt relieved when she found the phone inside. She hurriedly turned it on, but the screen was just black.

'Damn it! His phone was out of battery!' She cursed inside her head. Her hand squeezed the phone in frustration.

"You drive," Zachary said perfunctorily.

"I..." Leila was surprised and momentarily forgot to respond. A sense of apprehension rose inside her when she glanced at the steering wheel.

In fact, since that night five years ago, she hadn't dared to touch any car.

Zachary went to the passenger seat and said, "Don't say that you can't drive because I taught you before, as far as I remember. There's no way you won't know it."

A bitter smile tugged on Leila's lips. 'That's right. I almost forgot we had sweet memories together.'

A sour taste rose from her stomach. Leila lowered her head and swallowed the lump in her throat.

Indeed, Zachary patiently taught her to drive, and Leila learned quickly. Driving was one of the things she took pride in. It was a pity, though. Because she learned to drive, she accidentally killed someone.

If Zachary found out that she was the reason why his mother died, he would probably regret teaching her to drive.

"What are you dawdling for? Get in the car." Zachary said impatiently and tossed the car key to her. He closed his eyes and put his arm on his forehead as he leaned against the seat.

Leila stared at him for a moment before she got into the driver's seat. She squeezed the key and put it inside the keyhole, but her hands were trembling.

She was starting to become queasy. Fear emerged in her eyes, and her gaze blurred with haze. What happened five years ago was replaying in front of her as if it was happening right now.

The raging fire that frantically swallowed her seemed to burn her alive.

'Snap out of your senses! It's long gone. Come on. You can do it!' Even though she comforted herself, her fingers were cold and stiff like icicles.

She fiddled for a long time before finally inserting the key into the keyhole.

Leila sighed in relief, but her body went rigid when she saw Zachary staring at her.

'Damn! I thought he had fallen asleep!' She swore inside her head.

She averted her gaze and started the engine.

"Back then, you were confident in driving and drove smoothly. It never crossed my mind that you'll be afraid of driving now. Tell me, is there anything that doesn't frighten you?"

Leila bit her lips and refused to look at him. But she could feel his heated gaze on her face that almost bore a hole in her skin.

"What made you afraid of driving?" Zachary queried.

"I just don't want to," she muttered.

"Just don't want to? Or because it had something to do with what happened back then?" His eyebrows arched as he looked at Leila's side frame.

"Would you still teach me to drive if you knew something like that would happen?" Her eyelashes trembled as she fought the urge to cry.

'Do you regret it?' she asked inside her mind. Afraid that Zachary would say he did, she didn't dare to ask. If that happened, she didn't know how she would comfort herself.

She snapped out of her thoughts when Zachary's hoarse voice rang again.

Zachary flashed a small smile. "When did I say I regret teaching you? Even if I didn't teach you, you would have learned it when you were eighteen. Moreover, it's a good thing that I taught you because you'll still remember me."

When Leila heard this, her heart skipped a beat as a wave of warmth spread through her veins. She chewed her inside cheek and suppressed her emotions from emerging on the surface.

Zachary pulled out the cigarette case from his pocket, pulled a stick, and lit it.

Caught him redhanded, Leila shot him a look and wanted to stop him from smoking. After all, the man had a sick stomach at that moment. However, no words came out when she opened her mouth to say something.

Coincidentally, Zachary looked at her. Leila was stunned and immediately coughed to mask her embarrassment. Then she turned her head and looked straight ahead, concentrating on driving.

Zachary didn't puff a cigarette. A profound glint flitted into his eyes. He looked at the cigarette in his hand before throwing it out of the window.

After that, neither of them spoke again. Not long after, the two arrive at the Leighton Corporation.

Leila drove to the underground garage and parked the car. She saw Secretary Moore and Zachary's bodyguards were already waiting for them.

She pushed the door open and alighted from the vehicle. Secretary Moore approached her and greeted her with a smile.

"Miss Wright, President. Leighton has an important meeting, so we need to leave now. Later, I'll draft the contract and discuss the terms with you. Do you think it's okay to sign it tomorrow?"

Leila smiled and nodded. "Yes. But Zachary had just drunk a cup of black coffee. He's not feeling well, so I think it's best to send him to the hospital."

"Okay. I'll call the doctor over. Thank you, Miss Wright." Sunshine bowed and got inside the driver's seat.

"Alright."

Zachary glanced at Leila's neck, and his eyes gleamed with displeasure. He felt anger thrumming in his veins, so he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Leila took a couple of steps backward as the car made a Uturn. Sunshine raised her hand and waved at Leila before driving away.

Leila was left in the parking lot, staring at the receding car, and heaved a deep sigh.

She began walking and headed to the Imperial Medical Hospital. It was the hospital where her grandmother stayed when she fell ill until the day she died.

Back then, her grandmother bought it because she was impressed by the hospital's location and medical conditions. Before she died, she bequeathed the hospital to Leila, which wasn't one of the properties under the Wrights.

As luck would have it, no one in the family knew that the Imperial Medical Hospital belonged to Leila. Hence, she was pretty relieved to put her childhood friend there.

When she arrived at the hospital, she went straight to the top floor, where there was only one room—the VVIP ward.

Leila nodded to the bodyguards guarding the door. One of them respectfully opened the door, and Leila went inside.

Shortly after, the hospital's dean rushed to the ward and reported Allen's condition to Leila.

The doctor said Allen's state was not optimistic. His condition was gradually declining, and there was only a slight chance he would wake up.

Leila's fist clenched. She could feel everyone in the room looking at her with pity. She lowered her head and spoke softly, "All of you, get out."

The dean nodded, and they left and closed the door.

Leila sat on the chair next to the bed and stared at the handsome young man lying on the bed.

Allen had been sleeping in this hospital bed since he was twenty. It had been five years since then, and he was now twentyfive. He was in the prime of his life, but there he was, spending his time in the hospital.

Facing her childhood friend, Leila found herself talking about many things that had happened to her in the past five years. The sun had already set, yet her stories went on. She kept talking until her voice had become hoarse.

The moonlight shone on Allen's face, illuminating his delicate features. Leila stared at his face. Then her gaze crawled down to his bony fingers. On his right pinky finger, there was a tail ring.

She let out a long sigh, took off her necklace, and then put the ring next to Allen's finger.

The two fine diamonds in the rings shone brightly under the moonlight, which made her eyes hurt. She blinked and averted her eyes, staring at the window.

A strange wind gusted, and Leila seemed to hear Allen's gentle voice in her ears.

'Leila! Why are you wearing a man's ring?'

The young girl looked at Allen and smiled sweetly. 'This is my engagement ring. When I find someone I love, I'll propose to him with this ring.'

Then the young girl was surprised when she saw Allen also bought the same style of women's ring with all the money he earned from working for three years.

'Why did you buy that?'

'Of course, when a girl proposes to me one day, I can't let her go back emptyhanded,' he responded with a dazzling smile.

Leila woke up from her trance and stared at the rings in front of her. She burst into laughter, but tears brimmed through her eyes.

"Allen, we have known each other for eighteen years, and I must say, you've been so good to me. Even though it's painful to think you'll be gone for good, if that happens, you'll be free from heartaches and pain. I'll pray for your soul, so you'll be reborn into a good family. In that lifetime, you'll never be hungry again. No one will ridicule you, and you'll never remember me. Someone like me isn't worth remembering."

After she said that, she wiped her tears and rose from the chair. She went out and gently closed the door.

It was already the dead of night, and only her footsteps echoed in the corridor. Leila headed to the elevator and pressed the ground floor. Shortly after, she stepped out of the elevator and wandered around the deserted street.

Unknowingly, she had reached the mall. She stopped in her tracks, raised her head, and looked at the LCD screen that was displaying today's news outside the mall.

Zachary was clad in a gray business suit, attending a ribboncutting ceremony at a hotel.

As far as Leila knew, the Leightons built that hotel. It was the first sixstar hotel in Tesanera City.

Even though she could only see him on the screen, she could feel his imposing and austere aura. His devilishly handsome face was highly eyecatching. Coupled with his smile, Leila was certain most ladies in the city would fall in love with him. Despite that, Zachary's eyes gleamed with the astuteness that businessmen had.

Leila unknowingly watched the news until the end. After the ribboncutting, Zachary refused all interviews and brushed past the crowds as he got inside the luxury car.

Subsequently, the news came to a halt as Zachary left.

Leila's forehead scrunched up. She inexplicably felt that Zachary's complexion was pallid, as if he didn't have enough blood.

She abruptly raised her head and saw countless raindrops begin to fall. She walked toward a nearby waiting shed and stayed there as the rain became heavy. The wind blew briskly along with the raindrops, inadvertently hitting her.

At the same time, a black Maybach was parked not far away from her. A pair of green eyes watched as she wiped the raindrops that hit her forehead.

Sunshine followed Zachary's gaze and saw Leila. Her eyes darted back to her boss, and she sighed heavily. Seeing the man's pale complexion, she was reminded of what had happened earlier.

When she was about to call the doctor to have him check on her boss' stomach, Zachary vehemently refused, saying he was fine and the meeting was starting, and thus, she could only give up.

As a result, Zachary collapsed in the backseat as soon as he got into the car after the event.

Sunshine had always been calm and collected, but she was scared out of her wits at that moment. Panicstricken, she sent him to the nearby hospital. The Leighton Medical Hospital.

She always thought her boss' stomach problem had been cured. It never crossed her mind he would have a relapse, and it was way more severe than before.

The doctor said Zachary needed to recuperate in the hospital for a week. But the moment he woke up, he insisted on leaving the hospital because he still needed to deal with some work he had left at the company.

Since Zachary was determined to leave, they could only obey him.

Never had Sunshine imagined that her uncompromising boss, who insisted on working despite his unwell body, would stop the car so he could stare at the woman in the waiting shed.

She didn't know whether to pity or praise him for admiring someone. She shook her head and sighed.

"Mr. Leighton, do you want me to give Miss Wright an umbrella? It might rain more heavily later."

As if he didn't hear her, Zachary didn't respond. Leila's figure when she left the hospital earlier filled his mind. Of course, he was keenly aware who she was visiting in that hospital. It was Allen, her childhood sweetheart—the orphan rescued by the Wright family.

The people who didn't know him mistook him for Leila's boyfriend.

In fact, he had met Allen before. That man had a gentle temperament, yet he looked straight at him in the eyes. People seldom looked at his eyes because of his background, but that man actually dared and even spoke to him with conviction.

'Mr. Leighton, Lei isn't the type of young lady who would agree to a marriage of convenience because she's looking forward to marrying the man she loves. Moreover, Lei and I have an excellent relationship. Look at this ring on my hand. This is what I'm going to propose to her. We've known each other for so long, and we're meant for each other. So please, Mr. Leighton, stop chasing after her. You don't deserve her.'

Zachary sighed and looked at Leila. "Secretary Moore, ask someone to bring her an umbrella."

Sunshine was stunned. She thought he wouldn't answer. She collected herself and immediately replied, "I understand."

She dialed a string of numbers and gave instructions. After that, the black Maybach moved again.

On the other hand, Leila was surprised when someone gave her an umbrella. Nevertheless, she was grateful and accepted it. Otherwise, she will get sick.

Subsequently, she headed home, but her pants still got soaked because of the heavy rain.

When she arrived at the Wright Villa, Uncle Morris hurriedly gave her a towel. Coincidentally, her stomach growled.

Uncle Morris shook his head and went to the kitchen. When he returned, he gave her a sandwich and a glass of milk.

"Thank you, Uncle Morris." Leila smiled softly.

In the past, Uncle Morris worked as her grandmother's confidant at the Wright Corporation. However, when her grandmother passed away, he stopped working there.

Her grandmother left him a sum of money, but instead of leaving, he stayed with the Wright family as a butler.

Uncle Morris sighed. Initially, he thought the young man from the Leighton family would save Leila from her suffering, but it never crossed his mind that Zachary would instead push her into a darker abyss.

His eyes grew red as tears welled up in his eyes. "Miss, please don't wait for Mr. Leighton or Young Master Allen. Don't hurt yourself."

Leila picked up the glass and gulped down the milk. "Well, Zachary or Allen, I want neither of them."

The night overflowing with sentiment passed, and the most anticipated day came. Leila stood in front of the Wright Corporation, admiring the enormous building that became the landmark of Tesanera City. It witnessed the previous generations and how the Wright ancestors passed down the business to the succeeding heirs.

This would be the first time she'd step into the company after she returned to the Wright family.

Once, her grandmother told her the Wright Corporation had a hundred thousand employees. Then those employees and their families relied on the Wright Corporation to feed themselves. And every decision made by Wright's President would affect their lives.

Back then, she thought as long as she loved someone else, she would give up everything for him because it was the most dashing and selfless thing in the world. As she realized this, she wanted to laugh at herself for being stupid and willful.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated, pulling her out of her trance. Without looking at the caller ID, she accepted the call.

"Miss Wright, Mr. Allen's condition has improved and has stabilized."

The dean of the hospital's cheery voice sounded at the other end.

Upon hearing this, the gloom inside Leila's heart diminished, and a beam of happiness waved through her. A smile blossomed on her dainty lips. "Thank you so much for looking after him. If something crops up, please notify me as soon as possible."

The dean agreed, and Leila subsequently hung up the phone.

The massive boulder pressing on her heart alleviated from hearing the good news. She took a deep breath and finally entered the building with confidence.

Not far away from where she had stood, a car parked at the roadside. Inside the vehicle was Secretary Moore. She brought along her subordinates and was supposed to head to the Wright Corporation and meet Leila at ten o'clock in the morning. However, her phone rang when she was about to step out of the car.

"Don't come in yet. Go in after two hours have passed." The voice at the other end was relatively firm.

Sunshine was confused when she heard Zachary's words, but she still adhered. "Yes."

She looked at her subordinates and shook her head. They sat in the car and waited until they could leave.

While waiting, Sunshine couldn't sit still with the confusion hammering her mind, so she reviewed the contract repeatedly.

At the same time, in the conference room on the top floor of the Wright Corporation, Johannes Ramirez, the second largest shareholder, looked at Leila with impatience.

He tapped the table in annoyance. He then faced Macey Adams, the company's secretary.

"Secretary Adams, it's been an hour, yet they aren't here. Why don't you give Leighton's representative a call?" he said, expressing his discontentment.

"Okay." Secretary Adams nodded and went out.

In truth, she had already called Secretary Moore five times in a row, but the latter's line was busy.

She tried again, but the other line was still busy. Then she finally called Leighton Corporation, but the other party said Secretary Moore had already left the company and gone to the corporation.

Macey returned inside and reported the situation to Mr. Ramirez.

Leila finally spoke, "Wait a little longer. They'll be here."

Johannes looked at her and said nothing. He leaned against the chair and waited.

Time goes by.

He glanced at his wristwatch, and his jaw tightened. 'It was already noon, yet no one had come!'

Without a word, he stood up and walked out of the conference room. However, before he could leave, Leila blocked his path.

He frowned. "Miss Wright, what do you think you're doing?"

"Uncle Johannes, please give them a little more time," she hurriedly said.

"A little more time? I've given them two hours! Tell me, how many hours should I wait, huh?" He almost shouted, but he repressed his anger.

He was mildtempered, but they had wasted his two hours for nothing. Despite that, he suppressed his anger because he didn't want Leila to lose face.

If this happened to other people, Johannes would bet they would have scolded Leila long ago.

Leila hung her head low and didn't respond. Although Zachary said he would help her, she wasn't sure if he would really do so. Hence, she could only bite her lip and keep silent.

"Leila, remember that theoretical knowledge differs from practical knowledge. Even though you have excellent grades, you should also have work experience." After saying this, Johannes brushed her aside and pushed the door out.

When the rest of the directors and shareholders saw Johannes leave, they all got up and walked out. However, when they brushed past Leila, they either gave her a stern or disappointed look.

Leila stared at them, leaving one after another, and sighed inwardly. Although she wanted to stop them, she wouldn't be able to stop them all, even if she had ten arms, since they were determined to leave.

However, shortly after they left, she heard a commotion in the corridor.

Leila looked at the person who had arrived and saw an elite woman dressed in corporate attire. She was blocking the board of directors who were about to leave. If it wasn't Sunshine Moore, who else could it be?

"Sorry, there's a traffic jam on the road, so we got here a little later than the agreedupon time," Sunshine said with a smile.

The directors who wasted their two hours waiting for her fell silent. They couldn't find fault in her words, and they knew they shouldn't slap a person in the face when she was smiling at them. Moreover, she apologized to them.

However, Leila's thoughts differed from theirs. Her lips curled up into a sneer. She knew that Sunshine's late arrival was because of Zachary.

Secretary Moore nodded at Leila and went inside the conference room while the directors trailed after her.

As soon as she was seated, she opened her mouth to speak. "President Leighton wanted to come in person, but something cropped up in the European branch, and he needed to deal with it, so he sent me here instead."

Sunshine waved her hand, and her subordinates distributed the documents to the directors. "As for the contract signing, all directors can look at the documents first and ask if you have questions."

Johannes was the first to look through the documents. His forehead scrunched up, and he turned to look at Sunshine. "Why isn't there a capital injection yet?"

"President Leighton said that Miss Wright would decide about the investment amount."

Philip, who had been silent since earlier, interjected, "What about the upper limit?"

He swept his gaze at Leila and looked at her as if he was hinting at something.

Leila smiled lightly. "There is no upper limit."

As soon as her words fell on their ears, almost everyone in the room gasped in surprise.

They were still astonished, despite knowing Zachary was the wealthiest man in Tesanera. He was extremely good at financial investment. Besides, the Leighton Corporation had an immense influence on real estate. Hence, it wasn't surprising that Zachary's wealth was immeasurable.

Johannes was quite surprised as well. He had been staring at Leila for a few moments before he said, "Then can Miss Wright give us an amount?"

Leila straightened her body. Her mind swirled with countless numbers. She had a lot of experience on the American stock exchange, so she was unfazed by this sum of money. She then said tersely, "Ten billion."

"Only ten billion?" Sunshine exclaimed. Since there was no upper limit, Mr. Leighton asked her to prepare more funds. Thus, she was expecting that the amount wasn't just ten billion.

Leila nodded affirmatively.

"Alright. The money will be transferred today," Sunshine said with a smile.

"Ten billion isn't a small amount. Can Mr. Leighton fork it out today?" one of the directors couldn't help but ask.

For them, ten billion was almost the entire working capital of a corporation. Even though Leighton's wealth could rival the country's reserves, transferring ten billion by today should not be easy.

"President Leighton is a man of his word," Sunshine spoke sonorously.

Before anyone could react to her words, someone knocked on the door. Shortly after, Secretary Adams opened the door and walked in.

"Mr. Clark, the chief financial officer, said we have already received the ten billion."

'What? They transferred the money even before the contract was signed?'

Everyone had the same thoughts. They were all astounded and looked at Sunshine agape and in disbelief. Questions and opinions arose in their minds, but they could do nothing but bow before Zachary's overbearingness.

"Happy cooperation." Sunshine gave a small smile.

The directors became enthusiastic. Then they signed the contract. After that, Leila sent off the directors, along with her father.

As the door closed, only her, Sunshine, and Macey, who appeared to be her left and righthanded men, were left in the conference room.

Leila turned and faced Sunshine. "Secretary Moore, I've troubled you this time. When you return, please tell President Leighton I'll remember this favor."

She already knew the mishap earlier was intentionally done by Zachary. It was as if he was telling her that she would accomplish nothing without him. However, she knew he couldn't say it to her face.

He was an indomitable and unfathomable man. That was the real Zachary Leighton.

"Okay, Miss Wright. I'll tell him." The smile on Sunshine's lips froze. It took her a few seconds before she regained her bearings and tried to make her smile seem natural.

She always felt that Leila was no different from Mr. Leighton. They were both cold and indifferent. Leila always appeared unperturbed, without showing whether she was happy or sad. Sunshine thought that even if the sky were falling, Leila wouldn't be bothered.

Staring at Leila's placid expression, Sunshine suddenly remembered the first time she met Leila. It was a scorching summer, and at that time, Mr. Leighton fell ill, so he sent her to pick Leila up.

"Mr. Leighton, how can I find that lady?" Sunshine was worried she couldn't do her task because she didn't know who Miss Wright was.

She expected to hear something like a description, but Mr. Leighton simply said, "You'll see her in the crowd."

Sunshine felt helpless and could only smile wryly.

'What if I got it wrong?' That thought swirled in her mind as she went to the cafe. She sat inside the car and scanned the floortoceiling window, and soon after, her gaze landed on the girl sitting in the corner.

After seeing her, she immediately understood what Mr. Leighton's words meant. Indeed, that girl stood out from the crowd.

The girl donned a short white lace dress. Her every movement exuded elegance while wearing a soft smile on her lips.

Her expression starkly contrasted with the fuming girl sitting across from her.

The latter stood up, pointed her finger angrily at Leila, and shouted shrill, paying no heed to the people looking their way.

Leila was unruffled. She smiled and said, "I did it on purpose."

Although Sunshine couldn't hear it, she understood what Leila had mouthed. Then she saw the girl opposite Leila, grabbing the cup of coffee and pouring the drink on Leila's face.

After that, the girl left in a huff, leaving Leila alone.

Sunshine saw Leila was in a mess and thought she would flee in embarrassment, but contrary to her expectations, Leila calmly pulled out the tissue and wiped the coffee stains off her face and dress.

She gasped in surprise. She waited for a while before she got out of the car and went inside the cafe, and then she walked over to Leila's table.

"Hello, Miss Wright. I'm Sunshine Moore, Mr. Leighton's secretary. Mr. Leighton asked me to pick you up—" Sunshine pretended she was surprised to see Leila's state. "What's wrong with you?"

Leila nodded. A weak smile tugged on Leila's lips. She raised her head and placed the wet tissue on the table. "Secretary Moore, can you please take me to the nearest hotel?"

"Okay." Sunshine acquiesced. She didn't have a good impression of this girl, but since it was Mr. Leighton's order, she had to do what she wanted.

As they agreed, they stopped at the hotel, and Leila changed her dress. After that, they headed to Zachary's villa.

When they arrived, before Leila entered the house, she faced Sunshine and spoke with a hint of warning in her tone. "Secretary Moore, I hope the matter earlier won't reach his ears since you also enjoyed watching the farce today."

Sunshine's body stiffened. Since she had been sitting in the car earlier, she thought Leila was oblivious that she was watching her.

She nodded, and Leila finally went inside.

After that incident, even though she didn't tell a soul, Mr. Leighton still found out about that matter. Then he asked her to investigate that girl's identity. It was Krissy Hamilton, the girl who deeply loved the young man named Allen and regarded Leila as her rival in love.

Sunshine had also looked into Allen's identity, and when she got the information, she handed it to Mr. Leighton. She didn't know what was inside the envelope, but the following day, when she passed another document to him, she saw countless cigarette butts on the ashtray. Apparently, Zachary smoked the entire night.

Later, she met Leila again. It was always when the latter was with Mr. Leighton. At that time, she didn't know that Leila was 'the Leila' from the Wright family.

Sunshine watched from the sidelines and observed Leila. Whenever she was around Mr. Leighton, she was always elegant and spoke less, unlike the girl Sunshine saw with her in the cafe, a provocative lady.

Moreover, Mr. Leighton, who was taciturn, became wordy whenever he was with her.

However, Sunshine felt Leila was somewhat indifferent to Mr. Leighton for some reason. Nevertheless, she could see she loved Mr. Leighton deeply, and the latter also felt the same.

Hence, she thought the two would be together for a long time.

After Leila sent off Sunshine, she discussed the details of tomorrow's press conference with Macey. After they had come to terms, she hurriedly went to the Imperial Medical Hospital to visit Allen.

When she reached Allen's ward, she was stunned to see Krissy inside the room. It seemed the latter felt her gaze as she turned and faced her.

"Oh, hello. Come here," Krissy greeted her and smiled brightly.

Krissy had been visiting Allen in the hospital for the past five years. The two hadn't met because Leila had stayed abroad for those years.

Leila walked over and stood next to Krissy. When the latter visited Allen last time, the nurse told her about his condition. She raised her head and looked at Leila and beamed. "It's a miracle, isn't it? A few days ago, when I visited, the nurse told me his condition had deteriorated. But today, there are signs of recovery."

"Soon, he'll wake up," Leila replied. Her eyes gleamed with undisguised happiness as she looked at the unconscious young man.

Krissy hummed in agreement and grumbled, "I haven't seen you in five years, yet you haven't changed at all."

Then she handed Leila a cup of tea she had brewed.

"Well, you too," Leila stated as she took the teacup.

Krissy harrumphed and flipped her wavy hair. Of course, she knew what Leila's words meant. It was about her dedication and love for Allen that didn't fade in those five years.

She eyed Leila and sized her up. "If he wakes up, can you let him go?"

Leila's eyelids trembled, but she didn't speak.

Upon seeing this, Krissy blustered, "Leila, you're so selfish!"

She sneered and added, "Indeed, you haven't changed. You're still selfish. But I won't sit idly and watch Allen get hurt because of you!"

"Okay. Let's see." Leila was unperturbed, despite seeing the fire flickering in Krissy's gaze.

The improvement in Allen's condition and the successful contract signing uplifted her mood. Thus, she stayed in the hospital and chatted with Krissy for a while. And when she was about to leave, Krissy sent her off to the door.

Krissy finally calmed down. Her face didn't have a tinge of anger she showed earlier. "Since you have already returned, visit my grandpa. He keeps talking about you, so he'll be glad if he sees you."

"I will." Leila smiled softly before leaving.

Krissy closed the door while Leila went home. As soon as she arrived, she dragged her heavy body to her bed and unknowingly fell asleep.

The next day, she woke up early and prepared for the press conference.

The Leighton and Wright families' strong collaboration was a notable event within and beyond the business industry. Even Tesanera City's officials gave it great importance and personally phoned her father, stating they were pleased to see the two leading enterprises collaborating.

When she arrived at the company, everything was ready. The press conference started precisely at ten o'clock. Aside from Zachary, who wasn't present, all the board of directors showed up.

Leila wasn't used to wearing corporate attire, but as a newly promoted executive and the person in charge of the project, she donned a khaki suit and tied her hair in a bun. She quickly rose to that position, attracting a lot of attention. Hence, she needed to dress up.

The press conference had gone smoothly. However, the temperature inside the conference room became low as one of the reporters aggressively threw a question at Leila.

"Excuse me, Miss Wright, are you going to join Wright Corporation when you have just returned to America?"

Leila stiffened for a fleeting second, then composed herself and smiled at the reporters despite the continuous light flashes. She responded in neither a humble nor arrogant manner. "Starting tomorrow, I'll oversee this project, and I'll be responsible for the cooperation with the Leighton Corporation."

"Miss Wright has just entered the Wright Corporation, but you already want to take it over? Is it because you're dissatisfied with how Mr. Clark runs the company?"

Leila was unfazed. "Wright Corporation doesn't just belong to my family. There are also other shareholders. However, as a filial daughter, I want to share my father's worries because he's not getting any younger."

Leila smiled inwardly. There wasn't anything wrong with what she said, but the meaning underlying her words implied that her father had to retire because he was old.

Philip, who was watching from the sidelines, was livid. But he suppressed his anger because of the cameras pointing at him.

Meanwhile, the reporter who asked that question was stumped by her reply. However, other reporters wouldn't let this opportunity slip away.

"So why is Miss Wright in charge of this project instead of Vice President Clark?"

The confident smile on Leila's lips froze. She fastened her expression and spoke calmly, "Vice President Clark doesn't have time because she's preparing for her marriage."

Without giving Leila any face, one of the reporters threw another question everyone wanted to ask. "Vice President Clark was spotted shopping yesterday in France. She didn't seem to be so busy, right? Is there any other reason why you said that, Miss Wright?"

Leila's heart sank. 'Damn it! Why did Talia go shopping yesterday?'

She racked her brain to think about what to say, but her mind was utterly blank. Beads of cold sweat broke out on her forehead as everyone in the venue watched her every movement. Some reporters smiled at her, which roused her frustration even more.

Leila felt uncomfortable as if she was sitting on pins and needles. She fiddled with her fingers as she desperately thought about how she would get out of this situation.

Amid her contemplation, the conference room door sprang open, and a majestic figure suddenly emerged in the gap in the door.

Her eyes darted toward him, and Leila had an illusion that the man had just stepped out of the painting. He looked dashing in his welltailored black suit, and his imposing aura immediately stunned everyone in the room.

"I'll answer you guys on her behalf," Zachary unhurriedly said. He walked to the rostrum and stood in front of Leila.

Leila didn't know if it was unintentional or not. Nevertheless, his tall figure completely blocked those flashing lights from dazzling her.

"Regardless of how much Wright loses, I, Zachary Leighton, will make up for it. In addition, Wright Corporation's reputation is wellknown to everyone, and Leighton is pleased to collaborate with such a partner. As for Miss Wright, I admired her for a long time, but alas, she had a cold heart."

As he spoke, Zachary's face seemed like he was regretful.

Nevertheless, his words made the reporters happy even though their previous question wasn't answered. It was because Zachary's words were much more juicy and explosive than Leila's.

Behind him, Leila lowered her head, and a selfdeprecating smile flashed on her lips. She didn't know who was more ruthless than them.

Shortly after, the press conference ended perfectly. Leila was grateful for Zachary's timely arrival. If not, then she would have screwed up the press conference.

However, when she looked at Zachary, he was no longer there. She looked at the door and saw him leaving with bodyguards around him, protecting him against the reporters.

She made up her mind and chased after him. She should thank him since he helped her out again.

When she reached the ground floor, she thought Zachary had already left, but she saw him leaning against the luxurious black Maybach while smoking a cigarette.

Leila paused for a moment and thought Zachary's car was just like him, aloof and domineering.

Then she walked over and stopped before him. "Is your stomach okay, President Leighton?"

"Yeah," Zachary said curtly. He flicked off the soot of a cigarette with his finger as he studied the woman in front of him. "Have you recovered from your cold?"

When she heard that, Leila was confused at first, then she remembered her nonsensical excuse at his company's rooftop. She cleared her throat and nodded. She was oblivious to the profound glint that flitted into Zachary's eyes as he stared at her.

"I'll pay back the money within a month." Leila shifted the topic, which made Zachary's eyebrows quirk.

"Are you richer than me?" Zachary said with an amused grin on his lips.

Leila didn't expect this. She choked on her saliva and got caught in a fit of a cough. "No."

"Then don't mention it."

She vehemently shook her head. She didn't want to owe him. That was why she wanted to return it as soon as possible.

Seeing her being stubborn, he sighed. "Alright. Since I invested in Wright Corporation, I'll take ten percent of the shares. How about that?"

Leila hummed in agreement, but she looked at him solemnly. "But you have to wait for the return on investment."

Zachary smiled gently and spoke with his usual deep voice. "Okay. I'll wait for the day you become the president of the Wright Corporation."

A warm current spread through her veins upon hearing his words. At least there was someone who believed she could do it. "I will."

His lips curled up into a smile when he saw her confident look. He threw the cigarette butt into the trash can not far away from him and ruffled Leila's head.

Leila stared at him with surprise, which made him reluctant to part with her. Nevertheless, he retracted his hand, got inside the car, and then drove away.

Leila stood there and watched the departing figure of the car. It took her a few minutes before she returned to her senses.

She didn't have a car, so she had to hail a cab. However, when she was about to leave, someone called her.

"Miss Wright."

She turned and saw it was Sunshine. The latter was sitting in the driver's seat.

"Why are you here, Secretary Moore?" Her brows furrowed in confusion, and she thought, 'Zachary had just left, so why was she here?'

"President Leighton told me to send you home."

"I'm fine, so I won't trouble you" Before she could finish her words, her phone rang. She fished out the device from her pocket and cast an apologetic smile at Sunshine. "Excuse me. I'll take this call first."

After a few moments, she hung up the phone. It was her father, asking her to come home quickly.

She walked out of the parking lot, but Sunshine followed her.

"Miss Wright, get inside. Mr. Leighton said I should take you home."

Leila felt helpless. She took a deep breath and hopped in.

On the way home, neither of them spoke, and shortly after, they arrived at the Wright Villa.

"Thanks." After expressing her gratitude, Leila alighted from the car and headed inside the house.

Upon entering, she saw her father holding a glass of wine. When he saw Leila, he stood up and strode before her.

Leila's nose wrinkled when she caught a whiff of the strong scent of alcohol from Philip.

"Lei, I have something to tell you. It's not something important, but I want to chat with you." Philip smiled and talked about nonsensical things, which made her thoughts drift away.

It seemed that her father had drunk a lot of wine. His face was flushed red, but she could see he was still handsome even though he was beyond a fiftyyearold man. Otherwise, how could a woman like Shiela, fifteen years his younger, have fancied him when he was an impoverished man?

Moreover, her father was also cunning and business savvy. Thus, he coaxed her mother and grandmother into handing over the Wright Corporation to him.

"Lei, do you have a boyfriend?" After beating around the bush, Philip finally cut the chase.

"No," Leila denied softly.

"Then are you and Zachary dating?" Philip looked at her eagerly, but he failed to see Leila's expression had turned ashen.

"Father, Zachary, and I..." She didn't have time to explain because he had already cut her off.

"Lei, it doesn't matter if you like him. You are also my daughter, so you don't have to worry. You have my back. If Zachary likes you, I won't interfere with your relationship."

Leila pursed her lips and said nothing. She finally understood what he was talking about. It was because Zachary 'confessed' to her during the press conference.

"Lei, don't misunderstand Dad, okay? I didn't say anything during the press conference because there were a lot of reporters. And they would doubt Talia's marriage, so I stayed silent." After explaining, Philip stretched out his hand and was about to pat Leila's head, but the latter dodged. He was embarrassed, so he laughed to mask it.

Leila listened to him, and her forehead creased. 'When did my father's face become so thick?'

"Father, if you don't have anything more to say, I'll retire to my room." Just as she finished saying this, she was about to leave, but Philip caught her arm.

"Lei, since you became the project manager, you're now one of the employees of the Wright Corporation. It would be best if you worked hard because when Talia gets married, I'll give you the position of Vice President," he spoke so enthusiastically that he didn't notice the impatience brewing inside Leila's eyes.

"By the way, today, I discussed investment cooperation with the Martin family, and I thought I should leave this project to you as well. This cooperation with them is essential, so I'm giving you this project because I believe you can do it." Philip smiled until his eyes bent into a crescent shape.

"Okay. I'll do it well," Leila replied tersely. Although she knew that her father might be scheming something because there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world, she couldn't bear to let this opportunity slip away to entrenched in the Wright family business.

After agreeing with him, Philip let her go back to her room.

Leila went to the guest room and covered herself with a quilt. It was raining, and the wind gusted inside her room, but she didn't want to close the window. She shuddered from the wind, so she hugged the quilt tighter.

As she stared outside, she was suddenly reminded of what happened in her first year in high school.

Back then, she was taciturn, so she had no friends and didn't get along with her classmates.

When she was about to go home, someone locked the classroom door, and she couldn't get it to open no matter what she did. Coincidentally, it rained heavily, and there was a power shortage. Only the lighting illuminated the dark room.

She sat in the corner, enduring the cold and hunger and the agonizing recollection of her mother's death. As she listened to the shrill thunder, her ears were buzzing as though someone was screaming in her ears. She thought she would follow her mother and almost passed out.

However, she heard hurried footsteps outside, and soon after, the door sprang open. When she raised her head, she saw the school principal and directors, but her eyes settled on the handsome young man.

Leila slowly stood up and took a deep breath to calm herself because she didn't want to be seen as weak by an outsider.

Then she heard the principal speak with an apologetic face. "President Leighton, the person you are looking for is really here."

Upon hearing his words, Leila was confused. 'Why were they looking for her?'

Even though she had this thought, she was grateful that they found her here. If not, she would have to spend the night in the classroom.

"Why are you here?" she couldn't help but ask. It was the second time she had met the handsome man, so they were still considered strangers.

The young man sauntered and stopped before her with a faint smile on his lips, and he whispered, "I'll take you home."

His gentle words stunned her into silence. She lowered her gaze as her eyelids trembled.

'Home... I never thought I'd hear that word again since mom died seven years ago.'

Leila felt like choking up. She was only nine years old then—an innocent little girl who never knew how dark and cold her life would become after the light disappeared from her world.

Leila lifted her head. A dainty smile blossomed on her lips. "Let's go home, Zach."

Zachary held out his hand, and she took it. "Alright, Lei."

He squeezed her hand, and his eyes glimmered with fondness.

The lightning struck again, which woke Leila up from her reminiscence. She sighed and closed her eyes to sleep.

At the same time, in the Leighton Corporation, Zachary stood in front of the floortoceiling window, staring outside while smoking.

It was already three in the morning, yet he didn't feel sleepy.

Suddenly, a knock sounded, but he didn't turn to see who it was. The door slowly opened, and Sunshine stepped inside while holding documents.

"Secretary Moore, did you send her home?" he asked as he blew out the smoke.

"Yes," Sunshine replied curtly.

"Did she say something to you in the car?" he casually asked, taking Sunshine aback, but still she replied, "No. She didn't."

Zachary couldn't help but laugh mockingly. 'Sure enough, that girl was really heartless.'

"Mr. Leighton, here's the information you want." Sunshine handed him the documents respectfully. Just as she was about to head home, Zachary called her and told her to investigate everything about Leila five years ago.

Zachary took the folder and sat on the swivel chair. He put the cigarette between his lips and almost choked when he took a deep breath.

"When Madam Leighton had an accident, the nurse said it was a young lady who sent her to the hospital. According to the information I gathered, it seems that girl was Miss Wright," Sunshine explained.

The incident five years ago was deeply imprinted on her mind. Even though she didn't know what exactly happened, Sunshine knew when Madam Leighton's car almost exploded, a girl saved her from the raging fire.

The Leighton family tried to find her, but it was fruitless. The nurses who saw her couldn't tell her appearance because she was covered with soot. Little did they know it was actually Leila.

Sunshine thought Zachary would no longer bring up this matter since they didn't get any lead in the investigation five years ago. Unexpectedly, he suddenly asked her to investigate Leila.

Surprisingly, the girl they were looking for turned out to be her! The things Sunshine discovered about Leila matched the incident five years ago, so she already had a hunch that the latter was related to that accident.

Hence, she looked for the nurse who saw Leila and showed her the picture, but the nurse said she didn't know her, so Sunshine played a record of Leila's voice, and this time, the nurse recognized it. Fortunately, Leila's voice didn't change. If not, Sunshine was afraid no one would know it was her who saved Madam Leighton.

"If that girl was Miss Wright, why didn't she say anything?" Sunshine suddenly asked.

Zachary's fingers on the documents stiffened. Gloom had swept over his eyes. He closed the folder, snubbed out the cigarette butt in the ashtray, and said, "Look for all the witnesses that night and ask them."

"Yes." Sunshine nodded and retreated.

Zachary closed his eyes when the door closed, and Leila's unsmiling face flashed into his mind.

In the blink of an eye, half a month had already passed. During this time, Leila had been swamped with work. Aside from working hours in the company, she also visited Allen in the hospital in the evening. After that, she would lie in bed once she went home. It became her daily routine.

Since her father handed her the cooperation with the Martin family, she worked hard to compensate for her lack of experience. She knew her father didn't genuinely believe in her ability. Instead, he wanted to monitor her.

However, for the sake of getting all of her things back, she would endure everything.

Leila shook her head and sorted out her thoughts. Like what her father told her, this project was important because it was a real estate development project, and the government was the primary investor. This project was already demanding on its own. And to have the government pay attention to every step of the process, Leila was under immense pressure because she had no experience handling such matters.

Leila sighed and took a sip of the coffee on her table. Then she scanned through the document in front of her, looking for previous similar development cases of Wright Corporation.

As she flipped through the documents, her eyes landed on the end of the paper. She saw a familiar signature—it was her father's.

The document was dated four years ago. It was the second project that her father personally managed.

Leila couldn't help but frown. What makes this project special that her father, the president, needs to manage it personally?

She closed the document and sent a message to Macey, telling her to meet at the cafe at eight o'clock, after work.

She sighed and started to work again. Time passed, and Leila saw it was time to get off work.

She stretched her hand and took her bag and the two folders on her table. Subsequently, she left the company and headed straight to the cafe.

Not long after she arrived, Macey sat in front of her.

Upon seeing her, Leila showed a faint smile. "Secretary Adams is always punctual."

Macey smiled lightly. She was wearing hiphopstyle casual clothes and a baseball cap. Her appearance right now was vastly different from her serious and cold image in the company.

She didn't know why Leila called her there. Nonetheless, she showed up because she wanted to know what she would tell her. In all honesty, Macey had admired Leila for a long time. Leila's charisma and capability to lead people greatly astonished her when she was a new hire at the Corporation.

Even now, Macey still admired her very much.

Leila looked at the woman before her and didn't beat around the bush. She pushed the document in front of her and said, "Do you have any recollection of these two projects?"

Macey grabbed the folder and flipped through the papers. "Yes. But this document seems normal." She paused for a moment as if she recalled something. "I remember this project began when I started working for the company. But that's all I know since, at that time, I was still a small staff member."

Then she pointed at the second document. "However, this project left a great impression on me. President Clark was in charge of this one. He specifically told me not to intervene in this project. He said he could handle it alone." Macey looked at Leila with curiosity. "Why, Miss Wright? Is there something wrong?"

Leila sighed as she stirred the coffee. Her eyes narrowed. "This project wracked up hundreds of millions of investment, but there weren't any returns, not even a penny. I have a friend in London and told him to run a background check on those companies. He found out all of them were empty shells. They're paper companies."

Macey's eyes widened slightly. Then she said, "Well, I think it wasn't that surprising. I had doubts about the accident on this project before, so I asked President Clark about it. However, he was wary and handed everything over to Vice President Clark."

Leila took a deep breath and casually took a sip of her coffee. "My father is extremely sly as a fox. He gave this a lot of thought. He wouldn't let anyone catch him while embezzling money from the company. Moreover, even if some projects had losses, it wouldn't arouse suspicion from the directors because it was a normal thing in business, and they had to pay attention to other largescale company projects. So this allowed my father to transfer all the investment in that project into his pocket."

Macey sucked in a deep breath. "So, what can I help you with?"

Leila clasped her hands and stared deeply at Macey. "The Wright Corporation is a huge company, yet it almost faced bankruptcy in just a few years. I think my father had a hand in this matter, and this project isn't the only one he used to embezzle funds for. There might be other projects. So please look into it but be discreet. Don't let my father find out."

After their discussion ended, the two parted ways, and Macey started to look into every project of the Wright Corporation.

Macey was highly efficient, and in less than a week, she found more than a dozen contracts with small investments. The contract signing time gradually began after Philip entered the top management of the Wright Corporation, and the projects' investments ranged from hundreds to hundreds of millions.

The Wright Corporation had a market value of hundreds of billions of dollars. And usually, the largescale projects it ran amounted to billions of dollars. Hence, no one paid attention to the small investments in Philip's projects.

It was rather inconspicuous, so if Leila didn't tell her to look into it, she was afraid no one would know that Philip had already embezzled the funds for those projects.

Macey sorted out the documents and went to the cafe where they had met last time. When she arrived, Leila was already there.

"These are the contracts I found suspicious. However, most of them are early projects, and the investments are usually small."

Leila took the documents and scanned them, one after another. The earliest time dated the year she was born. Her jaw tightened, and she almost crumpled the papers in her hands.

'Did her father's conspiracy start when she was born? Or had he already planned to destroy the company from the beginning?'

Macey's fingers tapped the table. "What are you going to do now?"

Leila momentarily fell silent. She heaved a deep sigh and massaged her throbbing temple. "He's still my father, so I can't just throw him in prison. Well, go back first and give me some time to think."

"Okay." Macey nodded and left.

Leila leaned against the chair and fell into a daze. It took her a few moments before she regained her senses.

The next day, at the most extensive golf course in Tesanera City, Philip played golf to his heart's content.

Philip hit the white ball with great precision, which immediately rolled on the green lawn and fell leisurely on the hole.

After seeing this, he heard applause, which made him stick out his chest proudly.

"Your golf skills are getting better and better!" A man praised him. It was one of his business partners.

"Thank you." Philip smiled proudly. He handed the golf club to the caddie and walked to the forefront, where the ball fell.

He donned lightcolored casual clothes and a white ball cap. Even though he dressed in a lowkey manner, it was discernible it was expensive.

However, he had just taken a few steps when he saw a familiar figure. The grin plastered on his lips instantly vanished.

"Father," Leila called.

His face darkened. His reaction didn't seem like he was facing his daughter but a creditor.

Leila saw his expression and sighed inwardly. Ever since she had become aware of things when she was little, she knew her father didn't like seeing her, in contrast, when facing Talia.

"Father, I have something to discuss with you," she said firmly.

"It's the weekend, so I won't talk about business. Go back." After saying this, he brushed past her and walked toward his business partners.

Leila almost gnashed her teeth. She took a deep breath and spat, "But we need to talk about this matter."

As if no one heard her, Philip didn't respond.

Impatience and anger rose inside her. She fumed, "Then President Clark surely knows about American Dream Builders, don't you?"

Upon hearing her, Philip froze. He eyed her grimly, and his eyes turned sharper than blades. "You're mistaken. I know nothing about that."

"Alright. You don't know. But I'm sure you know Green Woods Enterprise, Riverstone Realty, and Retro Electronics because those are companies you have cooperated with. However, when I look into them, they're nothing but empty shells."

Even though she didn't speak loudly, the few beside Philip heard her. They didn't dare to look straight at Leila, but in the corner of their eyes, they looked at Philip and Leila alternately.

Philip's face turned blue in anger. He suppressed his rage and spoke through gritted teeth. "Let's talk inside."

Without waiting for Leila to respond, he strode toward the VIP lounge.

Leila trailed after her father and went inside the VIP lounge.

As soon as they had gotten inside, Philip's angry voice rang. "What is the meaning of this, Leila? What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Father, you should return the money you embezzled from the company. I won't tell anyone about it. I'll forget about this matter and guarantee it won't shake up your position as Wright's President as long as you return it," Leila firmly said.

After thinking about it the entire night, that was the least she could do for him. Even though he wasn't a good father to her, the blood running through her veins came from him. So, she couldn't stomach sending him to prison.

"Did you come here just to say this? I told you to focus on taking care of the project with the Martins, yet you're running around and spewing such nonsense to my face. I'm telling you, if problems arise with the project you're in charge of, even I, your father, won't be able to protect you," he reproached.

Leila curved her lips mockingly. "Despite me calling you father, in your heart, you never saw me as your daughter," she scoffed, quickly hiding her burning disappointment behind her frigidness.

"But regardless if you're my father, you need to return that money, and I won't pursue this matter any longer," she added.

"I don't have the money. What can you do about it? Moreover, even if I do, I won't give it to you," he seethed. Still, he didn't admit to his wrongdoings.

Albeit she couldn't find fault in his words, she already knew what he had done over the years of working for the company.

Her eyes glazed over. "Father, I don't want to reach the point where we turn against each other. So think it over. I'll wait for your reply tomorrow."

After saying this, Leila calmly left the lounge.

Staring at her departing figure, Philip gnashed his teeth in rage. A vicious glint flitted into his eyes. He whipped out his phone and dialed a string of numbers. "It's me, Philip Clark. Tomorrow, I'll..."

Meanwhile, Leila threw her head back and sighed. A sense of unease thrummed in her veins. She didn't know what her father would decide, but she hoped he would return the money.

As she waited, days passed, but he still didn't give her any response. It was already Monday. It seemed Philip was determined not to return the money.

Leila closed her laptop and was about to leave the office to have lunch, but she heard a knock on the door.

The door opened, and a figure came inside. It was Philip.

"Father," she greeted.

"Lei, I thought about this matter, and I think it's better to return the money. Give me your account, and I'll wire you the money." Philip sighed and looked at her with guilt flickering in his eyes.

"Okay." Leila nodded. Although she was doubtful, looking at her father's guiltstricken and tired face, she relented because she couldn't deny that a small part of her still wanted to believe in him.

As he looked at her, tears brimmed in his eyes. When he spoke, he choked with emotion. "I've thought about what you've been through, and Dad feels sorry for you. But I'll make it up to you, so don't take matters from the past to heart, okay?"

"Don't think like that," she said as she averted her gaze. She gave her account to him and sighed.

Philip sniffled. "I'll transfer the money to you right away."

She hummed in agreement, and shortly after, she received a huge sum of money.

"Then those documents..." Philip trailed off and looked at her hesitantly.

Leila immediately understood his words. She took the documents on her table and the lighter, and in front of him, she burned them to ashes.

"Is that all?" Philip looked at the ashes skeptically and eyed her suspiciously as if saying she might have a backup with those documents.

Upon hearing his words, Leila's heart sank. The warm current that covered her heart gradually dissipated. A mocking smile tugged at her lips. "I swear that's all the documents."

"That's good then." Philip heaved a sigh of relief and finally left.

After her father left, Leila thought the unease she felt would vanish, but it deepened even more. A sense of foreboding arose from within her. It was as though something would happen, but she didn't know what it was.

She shook her head and cleared out her thoughts. She went out and had lunch outside, and after that, Leila went to one of the construction sites.

Leila was busy overseeing the people, but her phone rang.

"Manager Wright, where are you? President Clark said you must return to the Wright Corporation as soon as possible. Something bad happened. The building on the waterfront in the south of the Oasis River collapsed! There have been fatal casualties," Macey anxiously said.

Leila's expression became grim. She squeezed her phone and said, "I'll go back. Wait for me."

"There are media outside the Wright Corporation, so you can't go through the main entrance. Please find another way to get inside."

"Alright, I understand." She hung up the phone and hurried back to the company.

At the Wright Corporation.

Countless reporters flocked in front of the Wright Corporation. They'd been standing there since three in the afternoon. All of them were on the lookout to interview the person in charge of the project on Lotus Flower Road in Tesanera City.

Wright Corporation's new governmentfunded project had suddenly collapsed. The top building exploded, and not all people managed to escape, resulting in severe casualties. Among them, seven people sustained minor injuries. Two were severely wounded, and, unfortunately, someone lost their life.

However, that wasn't the sole reason these reporters had gathered up at the Wright Corporation's front door. The project had already garnered the public's attention because of the government's involvement and Leighton's collaboration with the Wrights. But this was the corporation's biggest scandal since Leila took over the management. Hence, the second these reporters heard about what had happened, they hurried over and swarmed at the entrance.

Despite the scorching sun, the media patiently waited for Leila. Since she was in charge of the project and the heiress of the Wrights, she had to bear the brunt.

Two hours passed, and the reporters grew impatient, but they could only wait.

Suddenly, someone amongst the crowd shouted, "Leila Wright is here!"

They simultaneously looked at the road and saw an approaching taxi. As if seeing a celebrity, the reporters rushed toward the vehicle and adjusted their cameras, trying to get a perfect angle for Leila.

Unbeknownst to them, a slender figure sneaked inside the Wright Corporation as they got busy waiting for Leila to alight the car.

Leila had already reached the top floor when the reporters discovered there was no one in the taxi.

When she entered the chairman's office, immediately, she felt all eyes fall on her.

She took a deep breath and panned her gaze at the directors and shareholders. "The most urgent task is to deal with the families of the injured workers. I'll deal with it, so—"

Before she finished her words, Philip cut her off. "You don't have to. I'll find someone to take care of it. As for you, you need to go somewhere."

"Where?" Leila frowned and stared at him. Then she saw her father pointing at her back. She turned and saw Macey, along with six police officers.

"Are you Leila Wright?" the chief police officer asked.

"Yes." Leila stared at him, and the man spoke again.

"I'm Calum Clarkson, the chief of the Economic Investigation Team of the Public Security Bureau of Tesanera City. Miss Wright, you're suspected of commercial bribery. We must investigate this matter, so please cooperate and come with us."

"I've taken bribery? From who?" Leila asked the chief, but her gaze darted toward her father. The latter pretended he didn't see it, which made her heart sink.

"We received an anonymous letter reporting that you received bribes from the Peterson Corporation, Wright's competitor. We checked your account, and a huge sum of money was transferred to you just this noon," Chief Clarkson explained.

Hearing his explanation, she closed her eyes for a moment. 'Anonymous letter? Huge sum of money at noon?'

A sense of ridicule thrummed in her veins. A small part of her believed Philip would see her as his daughter one day crumbled into nothingness. Apparently, he never regarded her as his daughter; that was just all her wishful thinking.

She let out a long breath and calmly stared at the chief. "Okay. I'll go with you."

Leila walked over, but she abruptly halted after a few steps when her phone rang. She accepted the call without looking at the caller ID. "Hello."

Her brows furrowed when she heard nothing. She glanced at the screen and saw Zachary's number.

She sighed and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"I have time today," he suddenly spoke.

"But I don't have time." Leila's eyes darted at the police officers looking at her. The other line was silent again. She was about to speak when she realized what he meant.

It seemed he already knew what had happened, so he wanted to help her. But he didn't take action himself because he knew she had strong selfesteem. He was considering her feelings, but as long as she asked him, he would help her immediately.

Her eyes grew hot. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to cry at this moment. "Well, I'm hanging up. Bye."

She blinked her eyes and began walking. The police escorted her, and not long after, they arrived at the police station.

Shortly after Leila's detainment, this matter spread like wildfire. The bereaved family members of the worker that died and the workers that incurred injuries rushed to the doorsteps of Wright Corporation and demanded compensation. Some of them were even determined to sue the company.

As for Leila, she stayed inside her cell and refused to see anyone who tried to visit her.

During the first trial, she didn't provide any evidence to prove her innocence, so it was a foregone conclusion she would stay inside the prison.

Because of this, Macey and Lawyer Campbell asked to see her several times, but she refused every time.

Then, a man came to the police station the night before the final trial. The mayor and the chief of public security were surprised to see him, especially when the man told them to take him to a particular cell.

The two accompanied him, and shortly after, they reached Leila's cell.

"President Leighton, here she is." Chief Clarkson unlocked the cell, and Zachary slowly walked inside.

The cell was damp, and the moldy scent lingered in the air, which made Zachary frown.

He scanned the entire room, and his eyes landed on the lone figure of a woman burrowing her head in her knees and hugging her legs. He strode in front of her and crouched down.

Zachary suppressed the urge to carry her and take her away from there immediately. He patted her shoulder lightly, and only then did Leila realize someone was inside her cell.

"Zachary?" she asked in a daze.

"It's me." He breathed heavily and tried to repress the rage that was about to erupt.

"Am I having hallucinations again?" Leila softly said as she tilted her head and rubbed her eyes.

Seeing her vulnerable state, Zachary couldn't help but pull her into a hug. Initially, he wanted to ask her opinion about her situation, but at that moment, all he wanted was to take her away and protect her from any harm.

He lifted her slender body and eyed the two men outside Leila's cell. "I'll take her away."

The two looked at him with resignation. Even if they wanted to, how could they go against him?

With Leila in his arms, Zachary stormed out of the prison.

The cold wind from the late autumn gusted, and Leila shivered, but it made her mind clear. She snuggled against his arms and timidly looked at him. When she saw his clenched jaw, she knew he was angry.

Moments passed, and they finally reached the car. Louis, Zachary's driver, immediately opened the door.

Zachary slightly bent his back and carefully put Leila in the backseat. He took off his long trench coat and wrapped it around her cold body.

Her wretched appearance further ignited the fire inside his eyes.

'If only I had taken action earlier, she wouldn't have to suffer like this.' He thought as he went inside the car and hugged her again.

Leila was oblivious to his thoughts and assumed he was angry with her. She lowered her head and nestled in his arms timidly. Unknowingly, she fell asleep.

The car drove past the group of luxurious villas. Not long after, they arrived at an enormous, luxurious villa.

Zachary alighted from the car and picked up Leila. He carried her again and strode to the foyer.

Leila suddenly woke up. She was surprised to see they had already arrived at his house. She looked at Zachary and whispered, "I can walk by myself."

He glanced at her, but he didn't let her go. He went to the third floor, kicked the door open of his room, and headed straight to the bathroom. "Take a shower first."

After laying Leila down in the empty bathtub, Zachary went out of the bathroom. He glanced at the door for a fleeting second before leaving the room.

As soon as he closed the door, he saw the head maid, Tanya, carrying clothes heading to his room.

"Sir, you're back," Aunt Tanya greeted him, and Zachary just nodded.

She stared at him for a moment and glanced at the door of his room. Gossip was buzzing throughout the entire estate.

'Mr. Leighton brought a woman with him.'

Tanya was just as surprised as the other maids because this was the first time he had brought a woman to his house.

"Come with me to the kitchen."

Tanya returned to her senses when she heard him. She nodded, hurriedly entered the room, and then placed the clothes on the bed.

She went downstairs and headed to the kitchen. Upon entering, she was taken aback when she saw Zachary wearing an apron while washing the vegetables and subsequently chopping them skillfully.

She sidled up and tried to take the knife from him. "Sir, I'll cook, so you don't have to do this."

She knew that Zachary more or less knew how to cook. He stayed in London for years and cooked for himself. But he rarely cooked anything ever since he returned, so it was surprising that he suddenly wanted to cook.

"No, I've got this." Zachary dodged her hand. Then he stirfried the vegetables.

Tanya felt helpless, but she didn't interfere any longer. When the stirfried vegetables were finally cooked, Zachary spoke again.

"Help me get the milk from the refrigerator and bring it to the guest upstairs along with this food. Watch her finish all this, okay? But don't say anything else."

"Yes." Tanya nodded and took out a bottle of milk. She glanced at Zachary, and a seed of curiosity sprouted inside her heart when she saw him don a gentle expression as he plated the food.

Tanya placed the food on the tray and carried it upstairs. Leila had yet to come out of her bath, so she waited for her inside the room.

A few minutes later, a slender figure emerged from the bathroom door.

"Mr. Leighton said you should eat to replenish your energy."

Leila almost jumped in fright when someone spoke. She looked ahead and saw a middleaged woman. The way she addressed Zachary, probably, she was a maid.

She nodded and smiled. "Okay, thank you."

Her mouth watered at the sight of food on the table, and her stomach growled. Leila immediately wolfed down the food and drank the milk.

Tanya watched her with a smile, and Leila felt her gaze, which made her smile in embarrassment. "Uhm... What about Zach? Did he eat?"

"Yes, and Sir is in the study," Tanya said. Subsequently, she cleaned up the small table and took the dishes away.

Leila smiled, then she went to the study room. After knocking three times, she stepped inside.

Zachary's head was buried in documents, and he didn't lift his head to see her.

She walked over and spoke softly, "I'm full."

"Okay," Zachary replied without sparing her a glance. He was reading and occasionally writing something.

Leila held her skirt and coiled her fist. "Did you break into jail just to save me?"

Zachary's hand paused in writing. He looked at her and was about to say something, but she spoke again.

"Don't worry. I'll win tomorrow's trial," Leila said confidently.

She wanted to laugh at herself for being softhearted and naïve. She believed her father wouldn't harm her because of their blood ties. But all along, she was only fooling herself.

She let out a long breath and continued, "Philip is a scheming man, and this time, he might have cleaned up the traces of his crime. But I don't think he can do it alone. There might be someone behind him, helping him in the dark. But I won't be softhearted this time. I'll catch them all!"

Upon seeing her determined expression, he flashed a smile, giving his cold face a devilishly charming vibe.

'She's very gutsy indeed, but that's more like her. My woman should be like that.' He thought.

The next day, at nine in the morning, at Tesanera City Criminal Court.

"Your honor, the document in my hand indicates that the excess money in the account came from my client herself." Lawyer Campbell paused and handed over the exhibit to the judge. It was the evidence Leila gave him in the morning.

Then he continued, "I move that defendant's Exhibit A be introduced into court as evidence."

As the judge reviewed the exhibit, Lawyer Campbell explained, "Most of us know that my client had lived in the United Kingdom for five years and just returned. Hence, she transferred all the money from a Swiss bank account into her individual account due to some inconveniences on her end."

"I object to that. The defendant was only a college student when she lived overseas. How could she have a huge sum of money in her account?" The prosecutor looked at Lawyer Campbell solemnly.

And having raised his argument, everyone's eyes instantly fell on Lawyer Campbell. The prosecutor was quite famous in the field. He was someone intelligent and sophisticated yet difficult to deal with. However, Lawyer Campbell won't take it down so easily.

"In my client's spare time, she had a parttime job," he calmly responded. Then Lawyer Campbell handed the exhibit to the judge. They were bank identity statements.

"I'll show you what has been marked for identification as an exhibit," he paused and showed the information on the back identity statements. Then he reminded, "This is a privacy issue for our clients, so please keep it confidential."

The prosecutor's face turned ashen. "Is the evidence you submitted fabricated? Otherwise, why didn't you submit them during the first and second trials?" he asked.

Lawyer Campbell smiled and explained, "My client chose not to submit it before simply because she wanted to give the other party an opportunity to change their mind. But unfortunately, her good intentions had gone down the drain. Please allow me to clarify that my client is Wright's legitimate heiress, and she wouldn't do anything that will tarnish her family's reputation."

He took a deep breath and continued, "My client has always been a filial and clever girl. She will never destroy the foundation her ancestors laid for them, just for a small benefit. Consequently, my client has been wrongly accused."

Lawyer Campbell's reasonable words reverberated across the silent courtroom. His words moved everyone inside.

"Exhibit A is marked as evidence," the judge ruled.

Time passed slowly, and after reaching a decision, the jury notified the bailiff, and the latter notified the judge.

"Based on the evidence submitted to the court by the defendant. Leila Wright has been found not guilty of embezzlement and is hereby acquitted of the said crime!" the judge ruled as he slammed the gavel.

After winning the trial, Lawyer Campbell congratulated her. Leila just smiled and left the courtroom. The minute she opened the door, she met Sunshine who was waiting for her.

"Miss Wright, Mr. Leighton said I need to send you home," Sunshine directly informed.

"No. I want to walk by myself," Leila flatly refused and left.

On the way back to her house, she whipped out her phone and dialed a string of numbers. Her call connected after a few rings.

"Lei?" A mature and charming female voice sounded at the other end. Her tone was laced with confusion.

"Mandy, it's me." Leila gnawed her lips and asked, "Where's Nate?"

"He's now asleep. But earlier, when he saw the news you were locked in a prison, he badly wanted to call you and look for you. He was frantically screaming, and it took a while before he calmed down. I told him you'd be released, and he could call you by then." Mandy sighed.

"Thank you, Mandy," Leila said sincerely.

Five years ago, when she ran away, it was Mandy who helped her. If it wasn't for her, Leila didn't know if she would still be alive by now.

She took a deep breath and interrupted Mandy's chatter. "Mandy, I have decided."

"Are you serious this time?" Mandy's cheerful tone became solemn.

"Yes. Today, I've really done my best, but..." Leila's words trailed off as she heaved a deep sigh. After this incident, disappointment after disappointment waved through her. She shouldn't have high hopes for her socalled relatives.

She looked up and stared at the group of geese flying in the sky, soaring freely in the air.

Looking at them, Leila suddenly felt a hint of envy. If someone she knew looked at her, they would be surprised to see such an expression on her usually unruffled face.

After chatting with Mandy for quite some time, she hung up the phone and returned to the Wright Villa.

When she entered the house, there was no sign of her father.

Feeling thirsty, she went to the kitchen and saw Talia eating lunch.

Upon seeing her, Talia's expression became ugly. She immediately slammed her cutlery and snapped at Leila. "What are you doing here?"

Talia changed from the usual decent and delicate woman to a wildly hideous expression. She stared daggers at Leila and wished the latter would drop dead with her gaze.

She hated Leila because Talia was just a mere illegitimate child as long as she was there. However, to make everyone forget that she was illegitimate, she pretended to be a delicate and innocent woman. Even before her parents, she had to act like a loving sister so everyone would like her instead of Leila.

"Are you sure you want to chase me away? Have you forgotten that the media is paying attention to my every move? Let me remind you. I'm now acquitted and innocent. Your perfect image would surely crumble if you drove me out of my house. Maybe you'll become a headline tomorrow morning, saying a mere illegitimate daughter chased out the legal one. I figured you don't want that to happen, do you?"

Talia's face turned white. She gritted her teeth and sneered. "Fine. You stay here. But I'll show you all the things that belong to you will all become mine. All the people that could help you were already buried six feet under the ground. Now, you're just a powerless woman. Even if you want to take back Wright Corporation, you don't have the ability! Watch as I slowly become glamorous while you crawl out of this house like a vermin!"

After shouting at Leila's face, she violently pushed her, which almost made Leila stumble. Then she went upstairs with a dark expression.

When Leila regained balance and was about to retort, Talia was long gone. Her hands clenched into a deathly grip. Her knuckles had turned white as her nails dug deeply into her flesh.

On the other hand, Philip was still in his office even though it was already nine in the evening.

He was enraged that Leila managed to escape the trap he laid for her. Initially, he thought she wouldn't be able to turn the tables since she didn't provide any evidence during the first and second trials, but apparently, he underestimated her. Even though he was livid, he could only stifle his anger, which caused him to feel even more outofsorts.

Just thinking that she foiled his plans and walked out of court free along with the sum of money he gave her, Philip felt as though someone had taken out his heart, and he couldn't breathe.

"Old man, you lost the game this time." A middleaged man beside Philip patted him on the shoulder. He cast a sidelong glance at Philip as he twirled the wine glass in his hand.

"That damn wench is surely capable!" Philip snarled. He poured himself a glass of wine and immediately finished it in one motion.

"You shouldn't have been careless. Your daughter took after that old lady. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to get out of the prison unscathed," the man commented. He had elegant bearings, but his words were sharp as blades.

"What are you going to do this time? I told you before, don't be softhearted on her," the man added.

"Of course, I know that! I was careless this time, but I won't let that happen again! I've been working hard so I could make the Wright Corporation go bankrupt, and I won't let the likes of her ruin my painstaking efforts for twenty years!" A trace of malevolent light flashed past Philip's eyes. His grip on the wine glass tightened, almost crushing it.

"Then do you have a plan?" the man asked.

Philip took a deep breath to calm himself and asked, "Do you know Alvis?"

The man looked at him as though he was looking at a fool and chuckled. "Of course. Who doesn't know him?" he replied.

Alvis was a famous investor who earned him the title of 'God of Investment.' He made billions on the New York Stock Exchange overnight, creating his legend and shooting himself to fame. However, he never appeared in any news outlets, only his name, which had always been in the Wall Street Journal. He was shrouded in mystery and extremely lowkey, so only a few people could have seen his true face.

"Just this afternoon, I received a call from his assistant. She said Alvis was interested in cooperating with the Wright Corporation. Unfortunately, he wanted Leila to be in charge of this project." Philip sighed, but his eyes glistened maliciously.

"What? How could Alvis think highly of your daughter? Now, it would be difficult for you to act against her." The man scoffed. His fox eyes glimmered with venomous light.

"Don't you think it's a good opportunity? Since Alvis wanted her to be in charge of the project, I'd pull the strings behind the scenes, and when an accident happened on the project, no one would think it was me. This time, she won't even know how she died!" Philip laughed maniacally.

Even though Wright Corporation was one of the leading enterprises in the financial industry, there wasn't a financial investor who could lead their team because most talented and ambitious people already had theirs.

In this regard, Philip had no talent for financial investment. Hence, he tried poaching other people, but it was fruitless.

This stalemate lasted for several years until Alvis' assistant called them the day before yesterday, stating they wanted to cooperate with the Wright Corporation.

Upon learning it, Wright's executives were ecstatic. After all, Alvis was almost a legendary figure in the financial industry. Consequently, they immediately arranged a meeting with him in Tesanera City's largest hotel.

Since Alvis wanted Leila to be in charge of the new project, she and the president, Philip, went to the airport and waited for Alvis' assistant—the person who would represent Alvis.

Dressed in a black suit, Leila imposed dominance amongst her crowd. Her eyes fixedly stared at the exit gate. Shortly after, a slender figure emerged and entered her sight. It was Mandy Carter.

A faint smile blossomed on her lips. She sidled forward, and instantly, Mandy saw her. Their eyes met, and they both smiled, seemingly in a tacit understanding.

Leila glanced at her father and immediately schooled her expression to keep her true thoughts under wraps.

"I'm sorry I made you wait a long time, President Clark." Mandy smiled apologetically. However, if they looked closely, one would notice no sincerity in her eyes.

"No. It's just that we came too early." Philip waved his hand and beckoned her to get inside the car.

Mandy nodded, and the three of them left the airport.

In a few minutes, they arrived at Red Haven Restaurant. The three of them alighted from the car and headed inside the restaurant.

The manager immediately greeted them. "Good afternoon, President Clark. This way to your reservation," he said and led the way, and the three entered the private room.

As soon as they were seated, Leila gave Mandy a knowing look. Then she faced her father and said, "I'll go to the restroom."

Philip nodded, and Leila went out. After glancing at the tightly closed door, he looked at Mandy eagerly. "How many years has Miss Carter been with Mr. Alvis?" he asked.

"Five years," Mandy perfunctorily replied.

"Miss Carter, would you be interested in working at Wright Corporation? Being an assistant wasn't impressive enough for a talented person like you. Coincidentally, Wright Corporation lacks talents like Miss Carter."

Mandy shook her head and smiled politely. "I don't have plans to jump ship for the time being," she frankly answered.

"If you change your mind, Wright Corporation's doors are open for you. I can offer you any position you want except the president. And if need be, I could appoint you as a project manager. So think about it," Philip cunningly poached and grinned.

"By the way," he paused and whipped out a checkbook from his coat's inner pocket.

He wrote something on it as he continued, "I don't want to embarrass you by bringing up this matter without much sincerity. Here. Take this check as a gift of friendship from me to you." Philip smiled and slid the check over to Mandy's side.

Seemingly understanding something, Mandy lowered her gaze and looked at the check. "What do I need to do?" she asked, interested.

"Miss Carter doesn't need to do anything. Just say you know nothing when someone asks you," Philip said vaguely.

As Mandy observed Philip's facial expression, she vaguely guessed something was up with him, but Philip had already composed himself before she could grasp the whole intention behind his words. In the end, she could only say, "I'll think about it."

"Miss Carter must know that you can't have money and love simultaneously. It might make you happy if you choose to love, but that's nothing but a fleeting moment. It will pass, and you'll eventually regret it. However, if you choose money, it will make you glamorous and honorable for a lifetime. I believe someone as beautiful and clever as Miss Carter must know how to make choices," Philip carelessly said.

Mandy tilted her head and asked innocently, "So, which one did President Clark choose? Money or love?"

"Young lady, if you have money, people will throw themselves at you to give you love," Philip spoke firmly.

"Well, that makes sense. Alright. I accept your proposal," Mandy agreed.

A broad grin immediately flashed on his face.

"Miss Carter is surely wise. It seems I have an eye for people." Philip laughed condescendingly.

The next day, at the Wright Corporation.

Leila stepped out with a briefcase in her hand as soon as the elevator door opened. She donned a khaki suit and exuded the air of a leader.

"Manager Wright, President Clark said you must hurry to the conference room. There are guests inside," Philip's assistant said nervously.

"Okay. You can go back to your post." After saying this, she hurried over and walked into the conference room.

Leila swept her gaze at the people sitting around the long table. She saw Philip, Uncle Johannes, Mandy, the other directors, and Sunshine.

'What? That's Sunshine and Zachary!' she exclaimed inside her head. But her face was still placid. Then she took a seat.

When she arrived, all eyes were on her. A pindrop silence engulfed the conference room, and tension arose.

"Mr. Clark, let's get started," Zachary suddenly said. Although he was a guest, he was the corporation's principal investor. Thus, he had a say in everything.

Philip cleared his throat. "I invited everyone to have a meeting only because of one thing—" He then threw a bunch of documents on the table. "I didn't expect someone to be brazen and take advantage of this cooperation with Alvis to embezzle huge amounts of public funds by using their power!"

"What?!" Everyone exclaimed.

"Who did it?" Mr. Scott aggressively asked.

Philip shot Leila a disappointed look. His eyes glared at her resentfully, as though he was furious at her for failing to meet his expectations.

"Today, when I looked at the contract, I discovered that three billion dollars were missing! Apart from myself and Assistant Carter, Manager Wright is the only one in charge of this project," he spat angrily.

Then he turned to Mandy and pointed at the papers on the table. "Assistant Carter, have you seen this document?"

"No. I've never seen them," Mandy said indifferently and shrugged her shoulders.

As soon as they heard her, the directors and shareholders stared daggers at Leila. None of them could hide their desire to tear her into pieces.

"Lei, why did you have to do this? You'll eventually inherit this company, so why did you have to steal the company's funds? Dad planned to hand over the company to you in a few years, but this matter deeply disappointed me." Philip paused and took a deep breath. Tears brimmed in his eyes, and they became redrimmed.

"Lei, Dad loves you, but what you did is wrong. It would be best if you surrendered yourself. I'll make up for the loss of the funds. Don't worry. When you come out, you'll still be my good daughter." Tears trickled down his cheek, which moved the board of directors.

"Leila, what kind of merit have you accumulated in your previous life to have a good father like him?" Johannes looked at her with disappointment, then glanced at Philip. He couldn't help the newfound respect for him from welling up.

"Even though you're still young, you shouldn't have done this. Last time, your father let it slide when you almost tarnished the company's reputation. But now, you even went as far as to do this!"

One after another, they kept admonishing her. However, the concerned party looked at them calmly as though this matter had nothing to do with her. A sneer was plastered on her lips as she looked at them askance.

Philip looked at Leila and felt this was rather strange, seeing the latter was calm, but he didn't give it further thought.

Leila lifted her head, and a dark light gleamed in her eyes. She slowly smiled as she tapped her fingers on the table.

When Mandy saw Leila's action on the sidelines, she immediately knew she was furious. The calmer she appeared, the more anger brewed inside her. That small gesture clearly showed that she had lost her patience.

She couldn't help but look at Philip with pity. Her lips curled up into a mocking grin.

Leila's voice was somewhat frosty as she said, "It seems Mr. Clark wasn't as brilliant as I thought you'd be. Framing me of embezzlement after winning a case over it, have you not had anything else up your sleeves?"

Philip subtly froze. The sarcasm laced in her words slapped almost everyone inside the room.

"Between you and I, you're the one who had misunderstood something, Mr. Clark." Leila aloofly reproached, adding, "If you're that curious, then I'm happy to tell you about it. I'm in charge of this project simply because I'm Alvis!"

As soon as her words fell, almost everyone doubted their ears. It was like someone dropped a bomb in front of them, making them go deaf.