After getting out of the car, I pretended to walk toward a nearby apartment complex.

Only after I saw Daniel's car disappear into the night from the corner of my eye did I finally let out a breath and call another cab home.

On the way back, my mind was in such chaos that I never noticed the black Maybach following at a steady distance behind me.

Outside the old apartment building, the Maybach did not start again until the sky had begun to turn pale.

The next morning, I walked into the office with dark circles under my eyes and had to drink two cups of coffee before I finally pulled myself together.

I had prepared myself to be targeted by Daniel again, but to my surprise, he stayed unusually quiet the entire morning.

When I submitted the file, he only skimmed through it, pointed out two minor issues, and spoke in the same cold tone as before, but there was no deliberate hostility in it.

During the project briefing, he remained strictly professional. He even looked at me far less often than he had the day before.

Sitting at my desk with the documents in my hands, I somehow felt oddly unsettled.

"Is Mr. Carter in a good mood today?" Lily leaned over quietly while no one was paying attention. "I went in earlier to get his signature and was fully prepared to be chewed out, but he didn't say a single unnecessary word."

I pressed my lips together and said nothing, though I found it strange too.

Even as the end of the workday approached, Daniel still had not made things difficult for me again.

I even began to wonder whether the tension over the past two days had only been in my head.

But the moment that thought surfaced, a new email popped into my inbox.

Sender, CEO, Daniel Carter.

My eyelid twitched. I clicked it open and saw only two short lines.

"Seven tonight. Attend a dinner event with me. Work requirement."

I stared at the screen, frowning slightly.

There were plenty of people in the company far more suitable than me, yet he had chosen me.

But no matter how unwilling I was, I could only reply with a proper, "Okay."

After work, I waited until everyone in the office had left one after another before resting my forehead in my hand and slowly letting out a breath.

A dinner event.

I looked down at the business suit I was wearing and felt my headache worsen.

When I left the Cooper family, they had been terrified I might take even one extra thing with me.

I had only taken my documents and daily necessities. Most of my clothes suitable for formal occasions were still there.

I could not possibly go back and endure their faces again just to attend a dinner event with Daniel.

The thought only made the weight in my chest heavier.

Just then, two people appeared at the office door, one carrying a garment bag and the other holding a jewelry box.

"Ms. Parker, Mr. Carter asked us to deliver these to you."

I watched them set the items down, and my heart suddenly began to beat unevenly.

I lifted the garment bag with my fingers, revealing the gown inside, then let my gaze fall on the open jewelry box beside it.

A diamond jewelry set shimmered brilliantly beneath the light.

My breath caught.

It was the same one, exactly the same set listed on the receipt from last night.

A mess of emotions surged up inside me all at once.

Last night, I had thought that jewelry set was something he had bought for another woman.

But now, it had been delivered to me.

My throat tightened. What was this supposed to mean?

Suddenly, familiar footsteps sounded at the door.

Daniel stood there, his gaze sweeping over the things on the desk. "What are you standing there for? Go try it on."

I did not move. I only stared at him. "What exactly is this, Mr. Carter?"

"Wear it to the dinner."

I closed the box. "It's too expensive. This isn't appropriate."

"Put it on."

"I'm only going there for work. I don't need to..."

"You're my date for the evening." He cut me off, his tone leaving no room for refusal. "Anyone I bring with me can't look shabby."

After a few seconds of stalemate, I picked up the gown and walked into the fitting room.

The gown fit me perfectly. It brought out the clean lines of my shoulders and neck, while the necklace at my collarbone caught the light in delicate fragments.

When I pushed the door open and stepped out, my pace slowed despite myself.

Daniel looked up.

The instant his gaze landed on me, he visibly froze.

Only for a brief moment.

But that fleeting lapse, too quick for him to hide, still did not escape my eyes.

The next second, he looked away, his expression returning to normal.

"Stay by my side tonight. Don't wander off."

The dinner event was held at a private club in the city center.

The moment we walked in, nearly every gaze in the room landed on Daniel.

A few people immediately approached with wine glasses in hand, smiling eagerly.

Daniel remained indifferent, replying only occasionally, yet even that was enough to leave the others visibly flattered.

Clearly, his status in this circle carried far more weight than I had imagined.

Standing beside him, I naturally became the subject of everyone's scrutiny as well.

I kept a polite smile on my face while silently cursing him several times in my head.

Just then, a middle-aged man hurried over and whispered something into his ear.

Daniel frowned slightly before turning to me. "Wait here for me for a bit."

Without thinking, I asked, "Will it take long?"

He glanced at me as though surprised by the question. After a brief pause, he answered, "Not long."

With that, he left with the man.

Just as I was about to sit down and rest for a moment, a sharp female voice sounded behind me.

"I thought I was seeing things. Turns out it really is you."

I turned around.

Ryan's sister, Grace Cooper, stood a short distance away with a wine glass in hand, the mockery in her eyes completely undisguised.

I looked at her calmly. "Do you need something?"

"Need something?" Grace repeated as if she had heard a joke, walking closer with her glass.

"My brother's only been dead a few days, and you're already clinging to another man." She sneered. "Claire, you really have no shame."

Her voice was loud enough that several nearby guests instinctively turned to look.

"Ms. Cooper," I replied without even lifting my eyes, "didn't the Cooper family already cut ties with me?"

Grace's expression stiffened slightly.

I looked straight at her and continued word by word, "Back then, your mother was so terrified I'd touch the Cooper family's inheritance that she could hardly wait to throw me out that very day. Since all of you were so eager to distance yourselves from me, who I spend time with now has nothing to do with you."

The smile on Grace's face began to crack.

"You..."

"You came here tonight just to watch me embarrass myself, didn't you?" I curled my lips faintly. "Too bad. You're going to leave disappointed."

Before she could say anything else, I noticed the hand holding her wine glass lift slightly.

So the instant the red wine came flying toward me, I had already stepped aside.

The wine only brushed past the edge of my dress before splashing all over Grace's own skirt and shoes instead.

Several startled gasps immediately broke out around us.

Grace looked down at the mess covering her clothes, her face turning bright red.

"What are you so smug about?" She glared at me viciously, hatred filling her eyes. "You're the one who killed my brother! You cheating little bitch!"

Seeing that I stayed silent, Grace seemed to regain some confidence and opened her mouth to continue.

A cold, low voice cut through the air.

"Are you done?"

Everyone turned toward the voice.

At some point, Daniel had returned.

He stood a few steps away, his expression terrifyingly cold.

His gaze swept over me from head to toe, and only then did his expression ease slightly.

Grace's face turned ashen slightly, but she still forced herself to speak. "Mr. Carter, this is a matter within the Cooper family. It has nothing to do with you."

Daniel cut her off, his eyes falling to the hem of my dress. "That glass of wine stained her gown. Pay for it."

The moment those words fell, the entire room went silent.

Grace glared at me as though she wanted to tear me apart on the spot.

Everyone knew that going against Daniel would only humiliate her further.

In the end, she gritted her teeth, pulled a card from her purse, and practically threw it into the waiter's hand. "I'll pay for it!"

After saying that, she turned and stormed away, fury radiating from her retreating figure.

For the rest of the evening, I could barely remember how I made it through the dinner at all.

The only thing echoing in my mind was Daniel's cold command from earlier. "Pay for it."

Was he standing up for me?

Why?

By the time we finally left the club, the cool night wind eased the heaviness in my chest a little.

Daniel opened the car door for me. "Get in."

I did not refuse this time and bent down to get into the car.

The car pulled away from the club as rows of city lights slid backward outside the window.

I originally thought he would drive me to the address I had given him the other day, so I closed my eyes to rest.

But when I opened my eyes again, I suddenly realized something was wrong.

The intersection ahead and the twenty-four-hour convenience store by the street were sights far too familiar to me.

My back instantly stiffened, and I sat upright.

"You..."

Daniel's expression did not change. His eyes remained on the road ahead. "What is it?"

"Why did you drive here?" My voice tightened immediately.

The car came to a smooth stop downstairs.

Daniel finally turned to look at me. "Claire."

My breathing faltered.

"Why?"

"What?"

I stared at Daniel, unable to process what he was asking for a moment.

He looked at me with dark, unreadable eyes, as though there were countless things he wanted to say.

But in the end, he only looked away. "Nothing."

That single sentence left a heaviness in my chest. I stared at his profile for two seconds before finally opening the car door and getting out.

Even after I went upstairs, showered, and lay down in bed, his final words kept echoing through my mind.

What had he really wanted to ask?

Why had I lied about my address?

Why was I living there again?

But if he already had someone else, why did he still care?

That night, I barely slept at all.

The next day was the weekend.

By the time I woke up, the sun was already high.

My phone screen was still lit up with the address and time my mother had sent me the night before.

I stared at the restaurant's name for a few seconds before finally getting up and changing clothes.

The restaurant was located downtown, elegantly decorated and highly private.

A waiter led me inside, stopping at a private dining room before politely opening the door for me.

I stepped inside, only to stop short the very next second.

Neither my mother nor my father was there.

There was only a stranger sitting at the table.

He was dressed in a well-tailored suit and was reasonably handsome. The moment he saw me walk in, he stood up immediately and gave me what he clearly thought was a charming smile.

"Ms. Parker?"

My first instinct was that I had entered the wrong room. Just as I was about to leave, he had already walked toward me with a smile.

"You're in the right place." He extended his hand toward me. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Evan Collins. I'm sure your mother mentioned me."

That single sentence was enough for me to understand everything.

This was never some family dinner meant to repair our relationship. It was a blind date.

Anger flared through me instantly, and I nearly turned around and walked out on the spot.

But the last shred of restraint I had left forced me to stay composed.

"I'm sorry." I made no move to shake his hand. "It seems my mother didn't explain things clearly to me."

Evan showed no embarrassment at all. He withdrew his hand naturally, his smile remaining perfectly composed.

"Parents are always like this. They're afraid younger people won't agree to meet, so they make arrangements first and explain later."

As he spoke, his gaze lingered openly on my face.

"But maybe it's for the best. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have had the chance to meet you today, Ms. Parker."

I looked at him and felt nothing but disgust.

My husband had only just died. The Cooper family had only just thrown me out. And already, my own parents were impatient to sell me off for a second time.

They could not even be bothered to ask whether I wanted this.

"Mr. Collins." Holding on to the last bit of composure I had left, I kept my tone calm. "I'm not planning to get married again, nor am I interested in starting a new relationship right now. Let's end dinner here. Sorry for wasting your time."

With that, I turned and left.

Evan clearly had not expected such a direct rejection. He froze for a moment before quickly following after me.

"Ms. Parker, wait a moment." He stepped in front of me, the smile on his face finally fading slightly. "I know you've been going through a difficult time recently, but people can't stay trapped in the past forever. And with your background and qualifications, finding another suitable marriage wouldn't be a bad thing for either you or your family."

At the end of the day, it was nothing more than another transaction.

"Sir, I believe I've already made myself clear." My voice turned cold. "I'm not interested in you. Please move aside."

I did not spare him another glance before walking straight out of the restaurant.

The moment I stepped outside, my phone rang.

It was my mother.

Staring at her name on the screen, the anger I had been suppressing all the way finally exploded.

The instant the call connected, I said coldly, "You lied to me."

There was a brief silence on the other end, as though she was not surprised that I had found out.

"Claire, calm down first." My mother's tone was gentle, almost coaxing. "Evan is an excellent match. His family background, appearance, and abilities are all impressive. You're alone now. You need someone by your side to take care of you."

I almost laughed out of anger.

"So this is what you meant by a family dinner?"

"I'm doing this for your own good." Her voice grew slightly firmer. "With your situation right now, are you really planning to struggle through life alone?"

"For my own good?" I tightened my grip on the phone until my knuckles slowly turned white. "Or are you trying to sell me off for a second time?"

The line instantly fell silent.

A few seconds later, my father's cold voice cut in. "Watch your tone."

My whole body stiffened.

"We didn't raise you so you could act recklessly." My father had clearly taken the phone from my mother. His voice carried no warmth whatsoever. "You're going to remarry sooner or later. Instead of dragging this out, you should choose someone with good qualifications while you still can. Evan agreeing to meet with you is already generous enough."

A chill spread through my body, and even my breathing began to shake.

"Generous enough to me?"

"Isn't it?" He let out a cold laugh. "Do you really think you can still be picky after leaving the Cooper family? With your situation now, if you keep dragging this out, who else would even want you?"

My mind buzzed violently. I practically had to grit my teeth to stop myself from losing control in public.

My hands would not stop trembling.

That was right. There was no going back for me anymore.

My mother quickly took the phone back, softening her tone again.

"Claire, your father and I would never hurt you. How can a woman live without someone to rely on? Surely you're not thinking about going back to some poor nobody like before?"

The moment those words left her mouth, the fire in my chest exploded completely.

She was talking about Daniel.

Even after all these years, in their eyes, he was still nothing worth mentioning.

"Don't worry." I heard my own voice turn frighteningly cold. "I won't marry someone you choose for me, and I won't marry Daniel either!"

With that, I hung up the phone immediately.

My chest rose and fell violently, and even my eyes burned with heat.

Standing outside the restaurant, I tried desperately to force those turbulent emotions back down.

The fact that I had still expected anything from them was honestly pathetic.

I closed my stinging eyes briefly. Just as I turned to leave, I found myself staring into a pair of dark, unreadable eyes.

Daniel stood only a few steps away. I had no idea how long he had been there.

He was still wearing the same black suit. His features were sharp and cold, a phone still in his hand as though he had been taking a call outside the restaurant.

Clearly, he had heard every single word of that conversation.

I stared at him, my mind going blank for a moment.

He simply stared back at me, something frighteningly dark gathering in his eyes.

"Claire." Daniel spoke slowly, his voice revealing no emotion at all. "Who are you planning to marry?"