“Do you think she’s trying to get close to you by using Precious?”. Luke assumed his brother would have a pretty good reason to think so. After all, he was the CEO of Oliver Group, and the company engaged in real estate, hospitality management, jewelry lines, department stores, entertainment networks, and a host of other industries. In addition, all of Oliver Group’s subsidiaries had secured positions in being the best in their respective fields. Just how much money did the man possess? It was a ridiculous thought to even ponder. Suffice it to say that a single strange move from his brother would send the global financial circle scrambling on their feet. Over the years, a lot of people had attempted to establish a connection with his brother by getting close to his daughter, Precious. A lot of women had come and gone, but this was the first time that the man in question had actually wanted someone’s background investigated. “Ryan, what is going on?”. “Precious likes her very much. Well, the reason made perfect sense for Luke. The little girl was the prized treasure of the Oliver family. That much was evident by her name, and it had been intentional from the start. Ryan was turning thirty this year, and not once had he ever been interested in a woman. But three years ago, a baby had been left at the gate of their villa, along with a note saying that the child was his. The poor baby had been in a terrible condition when they had found her, crumpled into herself like a little monkey. A doctor’s examination had revealed that the little girl’s bones had been broken. Her body had been full of bruises, too. She had been almost dead at that point. The Oliver family had immediately sent her to intensive care, and had had a paternity test done to ascertain the baby’s identity. And it had turned out that she really was Ryan’s daughter. Since his parents had always been looking forward to news of their sons eventually getting married and having children, the news had made them both happy. But there had been sadness and regret as well. Perhaps it was because she had no mother to call her own that the elders lavished the little girl with all the love and attention they could give. It reached the point where she began to act willful and arrogant, especially toward people who were not part of the family. In particular, she had been rejecting all the women who had showed interest on her father. Even those who had been discreet about their intentions had not escaped her wrath. And while Precious’ actions seemed to have pissed off Ryan’s blind date, this was indeed the first time that Luke had seen the girl throw herself at a woman, and a stranger at that. She had even declared something he had never imagined would come out of her mouth—. “I like her”. If someone were to use Precious on purpose…Luke got to his feet. “I’ll go check on it right away!”. Back at the VIP room Roger had booked, Wendy had barely stepped inside when Raymond pounced at her and clutched her legs. “What’s wrong, baby?”. “Mommy, what took you so long?”the boy whined. “I thought som ething bad hap pened to you. His words br ought warmth to her heart. She picked up the boy a nd patted his butt befor e walking into the room. “What can possibly happen to Mommy? I just happened to meet this very cu te girl outside who needed my help. A very cute girl? A girl? Raymond had never h eard his mother praising other children befor e! An alarm was ringing inside the boy’s mind. “What ’s wr ong?” . Wendy asked, not icing the small frown he sported

He hesitated for a couple of seconds be fore finally asking, “Mommy, do you lik e girls more? Why wasn’t I born a girl?” . He looked g enuinely up set by this. Amused, Wendy pla nted a big, sound kiss on his cheek. “Mommy likes Ray. I love R ay the most!” . The little boy’s ears t urned red and he wriggl ed in his mother’s arms. “I’m a man of fou r years old,” he announced proudly. “You can’t kis s me like that from now on. “No matter how old you are, you are still Mommy’s good boy!” R aymond grinned despite himself. Roger smiled as he watched t hem, pulling out chairs to a ccommodate them at the table. “All right, all right. Co me and eat!” . “Her e we are!” . An h our l ater… . “Wow! It’ s hot! It’ s so hot!” . Luke was pantin g, his shirt dr enched in sweat. He burst into the VIP room a nd made a beeline for the po t of cold tea at the corner. He hurriedly poured himself a cup and d rank it in two big gulps, grateful when the drink helped him cool down a little. He plopped down on the chair nearest t he air conditioner. “Ahh, that’s bet ter. I finally fe el alive again!” . “Did you ac complish yo ur mission?” . “Yes!”Luke replied, m ockingly hiding the f older behind his back. “Hey Ryan, guess what I found out. “Just tell me!” . “Gosh, y ou’re so boring!” . Luke threw th e file over t o his brother. “That woman is called Wendy Finch, and she’s only twenty-three years old. She is actually connected t o us. In a way, anyway. She is Rosie Finch’s cousin. “Ros ie Fi nch?” . “Yes, the wife of our good friend, Kane Evans. We were invited to their wedding four years ago. T his is where things get interesting. Do you remember that funeral service we attended with Kane three years ago? That was supposed to be Rosie Finch’s cousin’s funeral! This very same cousin!” . Ryan’s eyes glinted with a sharp edge a s he opened the folder and began to peru se the documents. Luke continued to talk. “Wendy Finch is truly unfortunate and pitiful. Her mother died when she was only six years old, and her father remarried shortly after. The stepmother had a daug hter of her own called Eris. Wendy has another sister, though, who shared the same parents as her

This other sister is six years older, and was married off by t heir father to a rich old man when she turned eighteen. And another important fact—Wendy Finch apparently fell in love with Brian Oliver at the age of sixteen!” . “Bria n Oli ver?” . “Yes! The Br ian Oliver, our nephew!” . Luke shrugged his shoulders and carried on. “They were supposed to have been in a relationship, but all of a sudden Brian fell in love and got together with Wend y’s stepsister three years later. And then…Well nobody really knew for sure what happened, but news came out that Wendy just “died. ”Her family held a funeral for her and everything. It turns out she’s alive and had left Ywood for the US. Ryan flipped through the pa ges and got to the section of her relocation to the US. The paper was bl ank. He looked up at his brother. “Don’t ask me. I don’t know either! There wasn’t any information available about her life in the US, as if that part of her life was completely wiped out from public kno wledge. Even with all our resources, we couldn’t find anything at all. ” Ryan frowned. “Nevertheless, I can say for sur e that she had no intentions to g et close to Precious whatsoever. “Why do you th ink so?” . “Because she just returned to the c ity today. She got off the plane rou ghly two hours ago,”Luke explained. “She couldn’t have perpetrated such a lucky encounter. Ryan said nothi ng and looked b ack at the file. “Don’t worry. She is n’t going to do any thing to Precious. This earned hi m a glance fro m his brother. “Are you absolutely certain?” . “Y es !” . “W hy ?” . “Wendy Finch is an actress, and the purp ose of her return is to audition for the play of The Story of Concubine Ivanka. “And this is enough to co nvince you that she is not a threat to my daughter?” . “Of c ourse not!” . Luke said , visibly affronted. He leaned over Ryan’s desk and said in a teasing tone , “Guess who her agent is. “Okay, stop tr ying to play g ames with me!” . “Humph! So boring! Her agent is Roger Johnson. He probably also has something to do with the data blackout on her time i n the US. They must have been acquainted there given that Roger also went to the US three years ago. Besides, didn’t he a sked us for an opening at the addition just a few days ago? Same audition, same play. It must have been for Wendy Finch!” . Ryan’s fin gers pause d mid-air. Roger Johnson! He was not the kind of person who would tre at people well for no reason. So what could the rel ationship be between Roger and that woman?