Shannon had experienced her fair share of trials and storms, unlike Darcy, who was easily provoked by a few words.


    She still smiled, but the contempt in her eyes was unmistakable.


    "Aren''t you curious why Mrs. Morgan Senior dotes on you so much?" Shannon asked with a hint of disdain.


    "She''s more concerned about you than she is about her grandson, Noah. And then there''s Nicole and her husband. Why are they so kind to you as well?


    "L, do you really believe there''s such a thing as unconditional love in this world?"


    The mocking smile on her lips widened as she finished her words.


    L nced at her coldly. "What? You think the matter with Dorian doesn''t affect me, and now you''re trying to stir trouble between me and the Morgan family?


    "You''re not suggesting that my parents'' deaths are somehow linked to the Morgan family, are you?"


    Shannon raised an eyebrow as if to say, "You''re smarter than I thought."


    She was about to continue, but L suddenlyughed.


    However, there wasn''t any hint of warmth in her eyes.


    It was as if the surrounding air had frozen, and her gaze cut through the room like a gust of frigid wind, chilling others to the bone.


    "Stop with these useless tricks. Compared to what Dorian did to me, these aren''t worth mentioning. If you want to know how to hurt me, you might want to get his advice."


    Her gaze turned icy. "But as for matters involving the Morgan family, it''s not your ce to interfere."


    As L turned to leave, Shannon''s ominous voice came from behind.


    "You think Kieran really cares about you that much?


    "He''s never been one to show mercy. If he says he''s helping you, he only took a project from Bolton Group.


    "Sure, a few shares were lost. But do you really think that would have much of an impact on us?"


    L was about to turn around when someone blocked her path.


    Vince pressed his hand against the back of her head. "Don''t mind her."


    He then turned to face Shannon, his eyes giving off a gentle yet disarming


    warmth. "If you really didn''t care about Bolton Group''s stock price drop, would you have gone through all this trouble toe here?"


    Shannon furrowed her brows. "Vince?"


    Why was he here? And why was he protecting L?


    "Is something wrong?" Vince adjusted his sses.


    Shannon noticed him stepping protectively behind L, and suddenly, it clicked. Her gaze shifted to him, and her eyes showed a hint of scheming.


    "So, it seems Mr. Lane wants a piece too? But can you really outdo that person?"


    She studied his expression, trying to catch any signs of unease.


    But to her surprise, Vince still wore a


    faint smile. "Ms. Bolton, it seems we''re quite alike. We have some


    business to attend to, so we won''t disturb your leisure time any longer."


    He turned to L with a polite smile. "A lot of your crew have arrived. They should be starting soon."


    L didn''t look back, but she felt Shannon''s gaze lingering on her until she turned the corner.


    Jamie was a little surprised when he saw both of them entering the room. "Vince, why are you here so early?"


    "The temperature''s been droppingtely. Your uncle was worried you''d catch a cold, so he sent me some clothes for you," Vince exined.


    Hearing this, Jamie nodded and didn''t press further. After all, only Vince really knew if he was here for her or not.


    L thanked him before getting to work while Vince''s gaze lingered on her slender, graceful figure.


    Jamie was puzzled. "Why did she thank you all of a sudden?"


    "We ran into Shannon outside. She''s using L of causing Bolton Group''s stock to drop," Vince exined, adjusting his sses as he calcted what Shannon might do next.


    He hesitated for a moment, wondering whether he should step in.


    Jamie frowned and said, "I''m not sure what she''s plotting, but she always has one thing after another ready."


    The two siblings chatted idly for a while.


    Suddenly, Jamie asked, "Vince, do you think L really likes Uncle Kieran? Is she marrying him because she truly likes him?"


    Before, Vince would''ve easily dismissed that question with a negative answer.


    But now, he wasn''t so sure.


    Kieran''s excellence couldn''t be denied. Was L slowly developing feelings without realizing them?