<h4>Chapter 403: Uneasy About Her</h4>


    Luke’s hawk-like eyes turned icy. "E, don’t go stirring up trouble for no reason!"


    E ignored him. Luke’s expression darkened further. "Where do you think you’re going? If something happens to you, you’ll only cause trouble for Father!"


    Luke hade today intending to persuade E to y along with him. His n was simple: pretend to cooperate until Eric was rescued, then go back on his promise to marry her.


    But E wasn’t the helpless, panicked woman he’d imagined. Instead, she was marching out with purpose.


    She was clearly heading straight to confront the Miller family.


    Two bodyguards tried to stop Luke, but the four men in ck he’d brought with him were far too strong. Against these elite guards, the hotel’s foreign security staff didn’t stand a chance.


    Luke sessfully blocked E’s path.


    "Don’t worry about me," E said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Besides, they’d have to be out of their minds to try anything against me. Isn’t the Anderson family’s power unmatched? No matter what trouble I stir up, they wouldn’t darey a finger on me."


    She sneered, her eyes glinting with a mix of anger and defiance. "And anyway, I’m not yours. Why do you care what happens to me?"


    Luke nearly spat blood in frustration. "E! Stop acting like you’re some kind of queen! I’m only worried about you causing problems for Father!"


    E waved him off impatiently. "What problems? Didn’t I just say it? They’re too afraid of your family to do anything. Even if I act out, the worst that’ll happen is they’ll feel embarrassed. They won’t touch me."


    Seeing her determination, Luke had no choice but to follow her to the car.


    E climbed into Eric’s custom car, used exclusively in Country W. When Luke followed suit, her face darkened.


    Luke’s rebellious eyes gleamed coldly, his innate arrogance seeping through. "To stop a reckless and ignorant woman like you from making a mess, I’ll just have toe along. That way, Father won’t have to clean up after you."


    E’s lips curled into a cold smirk as she turned her gaze away from him. She spoke softly to the driver. "Take me to Mr. Leonard’s estate."


    The car started moving.


    The roads in Country W were far less crowded than those in Country S. With fewer people and morend, plus the wide roads, it only took about ten minutes for the car to pull up in front of Leonard’s estate.


    E jumped out and pressed the doorbell. A petite blonde maid, about the same size as E, came to answer the door.


    E briefly exined her purpose. The maid disappeared to ry the message, and it was a full ten minutes before she returned.


    "Miss Davis, Mr. Anderson, please follow me."


    Inside the estate, the small country-style manor was remarkably clean and well-kept. It was said that Leonard had spent his adulthood indulging in pleasure, growingzy and unambitious.


    Despite receiving the finest education, the other Miller family heirs didn’t consider him a serious contender.


    Still, Leonard was known to have a deep interest in Country S culture, which gave E an opening to approach him under the guise of discussingmon interests.


    Entering the living room, E noted that even the cozy interior was orderly and spotless.


    On the couch lounged a golden-haired man, his posture rxed and his demeanor indifferent. Two seductive maids knelt on either side of him, working hard to massage his shoulders.


    The maids were strikingly beautiful, and the golden-haired man watched them with half-lidded eyes while sipping wine. His hands roamed asionally, taking liberties with the women.


    Such a decadent yboy was hard to reconcile with the idea of a shrewd strategist.


    And yet, it was men like this—hidden behind their carefree facades—who were often the most dangerous.


    Luke frowned in disgust at the scene before him but maintained hisposure. Following E gracefully, he spoke with a calm but firm tone. "Young Master Leonard, sorry to interrupt."


    Leonardzily shifted his gaze to E, his expression indulgent and debauched. "Well, well, what a stunning little beauty from Country S. Come, sit by me!"


    Luke’s sharp gaze turned icy. "Leonard, this is Mr. Anderson’s daughter. I’d advise you to show some respect."


    This damn woman! Luke thought bitterly. She thinks she’s capable? Without me here, she’d already be toyed with by Leonard.


    E stood her ground calmly, offering a polite greeting. "Mr. Leonard, hello. I’m E. When I was in college back in Country S, I read some of your papers on Country S culture. Now that I’m in Country W and heard you have some free time, I thought I’d take the opportunity to seek your insights."


    Leonard chuckled lightly, still as nonchnt as ever.


    "Miss Davis, you’re too kind. Those papers were just scribbles. It’s only thanks to my family’s influence that they got published at all."


    E was momentarily speechless. This Leonard... is he really this shameless? He’s openly admitting hisck of merit, belittling himself without an ounce of embarrassment. This man is hiding something—his ipetence must be a ruse.


    Luke, on the other hand, casually took a seat. A maid served him a cup of richly aromatic coffee. E remained fearless. No matter how audacious Leonard was, he wouldn’t dare mess with Lucas Anderson’s daughter.


    "Mr. Leonard, you’re being overly modest," E said with a confident smile. "I’ve heard you’re particrly interested in some prominent figures from Country S. I was hoping to hear your opinion on something—what do you think of Mr. F?"


    Leonard sipped his wine indifferently, the deep red staining his lips. "That man? I haven’t studied him."


    E smiled faintly. "Mr. F was one of the wisest figures. If you studied him, you’d see that such a person would always be valued by those in power. However, if he ever harbored ambitions of bing king himself, it would lead to disaster."


    Leonard squinted slightly, scrutinizing E with newfound interest.


    Luke snorted coldly. "Men like that are loyal only to their masters."


    "That may have been Mr. F’s philosophy," E repliedzily. "But not every strategist is content to be used by others."


    She shifted her gaze to Leonard, her voice calm but piercing. "Mr. Leonard, you’ve likely heard about my husband, Eric, going missing. In my eyes, he’s a man of both courage and intellect. Tell me, what kind of luck and wisdom does it take for someone to make a name for themselves in a ce like this?"


    Leonard’s grip on his ss tightened ever so slightly.


    "Forgive me, Miss Davis. I don’t quite follow. It seems the cultural differences between Country W and Country S run deeper than I thought. My paper, as I’ve said, was garbage—you shouldn’t take it seriously. As for your husband’s disappearance... well, isn’t that convenient? How about staying the night here? I’ll show you some new ’games’ to help you unwind."


    "Shut your mouth!"


    Luke could no longer hold back, standing abruptly and ring coldly at Leonard.


    Leonard smirked, still maintaining his insouciant demeanor. "Why so angry, Mr. Anderson? Miss Davis is your so-called sister by name. Don’t tell me you’re interested in her."


    E twitched slightly, ncing at Luke’s furious expression. She turned back to Leonard with an icy smile. "Mr. Leonard, you seem to be quite the yer. Are these maids of yours all your lovers?"


    "Of course! Most of them are," Leonard replied with a smile, though a flicker of coldness shed in his eyes.