Rosa was stumped by the naïve fool standing before her. Rosa was the runner-up in the International Math Olympiad. Even the champion of the National Math Olympiad could not compare to her. How could Lana, who probably didn't even know what the Math Olympiad was, dare to challenge her?Rosa wanted revenge for what Lana did upstairs. She didn't expect Lana would come knocking on her door.She wouldn't let the opportunity go to waste. She had to show Lana what a genius truly was. She had to let Lana know she was just a crazy fool before a genius like Rosa."Sure!" Rosa crossed her arms and walked toward Lana. "We must have a punishment. Otherwise, it would be boring.""I think so too!"Rosa couldn't help laughing. "It's up to you to decide the punishment, or others might think I'm bullying you!"Grinning from ear to ear, Lana replied, "I'm not familiar with punishments. I'll let you decide.""Well, if you lose, you must crawl and bark like a dog as long as you are in my house,"
After another 30 minutes, Rosa began working on the third problem. Meanwhile, Lana was still standing in front of her blackboard, chalk in hand. Once she lifted the chalk, she froze, staring blankly at the three problems."In trouble now, aren't you? Can't do it, huh? Let's see how long you can keep up the act.""Now you finally understand what advanced math is, right? You can't even understand the problems. Yet you dared to challenge a world-class competitor. Utterly delusional."Smiling slyly at everyone, Joyce said, "Come on, folks, she's just a young girl who hasn't seen much of the world. If she loses later, don't mock her. After all, we need to take care of her dignity."Joyce's implication was clear: Lana was destined to lose.At that moment, a cold voice cut through the air. "Maybe you should worry about your daughter being mocked instead."Joyce turned around to see Mandy looking at her with a smile that didn't reach her eyes."Mandy, if Rosa does something embarrassi
Rosa would never accept defeat! How could she lose to a nobody? As her face grew darker, Lana and others knew her answer.Rosa refused to call Lana "Queen Lana". Shrugging, Lana said, "Fine, if you don't want to call me Queen Lana, that's okay. I guess the President's family is just like this."This was the second time Rosa had heard this phrase from Lana. The first time, she hadn't realized the gravity of the situation. But now, in front of so many people, it wasn't just her problem anymore. It involved the dignity of the whole family.Just as the words left Lana's mouth, Priscilla's expression turned exceptionally unpleasant. The loss of a member from the President's family turned them into a laughingstock."Rosa, is this how we taught you?" Priscilla's tone was unfriendly, but she tried to maintain the dignity befitting a member of the President's family.Rosa's eyes reddened. She hadn't realized this woman was so capable, not only in mathematics but also as a master of wor
"What are you doing, Rom? You scared me."Romelius suddenly came to his senses. "Did you call me 'Rom'?""I don't want to call you Uncle Romelius. So, I have no choice but to call you Rom. Since it's rude to call you by your name directly." Romelius' attention was clearly not on how he was being addressed. After he calmed down, he sat next to Lana and said, "You mentioned that you were an orphan. Is that true?""Rom, do you think I would joke about something like that?" Lana asked as she looked at him disdainfully. "That's true. Where are you from? Why are you so capable?""I'm from Gilsbury. But I wasn't always there. I lived there until I was eight. I came back last year," Lana said directly. Romelius' heart skipped a beat, and his entire body was trembling. The hope he felt scared him. He didn't want to be disappointed. "Rom, why are you trembling?" Lana felt Romelius' forehead with her palm. Then, she muttered, "It doesn't seem to be a fever."Afterward, she grabbed hi
After the series of twists and turns, the banquet finally began. Everyone started to eat and chat. The Quinns were all very outstanding people. Among them were a scientist, a famous actress, a president and a genius like Rosa. Even Rachel, who married into the family, was a successful businesswoman. Their talks were bound to be related to their professions. Rosa lost the Math Olympiad to Lana and had to call her Queen Lana as per the bet. She feared it would be awkward to meet Lana at the banquet. So, she was adamant to stay in her room and ate there. Mandy wasn't a biological daughter of the Quinns. She had also been away from home for decades. None of the Quinns would be impressed by her achievements, no matter how successful she was. The main topic of discussion revolved around Rachel. "Rach, It's only been a few days since I saw you. Why does it feel like your skin is so much better?"Rachel was busy with work, and she had to raise her kids. Her skin had been in poor c
"Did you hear what they say, Grandma? Mandy isn't doing anything illegal or immoral. Why should she take the insults they are throwing at her?"The more Romelius tried to defend Mandy, the more it angered Priscilla. "Why should I care? If she is innocent, she shouldn't be affected by the words of others," Priscilla said as she glared at Mandy. With a single sentence, Priscilla instantly pinned all those disgraceful rumors about Mandy as fact. Mandy finally realized how unsightly she was to Priscilla.Mandy clutched the cards Lana gave her tightly. She stood abruptly and said, "Don't be angry, Grandmother. Romelius was just blowing things out of proportion. I'm not troubled by what Rachel and the others are saying.Rachel smirked at Mandy and said, "Mandy is right. We weren't speaking ill of you. Romelius, did you have to overreact like that?"Joyce was displeased that Romelius decided to defend Mandy while disregarding her feelings. But she quickly stepped in to play the Good S
When Lana said she mainly worked as Mandy's assistant and was a business owner on the side, everyone else thought she was joking. Even so, they couldn't prove it. Lana looked at Rachel's face, which was twisted in fear. She said coldly, "Also, I don't even know you. How did you get your hands on our serum without being a member? If you don't come clean now, I'll call the police. "The serum is a closely guarded trade secret of my company. It's also the core of my business. I don't want it to be used as a means for boasting by anyone." Lana was intimidating, and her words were logical. She had the demeanor of someone who far surpassed her age. Lana's intimidating temperament was honed through the trials and tribulations of the business world. Rachel finally realized how serious the situation was. She could only come clean with what happened. "My cousin works in your beauty parlor as a masseuse."Lana smirked and said, "A thief from within! What's her name?" Rachel was sc
"I guess we went through similarly hard lives, so we feel for each other." Lana tried to explain. "We were both adopted and had to live by other peoples' rules." There are many things that others could never relate to unless they also went through the same. That was why Lana felt for Mandy at the Quinn Residence and wanted to help her. Mandy patted Lana's head and said, "It's not worth getting on the bad side of the Quinns just to stand up for me."Lana knew what she was getting into. She smiled faintly and said, "But I think you're worth it." Mandy felt terrible. She thought Lana was brave because she didn't understand how scary the Quinns could be. But she knew about the risk of offending the Quinns. She decided that she would keep a closer eye on Lana to keep her safe.Mandy brought Lana to the most prosperous neighborhood in Dawsbury City. Lana bought an apartment here, and the price tag made her wallet bleed. The money she spent on the apartment was enough for a vill
Would Lana forgive him and spend the rest of her life with him?Liam's heart was filled with a sense of anticipation.Since the reason for the incident had been clarified, everyone let out a sigh of relief at the same time and also went back to rest. Even Leonardo was taken away just to give the two people who had been apart for a long time some space to be alone.After everyone had left, Liam straightened out his clothes and approached Lana, then proceeded to slowly crouch down."Lana!"In the man's deep and sexy voice, there was an unusual tremor and a hint of choked emotion.Liam had no idea what kept him going during these years after losing Lana.Liam didn't dare to do anything too bold. Instead, he gently leaned his handsome face against Lana's hand, repeatedly calling her name.Three years had already passed since Lana left in a fit of anger, setting off a series of events afterward.If she still had any resentment, it would have vanished when she saw Liam's tall figu
Liam's outstretched hand awkwardly hung in the air, and eventually, he could only withdraw it."Speak up if you have something to say, or else, stay quiet. We're not in the mood to listen to you." Hector's attitude toward Liam was still unfavorable, to the extent that he didn't even want to see him.Lana suddenly said, "Something very serious actually happened today."Following that, she placed Leonardo down and showed everyone the wound on his neck.A ring of red marks surrounded Leonardo's delicate neck. In some places, the marks were so swollen that it looked like a tire had been wrapped around his neck. It was a shocking sight to behold.Hector, Violet, Mandy, and Romelius were immediately enraged."What happened to Leo?""What happened to his neck? It could have been fatal if it was any worse.""Who was responsible for watching Leo today? How could they be so negligent and let the child get injured so badly?""This doesn't look like any ordinary wound. It looks like it wa
"Stop looking at me like that. If you want to kill or torture me, go ahead." Cynthia knew what would happen to her after the truth came out, so she gave up struggling. "However, even after my death, I'll haunt you for the rest of your life!"As they listened to her absurd threat, Lana and the Traffic Light Trio burst into laughter."If ghosts were real, then Emilia would be the first to look for you."When her deceased sister was mentioned, Cynthia's smile remained unchanged. "That fool probably never knew it was me who betrayed her until her death."Considering the situation, Cynthia didn't believe she could leave the Garrison Villa tonight."What exactly do you gain by single-handedly destroying the Cooper family?"Lana was still very confused by Cynthia's actions.After all, Emilia and Cynthia were twins and had the same blood coursing through their veins. With all the Coopers gone, Cynthia had nothing to gain from it either!Cynthia sneered at Lana's question. "Lana, yo
On the evening of the banquet, the Garrison Villa was bustling with distinguished guests.Initially, everyone's attention was on the precious great-grandson of the Garrison and Kane family. With his confident and lively demeanor, the chubby child was absolutely adorable. Everyone was naturally curious about who the child might have chosen as his stepmother.It should be noted that the Garrison and Kane family only had one great-grandson. His future was destined to be extraordinary. As long as one could control the child, it was much more worthwhile than dealing with those individuals from the two affluent families.After all, the elders from the two families were very attentive and doting toward this child. Surprisingly, Liam, who was said to have been away from home for a long time, had returned. During the reception of guests, he unexpectedly had a smile on his face.The ladies who had come tonight, vying for the position of Liam's wife, became even more excited.Liam typi
On the night before the banquet, Romelius and Mandy finally brought Leonardo back.Lana was overjoyed, and she immediately went to the bungalow where they were staying.At that time, Leonardo had just returned home and was playing with toys on the living room floor."Leo, you're back! Did you miss Mommy? Mommy missed you so much!"Lana ran toward Leonardo, talking to him while reaching out to hug him. In a flash, Leonardo suddenly ran toward Romelius while holding a toy car.After that, he kept hiding in his arms, refusing to come out. He would occasionally peek out from the gaps to glance at Lana.His actions clearly showed that he refused to accept Lana.Lana's enthusiasm was dampened, and her outstretched arms awkwardly remained in midair. She looked at Romelius and then at Mandy as if waiting for them to persuade Leonardo. However, these two remained silent and only greeted Lana in a casual manner."Oh, Lana, you've come?" Mandy said while presenting her with a basket o
Due to the fact that the Garrison family was going to hold a banquet to introduce the mother of their beloved great-grandson, Leonardo, the Garrisons once again became the talk of the town in Dawsbury.The last time Dawsbury was so lively was when Hector introduced the Garrison family's heir to everyone.As soon as the news was released, the Garrisons became noticeably busier in the following days. All of them were busy scurrying around and helping Hector deliver the invitations.In addition to people who had business dealings with the Garrison family, the invitations were naturally sent to people who were familiar with Lana in the past. Therefore, as soon as the Traffic Light Trio received the invitation, they didn't even go to work and immediately ran to Liam's office—intending to get an explanation from him.At that time, Liam had just finished a phone call from overseas and was deep in thought when the office door was suddenly kicked open.Lincoln stood at the door, looking
With that, Sawyer ignored the unpleasant expressions on Freya and Hector's faces. He immediately picked up his child and walked away.Hector was furious. He glared at Liam, his eyes burning with anger. It was clear that he thought Liam was the one responsible for Lana's predicament.Liam was once again innocently caught in the crossfire.Freya set aside her current tasks, offered some comforting words to Hector, and then got up and chased after them.She knew Sawyer well enough and was certain that he would never have treated someone like this unless there was a reason.As Freya's family of three left, Lana's face bore a sorrowful expression. "Since I'm not welcome here, I guess I'll just go."With that, Lana got up and walked toward the door.Hector and Violet had been waiting for Lana's return for a long time. Now that she was finally back, how could they possibly let her go?Naturally, the two of them chased after Lana and tried to talk her out of leaving. They eventually ma
Liam sensed a challenging undertone in Lana's stare. After all this time, had they truly become adversaries?Releasing Lana abruptly, Violet gently patted her arm, her eyes filled with profound hurt."You're here, alive and well. Why did you leave us in the shadows? Even if you chose not to contact anyone else, you should've considered reaching out to me. Do you have any idea how much I missed you?"Over the years, Violet had been grappling with a deep sense of loss.Though it remained an unspoken sentiment among them, Violet was aware of the underlying blame directed toward Liam for what was believed to be Lana's demise.Had Liam been more emotionally available, their relationship wouldn't have crumbled. It would've stopped Lana from seeking refuge overseas while carrying their child, an act that set the stage for her heartbreaking destiny.Witnessing Liam's anguish and believing Lana to be lost forever had taken a severe toll on Violet's health, aging her considerably."Gr
Liam guided Leo to Lana's room.As they entered, Lana was already awake, bathed in the serene morning light streaming through the window.Upon hearing their arrival, Lana, while brushing her hair, shifted her gaze toward them—a familiar scene echoing times gone by."Good morning, Liam and Leo!" she greeted them effortlessly.Without hesitation, Leonardo squirmed out of Liam's embrace and darted toward Lana, exclaiming, "Hi, Nana!"Lana paused, momentarily surprised by Leonardo's nickname. "Leo, you should be calling me 'Mommy'!" she gently corrected him.Leonardo hesitated momentarily before redirecting his attention to Liam.Even though Liam hadn't exchanged a single word with Lana, he spoke up when Leo glanced his way, firmly stating, "Feel free to do as you wish. There's no need to seek my approval. Alright?"Leonardo nodded obediently and turned his gaze back to Lana, continuing to address her as "Nana."While Lana appeared somewhat displeased by this unexpected turn of ev