10 Sorry, I am late.

Anna acted as if she had not heard her, calmly taking out her clothes one by one and hanging them up.

Lily grew more excited and kept talking.

“All these years you did not come back. Did Dad ever ask about you even once? You have no place in his heart at all. Anna, your father, your room, your man. I took them all. If I were you, I would get out now and stop embarrassing yourself in the Whitmore family.”

After hanging the last piece of clothing, Anna curved her lips into a faint smile.

“Who is the embarrassing one here, Lily? Do you really think you are a true Whitmore family young lady?”

Lily face changed.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing much. I just want to remind you of one thing. No matter how people outside call your mother Mrs. Whitmore, it cannot change where she came from, and it certainly cannot change the fact that she knowingly became a mistress.”

Anna walked toward Lily step by step. Years in the business world had given her a commanding presence.

She was already taller than Lily, and with high heels on, the pressure was overwhelming.

Her beautiful lips lifted into a smile.

“Did your mother never tell you that even now, she has never officially registered a marriage with Dad?”

Lily froze completely. She had been raised delicately all these years, a spoiled young lady through and through.

“That is impossible. Dad loves Mom so much. How could he not give her a marriage certificate?”

“How foolish. Do you really think marriages among elite families are about love? Back then, the Whitmore family only rose in power because of their alliance with the Erickson family. Your father gained the benefits and still betrayed my mother, leading to her death. Do you really think the Erickson family would just let that go?”

Anna lifted a hand and brushed Lily cheek lightly.

“I might as well tell you this. As long as my grandfather is alive, they will never get married. Your mother will always be a mistress, and the children she gave birth to will always be illegitimate.”

“Little sister, the Caldwell family is not like the Whitmore family, a family that grew stronger through marriage alliances. In New York, powerful families are everywhere, and have been for centuries. Do you think a family like that would accept their prized heir marrying an illegitimate daughter whose mother never even made it official? Do you think this marriage could still happen?”

Lily face turned deathly pale. She never imagined that the pitiful girl from the past would return and drop such a bombshell on her.

Anna reached out and gently patted Lily face.

“If I were you, I would keep my head down and behave. Whether Dad likes me or not does not change the fact that I am the legitimate eldest daughter of the Whitmore family. Unlike you, who has nothing but his affection.”

“As for me, behind me stand not only the Whitmore family, but also the Erickson family. If I were to say I wanted to marry into the Caldwell family, who do you think they would choose, you or me?”

“Or do you really think the Caldwell family wants to ally with the Whitmore family because you are so outstanding? Do not joke. They are interested in what the Whitmore family has. A marriage alliance binds two families interests together. It has nothing to do with you.”

Lily finally snapped out of it.

“So you came back to steal Lucas from me. Anna, keep dreaming. The one who marries into the Caldwell family will be me.”

With that, she turned and rushed out, never seeing the calculating smile at the corner of Anna lips.

The Caldwell family. She would marry into it for sure, just not by marrying Lucas.

An older man was far better than Lucas. Just the fact that he kept himself clean and did not mess around with women made him superior. Even if he turned out to be gay, Anna planned to straighten him out.

So what if he was older? That might be a problem for others.

For Anna, it was perfect.

An old man was good. An old man had a pension. When an old man died, you could find another.

Once he died, all his assets would be hers. She could also disgust Lucas for the rest of his life. Why not?

The more Anna thought about it, the more she felt that an old man was truly her match made in heaven.

Lucas uncle would definitely be there tonight, right?

Resting her chin on her hand, Anna thought carefully. What kind of woman would an older man like?

She summoned the butler upstairs.

“Miss.”

“Have you still not found any information on that member of the Caldwell family?”

“Yes. He keeps an extremely low profile and has lived overseas for years. He usually stays hidden as an investor. Many people have tried to approach him and failed to even meet him.”

“So you do not know his preferences either?”

“I found that he attends auctions to bid on antiques and paintings. He also collects rare teas.”

“Got it.”

Anna mind instantly formed the image of a middle aged man who enjoyed tea and art.

It fit perfectly with the image and taste of an older man.

So she chose a custom made deep blue gown, pinned up her hair, wore jade earrings, and applied light makeup.

When she went downstairs at the appointed time, she was told that the rest of the Whitmore family had already left.

Anna chuckled softly. Lily could not seriously think that by leaving her behind and sending away all the drivers, she would not be able to go.

What era was this?

“Give me the spare keys. And the tea set I asked you to prepare.”

“Everything is ready.”

The old butler handed her an exquisite rosewood hexagonal case and also passed her the keys to a supercar.

“Drive safely.”

Anna drove the dust covered Ferrari out of the garage. Her scumbag father was truly generous to his mistress family.

She had lived on three hundred thousand dollars a year while abroad. Lawrence loved cars, and the garage was full of limited edition supercars.

Compared to them, she felt like the adopted one.

She stepped on the accelerator and sped off.

The busy streets roared with traffic, the supercar engine drawing eyes everywhere.

As she neared the hotel, she pressed the accelerator again, brushing past a black Mulsanne like a gust of wind.

In the back seat, a man resting quietly opened his eyes lazily and glanced coolly at the supercar that had just stopped ahead.

As the automatic door lifted, a dark green high heel stepped out, revealing a woman leg through the slit of a cheongsam, long and pale.

The glossy satin swayed lightly around her calf as she moved.

The fitted gown traced her slender waist and full, firm curves.

With each elegant step, a seductive charm rippled outward.

The contrast between the cheongsam beauty and the supercar was striking. Just a single back view was enough to steal souls.

Lorenzo throat moved unconsciously. He had not known she could look this stunning in a long dress.

At the dining table, guests from both sides were arriving one after another.

Lily was dressed in high end couture, covered in expensive jewelry, glittering so brightly she looked ready to turn into a peacock.

Across from her, Mrs. Heather Caldwell sipped her tea gracefully, observing Lily every word and movement.

Heather asked, “Is everyone here? I heard the eldest daughter of the Whitmore family has returned. Why have I not seen her?”

She was no fool. A marriage alliance was one thing, but she still wanted the best option.

She had heard the Whitmore family favored the younger daughter, while the elder daughter had little standing. But her maternal family was the Erickson family, with several powerful uncles spanning politics and business.

The marriage was not finalized yet. It never hurt to look more.

Lily smiled and explained, “She probably stayed abroad too long and has not adjusted to the time difference yet. She is resting at home.”

The implication was clear. Anna was back, but she did not value this dinner at all.

Heather smile did not fade. Her manicured fingers tapped lightly against the bone china cup.

At that moment, a gentle female voice sounded from the doorway.

“Sorry, I am late.”