“What's all this fuss about? Aren't I right here?" A cool, clear voice cut through the tension. All eyes turned to the entrance to find Lilah, her poised and striking face betraying no hint of intimidation. She strode in with a chill in her step and took a seat at the far left end of the table.

She chose a spot away from the others.

Onyx's eyes narrowed slightly, taking in Lilah's changed demeanor.

He had thought his uncle Robert lacked a worthy son, yet here was Matthew, seemingly insignificant, with a daughter who exuded strength.

What was the story there?

The moment Marlene laid eyes on Lilah, fury surged within her. Fire danced in her stunning eyes as she spat out, "Lilah, you've really got some nerve."

Matthew's command was firm. "Lilah, come over here and apologize to Marlene. We're family. You shouldn't have slapped her."

"And why did I slap her? She didn't give you the reason?" Lilah inquired, lifting an eyebrow.

“No excuse justifies slapping her," Matthew retorted, feeling the pressure build in his head. He wondered how he had ended up with such a reckless daughter, fearing she might be the downfall of the Phillips Group.

"Really? That's interesting." Lilah smiled coolly, turning her gaze to Marlene.

Marlene could feel her heart racing at the sight of Lilah's confident expression. She reassured herself, with the family around, what could Lilah possibly do to her? Surely, she thought, Lilah would be forced to kneel and apologize.

Onyx observed Lilah quietly over his cup of coffee, his eyes sweeping over her from head to toe.

He acknowledged that Lilah had a bit more about her than Matthew, but to him, youth often bred arrogance. Did she think she was significant just because she had brought in some profits for the Phillips Group?

Unbeknownst to Lilah, Onyx believed he could crush her without effort.

Setting his cup down, Onyx spoke with a calm yet foreboding edge to his voice. "It's been a while, Lilah. You've grown quite beautiful and clever. It's no surprise you've been successful at leading the Phillips Group. Your grandfather would be proud, no doubt. But I'm certain he'd expect you to push beyond the current successes, not just settle there."

Marlene sneered in her mind. She was sure that they could easily ruin Lilah. How dare Lilah act arrogant like this?

Marlene was already feeling excited at the prospect of what she could do to her. When Lilah finally knelt down to apologize, she would take photos of her. As for whether or not she would post them online, it would all depend on her mood. She might just decide to use it as ammunition against Lilah for the rest of her life.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Lilah clapped her hands happily and said, “Of course, that's what I would expect of Dillon Group. Even till now, I think that my grandpa's idea was very good. It's what made Dillon Group become the leading enterprise in Rivendell. I think my grandfather would be happy if he could see it now, right, Uncle Onyx?"

The expression on Onyx's face changed when she called his name.

How dare she indirectly mock him?

Though the reason why Dillon Group had thrived this much was indeed because of Robert, the reason the Group had held on till now was because of their efforts and talent. Besides, Onyx's father had since given Robert a sum of money as a thank-you for his efforts.

So, how dare Lilah make such claims?

"I don't think your grandfather will be happy. Our company is doing great, but yours is different," Onyx fiercely replied to Lilah.