Cherry pointed at the group of people over there and said, "Do you think I can just leave right now?"
"Sooner or later, you'll be coming with me everywhere," Ethan Yin mumbled. "Just like my parents! My dad always takes my mom with him, and that's how I'll be too."
Cherry's eyes were soft and gentle, impossible to describe.
This kind of sweet talk was just what she needed.
"Mm," Cherry replied softly, as if agreeing to a promise for a lifetime.
Yina groaned dramatically and flopped onto the ground, her exhaustion written all over her face. "I can't do this anymore! Just let me die from exhaustion!"
Cherry wrapped her arms around Ethan's waist, her smile radiant. "I'll do whatever Mrs. Yin says."
"Don't worry! My mom loves you—she's wanted you in the family for ages. You're her proudest achievement!" Ethan hugged Cherry even tighter. "Cherry, I'll never let you regret this!"
"I know," Cherry felt a sweetness deep in her heart.
She really had made the right choice.
Only after dealing with her deadbeat dad could she truly be with Ethan without any worries.
She didn't like any hidden dangers.
She wouldn't allow any landmines in her life.
The two of them whispered and cuddled for ages before finally, reluctantly, letting go.
When Cherry returned to the field, she saw a group of people smiling at her.
Cherry's smile froze, her voice suddenly turning cold and distant. "Miss Kofi, if you want to pursue Mr. Yin, go right ahead. There's no need to notify me specifically."
"Cherry, we're sorry! We weren't making fun of you!" Yuzhen Yin, that sunny, silly kid, blurted out without thinking.
Leo Mo made a face like he couldn't bear to watch the drama.
Why did they have such a silly and adorable friend like Yuzhen Yin?
Cherry felt a wave of irritation and pressed her fingers to her temple, trying to keep her patience.
Lucas Mu rested his chin on his hand and said, "Cherry, only Yuzhen thinks that way. The rest of us totally don't!"
Cherry pointed at this one, then that one. "You guys—"
Yina Yin waited until they finished talking before she spoke. "Cherry, my brother's about to go on a business trip. Do we really have to keep learning how to farm out here?"
After she spoke, Yina lowered her voice. "If you don't say anything, he won't know we're slacking off!"
Cherry glanced at Ryan King before answering, "Ethan has way more spies than you think. Just because I don't say anything doesn't mean he doesn't know."
Yina groaned and flopped onto the ground. "I can't do this anymore! Just let me die from exhaustion!"
So even though Ethan Yin left Sunset Manor, nobody dared slack off.
That's the kind of pressure you get from the eldest brother!
That day, Cherry was directing the villa's chefs to deliver drinks to the group of suffering young masters when the phone suddenly rang.
Cherry answered the call without thinking. "Sunset Manor, how can I help you?"
A strange woman's voice came through the phone. "I'm looking for Cherry Miller."
"This is she," Cherry replied. "May I ask who you are?"
"My name is Casey Kofi. I want to meet you."
Cherry replied offhandedly, "Please make an appointment with my assistant first..."
Before Cherry could finish, Casey interrupted, "I know you're Ethan Yin's beloved. I'm here to compete with you!"
Cherry's smile froze, her voice suddenly turning formal. "Miss Kofi, if you want to pursue Mr. Yin, go right ahead. There's no need to notify me specifically."
"Of course I have to notify you," Casey said arrogantly. "I have to know what kind of woman could make Ethan refuse me—are you some kind of superhuman?"
"The superhuman is Nezha," Cherry replied, realizing Casey was a spoiled girl and dropping all pretense. "If you want to see what a superhuman looks like, go watch a movie."
Casey didn't understand who Nezha was. Covering the phone, she seemed to ask someone nearby, then said angrily, "You're making fun of me!"
Cherry had a headache.
Where did Ethan Yin pick up another troublesome admirer?
Cherry had dealt with so many of these admirers since she was young.
This one wasn't even local, from the sound of it.
Cherry didn't want to keep talking to Casey and was about to make an excuse to hang up, when Casey suddenly asked, "Cherry, do you know a man named Ken?"
Cherry, who had been impatient, instantly became alert when she heard that. "What did you say?"
"He says his name is Ken, and he's your father," Casey said smugly. "Do you want to know about him?"
"Time and place," Cherry's eyes turned cold.
How did this Casey suddenly know her deadbeat dad's name?
Why was she bringing up her deadbeat dad? What was she trying to say?
Or maybe she knew something?
Looks like this troublesome admirer isn't going away anytime soon.
Cherry was never one to drag things out. Since the problem had come, there was no point hiding—she'd just face it head-on!
Casey saw her tactic worked and was satisfied. "That's more like it. Tonight at seven, Champs Hotel."
"Okay," Cherry replied crisply. "I'll be there on time."
After hanging up, Cherry rubbed her fingers on the table, silently wondering why Casey would bring up her deadbeat dad. Did she know the truth?
Her deadbeat dad was a sleazy womanizer, but he was at the very bottom of society. Normally, he'd have no chance to meet someone like Casey.
So how did they know each other?
A woman who could afford to stay at Champs Hotel would never mix with someone from her dad's world.
So where was the real problem?
Forget it, thinking too much won't help. She'd just have to meet her and see.
After all, her deadbeat dad was pretty resourceful. Even though he was just a nobody, he managed to escape several attempts on his life.
So maybe it wasn't impossible for him to know a pampered, high-class young lady.
At seven o'clock that evening, Cherry arrived right on time at the lobby of Champs Hotel.
As soon as she walked in, Cherry saw a piece of paper taped to the wall with an arrow and a sentence in English: Miss Miller, please go this way.
Cherry was speechless.
This Casey really was... so full of herself.
Whatever.
She was already here anyway.
Following the arrow, Cherry took the elevator up to the eighth-floor café.
As soon as she walked in, Cherry noticed the café had been cleared out—clearly, someone had reserved the entire place.
Casey really went all out, booking a whole café. That must've cost at least six figures. She was definitely a spoiled princess.
A few steps in, a tall, muscular man approached, eyeing her with clear bad intentions.
Cherry paused and said, "I'm Cherry Miller. I'm here to see Casey Kofi."
"Follow me," the man grunted.
Cherry noticed his accent wasn't American or British—it had a strange twist to it.
So Casey and this man weren't from Europe.
Thinking this over, Cherry followed him around the corner and immediately spotted a stunning woman with a hot figure sitting in a chair, looking at her arrogantly.
That had to be Casey.
"So you're not even that pretty," Casey said, scanning Cherry from head to toe. Instantly, she found her confidence, straightening up to show off her proud curves.
Cherry, only five foot three, paused and then lifted her chin, walking over with confidence. "There's an old saying in my country: 'Beauty alone won't last.' So, Miss Casey, do you think inner qualities matter more or is it all about looks?"
Casey snorted. "Of course looks matter. I'm way prettier than you! I just don't get why Ethan would turn me down for you!"
"Maybe Ethan thinks inner qualities are more important than looks," Cherry replied. "If your values don't match, you can't work together. You two have totally different tastes—it's a miracle he'd ever go for you."
"You—" Casey was left speechless, fuming. "Aren't you Easterners supposed to be humble? I'm a guest from afar, and this is how you treat me?"
"Miss Casey barges in trying to steal my man—of course I'm going to fight back. Besides, you're not really my guest, are you?" Cherry replied with a smile.
"Hmph, you're just good at talking," Casey said, puffing up her chest. "I know you're just jealous of me."
"If that makes you happy," Cherry cut to the chase. "How do you know Ken?"
"He's your father, and that's how you talk about him?" Casey widened her eyes at Cherry, then snorted. "I thought Easterners were all about filial piety. Guess not. Miss Miller, you're really unfilial!"
Cherry had no patience for a debate on filial piety. "If you're not serious, Miss Casey, I'll be leaving now."
"Wait!" Casey glared at Cherry, gritting her teeth.
Why was this woman so stubborn?
Still, she wouldn't back down!
"I did meet Ken," Casey said. "He sold me something. He said it would make you leave Ethan on your own."
Cherry's relaxed mood instantly vanished.
What did Casey mean by that?
Did her deadbeat dad sell that thing to Casey before he got taken out?
How could he dare?!
He really deserved what he got!
Too bad the hitman was just a little too slow!
If only he'd been taken out before he could sell that thing—then everything would be perfect!
But was Casey really threatening her so openly? Had she even opened that file? Did she actually know what it was?
Cherry's eyes narrowed, and she smiled. "How much did he sell it to you for? I'll pay double—no, five times as much—to buy it back. How about it?"
Casey snorted, "I'm not selling! If you leave Ethan on your own and tell him you just fell out of love, I'll give it to you."