After the divorce, he begged

Rebecca showed up at the Guzman family’s hat around 6:30 in the evening.

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As she looked at the spry old man sitting at the head of the table, Rebecca got straight to the point. “Mr.

Guzman, why did you askto chere?”

If it were just her, she wouldn't have come. The Guzman family might look calm on the surface, but there was a

lot going on beneath. But with Mark and Tom here, she didn’t have to be so cautious.

“It’s nothing really,” Mr. Guzman said. His expression was even more serious than Sebastian’s, but this was as

gentle as he could manage. “I just wanted to have a chat with you and share a meal.”

Rebecca didn’t say much.

If this had been back when she first arrived in Honnala, she probably would have just gotten up and left.

But after everything she'd been through, she realized that in these circles, it didn’t matter if people didn’t get

along-you could still grab dinner and talk.

A single meal, a single conversation, a single meeting.

Any of those could end up helping or hurting you.

“I know all about your relationship with Ryan,” Mr. Guzman started, breaking the silence. “If you're comfortable,

you can just callGrandpa.”

Rebecca shook her head gently-she didn’t want things to get awkward. “Calling you Grandpa right away feels a

little too close for me. I'd rather stick with Grandpa Ryan if that’s okay.”

Mr. Guzman'’s heart relaxed a bit. “Whatever makes you comfortable. That's fine by me.”

They shared a meal and chatted casually.

The whole evening passed without any awkwardness or —just as Mr. Guzman had promised, it really was

nothing more than a simple, ordinary family dinner.

It wasn’t until the meal was over and Rebecca was about to leave that Mr. Guzman finally called out to her.

“Rebecca.”

Rebecca turned to look at him.

“I heard once you pass your evaluation, you'll be able to acquire shares in the Quinn family?” Mr. Guzman asked,

cutting straight to the point-no beating around the bush like he did with others.

“It's not about getting them handed over,” Rebecca corrected. “I'll have to buy them.”

Mr. Guzman was nothing like the man he’d been over twenty years ago. “That was my mistake.”

Rebecca didn’t beat around the bush. “So, what is it you want to ask?”

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“The Quinn family is massive. Besides your two uncles, there's a web of other branches,” Mr. Guzman said,

studying her face that so closely resembled Ryan's. “If you're after those shares, you should know-they’re not

going to just sit by and watch. They'll put up a fight.”

It's a cutthroat gin the business world.

Mr. Guzman couldn't help but wonder, ‘Is a kid like her really thinking all that far ahead?"

Rebecca's expression stayed perfectly calm. “Are you trying to persuadeto give up?”

“No, that’s not it,” Mr. Guzman spoke up quickly, worried she'd take it the wrong way. “I just wanted to ask if you

were scared, that’s all.”

“I'm not scared,” Rebecca answered.

Mr. Guzman pressed, “Are you really not scared?”

Rebecca: “7”

‘What's with that question anyway?‘ Rebecca thought.

Her mom hadn't shared much about Mr. Guzman, except to say he was old-fashioned, strict, and set in his ways.

Rebecca wondered to herself, ‘Why would a guy like him suddenly take such an interest in my dealings with the

Quinn family?’

“So, do you want to have even more money?” Mr. Guzman edged the conversation forward. “Your dad actually

owns a good chunk of Guzman Group shares. If you don’t mind extra trouble or , | can get him to transfer

them over to you.”

Rebecca immediately becalert.

Sebastian let her buy back the shares at the original price because the contract required it—and also because he

felt guilty toward her mom.

‘But what's Mr. Guzman really after?’ Rebecca thought.

It definitely couldn't be just because she shared blood with Ryan.

Rebecca knew exactly where she stood. Mr. Guzman wasn't the type to bring this up for a relationship that

hadn’t even been confirmed by a DNA test-especially for someone like him, who always put profit ahead of

family ties.

“No need to rush,” Mr. Guzman said, seeing her wary look. “You can take your tto think it over, or talk it

through with your mom.”

“Actually, you got something wrong,” Rebecca cut in, steering the conversation elsewhere.

Mr. Guzman'’s eyes clouded with confusion.

Rebecca didn’t mince her words. “My dad isn’t a shareholder in Guzman Group.”

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After exchanging a few polite words, Rebecca left with Tom and Mark. As her silhouette faded beyond the front

gate, someone appeared beside Mr. Guzman out of nowhere, a stern voice breaking the quiet. “Why did you call

her here?”

Mr. Guzman gave a half-smile. “Just wanted to see how your grand adventure of chasing after your wife and

daughter is going.”

Ryan was left speechless.

Mr. Guzman wouldn't let it go. “Honestly, looks tolike you're still stuck at square one.”

“If you weren't the biggest stumbling block back then, would things really have turned out like this?” Ryan

retorted calmly. He knew he’d messed up in the past, but Mr. Guzman wasn’t off the hook either.

“Don’t pin your failed plans on me,” Mr. Guzman replied bluntly. “And don’t say | didn’t warn you-the annual

shareholders’ meeting is coming up soon, and your uncle won't just sit this one out.”

Ryan replied coolly, “If you can’t control your own brother, how's that my fault?”

Mr. Guzman started to speak, then just snorted coldly and stayed silent.

His brother was born when their parents were already getting on in years, so there was a big age gap between

them. But he was about the sage as Ryan.

“For now, keep Rebecca out of this,” Ryan said, keeping his voice steady. He hadn't mentioned anything about it

lately-mainly because he still had a few things working behind the scenes. “Once everything's sorted out, Ill talk

to her.”

Mr. Guzman pressed his lips together.

He swallowed back whatever words he’d been about to say.

He had a way to handle the trouble at the upcoming shareholders’ meeting, but if he said it out loud, Ryan would

definitely be pissed.

“Got it,” Mr. Guzman replied.

“Don’t just call her over to the Hanson residence whenever you want,” Ryan reminded him. “If your uncle

catches wind of it, it might cause trouble for her.”

“You're only in your fifties and already this much of a nag?” Mr. Guzman grumbled, not holding back. “Can you

imagine what you'll be like when you're my age?”

Ryan stayed calm, didn’t say another word, and just walked away.

By the tRyan got home, Rebecca and her dad had already finished dinner. Knowing Rebecca wasn't all that

keen on seeing him, he stayed out of sight. Still, Ryan couldn't shake the feeling that it wouldn't take long before

news of tonight made its way to his uncle-when that happened, things wouldn't be peaceful for long.

That was when things would really get messy.

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As Ryan walked away, Mr. Guzman’s eyes were clouded with a mix of emotions, his heart feeling heavy.

After a while, Mr. Guzman pulled out his phone and sent Rebecca a message: [This place will always be your

home. If you ever want to cover, just let Grandpa Ryan know-I'll have someone cpick you up.)

Rebecca didn’t reply to the message.

After reading the message, Rebecca just swiped it away and switched to another screen.

Mark, sitting in the passenger seat, noticed her look and said in his signature deadpan tone, “Boss, that dinner

was seriously suspicious.”

“Con, it was basically an ambush in disguise-of course there was something off.” Tom spoke up from the

driver's seat. The three of them were less like boss and employees, and more like friends who could say

whatever was on their minds.

Rebecca glanced up at him. “What makes you say that?”

She was well aware the dinner had hidden motives, but even she knew her own perspective had its limits.

She wasn’t as naturally sharp or perceptive as her mom or Jeffrey. Most of the time, she just had to piece things

together based on what people did or said—she couldn't read people or situations in one glance the way they

could.

Tom didn’t sugarcoat it. “The way Mr. Guzman looks at you-it’s not just family. Maybe five percent is the whole

‘granddaughter bonding’ thing. The other ninety-five percent? That's all about business and what he can get out

of it.”

Rebecca paused for a second. “So he wants to use my relationship with the Quinn family?”

Mr. Guzman brought up the shares, and her mom had made it pretty clear the Guzman family isn’t half as

peaceful as people think. Uncle David also has a younger uncle, and those two are always fighting for power.

‘So is Mr. Guzman planning to use my connection to the Quinn family as leverage against Uncle David's younger

brother?* Rebecca considered.

But that thought didn’t last long. Rebecca thought, ‘It’s not like I'm that close to the Quinn family, and

honestly, the Quinns and Guzmans aren’t exactly friendly with each other. There's no way the Guzmans could

useto leverage the Quinns for anything.”

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