"Um... um..." Tiana Grayson was on the verge of tears. ’How can I not be afraid of a man who seems even more intimidating than my own brother?’

"Oh? So reluctant? It seems I am indeed quite intimidating. I’m so sorry to have frightened you, Miss Grayson."

"Mr. Lockwood, you’re joking. That’s not what I meant," Tiana Grayson replied, forcing a smile and gently shaking her head.

"You have a very beautiful smile, Miss Grayson."

Tiana looked stunned for a moment, then gave a polite nod. "Thank you..."

When Leo Joyce saw Tiana and Jason Lockwood laughing and talking the entire time, he abruptly shoved Aria Joyce, who had been in his arms, away. He strode over to Tiana, and without a word, he pulled their dancing bodies apart.

"Leo, what are you doing?" Tiana asked, tilting her head in confusion as Leo Joyce pulled her behind him.

"I hate these kinds of events. Come with me." With that, Leo Joyce shot Jason Lockwood a vicious glare before turning and pulling Tiana Grayson away.

Tiana lowered her head and replied in a small voice, "Oh, I don’t like them either." ’I don’t know why Leo is so angry, but I really do hate these kinds of events too.’

Watching her younger brother leave with Tiana, Aria Joyce clicked over in her high heels to stand beside Jason Lockwood. Tapping her chin, she teased with a smirk, "Well, Jason Lockwood, it seems my little brother was getting jealous of you, wasn’t he?"

Jason Lockwood’s lips curled into a sneer. "It would seem so." With his expression turning cold, he turned to leave.

Aria Joyce, however, stepped directly in front of him, blocking his path. The look in her eyes was just as unfriendly. "Jason Lockwood, my brother has finally found a girl he likes, and as it happens, I quite like her myself. So, you should know to keep your hands to yourself." ’I know Jason’s character. He never would have switched dance partners with Leo just now if he didn’t have an ulterior motive.’

Jason Lockwood merely curled his lip in disdain at Aria Joyce’s warning. He took a step toward her, leaned in close to her ear, and said slowly, "Aria Joyce, you are in no position to meddle in my affairs."

With that, Jason Lockwood straightened up, adjusted his collar and cuffs, and walked past Aria Joyce with a confident smirk on his face.

Watching Jason Lockwood walk away, a cold smile touched Aria Joyce’s lips. Parting her red lips, she murmured, "Jason Lockwood, you don’t really think you’re the same man you once were, do you?"

Jason Lockwood stiffened for a moment, his hands clenching into tight fists. Nevertheless, he continued to walk away with firm, confident strides.

On the second floor, a man standing by the railing had taken in everything happening below.

He held a wine glass in his left hand and took a light sip. Then, raising his right hand, he aimed it in Jason Lockwood’s direction and made a shooting gesture.

"Master Archie, it appears the Eldest Young Master intends to start with the Grayson Family," a man in his fifties said with a respectful bow.

Archie Lockwood’s dark eyes were bottomless as he sneered. "Heh. The Grayson Family watched my mother die and did nothing to help. It’s about time they paid the price."

"Yes, Master Archie. As you say, an eye for an eye."

Archie Lockwood’s lips pressed into a cold smirk. He set his wine glass on a table behind him, shoved his hands in his pockets, and started walking downstairs.

*****

「The next day, just after ten in the morning.」

Mika Summers and Silas Kent stepped off the plane, followed by four bodyguards and a female assistant.

As they exited the airport’s main doors, a long motorcade of luxury cars immediately pulled up to greet them.

Mika Summers frowned slightly at the grand display. Just then, a hand rested on her shoulder, and the man beside her leaned in to whisper in her ear, "What are you spacing out for? Let’s go."