Out of the entire Almond family, if there was one person she hated the most... then it would definitely be Leonardo.

The reason was simple.

Unlike others who misunderstood her because they never truly knew her, Leonardo should have understood her best.

Back in her previous life, when Leonardo became severely ill and nobody cared whether he lived or died, it was Lana who tirelessly, she stayed beside him.

She personally took care of him when others avoided him.

Not only that, she even secretly completed assignments for him countless times so he could maintain his academic standing and receive praise from others.

Yet despite everything, Leonardo still believed she was a thief.

Even when those office documents disappeared because of someone else’s scheme, Leonardo never trusted her for even a second.

Although Lana never discovered who truly framed her back then, one thing remained certain in her heart.

Leonardo should have trusted her.

But he never did.

Because in his mind, Lana would always remain a thief.

Yes, she had stolen things during childhood. Especially money.

But every single time she stole, it was for Leonardo.

Whenever his pocket money ran out because he spent too much socializing outside, it was Lana who secretly stole money that she had earned, hid her fear, and handed it over to him quietly.

Yet in the end, that same person labeled her a criminal in his heart.

Taking a deep breath, Lana directly blocked Leonardo without hesitation.

However, just as she was about to put her phone away, her eyes suddenly landed on an interesting message.

Leonardo’s team still needed a mystic cultivator.

The moment she read that information, a faint smile slowly appeared on her lips.

That smile looked beautiful.

But strangely dangerous.

"Of course," she murmured softly. "I’ll join your team."

The next day, Leonardo was still desperately trying to figure out another way to contact Lana.

Then suddenly, one of his teammates approached hurriedly.

"The team leader already found a mystic cultivator," the man announced excitedly. "They’ve officially invited them already, so we don’t need to search anymore."

The moment Leonardo heard those words, his heart suddenly sank heavily.

A strange uneasiness quietly rose inside him as he slowly lifted his head and stared ahead blankly.

As the team leader, Pierce maintained his usual fixed smile while adjusting the files in his hand.

"Oh?" he remarked casually. "Who is it?"

The others nearby immediately became curious as well.

After all, mystical cultivators were extremely difficult to invite.

Most of them were arrogant, isolated, or completely uninterested in cooperating with ordinary investigation teams.

Pierce did not bother hiding it.

"It’s Jones," he announced with a smile. "He found a mystic cultivator willing to join the team."

The moment Leonardo heard Jones’ name, his expression darkened almost imperceptibly.

Jones.

His rival.

To be more precise, the person Leonardo hated the most.

That man was always too righteous.

Worst of all, he was usually correct.

And Leonardo despised people like that deeply.

Especially because Jones came from a far smoother background while Leonardo had struggled painfully to climb his way upward step by step.

Every time people compared them, Leonardo felt suffocated.

As these thoughts swirled inside his head, he forced a smile onto his face and walked toward Jones, who was currently being congratulated enthusiastically by several teammates.

Jones stood there calmly with a relaxed smile on his handsome face.

Leonardo extended his hand while smiling warmly.

"Congratulations, Jones," he remarked politely. "I honestly never expected you’d manage to pull something like this off."

Jones looked toward Leonardo quietly.

Then suddenly, a strange smile appeared on his face.

"Oh," Jones replied casually, "this achievement actually has a lot to do with you."

Leonardo froze slightly.

Jones stepped forward and even wrapped an arm around Leonardo’s shoulder as though they were close friends.

"So thank you very much, man."

Leonardo’s brows furrowed instantly.

Before he could ask what Jones meant, the office entrance suddenly opened.

Everyone subconsciously turned toward the entrance.

And there, Lana walked inside calmly.

The moment Leonardo saw her, his heart instantly leaped with excitement.

For a brief second, he genuinely thought she came because of his invitation.

Even though she blocked him earlier, perhaps there was still some lingering affection left between them.

A thought instantly surfaced inside his mind.

’Good... if this works, then I only need to use her once.’

As long as Lana helped his team succeed this time, that would be enough.

Afterward, he could slowly distance himself from her again, just like he did in the previous life.

He immediately walked toward her with a smile.

"So you still came in the end," he chuckled smugly. "Even though you keep saying you hate your brother..."

However, before he could finish speaking, Lana walked straight past him as though he did not even exist.

Leonardo froze completely.

Meanwhile, a genuine smile finally appeared on Lana’s face as she stopped beside Jones.

"Long time no see," she greeted softly.

Jones chuckled warmly.

"It really has been a while."

The moment Leonardo saw Lana speaking so naturally with Jones, a terrible feeling suddenly crept into his chest.

His heartbeat became uneven instantly.

Sure enough, only moments later, Pierce gathered everyone together.

Pierce stood at the center while smiling professionally.

"Everyone," he announced, "allow me to introduce the mystic cultivator participating in this mission."

Then he gestured toward Lana.

Under countless gazes, Lana stepped forward calmly.

Her expression remained elegant and composed.

"Hello," she greeted lightly. "I’m Lana."

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

"I’m a mystic cultivator."

The moment those words fell, everyone started exchanging glances immediately.

Even if some people did not know Lana personally, they definitely knew about Leonardo’s family drama.

Thus, many people instantly recognized her.

Especially Jones.

The moment he noticed the awkward atmosphere, he immediately laughed.

Then he looked around at everyone mockingly.

"What?" he remarked lazily. "Why isn’t anyone clapping?"

His gaze sharpened slightly.

"Or are you arrogant enough to think your lives won’t depend on a mystic cultivator later?"