CHAPTER 4: CHAPTER 3: DOES HE STILL HATE ME?

Elliana Lyle stared blankly at the intact guardrail. In her previous life, when she arrived at the scene, the iron guardrail had been crumpled together, not broken, but her parents’ car had rolled down the slope beyond the guardrail.

According to the police investigation results, it was hit directly by three BMW X5s driving the wrong way. However, they only caught the owners of two cars, both claiming they were driving under the influence of alcohol, while another person named George Lyle fled the scene!

In Elliana’s heart, this wasn’t an accident; it was murder.

She still remembered George Lyle, who escaped justice, and his license plate number. Even after marrying Shane Southwell, she continued searching with the police, but after three years, they found nothing.

"Elliana? What are you looking at?" Mr. Lyle squinted his eyes and gazed in the direction Elliana was looking. He saw the iron guardrail—ordinary, nothing special.

Only then did Elliana snap back to reality, turning her head and smiling at Mr. Lyle. She adjusted the clothes on her shoulders slightly and shook her head, "It’s nothing."

Then she wanted to check the time on her phone but realized she didn’t have it; presumably, she forgot it at home. She quickly asked, "Dad, what time is it?"

"9:31," Mr. Lyle replied, looking at his watch.

It seemed like everything was fine. In her previous life, the incident happened at nine o’clock sharp. Her father was a punctual person, leaving at 8:55 every day and arriving at the South City bridge by nine.

This probably gave the culprits an opportunity!

But today, no accident happened, making Elliana believe it was murder!

"Are you tired, girl? Don’t want to walk anymore?" Mr. Lyle rarely wore a smile, his tone amused and somewhat helpless. Perhaps it was the first time he spoke to his daughter this way.

"No, let’s go!" Elliana said, taking two steps forward first to prove she could still walk.

It was 11 a.m.

The father and daughter arrived, panting, at Xiangtian Group in the center of South City. It was an office building, and Lewis Song, the assistant, was already waiting at the company entrance. Upon seeing their arrival, he quickly approached.

"President, you’re finally here. Did you come on foot? I’ve postponed your meeting, but President Wang from the building materials company will be here soon to discuss cooperation," Lewis Song said, noticing a delicate girl following the president, Shawn Lyle.

Mr. Lyle glanced back at his daughter and said to Lewis Song, "Lewis, arrange for someone to take my daughter out for a meal."

Then Mr. Lyle sternly addressed Elliana, "Dad has to discuss business. Behave yourself, and I’ll have someone take you back after lunch. Understand?"

"Yes, yes! I understand!"

Elliana nodded feverishly.

At this moment, Lewis Song had already rushed to the reception desk to find a poised and elegant receptionist to take care of her. Then, he followed Shawn Lyle and left.

"Hello, Miss Lyle. I’m Snow Wang," Snow Wang greeted politely, introducing herself. She wore a white shirt paired with a black knee-length skirt, giving an impression of good character.

Elliana nodded slightly, "Hi."

With a simple greeting, Elliana didn’t intend to say much to Snow Wang. She was somewhat socially anxious, not severe but lazy enough to avoid talking to strangers if she could help it.

"Miss Lyle, what do you like to eat? I can recommend some restaurants," Snow Wang asked with a smile. She didn’t feel that Elliana was cold; rather, she thought the girl was easy to get along with, at least not difficult.

"I don’t know..." Elliana really didn’t know what to eat; she was too tired to have an appetite.

At this moment, Snow Wang’s earphone blinked. She bowed slightly to Elliana before turning to take a call.

"Okay, I understand. Sure, don’t worry."

After speaking, Snow Wang quickly turned to Elliana, "Miss Lyle, Assistant Liu said your mother called him, saying you left your phone at President Norman’s place, and he wants to meet you at South Joy Hotel."

"Norman Bennett!" She realized she had left her phone at the Bennett Family, hurrying too much to notice.

An hour later, a car stopped at the entrance of South Joy Hotel. This hotel belonged to the Bennett Family—a special five-star business hotel with a great location, excellent service, and beautiful environment, naturally making it quite expensive.

Four young women stood at the entrance, all with neat appearances, well-made-up, wearing white shirts and black trousers that gave a sense of orderly comfort.

As Elliana approached within a meter of the entrance, the four bowed at a 45-degree angle, saying, "Welcome, please come in."

Then a man came to meet her. It was Raymond Wood, Norman Bennett’s assistant, dressed in a business suit, smiling respectfully, "Miss Lyle, please follow me."

"Alright," Elliana felt her heart beating a little faster. She remembered Norman Bennett holding her and speaking so gently, not like him at all.

She always thought Norman Bennett disliked her, as he never smiled at her, his personality aloof and withdrawn, leading her in her past life to believe he was a bad person. If he didn’t like her, why didn’t he refuse to marry her, leaving her to resist her family’s pressure alone?

Now that she thought about it, apart from not smiling, Norman Bennett wasn’t bad in other aspects.

"Miss Lyle, we’re here," Raymond Wood announced as he prepared to knock on the door for her.

"Wait!" Elliana stopped Raymond Wood’s action and smiled, "I’ll do it. You can go."

Raymond Wood bowed respectfully and left with a smile without saying anything.

Elliana stood at the door for a minute, her raised hand resting on it for another minute, contemplating her first words.

She wanted to apologize to Norman Bennett but feared being too abrupt. Oh well, she was just here to get her phone.

As she raised her hand to knock, a cool male voice came from inside, "Come in."

Upon hearing the voice, Elliana’s face turned red in a flash; she hadn’t even knocked, and her hand was suspended in mid-air.

Grasping the door handle, she twisted it down, creak! The door opened in response, and a glaring light seeped through the gap. As the door pushed inward, the simple, elegant decor became clearer, as did the man sitting at the dining table looking at her.

"I... I’m not late, am I?" Elliana awkwardly smiled, hurriedly sitting opposite Norman Bennett without even closing the door.

"Just on time." Norman Bennett’s tone was neither warm nor cold, devoid of any emotion.

Perhaps this was why Elliana felt Norman Bennett didn’t like her. How could someone treat the person they liked so indifferently?

"What would you like to eat?" Norman Bennett asked, handing her the menu.

Norman Bennett had canceled all his plans today, leaving company matters to his deputy, all for the sake of meeting someone. Fortunately, she showed up.

"I’ll have a bowl of wonton soup. I don’t have much of an appetite right now." Elliana genuinely wasn’t hungry, but Norman Bennett perceived her words to mean something else.

Elliana looked up and saw Norman Bennett staring at her intently, not speaking. His eyes were too calm, like a frozen lake, making Elliana hesitant to meet his gaze, so she diverted her eyes to the window.

She wondered what Norman Bennett’s gaze meant... Was it a mere illusion, or did he really dislike her?