**At The Sterling Room.**

"Mr. Carmichael, wee!"

Manager Larkin hurried over at a brisk trot, his attitude nothing short of reverent.

His eyes immediatelynded on the person standing behind Raymond. The girl was strikingly beautiful-so much so that Larkin couldn''t help but steal a few extra nces before catching himself. Realizing hispse in professionalism, he quickly lowered his gaze and pretended not to have noticed.

President Carmichael had never brought a woman here before, and with how at ease the girl seemed, Larkin couldn''t help but specte about their rtionship.

Raymond, catching the direction of his thoughts, shot him a cold nce and offered a rare exnation. "She''s my daughter."

Larkin nearly broke into a cold sweat as he realized his mistake. Desperate to recover, he blurted out, "Of course, I should have known. She takes after you so much, Mr. Carmichael."

Mortified by his earlier assumptions, he felt his nerves fray,pletely unaware that a sheen of sweat had appeared on his brow.

Luckily, Raymond seemed disinterested in making a scene.

Citrine shot Raymond a surprised look. She hadn''t expected him to acknowledge her as his daughter in front of others.

Larkin quickly turned to her and apologized, "Ms. Carmichael, I''m terribly sorry for my rudeness just now."

"It''s alright," Citrine replied with a polite nod.

She understood Larkin hadn''t meant any offense.

After showing them to a table with the best view in the house, Larkin quietly excused himself.

Sitting here, one only had to look up to see a nket of stars-no wonder The Sterling Room was the most sought-after restaurant in Havencrest. The scenery was simply breathtaking.

Now, father and daughter sat across from each other, both a little awkward, as if neither could quite believe they were here together. No one would have guessed that the same two who had exchanged such sharp words at their first meeting were now sharing a table in peace.

"Order whatever you''d like," Raymond said naturally, sliding the menu toward Citrine.

She picked it up and made a few selections at random.

"I''m done," she said, passing the menu back across the table.

Raymond nced at her choices, then looked up at her. "That''s all you want?"

Citrine nodded, a little bewildered.

All vegetarian, he noted. No wonder she''s so thin.

Raymond added a few meat dishes to the order himself before handing the menu to their server.

When the food arrived, he quickly noticed Citrine sticking only to the vegetables, never touching the meat. He frowned ever so slightly.

"You should try the house specialty-sweet and sour pork," he said, and before she could protest, he ced a piece on her te.

Citrine eyed the meat, her stomach churning. She hesitated but steeled herself to take small, polite bites, forcing it down.

The Carmichael family was known for their strict table manners, and Raymond never spoke while eating. Citrine, for her part, was used to dining alone.

The meal passed in near silence. Every gesture between them seemed to carry the grace and restraint of old aristocracy-elegant, dignified, almost mesmerizing to watch. With both of them being exceptionally good-looking, it was no surprise they attracted more than a few curious nces from other diners.

But the tranquility didn''tst long.

"What are you doing here?" Sawyer, apanied by Norton, strode in, immediately spotting a familiar face. Sure enough, it was Citrine.

She''d barely eaten, but seeing those two, she suddenly felt full. Their presence was enough to ruin anyone''s appetite.

Annoyance flickered in Citrine''s eyes, and her tone went cold. "If Mr. Iverson can be here, why can''t I?"

"Mr. Iverson?" Sawyer let out a disbelievingugh.

"Citrine, stop being childish with Dad," Norton said sternly, his expression severe.

He was growing more convinced than ever that his little sister was bing impossible.

Sawyer opened his mouth to say something else but was abruptly distracted by a dangerous look aimed his way.

"President Carmichael?" Sawyer sounded genuinely surprised.

The Carmichaels and the Iversons were both major yers in Havencrest, their names frequently appearing in the business pages, and Sawyer had seen Raymond at more than a few industry events.

The Carmichaels were the wealthiest family in Havencrest, and Raymond was infamous for his ruthlessness. Since taking over Carmichael Industries, he''d turned it into the city''s most powerful conglomerate in just a few years.

Even Sawyer rarely dared to cross him.

Raymond fixed Sawyer with a cool, almost amused look. "The eldest son of the Iverson family certainly throws his weight around. You haven''t even inherited the family business yet, and already you''re trying to discipline my people?"

Then his gaze shifted to Norton, sharp as a de. "And who exactly do you think you are?"