Chapter 515: Chapter 515: Unconditional Love
Who would have thought that Conrad was not only thoughtful and gentle but also somehow already knew how to treat a younger sister carefully?
The atmosphere gradually became less tense.
However, after a few moments of silence, Conrad suddenly looked at her seriously.
"First of all, I want to apologize."
Hearing those words, Lana was visibly taken aback.
Conrad lowered his eyes slightly before continuing.
"I know this is extremely irresponsible on our family’s part."
His voice became heavier afterward.
"We never even realized that you existed, and because of that, you suffered alone for so many years."
Lana instinctively wanted to refute his words.
However, after opening her mouth slightly, she quietly closed it again.
Instead, she simply smiled faintly. "It does not matter anymore."
Her voice sounded calm and gentle. "I still lived a decent life anyway."
After all, Lana had long stopped expecting emotional warmth from family members.
Thinking so, she calmly looked toward Conrad and directly asked, "So what exactly is the purpose of this meeting?"
Her eyes narrowed slightly afterward. "Do you want to bring me back to the Peterson family?"
A faint trace of mockery appeared in her smile. "Or are you here to warn me not to trouble your precious fake sister?"
Conrad immediately shook his head. "Neither."
Then he looked directly into her eyes with the most serious expression she had seen from him so far.
"I came here because I want to ask whether you are interested in returning to the Peterson family."
His tone became firm.
"And I promise that if you return, I will protect you every single step of the way."
Hearing those words, Lana’s attitude unconsciously softened slightly.
At the very least, Conrad was straightforward.
If he had tried forcing her emotionally or manipulating her into returning, she would have immediately become defensive and hostile.
However, every word he spoke carried sincerity and caution.
It even made her reconsider briefly. Still, after thinking silently for a while, Lana slowly shook her head. "No."
Her answer came calmly. "I am not interested."
Even during her previous life, the Peterson family had never reached out to her.
Because of that, saying she possessed any emotional attachment toward them would simply be a lie.
Of course, she had agreed to meet Conrad because she sensed no hostility from him. However, that did not mean she trusted every member of the Peterson family equally.
Conrad quietly listened to her rejection. For some reason, pity slowly rose inside his chest.
Not because Lana was a mystical cultivator.
But because this beautiful girl, whose eyes should have remained pure and innocent, now carried the exhaustion of someone who had already seen too much darkness in life.
She looked far too calm. Far too guarded.
It was obvious she had suffered through many things she never should have experienced.
Taking a deep breath, Conrad suddenly spoke again.
"Before giving up completely, I want to make one final attempt to convince you."
Lana calmly gestured for him to continue.
Conrad’s expression became serious.
"If you return to the Peterson family, I will personally guarantee that twenty-five percent of Peterson Corporation’s shares will belong to you."
The moment those words were spoken aloud, even the atmosphere seemed to freeze slightly.
Twenty-five percent.
That amount alone would generate at least thirty to forty billion yuan passively over time.
However, after thinking quietly for several seconds, Lana still shook her head calmly.
Material wealth genuinely held little meaning for her anymore.
She had already seen enough examples of fake affection being hidden behind money and benefits.
Because of that, no amount of wealth could truly move her heart.
Seeing her refusal again, Conrad did not give up.
"Other than the shares, I also promise that I will protect you no matter what happens."
His blue eyes remained fixed on her.
"No one in the Peterson family will ever question your existence."
Then he added slowly,
"And unless you intentionally create trouble yourself, I will never blindly side with the fake daughter either."
Hearing that sentence, Lana immediately frowned slightly in displeasure. "What does that mean?"
Her gaze sharpened.
"Do you think I am the type of person who goes around creating trouble?"
Conrad immediately shook his head.
"I know the current Lana."
His voice remained calm and steady.
"You are independent and rational, and you clearly do not wish to fight over status or power."
Then his expression turned slightly complicated. "But I do not know what the future version of you might become."
He looked at her seriously. "What if one day you change your mind?"
Hearing his logical explanation, Lana was not moved in the slightest.
"It truly would have been thrilling to have you as a sibling. After all, most of the time, I am not wrong about people. But at the same time, there would also be moments when I wished that you would not remain unbiased toward me. So honestly, your proposal feels very weak right now."
Lana folded her arms before quietly asking, "Do you even know what kind of person I am?"
Hearing those words, Conard paused briefly before nodding.
"You are someone who values herself above others. You are someone who understands her own worth. You are smart enough to know when to step back before getting hurt."
Lana suddenly chuckled softly, though the smile on her lips carried a faint bitterness.
"Well, that is the person I became after enduring many awful things. My real personality is actually weak and cynical. There are times when I do silly things. There are also moments when I want everyone to be biased toward me. Is that such a wrong thing?"
Conard remained silent after hearing her words.
Lana continued speaking quietly, her voice becoming softer than before.
"You are a good person. I do not want to make things difficult for you and force you to choose between your family and me..."
Midway through her sentence, Conard suddenly interrupted her. "I agree."
The moment those words left his mouth, Lana blinked in surprise. Conard looked directly into her eyes and continued calmly.
"I agree that I would not remain unbiased toward you."
