Chapter 543: Chapter 543: Philip’s Misunderstanding
He calmly picked up his teacup. "I was already considering investing in Tianmen City."
A faint smile appeared on his face. "Lana’s words only strengthened my determination."
Thompson remained silent for a few moments.
Eventually, he nodded. "Very well."
Then his expression turned serious.
"You do realize that the five hundred billion dollars you’re investing personally represents nearly all of your liquid assets."
His gaze sharpened. "Once you commit that money, there won’t be much left."
Hearing those words, Conrad chuckled. "It’s alright."
His voice was filled with confidence.
"Even without those assets, I can always earn more."
He truly believed that.
Outside the study, Phillips slowly clenched his fists.
The discussion continued for some time.
He listened as Conrad and Thompson discussed Jacob’s attempts to gain influence over the board, internal company disputes, and several ongoing power struggles within the corporation.
Eventually, the conversation ended.
Conrad stood up and walked toward the door.
The moment he stepped outside, Phillips immediately blocked his path.
"Brother, stop."
Conrad’s expression instantly cooled.
"If you’re here to discuss Thessy, then I don’t have time."
Without waiting for a response, he walked past him.
Phillips remained standing there. He did not attempt to stop him again.
Instead, his expression gradually became darker. From his perspective, everyone seemed bewitched.
Especially Conrad. Even their mother had changed recently. Whenever Lana was mentioned, Melody’s eyes would soften.
She constantly spoke of Lana as a kind and gentle person. She had even shared that photograph in the family group chat.
The more Phillips thought about it, the more irritated he became.
Taking a deep breath, he quietly pulled out his phone and sent a message to someone.
..............................
The following day, Lana walked out of the university gates.
Just then, a gentle-looking woman stepped in front of her. The woman wore professional attire and carried herself with calm elegance.
A polite smile appeared on her face. "Miss Lana."
Lana stopped walking. The woman continued. "My name is Riley."
She offered a respectful nod. "I’m here to invite you to a café."
Lana raised an eyebrow.
"My boss would like to discuss something with you."
Riley maintained her smile.
"As compensation for your time, he’s willing to pay you one million dollars."
Lana blinked, then she casually asked, "Who’s your boss?"
The moment she asked, Riley answered honestly. "It’s Phillips Peterson."
For a brief moment, Lana looked genuinely confused.
’Why is he looking for me?’
Countless possibilities flashed through her mind.
’Did he come because he wants to warn me? Or perhaps because of Thessy?’
Meanwhile, Riley was secretly observing Lana.
She couldn’t understand why Phillips would spend so much effort pursuing a university student.
On the other hand, Lana simply shook her head. "I’ll pass."
One million dollars was not enough to interest her.
Seeing her rejection, Riley quickly increased the offer. "Ten million dollars."
She smiled politely. "For thirty minutes of your time."
The moment those words were spoken, Lana chuckled. "One hundred million dollars."
Her smile widened slightly. "If he’s willing to pay that amount, then I’ll come."
Riley’s eyelid twitched. Even so, she quickly recovered her composure. After all, Phillips had already instructed her beforehand.
As long as the price stayed below two hundred million dollars, she was authorized to agree immediately.
"Alright."
She extended her hand toward a nearby vehicle. "We have a deal."
The speed of her agreement immediately made Lana regret her decision.
’Maybe I should have asked for more.’
Soon afterward, she followed Riley into a luxury vehicle.
As the car drove through the city, Lana quietly wondered what Phillips wanted from her.
Eventually, they arrived at a private café.
Phillips was already waiting. The moment Lana saw him, she instinctively compared him to Conrad.
Unlike Conrad’s calm and mature aura, Phillips gave off a far wilder presence.
There was an untamed energy surrounding him. For some reason, she immediately felt a subtle sense of resistance.
Meanwhile, Phillips was also studying her.
The moment their eyes met, an odd feeling surfaced within him.
It wasn’t based on logic. Nor was it based on observation. It was simply instinct.
A strange instinctive feeling that told him Lana was somehow similar to him.
After Lana sat down across from him, Riley quietly informed him about the hundred-million-dollar compensation.
A slight frown appeared on Phillips’ face. Even so, he did not object.
Instead, he simply nodded. Then he gestured for Riley to leave.
Once they were alone, he finally looked directly at Lana.
Truthfully, he was surprised. Now that he could observe her up close, he realized something.
Lana looked remarkably similar to their father.
At the same time, traces of their mother’s beauty were clearly present in her features.
The combination was striking enough that even Phillips found himself momentarily stunned.
She had inherited the most perfect features from both of their parents.
Looking at Lana now, Phillips could not help but remember something from many years ago.
Back then, a fortune teller had once visited their family.
The old man had spoken many strange things, most of which everyone had dismissed as nonsense. Yet there was one statement that Phillips still remembered vividly.
"Within your family, the child who inherits the greatest resemblance to both parents will walk the roughest path in life."
The fortune teller had paused before continuing.
"But that same child will also become the most successful among all of you."
At the time, nobody had taken those words seriously.
Now, however, as Phillips stared at Lana’s face, the memory resurfaced unexpectedly.
’Could he have been talking about Lana?’
The thought appeared for only a moment before he quickly dismissed it.
His expression darkened. Looking directly at Lana, he asked,
"Did you influence my brother into investing a massive amount of money into Tianmen City?"
Lana raised an eyebrow.
"Well, he’s my brother, so yes, I gave him some advice."
The casual response immediately caused Phillips to frown.
"See, I don’t care whether you want to return to the Peterson family or not."
His voice grew colder. "But you need to stop manipulating my brother."
