Chapter 50: An Uninvited Guest

After a long day of work, Lu Yao dragged her exhausted body out of the office building. She hadn't even reached the subway station when a black luxury car blocked her path.

She paused, ready to educate the driver about traffic laws, but a middle-aged man stepped out of the car and spoke politely, "Miss Lu, Mr. Qiao would like to see you."

Mr. Qiao?

Could it be Qiao Wan'er’s father?

She hesitated for a moment, then followed the driver to the car. The window in the back seat rolled down, revealing a stern face. He nodded in greeting, "Miss Lu, I am Qiao Wanliang. Would you mind getting in for a chat?"

Lu Yao’s heart skipped a beat, her intuition warning her that trouble was brewing. The Qiao case was handled by Xu Wenjie, and for Qiao Wanliang to seek her out at this hour, it certainly wasn’t about work. In their personal lives, he and she were worlds apart, unlikely to ever cross paths.

Could it be...

Her mind raced, considering all possible scenarios.

In the end, Lu Yao chose to get in the car, sitting on the opposite side of the back seat. Cold sweat broke out along her spine, and tension made her body rigid.

The car moved slowly along the road, eventually turning onto a quiet street. Only then did Qiao Wanliang speak, "Miss Lu, I hear you’ve taken on the Green Realm Environmental case?"

"Mr. Qiao, even you know about that?"

Green Realm Environmental was an internal matter of the Ye family. Lu Yao couldn’t fathom what Qiao Wanliang wanted with her regarding it.

"What did Ye Yingtang offer you for you to dare accept such a hopeless case?" Qiao Wanliang’s icy gaze settled on Lu Yao, his tone sharp enough to make her tremble. "I’ll give you double the benefits. Call Ye Yingtang now and refuse the case."

So, Qiao Wanliang wanted Ye Yingtang to lose the lawsuit?

Both families were about to form a powerful alliance. Wasn’t he afraid the Ye family would seek retribution for this?

"Mr. Qiao, I don’t know what grudge exists between you and Mr. Ye, nor do I wish to know your reasons for asking this of me. But I am just an employee; I dare not go back on my word to someone as influential as Mr. Ye. The price of offending him is too great—I simply can’t afford it." Lu Yao felt helpless inside, yet outwardly she had to play the weakling. What stroke of bad luck had landed her in the crosshairs of the two most powerful men in the capital?

"You dare offend me, then?" Qiao Wanliang glanced at her, anger simmering in his eyes.

Lu Yao shuddered in fear and quickly shook her head. "Mr. Qiao, you misunderstand. Someone of your stature—I could never afford to offend you either."

"Miss Lu, I didn’t come here today to listen to your flattery. Nor am I giving you a choice. If you don’t want to see the Qiao legal agency contract that Xu Wenjie worked so hard to secure revoked, you’d better do as I say." Qiao Wanliang spoke calmly as he pulled out his phone and brought up Xu Wenjie’s number.

Lu Yao was furious. She hadn’t expected both Qiao Wanliang and his daughter Qiao Wan’er to use Xu Wenjie as leverage against her.

Her palms were slick with sweat, her fist clenched in impotent resistance.

Her voice turned less friendly, demanding, "Mr. Qiao, I’m just an ordinary person with neither power nor influence. Must you make things so difficult for me?"

"As long as you know your place, I’ll give you double the terms. I can lift you straight to the top, make you the most famous lawyer in the capital. Then, standing at the peak of the profession, you’ll have everyone’s respect and no longer be ordinary."

The offer sounded tempting, indeed.

But Lu Yao would never believe the empty promises Qiao Wanliang so casually painted.

Who could guarantee he wouldn’t renege?

Businessmen always act out of self-interest.

Nervously, Lu Yao swallowed, forcing a stiff smile. "Mr. Qiao, if Mr. Ye were to find out you’re pressuring me behind his back, I doubt he would let it go so easily."

Qiao Wanliang’s eyes suddenly grew fierce. With one hand, he gripped Lu Yao’s throat.

With a cold, menacing voice, he said, "You dare threaten me?"