Chapter 16

　　That evening, Hamlin announced that Luke would be the acting chairman of the Larsen Group headquarters in his absence, handling all matters. 　　Lillian sat in a corner of the banquet, watching Luke on stage surrounded by people. Jeffrey's eyes were dark, scanning the room and settling on Lillian. 　　Lillian smiled and raised her glass. 　　"Cheers." 　　She remembered Jeffrey wanting Hamlin's approval, tired of being an illegitimate child and craving power. 　　She had offered the opportunity to gain power to Jeffrey, but he rejected it. 　　She wondered, "So, Jeffrey, are you satisfied now?" 　　*** 　　On the way back, Luke looked ahead, his calm eyes showing excitement. "You came to surprise me." 　　"This contract was always yours. I came for my own reasons." Lillian's phone kept ringing. She blocked Jeffrey's number, and it went silent. 　　Recently, Jeffrey had tried to calm her, saying nice things he hadn't done in ten years. She had played along, turning his hope into despair. She could imagin