Chapter 497
497
Thinking it was the butler, Lily went to open the door . When she saw two strangers , she blurted out in surprise . “ Who are you here to see ?
Seeing an unfamiliar girl , Tom took a step back . “ My apologies , ” he said , “ I seem to have the wrong address .”
“ Who’s there ? ” Owen called out as he emerged from the kitchen .
At the sound of his voice , Tom looked up and glanced inside .
Their gazes locked .
Owen stood there casually dressed , in an oddly out – of – place apron and carrying something in his hand . It was a stark contrast to his usual polished
appearance .
Yet , somehow , it didn’t feel out of place at
Tom froze in shock .
all .
Owen barely glanced at Tom as he set the thing in his hand on the table .
Pushing past her father , Anabel rushed in . “ Aria , Owen , ” she greeted them .
Aria smiled at Anabel . “ Had breakfast yet ? ”
“ Even if I’ve eaten , I’d still say I haven’t . ” Anabel dashed off to wash her hands , then sat down and greeted Lily and Pearl . “ Can’t wait to taste Owen’s cooking again ! ”
Everyone ignored Tom , even his daughter .
Tom cleared his throat awkwardly and stepped inside . “ Well , Owen , thank you for yesterday . They would have ruined my reputation if you hadn’t been
there .”
Owen took a seat , his voice icy . “ No need for thanks , Uncle Tom . I didn’t do anything . ”
Tom said , “ The main reason I came today is to apologize . I’ve always , believed family harmony is what matters most . I used to think Isaac’s wrongdoing didn’t deserve such harsh punishment , and I even blamed you for being too harsh on him . I was wrong . Sorry . ”
Owen replied indifferently , “ Apology accepted . If there’s nothing else , you may leave now . ”
Tom knew this was just Owen’s temperament and didn’t mind his cold words . He was about to say something when he saw Owen gently ladle a bowl o soup for Aria and say , “ It’s hot . Let it cool first . ”
Then , Owen filled three bowls with soup and set them before the three girls .
‘ So I’m the only one getting special treatment , huh ? ‘ Tom thought bitterly .
Watching this warm , family – like scene , Tom couldn’t bring himself to interrupt , at least for the moment .
‘Who are these two young ladies ? ‘ Tom wondered .
If it weren’t for the age gap , Tom would’ve assumed
en and Aria had twin daughters .
Anabel suddenly sprang up from her seat , staring at Lily in shock . “ You’re Lily , the state’s top scorer ? ”
Lily scored 1540 on her SAT , making her the highest – scoring student in Mandino City and Kanit City .
Since both Kanit City and Mandino City used the same SAT exam , it was natural for everyone to compare their scores .
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In previous years , Kanit City had always held the upper hand over Mandino City in SAT results . But this year , Mandino City snatched away the top spot from Kanit City . They even produced two top scorers .
Even the second and third places didn’t
to Kanit City students . It wasn’t until fourth place that Kanit City’s students appeared in the rankings
It was a heavy blow to the teachers and students in Kanit City . The summer break for rising seniors got slashed from a month to just two weeks , and Anabel was one of them .
Lily replied , “ Yes . ”
“ Wow ! ” Anabel gasped , turning to Aria . “ Aria , where did you l find such an amazing little sister ? You’ve got great tasta .” ”
Tom was well aware that Mandino City had produced two top scorers . His daughter’s sudden outburst snapped him out of his thoughts , and his gaze instinctively shifted to Lily’s face .
Tom thought , “ So she’s one of the top scorers ? ”
The Shaw Family Group operated in the technology and finance sectors and always prioritized talent acquisition . Each year , it proactively reached out to top scorers in the SAT nationwide , hoping to recruit these academic elites .
Both top scorers of Mandino City turned down invitations from the Shaw Family Group , one for unknown reasons , while the other decided to join the Shaw Group instead .
‘ They are both our family businesses anyway , so it doesn’t matter which one they go to , Tom thought .
Tom had instructed his HR director to recruit Lily , the top scorer , only to realize she was sitting right before him .
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