Adam frowned when he noticed that Lilin was no longer with him. “Where did Lilin go?”


    Melinda snapped out of her senses and looked around, only to realize that their daughter was missing.


    “That can’t be! Lilin was just behind me!”


    Having confirmed that Lilin was missing, Adam’s expression turned stern, and he swiftly ordered his


    subordinates, “What are you standing around for? Start searching for Lilin!” “Understood!” the


    subordinates replied in unison.


    Just as they were about to split up and search for her, a young girl’s voice called out, “Don’t bother! I’m


    right here!”


    Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and spotted a grown-up Lilin in sportswear. With her


    hands in her trouser pockets, she walked toward them at a leisurely pace while chewing her bubble


    gum.


    Melinda pulled her daughter hastily. “Where have you been? Please don’t just wander off alone,


    especially since the airport is huge and you’re not familiar with the ce at all!” “I went to the


    bathroom,” Lilin shrugged and replied nonchntly.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Adam came over and chided, “Why didn’t you tell me or your mother? You should’ve at least told one of


    us that you were going to the bathroom. We thought you were lost!” 1 After chastising her, he nced


    over to his subordinates andmbasted,” You idiots! Didn’t any of you notice that Lilin slipped away on


    her own?!”


    The subordinates were intimidated by Adam’s rebuke and lowered their heads in silence.


    Lilin, however, nced exasperatedly at her irritable father and retorted,” Jeez, Dad, I didn’t get lost,


    did I? Why are youshing out at them?”


    Adam’s tone was noticeably gentler when speaking to his younger daughter.


    “There’s no use telling them off only after you get lost! Don’t ever run off like that without telling US.”


    “Okay, Dad,” said Lilin nonchntly. She did not seem to take her father’s warning very seriously,


    however. She was peeved by the sight of Sophia throwing herself into Adam’s arms, so she decided to


    distance herself from them for a while and keep Sophia out of sight.


    She never liked her half-sister, Sophia, firstly because she believed that Sophia’s character was


    questionable, and secondly because of Sophia’s constant rudeness toward Melinda. Lilin decided to


    treat Sophia the same way that Melinda had been treated.


    Lilin’s safe return allowed Melinda to breathe a sigh of relief. She patted Lilin’s shoulder gently and


    reminded, “You haven’t said hi to Sophia yet! Go on!”


    Lilin looked over and locked eyes with Sophia’s somewhat unfriendly gaze. She knew that Sophia did


    not like her, but she had to maintain some decorum for the sake of her parents. She removed her hand


    from her pocket and waved at Sophia. “Hiya, Sis! It’s been a while!”


    Though Sophia was a little displeased at Lilin’s unbing behavior, she reciprocated Lilin’s greeting


    for the sake of her father. Lilin had already gotten on her nerves earlier when she saw how anxious


    Adam was in thinking that Lilin had gotten lost.


    Sophia had always been the apple of Adam’s eye, but arge portion of that attention and concern he


    had for her shifted to Melinda ever since Melinda appeared in his life. The affection that Adam


    showered exclusively on her diminished, and it grew worse when Lilin was born.


    Sophia initially assumed that her father would eventually get tired of Melinda, but his love for Melinda


    remained surprisingly unchanged all those years. She could not understand what Melinda had possibly


    done to make Adam so smitten with her.