On one hand, he had figured out the key point—regardless of where Nathaniel Johnson's information came from, judging from the current situation as a whole, it seemed quite credible. In the afternoon, he even used his connections in the provincial Discipline Inspection Commission and the provincial Public Security Department to discreetly inquire and got some information from another angle...

On the other hand, Noah Johnson was still stubborn, believing that Quinn Lewis was not that kind of person. He had always thought that although Quinn Lewis was arrogant, he was an honest official—at the very least, he couldn't be considered a corrupt one. During the years Quinn Lewis worked at the Public Security Bureau, Noah Johnson felt he knew him well. But then again, it's said that corrupt officials are good at hiding their true selves, and even if they don't deliberately disguise themselves, whether someone is corrupt or not isn't written on their face—how could you possibly tell?

Nathaniel Johnson sighed inwardly, knowing that Noah Johnson couldn't turn this corner in his mind for the time being. After being reborn, he was determined to change his and his father's fate, to help his father go further in his official career—this had long been his life goal. But Noah Johnson's indecisive nature was truly worrying... Fortunately, people can change. Nathaniel Johnson firmly believed that as long as Noah Johnson continued to advance in officialdom, once he reached a certain level, he would change. Even if only to adapt to the environment, he would have no choice but to change.

This, then, could be considered Noah Johnson's first test. This was the first hurdle—once he got past it, the road ahead would be much smoother. Of course, with Nathaniel Johnson there to "correct" him, even if he couldn't pass this hurdle on his own, he would have to get through it. Even if Noah Johnson didn't have much further development in his official career in the future, Nathaniel Johnson couldn't let him lose his current position. For Nathaniel Johnson, who was determined to rise again, having an official family background and a father in office was irreplaceably important.

And this was a lesson learned at a bitter, painful cost.

……

……

Just after dinner, Noah Johnson shut himself in the study again, sulking alone. He never used to smoke much, but now he was chain-smoking in the study, filling the room with thick smoke. Paige Walker called out unhappily from outside, “Noah Johnson, what's wrong with you? Smoking so much! Stop it—if you want to smoke, go outside!”

Noah Johnson didn't respond, quietly putting out his cigarette. At that moment, the doorbell rang. Paige Walker called out again, “Nannan, go open the door and see who it is!”

Nathaniel Johnson went to open the door, and when he saw who it was, he groaned inwardly—just what he was afraid of had come. The visitors were Quinn Lewis and his daughter. If Nathaniel Johnson remembered correctly, this should be the first time Quinn Lewis had set aside his pride and come to the Zhou family's home.

Noticing that Nathaniel Johnson seemed a bit stunned, Quinn Lewis, still holding onto his airs, coughed lightly in displeasure, “Nathaniel Johnson, aren't you going to invite Uncle Lu in to sit?”

Nathaniel Johnson felt a bit awkward and stepped aside, “Uncle Lu, please come in.”

Lillian Lewis, who had been standing behind Quinn Lewis with a smile, suddenly brushed past Nathaniel Johnson, entered the Zhou home, and greeted Paige Walker, who was tidying up the coffee table in the living room, with a smile, “Aunt Yue, let me help you tidy up!”

Paige Walker looked up and saw it was Quinn Lewis and his daughter, and was quite surprised. After a slight hesitation, she quickly stood up and said with a smile, “Oh, it's Lillian Grant—Secretary Lu, please come in—Old Zhou, Secretary Lu is here!”

Chapter 010: Deadly Temptation

Before coming to the Zhou family, Quinn Lewis had a deep conversation with his daughter, during which Lillian Lewis cried and made a scene. The reason was that Lillian Lewis kept asking him to arrange a job for Nathaniel Johnson, which drove Quinn Lewis to distraction.

Quinn Lewis had some inkling of his daughter Lillian Lewis's secret crush on Nathaniel Johnson, but he hadn't expected her to be so persistent and determined, nor that her feelings would run so deep. She even went so far as to lay all her cards on the table with her father, firmly declaring that if she couldn't have Nathaniel Johnson, she would rather never marry in her life.

Quinn Lewis was very surprised. Although Nathaniel Johnson was decent enough, the two families were not of equal status, and Quinn Lewis had never even considered marrying his daughter into the Zhou family. In his view, as a core leader of the municipal party committee, his daughter should marry into a family of equal standing and power, which would be fitting for their status.

However, although he was snobbish and greedy, he was still extremely doting and protective of his only daughter. Seeing her so desperate, he even wondered if Lillian Lewis and Nathaniel Johnson had already secretly gotten together... Considering his daughter's seemingly gentle but actually strong-willed personality, remembering Nathaniel Johnson, top student at Harvard University's reputation, and thinking of Nathaniel Johnson's steady and reliable character, Quinn Lewis gradually changed his mind and finally agreed to his daughter's tearful request.

……

……

Lillian Lewis stood affectionately beside Paige Walker, looking just like a mother and daughter pair. In fact, Paige Walker was genuinely very fond of Lillian Lewis; she had watched this child grow up, and both her looks and character were exactly to her liking. If Nathaniel Johnson liked her, she wouldn't object to Lillian Lewis becoming her daughter-in-law. Unfortunately, Paige Walker also knew in her heart that with Quinn Lewis's status and rank, he would basically never agree to marry into the Zhou family.

But Nathaniel Johnson's shocking words at noon had stirred a ripple in Paige Walker's heart. Now, facing Lillian Lewis again, her demeanor had subtly changed in ways she couldn't quite explain, compared to before. Lillian Lewis, being very sensitive, immediately sensed this heartfelt distance, felt a pang of sadness, her eyes reddened, and she quietly turned away to secretly wipe away the tears at the corner of her eyes.