<h4>Chapter 220 - A Predator</h4>


    Soon, Lina reached Yang Enterprise. She dressed herself in a white turtle neck with a pastel blue zer and matching suit pants. With silver essories and white heels, she walked through the doors of Yang Enterprise, Este hot on her trail.


    Everyone paused and watched her. The floor was made of marble tiles, but her stroll made it look like a runway. Employees stopped whatever they were doing, paused, and debated whether or not they should bow in greeting.


    Lina Yang walked like she owned the ce.


    "Madam, Miss Elit arrived five minutes prior and is waiting in Conference Room 2," Este said to her with great diligence.


    Seeing as Lawrence hadn''t called Lina about her withdrawal from the Heir Race, Lina concluded Este wasn''t a rat. She had given out ssified information that only Este would know.


    With a curt nod, Lina approached the private elevator. Along the way, her entire spine went rigid.


    "My, my, if it isn''t my favorite niece."


    Lina''s heart dropped all the way to her stomach. She could feel the contents of her breakfaste up. Goosebumps broke out on her arm. She shakily turned and saw her nightmares manifest into a man.


    "Second Uncle," Lina managed to say. She was grateful that her voice didn''t tremble. Instead, she stood her ground.


    "Please, you know I prefer for you to call me by my name," he murmured in a sly voice, like the hiss of a venomous snake.


    Lina kept her face as collected as possible. "What brings you out of your rat hole?"


    His eyes flickered with amusement. The way he stared at her made her skin crawl.


    "My name," he insisted.


    "I am your niece, I wouldn''t dare."


    "Even your father calls me by my name and he''s my youngest brother," he said, amusementcing his deep voice.


    Lina said nothing. She ignored him, but felt the temperature drop instantly. When she showed him her back, it was a sign of disrespect. And he took it full heartedly. Without warning, she felt a hand grab for her nape.


    "Sir," Este dered, seizing the man by his wrist.


    Lina turned around in time to see Este being grabbed by her cor. Her eyes grew wide with disbelief. With his fingers curled around her white blouse, she saw the buttons straining.


    "Clyde," Lina deadpanned. She kept her voice under control, despite the tremor in her heart. She expected Este to flinch and cry, but the woman didn''t even blink. Instead, Este kept her eyes wide open.


    "Ah, there''s my name," Clyde teased, releasing the secretary.


    Lina instantly pulled Este into the elevator and stood protectively in front of her. That way, Este could be shielded from the man''s gaze. And, she could fix her shirt. Instead, Este pressed the elevator button.


    Lina cast Clyde a nce like he was beneath her. She couldn''t fathom the sight of him. The way he looked at her made it feel like parasites were squirming under her skin. His gaze was just that leery. And she knew it was from his crazy obsession with her mother.


    "What?" Clyde said with a tilt of his sadistic head.


    Sometimes, Lina wished his head would roll on the ground. She''d love to make a ser ball out of it.


    "You disgust me," Lina snarled.


    Before he could proceed, the elevator doors dinged shut. Lina furiously red at the silver doors, even though he was no longer in sight. She could still feel her heart racing at a thousand beats per minute. She could barely catch her breath, much less ease her nerves.


    "My Second Uncle," Lina said to Este.


    Lina turned around to see Este had already smoothed out her outfit. Not a single hair was out of ce. Both women saw their reflection in the elevator. Their skin was pale, their eyes were wild, but their faces were calm.


    "It''s a delight to meet him, isn''t it?" Lina drylymented.


    "As delightful as a pond of cow manure," Este deadpanned.


    Lina''s lips curled in amusement. She had never heard that kind of saying before. But recalling Clyde''s brown eyes, she thought it was a befitting description.


    Soon, the elevator doors opened.


    "Does he usually visit the office?" Este asked in a nonchnt voice that hid her turmoil.


    "Once a month," Lina exined. "Hisst visit was only two weeks ago. He''sing more and more to the office."


    Without a doubt, Lina knew it was because of her. Now that she had joined the Heir Race, every rtive was feeling uneasy. Not because she was a girl, but because she had the highest chance of winning the title.


    Cedrick had worked all his life to secure his position. Lina had worked all her life running from the job. Lina believed she worked hard to get to where she was. Despite Lina''s disinterest in the position, she was forced into training for the role from a young age.


    It wasn''t through choice. Lina had been sculpted for the position of heiress by her grandfather. Therefore, Lina had sacrificed her childhood and youth to apany her grandfather and uncles.


    Lina had chosen consultation meetings over ydates, pens over crayons, and extreme foreignnguage lessons over rxed childhood. All the things that a little girl got to enjoy, she did not.


    "Krystal," Lina instantly addressed when she saw the familiar brte.


    Krystal paused and turned around. She was in mid-sip of her coffee when she saw Lina. Only then, did her chestnut eyes light up with joy. Underneath the brightness of the conference room, she looked much healthier than her anxiety-riddled self two weeks ago.


    "Lina!" Krystal excitedly dered, quickly rising to her seat.


    "Cedrick!" Cedrick copied the women, his voice awfully high-pitched.


    Lina narrowed her eyes onto her oldest cousin. Whenever she created an opportunity for herself, he was present.


    Lina decided to change the meeting locations in the future. She couldn''t have her cousin lurking around her like a predator. Not because he''d win, but because it made them ufortable.


    "Your birth giver is downstairs," Lina warned Cedrick.


    Immediately, Cedrick''s expression was twisted into a grimace. He offered her an apologetic smile and turned to Krystal.


    "My pleasure to chat with you," Cedrick said to her in a yful voice.


    Krystal naively blinked up at him, like a doe who just learned to walk. Cedrick shed her a friendly smile, then exited the meeting room as quickly as he came. On his way out, he heard a quietmand.


    "If you don''t keep him on a leash, I''m going to put him in a cage," Lina snarled to her oldest cousin.


    Cedrick froze. He turned to her like he had witnessed a ghost behind him. With a grim, but understanding expression, he forced a nod. Then, he left, leaving a cold gust past her.


    Lina didn''t make mindless threats. She made promises. Now that she had made herself known to the public, she was going to make her moves on the chess board soon.


    "He seems nice," Krystal managed to say.


    "Yes, he''s nice to everyone he meets," Lina responded in a friendly voice. Her message came off as a reminder to Krystal. She was just one of the many women he treated with amicability.


    Krystal immediately understood. It took a single sentence for her kindled heart to die down. Like every other girl, she dreamed of bing Mrs. Yang. But she was already Krystal Elit, and that was enough for her. For now. Her goal was to be Chairwoman Elit, and she''d stop at nothing to gain it.


    "Have a seat," Lina gestured.. "We''ll start the meeting now."