Chapter 880

Although Lily harbored reservations about Arianna, she recognized Nathaniel's unreliability. "I see," she said, a sudden realization dawning on her face as she smiled at Damian. "The Tanner family sounds complicated." Damian remained speechless.

Lily turned to Nathaniel, stepping closer. Looking intently into his eyes, she asked, "What's your role in all this? Helper? Accomplice? Or are you simply seeking justice for his perceived injustices?"

"I discovered this after obtaining the evidence," Nathaniel replied. "I simply want to prevent innocent people from being implicated. I know you distrust me, but trust me this once. Arianna orchestrated this."

Damian nodded vehemently. "It's all because of that woman! If not for her, I wouldn't have suffered so much, fallen so far, faced such criticism, or endured imprisonment! It's all her fault!"

"Perhaps you're right," Lily conceded, smiling. "Still, this is your family's affair. What concern is it of mine?" As she passed Nathaniel, she repeated, "What does it have to do with you?" Damian's heart leaped. "Yeah," he echoed, turning to Nathaniel, who wore a knowing smile. "What does it have to do with him?" Nathaniel simply replied, "You'll find out soon enough."

Meanwhile, Arianna continued her fruitless search for Derrick's family. Despite leveraging her underworld connections, they had vanished without a trace. All of Derrick's Ruby City properties were empty. She doubted they had left the country so quickly; she would have heard about it. Besides, Derrick wouldn't abandon everything after setting such an elaborate trap.

"Any news?" Joseph asked breathlessly, rushing home and addressing the mother-daughter pair. Eloise, meticulously reviewing Derrick's known assets and holdings, merely glanced up before resuming her work. Arianna paced, phone pressed to her ear.

"Derrick's weak, he can't have gone far," Joseph offered.

Eloise scoffed. "Do you even know your own brother? Do you think he's truly dying? This was a trap from the start; he was never sick! How could he suddenly fall ill after years of perfect health? It's a trap for our entire family!"

Joseph recoiled, astonished. He'd assumed his brother's illness would pave his path to inheritance, a matter typically handled within the family. He hadn't anticipated being ensnared himself.

"Forget it," Arianna declared, gritting her teeth. "I've convened a meeting with the company's executives and shareholders. I'll seize control and address this later. He'll show himself then!"

She knew this was a superficial solution, a necessary risk in the absence of better options. Joseph started to speak, but Arianna's phone rang again.