Chapter 257: Timothy Lancaster Treats Her Very Well, Exceptionally Well

The look was strange—a mixture of contempt and disdain, with a faint air of superiority.

After a moment’s thought, Jane Lancaster pushed the door open. "Dad!"

Timothy Lancaster looked up, saw her, and abruptly snatched his hand back, knocking the watch from Adrian Lancaster’s grasp to the floor.

"Jay, what are you doing here? I thought you said you were tired and wanted to sleep?" Timothy Lancaster’s expression instantly softened into doting affection as he stood to greet Jane Lancaster.

Without even glancing at Adrian Lancaster, he said coldly, "Get out."

Adrian Lancaster lowered his head to pick up the watch, a chill spreading through his heart.

He had underestimated the extent of his father’s favoritism. His father’s attitude had shifted the instant his sister appeared.

He gently placed the watch on the coffee table and turned to leave without a word.

Jane Lancaster asked curiously, "Is this the watch Third Brother got for Dad? It’s the same brand as the one he wears."

Timothy Lancaster’s face darkened. "Take the watch away."

Adrian Lancaster looked at him in disbelief. "Dad, I bought this with my own money, from my acting fees..."

"Yes? And?" Timothy Lancaster finally deigned to look him in the eye, but his gaze was frigid. "This is a collector’s-grade watch, worth tens of millions. What is that supposed to prove?"

"...It’s from the heart. I just wanted to make you happy, Dad..."

Timothy Lancaster remained completely unmoved. "You’re just trying to prove you’re more capable than your sister. You can earn your own money now, so you think you’ve made something of yourself, is that it?"

Jane Lancaster was frantically agreeing in her head.

’Wow, Dad’s no fool. He can see right through this kid’s attempt to curry favor, can’t he?’

Adrian Lancaster had no rebuttal. This was exactly why he’d chosen to enter the entertainment industry.

Fields like scientific research or the arts required one to endure solitude and a simple, poor life, but he wanted no part of that.

If he chose that path, how many years would he have to toil away before he could present his father with even a modicum of achievement? He was determined to stand in the spotlight, to prove to his father that he would be the child he was most proud of.

He wanted to do everything in his power to win his father’s affection, and for that, money was essential.

He’d been so successful over the past three years, yet it turned out his father had known his true intentions all along.

Timothy Lancaster’s expression was icy. "Take it and go. Don’t make a fool of yourself here."

His attitude made it clear: no matter what priceless treasure Adrian Lancaster offered, in his heart, it would never compare to Jane Lancaster.

Adrian Lancaster’s expression turned cold again. He picked up the watch, straightened his back, and walked out.

’Why get so bent out of shape? Your dear daddy obviously wanted to accept it. If he really had the integrity to refuse, he should have returned the mattress, too.’

Adrian Lancaster heard this and quickened his pace, heading for the door.

No way. If Jane Lancaster mentioned the mattress, Timothy Lancaster would make him haul it away without a second thought.

He didn’t dare linger a moment longer, terrified of being too slow to escape.

Jane Lancaster was confused. "Why did he run off like he’d seen a monster?"

Timothy Lancaster consoled his daughter, "Don’t take it to heart..." Of course Adrian Lancaster saw *her* as the monster.

"Dad, you’re the one who shouldn’t take it to heart," Jane Lancaster cut in. "You’re too harsh! The moment you got home, you flew into a rage and made our eldest brother kneel. You must have terrified Third Brother too. Of course he runs from you like he’s seen a monster! How can you be like that? Even I’m scared watching you."

The expression on Timothy Lancaster’s face froze for an instant.

’He scared Adrian Lancaster? Impossible!’

But this was his precious daughter; he couldn’t possibly get angry with her.

"You’re right to scold me, Jay. It was my fault," Timothy Lancaster said with a hearty laugh, gently stroking the top of his daughter’s head. "By the way, Jay..."

There was something he wanted to tell her.

Jane Lancaster shot to her feet. "Dad, you should get some rest. I’m tired, so I’m heading back to my room."

Timothy Lancaster’s expression froze again, the words catching in his throat.

After a long moment, he looked at the assistant standing by the door and gestured for them to close it.

His daughter was so willful and capricious, but what could he do? He could only continue to spoil her.

——

The next morning, when Jane Lancaster came downstairs, she saw that everyone was already seated at the dining table.

Julian Lancaster was still wearing the same suit from yesterday, his face pale. It seemed he hadn’t taken her advice; he had knelt all night after all.

After breakfast, Timothy Lancaster instructed Jane, "Jay, you’re coming with me to the office today."

Jane Lancaster had a feeling about this. Sure enough, her suspicion was confirmed just a few minutes after they entered the corporate building.

"From now on, the office next to mine is yours," Timothy Lancaster said, pointing to the adjacent room.

The adjacent office had never been used since the building was constructed.

Back when Julian Lancaster was being groomed as the heir, many people assumed that office was being saved for him when he first joined the company.

But everyone soon realized they were mistaken. During that period, Julian Lancaster didn’t have a private office at all.

Timothy Lancaster had simply assigned him a desk by the entrance, leaving him isolated in the hallway. It was a rather pathetic sight.

The director of administration had found it odd at the time, wondering why an empty office had been prepared but not given to the son.

Now they understood. It was clearly being saved for his daughter all along!

The accompanying senior executives were all shrewd individuals. They instantly realized Timothy Lancaster intended to personally groom Jane Lancaster as his successor.

Even though the eldest brother had firmly established his position in the company over the years... with their father’s backing, it wasn’t impossible for the sister to overtake him!

Timothy Lancaster’s first day back in the country was a marathon of meetings.

Jane Lancaster was dragged along to meetings all day, and her butt was aching from all the sitting.

The following noon, in a coffee shop in the central business district, Willow Summers eyed Jane Lancaster with a smile. "So, Crown Princess, how have your first couple of days at work been?"

Jane Lancaster: "Even you’ve heard?"

She knew the rumors had been running rampant at the company for the past two days. Many were stating with absolute certainty that a "Crown Princess" had been parachuted into The Lancaster Group, that she was the true successor, and that Julian Lancaster was nothing more than a high-level employee with hardly any company shares to his name.

Beverly Lynch put down her coffee. "Even I’ve heard. So, is your dad really planning to hand the company over to you?"

"From the looks of it, yes," Jane Lancaster said.

"What do you mean, ’from the looks of it’?" Willow Summers asked, not quite understanding. "It’s either a yes or a no. This isn’t something to joke about, is it?"

"On the surface, that’s correct," Jane Lancaster said. "But I don’t think the current buzz is exactly in my favor."

"Are you worried your eldest brother will fight you for control?" Beverly Lynch asked, frowning slightly.

It was true that in wealthy families with many children, conflict was inevitable. Families that worked together in true harmony were the exception; wasn’t everyone else willing to fight tooth and nail for the smallest advantage?

The Lynch family didn’t have that problem. Her parents only had one daughter—her—so they could throw their full support behind her.

"But your dad will throw his full weight behind you," Beverly Lynch said after a moment’s thought. "And you really are more capable than your eldest brother."

Of course, she knew the rumors were a bit much, but that could very well be part of Timothy Lancaster’s strategy. The man had always been autocratic; it was entirely possible he was using the media buzz to build momentum for his daughter.

Willow Summers asked, "Wait, is your dad actually not good to you?"

"No." Jane Lancaster shook her head. Timothy Lancaster was good to her—exceptionally good. "The problem is probably me."

No matter how he acted, she could never bring herself to feel close to this father of hers.