Chapter 2

• Five years later.
• Aetheria, Nightfall private club—a luWellingtonrious establishment combining dining, hotel accommodations, conference facilities, a bar, and various entertainment options.
• Inside one of the private rooms, a group of idle young men lounged, toasting and chatting aimlessly. The smoky air mixed with the chaotic noise reflected their lack of purpose or skill.
• In the smoky and chaotic atmosphere, a man sitting in the middle held a glass of wine, flanked by two young models. At this moment, he became intoxicated, his face flushing an alarming shade of red, and his expression increasingly grim as the alcohol took effect.
• "Mr. Spencer, that girl, Elianna—she really doesn't know her place! Who does she think she is? Sure, the Carrington Group is powerful in Bryston. But this is Aetheria—Vale family territory! The Vale family is also a force to be reckoned with in Aetheria. And yet she dared to publicly break off her engagement to Master Vale during the family banquet!"
• "Exactly! She’s the fifth Ms. Carrington, and she had four elder brothers. She was born with a birthmark on her face. But being the only granddaughter, she was spoiled rotten by her grandfather and became a bit wild in temperament."
• "Six years ago, she suddenly disappeared mysteriously, without a trace. After a year, she was found again, and her birthmark on her face was unexpectedly gone! She looked completely different, like a goddess, becoming one of the most beautiful women in Bryston! Can you believe that she is still the same Ms. Carrington? The last time I saw her, she looked like a superstar!"
• "Even if she was look like a goddess—but what does it matter? Five years ago, when she was brought back by the Carrington family, they even brought back a child of unknown origin. A wild seed! The Carrington Group still dare not disclose the background of this wild seed, not even show their face, afraid that there is some unspeakable secret! I heard from a gossip that the place where she disappeared after the car accident had many construction sites, could it be that she was defiled by some migrant worker?"
• Spencer Vale glanced displeasingly at everyone and slammed the glass heavily on the table.
• The room fell silent immediately.
• Spencer grumbled, "As if I care about that woman. If it weren't for my Master saying that whoever marries her, the Vale family's two sons, will inherit the Vale Group, I wouldn’t give her the time of day. But once I marry her, not only will the Vale Group be mine, but so will the Carrington fortune!"
• Just then, the door opened, and
• a man whispered something into Spencer's ear. "Mr. Spencer, I've got it covered."
• Spencer smirked coldly, waved his hand, and the man handed him the room key before stepping back.
• He adjusted his tie, stood up, and surprisingly had a touch of elegance.
• "Oh, Mr. Spencer, did you finally manage to charm Ms. Carrington?" someone teased, prompting a round of laughter.
• "It seems that Mr. Spencer was not happy when he was dumped face-to-face. He wanted to use force directly, and once you’ve done that, Ms. Carrington would be his possession!
• Spencer sneered. "She refused the toast and will now face the consequences. If it weren't for her somewhat attractive appearance, I wouldn't even want to touch this piece of junk!"
• As he pushed open the door to leave,
• a dart flew through the air, piercing his hand.
• Spencer howled in pain, dropping the room key.
• At the same time, a childish voice angrily came, "Who did you just call junk?"
• Spencer angrily exclaimed, "Who did this good deed?"
• He searched around with his eyes, and finally, slowly descended. Two meters away, there stood only a delicately carved little milk bun.
• Spencer’s face twisted with fury as he recognized the boy. "Elianna's wild child!"
• The boy, Owen Carrington, strode forward, picked up the room key, and declared, "With me here, you won't lay a finger on my mommy!"
• Then, without another word, he dashed toward the elevator.
• Spencer angrily shouted, "Get him!"
• Several subordinates immediately chased after the boy!
• Elevator entrance.
• There came a thunderous sound of footsteps from behind.
• Owen slipped inside just as the doors began to close. Before disappearing, he stuck out his tongue and taunted, "Come and catch me if you dare, big dummy!"
• Spencer couldn't bear it anymore and kicked the closed elevator door: "How did this brat get in here? He ruined everything!"
• His subordinates quickly appeased his temper: "Mr. Spencer, don't worry. Let's see which floor his elevator stopped at and take another elevator to catch up!"
• The elevator indicator showed it had stopped at the 25th floor.
• Another elevator descended, and Spencer, determined to intercept, stepped inside.
• Spencer stopped the elevator, and the elevator door popped open. He was about to rush in, but couldn't help but be startled!
• Inside stood another boy who looked exactly like Owen, but dressed differently.
• He had on a white shirt, a pair of trousers with suspenders, and under his soft, black hair. There was a fair and delicate little face, but his expression was calm, mature beyond his years.
• His cold gaze swept over the group outside the elevator. He had a pair of cold eyes. Finally, the boy asked, his tone composed, "Who are you?"
• Spencer grabbed his collar, yanking him up. "Little wild! When did you change your clothes? Where’s the room key? Hand it over!"
• The little boy's hands were always in his pockets, even when Spencer was being rough and lifting him off the ground. His expression remained indifferent, despite his childish voice sounding lower and more mature than other children his age. He spoke slowly and coldly, saying, "I have no idea what you're talking about. And don’t call me a wild child. And..."
• He narrowed his eyes. "Now take your filthy hands off me."
• Spencer clenched his fist, wishing he could punch him.
• His subordinates immediately intervened. "Mr. Spencer, this is the young master of the Carrington family. Master Carrington doted on this great-grandson the most. We can’t harm him!"
• Frustrated, Spencer threw the boy into a subordinate’s arms. "Fine! Take this little brat back to the Carrington family!"
• 25th floor,
• Banquet Hall
• Joseph Kensington sat at the head of the table, his icy demeanor silencing the room. He felt a sense of annoyance inexplicably in his heart.
• Unconsciously, the sky had already turned dark.
• After finishing his drink, Joseph rose, his imposing 6'2" frame casting a shadow over the room.
• The air grew heavy as the others scrambled to their feet, bowing and offering flattery.
• As the President of Oceanic Group, in the face of this global financial storm, his words carried the power to determine the fate of those seated before him.
• The protagonist at the dinner table tonight was him, and now that he is leaving, it also marks the end of this banquet.
• One person tentatively asked in a low voice, "Mr. Kensington, are you going to leave?"
• The man respectfully handed over the suit jacket, Joseph glanced at him and took it, then someone nodded and bowed to open the door.
• Joseph walked out gracefully, followed closely by a group of well-dressed men who bowed their heads in submission, giving off a sense of admiration.
• A person ran ahead and pressed the elevator button at the elevator entrance.
• "Ding."
• The elevator went up until it stopped at the 25th floor, and the doors slowly opened.
• "Mr. Kensington, please!"
• Joseph had just arrived at the elevator door when he suddenly noticed a little kid standing in the corner of the elevator, vigilantly observing the people outside the door.
• Elvis Montclair, Joseph’s assistant, stepped forward in shock. "Young master? What are you doing here?"
• He saw the boy have changed his clothes, and his expression and behavior were slightly different from before, but he couldn't pinpoint exactly what was different. The boy's expression shifted subtly, and for a fleeting moment, a glimmer of warmth replaced his usual aloofness.