Hidden Motives

Croft Junior scratched the tip of his nose with a grin. “I didn’t set my sights on anything. Just here for fun. No need to be so serious, old chairman. By the way, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you at an auction before. You’re not here just for me, are you?”

Elias tried to probe, but the young Croft just flipped the situation on him.

Everyone knew why they were here, but nobody would say it out loud.

Elias sighed. “I heard from Briar that the Eclipse Vine would be auctioned tonight. It’s so rare, I just wanted to see it for myself.”

Croft Junior lazily propped his head with one hand and smiled. “Oh, really?”

Elias cleared his throat, exchanged a few polite words, and left the room.

As soon as Elias was gone, the smile vanished from Croft Junior’s face. A cold frost appeared on his sharp cheekbones, and he snorted before suddenly grabbing the teacup and smashing it on the floor.

Someone entered quietly, whispering, “Young master, you…”

Croft Junior’s expression snapped. He kicked the tea table aside, stood under the curtain with his hands behind his back, and said coldly, “Find out who leaked information from the old mansion! I want that person brought to me—I’ll interrogate them personally.”

The other person froze. “You think there’s a mole in the old mansion?”

Without a mole, why else would Elias suddenly ask about the old man’s health?

It was a subtle warning.

If he couldn’t pick up on this hint, he shouldn’t even be the Croft family’s Young master.

Don’t be fooled by his wild, carefree appearance—he ranked fourth on the list of elite Young masters.

Wild and useless?

Yeah, right.

Croft Junior scoffed, pinching an empty teacup. “None of your business. Don’t ask questions. Get out.”

“Yes, Young master!”

After the man left, Croft Junior looked down at the cup, tossing it up and down in his palm. Those pretty peach-blossom eyes flickered coldly with a murderous glint.

Downstairs, the auction was already on the fourth item. The crowd was lively—every time a new herb went up, bids came flying in, making the room buzz with excitement.

Of course, these auctions weren’t just about herbs. They were also a show of power. Nobody wanted to fall behind; everyone wanted to be the brightest star of the night.

Upstairs, in the center box on the third floor:

Raina was holding Gale while feeding him what seemed like endless nuts and snacks. The little one’s belly was already round and full, but he kept stubbornly eating.

Leif couldn’t watch anymore. He cleared the little mountain of dishes from Gale’s reach. “He can’t eat anymore. His belly’s gonna burst.”

Yep. This guy had no clue how to take care of a kid.

Raina looked down, a bit annoyed. “Really? I don’t think so. He hasn’t eaten that much.”

Leif: “…”

Trying to prove he wasn’t full, Gale quietly dragged the little dish back in front of him.

Raina immediately pointed at him. “See? I told you he’s not full!”

Leif pinched the bridge of his nose and shot a glance at his loyal sidekick. “No eating after 8 PM. That’s the rule.”

The Vexley family’s rules were strict. Tonight was a rare exception, all because of Raina. Leif had broken protocol to bring Gale to such a crowded place. Luckily, it was a private box, and he didn’t seem bothered, so Leif quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Gale squirmed and looked at Raina, probably trying to say he wasn’t refusing food because he was full, but because of the rules.

Raina couldn’t help but think, living at the Vexley house these past few days, she’d noticed their rules. She might pretend not to know or care, but she couldn’t let Gale break them.

Bored, she propped her chin on her hand and started picking at the sunflower seeds, moving them from one side of the plate to the other and back again.

Man, she was so bored.

“Ding—”

Her phone suddenly buzzed. She sat up and checked. It was Briar calling.

Leif, sitting nearby, seemed to notice the caller ID too. Raina thought she saw a flicker of annoyance in his eyes—but maybe she was just imagining things.

Raina didn’t care. She answered, “Senior, I’m so bored. Really, super bored. Where’s Teacher? Didn’t he say he’d come tonight? Where is he?”

“Grandpa’s at the Square Hall. You… coming over?” Briar stood by a huge glass window, his gaze fixed somewhere in the distance.

He looked as calm and composed as always—cold and serious—but there was a slight hitch in his breathing, like he was quietly hoping for something.

The Square Hall was a standalone building and the only place at the auction site that was never open to the public. No one was allowed in without Elias or Briar’s permission.

Raina was really curious about what she’d found in the secret underground lab at the experimental base, but this wasn’t something to talk about over the phone. She had to meet Elias in person to see if he knew anything.

“I’ll come over, but…” Raina started.

Briar’s eyes lit up. “But what?”

She pressed a hand to her forehead. “Your family’s shadow guards are posted 24/7 at the Square Hall entrance. There’s no way I can get in.”

The shadow guards were trained by Briar himself to protect the auction. Without his approval, no one took a single speck of dust out of the place.

They all wore masks—no one except Briar knew what they really looked like underneath. Each mask was unique, chosen by the guard and never changed. If their mask was taken off, their role was over.

“I’ll wait for you at the Square Hall entrance,” Briar said.

Raina raised an eyebrow. “Alright, I’m on my way.”

After hanging up, she told Leif, “I’m stepping out for a bit to meet a friend. I’ll be back after.”

He nodded. “Okay, be careful.”

No one here would dare mess with her, but she smiled slightly and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll be back before the Eclipse Vine auction starts.”

With that, Raina left the suite.

Inside, only Leif and Gale were left. The two of them glanced at each other with mild annoyance, then both quickly looked away.

***