Hugged

Meanwhile, at Elaris International Airport Parking Zone – A fleet of matte black vehicles idled in the secluded parking lane. At the center was a heavily modified Rolls-Royce Cullinan, its polished grille and Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament gleaming beneath the terminal lights, flanked by a dozen men in tactical gear. Silent. Alert. Trained.

The rear door clicked open. Sunlight—dimmed by the horizon—glanced off the metal trim and spilled across the man seated inside, gilding his tailored suit in a warm, deceptive glow.

Rael stepped forward, tension radiating from his frame. “We underestimated her, sir. The intel was weak—we only had a single rear-view image to go off. She vanished into the crowd before we could close in.”

An oppressive pause followed.

Orion. A ghost in the medical world. Whispers of her brilliance had surfaced only months ago. Rael had spent a small fortune securing even a partial photograph.

Last week, encrypted chatter hinted at her return to Estravia. Knowing the young little master’s condition was deteriorating, Leif Vexley had acted swiftly—deploying assets across the airport. Still, she’d slipped right past.

Inside the car, Leif Vexley sat with regal stillness. His face was half-shrouded by the vehicle’s shadows. One hand rested lightly on a digital slate, fingers tapping with cold precision.

On that hand, a single silver ring gleamed—its surface catching the low light with an almost hypnotic flicker.

Finally, his voice cut through the silence. Calm. Precise. Dangerous.

“Find her. I don’t care what it takes.”

Rael straightened. “Understood. There’s something else—the young master’s vitals dropped again last night.”

Leif tilted his head, unmoved. “Noted.”

“And… the Hale Group heir’s engagement party is being held tonight.”

Leif lit a cigarette, the lighter’s flare briefly illuminating the contours of his face. Smoke coiled around him like mist over a blade.

“Do I look like I give a damn about the Hale family’s celebrations?”

“No, sir. Of course not.”

“Take us back.” Rael turned to signal the driver—but his earpiece crackled.

“Wait,” he said, eyes flicking to his tablet. “New update—Orion’s name is on the Hale banquet guest list.”

Leif exhaled a thin stream of smoke, his eyes narrowing. “Then we’re going to the banquet.”

“Right away, sir.”

Without fanfare, the convoy peeled away from the curb and rolled into the night.

...

In Elaris, at the Diamond Palace Hotel, part of the Vexley Group.

Raina stepped into the presidential suite on the top floor and quickly tidied up her luggage.

Not long after, her half-sister Mireille Carrington called.

“Raina, you ugly hag! How dare you stand up Jasper and make him waste a trip? You really have no shame!” Mireille’s voice was sharp and full of scorn.

Raina lowered her gaze, expression calm and unreadable.

This so-called sister had spent only a few months with her while pregnant—a total fake. Pretending to care, but secretly setting traps, and putting on an angelic act in front of Fenris Carrington. Disgusting.

Mireille asked Jasper to pick her up just to let him see how ugly she really was and humiliate her.

“Well... I don’t have time to waste with you. You want your mother’s rundown company back, right? Tonight, in the grand hall of Diamond Palace Hotel, Jasper and I will be waiting for you. We’re holding your breakup ceremony,” Mireille sneered.

“Raina, if you don’t show, you’ll never get that company back!”

Raina had come back for two reasons: to find her missing son, and to reclaim her mother’s company.

Back then, Fenris was in control, but he was an empty suit—no business sense at all. After years of mismanagement, the company was on the brink of collapse.

Still, it was her mother’s legacy, and Raina wouldn’t let it fall apart.

Her voice held a hint of mockery: “Aren’t you afraid that when Jasper sees me, he might change his mind about the breakup?”

Mireille scoffed. “You? Raina, do you still think you’re the stunning Carringtons beauty of old? Take a good look in the mirror—you’re nothing but a worthless rag now!”

“Oh, and by the way, today’s my birthday. Jasper will personally celebrate with me. Raina, just sit back and watch the show!”

She emphasized “personally,” clearly flaunting, then hung up arrogantly.

After Raina was sent abroad, Mireille had used some unknown tricks to completely captivate Jasper. Now that the Hale family finally agreed, Mireille was about to marry in.

She wanted everyone to know: only she was the true daughter of the Carrington family.

Only she deserved the title of Elaris’ top socialite!

...

About half an hour later, at the Diamond Palace Hotel.

It was Mireille’s birthday party, decorated like a dream—pristine white carpets, artificial clouds floating midair, and red rose petals scattered everywhere.

In front of a musical fountain, Mireille wore a pure white gown and diamond-studded heels, looking like a stunning princess from a fairy tale.

Jasper stood beside her in a flashy green suit—his usual tacky style making him look even more ostentatious.

“Mr. Hale and Miss Carrington truly are a perfect match,” the guests praised. “I heard Miss Carrington is a medical genius who invented a new drug causing a huge stir!”

“With that, she’s truly the perfect white-collar beauty!”

Enjoying the compliments, Mireille held her head high, a proud and elegant smile on her flawless face.

In truth, her “new drug” hadn’t passed official trials yet; she had just stirred up some media hype. But Mireille had no intention of exposing the lie herself.

Now, she was the Carrington family’s heiress, Jasper was hers, and everything that had once belonged to Raina was hers too.

Smiling politely while chatting with the crowd, Mireille kept glancing past them toward the entrance of the grand hall.

By her estimate, Raina should be arriving soon.

At the hotel entrance meanwhile,

Raina got out of the car. On the giant LED screen of the opposite building, the latest citywide financial news played.

“…Reports say the second young master of the Vexley Group crashed his car speeding at midnight and is currently unconscious. The head of Vexley Group, Leif Vexley, personally denies these rumors…”

Raina instinctively glanced at the screen. A photo of Leif Vexley appeared.

The man was dressed in pure black formalwear. His stunningly handsome face was calm and unreadable. Behind the glasses, his deep eyes looked down on the world like a god.

Strangely...

Though she had never met this man before, Raina felt an odd sense of familiarity.

Shaking her head, she stepped toward the hotel entrance.

She wore loose, casual clothes and tied her long hair into a neat ponytail. A black mask covered her face—an old habit from when she was disfigured. Even though her scars had healed, she still wore it.

Just as she was about to enter, a small chubby child suddenly rushed up and hugged her leg tightly.

***