The Fairbanks Have Arrived

Unbeknownst to them, half a month had passed, and the old man's birthday was fast approaching. Aurora had managed to reduce her weight to 120 pounds. Although still slightly chubby, she looked quite slender and shapely, especially with the added muscle from her recent exercise.

Aurora walked to the ancestral home behind the villa, where generations of Pendletons had lived. The old man resided in the ancestral home, while the newer villa in front was occupied only by Sebastian's family.

The old man was astonished by Aurora's transformation. She had been so plump before that it was almost unseemly, but in just over twenty days, she had slimmed down so much.

Not only had her figure improved, but her eyes were no longer weak as before. The lively and spirited young girl before him was really his granddaughter?

Aurora approached with a beaming smile, asking, "What do you think, Grandpa? Can I attend your birthday feast?"

The old man had almost forgotten the joy he felt when Aurora was born. After her mother's death, Sebastian quickly brought Madeline and their children into the family.

Seeing that Maxwell and Evelyn were both older than Aurora, he knew that Sebastian and Madeline had been together for a while. He turned a blind eye to the sudden addition of a grandson.

As he watched his grandchildren grow into adults, Maxwell excelled in the business world, Evelyn became a rising star in the entertainment industry, and later Sophia was born, obedient and sensible. But Aurora became more and more disappointing.

Lazy and gluttonous, with poor grades and a silent demeanor, he had almost forgotten he had such a granddaughter.

Today, seeing her lively eyes and charming appearance, he felt a surge of joy, saying, "Of course, of course! My dear granddaughter, you must attend the birthday feast."

That evening, Aurora stayed in the ancestral home, chatting with her grandfather. As she was leaving, the butler, Mr. Leen, said, "You used to be so quiet, and your grandpa was worried. Now that you're talking more, he must be very happy."

Aurora smiled and said, "Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Leen."

She knew that in such a wealthy family, affection was thin. Even if the old man was happy, if she had no ability, his shares would go to Maxwell and Evelyn. At most, she might receive some property, but she would never be allowed to interfere in the group's affairs.

But what she wanted was power, a strong background to contend with Isabella Whitmore!

In the blink of an eye, the day of the old man's birthday feast arrived. The Pendleton family was a well-known wealthy family, and the old man was highly respected in the business world.

The Pendleton home was festively decorated to celebrate the old man's sixtieth birthday.

Madeline, leading Sophia, greeted the guests at the door, smiling radiantly.

The guests had mostly arrived and were seated in the main hall when a servant announced that the eldest son had returned.

The old man immediately said, "Quickly, bring him in, bring him in."

Maxwell, the old man's only grandson and the only male of this generation in the Pendleton family, was the apple of the old man's eye. He held ten percent of the shares in the company and held the important position of General Manager.

A tall young man in a tailor-made black suit, with a gentle face and steady demeanor, walked in. He presented a brocade box to the old man, saying, "Grandpa, may you be blessed with endless joy and a lifetime of happiness!"

The old man opened the box to find two sets of Go pieces. Maxwell's assistant stepped forward, explaining, "Mr. Pendleton, knowing your love for Go, our General Manager had these specially brought from Yunnan. The pieces are made of Yunzi material, warm in winter and cool in summer. We hope they please you."

The old man was delighted, instructing the servants to put the gift away and seating Maxwell.

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside, and everyone turned to see the entertainment industry's hottest star—Evelyn Pendleton.

Wearing a bright red gown, with exquisite makeup, she looked like a blooming rose. With many reporters present, flashbulbs went off non-stop as she entered.

Evelyn came forward with a gift, saying, "Happy birthday, Grandpa! May you live a hundred years!"

The old man unwrapped the gift to find an ancient Go manual. Evelyn laughed, "I searched for three months for this Go manual for Grandpa, finally winning it at an auction. I hope you like it."

"I love it! I love it! Good child, sit down and rest," the old man said joyfully.

"What good fortune the old master has! Such filial children!" a CEO nearby remarked.

"The Pendleton family is impressive, with this one grandson and the young miss as a big star!" a lady added.

"Madam Mainline is truly fortunate, with such outstanding children. I hear the fourth young miss is also very beautiful!" another lady said.

Hearing the compliments, Madeline's heart swelled with joy. She was the only Madam of the Pendleton family!

Sophia was even more proud, thinking, with such accomplished siblings, what could Aurora, an unwanted orphan, compare to her?

Amid the bustling conversation, a servant hurried in, announcing, "The Fairbanks have arrived."

---

The old man immediately stood up and straightened his clothes, looking towards the entrance.

A man strode in, wearing a high-end dark suit, his features as sculpted as a statue, stunningly handsome. Unlike Maxwell's gentle demeanor, this man exuded a sharp aura that made it impossible to ignore his powerful presence.

Heath spoke, "Mr. Pendleton, wishing you all the happiness in the world and a long, healthy life."

The old man quickly approached, saying, "Heath, you must be tired from your long journey. Please, sit down and rest."

Heath took a seat beside the old man.

The crowd began to whisper, "Who is this young Mr? The old Pendleton seems to value him highly, even standing up to greet him personally."

A young gentleman explained, "This is Heath Fairbank from the Fairbank family in the capital. He's the youngest son. I hear he's about to become the heir to the Fairbank family."

"The Fairbank family from the capital? That century-old wealthy family? No wonder the old Mr values him so much!" another gentleman remarked.

"Looks like the old Mr wants to form an alliance with the Fairbank family. Look at Evelyn; she can't take her eyes off him."

As everyone chatted, Evelyn sat nearby, staring intently at Heath. She had never seen such a noble man before, and she was determined to get to know him that night.

The banquet officially began, but Aurora had not yet appeared, causing the old man to frown in displeasure.

Upstairs, Aurora groggily sat up, realizing that half of the banquet had already passed. She looked at the glass of lemon water on the table, the only thing she had consumed that day. She remembered a servant bringing it to her the night before and wondered when the Pendleton family's servants had become so kind to her.

It must have been Sophia, putting something in the water. How else could she have slept so long?

Aurora still felt drowsy but knew she had to attend the banquet. Her grandfather had finally agreed to let her participate, and if she didn't show up, he would never give her another chance.

She got up to open the door, only to find it locked.

Sophia Pendleton!

Aurora opened the window. The rooms of Sophia and her siblings were all on the third floor, while she, the unloved one, lived in this small room on the second floor. Though she felt weak, escaping from the second-floor window shouldn't be a problem.

She tore the bedsheet, twisted it into a rope, tied it to the bed leg, and threw it out the window, slowly climbing down.

Wearing an evening gown and still under the effects of the sleeping pill, she dangled precariously from the window. Aurora felt like crying. As Olivia, she could have easily descended from the fifth floor, even performing acrobatics with just a rope. Now, she clumsily climbed like a thief.

As she was thinking this, her foot slipped, and she lost her grip on the bedsheet, falling.

She quickly covered her face, praying she wouldn't land on it.

The expected pain didn't come, and Aurora found herself landing softly in someone's arms.

She opened her eyes and saw a face close to hers. "Holy cow! He's so handsome!"

She had met many men in her life, but this one was something else!

Heath had stepped outside for a smoke and a breath of fresh air, wandering around the back of the villa. Suddenly, he heard a window open and saw a bedsheet thrown out, followed by a girl in a black evening gown, climbing out and muttering to herself.

He saw her barefoot, stepping on an unsupported part of the wall, about to fall, and reached out to catch her.

The girl was slightly chubby, but soft in his arms, a pleasant sensation. He watched her cover her face, then slowly peek through her fingers, seemingly relieved she hadn't fallen, exhaling cutely.

Heath looked at her amusedly, asking, "Miss, how long do you plan to stay in my arms?"

Aurora scrambled down, stepping on a stone because she wasn't wearing shoes. She cried out in pain and fell forward, knocking Heath to the ground.

Heath Fairbank: "..."

Aurora clumsily got up, apologizing, "I'm so sorry! I'm too heavy, did I hurt you? I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I stepped on a stone... because my shoes are missing."

Heath asked, "Should I call security? After all, you did climb out of a window."

"No, no! I'm part of the Pendleton family. I only did this because I was locked in!" Aurora hurriedly explained.

Heath looked at her frantic explanation, noticing she didn't dare look up at him, and said, "I saved you, and you're going to talk to me with your head down the whole time?"

Aurora looked up, her hair a mess, her face flushed from anxiety, and asked, "Thank you for not letting me fall. May I know your name?"

Recognizing her face, he realized she was the girl who had used his car window as a mirror that day.

Heath smiled, amused by the coincidence.

"Heath Fairbank," he replied.

"Thank you, Mr. Fairbank. I'm Aurora Pendleton, the third child of the Pendleton family," she said.

Heath noticed that there was no surprise in her eyes at his surname, as if she had never heard of the Fairbank family. She simply introduced herself formally.

He repeated, somewhat playfully, "Miss Pendleton? Aurora Pendleton."