Chapter 3

The Bowies held a grand welcome banquet to celebrate my return.

Crystal chandeliers glittered overhead, an entire wall was covered in flowers, and a display board at the entrance read: [Homecoming Charity Gala]

At the center of the display was a photo of Ezra with his perfect smile. Beneath it were the words "Bowie Heir, Philanthropy Ambassador."

Half an hour before the event began, Ezra came to find me.

"Wallace, the schedule changed at the last minute. The reunion ceremony has been pushed back, so wait in the side hall for now."

I gave him an okay sign. "Okay!"

This time, he didn't turn around and leave like he had before. He personally led me to the side hall and pushed me down onto the couch,

"Make sure my brother stays safe. Don't let him go anywhere," he instructed the two bodyguards stationed at the door.

Before leaving, he asked one more question. "Wallace, the foundation wants to use the story of how you were found for publicity. Is that okay?"

"Sure."

He smiled and left.

Less than two minutes later, the bodyguards' radios crackled. "Mr. Bowie wants both of you at the south entrance. Several important guests will be arriving soon."

Before leaving, the two men glared at me, their voices carrying a clear warning. "Stay put, sir."

I nodded repeatedly. "Okay, okay."

The door had barely closed when the smell of chocolate drifted down the hallway.

I peeked through the crack in the door. A dessert cart rolled past with a chocolate fountain, a tower of macarons, and an entire row of cakes.

They were all things I'd never tasted growing up!

I was halfway through eating when the lights in the banquet hall dimmed and Ezra took the stage.

"Many people don't know that my brother's return home has a deep connection to our foundation.

"Three years ago, I founded the Homecoming Foundation and made my brother one of our priority cases. We worked with the police to compare DNA and contacted welfare organizations across the country. It was a difficult journey, but I never gave up."

His voice caught. "Bringing my brother home with my own hands is the proudest achievement of my life."

Thunderous applause erupted.

"Ezra is incredible."

"He isn't even their biological son, yet he helped the family find their real son. That really says something about his character..."

Then Ezra's eyes suddenly reddened. "But my brother... may not be ready to appear in front of everyone with me yet."

He lowered his gaze. "It must be because I did something wrong. Maybe that's why my brother doesn't want to acknowledge me."

Whispers erupted throughout the audience.

"The biological son just got home, and he's already bullying the adopted one? I heard his adoptive father was a thief. No wonder he has no manners!"

"Poor Ezra. Who wouldn't be hurt by that?"

"Tsk, tsk. No wonder he got kidnapped twice. Who gets kidnapped twice unless there's something wrong with them?"

The next second, I wandered over from the dessert cart with half a cake in my hands and cream still smeared at the corner of my mouth. "Isn't it time for the reunion ceremony?"

The entire room fell silent.

Ezra's expression froze.

I walked onto the stage and smiled at him. "Ezra, what were you saying just now? I was eating cake, so I didn't hear you."

I scratched my head. "I only heard the first half. But my information was entered into the missing-children DNA database four years ago, and the foundation wasn't established until three years ago. My records were already in the system by then."

Murmurs rippled through the audience.

Ezra's smile faltered. "Wallace, I meant that the foundation helped with a lot of the follow-up work too..."

I frowned. "But the police's Missing Persons Unit contacted my adoptive family and arranged the DNA verification. I never met anyone from the foundation."

Ezra's face turned green. "Wallace, what are you talking about? Didn't you agree to let us use your case for publicity?"

"I agreed to that, but I didn't agree to let you rewrite my story," I corrected him.

Ezra finally lost control of his expression.

At that moment, a middle-aged man in plain clothes stood up near the back of the room and walked toward the stage. "My name is Marcus Cooper. I'm with the city's Missing Persons Unit."

He glanced at me and smiled. "I never expected to run into you here. This kid was kidnapped when he was 14. He didn't cry or panic once. He used hand signals to communicate with passersby and was eventually rescued. His case later became the basis for a safety-awareness video that helped countless people."

The mood in the room shifted completely.

"He was only 14 and managed to signal for help? That's incredibly quick thinking!"

"Now that's smart. That's exactly what you'd expect from the Bowies' biological son!"

…

After the event, my father approached me for the first time. "Wallace, you did well today. You didn't let the pressure get to you.

"The Homecoming Foundation needs someone to help oversee inventory and supplies. Why don't you give it a try?"

Lilian frowned. "Dad, the foundation is Ezra's life's work..."

Ezra clenched his hand, but he still managed a smile. "Dad's right. The foundation was established for children who've gone through experiences similar to my brother's. It's only right that he gets involved."

…

The next day, a foundation employee set up a work account for me.

I sat at the desk and took screenshots of the access-permissions page. I photographed every page of the handover documents and recorded all the equipment ID numbers.

Then I opened my computer and uploaded a backup.

The employee glanced over curiously. "Mr. Bowie, you're really thorough."

I smiled. "I'm used to it. I like to keep a record of everything."

…

That evening, Ezra's message arrived right on schedule.

Ezra: [Wallace, the foundation's affairs are pretty complicated. I'll walk you through the handover tomorrow.]

I replied immediately: [Okay. Got it!]