‘Wanda really is my lucky star!’ Hearing the system chime echo in his mind, Holden was in a phenomenal mood.
The little witch was practically a walking cheat code; in less than twenty-four hours, she had delivered two massive surprises.
Next time he saw her, he would definitely have to ‘reward’ her properly.
The God-Tier Magic Talent was exactly what it sounded like: an unrivaled, heaven-defying comprehension for the mystic arts.
Moving forward, learning any spell or magic system would be as effortless as breathing.
Step, step, step…
Rushed footsteps echoed down the hallway.
“Holden!” Tony Stark’s slightly exhausted voice called out from behind the door.
“What’s taking so long?
You hiding a beautiful woman in there or something?” The billionaire had waited downstairs for several minutes, eventually losing patience and marching up to check on him.
“I actually am,” Holden replied, swinging the door wide open.
He took a deep, exaggerated breath, a grin plastered across his face.
“The room still smells like her, too.” “Must be nice to have so much free time,” the former playboy sighed, looking at Holden’s leisurely state with a hint of envy.
He might be a famous superhero now, but the crushing weight of responsibility was heavier than ever.
Add in his relationship with Pepper Potts, and his days of wild flings were long gone.
“Alright, let’s head downstairs and talk.” Holden adjusted the belt of his bathrobe, gave Tony a solid pat on the shoulder, and led the way toward the stairs.
As Holden walked past, Tony caught a glimpse of the bedroom from the corner of his eye.
The bed was a tangled mess of sheets, with a single men’s dress shirt discarded on the mattress.
The French doors leading to the balcony were wide open, the sheer curtains fluttering in the gentle breeze.
Tony shook his head, brushing it off, and followed Holden down to the drawing room.
Hand-woven Persian rugs covered the floors, complementing the gold-trimmed sofas.
The calming scent of essential oils lingered in the air.
“So, Mr.
Stark, can I get you a drink?
Or something else?” Holden asked, sprawling comfortably across a plush European-style armchair, gesturing with an open hand.
“Alcohol…” Tony hesitated for a moment before shaking his head.
“Just get me a cup of tea.” He needed a clear head right now.
Holden shot the maid a look.
A moment later, two steaming cups of Earl Grey tea were set down on the marble coffee table between them.
“Never thought I’d see the legendary superhero Tony Stark skipping his midday nap to visit little old me,” Holden teased, leaning back once the maid left the room.
He studied Tony closely.
The billionaire looked absolutely wrecked, dark bags heavily lining his exhausted eyes.
“Holden, don’t joke,” Tony groaned, rubbing his face.
He managed a strained, bitter smile.
“I’m not exactly in a sleeping mood right now.
Let alone sleeping till noon.” There was a time when he wouldn’t even roll out of bed until lunchtime, but that felt like a lifetime ago.
Now, all he had to show for his nights were deep, permanent dark circles.
“I heard about what happened in Germany.
I was actually planning on coming to see you,” Holden said, dropping his lazy facade.
He uncrossed his legs, leaning forward as his expression turned serious, cutting straight to the chase.
“Yeah.
You know Ross, right?
That insufferable old bastard from the military?” At the mere mention of the name, Tony ground his teeth.
He picked up his teacup and downed the hot liquid in one gulp.
“Well, that bastard just got promoted.
He’s the new Secretary of State.” “And what does he want?” Holden nodded, knowing full well that Thaddeus Ross was bad news.
“If we don’t fix this PR disaster immediately, the Avengers are going to be put under direct government oversight.” Tony slammed his empty cup back onto the saucer, rubbing his temples as he let out a heavy, defeated sigh.
Right now, Tony was trapped in the middle.
No matter which side he chose, he was caught in a brutal tug-of-war.
“Hah!” Holden let out a disdainful scoff.
“You really think they care about the tragedy itself?
Those heartless politicians are just using it as a convenient excuse to put a leash on the Avengers!” Every single one of those suits was driven entirely by their own selfish gain.
Holden knew full well that while Wanda was the primary victim being crucified by the public, Tony Stark was undeniably the one bearing the heaviest burden.
As the team’s primary benefactor, it fell on him to take responsibility for the Avengers and clean up the ensuing political mess.
Besides, Secretary of State Ross had been gunning for government oversight of the Avengers for a long time.
While Tony wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea of accountability, Steve Rogers and a few others were fiercely against it.
And that was exactly what had Tony backed into such a miserable corner.