Bella Jefferson hadn’t expected Mason Sinclair and Scarlett Sullivan to be waiting at the entrance.
Judging by their expressions, they wanted to be the first to greet Adrian Xavier.
Adrian closed his car door and strode toward them.
His advancing steps felt like invisible walls, crushing their nerves until even their breathing stagnated.
He soon stopped in front of Mason.
He wore a bespoke, purely hand-tailored suit that lacked a single wrinkle.
The eyes behind his rimless glasses were sharp and gleamed with a cold light.
He looked like an eagle locking onto its prey in the dead of night, radiating a dangerous aura.
He was a full half-head taller than Mason, with a much more robust build.
His casual demeanor made it seem as though he were looking down on a mere insect.
Even though Miles was merely an adopted son of the Sinclair family, Mason felt suffocated by his gaze.
That inexplicable, overwhelming sense of authority forced his back to involuntarily slouch.
His panic was impossible to hide, and even his voice trembled.
“Miles Sinclair, why is it you?”
Adrian raised an eyebrow, a cold sneer escaping his thin lips.
“We haven’t seen each other in a few years, and you don’t even call me your older brother anymore?”
“Hah!” Stripped of his usual gentle facade, Mason’s expression turned vicious.
“What kind of older brother are you?”
Mason had always been jealous of Miles’s excellence.
He was especially resentful that a mere orphan could gain their grandfather’s heavy favor and stand on equal footing with him in the Sinclair family.
Even though Miles had been missing for the past five years, his grandfather had never given up searching for him.
No matter how hard Mason worked, he could never compare to a fraction of Miles in his grandfather’s heart.
Even now, the old man refused to fully hand over power.
Mason’s position was unstable; he had to tread carefully with every step.
He was terrified that the slightest mistake would disappoint his grandfather and destroy all his efforts.
But now, Miles was back.
A deep sense of crisis welled up within Mason.
He stepped forward, grabbed the other man by the collar, and warned through gritted teeth, “Since you left back then, why did you come back?”
Seeing this, Nancy Monroe anxiously stepped forward to intervene.
Adrian shot her a look.
He then reached out and grabbed Mason’s hand.
His handsome face remained completely placid, but his grip was terrifyingly strong.
Mason winced in pain.
The color drained from his face as a cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
Unable to endure it, he cried out and released his grip.
Adrian smoothly brushed his hand away as if flicking off some garbage.
He patted his suit and said in an extremely indifferent tone, “Why can’t I come back?”
“Grandpa has already handed Meridian Group over to me.
Even if you come back, there is no place for you in the Sinclair family.” Having been so used to bullying Miles, Mason still completely disregarded this non-blood-related older brother.
His tone was laced with disdain and arrogance.
Just then, a hotel security guard approached.
“Sir, I can park your car in the lot for you. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
Could you hand me the keys?”
Adrian casually handed over his car keys.
Earlier, Mason hadn’t paid much attention to what Adrian was driving, assuming it was nothing expensive.
But as he caught an accidental glimpse of the prestigious emblem on the keys, he froze in shock.
It was a specially modified Bugatti.
It was easily worth tens of millions.
But how could Miles, a destitute orphan, afford to drive such a luxury car?
Within seconds, he withdrew his gaze and sneered mockingly.
“Tsk, which big boss are you playing chauffeur for?”
As he spoke, he glanced at Adrian again, and his arrogant expression nearly cracked.
The suit bore no logos and was the epitome of low-key elegance, yet it was clearly a master’s bespoke creation.
Insults flowed effortlessly from his mouth.
“Or perhaps you’ve stooped so low as to become a rich man’s kept boy?”
Growing up, Bella had witnessed Mason bullying Miles countless times.
There had been even worse incidents.
But hearing this exact phrase right now made her feel utterly sick.
Back in the Sinclair family, Mr.
Sinclair had been there to protect Miles, which kept Mason somewhat in check.
But once they were outside, Mason completely lost control.
When they were kids, he instigated their classmates to isolate and bully Miles.
Besides tearing up Miles’s books, he frequently stuffed snakes, dead rats, and other disgusting things into Miles’s desk drawer, or threw his backpack into the trash.
After school, he would even gather a group of people to corner and beat Miles in an alley.
As they grew older and Miles learned to fight back, Mason switched tactics.
He spread all sorts of rumors about Miles’s background around school, using venomous, degrading verbal abuse just like this.
Bella simply couldn’t listen to it anymore.
“Mason, that’s enough!” she shouted coldly.
Her voice was loud, catching the attention of everyone present.
Adrian was the first to turn and look at her, an indecipherable emotion flickering in his eyes.
Bella wasn’t in the mood to guess what he was thinking.
She looked up at Mason.
“You lived under the same roof for five years.
Even if you don’t share blood, he is still nominally your older brother.
By insulting him, you’re dragging the Sinclair family’s name through the mud too.
What’s the point?”
This was the first time in five years that Bella had publicly rebuked him.
And it was all for Miles!
Mason felt a surge of displeasure, but he knew she was right.
This occasion wasn’t the time to deal with Miles.
Deciding to quit while he was ahead, he instead grabbed Bella’s hand and glared at Adrian with a warning look. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
“For Bella’s sake, I’ll let you off the hook for today.
Now get out of here.”
Bella glanced at Adrian out of the corner of her eye.
The man seemed entirely unaffected by Mason’s provocation.
He stood there impeccably dressed, exuding an unsmiling, superior aura, yet his restrained and composed demeanor was inexplicably captivating.
Five years had passed, but that face remained unchanged.
However, his temperament had matured significantly.
If Mason had insulted him like this in the past, he would have thrown a punch long ago.
Bella chuckled softly.
If Mason knew that the man he had just insulted was the heir to the Xavier Family, he would likely live the rest of his days in sheer terror.
After all, rumors painted Adrian as a ruthless businessman who had destroyed countless companies.
If he wanted to target Meridian Group, it would only take a single word.
“By the way, honey, what are you doing here?” Mason’s suspicious voice pulled her back to reality.
Bella glanced at Adrian again and noticed he was looking right back at her.
She deliberately ignored his gaze and replied calmly, “Mr.
Xavier asked me to come over to report on work.”
Mason found it strange.
Why did she have to report right now of all times?
But he didn’t dwell on it.
Adrian Xavier was known for his eccentric temper and never played by the rules.
Who knew what went through his mind from one second to the next?
The birthday banquet had already begun.
Scarlett Sullivan was anxious to meet Adrian Xavier so she could create an opportunity for Mindy Jefferson, and she didn’t want to waste time on an adopted son of the Sinclair family.
She gently tugged at Mason’s sleeve and reminded him, “President Sinclair, let’s head inside.”
Mason released Bella’s hand and instructed gently, “This kind of place isn’t suitable for you.
Go home once you finish your report.”
“Okay,” Bella replied with a faint smile.
The two soon entered the banquet hall.
At that moment, a middle-aged man walked out from inside and respectfully bowed his head to Adrian.
“Young Master.”
“Where is Grandmother?”
“The Old Madam is in the upstairs lounge.” He paused for a moment before adding hesitantly, “Also, Madam is there as well.”
Adrian didn’t say another word.
He gave Bella a deep look, turned, and headed straight to the second floor via the VIP corridor.
Nancy Monroe walked over and gestured politely to Bella.
“Miss Jefferson, Mr.
Xavier has some matters to attend to.
Please follow me inside to rest for now.”
For some reason, Bella felt that Adrian’s parting look held a lot of meaning.
Moreover, when the word “Madam” had been mentioned, his aura had instantly grown several degrees colder.
Did Adrian have a bad relationship with his family?