I gestured for the security operative to wait by the window, then turned my attention to my secretary. "Is everything taken care of regarding Daisy’s school enrollment?"
"Yes, Mr. Vance," my secretary replied, handing over a thick leather binder. "Here is her official enrollment certificate, along with a complete supply list provided by the kindergarten administration."
I flipped through the documents, verifying the gold-embossed seal on the certificate. "Excellent work. Tell HR to double your performance bonus for this month. You’re dismissed."
"Thank you, sir!" The secretary bowed deeply and exited the study.
Once the door clicked shut, I looked toward the kneeling shadow operative. "Speak. What’s the Young family up to?"
"Boss, our intelligence confirms that Patriarch Young suspects the Cosmos Group is behind Tan Young’s arrest, since Tan’s last call was to Miss Clara," the guard reported, his voice low. "They are actively mobilizing resources to target Miss Clara directly. What are your orders?"
I leaned back, my expression calm and unbothered. "Our default standing order is simple protection, right? If a few of their hired thugs happen to perish in the process, that’s hardly my fault, is it?"
"Of course not, sir. Should we eliminate the Patriarch now?"
"No, where’s the fun in that?" I chuckled softly. "Protect Clara. If they hire any mercenaries or try to orchestrate an ’accident,’ neutralize them quietly. Kill the operatives, but leave the Patriarch alive for now. I want to see how far his desperation drives him. However..."
My eyes narrowed slightly, the atmosphere in the room dropping to a freezing point. "...if they manage to lay a single finger on a hair on Clara’s head—or anyone close to me—I will execute you first, and then I will erase the Young family from existence."
The guard didn’t flinch, bowing his head even lower. "Rest assured, Boss. The hidden forces protecting your inner circle far surpass standard martial limits. None of their men will get close."
"Assign ten to twenty guards disguised as regular villa staff as well," I added. "And place five dedicated shadow operatives on Sophia and Daisy. Make sure they don’t get dragged into corporate crossfire."
"Understood, sir." The operative vanished into the shadows as silently as he had arrived.
Checking my watch, I saw it was 2:00 PM. I called downstairs to check if Sophia and Daisy were ready.
As I walked out into the upper hallway, the soft sound of footsteps echoed from the grand staircase. Looking down, I paused. Sophia was walking down the steps carrying Daisy in her arms.
Both of them were wearing matching light-blue casual outfits. Sophia’s mature, elegant figure looked stunning without her usual rigid professional attire, while Daisy looked like a miniature doll.
"You two look adorable," I smiled, walking over. "Especially you, Sophia. Casual clothes suit you so well. Why do you always hide behind crisp lab coats and formal suits?"
Sophia shot me a calm, serious look. "Professional attire is standard during work hours, Mr. Vance."
"Alright, alright, don’t glare at me with those pretty eyes," I laughed gently, stepping forward to take Daisy into my own arms. "You have such captivating eyes, yet you use them to intimidate your boss."
Sophia shifted her gaze slightly, a soft blush brushing her cheeks, though she remained silent as we walked out to the courtyard.
The driver held open the rear door of the custom Aurelius Z3. Once Sophia and I were comfortably seated with Daisy resting on my lap, the limousine smoothly glided out of the estate gates, heading straight toward the Grand Plaza Mall.
Fifteen minutes later, we pulled up to the main entrance of Metro City’s premier luxury mall.
Carrying Daisy on my hip with Sophia walking at my side, we made our way into the grand toy boutique first. The moment I set Daisy down on her feet, her eyes wide as saucers at the endless shelves of plushies and play sets. She practically skipped from aisle to aisle.
I motioned to the store manager. "Pack up every variation of those luxury plush dolls, the largest Victorian dollhouse model you have in stock, and one custom girl’s tricycle. Swipe this."
I handed over my black card. The manager’s hands trembled slightly as he processed the transaction.
"Sir, the dolls and the dollhouse come to 500,000 Stardollars," the manager said respectfully. "For the custom tricycle, if we build it with a personalized unicorn frame and premium alloy, it will be another 100,000 Stardollars."
"Done," I said without blinking. "How long for delivery?"
"The custom tricycle will take a week, but the rest of the toys will arrive at your villa before sunset!"
Next, we visited the high-end stationery parlor. I handed the kindergarten supply list to the head attendant. "Pack five sets of every item listed here using the absolute highest quality materials available."
When the attendant finished gathering the premium leather backpacks, gold-nibbed practice pens, and imported art sets, I pointed toward the entrance. "Take these down to the parking bay. Look for the Aurelius Z3 and hand them to my driver. Here’s a 50,000 Stardollar check for your trouble."
"Thank you, sir! Right away, sir!"
Finally, we entered an exclusive, multi-floor fashion house. As soon as we crossed the threshold, the head manager bowed deeply. "Welcome! What a breathtaking family. Sir, would you like to view our newest autumn family collection?"
Sophia opened her mouth to clarify, "Oh, we aren’t a—"
"We’ll take the entire family collection," I interrupted smoothly, giving the manager a subtle smile. "Pack every design in my size, her size, and oversize. My little princess here is starting kindergarten tomorrow, so prepare every top-tier children’s design in her size as well."
While the staff scrambled to organize dozens of garment bags, I strolled around the lounge area. My eyes landed on Sophia, who was standing quietly near the luxury leather display, staring intently at a designer handbag behind glass.
Leaving Daisy to play with a few attentive sales assistants, I walked up behind Sophia. "Why have you been staring at that bag for so long?"
Sophia turned slightly, a faint, melancholic smile touching her lips. "I was just remembering... how long it’s been."
"How long since what?"
"Since I last bought a luxury bag," she murmured softly. "The last one I bought was a gift from my husband before he passed. It feels like a lifetime ago."
I immediately flagged down the senior sales associate. "Pack three of every bag in this display row. Also, wrap up those three limited-edition runway bags in the center case."
Sophia’s eyes widened in surprise. "Julian, why are you buying so many bags?!"
"One set for you, one for Clara, and one for Seraphina," I replied with an easy grin. "I can hardly buy a gift for you and leave my other two ladies empty-handed, can I?"
"But why buy one for me at all?"
"Consider it an executive perk of working for me," I said playfully.
When the manager finished totaling the items, I handed over my card once more.
Clothing Collection: 5 Million StardollarsStandard Designer Bags: 2 Million StardollarsLimited-Edition Runway Trio: 4 Million Stardollars
Total: 11 Million Stardollars. The manager handed back the card with both hands, bowing so low his forehead nearly touched his knees. "Everything will be delivered to the Vance Estate within two hours, Mr. Vance!"
I called the driver to bring the Aurelius Z3 around to the VIP exit.
After settling into the plush rear leather seats, Daisy nestled against my chest. Exhausted from all the excitement, her little eyes fluttered closed, and within minutes, she was fast asleep.
I signaled the driver, and he immediately raised the soundproof privacy glass, blocking out the traffic noise from the busy streets.
I looked over at Sophia, who was gazing out the window at the passing city lights.
"Sophia," I began softly, keeping my voice low so as not to wake Daisy. "Don’t take this the wrong way... but you’re only thirty-eight, and you’re an extraordinarily beautiful, intelligent woman. Any billionaire in this city would jump at the chance to court you. Why haven’t you ever considered remarrying?"
Sophia turned her head, her deep, mature eyes meeting mine. "Is it a crime to stay single?"
"Not at all," I smiled gently. "Just curious."
Sophia remained quiet for a moment before sighing softly. "After my husband passed, I realized most men who approached me were only interested in two things: my looks or my status as a senior surgeon. I was terrified that whoever I married wouldn’t truly accept Daisy... or worse, that they would resent her over time."
"Did you ever give anyone a chance?" I asked.
"Once," she admitted, her voice tinged with a faint trace of bitterness. "Shortly after Daisy was born, my mother arranged a blind date with a wealthy businessman. He seemed perfect at first—willing to accept all my career demands. But when I told him that my condition for marriage was that he had to legally adopt Daisy, give her full inheritance rights, and accept that I might not want to have more children... he stood up and walked out without saying another word."
I looked at her, seeing the lingering pain and quiet resilience behind her calm exterior. I opened my mouth, about to speak—
Tap, tap.
A soft knock on the privacy glass interrupted us. The driver pointed toward the front windshield, signaling that we had arrived back at the villa estate, where a familiar vehicle was already parked in the driveway.