Silence fell over the living room. The eldest son, Linton Sinclair, and the third child, Jade Sinclair, both kept their mouths shut.
Linton Sinclair, in particular, dared not speak while under the full force of Master Sinclair's oppressive gaze.
He knew just how much Hailey Gordon despised Aurora. It wasn't just because Master Sinclair had favored the second son's family back then; the current rumors alone—that Aurora was a jinx who would bring ruin to her father, mother, and the entire family—were enough to scare anyone to death.
Master Sinclair's gaze slowly darkened.
At that moment, the fourth son, Tanner Sinclair, who had been quiet the whole time, straightened up from his slouch. "Master Sinclair," he said with a roguish air, "if you trust me, let me take Aurora in!"
"You?" Master Sinclair sounded utterly astonished.
This youngest son of his was the black sheep of the Sinclair family. He was well into his thirties with no interest in getting married and spent his days running around with a pack of questionable friends. He refused to join Sinclair Enterprises, instead opening a boxing gym that barely made enough for him to get by. Let him take in Aurora? Over his dead body!
Master Sinclair snorted heavily. "Absolutely not!"
"Hey now, Master Sinclair, that's family discrimination!" Tanner joked with a laugh. He then turned to Aurora. "My dear niece, what do you say to coming to your fourth uncle's place? My house is huge, and I've got a boxing gym. If you ever get pissed off, you can even beat someone up…"
Master Sinclair grew even more displeased and let out a series of heavy coughs.
To everyone's surprise, Aurora, who had just entered the room, suddenly spoke up. "I can box there?"
"Of course! I've got a full set of equipment at my place. It's all yours to use!" Tanner's eyes grew brighter as he spoke. 'How could I forget my niece went to the mountains to train in martial arts?'
Aurora nodded. "I'll go to your place."
"No—"
Zeke Quincy's face fell. He slammed both hands on the table and glared hard at Aurora. "Are you clueless about your own situation? Don't go dragging my uncle down with you!"
The moment he said that, the expression of everyone in the room changed—everyone except Aurora. Master Sinclair's face turned livid, the veins on his hands bulging.
Jade Sinclair's heart skipped a beat. 'This is a taboo subject in the Sinclair family.'
After Master Sinclair sent Aurora away all those years ago, he had replaced the entire staff of household servants. Only Butler Sinclair and Sue Quinn remained.
Everyone assumed Master Sinclair had sent Aurora away because of the rumors, but she knew he actually had other, hidden reasons.
Though she didn't know the specifics, she knew that the day before sending Aurora away, Master Sinclair had sat alone in the ancestral hall all night. The sorrow and reluctance in his eyes had been unmistakable!
"Zeke, apologize—" Jade Sinclair's voice was uncharacteristically stern.
Zeke Quincy froze. He was fuming inside, but he gave in to Jade Sinclair, forcing out a "Sorry!" through a sullen face.
Hailey Gordon once again tried to smooth things over with a smile. "Jade, Zeke didn't mean it. There's no need to be so harsh!"
This time, Master Sinclair didn't remain silent. He spoke with gravity, "He's eighteen years old. Doesn't he know by now what he should and shouldn't say?"
The smile on Hailey Gordon's face froze. Beneath the table, her knuckles turned white as she clenched her fist.
Seeing the heavy atmosphere, Tanner Sinclair spoke up again. "Master Sinclair, Aurora has already agreed to come to my place! Your objection is overruled!"
Master Sinclair pressed his lips together. He stared at his youngest son's wide, toothy grin, took a breath to steady himself, and declared, "Butler Sinclair, you'll go with them!"
Tanner Sinclair was speechless.
***
At 9:00 p.m., the family gathering at the Sinclair Estate finally came to an end.
One after another, luxury cars drove out of the exclusive neighborhood of the Sinclair Estate.
Master Sinclair had Aurora stay at the estate for the time being. She would move in with Tanner once he had everything prepared for her.
The servants led Aurora to a guest room on the second floor.
This room had once belonged to Thomas Sinclair, the family's second son. After he and his wife passed away, and with the subsequent spread of *those* rumors, no one dared to enter it anymore. Aside from the servants who came in to clean at a scheduled time each day, the room had remained unoccupied.
The room's furnishings hadn't changed much; it looked just as it had before.
Aurora put down the bundle she was carrying and, working from memory, opened a wardrobe. Inside hung rows of beautiful, brand-new dresses.
She untied her bundle and began to neatly place her own clothes inside. Every single item looked ill-fitting—baggy and oversized.
The maid attending to her watched with curiosity. 'Why are the Second Miss's clothes so strange? Is she wearing someone else's hand-me-downs?'
"Second Miss, the Family Head had all these clothes custom-made for you. There are pajamas and nightgowns in the adjacent wardrobe."
Aurora looked at her and nodded.
Once the maid had left, Aurora slowly pulled down the zipper on her baggy tracksuit.
A surprisingly heavy, thin vest was revealed underneath. Its exterior was covered with weighted packets. It was so heavy it would probably leave a crater if dropped.
Aurora removed all the weights from her arms and legs. With a light hop, she nearly hit her head on the ceiling.
The maid outside heard a loud THUD from inside the room and quickly knocked.
About five minutes later, Aurora slowly opened the door, dressed in a new nightgown.
"Second Miss, are you alright?" the maid asked, peeking into the room. Other than a dark heap on the floor, nothing seemed out of place.
After closing the door, Aurora brought out the lampshade fragments she had hidden behind her back. She glanced up at the light fixture on the ceiling, a flicker of annoyance in her eyes.
***
The evening gala was not yet over.
Jensen Guthrie, the young master of the Guthrie Family, was in the center of a crowd, holding court.
Several young ladies from the Great Families struck up a conversation with him, using tomorrow's entrance exam for the Kingsford Calligraphy and Painting Association as a pretext.
The Guthrie Family held a high position in the Calligraphy Association; in fact, Jensen's father was its current president.
Stella Sinclair's reputation as a gifted young woman was well-known in Kingsford, and Jensen had heard of her. His attitude toward her was noticeably friendly, drawing looks of envy and jealousy from many of the other young ladies.
"Stella, my father is the one setting the exam questions this year. He's very fond of landscape painting," Jensen whispered in her ear just before he left.
Stella's cheeks flushed as she murmured her thanks.
Lillian Gordon, who had been standing beside Stella the whole time, naturally overheard. She said enviously, "Cousin, do you think the young master of the Guthrie Family has taken a fancy to you?"
A smile played on Stella's lips as she gave her cousin a gentle pinch. "Don't be ridiculous!"
Outside the gala, Darius Lynch slung an arm around Jensen Guthrie's shoulders. "What's this?" he teased. "Fallen for the Sinclair girl?"
Jensen stammered, "N-No..."
"No? Then why the stutter?" Darius Lynch grinned mischievously.
Jensen swallowed and averted his gaze. "I just admire her painting, that's all."
"She's not the only person in Kingsford who can paint, you know!"
"Mm..."
Jensen didn't argue, but in his mind, the serene profile of a girl appeared.
For years, he had been searching for someone—a genius of traditional painting—but he'd never been able to find her.
When he saw Stella today, he thought her profile looked very similar to the person he was looking for, so he couldn't resist talking to her a little more. He hadn't expected Darius to misunderstand.
Jensen chuckled and changed the subject, nodding toward a sedan pulling up slowly nearby. "Actor Lynch, looks like your bodyguard's here."
Darius glanced at the driver and his eyes widened in surprise. When the car came to a stop, he went to open the rear door, but upon seeing who was inside, he silently closed it. He then moved to the front and opened the passenger-side door.
When Jensen caught a glimpse of the person in the back seat, a chill ran down his spine, and he instinctively straightened his posture.
'Holy crap,' he thought. 'When did *he* get back?'
***
Inside the car, Darius Lynch glanced back at the man resting in the rear seat with his eyes closed. Frowning slightly, he asked, "What's up?"
The man picked up a cloth-wrapped bundle from the seat beside him and handed it over. "Take a look. What level of craftsmanship would you say this is?"
In addition to being a celebrated actor, Darius Lynch was also a member of the Kingsford Traditional Crafts Association.
He'd been fascinated by all sorts of handicrafts since childhood, with a near-fanatical obsession for wooden crafts in particular. He had even spent a year apprenticing under a Master Craftsman just to learn how to make wooden implements.
Darius's expression grew serious. He had a feeling the bundle contained a piece of woodwork.
When he untied the bundle, his expression changed dramatically. He carefully lifted a string of beads from within and began to examine it. The longer he looked, the brighter his eyes shone. He turned to the man, his voice filled with excitement. "Where did you get this? This is absolutely a Master-level piece!"
The man didn't answer. He just called out languidly, "Beta Morgan—"
A hand shot out and snatched the bundle from Darius's lap.
"Be careful! That's the work of a Master Craftsman! Good grief, why are you just carrying it around in a cloth wrap..."
Darius watched in agony, his eyes glued to the bundle. But then he noticed several similar bundles on the back seat, and his eyes began to shine again.
"Alvin Morgan…"
"No—"
"But I'm your uncle! Your actual uncle!"