Tony stroked his chin, wearing a thoughtful expression.
Sunlight shone on his young face, outlining his distinct features; he had indeed inherited Howard's good looks, but with a bit more flair and rebelliousness than his father.
"A younger generation?" Tony continued to analyze.
"The Old man has indeed sponsored some young scientists, but that's done through the Stark Foundation. And he would never personally commission a gift for those people, let alone a motorcycle that required mobilizing the entire design department and production line priority..."
His gaze shifted back and forth between Mavuika and Howard, his brain working at high speed.
Tony suddenly snapped his fingers, his eyes lighting up as if he had thought of something.
"Aha!" His voice carried the excitement of discovering the truth: "I've got it! It couldn't possibly be—"
He paused for a moment and looked at Howard, a mischievous smile appearing on his face.
"—my long-lost sister, could it?"
Tony spread his hands, making what he thought was a humorous joke.
He hadn't thought twice before saying it, purely to tease his father and to see how this mysterious and beautiful Ms. Mavuika would react.
Hearing this, Howard's expression changed drastically!
Ignoring etiquette and image, Howard instinctively rushed forward, reaching out to cover Tony's mouth.
"You brat, what are you saying!" Howard's voice wavered with agitation.
"Shut up right now!"
Tony clearly hadn't expected such a huge reaction from his father.
He nimbly dodged Howard's large hand, moving with the agility of a cat.
At seventy, Howard naturally couldn't catch the young and strong Tony. He missed every attempt, panting with exhaustion without even touching a corner of Tony's clothes.
"Why so excited?" Tony easily dodged his father's hand, calmly adjusting his collar, which had become slightly disheveled from dodging.
He looked at Howard's anxious appearance, a flash of confusion in his eyes, but mostly he found it amusing.
"Could I have guessed right?" Tony blinked, saying half-jokingly.
He didn't actually think Mavuika was his sister; that was too absurd.
Although his own relationship with Howard had always been strained, Tony knew that Howard and Maria were very much in love, and neither would betray the other.
But he was curious why his father had such a violent reaction to this joke.
"You... you..." Howard pointed at Tony, furious.
He wanted to explain, to warn, to tell Tony the true identity and terrifying nature of the woman before him.
But the words died on his lips; he couldn't reveal her secrets without Mavuika's permission.
Moreover, he was out of breath now, unable to even say a complete sentence.
The intense emotional fluctuation, combined with the chase just now, made the elderly man feel some discomfort in his heart.
He leaned on his cane, gasping for air, his face turning pale.
Seeing this, Mavuika walked over to Howard and patted him on the shoulder.
"It's alright, it's alright, it's fine." Mavuika's voice was gentle and calm, like a spring breeze brushing over Howard's anxious heart.
At the same time, a trace of pure divine power flowed from Mavuika's palm into Howard's body.
The power was warm and soft, like sunlight melting snow, silently flowing through Howard's blood vessels and meridians, smoothing out his rapid heartbeat, relieving the burning sensation in his lungs, and even bringing a sense of comfort to the joints that often ached due to his age.
Howard stood up straight in surprise, the previous discomfort receding like the tide.
He took a deep breath and found his breathing much smoother, and his heart had returned to a steady beat.
He looked at Mavuika, his eyes filled with gratitude and awe, but realizing she was a goddess, being able to do this seemed like a matter of course.
"Thank you!" Howard first expressed his thanks, his voice still a bit unsteady, but much better.
Then he turned back to Mavuika, an apologetic expression on his face.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Marvica, please excuse the spectacle." Howard said sincerely, his tone filled with self-reproach.
"Tony always loves making wild jokes, please don't take it to heart. I apologize to you on his behalf, if there was any offense..."
Mavuika shook her head, interrupting Howard's apology.
She glanced at Tony, who was standing not far away with an innocent look on his face, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.
"It's fine, Howard." Mavuika said, her voice filled with genuine amusement: "Tony is very interesting; I don't mind these things."
Mavuika was essentially a very easygoing and playful person; the solemnity and divinity accumulated over her long life had not completely extinguished the laughing and lively soul within her.
Tony's joke might be offensive in Howard's eyes, but to Mavuika, it was just a lively display of youth.
Moreover, Tony had no idea of her identity, and those words were spoken based on the understanding of an ordinary human, so how could it be offensive?
Howard looked at Mavuika's sincere expression and finally let out a sigh of relief.
He could feel that Mavuika really didn't mind, rather than just being polite, which allowed his hanging heart to settle down quite a bit.
"However..." Mavuika turned to Tony, her amber eyes narrowing slightly with a hint of playfulness.
"The guess of a 'long-lost sister'... is very interesting, but not quite accurate."
Tony walked up to them, keenly sensing the change in atmosphere; his father had gone from angry to nervous, and then from nervous to relaxed.
And this Ms. Mavuika... from beginning to end, she had been so composed, as if everything was under her control.
Tony was a bit puzzled.
He felt that his father seemed to have some... awe for this excessively beautiful girl?
This thought flashed through Tony's mind, only to be quickly dismissed.
How could that be?
Although he didn't get along well with Howard, deep down, Tony admired his father very much.
In Tony's view, how could Howard possibly feel awe toward such a young girl?
That was simply a fantasy!
"Oh?" Tony asked: "Then what's the correct answer?"
"I am your father's friend." Mavuika thought for a moment and finally said, choosing the safest and closest-to-the-truth explanation.
"We have some common... interests and projects, and this car is a reward for him doing me a small favor."
This explanation was reasonable, and Tony accepted it... at least, he accepted it on the surface.
But he could feel that there were more untold stories between his father and Mavuika.
However, Tony was smart; he knew when to ask questions and when to stop.