"Serena, you'll stay in the downstairs guest room for now. You're always out filming and rarely come home anyway, so let your sister have your room," Simon Sherwood said. Unable to watch them bicker any longer, he immediately made the final decision. He could tell that neither of these two girls was a pushover. If they really started fighting and made a fool of themselves in front of outsiders, the harmonious family image he had painstakingly built and maintained would collapse! Since Iris Dalton had just arrived, they needed to do their best to soothe her emotions and help her integrate into the Sherwood Family as quickly as possible. Therefore, Serena would just have to suffer a little grievance for the time being.
Serena paled, her eyes full of hurt as she stared at Simon in disbelief. "Dad, you're biased..." This time, she wasn't faking it. She was truly on the verge of a breakdown, her voice trembling with a sob.
Iris, on the other hand, burst into a smile. Her eyes curved into crescents, presenting a bright, delicate, and obedient appearance as she ran up to Simon. "Thank you, Dad! I'm so happy. I knew you loved me the most." Striking while the iron was hot, she made a small, provocative gesture to flaunt her victory at Serena. Time to rub some salt in the Second Miss's wounds! Sure enough, Serena looked completely unhinged. She was so furious that smoke practically billowed from her ears, itching to rush forward and tear Iris's face apart.
"As long as you're happy, Dad can rest easy," Simon said, looking at Iris with a chuckle. At that moment, a strange feeling welled up in his heart. For some reason, having Iris act coquettishly toward him made him feel inexplicably comforted. It was a sense of gratification typical of an old father. He thought to himself that this little girl wasn't bad; they certainly shared a father-daughter bond.
Tristan Sherwood had remained impassive all along, watching coldly from the sidelines. Seeing Iris's undisguised, triumphant smile, a flash of irritation crossed his eyes, and his expression turned gloomy.
As Iris went upstairs to her room, she was stopped at the door by Tristan. He frowned and looked her up and down, his eyes filled with disgust.
"Can I help you?" Iris asked, baffled, raising her eyes to look at him. Her palm-sized face was tilted slightly upward, and her sparkling eyes held a trace of adorable confusion, making her look like a pure and innocent little beast.
Tristan was momentarily stunned. Suppressing the annoyance in his heart, he took a deep breath. "I'll find you a better room. The one on the innermost side of the third floor is larger. Give this room back to Serena."
Iris's eyes flickered. A moment later, she gave a provocative smile. "The room on the third floor is a billiards room, isn't it? It's empty, freezing in the winter, and scorching in the summer. I wouldn't have the fortune to enjoy it. You'd better save it for your precious sister." She had just tried to use her spiritual power on him, but surprisingly, it hadn't worked on Tristan. Alarm bells rang loudly in her head. She wondered, "Has my spiritual power failed? That's impossible!"
While Iris was distracted, Tristan had already started to lose his temper. He glared down at her from a condescending height, his tone full of disdain. "I know you're trying to play tricks to compete with Serena, but are you even worthy? Or do you think The Sherwoods are easily manipulated? I'm warning you, don't test my bottom line, or you'll end up destroying yourself."
He paused, his mood growing even more irritable. "As an orphan with no background, you should know the consequences of angering the Sherwood Family." He had just investigated Iris and found that her past was completely blank. There were no records of her whatsoever. Even the middleman couldn't clearly explain where this girl had come from. It was highly suspicious. Tristan developed a trace of vigilance, worrying that a rival had arranged for her to infiltrate the Sherwood Family. Judging by her appearance and temperament, she didn't look at all like a naive, sheltered girl from some remote mountain village.
Iris wore a blank expression, her gaze wandering as if she hadn't heard a word he said. Tristan was speechless. Had he just been wasting his breath playing the lute to a cow?
"Heh, do you really not even care about your own life?" Tristan ground his molars, speaking in a stifled voice.
"What did you say?" Iris, having spaced out for a moment, suddenly snapped back to reality.
Tristan fell silent again, the fury in his head flaring up uncontrollably.
The young girl raised her eyes to look at him. Her snow-white face was breathtakingly beautiful, and the natural charm at the corners of her eyes flashed with a brilliant, highly aggressive gleam.
"Eldest Young Master Sherwood, please don't stand at my door and fart. I can't stand the stench!" She raised a hand to cover her nose, revealing an expression of utter disgust.
It didn't look like she was faking it. Her little face was scrunched up, and there was genuine, deep-seated disgust in her eyes. Tristan felt a stab in his heart, and his expression turned ugly. Then he let out a scoff, his tone utterly cold from extreme anger. "Someone like you isn't worth wasting my time on!"
Iris didn't want to waste her breath on a stupid man. She rolled her eyes, cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone, and yelled arrogantly, "Butler! Hurry up and move the Second Miss's things out! And chase away this dog at the door while you're at it!" Then, with a swing of her hand, she slammed the door shut with a loud BANG.
Tristan froze on the spot. Immediately after, veins bulged on his forehead as he nearly exploded with rage. A wild brat from some godforsaken corner had climbed the high branches of the Sherwood Family, yet she actually dared to disrespect him and even call him a dog! What right did she have to be so arrogant? His face darkened further as he pounded heavily on the door. "Iris Dalton, you are simply unreasonable!" After knocking for ages with no response from inside, he felt frustrated to death. Left with no other choice, he walked away with a grim face.
Inside the room, Iris observed the furnishings. It was a massive princess-themed room! The decor was luxurious, and the furniture was of the most expensive and trendy variety. After looking around, she felt quite satisfied. Brand-new, gorgeous, and sparkling things always had a way of lifting one's mood.
Stretching lazily, she collapsed onto the soft bed. She pulled out her phone and logged onto a dark purple web page. It was the largest dark web controlled by The Noble Clans—UmbraNet. Once someone became a member of UmbraNet, they could accept and post missions there.
Joining as a member of UmbraNet required passing extremely harsh screening conditions. Only those with special abilities or status within a wealthy, powerful family were qualified to join; ordinary people had never even heard of UmbraNet. Those who came to UmbraNet to take on missions were called "Hunters." A Hunter could operate solo or form a squad. Completing missions awarded points, and Hunters would rank on the "Star List" based on their point totals. The Star List's evaluation was incredibly strict, so much so that the vast majority of members couldn't even attain a Star Level. Therefore, even a one-star Hunter on UmbraNet was considered an absolute badass.
But right now, a group of bigshots boasting five or Six-star statuses were chatting casually in the forum with their one- or two-star underlings. Their conversation drew out a massive crowd of members who eagerly watched the drama unfold, making the scene as lively as a festival carnival.
[Intel Hound]: "Massive blowout sale on wealthy family secrets! 500GB of high-def photos and videos. Selling the whole bundle at a 20% discount for one million! Discounts available for long-term partnerships. @IAmRich @WealthyYoungMaster @LittleGoldenMan @MoneyIsDaddy @Wylie."
[Fourth Ace]: "[ThrowingBomb.jpg] [ThrowingBomb.jpg]"
[Fourth Ace]: "Explosive news! Master Dalton has returned! My heart is surging, soaring with joy!"
[My Idol is Number One]: "[AscendingToHeaven.gif]"
[My Idol is Number One]: "Waaaaah! Master Dalton ascended to LuminNet four years ago, and today has finally returned to the mortal realm! Rolling out the red carpet and scattering flowers for my idol!"
[Master Astral]: "Brothers, Master Dalton has returned! Let's get the fanfare going! The Starfall Squad respectfully welcomes the return of Master Dalton—"
[Fish Eyes and Dead Pigs]: "The Butcher Squad respectfully welcomes the return of Master Dalton—"
[One Radish Pit]: "Galaxy Squad respectfully welcomes the return of Master Dalton—"
[Moonglow Drifter]: "The Grimstone Squad respectfully welcomes the return of Master Dalton—"
[SerpentSiren]: "The Chrysanthemum Blade Squad respectfully welcomes the return of Master Dalton—"
[Lordless]: "Nightowl Squad respectfully welcomes the return of Master Dalton—"
[Rabbit & Baldy]: "The Badlands Squad respectfully welcomes the return of Master Dalton—"
[The Divine Fraud]: "The Celestial Oracle Squad respectfully welcomes the return of Master Dalton—"
...
[Wylie]: "[HelplessShrug.jpg]"
[Wylie]: "[PerfunctoryFace.jpg]"
[Wylie]: "The Pay-to-Win Squad respectfully welcomes the return of Master Dalton—"
[Wylie]: "Ahem, borrowing this thread to post a mission. Recruiting two-star Mercenary Groups, needing one hundred members. Monthly salary of twenty thousand per person. Job: Farming. Room and board included, with weekends off and a year-end bonus."
"..."