It's 7am.The main hall of the Smithsonian manor which belonged to the deceased Mathew Smith and was inherited by his wife, Miranda Smith, was teeming with several people related to the missus.Today was Miranda's 90th birthday and though she was quite advanced in age, she had done well to manage her appearance, causing her to have a rather healthy appearance.A few speculated on ways she had managed to keep herself so healthy with some even bordering on nonsense like she had sold her soul to the devil but regardless, few took them seriously.She sat as the center of attraction today, adorned in an eye-catching attire that made several envious with some even wondering why such an old woman would bother with such opulence.The main hall was also decorated specially for the occasion and after most had arrived, the first part of the party which was the gifting section quickly began."Grandma, on your birthday today, I brought you this diamond necklace. It's said to be a rare treasure onc

"Grandma!" The entire hall went into an uproar at seeing Miranda struggle to stand up.Some were even worried she'd been so insulted by Zero's gift that she intended to leave."Mrs. Smith, please don't do this." The curator cried out worriedly.However, Miranda ignored her as she glanced at Richard with the latter nodding calmly before shifting her gaze back to the paper in her hand.Before anyone could say anything else, she limped forward and without hesitation, embraced Richard, leaving everyone within the hall stunned.Did Grandma just hug a stranger?... What's more, a stranger that gifted her a piece of paper?... It was incomprehensible for anyone to understand.Even Gerald and Linda who were about to move forward ended up stopping in their tracks, unable to make sense of the situation before them.There had never been an instance of this happening with Miranda remaining as an aloof figure in their eyes yet today… Today she broke that aloofness to hug a stranger… Gerald could bar

Gerald stepped back, his eyes wide open as he stared at Richard's face.His lips quivered as he muttered under his breath. "Impossible, it can't be…"Flashing a knowing smile, Richard inquired. "Why can't it be me?""... Because you are supposed to be dead!" Gerald exclaimed.Naturally, most in the hall shared the same sentiment.Those of the Smith family had gotten the memo from the Martinez family about Richard's death.They were already planning a funeral for him but due to certain factors, they were unable to carry it out yet.But now, the same man that they thought was dead had come back, and not just that, he had come back a veritable powerhouse in the business world.How else would he dare to enter a partnership with Smith Industries?But then, the question remained… How did he do it?Also, did his presence here mean that the Martinez family had lied about his death?... If so, why?So many questions and yet very few answers.Richard snickered inwardly, enjoying the shock on eve

In the Smithsonian hall…"Do you have to go, Richard my boy?" Miranda asked in a melancholic tone.Flashing a warm smile, Richard replied. "Don't worry, Grandma. Soon I'll be back and then we can live together like old times. It's just a matter of two days.""Two days…" Miranda trailed off as her expression shifted slightly, revealing the unease in her heart.Richard noticed this as he inquired. "Is something wrong, Grandma?... Are you not feeling well?""It's not that, with the miracle you performed, how can I not feel well?""Then?""It's just… are you sure about the auction?... Everything we have is on the line and… I'm worried that we won't be able to get it back.""Don't you trust me anymore, Grandma?""Of course I do… but do you have that amount of money, Richard?... It might very well be worth more than a billion dollars yet… I'm just worried that you are overdoing things for revenge."Richard chuckled softly as he stepped forward and embraced Miranda. "Don't worry about anythi

Richard paused, a frown already etched on his face as he felt like the person calling to him was looking for trouble.Ignoring the person due to his current mental state, he decided to leave the shop but before he could do so, a hand grabbed his shoulder and he was forced to turn back.He prepared to give the culprit a tongue lashing only to pause as a blonde lady came into view.His frown quickly died down as he muttered. "It's you.""Oh, you remember me." The blonde lady said with a sweet smile."Uhmm… Linda, right?" "Remarkable. You recalled the name I have that day."Richard raised a brow at the strangely worded sentence. "What do you mean?""Linda isn't my full name.""Is that so?""... What?... Only my friends call me Linda so it's a privilege." Linda replied rather nonchalantly.Richard raised a brow. "Uhmm.""Look, you gave me hope that I'd be able to see my grandfather healthy again so naturally I let my guard down.""Hah, alright then. How's your grandfather?" "That… I'll