It only took Ethan about ten minutes to reach the school. By the time he arrived, St. Noci's High School had already dismissed for the day, and groups of students were pouring out of the campus gates. The sidewalks quickly filled with teenagers chatting loudly, laughing, and walking together in small clusters. Their faces carried the unique vitality of youth, a natural confidence and energy that seemed to radiate from them.
In terms of age, Ethan was actually no different from most of these students. Many of the seniors walking out of the school were exactly the same age as him. The difference was that they were still students worrying about exams and graduation, while Ethan had already stepped into a completely different world.
He had driven a sports car again today, and its bright color made it impossible to ignore. Parked along the roadside, the vehicle immediately attracted countless curious glances. Many students slowed down as they passed, openly staring at the sleek machine, while others whispered excitedly to their friends.
A few bold girls even approached him directly, clearly interested in striking up a conversation.
Unfortunately for them, Ethan was technically an adult in both mind and experience. High school girls didn't interest him in the slightest. These days he preferred women who were more mature, women whose personalities and confidence suited his taste.
Still, he maintained polite manners. When the girls greeted him, he smiled casually and responded with a few friendly sentences, but he showed absolutely no intention of inviting any of them into the car.
After a short while the curious onlookers gradually drifted away.
Ethan leaned slightly against the car door while scanning the crowd of departing students. Groups continued to pass by, but the person he was waiting for still hadn't appeared.
After a moment, he took out his phone and dialed the number Adeline had given him earlier.
The call connected quickly.
"Hello? Who is this?" A girl's voice answered from the other end of the line. Her tone was clear and pleasant, with a softness that immediately caught attention.
"I'm looking for Lorna Dane," Ethan said.
"This is Lorna. Who are you?" the girl asked again.
"My name is Ethan. Adeline is my adoptive mother, and she asked me to pick you up and take you home."
"Who?" Lorna responded instinctively, sounding slightly confused.
"Ethan," he repeated patiently. "You're boarding at my house."
There was a short pause on the other end of the phone. Then her tone changed instantly as she seemed to realize something.
"Oh! Sorry, sorry," she said quickly. "Adeline mentioned you before. I know who you are now. You're that famous genius entrepreneur, right?"
Ethan blinked slightly at the unexpected comment.
"Well… if Adeline wasn't talking about someone else," he replied calmly, "then the famous genius entrepreneur you're referring to is probably me."
"Wow… that's unbelievable," Lorna said with obvious excitement. "Where are you right now?"
"I'm parked right outside the school gate."
"Okay! I'll come out immediately."
The call ended a moment later.
Ethan lowered his phone and scratched his head lightly before shrugging. From the brief conversation alone, Lorna Dane sounded like a perfectly normal teenage girl. Nothing about her voice suggested the explosive temper or extreme personality he remembered from certain stories.
That only made him more curious.
If this was really Magneto's daughter, then he wanted to see for himself what kind of person she actually was.
A minute later his phone rang again.
It was Lorna calling back, asking where exactly he was parked because she couldn't see him among the cars outside the gate.
Ethan had already spotted her by then.
Standing near the entrance of the school was a young girl with long dark-green hair that flowed down her back. Her face was delicate and beautiful, while her eyes carried a strange charm that made people look twice. Even in a crowd of students she stood out immediately.
She seemed to be waiting at the gate while scanning the street.
"Hey! Over here!" Ethan called out as he rolled down the car window.
Lorna turned toward the voice and quickly noticed the flashy sports car parked nearby. Her eyes widened slightly before a bright smile appeared on her face.
She walked over with open confidence, showing none of the hesitation many girls might have felt in that situation.
"Hi," she said cheerfully as she reached the car. "I'm Lorna Dane. I'm staying at your house now, so I guess we'll be friends from now on."
Ethan smiled faintly and pressed a button on the control panel.
The scissor-style door lifted automatically with a smooth mechanical motion. Lorna climbed into the passenger seat with surprising familiarity, clearly not shy about the expensive vehicle.
Ethan took the opportunity to study her carefully.
She stood around one meter seventy-three tall, only slightly shorter than him. Her appearance was naturally stunning. Even compared with the many beautiful women Ethan had known, Lorna easily ranked among the best.
For a brief moment he wondered what expression she would have if she learned the truth—that the man who had captured her father was sitting right beside her.
"Welcome," Ethan said calmly. "You're always welcome to stay at the house. Adeline is already preparing dinner right now, so if we go back soon we might even be able to help."
He paused slightly before adding, "Do you want to head home now, or would you prefer to hang out somewhere first?"
Lorna thought about it for a moment.
"Let's go home first," she said.
"Alright."
Ethan shrugged casually and started the car.
The sports car turned smoothly before merging into traffic and driving away from the school. Inside the vehicle, Lorna behaved much like any ordinary girl experiencing a luxury car for the first time.
Her eyes wandered around the interior, examining the design and technology with open curiosity.
"Wow," she said more than once. "Most people will never drive a car like this in their entire lives."
She glanced at Ethan with genuine admiration.
"You've achieved so much at such a young age. That's really impressive."
Ethan chuckled lightly.
He pressed another button on the dashboard before releasing the steering wheel completely. The car immediately switched into autonomous driving mode. At the same time both seats slid backward, expanding the interior space and making the cabin feel much larger.
Turning his chair slightly toward her, Ethan opened a hidden mini refrigerator behind the seats. He took out a bottle of cold drink and handed it to her.
"It's not that impressive," he said casually. "If you really want to achieve something like this, it's actually pretty easy."
The statement carried a subtle hint of confidence, almost as if he was deliberately showing off.
Lorna raised one eyebrow at his words before taking a sip of the drink.
"You know," she said thoughtfully, "I'm actually curious about you."
"Curious about me?" Ethan asked.
"Yes," she replied without hesitation. "Why do you have so many girlfriends?"
The sudden question caught him completely off guard.
For a moment Ethan stared at her before laughing softly.
"So you're that interested in my private life?" he said with a teasing smile. "Are you thinking about becoming my girlfriend too?"
His blunt reply seemed to surprise her for a brief second.
Then Lorna burst into laughter.
"I don't know," she said directly. "Who knows what might happen?"
Ethan paused slightly before laughing along with her.
The girl sitting beside him was clearly different from what he had imagined. Her personality was straightforward and confident, the kind of boldness that many American girls naturally possessed.
"Well," Ethan said casually, "I guess we'll just get to know each other."
"Of course."
.....
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