She took the seat farthest from Julian Ford, her eyelashes lowered, looking thoroughly guilty.
A maid immediately set out an exquisite breakfast and a glass of warm milk for her.
For a moment, the only sound in the dining room was the soft clink of tableware, and the atmosphere was eerily quiet.
Julian Ford's gaze drifted casually across to the woman opposite, who was shoveling food into her mouth as if she wanted to bury her face in the plate.
Dressed in a simple cotton house dress, with no makeup on her face and her hair falling loosely over her shoulders, she looked far more genuine than her polished self at the bar the night before.
Thinking of the previous night, Julian Ford's grip on his knife and fork tightened slightly.
He set down the tableware, breaking the silence with a voice that betrayed no emotion: "Do you still have a headache?"
Elena Bennett was sipping milk in small sips, and she nearly choked at his words. She swallowed hastily and replied in a soft voice: "I'm... I'm fine."
"From now on," Julian Ford's tone dropped, carrying an air of indisputable authority, "you're not allowed to go to places like that again."
Elena Bennett looked up, a hint of grievance and defiance on her face: "I've moved out... my business is none of your concern."
The words were weak, more like a mutter than a protest.
"You're still a Ford even if you've moved out." Julian Ford stared at her with a calm gaze, "As long as you still call me brother, I have a responsibility to look after you. Have you thought about what would have happened if I hadn't been there last night?"
Elena Bennett's voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum, yet laced with a reckless abandon:
"What could have happened... the worst case is just sleeping with a male companion. Brother, I'm an adult now. Isn't this kind of thing... perfectly normal?"
She deliberately goaded him with this nonchalant attitude.
As expected, Julian Ford was enraged by her words. His face darkened in an instant, and his voice turned icy cold:
"Normal? Elena Bennett! Don't you forget who you are! You're a Ford daughter, and your indecent behavior in public brings shame to the Ford family!"
Seeing him lose his temper, Elena Bennett immediately backed off.
Her eyes welled up with tears in an instant, fine teardrops clinging to her long eyelashes, and her voice cracked with sobs: "I know... I won't do it again."
Her sincere apology left Julian Ford's impending reprimand stuck in his throat.
Looking at her red-rimmed eyes, the anger in his heart vanished without a trace.
Had he... spoken too harshly? After all, it was understandable for her to go drinking when she was in a bad mood.
"Just make sure you know your mistake." Julian Ford's tone softened a little, "Finish your breakfast."
The breakfast ended in an awkward and delicate atmosphere.
Julian Ford stood up and said: "I have work at the company, I'm leaving first."
He walked to the door, paused for a moment without turning back, and his voice came clearly: "You stay home and behave yourself these days, don't go anywhere. I'll ask Clara Bennett to take good care of you."
Elena Bennett looked up at once, disbelief in her voice: "Brother, are you putting me under house arrest?"
Julian Ford turned slightly and corrected her flatly: "I'm letting you reflect on your mistakes."
His tone was calm, as if he was issuing an ordinary order.
With that, he strode out of the villa.
Listening to the engine fade into the distance, Elena Bennett slowly raised her head, a glint of crafty triumph flashing in her eyes.
If she couldn't go out, so be it. She had planned to keep a low profile for a few days anyway, to map out her next move carefully.
She opened the system panel in her mind and saw that Julian Ford's Affection score had risen from [3%] to [5%].
It had gone up another 2 points.
Elena Bennett sighed inwardly: Julian Ford, Julian Ford, you're such a hypocrite.
It was clearly possessiveness at work, his displeasure at her being close to other men, yet he had to hide behind the banner of the family's honor.
She leaned back in her chair and began to think about how to spend her days of "reflection" to the fullest.
A moment later, Elena Bennett stood up and headed for the gaming room.
Since she couldn't go out, she would use these days to push forward her other strategy route.
She turned on the computer skillfully and logged into the game *Apocalypse Epoch*.
As soon as she went online, a flurry of message notifications popped up, all from [Damon].
[Damon]: Dude! You're finally online! Where were you yesterday?
[Damon]: Hurry up, let's team up! I'm on fire today, carry me to rank up!
[Damon]: Hello? You there? Didn't log off again, did you?
[Damon]: ...Ugh, this is so boring. Add me on social media? Hit me up directly next time you're online, so I don't have to wait around for nothing.
Staring at the last message that mentioned adding him on social media again, Elena Bennett tapped her finger lightly on the mouse.
It was time to move their online relationship to a more private real-world social platform. Staying in the game all the time would never let her get to know the young master Damon Vega properly.
After a moment's thought, she copied her social media ID and replied in the game chat box:
[Stray]: Yeah, add me. This is my ID.
To keep her persona consistent, she had already changed her social media nickname to match her game ID: [Stray].
Her profile picture was a distant, atmospheric forest scene with no clear details.
Less than a minute after sending the message, her phone pinged with a new friend request on social media.
He was quick. It was clear that the young master Damon Vega had been sitting in front of his computer, bored out of his mind.
Elena Bennett opened her social media and saw a friend request from someone with the bold nickname [X] and a profile picture that was a close-up of an expensive-looking mechanical watch.
She clicked to accept the request.
Almost instantly, a message popped up from the other side.
[X]: It's me, Damon Vega. The [Damon] from the game.
[Stray]: Yeah, I know.
[X]: Finally got you to add me! You didn't even change your social media name? So mysterious, dude.
[Stray]: Habit.
[X]: Alright! Are you free tonight? Log on and play a few games? I just got a batch of new equipment with great stats, and I got a set for you too.
Damon Vega's tone was natural and warm, and he had clearly come to see her as a fixed, worthy "gaming buddy" to invest in.
Elena Bennett looked at the screen, the corner of her mouth curving up slightly.
The online relationship was initially established. Next, it was time to find an opportunity to extend it to the offline world.
Watching the messages from Damon Vega, Elena Bennett tapped her fingers lightly on the keyboard and replied with her usual brevity:
[Stray]: Not sure if I'm free tonight. Thanks for the equipment. How much is it? I'll transfer the money to you.
[X]: Nah, talking money with me? Who do you think I am? Consider it a thank you for carrying me to rank up! You have to take it!
Damon Vega's tone had the unique familiarity and loyalty of a wealthy playboy, the kind that came with throwing money around freely.
Elena Bennett didn't refuse any further and accepted it calmly.
This unpretentious attitude only made her more likable to Damon Vega.
[Stray]: Alright. Thanks then.
In the following days, Elena Bennett was extremely active online.
She logged on at a regular frequency and teamed up with Damon Vega to grind ranks together.
Their chemistry grew stronger with each passing day, and Damon Vega practically regarded her as his personal "ace support" and "tactical mastermind".