"Serena, you can stay in the downstairs guest room for now. Aren't you always away filming? You're hardly ever home anyway, so just let your sister have your room." Simon Sherwood couldn't stand it anymore and made an executive decision.
He could see that neither of these girls was easy to handle.
If they really caused a scene, they'd become a laughingstock to outsiders, and the harmonious family image he had worked so hard to build and maintain would shatter!
Iris Dalton was a newcomer. They had to do their best to appease her and help her acclimate to the Sherwood Family as quickly as possible.
That meant Serena would have to be the one to make a small sacrifice.
Serena Sherwood's face turned pale, her eyes filled with hurt as she stared at Simon Sherwood in disbelief.
"Dad, you're playing favorites…" This time, it wasn't an act. She was on the verge of a complete breakdown, her voice choked with sobs.
Iris Dalton, on the other hand, broke into a smile. Her eyes curved into crescents, and she put on an adorably sweet and obedient act as she ran up to Simon Sherwood. "Thank you, Dad! I'm so happy. I knew you cared about me the most."
She struck while the iron was hot, shooting a small, provocative look at Serena Sherwood.
'Time to rub some salt in the wound!'
As expected, Serena completely lost it. She was so furious smoke was practically steaming from her head, wishing she could march over and rip Iris's face to shreds.
"As long as you're happy, Dad can rest assured," Simon Sherwood said, chuckling as he looked at Iris Dalton.
In that instant, a strange feeling rose in his heart.
For some reason, Iris acting playfully coy with him felt strangely pleasant.
He felt a sense of fatherly gratification.
'Hmm, this girl's not bad. It feels like we were meant to be father and daughter.'
Tristan Sherwood had remained impassive the entire time, watching coldly from the sidelines.
When he saw Iris's undisguised, triumphant smirk, a flash of irritation crossed his eyes, and his expression darkened.
*
Iris Dalton went to her new room upstairs, but Tristan Sherwood stopped her at the doorway.
He frowned, looking her up and down, his gaze filled with annoyance.
"What is it?" Iris asked, baffled as she glanced up at him.
She tilted her small face up, her bright eyes wide with a disarmingly innocent confusion, like a naive little woodland creature.
Tristan faltered for a second, then suppressed the irritation rising in him and took a deep breath. "I'll find you a better room. The one on the third floor is much bigger. Give this one back to Serena."
A flicker of light in Iris's eyes was followed by a provocative smile. "The third-floor room is the billiards room, right? All empty. Freezing in the winter, sweltering in the summer. I couldn't possibly enjoy such a luxury. Why don't you save it for your precious little sister?"
'I just tried using my spiritual power, but it didn't work on Tristan Sherwood.'
'Alarm bells rang in her head. Had her spiritual power failed?'
'Impossible!'
While Iris was distracted, Tristan was already losing his temper. He looked down on her, his tone dripping with contempt. "I know you're trying to pull some tricks to compete with Serena, but are you even worthy?"
"Or do you think the Sherwoods are pushovers? I'm warning you, don't cross my line. Watch out, or you'll only end up destroying yourself."
He paused, growing even more agitated. "An orphan with no connections like you should know the consequences of angering the Sherwood Family."
He had just investigated Iris Dalton and found that her past was a blank slate, with no records whatsoever.
Even the go-between couldn't explain where this girl had come from.
'Something's not right about this.'
Tristan grew suspicious, worried she had been planted in the Sherwood Family by one of their rivals.
'Judging by her looks and her bearing, she didn't seem like some unworldly girl from a backwater village.'
Iris had a dazed look on her face, her eyes unfocused, as if she hadn't heard a word he'd said.
Tristan Sherwood: "..."
'Was everything I just said like talking to a brick wall?'
"Heh. Do you actually have a death wish?" Tristan said through gritted teeth, his frustration boiling over.
"What did you say?" Iris asked, suddenly snapping out of her daze.
Tristan Sherwood: "..."
His anger flared.
The girl looked up at him. Her fair face was arrestingly beautiful, and the natural allure of her eyes now glinted with a sharp, dazzling light that was pure aggression.
"Eldest Young Master Sherwood, please stop talking shit in my doorway. I can't stand the stench." She raised a hand to cover her nose, her face twisted in disgust.
It didn't look like an act.
Her little face was scrunched up, her eyes filled with genuine, deep-seated loathing.
Tristan felt a sharp sting, and his expression turned foul.
He scoffed, his voice turning cold with rage. "A person like you isn't worth my time!"
Iris had no interest in wasting her breath on the idiot. She rolled her eyes, cupped her hands around her mouth, and bellowed, "Butler! Get the young miss's things out of here, and while you're at it, get rid of this dog in my doorway!"
Then she slammed the door shut with a BANG.
Tristan froze.
A moment later, veins bulged on his forehead. He was about to explode with rage.
'Some wild brat from a godforsaken corner of the world manages to latch onto the Sherwood Family, and now she dares to disrespect me? To call me a dog!'
'What gives her the right to be so arrogant?'
His face darkened further as he pounded on the door. "Iris Dalton, you're completely insufferable!"
After knocking for what felt like an eternity with no response, he was frustrated beyond belief. But with nothing else he could do, he stalked away, his face grim.
*
Inside the room, Iris surveyed the decor.
'A massive princess room!'
The decor was lavish, and the furniture was the most expensive and stylish available.
She took a look around and was reasonably satisfied. New, fancy, and shiny things always had a way of lifting one's spirits.
Stretching languidly, she flopped onto the soft bed, pulled out her phone, and accessed a dark purple website.
It was UmbraNet, the largest dark web controlled by the Noble Clans.
Once someone becomes a member of UmbraNet, they can both accept and post missions on the platform.
Becoming a member of UmbraNet involved an extremely strict vetting process.
Only those with special abilities or members of noble families were qualified to join. Ordinary people had never even heard of UmbraNet.
People who took on missions via UmbraNet were called "Hunters." Hunters could operate solo or form squads.
Completing missions earned points, which determined their ranking on the "Star List."
The Star List's criteria were incredibly strict. Most members never even achieved a Star Level, which meant that even a One-star Hunter on UmbraNet was a huge deal.
Right now, a group of top-tier Five- and Six-star players, along with their One- and Two-star followers, were spamming a chat channel. Their activity drew a huge crowd of members eager to watch the drama unfold, making the channel as lively as a holiday festival.
**[InfoPup]:** "Fire sale on secrets of the Noble Clans! 500GB of HD pics and vids, take the whole bundle for one million, that's 20% off! Discounts for long-term partners. @ImRich @RichHeir @GoldenBoy @YourRichDaddy @Wylie."
**[FourthAce]:** "[BOMB.jpg] [BOMB.jpg]"
**[FourthAce]:** "BOMBSHELL! Master Dalton has returned! My heart is racing! I'm over the moon!"
**[MyIdolIs#1]:** "[Ascension.gif]"
**[MyIdolIs#1]:** "OMG OMG OMG, Master Dalton ascended to LuminNet four years ago and has finally returned to the mortal world today! Rolling out the red carpet for my idol! *scatters flowers*"
**[Master Astral]:** "Alright everyone, Master Dalton is back! Let's get this party started! 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]:** "The 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]:** "The 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]:** "[Unimpressed.jpg]"
**[Wylie]:** "The Pay-to-Win Squad respectfully welcomes the return of Master Dalton—"
**[Wylie]:** "Ahem, sorry to hijack the thread, but I'm posting a job: recruiting 100 Two-star mercenaries. Salary is 20,000 a month. The job is farming. Room and board included, weekends off, and a year-end bonus."
"..."