Tony Stark was sitting with his back to them, so all he noticed was a bottle falling out of nowhere. When he turned his head at the commotion, he saw a chubby boy searching for something, while a seasoning bottle was missing from their table.
He had already found this family irritating the adults pretentious, the child obnoxious, the whole lot behaving like fools. And now they had tossed a condiment bottle onto his table, interrupting him right in the middle of flirting with a beauty!
Still, Tony Stark didn't explode right away. Wanting to maintain a good image in front of the lady, he decided to respond with dignity.
"Hey! Watch your kid. Can't you control him?"
The chubby boy's father was glued to a web novel on his phone, while his mother and uncle were deep in conversation about how to pursue a Native American girl. No one was paying attention to the boy. Hearing someone speak up from behind, they quickly looked over. Seeing Tony Stark holding a condiment bottle and noticing that the beautiful woman at his table had her blouse soaked in front, they immediately realized their child had caused trouble.
The boy's mother hurriedly said,
"Oh dear, he's still young and doesn't understand. Please don't take it to heart!"
Noticing Tony Stark's furious expression, she quickly nudged her husband and whispered,
"Look at your Tom. You'd better handle this."
The father said,
"Tom, apologize to the man and lady right now!"
The man's tone still carried some authority at home. The chubby boy muttered half-heartedly,
"I'm sorry..."
Tony Stark saw the brat's careless attitude and nearly burst into curses, but Hill stopped him. She said gently,
"It's fine. My clothes just got a little wet. Don't be angry."
As a refined lady from high society, Hill still carried compassion toward ordinary people. From their appearance, this family was clearly lower-class, without much money, only able to dine at a shabby place like this. Compared to her and Tony Stark's status, there was no need to stoop to their level.
Convinced by the beauty's words, Tony Stark reined in his temper and said,
"Keep a close eye on your kid!"
Turning back to Hill, he looked at her charming face and said,
"I'm really sorry for choosing such a place. Next time, I'll be the host, and I promise you'll be satisfied."
Hill smiled and replied,
"It doesn't matter. I usually go to upscale places often enough. Coming here for a change of taste isn't so bad. I just didn't expect someone like you (a billionaire) to eat at a roadside stall. If people found out, they'd definitely gossip."
Tony Stark answered,
"What's wrong with being a billionaire? A billionaire is still human, and humans need to eat. Besides, everyone lives for themselves. Why care about the opinions of others? Whatever they say has nothing to do with me. It's not as if their words could kill me."
Hill's eyes lit up. His words struck a chord deep within her. Though she had grown up wealthy and received the best education, it had also restricted her freedom and relationships. When she was sixteen, she once met a drifter, a small-time delinquent. Back then, she felt she had glimpsed a world she had never seen before one of freedom, unrestrained and alive. Unfortunately, her father's bodyguards discovered it. The boy, who had only dared to hold her hand without even kissing her, was sent three thousand miles away.
She had been heartbroken afterward and even tried to find him again, but never succeeded.
Her life felt prearranged: attend a top university, secure a good job, meet someone from high society, then marriage and children. A life whose ending she could already see from the very beginning.
To break free from that cage, she threw herself into learning extracurricular skills—combat, computers and eventually stood out in a school selection event. At that time, Nick Fury, not yet Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., noticed her and recruited her into the agency, where she became an outstanding agent.
Hill had reached her position through sacrifice, endurance, and her refusal to settle for the status quo. She wanted to live for herself, not become the kind of "success story" others expected her to be.
She increasingly felt that the man before her was more than just a handsome face. His inner self radiated a charm that drew her in, making her want to peel back the layers and discover what lay beneath.
Indeed, the rumors outside were not all true, and one could never judge a person solely on words written about them.
Tony Stark smiled and said,
"Do you want to keep drinking? Or should we find another place to continue our discussion about life?"
Hill shook her head. The playboy streak in him was still there. She glanced at the half-filled case of beer beside the table. As the saying goes, "When drinking with a kindred spirit, a thousand cups aren't enough." She suddenly felt the urge to indulge, and the man before her seemed perfect for it.
Leaning forward, she pulled two bottles of beer from the crate. With a flick of her finger, she popped the caps off with ease, setting them neatly on the table.
"Of course we're drinking," she said. "And we're not leaving until we're drunk!"
Seeing her boldness, Tony Stark rolled up his sleeves and grinned.
"Then I'll risk my life to keep up with you. Come on, forget the glasses, let's drink straight from the bottle!"
Without waiting for Hill's response, he grabbed a bottle and gulped down half of it in one go.
"Burp!"
He set the half-empty bottle down with a satisfied belch.
Hill's eyes glimmered with interest. She raised her own bottle, ready to follow suit.
"Bang!"
Another condiment bottle smashed onto their table. This time, no liquid spilled out. It was filled with cumin powder, and since the cap wasn't fastened properly, it scattered everywhere across the table and all over Tony Stark's legs.
With cumin clinging to his clothes, there was no way he could keep wearing them. After all, he couldn't walk around smelling like roasted lamb.
His fury finally erupted. Rage surged through him as he shot up from his seat, knocking the bench and table aside with a loud crash.
He spun around, glaring, only to see the chubby kid baring his teeth and making faces at him. The moment the adults reacted, the boy quickly put on an innocent expression, though the gloating glint in his eyes betrayed him.
Tony Stark hadn't expected the child to be so insolent. Pointing a finger at his face, he shouted,
"Do you people even want this kid?"
The mother saw him pointing at her precious darling and leapt up at once, ignoring her useless husband's attempt to restrain her.
"Oh my, what's the big idea, waving your finger at my baby?"
The way she stood there, it looked as though she might tear Tony Stark apart on the spot.
(End of Chapter)
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