The banquet hall erupted into chaos.
"The young master is missing!"
"What?!" Old Mr. Jude's face, which had been filled with smiles, froze.
Upon hearing the words, his entire body trembled. "What did you say? My grandson... is missing?"
In that moment, his expression became incredibly complex, and his fingers trembled. It was the same look he had twelve years ago when he heard about his daughter's disappearance.
"I asked the guards at the door, and they said... they didn't see the young master leave."
The servant's voice was shaking.
"Today, there were too many guests, it might have been an oversight..."
"Oversight?!" Old Mr. Zhu slammed his hand on the table, his voice hoarse. "Go find him! Find him now!"
The hall descended into chaos.
The guests whispered among themselves.
"I heard the young master is quite delicate. Maybe he just ran away?"
"He's been back for a short time, and he's already causing trouble?"
"But he's the only grandson of Old Master Jude..."
Twenty minutes passed, but there was no result. Old Mr. Jude's face grew darker.
Just then, Elinor Hayes stood up, a smile on her face. "Grandfather, maybe he's just scared. After all, we asked him to compete with me in embroidery. He might be afraid of losing face, so…."
Before she could finish, a commotion erupted at the entrance of the hall.
"Make way, make way.."
Several bodyguards in black pushed in, carrying kitchen utensils and a gas stove, followed by a flustered butler.
The guests were stunned.
It was a complete set of kitchen equipment—stove, pot, knife, seasonings, and even a bucket of water and baskets of vegetables!
The hall was suddenly transformed into a kitchen!
"What is this?!"
"Is this some kind of joke?!"
The guests erupted into exclamations.
Just then, two figures walked in. One after the other. The first was cold and imposing, with a sharp gaze; Ethan Forest, the young man who was thought to be just a bodyguard.
The second was wearing a white apron upon his clothes, with a smile on his lips, it was the missing young master, Liam Hayes!
"Young master!" The butler almost burst into tears of joy.
Everyone was stunned.
"He actually dared to come back?!"
"What is he doing with that stove? Is he planning to cook here?"
Ethan raised a brow as he walked with Adrain. He too was surprised as to why he suddenly called for Butler Ray and told him to bring these.
Ethan's expression was extremely ugly. He thought Adrian wanted to run away because he didn't want to be disgraced and mocked and laughed but it seems that is actually what he was looking for. He had let him fool around enough.
He frowned and lowered his voice. "What exactly are you planning to do?"
Marcus Hayes had thought that the rumors about his nephew being "crazy" were just baseless gossip. But now, it seemed that those rumors were true!
Who would bring a pot to an embroidery competition?!
"Crazy..." Marcus sneered in his mind.
No wonder the stupid kid had accepted the bunny girl outfit he had sent. A normal person would have sensed something was off and stayed away. But Liam Hayes, he was a complete fool!
His goal had always been to make his nephew lose his inheritance. Once Liam was kicked out of the Hayes family, he, as the second son, would naturally take over.
As for his brother's illegitimate children? Ha, they were nothing but insignificant flies.
With that thought, Marcus lowered his eyes, hiding the mockery on his lips, and turned to Old Mr. Jude.
"Since the young master is so enthusiastic, perhaps..." He slowed down his words, pretending to be concerned. "He could showcase his new hobby, cooking?"
The guests around him burst into laughter.
"A cooking competition at an embroidery contest?"
"He's really lost it."
"This is an embarrassment to the Hayes family at Mr. Jude's birthday party."
Marcus was satisfied with the whispers and slowly walked forward. He reached out and patted the young man's arm, pretending to be kind. "Nephew…."
"Does Uncle want to cook with me?" Adrian looked up, smiling innocently but with a hint of sting.
In that moment, Marcus was taken aback. He saw something in the young man's eyes—No confusion, no innocence, no madness. It was a piercing clarity that sent a chill down his spine.
It was as if the young body housed a soul far more cunning than his own.
A shiver ran down Marcus's spine, but he forced a smile. "Of course, Uncle is just here to help."
"Help?" Adrian tilted his head slightly, his gaze calm, but his voice was like a needle, piercing and painful. "That's quite an honor."
The coldness in Marcus's heart deepened, but he continued to smile. "After all, you have some... issues with your mind, don't you? Uncle should look after you more."
The guests around them laughed again.
He looked up, his expression indifferent. Uncle, you'll find out tonight whether I have issues with my mind. He thought.
He actually wanted to deal with his uncle today but since his uncle had beat him to it in raising up trouble, he will just deal with the trouble his uncle started, winning his grandpa in process. And maybe later, he will deal with his uncle. Not today.
Ethan was fed up.
From the start of the banquet to now, his patience had been worn thin by the so called young master.
Liam Hayes was acting crazy and shameless in front of everyone, and what really got under Ethan's skin was that his family was watching. His father, grandfather, and other elders in the family were all observing with cold eyes.
Their gazes were like sharp knives, silently cutting away at his dignity somehow.
If Liam could just show some spirit, do something that would make people take notice...
Maybe Ethan could defend him. Maybe one day, their names would be mentioned together in a kind tone. But now?
That person was just standing there, like a spoiled child, smiling foolishly and without any guard wanting to cook in a banquet full of all kinds of delicacies. How reasonable was that?
Ethan took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart, and turned to leave.
However, a warm hand suddenly grabbed him. The fingertips trembled slightly, but the grip was firm.
Ethan froze, turning back.
The young man looked up, his clear eyes reflecting the firelight, his voice low when he said: "Don't go."
The voice wasn't loud, but it was like a spell, quietly creeping into his heart. Ethan's breathing paused, his mind went blank.
He didn't even realize that he had nodded.
It was as if he had been enchanted by that seductive voice.