Henry York whispered, his gaze suddenly turning icy cold: “No one has ever escaped paying the price after angering the Foundation.”

　　“There never was, and there isn’t now!”

　　Under the dim car lights, his eyes were furious and cold, his expression twisted like a starving tiger.

Chapter Two: Warmth and Crisis

　　In the departing black SUV, murderous rage was brewing, while elsewhere, William Carter was lost in confusion.

　　He thought for a long time but couldn’t figure it out—how could his uncle, just a small clinic doctor, have any connection with an international security company?

　　A patient, or a friend? It was hard to imagine his uncle having any dealings with such people.

　　But right now, the most urgent thing wasn’t to worry about that, but to find the little girl who was hiding somewhere.

　　He was truly worried about her state; the news of her parents’ death was far too heavy for a fifteen-year-old girl.

　　With a sigh, he put away the business card, lit a few more sticks of incense in front of his uncle and aunt’s memorial tablets, and forced himself to walk into the hall with a harmless smile.

　　Amidst those unfriendly gazes, he asked as gently as possible, “Has anyone seen Ethan Lane?”

　　A middle-aged woman sitting on the sofa cracking sunflower seeds suddenly sneered, her cheap makeup flaking off under the lights as she squeezed out a mocking smile:

　　“Oh, calling her so affectionately—who are you?”

　　A wave of malice swept over him.

　　William Carter’s little finger twitched, but he resisted the urge to frown and asked softly, “Auntie, have you seen where Ethan Lane is?”

　　Even so, he couldn’t help but emphasize the “Lu” in her name.

　　“Don’t—don’t call me auntie, I’m not worthy.” The middle-aged woman cracked her seeds, her face full of disgust. “Your surname is Zhou, mine is Lu, we’re not related.”

　　As she finished, her whole family beside her burst into mocking laughter.

　　William Carter looked at them in silence. Though he was furious inside, he still slowly turned and left the hall.

　　It seemed there was nothing to be learned from them, and no need to humiliate himself further.

　　The woman who had just spoken was one of his uncle’s cousins. Also in the hall were “cousins” and “uncles” who had rushed from all over after hearing of his uncle’s death—relatives so distant they could barely be called family.

　　In the end, it was all about money.

　　Although his uncle and aunt were just a small-town doctor and nurse, and left their daughter little more than a few tens of thousands in the bank, there was still this ancestral mansion.

　　Located in the suburbs of Shangyang City, but still within the second ring road, with a three-section layout, it was increasingly rare in today’s urban jungle. As housing prices soared, the mansion’s value had only grown.

　　After his uncle and aunt passed away, their only direct relative was their fifteen-year-old daughter, and since he himself was not related by blood, for some people, the ownership of this house now had the possibility of becoming theirs.

　　Money moves people’s hearts—a house worth several million was enough to attract the flies, who came buzzing from all directions.

　　These past days, these people had caused him no end of trouble, making William Carter even more furious, but he couldn’t lose his temper.

　　After all, they were Ethan Lane’s last remaining relatives.

　　Thinking of that stubborn little girl, William Carter felt another wave of sadness. Where could she be hiding?

　　If she wasn’t in the front yard or the hall, he’d have to look elsewhere.

　　He didn’t find her in his uncle and aunt’s bedroom, nor in her own room.

　　In her cold, lonely room, the childish bedding was messily rolled into a ball, and even her favorite stuffed animals were thrown into the corner.

　　Under the glass top of her desk, the smiling family photos were covered by scattered books, hiding the image of the family they once were.

　　Seeing the wardrobe door left ajar, William Carter sighed, folded the blanket that had been covering him, and carefully put it back in its place.

　　Finally, he noticed a pendant on the messy desk.

　　Strung on a black cord, it looked like a wooden pendant carved with a character, abandoned by its owner and left among the scattered books.

　　Gently picking up the pendant, William Carter murmured to himself, “She even took this off?”

　　Ethan Lane’s thirteenth birthday present, a craft brought back from Russia by Uncle Edward Lane, the character on it was said to represent abundance and growth.

　　Lifting the pendant gently, William Carter whispered, “Wishing you healthy growth…”

　　She had always carried it with her, but now she’d taken it off—perhaps she didn’t want to be reminded of her grief.

　　Suddenly thinking of something, he walked to the window and looked down, finally spotting that slender figure by the flowerbeds in the backyard.

　　Seemingly aware of his gaze, the girl curled up on the chair looked up at him, then lowered her head again.

　　“You really know how to hide.”

　　William Carter muttered helplessly to himself, grabbed the pendant and put it in his pocket, planning to persuade her to wear it again later.

　　After a moment’s thought, he also took a scarf from the coat rack.