"Today, everyone in this city is going to choke on their own envy! I absolutely cannot wait to see the look on Mommy, Daddy, and the brothers' faces," Liam gloated, practically vibrating with excitement.
But as they approached the grand double doors of the Reed estate, the elite sentries immediately snapped to attention for Liam, but their eyes lingered in confusion on the striking woman walking beside him. They didn't recognize her.
"What are you all staring at?" Liam demanded, crossing his arms. "Don't tell me you don't recognize her?"
"Fourth Young Master Liam," the captain of the guard stammered, quickly lowering his gaze. "Our apologies, but we were not informed of a guest. We do not recognize the young mistress."
"What? Mistress?" Liam scoffed, thoroughly enjoying himself. "Are you blind? Do you not even know the identity of the person who signs your paychecks every month?"
Audrey suppressed a laugh, shaking her head. Is this what passes for a power trip these days? Her younger brother was acting like an absolute child.
"Ah...!" The captain's eyes widened in sudden panic as a legendary rumor crossed his mind. "We are deeply sorry... Boss!" He figured addressing her by her supreme underworld title was the safest bet.
"Hey, big head, stop terrorizing my comrades," Audrey interjected smoothly, throwing Liam a warning look.
"I'm only doing it to defend your honor," Liam grumbled with a smirk.
Audrey turned back to the tight line of soldiers, a soft, nostalgic expression softening her face. "It's good to see you all again. Bruce, look at you—you've grown into a proper officer. I hope you find a good wife soon. And Jeffrey," she pointed a playful finger at the next guard, "do yourself a favor after this shift: shave that wild beard off and return to your handsome self. Nicco, Toby, Tonda—it's an honor to see you all standing guard."
Without giving them a single second to process how a stranger knew their highly classified real names, Audrey swept past them and into the estate.
The line of soldiers broke formation entirely the moment the doors closed.
"Hold on... how does she know our names?" Bruce whispered, his voice trembling. "Nobody outside the inner circle has access to our files."
"And we've never even seen her face before," Jeffrey muttered, rubbing his temples as a cold sweat broke out. "This is impossible."
"Hahaha! You guys are completely brain-dead," Toby laughed, his eyes lighting up as the puzzle pieces clicked. "Think about it!"
"Little Princess Audrey...!" Nicco and Tonda breathed out in unison.
"What?! She's grown into a woman like that?" Bruce gasped, clutching his chest. "Our little boss is back!"
"Well, you guys can stand here and analyze it all day," Toby, the youngest of the guards, said as he started unbuttoning his tactical vest. "I'm going inside to hug my boss."
"Get back in line! If anyone gets a hug, it's the commanding officer, and that's me," Bruce snapped, though he was already walking toward the house.
"Let's just all go," Jeffrey reasoned, breaking into a run.
In a matter of seconds, five of the most terrifying, lethal men in the country—usually referred to as emotionless killing machines—were practically tripping over each other like children as they rushed toward the main mansion.
The domestic maids and valets working the grounds stopped in their tracks, entirely paralyzed by the sight.
"Look at the sentries... what is wrong with them?" "Why are the elite robots smiling?" "Did the laws of physics break today?"
One young custodian, who was in the middle of polishing the marble walkway, took one look at the beaming, sprinting soldiers and dropped his mop, falling to his knees. He genuinely believed the apocalypse had arrived.
"Hey! Where did Princess Audrey and Liam go?" Bruce demanded, sliding to a halt in front of the staff.
The servants just stared at them, their mouths hanging open. A collective thought echoed through the staff quarters: The robots can speak?! It was an absolute miracle.
"Are you... are you talking about the breathtaking woman who just arrived?" an elderly head cook asked, her voice shaking. She was one of the historical staff who had actually held Audrey as an infant. "The one who looks like a literal goddess?"
"Why do you say she looks like a goddess?" Tonda asked, a proud smirk on his face.
"Sir, she is painfully beautiful!" a junior maid squeaked. "We almost fainted when she walked through the foyer. She doesn't look real."
"Of course she's beautiful. She's our princess," Nicco stated proudly, pushing open the grand inner doors.
Inside the sprawling formal living room, Arielle, Oswald, and Old Master Reed stood completely frozen. For twelve long years, Audrey had ignored their letters and rejected their pleas to come home, burying herself in deep-cover global operations.
Seeing her standing there in a stunning dress, the weight of a decade lifted off their shoulders. Tears streamed down the old master's face. They were so overwhelmed with profound joy that not a single word could escape their lips. The silent tears expressed everything.
"See? Didn't I tell you I'd bring her back?" Liam bragged, breaking the emotional silence.
The inner house staff stood back in awe, while the younger generation of the Reed family—the nieces and nephews who had only grown up on ghost stories about their legendary aunt—stared at her like she was a celebrity.
A handsome young teenager stepped forward, bowing politely. "Princess Audrey, it is an absolute honor to finally meet you. I am Thunder, your nephew from your second uncle's side. I'm sixteen."
"And I'm Neville, Thunder's twin sister," the young girl next to him added, her eyes sparkling with pure adoration. "You are hands-down the most stunning person I have ever seen in my life."
"Oh my gosh, hello! I'm Mandy, your cousin from your first uncle. I'm twenty-one!" a vibrant young woman squealed, practically leaping across the room to grab Audrey's hands. "I am so incredibly happy you're home! I finally have a partner-in-crime. Those toxic high-society girls won't dare whisper about me anymore with a literal goddess standing by my side. We are going shopping, and then we are absolutely dominating the upcoming banquet together!"
Audrey throw her head back and laughed, the sound pure and commanding. "Hahaha! Deal. Tell you what, Mandy, Neville, Thunder—I'm taking you all on a massive shopping spree through my personal mega-malls, and we'll have a private lunch at my luxury hotel. After that, we'll go systematically put those arrogant socialites in their place, one by one."
Mandy, Neville, and Thunder practically melted onto the floor in dramatic relief, laughing and crying all at once. They had expected a cold, distant commander, but their aunt was an absolute icon.
Turning toward the head housekeeper, Audrey raised her hand to deliver her first royal decree. "To celebrate my return, all staff members from Quarters A and E are officially relieved of duty for the day. Go shopping, and put everything on my personal black card."
The entire mansion erupted into thunderous applause and cheers.
"Quarters B and D will take their turn tomorrow," Audrey continued smoothly, a brilliant smile on her face. "And Quarter C, along with our amazing guards at the gate, will go the day after. Let's make sure everyone who keeps this family safe gets a piece of the celebration."