Stella Sinclair hung up the phone, a slight smile gracing her beautiful lips.
She glanced at the rose-adorned invitation to the Twilight Gala in her hand, her face full of yearning.
Rumor had it that many scions of the Great Families would be attending today, and even the young master from the Guthrie Family's core lineage would be there. It was an opportunity she absolutely could not miss!
But her grandfather had insisted on gathering the entire family for a reunion today to welcome Aurora Sinclair, even forcing her to decline this gala. It was clear that the "monster," Aurora Sinclair, still held a place in his heart.
Stella Sinclair's grip on the invitation tightened.
Beside her, her cousin, Lillian Gordon, smirked. "Cousin, I heard that jinx of your family is coming back?"
Stella Sinclair offered a faint, noncommittal smile.
Thanks to her connection with Hailey Gordon, Lillian Gordon was a frequent guest at the Sinclair estate, often visiting Stella Sinclair. Naturally, she had heard all about the infamous Sinclair family jinx.
A trace of disgust appeared on her face as she carefully warned Stella Sinclair, "Cousin, you'd better be careful!"
***
The high-society gala was steeped in luxury and grandeur. The men were handsome, the women beautiful, and everyone was impeccably polite.
Stella Sinclair stood quietly in a corner, holding a champagne flute and watching the entrance to the gala.
From time to time, one or two dapper young men from the Great Families would approach to greet her, but she would simply smile and redirect the opportunity to her cousin beside her.
She appeared calm and unruffled, but her peripheral vision remained fixed on the main entrance.
Finally, the doors to the gala opened once more, and two elite-looking men in sharp suits walked in from outside.
Someone nearby immediately gasped, "Oh my god! Why is the Best Actor, Darius Lynch, here with the young master of the Guthrie Family?"
***
「The Sinclair Family living room.」
Tanner Sinclair sat slumped on the sofa with his legs crossed, looking like a total slob as he partied up with his nephew, Zeke Quincy, for a game.
The game's sound effects were so loud they gave you a headache. Jean Quincy, Zeke Quincy's fraternal twin, finally gave up and stuck a pair of Bluetooth earbuds in her ears.
The game they were playing was *Glory at War*, currently the most popular online game in Veridia.
It was a large-scale RPG focused on combat and adventure. Unlike other online games with predefined Skill Trees, this one required players to build their character's Skill Tree themselves from a pool of 50 base Skills.
Furthermore, different Skill combinations could produce unique attack effects. Because of this, the PvP esports competitions derived from the game were a global phenomenon every year.
Tanner Sinclair and Zeke Quincy were die-hard fans of *Glory at War*. Not only did they each have their own favorite teams, but they also made it a point to watch the competitions together every year.
"Uncle, quick, use your ultimate—"
Zeke Quincy's fingers flew across his keyboard as he yelled, his eyes glued to the screen, watching for the enemy Mage's potential ultimate attack.
He was playing an Archery class, which, like the Mage class, was a ranged attacker. His role in their party was to keep the enemy Mage pinned down, creating an opening for his uncle, Tanner Sinclair, to close in for melee combat with his Swordsman.
Tanner Sinclair's custom-built Skill Tree was simply absurd. He could often wipe out an opponent with a single combo, making him the perfect teammate for climbing the PvP ladder.
On their server, District Twelve, Tanner Sinclair was ranked first in solo competition points. His character's Combat Power was at Grandmaster Third Rank, making him a divine-level figure in the entire district.
When the familiar arena victory music played, Zeke Quincy's grin nearly split his face. Seeing his character on the screen successfully advance to Martial Master First Rank, he was moved almost to tears.
Climbing the ranks in the *Glory at War* arena was incredibly difficult. You not only had to defeat your opponents but also achieve an outstanding Skill output value, which depended on the player's custom Skill Tree and their APM.
A veteran fan once analyzed, "The fun of this game lies in how every combination of moves and Skills can produce different attack effects. You never know what Skills your opponent will use against you!"
Zeke Quincy was in absolute awe of his uncle. He leaned over to get a look at his character's gear and Skill Tree.
His gear was a full set of self-crafted Red Armor, and his Skill arrangement was even more unfathomably complex.
"Uncle, this Skill layout is insane! My classmate plays a Swordsman too, but he can never get this kind of result. Uncle, what's your APM?"
Tanner Sinclair closed his laptop, stood up, and stretched. "Not much. I've got slow hands, only around 300."
"Then it has to be your insane Skill layout!"
Just then, Jean Quincy, who was sitting opposite them, suddenly threw a fit. She ripped off her earbuds, tossed them aside, and said angrily, "How long are we going to wait? Just because the jinx's plane is late, the whole family has to wait for her? Who does she think she is?"
Her words were incredibly rude, especially in front of the elders. Zeke Quincy frowned and was about to reprimand her when a stern female voice called out from a short distance away.
"Jean—"
Turning their heads, they saw Jade Sinclair helping Master Sinclair, Preston Sinclair, slowly descend from the second floor.
The old master's expression was grim. He seemed displeased with what Jean Quincy had just said, his lips pressed into a thin, stern line.
Jean Quincy was still afraid of him. She pouted and fell silent, looking away in a huff.
While scrolling through her social media feed just now, she had seen a post from her cousin at the Twilight Gala.
The attached pictures were all of her favorite movie star, Darius Lynch. This meant Darius Lynch was at the Twilight Gala.
She was supposed to go today as well, but Master Sinclair had insisted on gathering the family to welcome Aurora Sinclair, so Jade Sinclair had canceled their plans for the gala and brought them back to the Sinclair estate.
She had completely missed her chance to get close to Darius Lynch!
Jean Quincy squeezed her phone tightly, gritting her teeth in frustration.
Just then, a servant of the Sinclair Family walked into the living room. "Family Head, the car sent to pick up the Second Miss has entered the villa community's main gate."
Master Sinclair's expression softened slightly. He scanned everyone in the living room and said in a deep voice, "Let's go. Everyone outside to welcome her—"
***
There was a considerable distance between the main gate of the Sinclair estate and the villa's front door, as cars were generally not allowed onto the grounds.
When Aurora Sinclair appeared before the Sinclairs, almost everyone was stunned.
She was laden with bags of all sizes. In her right hand, she carried a heavy-looking cloth bundle, and in her left, a conspicuous pink pet carrier. Through its clear plastic window, a live chicken could be clearly seen inside.
She was wearing the cheapest kind of tracksuit—baggy and ill-fitting. On her feet were a pair of white canvas sneakers. From head to toe, she exuded the air of a country girl who had just arrived in the city.
"PFFT—"
Zeke Quincy couldn't help but snort with laughter.
Beside him, Jean Quincy rolled her eyes dramatically and turned to go back inside, her face a mask of disgust.
'This is what she calls "going up the mountain to practice martial arts?" It looks more like "going down to the countryside to feed chickens."'
All the other Sinclairs, except for Master Sinclair, were struggling to keep straight faces and stifle their laughter.
"What are you gawking at? Go help Aurora with her things!" Master Sinclair's voice was commanding without being angry as he shot a look at his eldest and youngest sons.
Tanner Sinclair was the first to step forward. He walked up to Aurora Sinclair with a wide, eight-toothed grin. "Aurora, I'm your uncle. Here, let me take that bundle for you!"
Aurora Sinclair glanced at his arms, then shifted her gaze to his face. She shook her head and handed him the pet carrier instead.
'Whoa! Is she looking down on me? Does she think I can't carry it?'
Tanner Sinclair's eyes narrowed slightly.
"It's fine, your uncle can take i—" The rest of his words were drowned out by the heavy THUD of the bundle hitting the ground.
'Damn it, that's embarrassing!'
"Did you pack dumbbells in here?"