The Forgotten Bloodline

Chapter 6

Two days passed.

Thanks to the excellent care he had received, nearly all the wounds on Eric’s body had healed. Only his right arm remained in a cast and would need more time to recover fully.

That morning, Noah took him out of Trinity Hospital.

Their car headed toward City Lord, an exclusive residential district in the capital, Oriville.

The farther they traveled into the neighborhood, the quieter their surroundings became. Beyond towering gates stood magnificent mansions with sprawling gardens and tight security.

Before long, the car stopped in front of a contemporary mansion occupying a plot of nearly a thousand square meters.

Eric fell silent.

His gaze slowly swept over the imposing building before him. Even without knowing much about real estate, he could tell the mansion must be worth tens of millions of dollars.

Was the Brown family this wealthy?

Noah stepped out of the car first.

Eric followed and looked around. Every part of the place still felt unfamiliar.

There was so much he wanted to ask about the Brown family. But seeing how little Noah said, Eric held his questions back.

Noah glanced at him. “Get some rest. We’re expecting important guests tonight.”

Eric paused just as he was about to move.

“Important guests?”

Noah did not answer. He simply continued walking.

Meanwhile, Liam had already returned to Kravania that morning.

—

Elsewhere, a middle-aged man was trimming the branches of a bonsai in his yard when an assistant approached and stopped a few steps behind him.

“Sir.”

The man did not turn around. “What is it?”

The assistant held out an envelope. “A dinner invitation from Noah Brown.”

The pruning shears stopped in the man’s hand.

He accepted the envelope, opened it slowly, and read the letter from beginning to end.

A few seconds later, a quiet laugh escaped him.

“Noah… I was beginning to think you were dead.”

A faint smile lingered on his lips.

“Almost thirty years, and only now do you ask to see me again.”

“There’s one more message, sir.”

Yarta looked up.

“Mr. Noah hopes Miss Xavia will join you for dinner tonight. He would also like to thank her in person.”

Yarta fell silent for a moment.

“Thank Xavia?”

He slowly folded the letter.

“Interesting.”

He asked no further questions.

“Let Xavia know. Tell her her grandfather would like her to join him for dinner.”

“Yes, sir.”

Yarta raised his pruning shears again, but this time, he did not immediately cut the branch before him.

His gaze lingered on the bonsai.

“Thirty years…” He gave a slight shake of his head. “So you still remember me.”

—

Night slowly settled over Oriville.

In Brown Mansion’s main dining room, the long table was covered with dishes that still gave off wisps of steam.

Once everything had been arranged, the servants bowed and left the room.

Only Noah and Eric remained.

Noah sat on the left side of the table, with Eric beside him. Two chairs across from them were still empty.

Neither touched the food.

Noah occasionally glanced at the wall clock, then adjusted the spoon in front of him, even though the place setting was already immaculate.

Eric watched in silence. His gaze shifted several times between Noah and the two empty chairs across the table.

He wanted to ask, but chose to wait.

Before long, the sound of a car engine came from the mansion’s grounds.

Noah’s hand immediately stilled.

He turned toward the door.

“It seems they’re here.”

A few moments later, the dining room doors slowly opened.

Two servants entered first, then stepped aside for the guests behind them.

An elderly man walked into the room with steady steps. He was sixty-eight, but his back remained straight.

The moment he spotted Noah at the end of the table, the corners of his lips lifted. His steps quickened without him realizing it.

“Noah…” He shook his head with a chuckle. “You finally remembered you still have a friend.”

Noah slowly rose from his chair.

“Yarta.”

Eric also turned toward the door.

His gaze first settled on Yarta, then shifted to the figure walking half a step behind him.

He went still.

“Xavia?”

Xavia, who had been watching Noah since entering the room, immediately turned toward the voice.

She stopped.

Her gaze fixed on Eric, seated beside Noah.

“Eric?”

The surprise on her face lasted only a moment before she continued toward the table.

“Good evening.”

Noah responded with a slight nod.

Eric’s right arm was still encased in a cast and supported by a sling across his chest. He slowly stood and bowed to Yarta first.

“Good evening.”

Yarta returned the greeting with a small nod. His gaze lingered briefly on Eric before returning to Noah.

Eric then nodded to Xavia.

Xavia pulled out her chair. Before sitting, she glanced down at the cast on Eric’s right arm.

Yarta pointed toward Eric while keeping his eyes on Noah.

“He’s…?”

Noah raised a hand.

“Sit down first. I’ll explain.”

Yarta asked nothing more. He pulled out his chair and sat beside Xavia.

Silence filled the room again.

Noah placed his teacup on the table. The sound of porcelain meeting wood was clear in the quiet room.

His gaze moved between Yarta and Xavia before finally settling on Eric.

“Allow me to introduce him.”

No one interrupted.

“Eric Brown,” Noah continued after a brief pause. “My grandson.”

Yarta’s fingers stopped just short of his teacup.

He stared at Noah for a few moments before looking at Eric again.

Beside him, Xavia stared at Eric without blinking. Then she turned to Noah, as though making sure she had heard him correctly.

Not a single question left her lips.

Noah let the silence linger for a few moments before turning to Eric.

“Eric, this is Yarta Jones, an old friend of mine.”

Yarta nodded to Eric.

Noah then turned his attention to Xavia.

“As for Miss Xavia… I believe you already know each other.”