Chapter 1924 The Original Timeline II
Chapter 1924 The Original Timeline II
Sometime later...
Felix stepped out of his car and approached the grand gates of his late grandfather's mansion, in the Upper East Side of New York.
This was one of the mansions Felix grew in due to its proximity to the Maxwell Tower. After his parents passed away in the helicopter accident and his grandfather had a heart attack during the Alexander Kingdom's mental invasion, he inherited all of their properties.
As he walked up the stone steps, the large double doors opened smoothly, revealing Leila, the ever-diligent housekeeper.
She greeted him with a polite, knowing smile, and a prudish posture.
"Good evening, Mr. Maxwell," she said, bowing her head slightly. "Allow me to take those."
Before he could respond, Leila knelt to remove his shoes, her movements swift and practiced.
"You don't have to, but thank you."
Felix nodded in appreciation, accustomed to her quiet attention to detail. Just like Jack, Leila was one of his closest assistants, who he had grown up with from his childhood.
After he embarked on carrying his grandfather's legacy in this new era, he hired Leila as his housekeeper since he trusted only a few people in his home.
"Your shower is ready, sir," She informed him, gesturing down the hallway. "Your change of clothes has been laid out for you."
Felix gave a brief nod of thanks, feeling the fatigue from the day beginning to set in as he followed her lead. But, he didn't let it consume him as Queen Ai's message was still roaming free in his mind.
As he was being guided by Leila down the hall, Felix came to a brief stop in front of three massive portraits hung near each other.
With a faint appreciative smile, Felix reached out with his fingers and touched the frame of each portrait while murmuring under his breath.
"Father, Mother, Grandfather...I had a good day, I hope you did too on the other side..." Seeing this, Leila halted and waited in silence, already used to this antic.
While Leila wasn't with Felix when his parents died in a helicopter accident, she was with him when he heard the news of his grandfather's passing during the Day of Chaos.
He was a mere teenager, already isolated on an island, which was a cry for help in itself from a child, who was born with all the riches, but no parents' love.
Hearing that his last true family member, his grandfather Robert, who had raised him as a son, died of a heart attack shattered his heart into pieces.
However, instead of acting up just like after he lost his parents, she remembered how he vowed to uphold his grandfather's and parents' legacy at any expense.
She was only saddened that it took the death of his grandfather for him to wake up and mature at last, making him finally put his talents into the family's business empire. "Rest in peace...
After a little respectful head bow and a soft prayer, Felix turned around and continued on his path.
Seeing this, Leila shattered out of her daze and swiftly hastened her footsteps, leading him to the door of the shower room.
"Have a nice shower, Sir."
With a soft smile and a small bow, she left him to his privacy, disappearing soundlessly down the corridor.
Inside, Felix found everything as promised.
The pristine shower room was prepped with fresh towels, steam already drifting from the hot water.
His clothes, an elegant black lounge suit, comfortable yet stylish were folded neatly on the counter, along with comfortable slippers and cufflinks.
He took his time in the shower, letting the hot water wash away the stress of the day.
The weight of the Maxwell empire, the pressure of negotiations with Alexander Holdings, and the recent summons from the Empress all lingered on his mind, but he found a moment of calm here.
When he finished, he dressed quickly and made his way to the living room with a gentle smile.
The mansion was quiet, the only sounds were the distant ticking of a clock and the soft rustle of curtains in the evening breeze.
However, as he entered the living room, the quiet was shattered by a sudden burst of energy.
Out of nowhere, Niko sprang forward from behind the couch, his young cute face alight with excitement while his laughter filled the room.
"Daddy!!" Niko exclaimed, launching himself toward Felix with his arms wide.
Felix's cool and composed expression softened instantly, a smile breaking through as
he braced himself for the ambush.
"Whoa, easy there Niko!" Felix laughed, catching his son as the boy wrapped his arms around him like a little monkey.
He felt a surge of warmth, the kind only a child could bring.
Niko looked up at him with wide, eager sapphire blue eyes.
"Did you bring anything yummy?"
Felix chuckled, ruffling his son's hair. "Of course, I wouldn't be called the dad of snacks if I didn't, will I now?"
Niko's eyes lit up as he saw Felix beam out a box of candies with a foreign alien language. Even the box seemed to be made out of non-earthling materials, making
Niko recognize it immediately.
"Dandam's sweets!" Niko immediately jumped out of Felix's embrace and hugged the box with an excited expression.
"That's it for daddy?"Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.
Felix's eyelids twitched as he chuckled at the sight of his son, showing more love to a box of candies than him even after three days of absence.
"Thank you, daddy! Thank you!"
But, it seemed Niko was more sensible than what his age showed as he went to hug
Felix's leg before quickly jumping on the couch.
Just as he wanted to break the box open, a soft feminine voice resounded from the
door, freezing them both in place.
"Dear, didn't I tell you to not sneak him candy before dinner? Nicolas, are you sure you
want to open it right now?"
Following the voice, the other door to the living room opened, and a breathtaking woman stepped inside, wearing a flowing nightgown in soft rich hues that
complemented her natural elegance.
Her crimson hair was brushed to perfection, cascading down her shoulders in gentle waves. She had a touch of light makeup that highlighted her striking amber eyes.
However, those eyes held a familiar glint of amusement, and a gentle reprimand as they settled on her husband.
Felix gave a small guilty smile as he walked towards her, feeling betrayed when he observed that his son was repressing a giggle.
"I had a lot in mind and got ambushed by his cuteness, I couldn't say no," Felix said,
raising his hands defensively, "I am a victim as much as you."
"Victim, is that so?" Asna laughed as she crossed her arms.
Seeing that his father was still in trouble, Niko glanced up at his mother with his best
attempt at an innocent look on his face.
"Mommy, I was just going to eat a small piece... I promise."
Seeing how both of them were giving her such innocent puppy looks, Asna's expression couldn't help but melt into a gentle smile.
"Well, since you two seem to be such partners in crime, I suppose I'll let it go....Just this
once."
Felix laughed while giving her a loving hug followed by a quick peck on the lips, "You know, I'd be lost without your forgiving heart."
Asna rolled her eyes, but her smile lingered as she leaned into his hug, murmuring, "I
missed you, dear."
"I missed you too, love. Sorry for being away, work has been getting busier." Felix smiled as he caressed her back.
"I could tell, you didn't even join me in the UVR"
Asna sighed as she fixed his attire, knowing that running an entire business empire
was much harder than it seemed...Especially, during the SGAlliance and UVR era, where everything and everyone was connected.
To be a latecomer into such a saturated market made it extremely difficult to carve one's path, which meant, Felix and the elders could sometimes go days without sleep
by taking pills.
"Also, something weird has just happened," Felix mentioned, his tone turning a bit
solemn.
"Hmm? Is it serious?" Asna knitted her eyebrows, knowing that her husband rarely spoke about work in their home.
Without saying much, Felix showed her the message he received.
After reading it, Asna was exited with a deep solemn frown, realizing that this wasn't
just 'weird', it was beyond concerning.
"How come the Empress called for you? I will be skeptical even if she called for the
Milky Way leaders." She said.
"My exact thoughts," Felix replied while taking a seat on the couch...Asna sat next to
him and picked Niko, placing him on her lap.
As she helped him open the box of sweets, her thoughts were running wild with theories for such a ludicrous situation.
"Maybe, the Metal race found something extraordinary with our planet and reached out to you since our family has a monopoly over many rare resources?"
"I thought so too, but this doesn't summon an Empress' attention." Felix shook his
head.
He knew that there were representatives, whose job was to deal with such stuff. A summon from the Empress herself was of the highest order and treaded on issues, he
doubted he could even understand.
"Whatever she wants, give it." Asna said with a hint of concern, "Just make sure to
come back safe."
"Don't worry, the Metal race is the most pragmatic and respectful race of them all."
Felix smiled, "Nothing bad will happen to me."
Although Felix said this, he still couldn't help but feel a tingle of worry about the
nature of the summon,
Fortunately, he wasn't going to be exited waiting for long as three hours went by in
the blink of an eye.
As he sat on his bed with Asna beside him, a holographic link popped up in front of
him, glowing with intense red.
"Be right back."
Felix gave a little kiss on Asna's cheek and without hesitation, he pressed on the link.
The moment he did so, his eyes closed shut and Asna gently laid him on the bed,
gazing at his peaceful expression with a worried look. "Please be safe..."