Chapter 468:

He peered through the lens.

From his angle, a large oak tree partially blocked Aurora from view.

All Cloud could see was Elias lying on the grass, holding a hand that seemed to be coming from nowhere—Aurora’s arm was hidden by the trunk—with a goofy, relaxed smile on his face. And directly in front of Elias’s face… was First, the dog, panting happily.

Cloud lowered the camera, smirking.

“Unbelievable,” Cloud whispered into his phone headset. “Julian? You’re not gonna believe this. The Ice King finally melted. He’s actually smiling. And he’s letting the dog lick his face.”

Julian’s voice crackled in his ear. “Cloud, stop narrating their date and focus on the perimeter.”

“I’m focusing!” Cloud hissed. “I’m just documenting history. Elias Thorne has emotions. The world needs to know.”

The next morning, the headlines were split. Half were about the “Chamberlain Tragedy,” and the other half were titled: THE RAT IN THE STREET: LEE’S FALL FROM GRACE.

Lee’s company stock had plummeted forty percent overnight. The video of him being dragged out of Vance-Thorne Solutions had been remixed into a dance track on TikTok.

But inside the penthouse, the world was quiet.

Aurora was in the kitchen, making toast. She wore a simple grey hoodie and sweatpants.

Elias walked out of the bedroom. He was wearing plaid pajama bottoms and a t-shirt that was slightly too tight across the chest. His hair was a mess—a gravity-defying bird’s nest of bedhead.

It was a domesticity that felt illegal for two people who essentially ran the New York economy.

First trotted over to Elias and sat down, staring intently at the toast in Elias’s hand.

“No,” Elias said sternly.

𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙤: 𝗀𝖺𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⧸𝗰𝗼𝗺

First whined.

Elias sighed and tore off a corner of the toast. “Fine. But don’t tell your mother.”

Aurora hid a smile behind her coffee mug. “I heard that.”

Elias froze. He looked at her, deadpan. “The dog has telekinetic powers. He forced me.”

The TV in the living room was on low volume. The news anchor’s voice cut through the banter.

“…in other business news, the LM Group, led by the aggressive tycoon Zhang Liyan, has just announced the acquisition of ‘Velvet Skin,’ a failing cosmetics giant. Zhang claims he will revolutionize the skincare market within a month.”

Aurora stopped chewing. She turned to the screen.

On the TV, a man in a sharp suit was smiling. Zhang Liyan. He had the eyes of a shark—cold, black, and constantly moving. He was known as the “Wolf of Wall Street’s East.” He didn’t build companies; he gutted them.

“Zhang,” Aurora murmured. “He’s moving into consumer biotech.”

Elias picked up the remote and clicked the TV off.

“Nope,” he said. “It’s Saturday. No business. Today is Dog Day.”

“Dog Day?”

“First needs exercise. And you need Vitamin D. We’re going to the park.”

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