"I'm so glad, Uncle, that you're so concerned about me," Morgana said, letting a fake tear slip from the corner of her eye and smiling a happy smile. "However, there's no need to worry. My brother is a genius, after all. I believe he'll come back."
Obadiah felt uneasy for a moment under her smile before smirking to himself.
Morgana, who had been watching his reaction the entire time, noticed both his discomfort and that sly smirk. She laughed inwardly as an amused smile slowly appeared on her face.
"Uncle, why are you really here?" Morgana emphasized.
"Oh, I almost forgot. The board members want you to take over the chairman position," Obadiah said with a polite smile, showing no trace of the sorrow he had just displayed moments ago, while Morgana watched him with hidden contempt for his hypocrisy.
"Alright, Uncle. I'll take over the chairman position until my brother returns. Thank you for telling me," she replied with a kind and naive smile, as if she had completely forgotten the contempt she had felt for him just moments ago.
"I'm glad to hear that. Then I'll take my leave now. Get some rest, niece," Obadiah said with relief, still clearly uneasy under her smile, and quickly made his way toward the exit.
"I don't think I'll see you out, Uncle. You know where the door is," Morgana called out with an innocent expression on her face.
Obadiah paused for a moment. Instead of an innocent smile, he saw mockery and disdain. He clenched his fist tightly, suppressed rage flashing in his eyes. With hurried steps, he walked toward the exit as if he were escaping.
"Tell me, Jarvis, how much time has passed?" Morgana asked in a casual tone, staring at the ceiling.
"Ten minutes, Miss Morgana."
"More than I expected. Truly a waste of time."
She said as she stood up, stretching her stiff body before heading toward the staircase leading to the basement.
"Also, Jarvis, don't call me Miss, just Morgana."
"Understood, Morgana," Jarvis replied in his cold and monotonous voice.
Reaching the last step, Morgana saw the transparent glass doors leading to the basement. She entered a code into the scanner beside the doors, which immediately slid open. She stepped inside, into a space that did not look like an ordinary basement, but rather a high-tech workshop.
As she walked through the basement, Morgana observed the various inventions Tony had created in his youth. She passed by the garage filled with both old collections and the latest cars. She stopped beside an Audi R8, staring at it for a moment before continuing on.
As she continued her walk, she noticed a wine rack. She lightly licked her lips and quickened her pace, approaching it with a look full of desire.
In the end, she took a bottle of Lafite wine, then glanced around in search of glasses. Soon, she spotted one on the work desk.
She opened the bottle and poured the wine into the glass with a smooth motion. As she did so, she noticed a framed photograph next to the computer.
Slowly sipping her wine, she picked up the photograph. It depicted two young adults embracing, while the woman held a baby in her arms. Beside the man stood a young boy with messy hair, gazing at the baby in the woman's arms with tenderness.
"Mother… Father…"
Morgana whispered sorrowfully as she clutched the photograph to her chest. Unconsciously, tears began to stream down her face.
After a few minutes of quiet sobbing, she gently returned the photograph to its place and wiped the traces of tears from her face. Then, she moved on, continuing her exploration.
As Morgana walked through the basement, she spotted a cardboard box in the corner, placed where no one would notice it unless they looked carefully.
"I didn't see this the last time I was here," Morgana murmured as she picked up the box. Inside, she found some books, blueprints, and tapes.
"Who brought this box here, Jarvis?"
"Your brother did, Morgana."
Morgana hummed quietly at the response as she scattered the contents of the box across the work table. Soon, she noticed a book with an unusual appearance. She picked it up and began flipping through it, but all the pages were blank—until a photograph slipped out.
She picked up the picture, which showed a young man in neat clothing standing beside an older man in a white lab coat.
"Brother… no, father."
Morgana stared at the photograph of her father. She turned it over, hoping to find a date, but instead, the back was covered in an intricate and complex formula.
"Hmm, a formula… and an incomplete one at that."
She gazed thoughtfully at the inscription. After a while, she searched the work table for something.
A few moments later, she found a notebook and a pen, then focused and began writing down complex formulas.
After several minutes, she lifted her gaze to the sheet she had filled.
"This should be the original, complete formula, if I follow the traces from the picture."
She examined the completed calculation with a furrowed brow.
"Even though the formula could enhance a person to…"
"Hmm, I'd say that whoever takes it would become ten times stronger than the average human."
"However, while it enhances overall physical and mental strength, it also amplifies a person's character. If someone is moral, their ideals would multiply tenfold—they could become a saint. But, at the same time, if someone is immoral…"
She murmured thoughtfully before a curious and slightly amused smile appeared on her face. Then, she frowned again.
"A dangerous formula… despite its immense advantages…"
"However, it has the potential for further development. It's still not perfect."
Morgana tore the paper, knowing the trouble that would arise if the complete formula fell into the wrong hands. Then, she picked up the photograph again.
"Jarvis, find out who this old man in the white coat is."
"His name is Abraham Erskine. He lived in Germany and later emigrated to the United States during World War II. He worked as a biochemical researcher, a scientist specializing in genetics and biotechnology. It is known that he collaborated with the military on a secret project during the war before he was killed."
"These are all the available details, Morgana."
Morgana pondered as she listened to Jarvis's report, aware that someone was hiding the truth about Abraham Erskine.
"Ah… whatever," she muttered, massaging her forehead from overthinking. She grabbed the half-finished bottle of wine and headed toward the living room.
When Morgana arrived in the living room, she saw Pepper reviewing papers scattered across the table, holding a tablet in her hand.
"Yo, sis, when did you get back?"
Morgana lazily asked as she sat across from her, holding a bottle of wine in her right hand and a half-filled glass in her left.
"Hello, Morgana, I arrived a little while ago," Pepper replied with a kind smile.
"How do you never get tired of these piles of papers?" Morgana asked, eyeing them as if they were her worst enemy.
"And how do you know I don't get tired of them?" Pepper countered with fake anger, glancing at Morgana from the corner of her eye.
Morgana shyly smiled. "Where's Sofia?" she asked, avoiding answering the question.
"I don't know, I didn't see her when I arrived. Isn't she always with you?" Pepper replied, giving Morgana a suspicious look.
Morgana simply shrugged. "Jarvis, where is Sofia?" she asked with a slight hint of doubt in her voice.
"Miss Sofia left a message saying she went to buy groceries."
"There, now we know," Morgana said, looking at Pepper, who stared at her with a deadpan expression.
"You really don't worry about her?"
"Of course," Morgana answered proudly, while Pepper shifted her gaze behind her.
Morgana suspiciously turned her head to see what she was looking at but immediately froze when she saw the person standing behind her.
"Haha... hello, Sofia... how are you? Haha..." she mumbled in a quiet and embarrassed voice, avoiding her gaze.
Thud.
Sofia smacked her on the head before heading toward the kitchen, leaving Morgana clutching her head in fake pain while glaring at Pepper with resentment and betrayal as she laughed loudly.
After a few minutes, when they had calmed down, Morgana stretched and lazily got up.
"Well, see you tomorrow, sis. I'm going to get some sleep," Morgana said, heading toward her bedroom.
Pepper just nodded, not taking her eyes off the papers.
Halfway down the hallway, Morgana suddenly stopped and turned to Pepper.
"Also, sis, when is the next board meeting?" she asked, watching her carefully.
"Hmm... next week, Monday at 11 AM," Pepper replied after checking her tablet. "...Why do you ask?"
"Nothing special. A certain 'nobody' visited me today," Morgana said with a smile.
Pepper looked at her in confusion, then remembered something and thought with mild sympathy about Obadiah, knowing that he always left humiliated after meeting Morgana.
However, she didn't know that today's encounter was completely different.
Morgana was already heading to her bedroom when Pepper's sudden exclamation stopped her.
"Oh, right! I almost forgot to give you something," she said hurriedly, searching through the scattered papers on the table.
After a few moments, she found an envelope with From Tony Stark written in the bottom right corner and handed it to Morgana.
Morgana walked over and took the envelope.
"What's this?" she asked as she slowly opened it.
"I don't know. I just know that a lawyer handed it to me today," Pepper answered, watching Morgana pull out a piece of paper and start reading it.
"Do you know his name?"
"I think he said his name was Matthew Murdock."
"Interesting."
"See you tomorrow. Good night, sis."
Morgana said with a mysterious smile, putting the paper back into the envelope before bidding Pepper farewell and heading to her bedroom.
Author POV.
I hope you're enjoying the story so far and that it's pleasant to read.There will be no chapters for the last two days, just so you know.