The interlude with the little nurse was quickly forgotten.
Victor stayed at the Los Angeles Medical Center for three days.
His shattered bones healed after an hour in the sun on the second day, but at Felicia and Wanda's insistence, he had to stay in the hospital for two more days.
Yes, Wanda also showed extreme concern for Victor—it was genuine concern from the bottom of her heart, not flattery to curry favor.
This was not unexpected.
After all.
In that desperate situation, Victor saved her like a God descending, a classic and clichéd hero-saves-the-damsel scenario, plus the good impression he had left before.
Capturing the heart of an 18-year-old girl was still not a problem.
It was just that Wanda was very restrained; most of the time, she just silently paid attention to Victor, and the two of them stayed in the ward for three days, speaking no more than 20 sentences.
It was Pietro, though.
This guy would constantly seek out Victor for chats, actively confiding in him about his and his sister's experiences, a typical case of deep conversation with a new acquaintance.
If Victor hadn't known that he would become Quicksilver in the future, and his sister Wanda was an existence capable of destroying the Infinity Stones, he would have impatiently shaken him off long ago.
But there weren't that many 'ifs'; he just knew.
So.
Over these three days, with Victor's cooperation, their relationship "rapidly ascended," and finally, upon discharge, Victor naturally invited the Wanda and her brother to be guests at his villa, where they could temporarily stay until their visas expired.
Pietro naturally agreed with delight.
Wanda, however, tacitly accepted, but her eyes held a hint of hesitation—she seemed not to want to implicate Victor.
But she hid it very well, and no one noticed.
They arrived smoothly at the seaside villa.
Upon seeing the seaside villa for the first time, Victor couldn't help but give Felicia a thumbs-up.
The seaside villa was built on a large steep slope, and the master bedroom, like Tony's villa, was suspended facing the sea; lying on the bed and looking out the window, all there was was the endless blue sea and sky.
The overall style of the villa was typical European and American minimalist, which perfectly matched Victor's aesthetic; there was no gaudy opulence of a nouveau riche, only understated luxury.
Every corner looked very comfortable, but upon closer inspection, whether it was the design, sense of space, construction materials, or harmony with the air, it contained a lot of information.
The villa only had two floors, but it covered a very large area.
The first floor had a ceiling height of seven meters, including a reception hall, kitchen, and entertainment room, as well as a small number of staff lounges for nannies, bodyguards, and other employees, with an area as large as the master bedroom of an ordinary home.
The master bedroom on the second floor occupied a full half of the space, with independent bathing facilities, a study, a small hall, a balcony, and other amenities.
The remaining half only had six secondary bedrooms, each as large as a basketball court.
Below the villa was an entire floor of parking, as well as a modified small armory laboratory left by the previous owner.
Next to the villa, a large private beach was also cordoned off, and within one kilometer of the nearshore connected to the beach, good underwater protection was implemented to ensure no medium to large fish would enter, allowing for worry-free swimming.
Moreover, the villa's security System was extremely comprehensive; not only was there 360° surveillance without blind spots, but it also came with a dedicated defense System. Electric fences and the like were weak; there was actually a small fully automatic defensive fortress hidden underground.
After Alice was installed, its cannons could be raised at any time to defend against enemies.
Victor couldn't help but ask, "Hardy, who was the previous owner of this villa? Did he have paranoia?"
"He was a high-level executive at Hammer Industries," Felicia replied. "Previously, this place was mainly used to monitor Tony Stark. If Stark Industries hadn't closed its weapons division, it would have been almost impossible for this place to be sold."
Victor showed a look of sudden realization.
Then he thought of Hammer's "ex-wife," the Sidewinder missile, and its terrible quality... "Hardy, have Osborn's security department install a set and check the villa's security situation, focusing on whether there are any defective products," Victor instructed.
Felicia nodded in agreement.
The tour of the villa largely ended here.
Victor expressed great satisfaction.
Pietro's eyes were practically glued.
Is the life of the wealthy always so luxurious?
Wanda, on the other hand, appeared increasingly silent and desolate, with an aura of low spirits subtly surrounding her.
Victor was completely baffled.
What's wrong with this girl?
After touring the villa, it was time to assign rooms.
The master bedroom naturally belonged to Victor, the owner.
Felicia chose a secondary bedroom right next to the master bedroom; as his personal assistant, even when sleeping, she needed to ensure she could arrive as quickly as possible when Victor needed her.
Pietro was originally going to choose a room next to Felicia's, but Wanda had already picked a lounge on the first floor, so he could only reluctantly follow and stay on the first floor.
Victor didn't find it strange.
Wanda probably just felt she was a guest and was too embarrassed to stay on the second floor.
Felicia, however, seemed to have noticed something, looking at Victor with a gaze that expressed disappointment, as if saying, Aren't you usually very considerate? How did you devolve into such a dense man now!
Before this minor interlude could cause too much of a stir, Alice reported that a lady identifying herself as "Pepper Potts" was at the gate.
Pepper? Tony sent someone so quickly?
Given the relationship between Wanda and her brother and Tony, Victor had Felicia take them to the lounge first to organize and inventory needed daily necessities, then had Alice open the gate.
He himself casually picked up a bag of coffee beans and began grinding them at the bar in the living room, preparing to brew a cup of coffee to entertain Pepper.
As for any airs of a Young Master?
Sorry, none.
Pepper soon arrived in the hall, and upon seeing Victor, she offered a polite yet not awkward smile—this huge villa, with only Victor in it, was truly... Victor carefully sized her up.
She had long blonde hair, a tall and slightly thin figure, small freckles on both cheeks, and a professional suit skirt that made her look very capable.
Hmm... not my type. This Young Master prefers meat, not vegetables.
"Hello, are you Mr. Victor?" Pepper spoke first, her voice clear: "Mr. Stark invites you over to catch up. You should know, it's at the villa 10 kilometers away."
Victor skillfully brewed the coffee, then carried two cups to the sofa in the reception hall, placing one in front of him and the other on the opposite seat.
"Have a cup of coffee first and see my craftsmanship." Victor still didn't respond to Pepper's words.
Pepper didn't rush to press him, obediently smoothed her skirt, sat down, picked up the coffee, and took a small sip, tasting it very carefully.
"Mr. Victor must have used a manual grinder instead of a coffee grinder, right? The aroma and flavor are rich and balanced, with fruity and acidic notes. The mellow taste of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans is perfectly preserved. This craftsmanship is Great Master-level."
Pepper's professional critique made Victor raise an eyebrow in surprise.
They were both assistants.
Felicia couldn't match Pepper's seasoned social skills.
That playboy Tony really got lucky to have Pepper silently serving him for so many years—and he still kept womanizing everywhere, not knowing how to cherish her.
"Pepper, is it okay if I call you that?"
"Of course, it's my honor."
"Pepper, have you considered changing jobs? I'll be founding a medical group soon, and I guarantee it will be remembered by history."
"Thank you for your appreciation, but I'm very satisfied with my current job, so I'm not considering it for now."
"Alright." Victor drank his coffee in one gulp and stood up: "My offer is always valid. If Tony ever bullies you in the future, you're always welcome."
"He won't, Mr. Stark treats me quite well." Pepper smiled very professionally.
Heh.
Someone who doesn't even remember your birthday treats you well?
Victor didn't expose him and didn't call Felicia, walking straight out the door—otherwise, if Wanda and her brother wanted to follow, it would be troublesome.
"Let's go, let's go see Tony, who treats you so well. I'm curious why he suddenly invited me over."
Pepper immediately put down her coffee and took small steps, falling half a step behind Victor.
"There's a car waiting outside."
"Hmm, then let's take your car."
And then.
Victor saw Happy, the chubby bodyguard who had chased Victor at the Los Angeles airport, forcing him to run away.
Pepper naturally sat in the passenger seat, while Victor sat alone in the back.
En route.
Happy's small eyes behind his sunglasses frequently glanced at Victor through the rearview mirror.
Just half a month ago, his vacation was ruined because he had to pick someone up, only to later find out it was a scammer who called Tony "Dad" on sight.
Now, this guest in the back seat, how he looked, was very similar to the information he had collected!
Although the camera equipment at Los Angeles airport wasn't excellent, making Victor's image in the video somewhat blurry, that unique handsomeness and the description from Anna's portrait later... Could it be that the person in the back really was Tony's illegitimate son?
Thinking this, Happy couldn't help but look at Victor a few more times.
Tsk tsk, such a handsome face.
It seems the one who bore Tony a son must have been at least a Victoria's Secret Angel!
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PS: 2845-word chapter, today's update is 5200. It's rare for a new book period to be this strong. Doesn't it deserve a set of rewards: recommendation tickets, tips, and collection?