Kristina turned toward Rylan, clearly startled, her eyes widening with visible confusion.

"Kristina, relax." Jason then stepped slightly away with Rylan, lowering his voice. "That's Kristina Jenner, the girl I took in. She was majoring in finance in Mekania. You don't actually think she's Zero, do you?"

Rylan didn't think the woman was Zero. But he saw no reason to tell Jason that she might be the woman who had slept with him seven years ago. The incident was known only to him, his bodyguard, Connor Howard, and his friend, Aaron Ford.

For seven years, Rylan had been searching for that woman, and that fixation had slowly turned into something bordering on obsession.

He looked at Kristina for a moment longer than necessary, silently committing her name to memory.

Once they reached the hotel, Kristina quickly began assisting Hank with the arrangements.

Jason watched her moving about so efficiently, a heavy, dull ache forming in his chest. The girl he once cherished now stood in service to others.

After seeing Hank to his room, Kristina brushed off the sweat on her brow and said casually, "I lost fair and square, so I carried everyone's luggage. If you lose next time, no backing out."

Hank groaned theatrically, covering his face. "Seriously? Last time I lost, you made me wear a dress and dance in the square!"

Kristina was about to respond when she noticed Jason approaching and shifted aside. "Uncle Jason, are you here for Dr. Phillips?" she asked.

"No. I came for you." Jason's voice softened. "Kristina, come home with me."

Home. The word no longer had a place in her life. Yet she didn't resist. A faint, unreadable smile touched her lips as she nodded once. "Alright."

Even though they had cut her off financially since she went abroad, they had still raised her and provided her with the best education from the age of ten to eighteen. That part of her past was real, and she couldn't simply erase it.

More importantly, she had come back for answers about seven years ago. Returning to the Oliver residence was unavoidable.

Inside the car, Jason broke the silence first. "You're just doing odd jobs in Hank's lab?"

Kristina hesitated briefly. Her position wasn't clearly defined, so she gave a small nod.

"Leave it," Jason said firmly.

Kristina turned to him. "Why would I do that?"

"That kind of work doesn't even reach ten thousand a month. How do you expect that to cover what you're wearing?"

Kristina glanced down at her designer clothes, a small, almost mocking smile flickering across her face.

Did he think she was living off him?

He didn't even realize her card had been canceled and never replaced.

Not once had he asked how she had survived all these years with nothing to rely on.

Jason's expression softened as if reassured. "The civil service exam is in four months. Study properly. I'll handle the rest for you."

Kristina tilted her head slightly. "Government jobs don't pay much either."

"You don't understand yet. It's about status; that's what secures your future marriage. You're not like those upper-class girls."

In his eyes, without family backing, she could only climb through effort alone.

She could tell he truly believed he was helping her.

The life he envisioned for her began where most people spent their entire lives trying to arrive.

But it wasn't a path she wanted.

She had her own direction in life, something that had kept her moving even in her darkest, poorest days.

She swallowed the ache in her chest and asked quietly, "Uncle Jason, are you not angry anymore?"

Jason paused, catching the implication behind her words.

He had long since let go of that anger.

He had been furious in the beginning, but time had long since diluted it. After years of navigating public life, those old frustrations over a teenage girl's defiance no longer mattered to him.

He gave a small, patient smile. "I was angry because you were reckless. But you've changed now, haven't you? You're not still blaming me, are you?"

Kristina lowered her eyes slightly. "I wouldn't dare."

She wouldn't dare voice it, but that didn't mean the resentment had disappeared.

Jason chose to ignore the underlying meaning in her words and shifted the topic to her life overseas.

"It was alright," she replied briefly. "Mostly classes, home, and the library."

To Jason, her tone sounded distant, almost like dissatisfaction, so he didn't probe further. The rest of the drive passed in silence as they headed back to the Oliver residence.

When they arrived, a wave of emotion washed over Kristina.

Seven years earlier, she had sat on that very swing, dreaming about what her future might look like. She had once picked roses from the garden and placed them carefully in Jason's room.

Now, the swing chains were freshly maintained, and the roses were still blooming vividly. On the surface, nothing here seemed to have changed.

"Kristina? Is that you?" a familiar elderly voice called from inside.

Kristina turned and saw an older woman stepping out in a deep magenta silk dress.

"Grandma," Kristina greeted, quickly moving forward to steady her.

Jason's mother, Nancy Oliver, wrapped Kristina in a tight embrace, her voice shaking with emotion. "Oh, sweetheart, you're finally home. The moment you left, I was filled with regret. A young girl like you, all alone in a foreign country with no family or friends... it must have been so difficult."

Kristina managed a smile, masking the sadness in her eyes. Back then, her phone had been stolen, but she still remembered all their numbers by heart. Once she got a new SIM card, she sent her contact to everyone. If anyone had truly cared, she wouldn't have gone seven years without hearing from them.

Jason spoke calmly, offering reassurance. "Mom, she needed time to grow on her own. See? She's come back perfectly fine."

Nancy held Kristina's hands and studied her closely. Though dressed modestly, every piece Kristina wore was clearly high-end, and the necklace at her collarbone alone was a luxury item worth a fortune.

Nancy nodded in satisfaction. "Go in first. Freshen up and rest. Rita has prepared your favorite chicken pot pie."

A maid quietly escorted Kristina upstairs. Watching her disappear, Nancy exhaled softly and said to Jason, "She's a grown-up woman now."

Jason remained silent, his gaze fixed on her retreating form, the white shirt drifting like a distant sail fading away.

Lowering her voice, Nancy added, "Just look at what she's wearing. Even though she hasn't stayed with us these years, you've clearly still provided for her."

...

Kristina pushed the door open and stopped short—the room inside no longer resembled what she remembered at all.

When she was young, Nancy had filled the room with soft pink tones. She used to lie under the canopy bed, imagining herself as a princess in a painted dollhouse.

As she grew older, she outgrew the childish decor but never felt entitled to change it since it wasn't her home. She only removed the canopy and replaced the bedding with neutral shades.

Now, the entire space had been redesigned into a muted, upscale aesthetic. Soft beige tones filled the room, and every piece of furniture looked custom-built with refined precision.

For a moment, she doubted she had entered the right place until she saw the vanity set, clearly arranged for a young woman.

Had the Olivers renovated it earlier, quietly preparing it for her return?

A wave of warmth stirred in her guarded heart. Before everything fell apart, they had indeed been kind to her.

Maybe it was time to explain everything properly. Even without their financial support over the past seven years, she had managed on her own—finishing her postdoctoral research at Blison University, joining Hank's lab, and now returning to establish her career.

She walked over to the wardrobe, just about to open it, when the maid's voice stopped her. "Please leave. This isn't your room."

Kristina turned around. It was the same maid who had brought her upstairs.

She glanced around the room again; it didn't really match Vicki's taste.

However, apart from Vicki, already in her forties, there wasn't any young woman in the household.

Could it be Jason's girlfriend?

Unable to hold back her curiosity, Kristina asked, "Then whose room is this?"

"Mine," a voice answered.

Kristina turned toward the sound, her eyes narrowing slightly in recognition.