Chapter 1123 - 210: Stonefield Manor

The last rays of the sun sank below the horizon, dyeing the surface of the Hudson River Estuary in New York a molten gold red.

At this moment of day transitioning into night, Stonefield Manor also seemed to awaken from its slumber, with lights turning on one after another, making the exquisite white stone palace within the manor appear as if floating in a soft amber glow.

This was a private estate covering about two hundred acres, like a dormant giant beast by the coastline, luxurious and magnificent.

The air carried a faint, pleasant scent, a blend of tuberose and cedar.

On the broad avenue wide enough for four cars to drive abreast, vehicles were continuously arriving:

Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Maybach, Ferrari, Bugatti, Koenigsegg...

Various luxury cars emitted pleasant humming, like schools of fish swimming into the sea as they drove into the manor.

The vehicles stopped on the huge circular driveway in front of the palace. Waiters in black tailcoats and white gloves quickly stepped forward, respectfully opening the car doors.

The men and women getting out of the cars, without exception, wore masks.

These were not the extravagant masks of the Venetian Carnival but rather more delicate and intimate designs—

Some were half-face silver mesh masks, with edges embedded with tiny diamonds, sparkling under the lights;

Others were feather masks made from rare bird feathers, with colors transitioning from peacock blue to deep purple, showcasing a color shift difficult to replicate with technology;

Most notably, some masks' surfaces reflected laser-like patterns, revealing different designs when viewed from various angles.

The masks concealed their faces but could not obscure other things: such as dove-egg-sized gemstone necklaces, antique bracelets worth seven figures, rare black diamond cufflinks, and more.

The fabric of their dresses shone with a unique luxurious luster under the light, along with the composed, unhurried walking style, confident demeanor, and the habitual commanding posture of those present.

They nodded in greeting to each other, talking and laughing, yet their tone lacked the light-heartedness and joy of a ball, instead filled with a repressed mix of anticipation and tense excitement.

Guests gradually entered the palace's tall oak doors, guided by attendants through the foyer towards the main banquet hall further inside.

Footsteps produced faint echoes on the polished marble floor, intertwined with the subtle strains of classical music.

Vid got off a discreet dark gray Lincoln car.

He was currently disguised as John Stonefield, similarly wearing a gray wolf mask covering most of his face.

Simultaneously, his left hand was in his pants pocket, his right shoulder slightly leaned forward; his steps were slightly sluggish due to a previous gunshot wound on John's leg, whose aftereffects had yet to fully disappear.

—Perfectly disguising as someone naturally requires more than just a bottle of Polyjuice Potion and a few strands of hair; it lies in the details.

Luckily, Vid, besides diligently training in Occlumency, had also learned Mind Reading quite well, allowing him to observe all of John's life's details and his ways of interacting with family members from John's memory.

Just as he got out of the car, a voice greeted him:

"Good evening, John."

It was Mark Paul, William Stonefield's personal assistant.

Paul also wore a mask, seemingly to fit tonight's atmosphere—lace-like black metal eye mask barely covering the eyes, playing more of a symbolic role.

At this moment, Paul slightly squinted his eyes, showing a friendly smile, stepped forward to shake Vid's hand.

"Was the journey smooth?" Paul asked, "I heard there was an accident on Long Island Avenue today, causing a delay."

"It was alright, I took Merrick Road instead." Vid replied in John's somewhat tired, hoarse voice: "Though it was a detour, it was peaceful. How has Grandfather's health been lately?"

"Much better, the newly hired doctor is quite proficient." Paul gestured: "Please follow me, most family members are already in the private box."

"Who isn't here?" Vid inquired.

"Gray." Paul sighed and said, "He unfortunately fell sick recently and couldn't come."

Vid's mind flashed to a face with layers of blue and purple, but as if hearing this for the first time, he smirked lightly and quipped, "Unlucky fellow."

Passing through the bustling foyer, they headed towards a relatively secluded corridor off the main banquet hall. Along the way, a few guests nodded to "John," and Vid, following John's memory, responded to each in turn.

At the end of the hallway was a thick mahogany door. Paul pushed it open, revealing a medium-sized private box, where through the glass railing, one could overlook the main stage of the banquet hall and most of the audience seats.

Seven or eight people were already seated in the box, all wearing masks, whispering amongst themselves, and upon seeing "John" enter, they all looked up.

"Uncle John." A few young people greeted respectfully but with little warmth.

"Good evening, everyone." Vid responded casually, just like John himself, finding a seat towards the front and sitting down.

The atmosphere in the box was somewhat subtle.

A middle-aged man leaned over and whispered:

"Heard Gray's 'ill' again? Perfect timing! On such an important occasion."

An older woman sneered: "Perhaps it's deliberate. Gray is different from us; he mingles in politics and prefers to keep his resume spotless."

Vid gave only a faint response, not joining in the mockery, merely looking uninterestedly at the audience seats below.

John himself was not among the powerful or influential within the family but held a special position, trusted by Old Mr. William, yet not deeply connected to others, thus this reaction was just right.

The conversation in the box quickly shifted to other topics: the latest scandals of certain politicians, stock market anomalies, changes in the EU currency system...

Although most people in this box weren't core members of the Stonefield Family, the information revealed in their conversations was from channels unattainable to ordinary individuals throughout their lives.

At eight o'clock sharp, the banquet hall was already filled. The round hall was furnished with around two hundred velvet chairs arranged fan-like around the central stage, layer after layer, rising higher towards the outside.

Masked guests nearly occupied all the seats, so much so their bodyguards had to stay outside the venue. Meanwhile, Stonefield family bodyguards were positioned every five meters, all uniformly dressed in black suits, displaying serious expressions and standing straight.

The air at the venue was suffused with a faint, refreshing fragrance, akin to grass after rain mixed with mint. Waiters pushed carts, delivering champagne and appetizers to each table.

Just then, Vid's ear-hidden mini Communication Pea transmitted Vito's low voice:

"Master, all entrances of the manor were completely sealed five minutes ago; no one is allowed to enter, and the weapon systems seem to be fully activated... make sure to be careful!"