The venue for the evening event was a spacious and upscale bar and dance hall. Soft, shimmering neon lights cast a gentle, non-binding, and dimly conservative glow from the ceiling. Beautiful and fashionable music quietly flowed through the hall.
The invitees were all successful young professionals from various industries. The men were dressed in sharp suits with ties and luxury watches, exuding a handsome and gentlemanly aura. The women wore evening gowns, accessorized with tiaras and jewelry, looking stunning and elegant.
While Tony was at the entrance of the evening event dealing with the horde of media reporters, Kyle was relaxed and at ease. He smoothly entered the dance hall without any hindrance, casually accepting a glass of red wine from a waiter. He found a dimly lit corner and seated himself.
Sipping his wine, Kyle leaned back in the plush chair, squinting his eyes as he observed the gentlemen and ladies gracefully dancing to the music.
Time seemed to blur as Kyle's mind briefly connected this scene with a scene from World War II, but it quickly shattered, returning to the palpable present.
"It's been three or four days. I should have completely adapted to the 21st century by now," Kyle thought to himself.
Just then, a familiar voice suddenly approached, "May I sit here?"
At that moment, Kyle's body trembled slightly. The voice was remarkably similar to Peggy Carter's— crisp, powerful, clean, and carrying a decisive tone that was hard to resist.
He raised his head and saw a young woman in a white shirt, a Western-style jacket, long trousers, and slightly wavy shoulder-length golden hair. She had light makeup on, her features were neat and beautiful, and she bore some resemblance to Peggy.
However, it was all just a resemblance. When she approached and sat down, maintaining a professional and polite smile, it became evident that she wasn't Peggy.
Despite this, Kyle managed to nod calmly. "Feel free to sit."
The woman smiled, took the seat directly across from Kyle, and her bright eyes carefully studied him. Her pretty face revealed a contemplative expression.
Just when Kyle thought she had recognized him, the woman confidently said, "You and I are both a bit peculiar, aren't we? We don't seem to fit in with the other guests at this party. I assume you're not here just for socializing and entertainment?"
Kyle was slightly taken aback but soon realized that he currently appeared as a twenty-three-year-old, looking younger even than when he retired as a General. This had become a blind spot in the perception of ordinary people, given that sixty-three years had passed since then.
Many people had their preconceptions and believed that the legendary hero, the Symbol of Peace, was now an inevitable frail old man in his nineties, looking thin and having white hair.
That's why, despite showing his Devil Card and everything else, nobody had been able to identify his true identity on the busy streets.
"You guessed right," Kyle replied with a slight nod.
The woman smiled and, while looking around vigilantly, leaned closer to Kyle, speaking softly, "To be honest, I'm Elle Carter, a journalist from The New York Times. I secretly infiltrated this party."
Elle Carter?
Kyle focused his gaze, wondering about the connection between her and Peggy. However, he listened as she continued.
"I saw you getting out of Tony's sports car earlier. Can you tell me about your relationship with him? Are you his bodyguard?"
Kyle fell silent for a moment before he stared at her through his sunglasses, and then said, "I can answer any of your questions. However, for each question you ask me, I will ask you one in return."
Elle couldn't hide her excitement at hearing the first part but was puzzled by the second. Nevertheless, she readily agreed to the condition.
"Alright, let me answer your first question— I'm not Tony's bodyguard; I'm his creditor," Kyle shrugged. Selling out Tony's identity seemed like a fair trade for valuable information.
"A creditor?" Elle was genuinely shocked when she heard that. A billionaire's creditor— this was a headline that couldn't be any more sensational!
Innocently, Elle was unaware that tonight's news headlines were going to be outrageously numerous.
"Now, it's my turn to ask," Kyle took a deep breath and asked, "What's your relationship with Peggy Carter?"
Elle looked at him oddly at this question but then replied, "Grandma Peggy, she is my grandfather's sister."
"How is she doing now?" Kyle asked immediately.
"Wait, now it's my turn…"
Elle hadn't finished her sentence when Kyle abruptly interrupted her. He straightened his back, staring at her like a bloodthirsty beast, his tone cold and forceful. "Tell me now!"
Several nearby couples who were dancing glanced at them in surprise, alarmed by the sudden outburst.
"Okay, okay, I'll tell you. Keep your voice down," Elle said in a fluster, sighing softly. "Grandma Peggy passed away a long time ago, shortly after the end of World War II, in late 1945."
This seemingly innocuous response hit Kyle like a thunderbolt, leaving him frozen in place.
Peggy Carter was dead? And it happened in the same year he had left Earth?
How was that possible?
Back then, on the eve of his departure, Kyle had personally granted Peggy a Life Increase Card, which would give her thirty more years of life. He had done so with the hope that they would meet again someday.
"How did she die? Who killed her?" Kyle asked calmly, his tone seemingly unremarkable, but the wine glass he had put down now had cracks from the force of his grip. He appeared like a volcano on the verge of erupting.
"My grandmother died of an illness. I'm not sure what it was; the elders never talked about it. But when she passed away, I heard she was peaceful, without pain, and she even had a smile on her face. In her hand…" Elle hesitated for a moment and then continued slowly, "In her hand, she held a framed photograph. It was a picture of her, the Symbol of Peace, and Captain America, taken together at the World War II base."
Kyle fell silent at those words before he lifted his wine glass and downed its contents. When he placed it back on the table, it had shattered into a pile of glass shards.
Was he grieving?
No, after enduring the crucible of World War II, transcending human genes, and developing an incredibly resilient mental constitution, he could no longer experience the feeling of grief.
Kyle simply fell into a daze, sitting quietly with his lips sealed, his handsome profile cast in the shadows of the dimmed lights.
Elle gazed at the silver-haired youth in front of her, suddenly sensing an indescribable sorrow emanating from him. It moved her to tears, which trickled down her face like pearls.
She couldn't understand it, but she felt an inexplicable urge to reach out and hug him.
Coincidentally, the ballroom erupted in a chorus of exclamations at that moment.
At the entrance of the ballroom stood an incredibly beautiful Asian woman with an air of elegance and aloofness, resembling a black rose in full bloom in the night.
She had waist-length, jet-black hair, gem-like bright eyes, a flawlessly delicate Asian face, and her luxurious black gown accentuated her alluring figure.
The elegant Asian woman moved gracefully, and the moment she entered the hall, she became the undeniable focal point of the evening, the main point of the night.
All the upper-class women in attendance, who were already goddess-like in their own right, paled in comparison to this one woman. Even the gentlemen, who had seen and been with countless women, were now staring at her with eyes wide, their throats dry and speechless.
The elegant Asian woman cast a cold, indifferent glance around the room, ignoring everyone else. Her gaze quickly landed in the corner where Kyle sat, and she revealed a stunningly enchanting smile.
"So, you're here."
—
(End of this chapter)
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