A Second Life, A New Power novel Chapter 359

After a brief moment of stunned silence, Stephen's face lit up with an enthusiastic smile as he strode forward.

"Mr. Fuller! What a surprise to meet you here." Stephen extended his hand warmly.

Derek turned, a flicker of surprise in his eyes when he saw Stephen. When he glanced toward the villa, understanding dawned.

"I'm—"

"Mr. Pitt." Just as Stephen began introducing himself, Derek reached out calmly for a polite handshake.

Truthfully, Derek hadn't known Stephen before—but with the recent uproar between the Pitt family and Demi, he'd taken notice.

After all, Demi was his beloved nephew's future girlfriend. How could he not pay attention? So he'd familiarized himself with the Pitts.

"You know who I am?" Stephen was flattered and unnerved.

The Fuller family wasn't just the wealthiest in Lynora City—they topped the provincial rankings, with global business ventures landing them on Forbes' lists. While the Pitts were affluent, they rarely moved in the same circles.

"Yeah. I saw the news recently," Derek said casually.

Stephen's smile faltered before he forced another laugh. "It's just a misunderstanding. You must've been amused. Are you here visiting friends, or...?"

His gaze drifted toward the villa, an obvious attempt to shift topics. However, Derek's slightly cooled expression immediately signaled he'd overstepped.

Still, Stephen genuinely wanted to know why Derek was here. What was his connection to Demi?

"And you, Mr. Pitt?" Derek countered with a smile.

"Well, you've seen the news. Demi's my daughter. There were some misunderstandings. She ran away. I came to talk to her so that she'll return home," Stephen said cautiously.

Derek arched a brow and responded, "Oh? But you deleted the Twitter posts, and Demi clarified everything at the press conference."

"We delete them not because they were false. We just didn't want to escalate things. She's misunderstood us and refuses to acknowledge us now. Think about it—I'm a public figure. Would I fabricate something so clumsy?" Stephen laughed awkwardly.

"I see." Derek nodded.

Then she noticed the Pitts and asked in surprise, "And these guests are?"

"They are Demi's guests who are just leaving." Derek smiled.

The Pitt family stared, dumbstruck. Any suspicions about inappropriate ties between Demi and Derek evaporated instantly.

Derek's wife, Claire Hort, now recognized the Pitts. Her smile stiffened imperceptibly.

Derek took two large boxes from the driver while Claire lifted two lighter-looking parcels.

"Excuse me," Derek said politely.

The Pitts still blocked the doorway, the gate ajar. They snapped back to their senses and moved aside.

The moment Derek and Claire entered, the gate sealed shut behind them.

Left outside, the Pitts exchanged uneasy glances. Since when had Demi grown so close to the Fuller family?