Chapter 22: Preparing for the Birthday Banquet

Meanwhile, at the Thor family estate in San Francisco. People flooded in and out of the estate, the place illuminated brightly despite the late hour. Today was Thor's eightieth birthday! In their line of work, reaching eighty was an achievement! For this reason, the family was hosting a grand banquet, inviting friends and relatives from all around. Thor initially didn't want to attend the banquet. He feared attracting trouble and knew that celebrating his eightieth birthday would bring many enemies looking for an opportunity. But he couldn't refuse because he had one request—something he must accomplish before he dies. That request was to see Lucy. He knew that Lucy and Joseph had eloped long ago and were hiding in another country. Lucy, his most beloved granddaughter. When Lucy wanted to marry Joseph, Thor was against it. Later, an incident occurred, leading Lucy to leave the family, which Thor found unbelievable. He couldn't understand why Lucy was so disobedient. Did she not like being a Thor? He had always wanted to see Lucy but never had the chance. Now, no one in the family knew where Lucy was. So Thor called upon his sons. "Today is my birthday. Bring Lucy back. If she can come back, it will be the best birthday gift." "I know my time is short, and my only wish is to see Lucy." Lucy's father, Simpson, smoked a cigarette and replied, "Father, I know you love Lucy, but even though we finally found her, she's still on her way. After all these years, who knows what she's thinking?" "I don't care!" Thor waved his hand. "I just want to see Lucy!" At the same time, Joseph and his group arrived in San Francisco. "Samael, inform the San Francisco officials that we've arrived." "Azazel, notify the San Francisco defense forces." "Abaddon, handle the San Francisco FBI." "Belial, speak with the local police." "Mastema, take care of all the underworld connections in San Francisco." "Yes!" After giving his orders, Joseph had them park the car in front of a villa. This was where Lucy had been taken after being brought back. Only Thor wanted to see Lucy, not the rest of the family. Almost everyone in the family considered Lucy a disgrace. As a result, Lucy was practically under house arrest here. Fox, who had no affection for Lucy, confined her in this villa and ignored her. Joseph stood outside the villa, only a wall separating him from Lucy. He hesitated to go inside. This was homesickness. At that moment, Joseph heard a message on his phone. He answered the call. "Hello?" Lucy's voice came from the other end. "Are you okay? I told you to leave. Did you get out?" Joseph nodded calmly. "Yes, I left. I also handed Tom back to Johnson." Lucy sighed in relief. "That's good. But later, I heard that Tom's house and Johnson's headquarters mysteriously exploded! The fire was enormous and couldn't be extinguished. Johnson and others died because of it!" Hearing this, Lucy was overjoyed. "Really? Then we're safe!" She was ecstatic. Joseph smiled at her voice. "By the way, how is Tangna doing?" Lucy's voice became uneasy. "She was frightened, so her mind is still a bit unclear, and she's constantly looking for her dad." "But the fever has subsided, so don't worry about that." Joseph nodded. "Then I'll come find you." "Huh? We—well, we're not at the hospital now. My grandpa's birthday is tomorrow, and he wants to see me. So I'm in San Francisco, planning to celebrate his birthday." Joseph nodded calmly. "Alright, I'll join you." He knew that if he didn't go with her, Lucy might suffer inhuman treatment at home. He couldn't let Lucy handle this alone. But he worried that Lucy wouldn't want him to come along. Lucy was silent for a few seconds before reluctantly agreeing. "Alright! You can come." Realizing her tone was harsh, Lucy quickly softened it. "Tomorrow is my grandpa's eightieth birthday. Will you come? If so, I'll inform you in advance, and you can come straight to our house." Joseph didn't reply immediately, surprised by Lucy's concern. After a while, he nodded. "I understand. Just tell me once. Saying it twice makes it seem like we're strangers." Lucy chuckled and said, "Got it. Well, I need to rest now. You should go back early too." Joseph said nothing more and hung up. Lucy looked at her phone, noting the time. Thinking about her grandpa's eightieth birthday tomorrow made her sad and helpless because she couldn't escape it. She had to face it head-on. What worried her most was that her family didn't have a good opinion of Joseph. What if they attacked him because of this? That would put her in a difficult position. Lucy had a plan. She didn't want to face her family or see her grandpa angry. So she decided to visit her grandpa early in the morning before the appointed time. If no one else was around, she could persuade him. If she could make her grandpa happy, she and Joseph might be able to stay.