Chapter 556


    At this critical point where the survival of the Mitchell Family was at stake, the most distinguisheddy of


    the family, Natasha, had gone missing. There had been no news from her for more than a month now.


    Thus, Alex had focused all his energy on searching for his daughter. He mobilized all the forces he could


    to search all over the world—it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Faced against the


    unscrupulous Michel Family, the Mitchell Family was steadily losing the fight.


    Every year, the Mitchell Family would hold an annual family meeting on New Year’s Day to summarize


    the gains and losses of the year, as well as looking into the future. However, the annual family meeting


    this year was turning into a quarrel between the Alex faction and the Cooper faction. Cooper’s old


    supporters were in favor of weing him back at any cost. They believed that it was the only way to


    save the family. In contrast, the Alex faction believed that Cooper was a traitor. They refused to wee


    him back into the family even if he returned.


    For that reason, the two factions were at each other’s throats during the annual meeting. Throughout all


    that, Sean acted like he was an outsider. He lowered his head to y games on his phone while he


    chatted with Stanley on the game chat.


    Stanley: ‘Sean, I heard Sarah saying that the Mitchell Family is having a huge quarrel. It’s so loud that


    they can hear it from next door. Are you okay?’


    Sean replied exasperatedly, ‘I won’t be able to celebrate New Year’s today at this rate. I’ll probably


    return to work soon after dinner.’


    Stanley: ‘Hey, why are you working on New Year’s Day?! It so happens that my family isn’t celebrating


    New Year’s together this year. My parents have gone overseas on an exchange program while my


    brother is out on a business trip. Besides, we had dinner together just a few days ago, so we’re not


    celebrating this year. Why don’t we go to Sophia’s house to celebrate New Year’s instead? Uncle


    Michael will surely bring out the good wine.’


    Hmm; mooching a free meal at Michael’s house doesn’t seem like a bad idea! Besides, they have so


    much cured meat they won’t be able to finish them… Sean answered, ‘Yeah, okay.’


    Lifting his head, he nced at the two factions arguing ceaselessly. Then, he sneaked out. When he


    drove past the West Residence, he heard the West Family arguing loudly too. Therefore, he slowed his


    car and saw Sarah running out of the house. Peter followed behind her; he was so furious that he was


    jumping in anger. “Leave if you dare! And, don’t you daree back again!”


    Peter was so furious that his thick neck was flushed red. A mother and a daughter hugged each other


    behind him, crying. However, a barely-concealed triumphant light shone in their eyes behind the fa?ade


    of their tear-stained faces.


    Sarah was wearing her pajamas and her hair was disheveled. Stuffing some items into her pocket, she


    rushed outside without turning back. Simrly, Peter was in a fit of anger. He didn’t know whether he


    should chase after her or not. Thus, he simply watched as her pajama-d figure disappeared around


    the corner of the road.


    Looks like Sarah has gotten into another fight with her father and her stepmother! Rolling down the


    window, Sean said to Peter, “Mr. West, don’t worry. I’ll go after her!”


    When Peter saw Sean, his face lit up with joy. Nodding quickly, he said, “Thanks.”


    Sean drove his car after her and soon found her. She was walking and crying at the same time. Stopping


    the car, he opened the car door for her. “Get in. I’ll send you back.”


    Sarah wiped her tears as she got into the car with red-rimmed eyes. “No, thanks. I want to go to my


    shop. I’d rather spend the New Year’s with my cats than go home right now!”


    Exasperated, he sent her to her cat café. All the workers were on holiday today, so the doors were shut


    tight. Then, he quickly called Harry after watching her walk into the café. “Hello? Old Wolf, your little


    kitten ran away after getting into a fight with her family. Right now, she is at her cat café. Come and


    comfort her quickly!”


    Hanging up, he parked his car at the entrance and waited for a while. The West Family affairs were not


    something he could meddle in. However, they had been neighbors for 10 years now. So, he had a vague


    understanding of their family situation. The saying ‘men turn unfaithful once they achieve sess’


    described Peter to the tee. The moment his business seeded, he divorced his wife, who had stayed


    with him through thick and thin, and married a richdy instead.


    Over the years, Sarah was often bullied by her stepmother at home. Therefore, she disliked her family


    from a young age and would rather focus on her fangirling activities than go home. Even so, it was New


    Year’s—something probably happened to upset her so badly.


    It was not easy to describe her stepmother. Her stepmother had always wanted to marry Sarah off in


    exchange for a sizable dowry. She also wanted to snatch away the shares Sarah owned to give to her


    own daughter. If not for Sarah’s capable brother, she would have suffered even more at home…


    Not long after Sean’s call, a shiny and bright sports car stopped in front of the café. Harry climbed out of


    the car and was dressed in clothes that didn’t stand out, a mask, and a hat. Hurriedly greeting Sean, who


    was waiting inside the car, he anxiously rushed into the café.


    Afterward, Sean drove to The Imperial. By the time he arrived, Stanley was already there.


    “My parents abandoned me and left to go abroad. My brother is out on a business trip. I’m the only


    person at home on New Year’s Day. Even the housekeeper has returned home to celebrate the New


    Year’s. The kitchen and the hearth are cold, and I have no food to eat. Uncle Michael, take pity on me!


    Hurry up and open some good bottles of wine tofort me!” Stanley was pestering Michael.


    Meanwhile, Michael was sitting on the sofa, dressed in a set of pajamas with an orange cat cartoon print.


    Looking very irritated, he said, “Go away; go away! Go somece else to eat! I don’t have enough food


    for this year either!”


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    The affectionate bickering between the uncle and his nephew didn’t seem to affect the atmosphere of the


    New Year’s at all. When Sophia saw Sean, she greeted him warmly. She had known that he wasing.


    Not long after that, Harry turned up with Sarah, whose eyes were swollen from crying, to join the reunion


    dinner too.


    Just as the dishes for the reunion dinner were being served, Nathan ran off suddenly. He soon came


    back with Linus in tow. As foreigners generally did not celebrate the Cethosian New Year, today was no


    different from other general holidays to Linus. However, in Nathan’s eyes, Linus was extremely pitiful and


    miserable for having to work alone at home despite the New Year’s celebration. Thus, he rushed over to


    invite Linus over too.


    Meanwhile, Daniel also hurried over for after-dinner drinks after finishing dinner at the Levine Residence.


    With everybody gathered here, the New Year’s atmosphere this year was better than in previous years.


    Theyzed about in the living room while chatting leisurely, snacking on sunflower seeds, and ying


    with the cats.


    “Hmm? Mr. Harry, don’t you need to return to the Winston Residence? Aren’t you the head of the family?”


    Stanley asked curiously.


    As the head of the Winston Family—the most powerful underworld family in Bayside City—and the


    uncrowned king of the underworld, Harry Winston should have been at the Winston Residence right now.


    However, Harry wasn’t bothered. “I can’t be bothered to go. They can celebrate New Year’s on their


    own.”


    After dinner, the New Year Dinner G was about to begin. As usual, Michael disappeared for a short


    while, sprucing himself up a little before he left. Then, Harry hurriedly followed suit. He smartened


    himself up, hopped into Michael’s car, and they left together.


    Last year, Michael only left after the New Year Dinner G started. However, he left a little earlier this


    year. Everybody knew that Michael and Harry were going to appear at the New Year Dinner G, so


    they gathered in front of the TV to wait for their performance toe on. The movie ‘Doctor Invincible’


    that they acted in might not have been a local film, but they were Cethosian actors. Besides, the movie


    had broken all past records of box office earnings for movies starring Cethosian actors. For that reason,


    they would certainly be invited to the New Year Dinner G no matter what.


    The two of them had sung a duet togetherst year, but they didn’t work together this year. Harry


    cooperated with a magician to perform a magic show, pretending to be picked as part of the ‘lucky


    audience’ to go on stage and help with the magic tricks. On the other hand, nobody knew what program


    Michael had prepared…