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Chapter 17 - Chapter 16: Tony's Gift

The thought of "fighting for custody" came up, and Luca immediately dismissed it himself.

Not to mention, his mother, Gina, was currently only in a coma, she hasn't officially lost custody yet.

However, judging by the current situation, the likelihood of Gina eventually being declared in a vegetative state was quite high.

But even if action were taken right now, Uncle Dragan, with his history of gambling and drug use...

As long as that information was exposed, the court would more likely assign custody to Child Welfare Services or a family trust fund rather than hand it over to him.

In fact, even if he somehow managed to obtain custody, the company's shareholders would never allow someone like him to manage the business.

'Maybe later, I should try to gather some medical-type synthetic items to try to wake Gina up. If this system really works the way I suspect, there should be quite a few high-tech medical tools as well.'

He decided to stop thinking about that for now and focus on something else.

'Where does Dragan get his confidence from? How can he be so sure he can influence the board of directors? He can't possibly think he can rely solely on family ties to act as a proxy for that portion of voting rights, right?'

Currently, Dragan has practically nothing to do with the company, let alone influence the board.

'Did he secretly acquire shares? But where did the money come from?'

Luca had seen people like Uncle Dragan in his past life who gambled and took drugs. He didn't believe someone like that could turn their life around in less than two years just through legitimate means.

If Dragan hadn't already lost everything and was drowning in huge debt, Luca would think maybe he really had changed.

'What kind of trick did he use to convince the other shareholders? Or... is there someone backing him behind the scenes?'

Luca hadn't really been involved in the company's operations before, and now his mind was a tangled mess of questions with no clear answers.

'Looks like I'll have to wait for Samira to teach that uncle a lesson first—maybe then we can squeeze some intel out of him.'

Now, Luca was actually grateful that this idiot had jumped out and exposed himself rather than scheming behind the scenes in secret.

A guy with a brain fried like Dragan could have stayed hidden, but instead, he stepped right into the ring and revealed himself.

'No… wait. That actually makes it more likely that someone's backing him.'

Just as Luca's thoughts were racing, the sharp of high heels echoed from afar, gradually drawing closer.

At the same time, due to the earlier commotion, a few surprised gasps came from among the guests who had been about to leave.

Luca instinctively reached for his waist while quickly turning his head, but he was confused once he saw who it was.

"Hello, Mr. Orange. I came today at Tony's request, specifically to pay you a visit."

The newcomer was tall and confident, with a sharp, capable air about her. As she walked forward, nearly every pair of eyes in the room was fixed firmly on her.

Of course, it wasn't just because of her striking appearance, it was mainly due to who she was.

The guests at the funeral were wealthy or powerful, and quite a few of them immediately recognized her.

She was the real CEO of Stark Industries.

"Ms. Virginia Potts?"

Luca said softly, his expression strange as he looked at Tony Stark's famous girlfriend—the Virginia Potts, also known as "Pepper."

Pepper studied Luca's strikingly young face for a moment, and a trace of softness flickered in her eyes.

In fact, Pepper really was sent here by Tony's request.

However, since she hadn't received an invitation to the funeral, Pepper had originally planned to meet Luca outside the cemetery to deliver Tony's condolences.

But after noticing the commotion earlier, Pepper decided to enter unannounced.

After arriving and seeing the guest leaving quietly, Luca stood all alone in front of the grave and couldn't help but feel a little pity for him.

"Tony told me that during the battle in New York, you provided him with significant help. He sent me here not only to express regret over what happened to the Orange family but also to personally thank you for the support you gave him back then."

Those guests who, due to Dragan's earlier outburst, had started to have other thoughts were now all looking at Luca with expressions of envy after hearing Pepper Potts' words.

This was the CEO of Stark Industries—personally delivering thanks on behalf of Tony Stark, the Iron Man himself.

Even though Stark Industries had stopped making weapons and perhaps wasn't as close to the government or military as it was before, the company's wealth and its continued leadership in energy technology remained.

That meant it was still one of the most powerful companies in the world. Not to mention, Tony Stark, as Iron Man himself, had literally saved all of New York.

To be acknowledged by someone like that… for a small company like Orange Industries, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a ticket to the big leagues.

However, Luca himself showed no particular excitement. After all, in his eyes, these were just familiar characters from the original movies.

Even though he clearly understood the kind of influence someone like Pepper Potts had, it was hard to feel awe toward these "familiar strangers." 

He simply offered a polite gesture and said:

"Ms. Potts, it's already an honor that you came to my father's funeral. There's really no need to thank me."

Pepper Potts, however, simply shook her head gently at the polite young man before her, then raised a hand and motioned behind her.

After a few seconds, a man in a suit came jogging over, holding a long briefcase. He looked more like a movie director than a bodyguard, breathing hard as he ran.

Naturally, it was none other than Happy Hogan, Tony Stark's personal bodyguard.

Happy handed the long case to Luca without saying a word. Then, Pepper Potts continued speaking softly.

"Tony's been really busy with all the rebuilding after the big disaster, and he couldn't come himself. This is a gift he asked me to deliver on his behalf."

Luca took the case with a puzzled expression, his face full of confusion.

'A gift… at a funeral?'

Seeing his reaction, Pepper's gaze briefly and carefully swept over Luca's missing arm.

"You can open it and take a look. I think… it might be of some help to you."

Even though Pepper was speaking quietly, she wasn't trying to hide what she was saying either.

At that moment, many of the guests nearby looked over in surprise, craning their necks in curiosity. 

A lot of guests nearby heard her and looked shocked. They were all trying to peek over to see what Tony Stark had sent.

What kind of gift needed Pepper Potts herself to deliver?

However, it was still a funeral, and none of them dared to move closer. They just stood where they were, awkwardly stretching their necks, trying to see.

After hearing those words, Luca didn't hesitate any longer. He simply set the suitcase down on a nearby seat, pressed the latch, and opened it directly.

Inside, on a soft red-and-gold cushion, was... an arm!

The skin looked incredibly realistic, with tiny details just like a real arm, except for the fact that it was on the right side instead of the left; it looked almost exactly like Luca's own missing arm.

If it weren't for the dark, hollow connector at the elbow joint, Luca might have thought it was a real human arm.

But more importantly, to Luca's eyes, the arm was glowing softly with a faint white light, a light that only he could see.

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