Geoffrey was happily whistling and swaying around the kitchen as he mopped the floor. Suddenly, the kitchen doors flew open, and Will rushed in, followed by Jazz and Carlton, the latter holding a basketball in his hands.

"Yo, what's up, G?!" Will exclaimed loudly, making the butler jump.

"Uh, may I help you, Master William?" Geoffrey replied in his signature British accent, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, G, can you tell me what makes you happy like that? I mean, you've been low-key jubilating the past few days."

The butler smirked. "Well, Mister and Mrs. Banks shall tell you the big news any minute. Ah! Here comes Mr. Banks."

Philip Banks entered the room, immediately noticing Jazz. Without a word, he threw him out of the house—an event so routine no one even flinched.

"Alright, boys," Philip said, motioning for Will and Carlton to follow him. "Come into the living room. Everyone's gathering."

Ashley was already there, holding baby Nicky in her arms, and Geoffrey followed close behind but chose to remain standing. As everyone got settled, Will dramatically got on his knees, wrapping his arms around his uncle's legs.

"Please, Uncle Phil! I swear I didn't do it! It wasn't me! Carlton did it!"

Philip shook him off with a mix of exasperation and amusement. "Get off me, boy!" he barked, pushing Will back onto the couch.

"Where's Hilary?" Philip asked. "She's done working by this time."

Nobody knew. Ashley, rocking her baby brother gently, mentioned, "I talked to her earlier. She said she was going to the mall."

"For God's sake," Philip muttered, running a hand over his face. "I told her to be home sooner this afternoon."

Just as he finished speaking, the sound of the front door opening drew everyone's attention. Vivian walked in, followed by a tall, slim, but muscular young man carrying her shopping bags. His deep brown skin glowed under the light, and his eyes—a unique shade somewhere between brown and green—immediately caught attention.

"Kids, this is Marcus Payne, our new butler."

Everyone froze, staring at the newcomer in disbelief—except Geoffrey, who had the biggest grin on his face, and Philip, who stood next to Marcus with a hand on his shoulder.

"Marcus," Philip began, "these are my children. This is my youngest, Nicky, my lovely daughter Ashley, my son Carlton, my irresponsible nephew Will, and, of course, Geoffrey, who you spoke with on the phone yesterday."

Marcus greeted each of them with a warm handshake and smile, his calm demeanor easing some of the initial tension.

"My eldest daughter, Hilary, isn't here right now," Philip continued. "You probably don't remember her—you were both babies when you met—but I'll introduce you to her when she gets back."

He turned to his children, who still looked a bit stunned by this stranger suddenly joining their household.

"I didn't know we needed a new butler," Carlton said with a shrug. "I mean, I know Geoffrey's been a bit slow recently, but still..."

Geoffrey shot him a withering look, but Carlton, oblivious as always, continued.

"Actually, he's not exactly going to be a butler," Vivian interjected.

"Indeed," Philip added. "Marcus is the son of my old college friend Robert Payne, a renowned lawyer in New York. However, Marcus is, shall we say, in bad terms with his father at the moment." His voice grew sharper, a hint of anger creeping in. "Vivian and I have known Marcus since he was a baby, and we couldn't just sit by and let him be kicked out of his own house like a stranger."

Marcus shifted uncomfortably as Philip's frustration with Robert Payne hung in the air."My father... had other expectations for me," Marcus explained carefully, his voice low but steady. "Let's just say there was a disagreement about how I should live my life, among other things."

"But now," Philip said, clapping him on the back, "he's here, and I've offered him a place to stay in exchange for his help around the house. Marcus knows mechanics, plumbing, electricity—lots of useful skills. He's not here just as a butler; he's here as family."

Marcus smiled sincerely. "I'm really grateful to you, Mr. and Mrs. Banks, for welcoming me into your home and trusting me."

"Come on, boy! I've visited you every time I was in New York—you know you can call me Philip," Philip replied warmly.

Marcus nodded, just as Will got up and immediately started scheming. "Hey, man, I've got a problem with my bedroom door. I think Uncle Phil broke it, but I don't know what he did. Can you take a look at it?"

"Yeah, no problem," Marcus replied with a laugh, already amused by Will's antics.

"Will! Don't take advantage of Marcus's kindness, alright? He's not an ordinary butler!" Philip warned, shooting Will a stern look before heading upstairs with Vivian.

Will pulled a face but turned to Marcus, who muttered with a grin,"Says the man who gave me a list of chores before I even arrived."

The room erupted in laughter, even Geoffrey chuckling at the jab.

"So... is everything really bad with your father?" Ashley asked hesitantly.

Marcus sighed. "Yeah, it's complicated. We've always had a rocky relationship, but now I think we've hit the breaking point."

"I'm sorry," Ashley said softly. "I didn't mean to pry or bring up painful memories."

"Don't worry about it," Marcus reassured her. "Honestly, I'm just grateful to be here. I was about to spend another week sleeping in my car, and trust me, the back pain is no joke!"

Everyone laughed, feeling a sense of ease and warmth with Marcus already.

"You know," he continued, his tone turning sincere, "Mr. Banks has always been like a second father to me. Every time he visited my family, he'd bring me gifts, congratulate me on my grades or my games... He's always been someone I could look up to."

"Well, he's mentioned you before," Carlton said in his usual prim tone. "And I must admit, he only had good things to say."

"Now," Carlton added, gesturing dramatically, "let's show you the house so you can adapt to your new home. Geoffrey will show you your room later on."

Marcus smiled. "Thank you, I appreciate it."

"I'm not going to be soft on you," Carlton warned. "Be prepared. I'm very tough as a master."

Will smacked him upside the head. "Shut up, little Carlton! Marcus is our new homeboy butler! Don't be so haughty, man—he's the same age as Hilary!"

Turning to Marcus, he added, "To test your real values, you'll have to face me in a one-on-one basketball game tonight."

Marcus smirked."Did Geoffrey go through this test too?"

Will frowned. "Well... no. Geoffrey kinda scares me, so I don't try anything with him..."

The group burst into laughter, even Geoffrey looking smug at his effect on Will.

"Alright, Will. Challenge accepted," Marcus said with a confident grin.