Chapter 546
Chapter 546:
He thought about the years she spent medicated and isolated, how close she had come to dying. How long had they been apart? The memories slammed into him all at once. His hands balled into fists, but he kept his face steady.
Now wasn’t the moment to go to war.
He swallowed down the anger and gave a dry, almost amused laugh. “Don’t worry, Uncle. You’ll see her again soon enough p>
Zayden’s face lit up. He completely misread the tone.
Thinking the door was still open, he pushed harder. “It’s good you’re listening. You’ve always been too soft-hearted, Alden. You need to figure out who really deserves your loyalty. Take Helena, for example. She’s not worth the trouble. And p>
That pretty boy she’s keeping? The guy reeks of arrogance. If you don’t believe me, why don’t you meet him yourself? You’ll see what I mean p>
Zayden let out a sigh before leaning in with mock sincerity. “Getting Helena to sign that contract wasn’t easy. I had to throw in a prime piece of land just to sweeten the deal. And do you know what made her want it so badly? That pretty boy of hers. I mean, it’s just a piece of land, nothing irreplaceable. But thinking about that guy benefiting from my loss? It makes my blood boil p>
Looking for a way to reclaim what he had given up, Zayden tried to get Alden’s help. “You’re part of the Hughes family, Alden. That land belongs to our family. If you go and take it back, I won’t stand in your way. Honestly, I’d rather see it in your hands than let some outsider make a fortune off it p>
Alden didn’t respond right away. He kept his eyes locked on Zayden, the corners of his mouth tight, his gaze sharp and unreadable. Zayden, riding on his usual confidence as his uncle, had always thought of Alden as someone easy to manipulate.
But something shifted in the air. Under that steady, probing stare, Zayden felt his confidence unravel a little.
A flicker of panic started in his chest. His pulse quickened. His throat tightened. Before he could find a way to deflect, Alden finally spoke.
“Thanks for pointing that out, Uncle. I’ll handle it p>
Just like that, the tension in Zayden’s chest eased. He exhaled quietly, trying not to show how close he’d been to cracking.
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With a quick nod, he straightened up and cleared his throat. “Good. I knew you’d see reason p>
Now that he’d said what he came to say, Zayden kept up appearances with a few half-hearted comments before heading out.
No sooner had he stepped past the door than laughter rang out from the hallway.
The meeting room was connected to Alden’s office, where Dorian and Leonino had been listening behind the door. The walls weren’t thick enough to muffle Zayden’s grand performance. Every word had reached them loud and clear.
As the door creaked open, Dorian strolled in first. He gave Alden a friendly slap on the shoulder and smirked. “Your uncle’s a fool. The man really thinks he’s pulling strings. And his judgment? Way off. Like you and Helena would ever turn on each other. He needs his eyes checked p>