Old Master Wesley knocked his golden staff—the symbol of their family's prestige—against the ground, making an attempt to stand and leave. But Bryan desperately cut in.
"Please, Grandpa… listen."
The old man turned, his gaze heavy with emotions. Bianca had been his favorite, and naturally her son should have been his favorite grandchild. Yet Bryan had chosen the man who disowned him, a man who didn't even know of his existence, over them.
Bryan took a deep breath, looking at his maternal grandfather and uncle. "I understand your pain and grievances. But what's the point of holding a grudge or being sad over someone who has already died?"
The Wesley men looked surprised. Old Master Wesley slowly sat back down, his eyes fixed on his grandson. Old Mr. Kimberly, meanwhile, bowed his head, resting it against the Kimberly family's golden staff.
Old Master Wesley whispered, loud enough for others to hear, "Did Lonnie Kimberly really die?"
Bryan nodded.
"Yes. He died twenty‑one years ago."
Even Shane Wesley looked stunned. He squinted his eyes. "That long ago?"
Bryan nodded confidently. "Even longer than Mom."
---
At Bryan's signal, his assistant Jeremy York quickly opened a briefcase, pulling out a stack of papers. He respectfully handed them to Old Master Wesley's assistant and to Shane.
Old Master Wesley squinted at the documents, his voice tinged with surprise. "He died with his lover on the same day?"
Bryan nodded again. "Yes. And besides, their daughter has already paid for his karma."
Derek shivered at those words. Riggs, his wolf, grew impatient. Xander discreetly tapped Derek's arm, reminding him to stay calm. Derek closed his eyes, suppressing his anger.
Bryan pressed on, trying to ease the Wesleys' resentment. "She suffered a lot, all alone. She was also a victim of Perry Jerome's assaults. If we've paid close attention to the news, it's been almost a year since Morgan Jerome placed a search order on a young woman named…"
Shane Wesley cut him off, his voice sharp. "Lilian Asienwegher?"
Bryan nodded. "Yes. It's her."
---
The room fell silent for several moments. Bryan looked at his maternal grandfather and uncle. "Besides, Grandpa, Uncle… even my mom would want you to support the Kimberlys because of me, if she were alive. And to think of it all, the Kimberly family is the best candidate for the presidency of Avaldos."
All nodded in agreement, though Old Master Wesley and Shane bowed their heads deeply in thought. Then they exchanged a look.
"Okay," Old Master Wesley said at last. "Let's do it as you've suggested."
Everyone held their breath, waiting for the response of these powerful men. Their answer would determine the success of the entire plan.
Finally, Old Master Wesley nodded. Shane followed, saying firmly, "We are in."
Only then did everyone dare to exhale.
The dinner ended happily. They toasted, planned many things, and set the venue and time for their next meeting before departing.
---
Meanwhile, outside Russell Automobile Holdings, Elsie had been standing since morning, insisting on seeing Derek Russell. She had been denied entry many times, but she refused to leave.
As she waited desperately by the gate, the same sports car from earlier drove out. The driver reprimanded the security guards. "Didn't I ask you to throw this pissant away? Why is she still here?"
The guards quickly acted, driving Elsie away. This had continued for five days since her return.
---
Nina Oakley, now vice president of the Oakley Conglomerate, had secured a major business partnership with Russell Holdings—one that promised immense profits for both sides. She often sought opportunities to get close to the Russell brothers, though Cayden disliked her, especially now that they had found their mate. Nina feared him deeply, but she persisted, hoping to win either of them—or even both.
She had even made people believe she was having an affair with Derek. Derek, who had once slept with her when she spiked his drink during their first year at university, had never truly dated her. He had only been with her out of guilt. Derek was not as jovial as Cayden, but he was kinder, gentler. Cayden, by contrast, was like slow poison—sweet and charming on the surface, but capable of crushing someone completely.
---
Nina shivered whenever she remembered the night she tried to make advances on Cayden. He had sat on a double sofa, legs crossed, his back resting against the cushion, arms spread wide across the headrest. His beautiful eyes and charming smile watched her mockingly as she made a fool of herself.
He had forced her to strip in front of him, then ordered the men in the private club room to "play and have fun with her."
If Derek hadn't appeared that night, Nina didn't want to imagine what would have happened.
She remembered Cayden's warning vividly. He had smiled calmly, his voice cold beneath the charm.
"I advise Alpha Nina Oakley to stay far away from me wherever you see me. Otherwise, it won't just be as simple as having fun with ten men. I'll make sure the video spreads around the world. And not even the Starlight Pack can stop it."
Finally, he had shown disgust toward her. "So disgusting." Then he returned to his normal smiling face.
---
Nina knew Cayden meant it. If he said he would do it, he could.
Though she was the present alpha of the small and weak Starlight Pack, her pack was nothing compared to the powerful Redview Pack, where Derek and Cayden are the present alphas. Not only did her pack rely on Redview, but it was indirectly controlled by them. Not even her family, the former alphas of Starlight, could argue with Redview's authority.
Nina couldn't suppress her jealousy. She kept questioning herself. Why must Lilian Asienwegher, an ordinary human, have the attention of both Russell brothers, while I couldn't?
She had known them since childhood, through her cousin Xander Campbell. His mother was her father's younger sister, mated to Xander's father. She had followed them whenever she visited her cousin. Cayden had disliked her since they were children—and disliked her even more when she became involved with Derek.