It was the first time Julian had ever seen someone act so utterly self-righteous about being broke.
Too exhausted to argue with him, Julian let out a sharp scoff, turned on his heel, and walked away.
Alaric kept his expression neutral, offering Cyril a polite nod before heading down his path in the corridor.
Once the two older boys were out of earshot, Lennox leaned down and whispered cautiously, "Boss, Sienna is still waiting for you at Lakeheart Gazebo."
Cyril considered it for a moment, then held out his hand. "Go tell Sienna that given my limited mobility, I fear I won't be able to entertain her properly. Ask her to return to the main hall to rest."
Lennox understood immediately. He swiftly handed over their copy of the contract.
Cyril took it without even glancing at the paper, spinning his wheelchair around and heading straight back to Blackbriar Wing.
Watching the boy's retreating back, Lennox finally understood.
It turned out his boss wasn't interested in Sienna after all.
*
The moment Cyril returned to Blackbriar Wing, the estate staff immediately handed him his cane. Leaning on it, he walked back into his room.
In truth, his leg had healed remarkably well. He had been fully capable of walking since the day they visited the cemetery. He only used the wheelchair because it was convenient.
Cyril booted up his computer, effortlessly typing in a few lines of code. The screen instantly snapped to a black terminal interface.
He glanced down at The Behavioral Contract resting on his desk, his finger lazily scrolling the mouse wheel.
She had signed such a draconian treaty entirely too easily. It was completely out of character.
There was definitely a catch.
The boy lowered his gaze to the keyboard. In his mind, every single transaction code he had memorized from her bank statements began surfacing one by one. Even though his brain was still debating whether he should involve himself in her mess, his hands had already taken total control of the keyboard...
*
Echostone House.
Alaric's unannounced visit gave Talia quite a shock.
Her nephew wasn't the sociable type. If he was here, it meant something serious had happened.
Even though Talia had mentally prepared herself, when Alaric finally explained the reason for his visit, her vision actually swam. It felt like the sky was caving in.
"Something like this is actually happening?"
Alaric nodded. "Talia, if word of this gets out, it will ruin our family's reputation. Vivi is rebellious and refuses to be disciplined. If she doesn't correct her behavior and this reaches Grandpa, no one is going to walk away unscathed."
Talia's expression hardened. "I understand. Honestly, I'm deeply ashamed that it took you boys bringing this to my attention. Don't worry, I treat Vivi exactly like I treat Bianca. I will handle this."
"Thank you for taking care of it."
Having secured Talia's promise, Alaric finally felt a sense of relief. After exchanging a few brief pleasantries, he took his leave.
[Sister, if you're going to insult me like this, let's just delete each other right now. When we first started talking, we agreed on the rules. You have a husband you love deeply, and I sell my time, not my body. We keep things strictly platonic. We are Chat buddies.]
Julian, "..."
Were they seriously just chatting?
Refusing to believe it, Julian picked another guy, this one covering half his face while aggressively showing off an expensive watch.
[I'll give you five hundred thousand dollars. Come keep me company tonight.]
The guy didn't even reply. He just instantly blocked him.
Julian's expression twisted into something incredibly complicated. He systematically harassed every single contact on the list. Incredibly, not a single one of them flirted back! They either blocked him outright or offered earnest advice, telling 'her' not to fight with her older brother.
For a brief, surreal moment, Julian didn't think they were male models. He thought they were moral role models.
*
Vellmont Lodge.
Vivienne was sprawled out on her bed, her legs kicking happily in the air.
[TheGossipGoddess: Secret code one.]
[Alpha Pup: Secret code two.]

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