I scoffed inwardly.
Veronica was simply calmer and more cunning than her foolish and arrogant daughter, Shirley.
But aside from that, she had no other edge.
Someone like that didnât deserve to be the clan leader at all.
A leader should guide their people towards a better future, not waste time on internal disputes,
clinging to power, and undermining their own kin.
I despised her and Shirleyâs ways.
âOf course, Veronica.
â I managed to keep my anger in check.
âDonât worry.
I understand what needs to be done.
You wonât have to worry about me.
â
Veronica nodded, pleased with my response.
Yet, she was not finished.
After eyeing me, she said meaningfully, âAndrew, thereâs an important announcement I need to make at the banquet.
Make sure you are there.
â
My heart dropped.
It was clear what Veronica intended.
She planned to announce the marriage at the banquet, regardless of my wishes.
But how could I accept that?
Shirley was such a domineering and thoughtless woman.
I could never allow her to become my wife.
To avoid being pressured by Veronica, to develop a closer bond with Debra, and to uncover secrets about the supreme witch, I, who was typically good at concealing my feelings, intentionally displayed a range of emotions at the banquet.
As expected, Debra, being compassionate, fell into the trap.
I was then able to publicly declare her as my fiancee, bringing us closer.
However, even if Debra hadnât volunteered to help, I would have coerced her into cooperating, reminding her that I had saved her and her daughter.
The outcome would have been the same, albeit through a slightly different process.
Everything happened as I had anticipated.
Because of Debraâs weakened state, her witch power couldnât be detected.
Veronica found nothing suspicious, and thus, she could not discern Debraâs identity.
As a consequence, Veronicaâs fear and suspicion towards me diminished significantly, which facilitated the execution of my plans.
To solidify Debraâs role as my fiancee, I even had the butler invite her to move into the main villa in the mansion.
As I expected, Debra declined.
This refusal only increased my interest in Debra.
She was quite an intriguing woman.
Even with a child, her charm remained undeniably captivating.
Flashback Ends.
Of course, I didnât reveal all this to the butler.
I smiled and said, âI have my reasons for arranging this.
You can go now and follow my instructions.
â
The butler scratched his head, seeming to want to say more, but at that moment, an earthquake struck and the house shook violently.
âARIâ
The chandelier swayed, and cups tumbled from the table.
The servants outside cried out in alarm.
After a moment, the earthquake subsided.