Chapter 406: Marriage Praposal

The girl seemed to have sensed his presence and turned to look at him.

Justin saw an eighteen-year-old young girl who was said to be his sister. Her expression was puzzled, and at the same time, her eyes carried the innocence of someone far from understanding the cruelty of this world.

She looked toward the man who had entered the room, then glanced at the door and saw the bodyguards standing outside. They hadn’t stopped him, which meant he was someone allowed to meet her.

"Are you my brother?" she asked, her voice low and hesitant, but at the same time filled with hope. "They said today I am going to meet my brother. Is your name Aiden?"

"Yes. I am Aiden," Justin answered as he observed her, but he didn’t expect what happened next.

The girl quickly hurried toward him, and the next moment, Justin found her hugging him tightly. "Brother, please take me away from here. I don’t want to stay here anymore." Her voice was soft—a genuine plea that came from the depth of her heart, full of emotion.

Justin’s hands hung in the air, unsure of what to do.

He heard her again. "I heard them talking... they are going to marry me off to someone. I don’t want to marry. I haven’t even seen the outside world, except for what I see on TV. Please don’t send me back to that home, or with that man. I want to see the world. Brother, please take me away."

The word seemed to touch his heart. Though he remained rational about the situation and didn’t want to blindly believe everything he had been shown, he couldn’t help but lower his hands and gently pat her head.

"What’s your name?" he asked, his voice still devoid of emotion. If she truly was his sister, then it was deeply unfortunate that he didn’t even know her name.

She lifted her head to look at him, loosening her hold around the tall man. "Meira," she replied.

Justin took this chance to take a step away from her and looked at her. Her eyes were moist as she looked at him with hope. That delicate and innocent face didn’t seem like she was lying about anything anymore.

So her name was Meira. The trend of men’s names starting with ’A’ and women’s names with ’M’ seemed to have set in the family.

Just then, Aeldric entered the room. "Pleased to meet your sister, Aiden?"

The moment his voice was heard, Meira immediately shifted close to Justin and tried to hide herself from Aeldric.

She whispered nervously, "Brother, don’t let him send me back there. Please."

Justin turned to face Aeldric while Meira hid behind him, her shaking hands instinctively grabbing the back of his jacket. Justin could feel how nervous she was.

Aeldric didn’t mind Meira’s reaction, as if he was used to seeing it. He simply focused on Justin. "If you’re done meeting your sister, I have to hand her over to her future family."

"She is still too young to get married," Justin said calmly.

"She is not a child. It’s time for her to be of some use and pay me back for letting her live and raising her," Aeldric said, without an ounce of regard that the one he was talking about was his own blood—his granddaughter.

"State your price," Justin said. "I’ll pay you more than what it must have cost you."

"I’m afraid you can’t afford it," the old man said.

"Just state it," Justin said. "She is not going anywhere. I won’t allow it."

Aeldric chuckled. "Right now, it’s costing me my alliance with the Asteriens. I need to build a good relationship with them through this marriage proposal. It’s important for my position. I hope you understand the reason, as I’m doing it for your own good future—once you take my position."

"I don’t think I ever said I’m taking your place," Justin said.

"Well then, you continue your things, and I’ll continue mine," Aeldric said and called for the guards. "Take her to the room where our guests are waiting for her."

The guards entered the room, while Justin remained rooted in place. "I dare you to," he said.

The two robust guards looked at Aeldric, who signaled them to go ahead anyway.

The guards moved forward, knowing Aeldric had permitted them to tackle Justin.

"Take two steps back," Justin said to Meira as he unbuttoned his jacket.

The girl obeyed, and the next moment, she saw Justin move—just a blur—and the two tall, robust guards were on the ground. Just a few swift moves like a flash, and it was already over.

Aeldric was pleased to see it. "I’m glad to see you are perfectly skilled."

Justin looked at Aeldric, his gaze cold.

"This place is full of thousands of well-trained guards, and I can ask for more to come to the Riverdale estate," Aeldric said. "What do you think? How long can you last while fighting them?"

Justin knew this was Aeldric’s stronghold, and he had to tread carefully—he was no superman to fight his way out in a moment.

"She’s not going anywhere," Justin declared.

"Marriage is fixed—whether it’s her or someone else," Aeldric said. "How about you marry Grace and turn the Harts fully to our side? Though he is a friend, in our world, even friends seek their own benefits."

"I’m married. I told you already," Justin said.

"And I told you—that marriage means nothing here," Aeldric countered mockingly. "So, are you agreeing to marry Grace, or do you want your sister to go to the Asteriens?"

Meira heard what they were talking about and said, "I... will go..."

Justin looked at her, and she said, "I don’t want my brother to be in trouble because of me. It was good to see you, finally." She pulled out a light smile. "I’m happy to have a brother like you."

Justin clenched his jaw and looked at Aeldric. "I agree to your demand."

Aeldric smiled triumphantly. "You are just like your father—weak when it comes to family. But that works in my favor."

"I’m taking her with me," Justin said.

"Until you get married to Grace, this girl will stay here," Aeldric said. "Don’t think I even trust you yet. Our distrust toward each other is mutual."

"Sure," Justin said, and Aeldric left, smirking mockingly.