After separating from Stella, Elaine returned home with a listless face.
Franklin, who was reading a book, glanced at her and said slowly, “You have almost emptied the mall,
so why are you so unhappy?”
She sat down next to him on the arm of the sofa, showing a depressed look.
He said, “Well, didn't I let you out today? Someone bullied you?”
After a while, she mumbled in a dull voice, “No.”
She behaved quite well in the last half month at home. Obviously, she knew she had done wrong
before. Thinking that she suffered enough, he closed the book and said, “From tomorrow, you no
longer need to stay at home. You can go wherever you want.”
He thought she would jump up happily, but she simply nodded and said nothing more.
He could not help but ask, “What is wrong with you? Did you really get bullied?”
She shook her head and barely sat up, saying, “Dad, do you think Uncle Caesar is really dead?”
Hearing her words, he slightly changed his face and said after a few seconds of silence, “He is no
longer a member of the James family and he is not your uncle. So whether he is dead or alive does not
have anything to do with us.”
She pouted and stopped talking.
Seeing her like this, he sighed silently. “Elaine, about your uncle... About this matter, I never said
anything to you. But you also saw what he did that day. He intended to kill the whole James family, and
he even blew up your great-grandpa’s ashes. In fact, he is no longer the same loving uncle to you
when you were a child.”
“But...” She felt it might not be quite appropriate to say so, but she still wanted to correct him, “That’s
not my great-grandpa’s ashes...”
He got stunned and then instantly snapped. “You silly girl!”
She hurriedly moved away from him. “I know what you mean, but what I said is also true.”
He was silent for a moment before adding, “Have you forgotten what he did to you in City N?”
“No. He did ask someone to take me away, but he didn't hurt me.” She then spoke in a quiet voice, “I
know what you want to say and I know he's not a good man. But... There was something wrong with
your words. He is still the same loving uncle to me when I was a little kid.”
He froze and was at a loss for words suddenly.
No matter how many unforgivable things Caesar had done, he truly never hurt Elaine.
They also knew this at the beginning and that was why they planned all those things at the funeral.
He sighed and did not say anything for a while.
She then added, “Sis told me that only I know how Uncle Caesar treats me. He is a bad guy in other
people’s eyes but he is always and only my uncle in front of me.”
Her words did make sense.
He then asked, “Which sister?”
“Stella, Clarence’s girlfriend,” she said.
He froze for two seconds and then scolded her, “She is not your sister! You should call her aunt!”
She spat her tongue, got up and ran upstairs. “I don’t care. She is only a few years older than me!”
At this time, Hilbert walked out from the side with his cane. “Is Elaine back?”
Franklin replied, “Yes. But...she was a bit unhappy about Caesar’s incident.”
Hilbert sat in the sofa and sighed slowly. “No matter what, Caesar is good to her.”
Franklin was silent for a while before saying, “Grandpa, there is something I want to discuss with you.”
“Are you referring to Elaine and Darnell’s marriage?” Hilbert asked.
“Yes. All those things are pretty much settled now. Darnell is probably drawing support from our power.
Elaine...ran away secretly to City N because she did not want to marry Darnell in the first place. I've
been thinking a lot about it lately. This marriage is truly hard for her to accept. I also asked Darnell and
he told me that in his heart Elaine is only a little girl. He does not want to marry her either.”
Hilbert touched his cane and said after a while, “Franklin, this marriage was decided between me and
Darnell’s grandfather when he was still alive. I have two good reasons for this. First, this marriage can
help consolidate Darnell's position as the Master of Riverside. Second, I do it for the sake of the James
family’s development. I have to make such a decision. Do you understand why?”
Franklin was confused. “Why?”
Hilbert said, “Darnell is a young and ambitious man. What he wants is never just Riverside City. This is
also why he is committed to abolishing those rules of the James family. Bancroft also came to me
because he could see what Darnell was thinking.”
Franklin said, “So Bancroft meant those unwritten rules have to be abolished but at the same time, he
wanted us to restrain Darnell and not let him go too far.”
Hilbert nodded and said, “After all, the James family is still a big family with hundreds of years of
history, which can’t be lost like this. Franklin, there is another reason for this marriage. Maybe Bancroft
knew quite well that we could not stop Darnell. But if Elaine marries him, at least, Darnell would not
exterminate us. Do you understand?”
Franklin frowned without saying anything.
It seemed that they could not control the marriage at all. Instead, this marriage lies in the hands of
Darnell and it was related to their family and even the future of the entire James family.
After a while, Franklin said, “So Bancroft wanted us to restrain each other to balance the different
forces of the James family.”
Hilbert said, “But you are right. Elaine should not be burdened with this. She is just a little girl. So let’s
break the engagement. We will talk about future matters in the future. I believe even if Darnell wants to
eliminate the James family, he will not go too far.”
Franklin said, “I will go settle this matter in two days.”
Hilbert got up, “Elaine must be sad about what happened to Caesar. You should comfort her more.”
Franklin suddenly asked, “Do you think this is Caesar’s doing?”
“It doesn't matter now. Caesar is a sinner of the James family. If he hadn't made it that far, I would've
been able to save his life. But now... Maybe this is God’s will,” Hilbert said.
When finishing his words, he left slowly with his cane.
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