Chapter 935
Chapter 934:
A sideways glance caught Jules with his mouth slightly open, like he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard from Maxine.
No reaction crossed Maxine’s face. She remained unreadable, offering no explanation.
The truth was, Maxine had already deduced that Elliana was anything but ordinary—there must be shocking secrets lurking beneath her surface, for geniuses were never meant to be mundane.
Yet, even after getting burned once, Katrina and Jules still couldn’t fathom Elliana’s true caliber. Their cluelessness indicated their lack of wisdom and perceptiveness. Maxine decided to let experience teach them instead of spelling it out.
“Is that really all about the challenge?” Katrina asked, her voice shaking between disbelief and hope.
Maxine’s lips curled into a quiet smile. “Yes, that’s all,” she responded. As she spoke, she produced a weighty, obsidian ring—the legendary Onyx Signet. Anyone who possessed it controlled the entire Serpent Society.
A flash of hesitation crossed Katrina’s face. The Onyx Signet’s significance spoke for itself. Only the rightful leader was meant to wield it, and she wasn’t sure she was ready.
Maxine pressed the Onyx Signet into Katrina’s hand. “Starting now, every resource and every member of the Serpent Society is yours to command,” she said. “Use whoever you want. Make p>
“Your own decisions. You don’t need to report to me. You have one month to finish with Elliana. Succeed, and I’ll hand you the reins of the family.” Her eyes gleamed with an unsettling amusement. “But fail, and Elliana will become the heir instead p>
Shock hit Katrina and Jules like a punch to the chest. For a moment, neither of them moved. Elliana was a stranger by blood—a child of Rita and Arthur, not a drop of Griffiths lineage in her veins. How could Maxine entertain the notion of giving Elliana the family legacy?
– check it out!
Maxine offered no explanation. Instead, her cold stare landed on Jules. “If Katrina fails, your value as her partner will be rendered obsolete p>
Dread crashed over Jules like a cold wave as he processed Maxine’s words. He was a deserted child, plucked from the streets by Maxine, his origins shrouded in mystery. His sole purpose within the Griffiths dynasty centered on one goal: to marry Katrina and father the next heiress.
Though Katrina repulsed him, Jules recognized that she remained his lifeline in the treacherous waters of family politics. Should Katrina tumble from her pedestal as heir apparent, his usefulness would evaporate instantly. The mere thought of becoming expendable sent shivers down his spine. The revelation struck him with brutal clarity—his destiny was forever shackled to Katrina’s fate.
“Ms. Griffiths, what course of action should I take?” Jules’s voice trembled with barely concealed anxiety.
A knowing smile curved Maxine’s lips. “You and Katrina share the same destiny now. When she rises, you ascend with her; when she falls, you crash alongside her. A formidable challenge awaits her, and you must become her unwavering ally. For the next month, follow Katrina’s lead p>
Following Katrina’s lead? Every fiber of Jules’s being rebelled against the notion. In his mind, Katrina embodied everything insufferable about entitled women. The prospect of groveling before her commands made his stomach churn. Yet, circumstances left him no alternative but to yield to Maxine’s orders.
“Understood.” The words tasted bitter on Jules’s tongue.
Katrina’s gaze swept over Jules with undisguised contempt before she addressed Maxine. “Grandmother, your logic escapes me. Why deploy the entire Serpent Society against a single challenge like this? Eliminating Elliana hardly requires such overwhelming force p>
Katrina genuinely couldn’t fathom it. Elliana might hold the Campbell family’s future in her hands and share intimate ties with Cole, but neither faction had erected impenetrable barriers around her. One skilled assassin could end her life—so why this elaborate theater?