Maddox Kang glances at the pale face of Kiris.h.i.+ma Ayaka in the casket. Last time, he saw her at the Consortium"s lair. It has been seventeen years since then. He has no feeling toward this kin. But why did Daniel invited him to the funeral? Daniel couldn"t have found out what he was planning.
What could be the reason? Was Daniel worried because he already knows that Christopher"s daughter is here? Taking sperm from a dead boy and using it to create the next heir? He also wants to see who that child is.
He places a white flower on Ayaka"s body. The deaths are certainly suspicious. But it"s also none of his business. He cannot forget how his mother killed his monstrous father before she killed herself. He closes his eyes, trying to forget it. All of them were monsters. Even his mother was a part of that monstrosity.
It doesn"t do good to dwell in the past.
Maddox"s dark eyes search for the person he"s been looking forward to seeing again. She"s not here. Kiyohira and his son aren"t here either. Why aren"t they here? He"s sure that the entire village is here. He sees Daniel talking to some people. Daniel glances at him and gives him a nod before he resumes his fake grieving. If Maddox hadn"t known Daniel"s true face, he would have also believed the facade.
"You are different from what I expected." A child steps in front of him -- a younger version of Christopher Ash, the boy he met ages ago. This must be Christopher"s daughter. She"s wearing black clothes. Unlike Christopher, she has an elite aura around her. Her back is straight. Her eyes hold a sardonic glimmer as if the whole world is beneath her.
"You are also different from what I expected." She must be around six, but she already seems to be prepared for the throne. She"s a lot like Dionne.
"Follow me, Uncle." The girl walks ahead of him. "Let"s have a chat."
Though she"s a child, Maddox won"t underestimate her. No one from the Ash family is to be underestimated. Ayaka is also dead. There are only three living members of the Ash family.
Inside the house, Maddox takes a seat opposite of her. The girl leans back on the couch and crosses her arms, eyeing him with an amused smile.
"What"s your name?" Maddox asks. The child is unnerving.
She chuckles. "How is Valerie?"
"How do you know?" He frowns at her. Did they already tell her everything about Valerie?
"I won"t touch her before it starts." Mira shrugs. After some silence, she questions her Uncle with a quiet voice, "Uncle Adrian, between your daughter and the Consortium, what will you choose?"
Between his daughter and the Consortium? Adrian narrows his eyes. "The question is invalid. I will never get the Consortium."
"So, you want your daughter to get it for you." She shakes her head and laughs. "It"s a pity. She and I are fated to be enemies."
Silence defends in the room. Mira is staring at a distance, thinking. Her expression is unreadable. Maddox feels a stifling feeling in his heart. Between his daughter and the Consortium? Didn"t he already choose it? He could have kept her away from the Consortium. They already had this girl. They even prefer her over Valerie because she"s Christopher"s daughter.
Then, he wants his daughter to have the things that he never had. She was born to take the reins of the Consortium. It"s better to become someone who controls other people"s fates than become one who is controlled by someone.
"Adrian." His thoughts are interrupted. Daniel takes a seat near Mira but keeps a respectable distance from her. He smiles mildly. "I am glad that you came."
This pathetic liar hates it. Maddox takes an envelope out of his pocket and throws it on the table between them. "Daniel, it"s getting boring, right? How about we have a simple game? I want to include the people in the list."
Daniel glances at Mira. She opens the envelope. She takes a long look at the list of names. "This is the man you want to destroy because he took away the woman you love."
"You are mistaken." Maddox clenches his fists. What is this kid saying? How did she know? "I don"t love her. She was a part of my organisation."
"Either you are lying to yourself or you are lying to me." Mira folds the paper and puts it inside the envelope. "I don"t care what your reasons are. I don"t permit this game."
"You are not of age yet." Maddox glares at her. "It"s your guardian who will decide."
"They are mine to protect or eradicate." Mira warns him lightly, "You will live longer if you don"t do unnecessary things and go back to your daughter."
"Aren"t you being overconfident?" Maddox scoffs at her. When Mira doesn"t reply, he snickers. "Are you attached to that boy? It"s no wonder that he is a potential candidate for the sacrifice."
Daniel stares at Mira, surprised that the child is not refuting Maddox"s words. Yuta is also different.
Her other friend"s name is also in the list. But she refused to meet that boy when he came to visit her. "Maddox, I cannot accept it if she doesn"t agree. I think that you should take her suggestion and don"t stir unnecessary trouble."
"We will meet again." Maddox stands up and smiles at them. There"s nothing to talk about anymore. The child is dangerous. If he let Rie and her son be on this child"s side, it might become difficult for his daughter.
After he"s gone, Mira"s lips curve into a smile, staring at the envelope. This is going as she expected. But n.o.body can blame her for not giving a chance to a pitiable creature.
"Are you thinking of getting rid of him?" Daniel hides his trembling hand from her sight when she scorns at him. What is she thinking? "You can"t hurt him before the battle begins."
"Who says?" Mira puts her legs on the table. "Even if I break a few rules, who dare to question me? Either I or Valerie will become the owner of the Consortium. It"s not the other way around."
Mad. Daniel finally understands what is dangerous about this child. She is driven by madness. This madness is bound to cause chaos. If someone like her takes over the Consortium, what would become of it? However, he"s interested to see how far this madness will go.