?Chapter 1565:

“You’re here to see Mr. Hopkins?” he asked, trailing her.

Corrine nodded, scanning the eerily silent workspace. “Why is it so quiet?”

“Nate’s menacing mood, of course.” Matiasughed weakly, gauging her expression. “Did you and Mr. Hopkins… have words?”

She arched a brow. “Did he tell you that?”

“No, not at all,” Matias replied. “We just—well—the atmosphere this morning spoke for itself.”

He recalled Nate’s storm-dark face, eyes like whetted des, a presence so oppressive everyone had practically stopped breathing.

The tension was no joke.

No one dared to breathe; even a sigh would likely set him off.

Guilt pricked Corrine. She hadn’t realized her quarrel would cast such a shadow.

“You’ve all had a rough day,” she said.

“It’s not rough,” Matias said. “It’s our lot in life.”

Corrine was at a loss for words at that.

“Quit standing around. Go on in and see him.” Matias couldn’t take the choking tension any longer.

She nodded and slipped inside.

Only then did Matias swipe a sleeve across his damp forehead.

A voice behind him drawled, “Know who you just reminded me of?”

Matias turned to see Saul.

“Who?”

“A court jester,” Saul said, chuckling.

“Get lost!” Matias shot back.

Standing by his office window, Nate was on a phone call, his silhouette stark against the afternoon light.

“I just received news that Elva’s grandmother, Braylynn Quinn, has been hospitalized, and rumors suggest you’re responsible,” Zack’s voice crackled through the phone. “What exactly did the Quinn family do to provoke such a forceful response from you?”

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Nate’s silence hung heavy in the air, drawing a soft sigh from Zack. “The Quinn family overstepped by targeting Corrine, but years ago, they and the Hopkins family agreed to maintain distance. Your sudden move might draw unwanted attention, especially since Braylynn copsed on the spot. Without immediate medical intervention, the Quinn family might be nning a funeral by now. Since Braylynn’s hospitalization, the Quinn family has spiraled into disarray, as if facing their downfall. You wouldn’t go to such extremes for Corrine, would you?”

Following a significant restructuring on the Independent Continent, several prominent families had risen to power virtually overnight.

Throughout the years, these influential powerhouses had preserved a delicate bnce, like weights on a precision scale. Should one family falter, the equilibrium would inevitably shatter, and the Elder Council would surely intervene.

When Nate had been appointed as Ralph’s sessor, many viewed it as a desperate gambit during chaotic times. Many assumed Nate was just a nominal leader, unaware he had already seizedplete control of the Hopkins family.

The Quinn family had likely dismissed Nate as Ralph’s puppet, emboldening their reckless actions.

This time, however, they had unmistakably crossed Nate’s line.

Nate’s face remained impassive, his voice even colder, stripped of all sentiment. His measured words carried a cial warning. “Consider this a gentle reminder. If they fail to understand boundaries, I won’t hesitate to disrupt the status quo. That position needn’t belong to the Quinn family.” Without the Quinns, another family could easily assume their ce.

After ending the call, Nate slid one hand into his pocket and gazed out the window, his mind calcting his next move.

As Corrine stepped into the room, her gaze was immediately captured by Nate’s striking silhouette framed against the window.

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.fn6425 For original chapters go to F?ndNovel/fn6425

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