Chapter 525:Shocking news.

Chapter 525: 525:Shocking news.

Ravenna watched quietly. For the first time, she noticed that her father seemed considerably less confident than he’d been at the beginning of the meeting.

Marissa intervened.

"Perhaps we should discuss the more important matter first."

Silver looked toward her.

"Which is?"

She smiled.

"Shirley."

Ravenna’s expression hardened.

Marissa continued, "There appears to have been an unfortunate misunderstanding between you and our daughter."

His smile disappeared.

"Misunderstanding you say?"

Shirley lowered her gaze.

Marissa nodded.

"Yes. Shirley tells us that the two of you had become close during the Hollow Creek mission, but Ravenna misinterpreted a perfectly innocent interaction."

Silver stared at her, then slowly turned toward Shirley.

"Is that what you told them?"

Shirley hesitated.

"Silver, I..."

"Is it?" He coldly asked.

Her expression changed.

"I didn’t mean..."

Silver leaned forward.

"Shirley, during the evacuation of Hollow Creek, you approached me while Ravenna was helping organize civilians. You touched me after I made it clear I wasn’t interested, attempted to kiss me, and suggested Ravenna didn’t need to know."

The room fell silent.

Shirley’s face went pale.

Marissa immediately stood.

"That’s a disgusting accusation!"

Silver looked toward her.

"It’s what happened."

Gideon’s expression hardened.

"Young man, I suggest you choose your words carefully."

He smiled faintly.

"I am."

Ravenna squeezed his hand.

Silver continued, "I told Shirley to keep her distance unless we were working together under direct orders. That hasn’t changed."

Shirley’s eyes filled with tears.

"Silver, please..."

He looked toward her.

"Shirley, I’m not interested in discussing our relationship because there isn’t one."

Marissa glared at him before turning towards Ravenna.

"Are you satisfied now?" She venomously said.

Ravenna blinked.

"What?"

"You’ve turned him against your own sister!"

She slowly exhaled.

"No."

Marissa frowned.

Ravenna continued, "Shirley is a slut. She made her own decisions. Silver rejected her. And now you’re blaming me because neither of us is willing to pretend otherwise."

Gideon slammed his hand against the table.

"Enough!"

Ravenna looked toward him.

He pointed at her.

"You will apologize to your mother and sister."

Ravenna remained seated.

"No."

Gideon froze.

"What did you say?"

She looked directly into his eyes.

"I said no."

For several seconds, nobody moved, then Gideon’s expression darkened.

"Ravenna, do not forget who you’re speaking to."

She swallowed.

Silver felt her hand tighten around his but she didn’t look away.

"I know exactly who I’m speaking to."

Gideon stood.

"Then perhaps you need a reminder of how much this family has done for you."

Ravenna’s expression changed.

He continued, "Your education, your living expenses, your opportunities. Do you think any of that happened without our support?"

Silver leaned forward.

"Mr. Arkland..."

Gideon raised a hand.

"This is a family matter."

Silver smiled faintly.

"Then perhaps you shouldn’t have invited me to discuss business."

Gideon glared.

Silver continued, "And for the record, Ravenna’s academy admission was based on her awakening results and examination performance. I don’t really think, the family care is going to work here, this isn’t Delta one."

Gideon froze.

Ravenna slowly turned toward Silver who looked back at her and smiled.

They’d prepared for this.

Gideon’s expression became colder.

"Young man, I don’t appreciate outsiders interfering in my family."

Silver nodded.

"Understandable." He leaned back. "Then perhaps you should stop trying to use your daughter to obtain access to mine."

Silence.

Marissa’s face flushed.

Shirley stared at the floor.

Gideon slowly sat, his expression no longer friendly.

"Very well."

He looked toward Ravenna.

"If this is how you intend to behave, then perhaps we should reconsider certain arrangements."

Ravenna’s stomach tightened.

"What arrangements?"

Gideon smiled coldly.

"Your family records and access to certain accounts."

Ravenna remained silent.

Gideon continued, "You seem to believe that becoming a talented Contractor means you no longer need us."

She looked toward him, then quietly answered, "Maybe I don’t."

Gideon froze.

For a moment, something unpleasant flashed across his face, then he laughed.

"You’re more like your mother than I realized."

Her expression changed.

"What?"

Gideon looked away.

"Nothing."

But Ravenna had heard him.

And for reasons she couldn’t explain, the bitterness in his voice made her uneasy.

The meeting ended badly.

Gideon refused to provide the financial documents Silver requested, Marissa accused Ravenna of being ungrateful, and Shirley eventually began crying loudly enough that several people outside the reception room could hear her.

Silver and Ravenna left without agreeing to anything.

They didn’t sign documents, they didn’t promise financial assistance, and they didn’t apologize.

But as they walked away from the guest center, Ravenna remained unusually quiet.

Silver noticed.

"Ravenna?"

She looked toward him.

"What?"

"You okay?" He softly asked.

She considered, then shook her head.

"No."

Silver nodded.

"Fair."

She looked toward the academy gardens. For several seconds, she remained silent, then whispered, "He said I was like my mother."

Silver frowned.

"Your father?"

She nodded.

"He sounded angry."

Silver considered.

"Maybe Selena didn’t let him control her either," he quietly said.

Ravenna smiled faintly.

"Maybe."

But the uneasiness remained, because she’d heard something else beneath his words.

Resentment.

Not simply toward Selena but toward the memory of her. And Ravenna couldn’t understand why.

Two days later, Silver received a message from Shawn.

Shawn: I looked into the Arkland family’s business situation. You were right to ask for their financial records. There are some things you should see.

Silver stared at the message, then immediately contacted him.

Shawn answered after several seconds.

"Silver."

"That sounds ominous."

He laughed.

"Good afternoon to you too."

Silver leaned back in his chair.

"What did you find?" He asked.

Shawn’s expression became serious.

"First, the Arkland family’s financial situation is considerably worse than they’re admitting."

He nodded.

"How bad?"

"Several major contracts have been terminated. They’re behind on payments to multiple suppliers, and at least two creditors have initiated recovery proceedings."

Silver frowned.

"That explains the desperation."

Shawn nodded.

"But that’s not the interesting part."

Silver raised an eyebrow.

"What is?"

Shawn opened a document.

"The family’s original capital."

Silver leaned forward.

Shawn continued, "Gideon Arkland likes presenting himself as a successful businessman who built his fortune through transportation and logistics. But the early financial records tell a different story."

A series of transactions appeared.

Silver studied them.

Shawn pointed toward the largest.

"These funds came from Selena Serenity."

Silver froze.

"Ravenna’s mother?" She asked just for confirmation.

Shawn nodded.

"Yes."

He continued, "Selena had substantial personal assets before marrying Gideon. Research income, private investments, and several accounts associated with organizations that no longer appear in the public registry."

He frowned.

"How substantial?"

Shawn looked toward him.

"Enough that without her contributions, Gideon’s original business probably wouldn’t have existed."

He was left speechless.

Shawn continued, "After Selena died, those assets were gradually transferred into accounts controlled by Gideon. Some transfers were legitimate. Others are questionable."

Silver’s expression hardened.

"Questionable how?"

"Missing authorization records. Inconsistent signatures. Transfers conducted shortly after Selena’s death despite restrictions that should’ve applied to certain accounts."

Silver remained silent.

Shawn leaned back.

"And there’s something else."

Silver looked toward him.

"What?"

Shawn hesitated.

"Silver, I don’t want you jumping to conclusions."

Silver frowned.

"Shawn."

His cousin sighed.

"Some of the family registration records don’t match," he quietly said.

Silver’s expression changed.

"What records?"

"Ravenna’s birth registration. Selena’s marriage documentation. Several older guardianship files."

Silver stared.

Shawn continued, "The dates are inconsistent. Some records appear to have been amended after Selena’s death, and one archived document identifies Gideon as Ravenna’s legal guardian rather than her biological father."

Silver went still.

For several seconds, he didn’t speak, then he asked quietly, "Are you saying Gideon isn’t Ravenna’s father?"

Shawn shook his head.

"I’m saying the records don’t prove that he is."

Silver looked toward the documents.

Shawn continued, "It could be an administrative error. It could be related to Selena’s work. Or it could mean something else entirely."

Silver slowly exhaled.

"Does Ravenna know?"

Shawn shook his head.

"I haven’t contacted her."

Silver nodded.

"Good."

Shawn studied him.

"Silver, be careful with this."

"I know."

"Whatever happened between Selena and Gideon, it’s clearly more complicated than a simple family dispute."

Silver looked toward the screen, then nodded.

"I’ll talk to Ravenna."

Shawn hesitated.

"One more thing."

Silver frowned.

"What?"

Shawn’s expression hardened.

"I also found that one of the Arkland family’s creditors is connected to a security organization that recently received contracts for your assassination"

Silver froze.

For several seconds, neither spoke, then he slowly smiled.

"This keeps on getting better and better."

Shawn didn’t smile.

"Silver."

He looked toward him.

"What?"

"Don’t do anything reckless."

He leaned back.

"Who? Me?"

Shawn sighed.

"That’s exactly the response I was afraid of."