Chapter 83: I have an offer for you

—The great Mivelo family caught red-handed with a child born out of wedlock, and they didn’t even hesitate to try killing that child?

—Viral! Who would’ve guessed that behind their sterling reputation, something like this was happening all along? Who is this Kina Mivelo, really?

—The great Mivelo family has fallen into serious trouble ever since getting caught for their inhumane treatment.

—What move will they make after all this? The public has been sharply criticizing them across social media, and the great Mivelo family has stayed completely silent.

The media never stopped spotlighting the story. At first, only a handful of outlets picked it up, but even one report from a well-known outlet was enough to spark a firestorm, pushing other media to jump in and chase their own share of the story.

News of their conduct was naturally met with fierce backlash from the public, who felt betrayed by their own supposed protectors, and as a result, the great Mivelo family’s reputation now hung in genuine peril.

"Damn it!" Cessel slammed his hand down on the table, the loud crash echoing throughout the room, making the waiting servants flinch, their expressions darkening as they shut their eyes.

’Nothing’s going right.’

Cessel found himself mulling it over. So much had happened lately, and every bit of it had turned out disastrous for his family.

’Why is this happening?’

He rubbed his face, raking his fingers through his own hair, then, with an expression like a walking corpse, he glanced at his ringing phone.

It was a call from someone at the main household in the Elite Region. Easy enough to guess who was waiting on the other end, besides, this wasn’t the first time, this was already far from the first call Cessel had received.

He picked up, hearing his older brother’s voice on the other end, calm, yet noticeably heavier and colder than usual.

"...How are you holding up, Cessel? You know, when I trusted you to have handled Kina, I genuinely regret that trust now."

Cessel’s fist clenched tight hearing that cold, indifferent tone, his expression twisting further as the next line came through:

"I never imagined Kina was actually this talented. If I’d known this would happen, I might have been willing to trade your life just to keep Kina around instead."

Then, his brother fell silent, clearly indifferent to whatever state Cessel was currently in, simply letting out an irritated sigh before adding:

"What I mean is, don’t cause any more trouble, and come home quietly. Father’s waiting to speak with you."

The call cut off, leaving Cessel biting down on his own lip hard enough to draw fresh blood.

The air around him turned cold and heavy as he raised his hand, then slammed it down fast, along with his phone, crashing into the table.

BAAAM—!!

The table shattered into pieces, the cold air seeping outward, Cessel forced his fury down, restraining it with everything he had as a flash of hatred burned in his eyes.

’Don’t cause trouble? Haha.’

As if he’d just obediently comply with that.

Cessel was the second son of the great Mivelo family, which meant he stood second in line for succession too.

He’d grown up with hardly anyone expecting much of him, nearly everyone’s attention and care had always gone to his older brother’s brilliant talent instead, which was exactly why Cessel had often come to resent his brother.

Cessel wanted that position of heir, wanted to become the next head of the great Mivelo family. That was exactly why he’d fought so hard all this time, to earn the same kind of attention, to prove the same kind of brilliance, even surpass his own brother.

But after all this?

It wasn’t just the Mivelo family’s reputation slowly crumbling, Cessel, having been directly involved, was becoming the real problem here.

’That bastard’s definitely going to use me as a scapegoat to restore this family’s reputation soon enough.’

And that wasn’t something Cessel could accept. Not in the slightest, it was essentially the same as saying he was already as good as dead.

With his breathing ragged, he glanced at one of his servants. Cessel’s current position was still within the Central region, at one of the family’s residences here.

Because of that, this wasn’t over yet. He still had a chance to fix all of this, as long as he could bring Kina back into the great Mivelo family, whatever the cost.

"Prepare my clothes. I’m heading to Canelo Academy."

The servant he’d addressed immediately bowed his head, then swiftly moved to prepare Cessel’s outfit for departure.

Watching that, Cessel turned his face away once more.

He knew it’d be difficult to convince Kina, especially since Kina seemed to have changed, now carrying her own goals and convictions.

Still, what did any of that matter?

’She’s far too dependent on someone.’

If Kina herself proved too difficult to reclaim, then he’d use the figure Kina called her Hidden Master, or whatever the title was.

Unlike Kina, who’d been born a noble from the Elite Region from the very start, that man was nothing more than someone from the Slums.

His identity and background might be worth questioning, but whatever it turned out to be, there was no way it could ever measure up to someone like Cessel, right?

And so, once Cessel had changed his clothes, he drove his own car to Canelo Academy alone.

It didn’t take long before he found himself face-to-face with that man once again. A figure with eyes so dark they seemed almost unreal, messy black hair parted down the middle, and a style of dress distinctly his own.

Cessel studied the man for a moment, then a crooked smile crossed his face as he stepped closer.

"I have an offer for you. Care to hear it?"

The man simply looked at him in silence, as though quietly studying and sizing Cessel up. That stare was genuinely unsettling, but Cessel held his ground, refusing to show even a hint of unease.

He waited for a response, and the man didn’t leave him waiting long before finally speaking.

"If this offer is about getting Kina back, then unfortunately, Kina isn’t an object, And I have no intention of deciding that for her."