Chapter 183 The Great Betrayal
Soft light from the hanging lanterns illuminated the restaurant with an air of luxury. Tables adorned with red tablecloths adorned the room elegantly, creating a perfect setting for a classy dining experience.
The waiters walked swiftly, wearing classic black-and-white uniforms. With friendly smiles, they presented menus and assisted guests in selecting their desired dishes. Their soft voices fill the space, creating comfort in the midst of the crowd.
At one of the tables in a corner of the restaurant, Klaus enjoyed his lunch with three acquaintances. Before him sat Max, chatting away while devouring his pasta. The man hadn't stopped talking since he walked into the restaurant.
"Turns out my buddy here is part of some conglomerate family. Damn, why didn't you ever tell me?" Max asked, genuinely curious.
"Well, my apologies, Max. You know, when people find out I'm from the Lee family, the way they look at me changes. And I wouldn't want you to do that too," Edward replied, chuckling.
"Hey, I won't. You're still my good buddy."
Before, Klaus was slightly taken aback to learn that Max was a close friend of his cousin. He didn't know much about Max, nor did he really care to. To him, Max was just an average Joe, like most people.
But one thing that did catch his attention was Edward.
Klaus sensed hidden intentions from his cousin, and it wasn't just baseless suspicion. Over the past year, Edward had been busy raiding dungeons with his small party. There had been no prominent news about him.
Whenever Klaus had met Edward at family gatherings, he hadn't noticed anything suspicious. But this time was different.
A cousin who had never shown interest in the family inheritance suddenly appeared before him because he happened to run into a friend? Of course, this wasn't a coincidence.
However, Klaus wasn't worried about his unusual cousin. He was more concerned about Alexa. The woman who always spoke sarcastically, her demeanor had drastically changed when she sat across from Edward.
Twirling her spaghetti, Alexa hadn't taken a bite yet. Occasionally, she glanced at Edward, and her eyes rolled to her plate as he looked back at her. What was even more amusing was that Edward also lowered his head when their gazes met.
It wasn't like Klaus was unaware of their history. He worried that something else was bothering his subordinate.
"So, what brings you back from Brazil, Edward? You never return to your hometown unless it's something important," Klaus probed, trying to gauge his cousin's thoughts. n0velUsb.c0M
Edward placed his wine glass on the table after taking a sip. "Well, one of my crew members, Rupert, lost one of his arms when we faced a group of minotaurs. We had to come back to New York to get the [Elixir] for him. So, we're taking a short break this month."
"Minotaurs?" Max interjected. "Aren't those the monsters that only appear in orange dungeons? Damn. I heard they wield huge clubs and can wipe out ten awakeners in one swing. Your friend's amazing to have survived."
Edward laughed. "That's a bit exaggerated. You can take down five minotaurs with just one A-Class caster, as long as you protect them well. It just happened that my friend let his guard down."
Nodding, Max looked amazed by the explanation. "Still, surviving a deadly blow like that is extraordinary."
"Yeah, it's pretty intense. But at least I get to meet you, Max."
The two buddies laughed in unison. Meanwhile, Klaus observed them with a cautious gaze. Edward's reason for returning to New York was understandable. Yet, Klaus still wasn't buying it. He felt that something was off.
"Hey, Alexa. I heard you work for Klaus. How's the company doing?"
The bespectacled woman was taken aback as Max suddenly brought her up. "Uh, it's going well. Mors Industry is thriving."
"Of course, you're the CEO," Edward chimed in. A genuine smile graced his face as he said so.
And Alexa returned that smile.
In an unspoken atmosphere of awkwardness, they faced each other. Their gazes clashed, revealing a complex relationship between them. However, the subtle smiles and light remarks showed that they were trying to maintain a polite demeanor.
Klaus refrained from commenting. He didn't want to get involved in their dynamic. While Edward was an individual who could pose a threat to him in acquiring LR Enterprise, Klaus still had the ethics to respect others' privacy.
Amidst their casual conversation, Max posed a question that shifted the tone of their lunch.
"By the way, Edward. I always hear about your dungeon conquests with your party. Given your achievements so far, don't you ever consider forming a guild? I'm sure you have the capacity for it. Just think, an idol like Justin Law could be a guild master. I'm sure you could too."
Naturally, Klaus raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the response Edward would give.
"True. Don't you have any interest in being a guild master? It would be a shame to waste your talent," Klaus prodded.
Edward didn't immediately answer. He paused, indicating that he was taking the question seriously. On the other hand, Klaus smiled as he waited for his cousin's response. His question was a bait, and whatever answer Edward provided would determine how Klaus would handle him in the future.
Taking a breath, Edward said, "Yeah. I want to start a guild. I'll establish it in New York."
In an instant, the smile on Klaus' face vanished.
All this time, Edward had acted like he didn't care about their grandfather's will. Even during family events, he had never shown any interest whenever Robert brought it up.
Edward was the most potential son in the Lee Family. It was unthinkable for him to ignore the inheritance battle when his own father was so ambitious about it. Klaus knew that a day would come when his eldest cousin would form a guild and become his rival.
"New York? There are already too many guilds here," Klaus commented.
"Yeah, because Alexa wants to stay in this city."
Klaus squinted his eyes. He wasn't sure about his cousin's means, whether they were about their relationship or something else. His gaze shifted to Alexa, and he could see a sense of guilt in her face. Of course, Klaus became suspicious.
There was something he didn't know.
"Wow, is this it? Are you two getting back together?" Klaus jokingly asked.
Alexa was slightly taken aback. "What? No, it's not like that. It's something else."
Raising his eyebrow, Klaus became even more curious. Max widened his eyes as though he had just uncovered a big secret.
"You didn't tell him, Alexa?" Edward suddenly spoke up.
Naturally, Klaus furrowed his brow. "Tell me what?"
As everyone's eyes turned to Alexa, she appeared startled. The sense of guilt became more pronounced on her face, and she didn't dare meet Klaus's gaze directly. This was something she had never done before.
"You know my contract with Mors Industries is only for one year, right? After the contract ends, I'll assist Edward in building his guild."
Hearing this unexpected answer, Klaus clenched his fist tightly. He wouldn't lie to himself; he was very angry because Alexa was helping one of his rivals.
However, Klaus kept his composure.
"Hold on. You don't want to extend your contract with my company? Didn't we discuss this before?" Klaus asked.
Alexa nodded with a sense of regret. "I'm sorry, I should have told you this from the beginning. But I got an order from Mr. Robert right from the start."
"Grandpa?" Klaus furrowed his brow. He didn't know about this.
The bespectacled woman proceeded to explain to Klaus what had truly happened.
When Steve recruited Alexa to lead Mors Industries, she held a director position at LR Entertainment. Naturally, she wouldn't risk her high position for a newly-formed small company.
She accepted the offer because it came directly from Robert. Steve made a request to the conglomerate to lend him his most talented subordinate, Alexa, for a full year.
However, William didn't agree. The eldest son saw this as unfair. He knew that Steve would use Alexa for Klaus's benefit in winning the inheritance battle. At the same time, Steve strongly needed her talent because Klaus didn't possess the potential of the other grandkids.
In the end, Robert still made a decision. He would lend Alexa to Steve for one year, help Klaus build his company, and then, Alexa would work for William for a year too.
Only the three of them were privy to this deal. Robert asked Alexa not to tell anyone, so Liliana wouldn't find out. If she did, she would demand the same.
Edward seemed to know this fact, and William had seemingly violated their agreement.
"That's why, Klaus. I can't extend our contract," Alexa said regretfully.
"And you knew this but didn't tell me?" Klaus was frustrated.
"I was going to tell you. But Steve forbade me from saying anything. You know, he's very loyal to Mr. Robert."
Klaus was truly angry. But he couldn't blame Alexa, nor could he blame his father. Klaus knew Steve was a man of his word. Animals were tied by their ropes, while humans were tied by their words.
The air grew heavy. The tension between Klaus and Alexa soured the atmosphere of this lunch. That's when Edward stood up.
"Sorry, I need to leave now. Unexpected matters await," he said.
Seeing his friend leaving, Max also followed suit. He didn't want to get involved in their issues. "I should go too. Mind if I tag along, Edward?"
"Sure," Edward replied. He looked at Alexa and Klaus. "We'll head out. See you."
They left the table.
Left behind were Klaus and Alexa, sitting at the same table, yet it felt awkward. Their gazes shifted away from each other, while the beautiful ambiance of the restaurant continued as though nothing had happened.
