Chapter 686 Cruelty (8) Lyra's Emotional Turmoil
"Do you think Alaric is trustworthy?" Gideon asked bluntly.
Cecilia looked at Gideon, "If he's not trustworthy, why do you keep him around?"
"Alaric is more capable than I expected."
"Mr. Hotchner, isn't that exactly why you need him?"
"You're still siding with Alaric." Gideon stared intently at Cecilia, as if trying to read something from her face.
"What else can I do if I don't help him?" Cecilia retorted, "At least so far, he hasn't done anything to make me completely lose faith in him."
"Bringing you here hasn't made you completely lose faith?" Gideon asked.
"At least I know he was forced."
"Cecilia, you really are a rational woman," Gideon commented.
"Mr. Hotchner, you want to know what kind of person Alaric really is from me, but no matter what I say, you won't believe it. So why bother?" Cecilia knew the purpose of Gideon's visit.
Alaric was about to take action, and Gideon feared betrayal, so he wanted to get some information from her.
But because of Gideon's naturally suspicious nature, he wouldn't believe anyone completely.
This was Gideon's dilemma.
This might also be the biggest reason why the Hotchner family had been planning in secret for so many years but had never taken action.
Gideon wasn't decisive enough.
But Cecilia could understand; from his perspective, one wrong move could lead to failure, so being cautious was reasonable.
Gideon just lacked the aura of a successful person.
Compared to Alaric, Alaric was much more decisive.
She hadn't expected Alaric to really start a war in such a short time.
In the previous life, it had taken at least ten years.
In this life, Alaric was truly decisive.
Cecilia thought silently, but outwardly remained calm.
Gideon didn't get any reliable information from Cecilia, and he didn't waste any more time on her. He left.
After he left, Cecilia let out a small sigh of relief.
She wasn't as indifferent as she appeared.
She was actually living in great anxiety every day.
She didn't know how much of a chance Alaric could give her to survive.
A week later.
Tomas's youngest daughter, Juniper, turned twenty.
There was no large banquet.
It was just a gathering of the Monroe family members and Tomas's trusted subordinates.
Alaric hadn't received any news that the Hotchner family would be invited today, which was as he expected. The Monroe family wouldn't act today for fear that he might join forces with Gideon to betray them.
He walked into the Monroe Mansion.
Tomas took him to the study.
In the study, Alfonso and Lyra were still there.
These two seemed to be Tomas's assistants, involved in many of his affairs.
Tomas said, "Alaric, you must be curious why I didn't invite the Hotchner family."
"Mr. Monroe, I know you must have your reasons," Alaric responded calmly and respectfully.
Tomas appreciated Alaric's steady demeanor.
He said, "To me, your plan is a bit too urgent. Don't act rashly for now."
"Yes," Alaric said without further comment.
"As for Cecilia..." Tomas looked at Alaric, "As long as I don't take action, Cecilia is safe in the Hotchner Mansion. Rest assured, if Gideon wants to use you, Cecilia won't be harmed."
"Yes," Alaric remained calm.
"Today is Juniper's twentieth birthday, so I won't say much about other matters," Tomas said. "I invited you to the birthday party because I trust you. Don't overthink it. Feel free to enjoy yourself today; I consider you one of my most trusted people."
"Thank you, Mr. Monroe, for your trust."
"Go on, then. The people here today are all those I trust. Getting to know them will be beneficial for you in the future."
"Yes."
Alaric left.
After he left, Tomas's face darkened.
"Alaric is really quite steady," Tomas said coldly.
"That's why the Hotchner family uses Alaric to suppress us," Alfonso said coldly.
"Too bad their plan failed. Alaric seems respectful to us, but he has great ambition and a strong sense of self-respect. Gideon crossed Alaric's line, and that was his biggest mistake!" Tomas laughed sinisterly.
"We may not be able to fully control Alaric," Alfonso said. "And when we eventually act against the Hotchner family, we'll need someone to take the blame for killing Gideon. If we make Alaric the scapegoat, we'll need a reason, or it will arouse suspicion!"
"That's why I invited Alaric here today."
"Father, do you have a good plan?"
"You'll see soon enough."
"Yes."
Lyra listened to the interaction between Tomas and Alfonso and glanced outside.
She also smirked coldly.
If Alaric were to be killed, Cecilia would have to be killed too.
The thought of having Cecilia under her control excited her immensely.
Especially since Cecilia was also pregnant.
She wanted Cecilia to experience the pain of losing her child!
The Monroe Mansion's banquet hall.
A simple birthday party.
Not many people attended.
Alaric stayed in a corner, not socializing much.
He knew very well that if he appeared too proactive, the Monroe family would become suspicious. He had to make them think he was solely focused on helping the Monroe family and seeking revenge against the Hotchner family, without the grand ambitions they feared.
He sipped his champagne, his eyes pausing for a moment.
Lyra walked over from a distance.
Alaric put down his champagne and appeared very respectful, "Ms. Monroe."
Lyra nodded slightly, looking somewhat haughty.
"I never thought we'd be working together one day," Lyra said with a sarcastic smile. "If I had known you were this capable, I should have married you instead of that lunatic Dominic."
Alaric remained silent, keeping a reserved demeanor.
Lyra's expression changed slightly; she was actually quite displeased with Alaric's indifference.
She said, "Do you like Cecilia a lot?"
"She is my wife," Alaric replied.
"If Dominic had been as devoted to me as you are to Cecilia, he wouldn't have met such a tragic end."
"He didn't know how to cherish," Alaric said respectfully.
"You seem very distant from me," Lyra said, displeased.
Regardless of her looks, even if she wasn't as beautiful as Cecilia and her figure wasn't as good, her noble status made ninety percent of the men in the Yakurosean Empire eager to please her.
Only Alaric had always been very cold towards her.
Every time they met, his eyes never lingered on her. Did Alaric really have no interest in her at all?
Or was he playing hard to get?
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