Chapter 680

Lily was fair and slender. She didn't look particularly strong, but the energy that surged from her at that moment surprised even herself.

The situation was urgent, and others might not have noticed what had happened. Her fight with Apollo had revealed a slight initial disadvantage; she hadn't gained much of an upper hand. Although she'd practiced kickboxing since childhood, primarily for self-defense, she was unsure of her capabilities. She'd aged and stopped training after college. Beyond sparring with peers, her only consistent practice was with Justin—a few moves, leaving her feeling unskilled.

Her last fight was during her kidnapping in Westwood. Even then, she'd been surprised by her own strength. Reflecting, she speculated that the grave threat had triggered a physical response. Had it happened again?

"What are you thinking about?" Alexander asked, noticing Lily's pensive expression.

"I'm thinking about what Justin will do with Henry," she replied, sighing softly.

Henry was her maternal uncle and Justin's paternal uncle. Wilfred, before his death, had expelled Henry from the Lodge family, but he'd returned to cause trouble. Lily struggled to articulate her feelings.

Since Wilfred's death wasn't attributed to poison, it wasn't considered a criminal case. Henry wouldn't be convicted or imprisoned. He'd returned to the Lodge family, attempting to seize power and bringing outsiders into the family residence—matters of internal family business.

'What will happen now that no one's been convicted?' she wondered.

After a moment, Alexander said, "If it were Justin, he'd send Henry abroad."

"Just send him abroad?"

"Otherwise, would Justin kill him?" Alexander smiled and shook his head. "He wouldn't, and neither would you."

"How do you know I wouldn't?" The thought of Henry's arrogance was repulsive. He'd even tried to frame Lily, using her as a pawn. A wrongful conviction would have drastically altered Lily and Justin's lives.

Seeing Lily's unconvinced expression, Alexander smiled. "Because I know you're softhearted."

Lily could be ruthless, especially towards family—Henry and Justin included. It seemed a Lodge family trait, except for Henry, perhaps. "What about you?" Lily turned to face Alexander, meeting his gaze. "If it were you, what would you do with Henry?"

Her curious blink stemmed from Alexander's earlier "if it were Justin." He'd analyzed the situation from Justin's perspective, not his own. "Me?" Alexander raised an eyebrow, gently caressing Lily's cheek. "Do you really want to know?"

Lily nodded vigorously, her eagerness deepening Alexander's smile. He considered it seriously. "If it were me, I'd let him stay in Sapphine forever, never to leave. Just Sapphine. I'd give him a place on the edge of the land, and he'd remain there for the rest of his life."

Lily hadn't expected that. "I thought"

"Why? You thought I'd cut him into pieces instead?" Alexander said half-jokingly, aware of his public image. Lily laughed. "Y-Yeah!"