Chapter 973

"Insiders?!" Margaret nearly jumped. "Who? Who could it be? There's a thief in our family! We must find them!" She looked around, as if searching for the culprit.

"Mom, don't get agitated," Ralph said. "This thief didn't want money or our lives; they must be after something else."

"What do you think it could be?" Margaret asked, frowning thoughtfully. She paused, then stopped abruptly, catching Ralph's eye.

"I'm not the thief," she said, a touch defensively. "How should I know what they're looking for?" She glared at Alexander. "Alex, you can't ignore this incident. It would ruin our reputation. You must find this thief and bring them to justice!"

"Grandma, are you sure you haven't lost anything important?" Alexander asked, noticing the unspoken communication between Ralph and Margaret. He understood their private exchanges; it was a familiar dynamic. He was an outsider in their family, privy only to the periphery of their lives. They shared secrets he was excluded from—and, frankly, he wasn't interested.

However, Edward's report about the Light-Shadow Killers infiltrating the mansion had alarmed him. He'd planned to rush back immediately, but they'd come and gone without a trace. If their goal wasn't harm, what was it? Margaret clearly knew something, but refused to divulge it, piquing his curiosity.

Her eyes flashed at his question. "How would I know? The Russell family may seem like a big business, but it's an empty shell now. We don't have much money—not like you have no idea, given the allowance you provide. Important things? What important things do we have? Hmph!"

She avoided his question, but Alexander didn't press. If she wouldn't say, there was no point in pursuing it.

"I've checked; we haven't lost anything significant," he said. "This thief must have other plans. Alex, as you're now in charge of the Russell family, you should handle this. If word gets out..." Ralph smiled, then stopped abruptly, glancing at the clock. "Oh no! Heather's arriving today, and I'm late!"

Margaret reacted immediately. "That's right! Call someone to clean up this mess."

"Celine, see if the kitchen has all the ingredients," Margaret called out. "I almost forgot!"

Celine replied softly, "I checked; everything is ready. Don't worry. It was prepared last night."

Margaret shot a pointed look at Alexander. "Don't worry? This is a mess. Who knows if we offended someone, and this is their revenge?"

Ralph, already putting on his coat, said, "I'm late. I'll pick her up. Mom, I'll be right back!"