“He’s my sworn brother, so standing up for him—no matter the cost—is only right,” Logan said firmly.

Elon’s face instantly darkened, and deep inside, a gnawing jealousy bubbled up. Despite being the most low-key of the Five Apex Families’ younger generation, Logan was arguably the most terrifying. He was about to take over the Keller family, a rising powerhouse. The Haywoods had Xavier—young, sharp, and fierce in combat. The Wrights had Quinton—manipulative, cunning, and notorious for his ruthlessness.

But Elon? He was… just Elon. He was overweight, lacked presence, and had just been publicly humiliated when word spread that his wife had cheated on him. His reputation was already slipping, and now he had become the joke of Blumedale’s elite circle.

Still, no matter how pathetic things seemed, Elon believed he was far better than Andrew. In his eyes, they were not even in the same league. So, it burned him even more to see Logan—someone he had always tried to impress—calling Andrew his sworn brother and being willing to fight for him. Elon could not help thinking why Logan did not respect and defend him like that. Why Andrew?

He clenched his fists inwardly, silently sighing that life really was unfair.

The Goldings’ patriarch, Richard, chuckled and said, “So, Logan, I assume this is also George’s stance?”

Logan nodded. “That’s right. My father stands by it, too.”

“Alright then,” Richard replied with a smile. “We’ll withdraw the bounty on Andrew immediately.”

Logan gave a respectful nod. “Much appreciated,” he said before turning to leave.

As soon as he was out the door, Elon exploded, “Father, why’d you give in so easily? Sure, the Keller family is powerful and clearly set on protecting Andrew, so maybe we had no choice. But couldn’t we at least show a little backbone?”

Richard snapped, “Fool! Don’t you get it? Logan came to us after visiting the Haywoods. That alone says everything. Do you think Roy and Xavier, with all their pride and ambition, weren’t also forced to back down? No one saw it coming, but somehow, Andrew earned a favor strong enough to make even the Keller family bow.” Elon scratched his head, still confused. “Okay, but what does that have to do with us? Just because the Haywoods backed off doesn’t mean the Goldings have to follow suit so eagerly! We’ve still got pride, don’t we?”

Richard looked at his son like he was an idiot. “If we’re going to cave, why not do it cleanly? The Haywoods probably acted all high and mighty about it, pretending family honor meant more than anything. But at the end of the day, did they dare challenge the Keller family?

“No. And we, the Goldings, are hoping to strengthen ties with the Keller family through marriage. Of course, our attitude needs to be perfectly aligned with theirs.

“You really didn’t hear what Logan said, did you? He called Andrew his sworn brother. And you—you’re always sucking up to the Keller family, sending gifts and doing favors, but has it earned you even a fraction of their respect?

“No. Nothing. All that effort, all that sucking up, and you still don’t even register on their radar. But Andrew? One move and he’s already won their favor. That’s the difference between you two. So maybe instead of whining, you should think long and hard about what makes Andrew so exceptional.”

Richard was both exhausted and frustrated by his fat son. He no longer saw him as a rising star or future legend of the elite families, and he did not even hope for him to become someone brilliant. At this point, he would have been happy if Elon were just a schemer like Quinton from the Wrights—at least then he would have some skills. But Elon? He was just… mediocre, unremarkable in every possible way, except when it came to eating.

The only thing Elon did with any flair was go around shouting that ridiculous line in public, “I’m Elon Allied, the epitome of money, glory, and power!” Several times, Richard overheard this and would immediately grab his chubby son by the ear, delivering a stinging series of slaps to his face.

“Damn it,” he muttered more than once, “where the hell did you even learn that nonsense?”

He used to have such high hopes for Elon, only for the boy to grow up parroting the cringiest lines imaginable.