Chapter 207

“The tragedy that struck the Moore family was plotted by Antoine, your Master’s uncle, who collaborated with an overseas underground syndicate. On the day it happened, your Master’s mother had just undergone surgery and was unable to move.”

The whole family was caught up in the joy of Hannah’s imminent recovery, so they let their guard down around the manor. Your Master’s father trusted Antoine completely and never imagined he would betray them.

Antoine had long harbored bitter envy toward Richard and your Master’s family. When he finally joined forces with those foreign criminals, they planted explosives throughout the manor, and the entire family perished in the flames.

“As for how your Master managed to escape, that remains unknown,” Yannis explained.

Yannis had indeed uncovered the truth about the Moores. The family wielded considerable influence, and with Richard emerging as the family’s rising star, all attention was focused on him. His younger brother, Antoine, was consumed by jealousy.

After the whole family moved abroad, amidst the chaotic overseas power struggles, Richard had to juggle caring for his ailing wife while running the family empire. With so much on his plate, oversights were inevitable over time.

Antoine had lurked in the shadows for years, biding his time to seize the patriarch’s seat. When an underground syndicate—long coveting the Moore family’s vast fortune—approached him, they hatched a scheme.

Striking as Hannah recovered and the family’s guard was down, they delivered the fatal blow.

Jackson had spent years investigating the Moore family. Pooling their findings, he and Yannis reconstructed the full chain of events.

But as for how Nathan managed to escape—given the sheer scale of the explosion that engulfed the entire manor—it was virtually impossible for anyone to make it out alive.

Zinnia clenched her fists as she listened. “So, are those underground syndicates still around?”

“Not anymore,” Yannis shook his head. “A mysterious figure wiped them out five years ago. Yosef and I now believe it was most likely Nathan.”

Five years ago, major headlines in Mealinia reported that an overseas underground syndicate had been brutally dismantled. The syndicate’s leader was found decapitated—his eyes shot out, scalp flayed, and skull corroded with acid—before being hung above the syndicate’s entrance as a chilling warning. Of course, Yannis didn’t tell Zinnia about any of this.

The underground syndicate was consumed by a massive explosion, reducing their stronghold to ruins. A fire then swept through, leaving no survivors—eerily mirroring what had happened to the Moore manor years ago.

The organization was uprooted completely. For many overseas victims, the news brought cathartic relief. The incident made international headlines, with reports even reaching back home.

Back then, when Jackson and Yannis got the news, they immediately suspected it might be Nathan’s doing.

Jackson promptly dispatched investigators overseas, but no one could uncover the truth—the culprit had vanished without a trace. Just as Zinnia said, “If Nathan doesn’t want to be found, then no one in this world could ever track him down.”

An unprecedented genius was no exaggeration when it came to Nathan. Among Jackson’s generation, he was a legendary prodigy—everyone who met him couldn’t help but sing his praises. Even many years later, elders in their circle still felt sorry for his death.

The MZ Group began establishing its foothold exactly one year after the underground syndicate’s demise. ‘Five years ago,’ Zinnia suddenly remembered—that was when Master had vanished for two months.

When he returned, he asked if she wanted to go to Mealinia. ‘Could it have been Master’s doing?’ she wondered.

“What about the Moore family now?” With the underground syndicate wiped out, they were all that’s left.

Chapter 207

Chapter 208

Yannis gently patted Zinnia’s head and said, “The Moore family isn’t what it used to be. Over the years, your brother has been supportive (deals with the devil always end badly. These underground forces are not easy partners,

“When the Moores got into trouble, the syndicate took most of their assets, leaving them a shell of their former selves. In the years since, mediocre leadership has only led them further downhill.

“Your brother could have swallowed up the Moores completely, but he didn’t. He kept them around because he knew, with your Master’s temperament, he would never let the Moores off the hook. As long as the Moore family exists, if your Master is still alive, he’ll definitely seek revenge.

“Don’t worry—your Master is a powerful man; dealing with the Moores would be child’s play. Once he’s settled everything, he’ll come back.” He thought, ‘Only Nathan himself could properly avenge his family and find peace in his heart.’

“I see,” Zinnia murmured, still downcast, her fingers absently picking at the pom-poms on her sweater.

She thought to herself, I feel so useless. I can’t do anything to help Master. I didn’t even know who he really was until now, and yet he’s still taking care of me.

Yannis gently freed the tangled pom-pom from Zinnia’s hands and said softly, “Zinnia, don’t think you haven’t helped your Master. The reason he never told you anything was because he wanted you to live well, without being burdened by his troubles. You’ve been by his side all these years—that’s the greatest help you could give him.”

He gently lifted Zinnia’s face. She looked dejected, her pink lips chapped from anxious biting.

He felt a little terrible for her. She had only just managed to pull herself out of her own troubles, and now she was weighed down again by worries about Nathan. She wasn’t even an adult yet—these burdens shouldn’t have been hers to bear.

Yannis told her all this not to make her feel guilty, but because she wanted to know and hated being kept in the dark. That’s why he was willing to investigate for her.

“Yannis, could I beg you for a favor? In return, I’ll do one thing for you—no, three things. Anything within my power.”

Zinnia looked up at him, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. I don’t really have anything to offer in return, and I don’t even know if he’ll agree to help, she thought, feeling a little lost.

“Go on,” Yannis frowned when he heard her use the word “beg.” He hated how formal and distant she sounded to him.

“Please help my Master if he ever runs into trouble,” Zinnia pleaded softly.

She couldn’t imagine how Nathan had endured so much hardship over the years, nor how he managed to bear the pain of losing his family while plotting revenge for over a decade—all while still looking after her.

He has no one to rely on, and I can do nothing to help him, she thought sadly.

“Zinnia, even if you hadn’t asked, Yosef and I wouldn’t just stand by and do nothing. Don’t worry—we’ll keep a close eye on the Moore family, and if we notice Nathan needs help, we’ll step in,” Yannis said.

Hearing her plead for Nathan, Yannis felt a pang of bitterness—clearly, in her heart, her Master always came first.

They had known each other for nearly two months, yet she had never asked him for anything—always careful not to trouble him. But now, for Nathan’s sake, even knowing how extraordinarily capable her Master was, she still worried something might happen to him.

That’s why she came to him—to secure a safety net for Nathan. With only Nathan left in the Moore family, she feared Nathan had no one else to rely on.

Chapter 208