Chapter 207
โThe tragedy that struck the Moore family was plotted by Antoine, your Masterโs uncle, who collaborated with an overseas underground syndicate. On the day it happened, your Masterโs mother had just undergone surgery and was unable to move.โ
The whole family was caught up in the joy of Hannahโs imminent recovery, so they let their guard down around the manor. Your Masterโs father trusted Antoine completely and never imagined he would betray them.
Antoine had long harbored bitter envy toward Richard and your Masterโs family. When he finally joined forces with those foreign criminals, they planted explosives throughout the manor, and the entire family perished in the flames.
โAs for how your Master managed to escape, that remains unknown,โ Yannis explained.
Yannis had indeed uncovered the truth about the Moores. The family wielded considerable influence, and with Richard emerging as the familyโs 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 patriarchโs seat. When an underground syndicateโlong coveting the Moore familyโs vast fortuneโapproached him, they hatched a scheme.
Striking as Hannah recovered and the familyโs 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 escapeโgiven the sheer scale of the explosion that engulfed the entire manorโit was virtually impossible for anyone to make it out alive.
Zinnia clenched her fists as she listened. โSo, are those underground syndicates still around?โ
โNot anymore,โ Yannis shook his head. โA mysterious figure wiped them out five years ago. Yosef and I now believe it was most likely Nathan.โ
Five years ago, major headlines in Mealinia reported that an overseas underground syndicate had been brutally dismantled. The syndicateโs leader was found decapitatedโhis eyes shot out, scalp flayed, and skull corroded with acidโbefore being hung above the syndicateโs entrance as a chilling warning. Of course, Yannis didnโt 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 survivorsโeerily 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 Nathanโs doing.
Jackson promptly dispatched investigators overseas, but no one could uncover the truthโthe culprit had vanished without a trace. Just as Zinnia said, โIf Nathan doesnโt want to be found, then no one in this world could ever track him down.โ
An unprecedented genius was no exaggeration when it came to Nathan. Among Jacksonโs generation, he was a legendary prodigyโeveryone who met him couldnโt 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 syndicateโs demise. โFive years ago,โ Zinnia suddenly rememberedโthat was when Master had vanished for two months.
When he returned, he asked if she wanted to go to Mealinia. โCould it have been Masterโs doing?โ she wondered.
โWhat about the Moore family now?โ With the underground syndicate wiped out, they were all thatโs left.
Chapter 207
Chapter 208
Yannis gently patted Zinniaโs head and said, โThe Moore family isnโt 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,
โWhen 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.
โYour brother could have swallowed up the Moores completely, but he didnโt. He kept them around because he knew, with your Masterโs temperament, he would never let the Moores off the hook. As long as the Moore family exists, if your Master is still alive, heโll definitely seek revenge.
โDonโt worryโyour Master is a powerful man; dealing with the Moores would be childโs play. Once heโs settled everything, heโll come back.โ He thought, โOnly Nathan himself could properly avenge his family and find peace in his heart.โ
โI see,โ Zinnia murmured, still downcast, her fingers absently picking at the pom-poms on her sweater.
She thought to herself, I feel so useless. I canโt do anything to help Master. I didnโt even know who he really was until now, and yet heโs still taking care of me.
Yannis gently freed the tangled pom-pom from Zinniaโs hands and said softly, โZinnia, donโt think you havenโt helped your Master. The reason he never told you anything was because he wanted you to live well, without being burdened by his troubles. Youโve been by his side all these yearsโthatโs the greatest help you could give him.โ
He gently lifted Zinniaโs 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 wasnโt even an adult yetโthese burdens shouldnโt 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. Thatโs why he was willing to investigate for her.
โYannis, could I beg you for a favor? In return, Iโll do one thing for youโno, three things. Anything within my power.โ
Zinnia looked up at him, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. I donโt really have anything to offer in return, and I donโt even know if heโll agree to help, she thought, feeling a little lost.
โGo on,โ Yannis frowned when he heard her use the word โbeg.โ He hated how formal and distant she sounded to him.
โPlease help my Master if he ever runs into trouble,โ Zinnia pleaded softly.
She couldnโt 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 decadeโall while still looking after her.
He has no one to rely on, and I can do nothing to help him, she thought sadly.
โZinnia, even if you hadnโt asked, Yosef and I wouldnโt just stand by and do nothing. Donโt worryโweโll keep a close eye on the Moore family, and if we notice Nathan needs help, weโll step in,โ Yannis said.
Hearing her plead for Nathan, Yannis felt a pang of bitternessโclearly, in her heart, her Master always came first.
They had known each other for nearly two months, yet she had never asked him for anythingโalways careful not to trouble him. But now, for Nathanโs sake, even knowing how extraordinarily capable her Master was, she still worried something might happen to him.
Thatโs why she came to himโto 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