?Chapter 488:


    No one answered. The room was silent.


    Irene strolled in, pretending to be clueless. “Why’s everyone so tense? Did something happen?”


    Her timing gave Carter an opening. “Irene, I heard Jason was the hero against the Phantom Mercenaries.”


    Irene lit up. “You’re absolutely right, Carter. Lanny texted me that the Thorn Rose leader stepped in to help. Apparently, she has a soft spot for Jason. That’s how we made it out in one piece.”


    Lanny was already dead, but no one in the family knew. Irene kept using his name to sell her story.


    “What? The Thorn Rose leader has a crush on Jason?”


    The family elders were all stunned. The Evans family hadn’t broken into Delta yet, but everyone knew Thorn Rose was a major force. “I heard she’s loaded and calls the shots in the Delta. If Jason married her, it’d be a game-changer for us.”


    “With her by Jason’s side, we’d break into the Delta easily. Business would explode.”


    “Word is, she’s young, stunning, and powerful. She and Jason would make a killer pair.”


    “Jason’s a real catch. No wonder she’s smitten. He’s a credit to the Evans name!”


    Elliana rubbed her temples, half-amused, half-exasperated by the elders’ chatter. She couldn’t believe her offhand lie had turned into a full-blown family fantasy.


    Irene, on the other hand, was loving it. Cole had always been the center of attention. Jason, though loyal, had been in the background. She hated that. But now, her son was finally in the spotlight.


    Grinning, Irene said, “So you all think Jason and the Thorn Rose leader make a good match? I was thinking the same. That’s actually why I came to talk…”


    Irene radiated with a triumphant pride that was impossible to miss. Every movement she made was charged with a quiet arrogance, her satisfaction shining through. She didn’t bother to hide her delight—in fact, she shot Elliana a sharp, mocking nce, as if Jason’s future as head of the Evans family was already decided, and with it, her own position as the family’s queen.


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    Right now, to Irene, Elliana was nothing more than a trivial annoyance, barely worth her notice.


    Elliana’s lips twitched, holding back a chuckle. If Irene knew the truth—that she was Death Thorn herself—would Irene faint on the spot? Not that she had any ns of revealing herself. She would just let Irene enjoy her little fantasy while itsted.


    Across the room, Bertram cast Irene a disapproving nce, his features tightening at her shallow disy of pride. He remained silent, though. In truth, he understood the strategic advantage of a bond between Jason and the enigmatic leader of Thorn Rose. It was a union worth considering.


    Eavesdropping just beyond the door, Trinity stood frozen, her breath caught in her throat. Her nails dug into her palms as anxiety surged through her like a current. She had strung Jason along but nevermitted, viewing him as just a backup n to fall back on, all the while clinging to the hope of marrying Cole once he divorced. But now? Jason was being seriously considered for marriage. And not just to anyone, but to the elusive, powerful leader of Thorn Rose. And worse, everyone in the family was supporting it. Her stomach twisted. It felt like something precious was being torn right out of her hands.


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