?Chapter 632:


    A flicker of surprise crossed Jason’s face—subtle, just the arch of a brow—but telling. He didn’t understand where the resistance wasing from. Still, he held back, unwilling to challenge Cole publicly.


    The others exchanged confused nces, eager for an exnation.


    Irene was the first to explode. “What are you talking about?” she snapped. “Being the family head doesn’t give you the right to dictate people’s marriages! Why did you say no? Are you afraid Jason might outshine you with Death Thorn by his side?”


    Ruben, ever the diplomat, stepped in, his voice calm but probing. “Cole, this alliance would benefit both sides. Death Thorn is respected, powerful, and already holds Jason in high regard. What exactly are your concerns?”


    Cole couldn’t reveal his true reason for opposing Jason’s union with Death Thorn. Death Thorn was actually Elliana, and that knowledge burned within him like a secret me. He needed to craft a lie—one that sounded both logical and convincing.


    “Delta remains a vtile region, bristling with hidden powers,” Cole began, his expression deliberately grave. “The Evans family holds no influence there. We understand virtually nothing about Thorn Rose, much less maintain any dealings with them. In matters such as these, caution must guide our every decision.”


    He pressed on, his tone carefully measured. “Death Thorn possesses formidable strength, I’ll acknowledge that much, but we cannot simply ept her words as truth. How can we verify that her im of ‘taking a fancy’ to Jason holds any genuine meaning?”


    Though Cole had fabricated the entire argument on the spot, he delivered it with such seamless logic that it rang true to everyone present. The possibility seemed entirely reasonable—that Death Thorn’s deration of liking Jason had been nothing more than a convenient excuse to justify her assault on the Phantom Mercenaries.


    Jason fell silent, his gaze dropping to the polished floor. He reyed his brief encounter with Death Thorn in his mind, examining every word she had spoken, every gesture she had made. She had imed to like him, but when he searched through his memories, he couldn’t recall witnessing any genuine warmth in her piercing eyes. Had she truly invented the entire reason in that moment? Yet, if that were the case, why rescue them at all?


    The thought that Death Thorn might not harbor real feelings for him settled like lead in his chest. He might question her emotions, but his own burned clear and undeniable. For him, that single nce had been enough to make him fall head over heels for her.


    Irene’s voice cut through the tension, sharp with indignation. “That’s absolutely ridiculous! Death Thorn wouldn’t waste time fabricating such nonsense. She could have conjured a hundred different reasons to attack the Phantom Mercenaries. Why im interest in Jason unless the feeling was genuine? If she spoke those words, she meant every one of them!”


    In truth, Irene harbored just as much enthusiasm for the match as Jason, though her motivations ran in entirely different directions.


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    for such games—he simply refused to participate in them. His primary obligation was to the Evans family’s security, a responsibility that demanded unwavering integrity andplete transparency, not calcted deception.


    The room surrendered to heavy silence until Ruben finally spoke. “Cole, I hold tremendous respect for Death Thorn’s abilities. If she proves willing to marry Jason, I would wee her into the Evans family with the greatest honor. However, we cannot pursue this matter if she was merely speaking without thought. What course of action would you rmend?”


    Before Cole could formte his response, Irene interjected once more. “The optimal strategy is perfectly clear! Jason should travel to Delta as a representative of the Evans family, bearing appropriate gifts. Whether her interest was genuine or not, such a gesture would create opportunities for a marriage alliance!”


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