Samuel pursed his lips and shook his head. "I''m curious too. At the night market, he seemed desperate for Hannah to agree with his n. There was no sign he suspected anything, and he didn''t look like he was acting."


    Lionel wasn''t like the two of them; he was a terrible actor.


    He wore his heart on his sleeve, so Samuel was certain his words to Hannah that day were genuine. He truly wanted her to go along with his scheme.


    And when Hannah finally agreed, even though Samuel couldn''t see his face, his joyful tone of voice was unmistakable.


    "Do you think someone tipped him off on his way there?"


    "Who would do that? It certainly wasn''t Sandra; she wants them divorced more than anyone. Quennel is unlikely too. And after all this drama, Lionel has barely spoken to any of his old friends."


    Samuel ran through the list of people in Lionel''s circle but couldn''te up with a likely candidate.


    "I guess he really did just have a sudden moment of rity," Cherry said, finding Samuel''s analysis convincing. She couldn''t think of anyone who would go out of their way to help him either.


    "Whatever. It''ll have to be settled in court anyway. When the timees, I''ll hire some people to mob him at the courthouse entrance. We''ll get him trending onest time and make the Rosenberg familypletely give up on him!"


    As Samuel spoke, his eyes narrowed with anticipation.


    The thought made Cherry excited as well.


    "You know, Lionel has caused so much trouble. Do you think the Rosenbergs just don''t care?"


    Cherry was genuinely curious. No one in the Temple family had ever caused such a public scandal, but there had been instances where personal affairs damaged the family''s business, and the influential members had always handed out punishments.


    After all the mistakes Lionel had made, could the Rosenbergs really be so lenient as to not discipline him at all?


    Samuel wondered the same thing.


    "Maybe the Rosenbergs are already nning to deal with him. It''s a shamed don''t have any contacts inside their family. Otherwise, could ask around and maybe get same inside information."


    Samuelmented theirck of foresight. They had sessfully nted Cherry by Lionel''s side, but it never urred to them to ce someone within the Rosenberg family itself.


    If they had, they would know exactly what was happening behind closed doors.


    Night fell, and a cool breeze drifted through the city.


    Lionel stood by the window, gazing out at the view.


    The streetlights were on, cars weaving through the streets below, but his mind was in turmoil. It wasz almost time for the meeting Quennel


    had mentioned. If he didn''t go, it


    W.


    would be taken as his silent O


    agreement to leave the Rosenberg family.


    But if he did go, he could already imagine the lecture he was in for.


    When he first returned to the family, those so-called elders had appeared, looking


    him up and down before shaking their heads in disappointment and leaving.


    It was as if they despised him, found him beneath them.


    The second time was after he and Hannah had slept together. They sent a representative to tell him he had disgraced the family name. Since the deed was done he was to marry Hannah but keep it a secret.


    In fact, they were the main reason his marriage to Hannah had been kept private. It


    was their decision.