?Chapter 493:


    Elliana shot him a look and retorted sharply, “If you’re so determined to protect his reputation, rence, why not step up yourself? Go ahead, make the vow, prove your family’s innocence, and set the record straight. How about it?”


    Instantly, rence’s bold front vanished. Not in a million years would he risk making a vow like that. From childhood, Carter had drilled into him that his only mission was to im the Evans legacy. Swearing that vow now would unravel every scheme they’d ever nned. In that moment, rence decided Elliana was nothing but trouble—a venom he desperately wanted out of his life.


    A harsh cough abruptly racked Carter’s chest, and a spatter of blood stained his lips. Before, no one in the family had dared challenge his authority—his rank as Ruben’s brother had always kept him above reproach. Even when Irene took charge as the acting matriarch, she’d bend over backward to please him, no matter how harsh he got. And Ruben had always let him get away with more than anyone else. Yet now, Elliana had turned everything upside down—publicly flogging Derek before his very eyes and cornering him with a vow he could never make. The sting of such disgrace was more than he could bear.


    After coughing blood, Carter’s body nearly gave out, so frail that he needed rence’s support just to stay upright. His voice trembling with rage, he jabbed a finger at Elliana. “rence, don’t just stand there. Make her pay—break her legs and dump her in the sea!”


    Sanity abandoned Carter. He no longer cared about the consequences. rence matched his grandfather’s fury. Without a moment’s hesitation, he shouted at the top of his lungs, “Guards!”


    The conference room erupted as a wave of ck-d men surged inside.


    Having stacked the odds in their favor, Carter and rence were ready to flex their power atst.


    A dangerous energy crackled through the room as their hired muscle focused all their attention on Elliana.


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    But Elliana’s lips curled into a knowing smile. This was exactly the confrontation she had been waiting for. By driving Carter and rence past their breaking point, she’d forced their hand—and now, with the world watching, they could never justify their plot. After today, she would make sure they never threatened Cole again.


    Neither Carter nor rence expected Elliana to hold her ground so effortlessly. They’d seriously underestimated her.


    But no matter how cool Elliana yed it, Carter remained convinced that her downfall was inevitable. With Cole still out cold and no one left in her corner, he figured her defiance would soon cost her everything. Off to the side, Ruben kept his silence, watching the verbal sparring unfold. Suddenly, he mmed his palm against the table and said, “Carter. rence. Are you two nning a takeover right in front of us?”


    No sooner had Ruben spoken than Bertram and Emmanuel rose to their feet, their presence adding weight to the moment.


    sses glinted as Emmanuel fixed a re on Carter and rence. Words failed him, but his cold stare left no doubt about where he stood.


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