From Simon Adler’s expression, it was clear Mia Grant had guessed correctly.

No wonder he’d said this was for her protection.

If she didn’t obediently go to Portia, then Mr. Hughes wouldn’t spare her.

His smoke-roughened voice was slightly hoarse. "Silas hasn’t been able to make a full move yet. The timing is too tight. I don’t know if Mr. Hughes has sensed something."

"We originally planned to see Mr. Hughes off before the end of the year. But we never expected this to be so sudden."

"If we’d had even half a month more, it would have been enough time for Silas."

"But for Mr. Hughes to suddenly make a decision like this..."

Simon Adler stubbed out his cigarette and looked at her. "Silas doesn’t know I came to get you."

"Mr. Hughes realized I helped you pass on the message about your engagement."

"That’s why he sent me to bring you over."

"Using Silas’s name was my idea. I figured that if you knew it was Mr. Hughes’s order, you most likely wouldn’t come with me willingly."

"Jynsia is indeed fraught with danger. I can’t very well be charged with kidnapping a minor, can I?"

Mr. Hughes’s intentions were blunt.

But he couldn’t tell Mia Grant that bluntly, so he had to use Silas Grant’s name.

This was Jynsia, after all. He could probably manage one or two lunatics.

But a whole group of them...

He had no desire to end up doing time in jail.

Pulling strings isn’t easy in Jynsia.

"So, you haven’t told Silas yet?"

"No." At this point, Simon Adler had nothing left to hide. "This isn’t the right time to tell him."

"Once I find out why Mr. Hughes is in such a hurry, I’ll explain it to Silas."

"Because right now, I’m not sure how far he would go for you."

"Otherwise, you know the consequences."

"So what? Mr. Hughes won’t kill him."

After the last test, Mia Grant was quite certain of this.

Simon Adler nodded in agreement.

However...

"Do you think Silas has any other weaknesses besides you?"

Mia Grant thought long and hard, then slowly shook her head.

Silas Grant was like an impenetrable wall—hard and powerful.

Other than her, he had no weaknesses.

If Mr. Hughes hadn’t discovered her, Silas wouldn’t be so thoroughly under his thumb now.

Simon Adler scoffed. "As I thought. You don’t know him well at all."

"His weakness is his pride."

"I grew up with him. I know him even better than Hayes Hughes does."

"Growing up, no matter what it was, Silas has never lost. Do you understand what that means?"

"In matters big and small—from something as minor as a game of Go, to major events like school competitions, debates, academic contests, or sports. That includes his career later on; it’s all been smooth sailing."

"It’s not because of his powerful background, it’s because of his pride. He never allows himself to fail."

"That’s why he’s always been like a perfectly well-rounded warrior, undefeated in every battle."

"Because of that, I’ve lived in his shadow since I was a child. My parents were always comparing me to him."

"And it wasn’t just me."

"In The Portia Circle, among the many heirs of prominent families, nearly ninety percent of our generation has lived in his shadow."

"He’s like a king who rules over everything."

"No matter who it was, or how outstanding they were, they could never measure up to him."

"He’s practically flawless."

"He has to do everything to perfection. Sometimes I wonder if there’s something wrong with him—if he’s paranoid, or maybe has OCD?"

"There’s really nothing he can’t do. Even with some niche sport, he’s never fazed and handles it with effortless grace."

"As his friend, I don’t even know the full extent of his skills. Everyone gets twenty-four hours a day, and most of that is spent eating, sleeping, and working."

"But his time seems endless; otherwise, how would he constantly be improving himself?"

"So, in my opinion, he doesn’t accept and won’t allow himself to fail. And that very thing has become his weakness."

"You must be aware of the Hughes Family’s standing in Portia, and the status Mr. Hughes himself holds there."

"Just look at Silas. The man who raised an heir like that can’t be some simple character, can he? You can even see a glimpse of Mr. Hughes’s style from his younger days in Silas."

"But some have commented that as outstanding as Silas is, he still can’t match Mr. Hughes’s presence in his prime."

The rumor has always been that without the Hughes Family, without Mr. Hughes, the economy of Portus would be set back decades.

"I know." Mia swallowed with difficulty, a headache starting to throb.

Simon smiled. "So, do you want to see a sight more interesting than his death? That would be watching him suffer a total, crushing defeat."

"Just tell Silas about this now, and it won’t be long before you get to see it."

"If Mr. Hughes has really discovered our plan, then any drastic action from Silas right now would undoubtedly be adding fuel to the fire."

"Mr. Hughes will not allow someone to challenge his authority again and again."

"Not even Silas."

"But Silas... isn’t he his only trump card?"

"Let’s just say Silas is the one he’s most satisfied with, but not the only one."

"Hayes Hughes’s ambitions may lie elsewhere, but he’s not entirely out of the picture. And failing that, Serena Grant is also a possibility."

"Or what about Yuna Hughes?"

Mia Grant’s brow twitched.

Seeing her reaction, Simon continued, "If things really develop to that point, I imagine your situation will become even more difficult."

"You don’t really want to see that so-called sister of yours, and your parents, stepping all over you again, do you?"

"All this time, you’ve been deliberately maneuvering between these men. Wasn’t it all for the day you could not only escape, but also grind them viciously under your heel?"

"..."

Mia Grant glanced up. "Are you mentally masturbating again?"

Simon, who had just lit his second cigarette, was so startled by her words that he inhaled sharply. A mouthful of smoke shot down his throat into his lungs, and he choked for a few moments, coughing.

"Are—are you even a woman? At your age... how can you say things like that? What the hell has Silas Grant been teaching you?"

’Vulgar.’

Mia Grant blinked, unfazed.

"Am I wrong? You’re the one who just imagined all that crap. It makes sense that you understand Silas and Mr. Hughes, but you don’t understand me. We’re not close, so stop trying to figure out what I’m thinking."

"If you’ve got nothing better to do, go find a man to get you off. At least then you wouldn’t have to do it yourself."

Simon choked. "You..."

Across from him, the girl gave him the middle finger.

"???"

Simon laughed, a sound of pure exasperation. He felt a familiar sense of helpless frustration, the same kind he got when talking to his young niece.

’He had the urge to haul her over his knee and give her a hard spanking.’