Chapter 316 There Is No Light in the Darkness

Chapter 316 There Is No Light in the Darkness

When the Green family fell from grace back then, the wealth that was actually seized was only the smallest fraction of what they had owned.

In that chaotic era, the fact that Cedric had managed to climb as high as he did through nothing but his own effort was legendary in itself.

He seemed to have lost. But in reality, he had trapped all those who were eyeing the Green family's wealth in the shadows within his game.

Even though decades have passed, countless people still wanted to get their hands on wealth. But not a single one had ever found it.

Sophia's heart sank at these words. As expected. It always came back to money.

"Don't you want to avenge your grandfather?" Ryan's voice was tempting. His eyes fixed intently on the woman across from him.

She looked up to meet his gaze. Her expression calm, making it impossible to read her true emotions.

Sophia pretended not to care and said, "He's been dead for decades. Does revenge even matter anymore?"

"But, Mr. Morris, you seem really eager for me to seek revenge. You want that fortune too, don't you?"

The curve at the corner of her eyes was pure sarcasm.

But her words didn't change Ryan's expression at all. He seemed to have expected exactly this reaction. The phone on the table kept buzzing, yet no one paid attention to it.

Sophia stood up on her own. She showed no particular interest in the bracelet still sitting on the table.

Even without considering the hidden value behind it, it was itself a priceless treasure that could fetch hundreds of millions of dollars at auction.

"Haven't you noticed there are a lot more eyes watching you lately?"

Sophia stopped mid-step. Her fluffy slippers pressed into the carpet, looking so harmonious.

She turned to look at Ryan, still sitting on the sofa his eyes slightly raised. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

Ryan said, "Let's work together."

Whether driven by interest or genuine feeling, he was undeniably fascinated by Sophia.

She was the most clear-headed person he had ever met.

"I know you have tremendous power in Seraphim, but don't forget, this is the domestic territory. There's no light in the darkness. You might not be afraid for yourself. But what about your children?"

His eyes were cold and dark as ink as he looked at her. Sophia saw in him a determination to seize power at all costs.

"Business can't compete with power, and power is held by only a handful of people."

His voice was cold and emotionless, but every word landed exactly where it hurt.

Ryan slowly gripped his water glass, as if grasping power were that simple.

He wasn't in a hurry to hear her answer.

The fact that he came in person today to deliver this item meant he had already made thorough preparations.

People with weaknesses had no choice but to keep moving forward.

Only by standing at the top, looking down on everyone else, becoming someone that others fears, only then could you truly protect the ones you loved.

Ryan finished the water in his glass, then stood up leisurely. He curved his lips into a gentle and warm smile as he looked at her. His gaze swept over the black wooden box on the table, showing no greed for the wealth behind the bracelet.

"The bracelet," he said. "Returning it to its rightful owner."

Before leaving, he left his business card.

A plain black card with silver embossing, no design, just a phone number.

The living room fell silent again.

Sophia's gaze lingered on the card on the black wooden box. Seeing through the true nature of Ryan's actions, she hadn't expected that beneath his calm and steady exterior was such an ambitious man.

In the departing car, Ryan saw a message from a number he had already saved.

[Sophia: Happy cooperation.]

Ryan's gray eyes pulled away from the phone screen and turned to look at the retreating mountain scenery outside the window. The corners of his mouth curled up.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. That saying really wasn't wrong.

Joe, who had recently returned to Seraphim temporarily to handle matters and at Sophia's request had taken Lyra back to the estate, had just landed at Cloud City airport when he spotted a woman who looked vaguely familiar.

When Sophia saw he was back, she handed Emily over to his care.

She needed to frequently visit the experimental base in Forton County these days.

Although it was only an hour or two drive, the child was still young, and constant car rides would increase certain risks.

Joe had no objections.

With matters abroad handled, he had given himself an extended vacation and could spend time with the child at home.

He suddenly said, "I saw Rebecca at the airport when I arrived."

Sophia, who was organizing materials, didn't pause at all upon hearing this. She wasn't surprised in the least.

"Ryan came by just yesterday. She must have followed him here."

"What did he want? Don't tell me it's about that arranged marriage thing again?"

"To discuss cooperation." She shared the key points of Ryan's visit with him.

Samuel had said before that as long as their cooperation went well, he would arrange for people to protect the domestic experimental base. Given his position in official circles, that promise was essentially a a protective talisman.

But yesterday Ryan had told her another secret.

During the campaign against the Green family back then, besides the Morris family, the most powerful person involved was from the Harris family.

Joe knew her character. If she had agreed, she must have thought it through carefully.

He didn't try to persuade her otherwise. Over the years that she and Emily had lived domestically, he had also consciously developed influence in the country and gradually built up some important connections.

But the entire north was almost evenly split between the Harris family and the Morris family.

Sophia smiled gently, "Don't worry, I'm not that easy to use."

Since those people all wanted to get a piece of the pie from her hands, they had better be prepared to lose a chunk of their own flesh in return.

A rabbit that bites isn't necessarily weaker than a lion.

"Be extra careful. There are a lot of rats hiding in the shadows." Joe frowned, his worry for her growing.

Sophia nodded, "I know."

The next morning, with Joe by Emily's side, Sophia set off for the Forton County experimental base with peace of mind.

Just as she left the village entrance, several black cars that had been lying in ambush burst out from the dense forest, blocking the view and surrounding Sophia's car.

"Break through," Sophia said impatiently.

As long as she held the big prize of the laboratory, flies drawn to profit would always be persistent.

She arrived at the Forton County experimental base at exactly ten o'clock.

Sophia looked at yet another scrapped car. Her expression far from pleasant.

She had lost count of how many cars had been crashed by now.

Logan had a blade of grass he'd casually plucked in his mouth, his neat buzz cut, and an unshakeable coldness between his brows.

"Ms. Johnson." He smiled, full of calculation.

She had suspected Logan's purpose in coming to the experimental base. But after investigating, she found that his every word and action really did seem like he was just here to work.

Not just him, but even those subordinates who had previously followed him to block her worked harder than anyone else.

If you didn't know better, you would think this experimental base belonged to the Myers family.

Sophia stopped in front of him. Her gaze glancing at the big pit Emily had dug in the sandy ground nearby, a moment of tenderness in her eyes.

When she heard the man's next words, she became much colder.