Chapter 784
Soft laughter immediately spread throughout the room. The heavy atmosphere that had lingered moments earlier slowly began to dissolve.
But the lighter mood did not last long. Cale finally set down the document he had been holding the entire time. His expression turned serious again.
The shift was enough to make everyone else in the room straighten up as well, their expressions becoming equally solemn.
“There’s a reason I asked everyone to gather here today.”
Nathan nodded slowly. “Because of the will?”
“Yes.” Cale’s answer came without hesitation.
Silence settled over the room once again.
“The situation is moving much faster than I anticipated,” Cale continued. “As I said before, Naomi has been found. The people who have been targeting the Devereux family are becoming increasingly aggressive. And now there are parties openly trying to separate Naomi from my protection.”
Throughout the discussion, Nathaniel Miller had remained remarkably calm while listening to everything Cale and Lydia revealed. Most of the questions forming in his mind had already been voiced by Daven and Chris. At the very least, he now understood the general outline of the situation that had drawn Cale into yet another
complicated storm, one deeply tied to a difficult past.
“For a situation like this, what are you thinking, Cale?” Nathan asked evenly.
For several seconds, Cale said nothing. His gaze moved across each member of his family before he finally let out a quiet breath. “I want to hear your opinions first,” he said. “This isn’t an easy decision to make.”
Chris immediately raised an eyebrow. “When you ask the family for opinions before making a decision, it’s usually a bad sign.”
“Chris,” Lydia warned.
“I’m just being honest.”
Yet Cale seemed completely unfazed by his younger brother’s comment. If anything, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
The expression alone was enough to make Chris regret speaking, “Oh no…” he muttered. “Please tell me I’m not about to get assigned something weird.”
“I think I found a loophole in the will,” Cale said calmly.
Nathan narrowed his eyes. “A loophole?”
“And if we use it correctly, no one will be able to turn Naomi into a political tool.” His expression hardened. “I know the majority of the members of the Obsidian Circle well enough. If my assumption is correct, they’re still after what once belonged to Mr. Devereux and is now in my possession.”
The room fell silent again. Nearly everyone was staring at Cale intently now.
Even Naomi found herself watching him with growing curiosity. Then Cale spoke the next sentence. A sentence so unexpected that every member of the Miller family froze where they sat.
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Cap 244
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“I’m considering marrying Naomi off before the members of the Obsidian Circle make their move.”
For a moment…
No one seemed to know how to react. Until Naomi shattered the silence.
“No.”
Cale looked at her without flinching.
“You have to. This is the only solution. If you leave my protection, I can’t guarantee that your life will remain safe or continue the way you want it to.”
Naomi shot him a hostile look. “But why marriage?” she demanded. “Isn’t there any other way?”
“In the business world, marriage is often used to strengthen a particular position,” Nathan explained slowly, trying to help Naomi understand. “Some people also see marriage as a way to secure power that has already been established.”
Cale’s decision was not without reason.
He had no intention of allowing everything currently in his hands to be exploited by someone else. That included the promise he had made to the late Gavin Devereux. And now that Naomi had reappeared, there was no way his son could simply turn a blind eye to her existence.
Cale would undoubtedly choose every path available to ensure the girl’s safety.
Including this one.
“But I’m only twenty-two, Mr. Miller,” Naomi said, looking at Nathan with pleading eyes. “There are still so many things I want to do with my life.”
“Which is exactly why,” Cale interrupted, “you need to get married.”
“Mr. Ca-”
“With Chris.”