"What difference does it make if I know?" Achilles frowned deeply. "I took her to the Green estate and politely suggested an alliance."
"They shot it down."
"Besides, Dane and Claire's engagement is a legacy from the previous generation."
"Do you have any idea who Claire's mother is?"
Achilles harbored his own bitterness over the situation.
But it was a completely one-sided affair for the Franklin family. There was nothing they could do.
The Green family simply wasn't interested.
Despite his relentless hints, they hadn't budged, ultimately arranging for their grandson to marry a girl from the country.
Even if Claire was the granddaughter of the Churchill family, she was still widely known as an imposter heiress.
Achilles firmly believed Claire couldn't hold a candle to his granddaughter, but he knew deep down that was just his own bias.
If he were being fair, Claire was just as brilliant as Latonia, if not more so.
The sheer fact that she had managed to reverse half of Baldrick's terminal condition proved her medical prowess was nothing short of extraordinary.
Achilles respected genuine talent, so despite favoring his own flesh and blood, he couldn't completely dismiss Claire's abilities.
"Who is it?"
Cyrus looked entirely lost.
"Melissa."
A wave of nostalgia washed over Achilles as he spoke the name.
Originally, Dane's uncle, Ablett, had been engaged to Melissa.
She had walked away from the arrangement, but no one realized she had given birth to a daughter.
Now, two decades later, that daughter had rekindled the alliance with the Green family's third-generation heir.
Though Achilles felt a sting of regret, he knew the Green family's decision was final.
Whether for sentimental reasons or strategic power, Claire was a far superior choice over Latonia.
"Who is Melissa?" Cyrus had no idea what the name signified.
"You know the Churchill family, right? She was Ms. Churchill."
"Claire is the granddaughter of the Churchill family."
Cyrus's jaw dropped, rendering him utterly speechless.
He was well aware of the Churchill family's monumental influence, but he never imagined Claire possessed such a formidable background.
He had blindly believed the cafeteria gossip that labeled her a fake socialite.
Turns out, she was true elite royalty!
"Grandpa, does that mean Latonia is completely out of the running?"
How could they possibly compete with the Churchills?
Unless Dane actively fell for Latonia, there was no stealing him away.
"She doesn't stand a chance. Don't even mention Dane in front of her."
"She still has to finish her studies abroad. By the time she returns, her infatuation might have faded."
"From what I can tell, Dane is entirely
captivated by that girl. The only way this ends is if she inherits her
mother's habit of falling for
someone else."
"Otherwise, the bond between the Churchill and Green families is unbreakable."
Cyrus only absorbed one phrase: falling for someone else!
From that day forward, Claire suddenly found herself dealing with a very persistent shadow.
Cyrus thought he had concocted the
perfect plan: as long as Claire
him, the Green family would
undoubtedly cancel the
novel
engagement
Śwnovels
for
He was ready to sacrifice his own love life to pave the way for his sister!
"You have feelings for me?" Claire
pointed a finger at her own chest him in utter disbelief
staring
"Cyrus, are you out of your mind?"
If he had confessed his undying love before all this, she might have bought it.
But declaring his feelings right after discovering she was Dane's fiancée? It reeked of a cheap conspiracy.
"I'm perfectly sane. I'm into you. Even if you won't date me right now, you can't stop me from trying to win you over."
Cyrus had always been a handsome, high-achieving golden boy, but his current relentless behavior was suffocating.
After he cornered her a few times, the rumor mill went into overdrive.