Chapter 269 - 268: They Built Each Other Up

The study.

Kai Preston looked at the two men sitting ramrod straight across from him and asked in a deep voice,

"The two girls must have given you a rough idea of what happened to the three of them before they came back to Apeiron with me, right?"

The two men nodded in unison and replied together, "They did."

But they had only mentioned it briefly, in just a few sentences, without going into detail about what actually happened during those seven years.

So, all Leo Grant and Silas Lynch knew was that they had managed to escape, but Zion’s biological sister, Esther Rivera—who was incredibly important to all three of them—had died in that place.

Kai Preston nodded in understanding. The motion of rolling the walnuts in his hand never ceased, but his gaze seemed to drift into the distance.

"To be honest, I don’t know the full details of what they went through either. So let me tell you about the first time we met. Looking back now, it must have been nine years ago.

"When I met them, they were at the end of their rope. Can you imagine? Three half-grown kids, only about this tall, trekking through the mountains covered in blood and wounds."

As he spoke, Kai Preston gestured with his hand in the air to show their height.

"At that time, Third was already unconscious. The two girls, who had multiple fractures themselves, were hauling him along, stumbling forward one step at a time.

"I followed them for a long while before Yvonne finally noticed me.

"But her first instinct wasn’t for the three of them to run. Instead, she handed Third over to Nina, pushed them away, and then walked up to me by herself.

"I will never forget the look in her eyes. It was filled with a bloodthirsty killing intent that sent a chill down my spine—not a look a child her age should have."

Leo Grant’s fingers curled slightly without him realizing it. He kept his eyes lowered, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Silas Lynch wasn’t faring much better. His face had started to turn pale when he heard the words "end of their rope."

Kai Preston merely shot them a glance before continuing,

"Like Yvonne, I am a Spiritual Ability User. I could tell at first glance that she had just recently awakened her superpower. Her spiritual power was unstable and on the verge of depletion, at risk of collapsing violently at any moment.

"I could also see she was prepared to fight me to the death. Even knowing it might be a fool’s errand, she wanted to carve a bloody path of escape for the other two.

"Perhaps because it had been so long since they’d received any kindness from a stranger, I had to use every ounce of persuasion—even my superpower—to finally convince them to come back with me.

"But even after I treated their wounds, gave them full meals, and put them in comfortable, safe rooms, they remained wary of outsiders for a long time.

"You’ve probably all noticed that even though Yvonne isn’t the oldest, she’s the one with the most authority among them. Nina and Third always defer to her."

The two men said nothing, only nodding repeatedly. That was indeed the case.

Although Nina Jennings and Zion often spoke flippantly in front of Yvonne Lowell, most of the time, a single look from her was enough to make them obediently shut their mouths.

It was a clear case of "Yvonne Lowell decides the big things, and they handle the small things." But for the three of them, there were no small things.

"Honestly, I was also puzzled by this dynamic. They were already like that when I first met them. It was Yvonne’s nod that sealed their decision to come with me."

Kai Preston gave a helpless smile. "Even later on, whenever the three of them had a disagreement and the vote was two against one—a completely one-sided situation—Yvonne still held the veto power.

"Once their injuries healed, our relationship eased considerably. I asked if they wanted to stay, and they readily agreed.

"After that, they began studying with the elders in Apeiron. Nina had a talent for medicine and poisons, while Third was interested in computer code.

"Yvonne, on the other hand, was a prodigy. She was willing to learn anything, picked up everything quickly, and could master each skill to perfection."

"So, the idea came to me to groom her as my successor. I went to the three of them to ask for their opinion, and the answer was a unanimous ’yes’.

"The other two felt Yvonne deserved it, saying she was the only one among them worthy of the position. Yvonne herself was thinking that with such a status, she could better protect them.

"The three of them have always been thinking of each other. None of them ever wanted to be the one to drag the others down, so they all threw themselves into their studies.

"Joker, the number one hacker; Michael White, the divine doctor; Falcon, the leader of Moonshadow; and all those other identities that make people tremble at the mere mention of their names.

"They are who they are today because they built each other up."

Kai Preston placed the walnuts in his hand on the table, the sharp click drawing the two men’s attention.

Kai Preston’s expression turned incredibly solemn, his eyes filled with warning.

"The heart has its biases. I can’t deny that Yvonne holds a special place in my heart.

"After all, as my successor, she spent the most time with me, and her way of handling things is the most like my own.

"But I have never married nor had children of my own. I consider those three my own flesh and blood. They are all Kai Preston’s children.

"Since the two girls were willing to tell you about their past and bring you back here, it means they’ve chosen you.

"So today, I’ll be blunt with you both. I know neither of you is a simple man. With the Grant Family’s century-long merchant legacy and the Forrest Family’s history of unwavering loyalty, you two—as you young people would say—have all your buffs maxed out.

"But so what? I, Kai Preston, am not some useless old fool. If either of you makes my daughters unhappy, I, and all of Apeiron, will risk everything to make you regret it."

He didn’t care how powerful they were on the outside, or how many connections they had. Here, there was only one identity—his, Kai Preston’s, children.

Leo Grant stood up, his expression serious, and gave him a slight bow.

"Uncle Quincy, rest assured. She is more important to me than my own life. I will never let her suffer the slightest harm while she is with me."

"Uncle Quincy, I feel the same way about Nina." Silas Lynch also stood and bowed in the same manner.

"And I understand what you mean. I was born to serve my master, and my master treats me like a brother. It is my duty to respect the future mistress. From now on, just like Nina, I will only ever support and protect Miss Lowell. I will never harbor any ill feelings toward her."

He wasn’t a fool. He understood the unspoken warning Kai Preston was giving him.

But he truly never had any other intentions—not in the past, not now, and not ever in the future.

Besides, during his first heart-to-heart with Nina Jennings, she had told him that if it weren’t for Yvonne Lowell, she would have been long dead eleven years ago.

So, for every reason imaginable, both professional and personal, he would never let these matters cause him to have any negative thoughts.

"Remember what you’ve said today."

Kai Preston’s torch-like gaze bore into them for a long moment before he picked up his walnuts, stood, and walked out.

"Go on down. It should be about time for dinner."