Chapter 561: The Princess Has Arrived in Lustre

Mrs. Scott was completely dumbfounded. She stared at the old man and asked, "Is this the attitude of the Mercer family?"

Old Master Mercer looked easygoing, but in reality, he wasn’t someone to be trifled with. He said bluntly, "Is there a problem with the Mercer family’s attitude? Anyone can easily find out how you’ve treated Nina. We are obliged to give these things, but they are exclusively for Nina. Outsiders shouldn’t even dream of coveting a single cent. I think my grandson did the right thing.

"Furthermore, don’t even think about pestering my granddaughter-in-law. If you try to do anything to her, I’m afraid the consequences will be more than you can bear."

Having said his piece, the old man immediately called for the butler. "See our guest out!"

Although Old Master Mercer didn’t know exactly what had transpired, there had to be a reason why Miles disliked the Scott family and why Nina rarely mentioned her parents.

Mrs. Scott wanted to argue further, but she was already being politely ushered out.

She wondered what that ungrateful wretch had said to the Mercers to make them act this way. That damn Nina Scott!

Meanwhile, by the time Nina finished her work, she finally noticed that another massive sum of money had been deposited into her bank account.

Stunned, she counted the digits. One, two, three, four, five... there were exactly eight zeros at the end!

This was far more than all of her savings combined. Why was Miles transferring money to her again?

Nina called Miles. He picked up, but for a moment, neither of them spoke.

"You..." Nina was the first to break the silence. "I just checked my bank account. Did you transfer money to the wrong person?"

"No."

"Then what is this money for? Three hundred million... That’s way too much."

Miles said, "It’s for you to spend."

He didn’t mention that Mrs. Scott had come looking for them, nor did he say it was a bride price.

"Why are you giving me money to spend? I have my own money. I don’t want it; I’m transferring it back to you."

Nina didn’t feel at ease holding onto this money. She had never thought about taking the Mercer family’s wealth. She could earn a little money for her own expenses, and she felt quite happy with her life as it was.

"There’s no need," Miles said.

"No way. I don’t need your money. You’d better keep it yourself."

Nina insisted on returning it no matter what, but Miles replied, "I don’t want it either. If you transfer it back, I’ll just send it to you again."

"Why?"

Miles said, "Just pretend I have too much money and nowhere to spend it. Consider it buying you a bit of happiness."

Initially, Nina had been shocked, but hearing his words, she felt genuinely happy.

"Spending so much money just to buy happiness... don’t you feel like you’re taking a massive loss?"

"Not at all."

Nina dwelled on his reply for a moment, her heart pounding against her ribs like a deafening drum. He had given her so much money, yet Miles actually thought it wasn’t a loss?

Regardless, she would just have to find a chance to return the money to Miles next time. Along with this sum, she still hadn’t spent the fifty million he had previously transferred to her as a bride price.

Inside a massive home gym, Jason Summers was working out.

Beside him, an underling reported on their recent operations. "Mr. Summers, these are the recent money-laundering figures from our hotels. The revenue from the underground casinos is looking excellent, and our loan sharking volume has increased by ten percent compared to last month."

On the surface, Jason was engaged in legitimate businesses, but in reality, he was involved in all sorts of illegal activities—whether it was gambling, loan sharking, or smuggling. He had been doing this for a long time and was well-versed in the underworld. He had set everything up so flawlessly that hardly anyone knew his true nature.

He always kept himself at arm’s length from the crimes. Even if the authorities investigated, the trail would never lead to him.

Still exercising, Jason’s expression remained completely unbothered as he listened.

"Hmm, the pace of the money laundering is a bit too slow."

None of his capital came from legitimate sources. If he wanted to use the money normally, he had to funnel it through his legitimate enterprises to wash all those illicit funds clean. In fact, many of his businesses existed solely for the purpose of money laundering.

"The authorities have been strict lately," the subordinate explained. "We can’t be too blatant with many of our businesses and have to operate them properly for now. Otherwise, if any anomalies are detected, we could get wiped out in one fell swoop."

"Alright, I got it." Jason waved a hand dismissively, his face etched with impatience.

"Oh, right, Mr. Summers. Someone has been keeping an eye on us lately, but we aren’t sure who they work for," the man continued.

Jason replied, "If you guys can’t find out, it means the other party’s identity isn’t simple. As long as it isn’t Interpol, everything is manageable. Keep a close watch and report any developments to me immediately."

"Yes, sir."

"What about the situation in Elandra?" Having finished discussing their local operations, Jason shifted the topic.

"The Princess has been very restless lately. I heard she wants to come to Calypsos. The maid we planted by her side has subtly dropped hints and even tried to intimidate her to dissuade her, but it hasn’t been very effective. The Princess seems dead set on it.

"As for the King, things are the same as usual. He goes about his daily affairs. He recently traveled to Freyan for a routine international meeting, and his next itinerary includes a visit to Atheria. However, Atheria borders Calypsos, so we aren’t sure if he’ll come here. It’s not on his current schedule, though."

Jason’s usual composed demeanor was long gone. Now, his face was twisted into a terrifying expression.

"Keep an eye on the Princess. If we can’t kill her idea of coming here, prepare for the next step. Intercept her directly at the airport."

"Yes, sir."

"Alright, you’re dismissed."

Jason waved him off, his eyes brimming with calculation and murderous intent.

Meanwhile, in Elandra.

The Princess had been tossing and turning in the Royal Palace recently, unable to get a good night’s sleep. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to happen. She felt constantly on edge, her heart forever in her throat.

The King wasn’t currently in Elandra either. She had questioned the informants she had planted, but the results were always the same: everything was normal, and nothing had happened.

However, this only made the Princess more uneasy. This sort of tranquility felt like the calm before a storm. She worried that if something did happen, it would catch her completely off guard.

Her previous desire to visit Calypsos leaped into her mind once again. Although her maid had mentioned that public order in Calypsos wasn’t great, she still wanted to go.

Especially over the past two days, this urge had grown increasingly intense. The Princess decided it was best to have someone make the arrangements.

If she traveled secretly and arranged for extra guards to protect her, there shouldn’t be any issues. Thus, the Princess immediately ordered her staff to prepare. She was going to Calypsos.

"Your Highness, will you be heading to Aethelgard in Calypsos?" her subordinate asked. As the most prosperous city in the country, it was the usual destination for such visits.

"Prepare a private jet for me. I’ll go directly to Lustre," the Princess replied. She had previously discovered that the woman named Ivy Sherwood was in Lustre. Furthermore, according to her investigation, members of the Mercer family seemed to be in that small city as well.

She didn’t know exactly where Jason Summers was right now, but he was likely in Calypsos too.

She wondered what kind of charm Calypsos possessed to attract so many people to its borders!