“Ezra Quinn?
He’s Mr. Quinn’s grandson.
You know him?”
“I wouldn’t say I know him.
I just happened to see him get beaten up yesterday.”
Jett Westgate recalled the scene at The Empyrean Palace the previous night and found it rather amusing.
Zane Patterson hadn’t held back.
The kid had been sprawled on the ground, unable to get up, but he had a tough mouth.
He hadn’t uttered a single word of surrender from start to finish.
He had some grit, at least.
When Jett didn’t say more, Kian Miller probed, “So, Jett, are you meeting him or not? If you don’t want to, I’ll just turn them down for you.”
So many people wanted to curry favor with the Westgate Family that Jett Westgate usually couldn’t be bothered.
Mr. Quinn was in a hurry to see him, and odds are, it was about his precious grandson.
“Send me the address.”
“Sure thing.” Kian Miller agreed readily, but the background was a chaotic mess of arguing voices.
Suddenly, a loud SCRAPE echoed through the phone—
The noise irritated Jett Westgate.
He frowned.
“Where are you?
It’s so loud.”
“Ah, don’t even ask.
I just got into a fender bender right after arriving in Veridia.
My car got scraped, but it’s nothing serious.
I’m handling it now.
But… there’s another group nearby also dealing with an accident, and their bickering is giving me a headache.”
“You?
In an accident?
That’s rare.”
Kian Miller had a short fuse, but his driving skills were considered top-notch in their circle.
He’d never had a single mishap in all these years, so getting into an accident right after arriving in Veridia was unheard of.
“Just my bad luck today. It was a woman driver. But hey, you probably know the person who hit me. I’ll tell you the details when we meet. I just sent the Quinn family’s address to your phone.”
***
Just as Jett Westgate’s car turned onto the Quinn family’s street, he saw a crowd waiting at the gate to receive him.
They were clearly putting on a grand display.
Even Jett Westgate’s assistant couldn’t help but shoot him a look.
“Mr. Jett, don’t you think the Quinn family is laying it on a bit thick?”
The grander the reception, the more difficult the matter to be discussed.
It seemed Mr. Quinn’s reason for wanting to see him today was anything but simple.
The Quinn family residence was, to put it mildly, extravagant.
Marble columns, gilded reliefs, and a crystal chandelier hanging from the high-ceilinged great hall—every detail screamed of a garish, over-the-top “European palace” aesthetic.
The moment Mr. Quinn saw Jett Westgate walk in, he rushed to greet him.
“Nephew Jett, I’ve long admired your reputation! Please, take the seat of honor.”
It was their first meeting, yet Mr. Quinn’s demeanor was exceptionally deferential.
“By the way, calling you ‘Nephew Jett’—I hope you don’t mind?”
“Of course not.” ‘Mr.
Quinn was an elder, after all.
It would be awkward for him to call me Mr. Jett.
‘Nephew’ struck the perfect balance between respect and intimacy—the most appropriate choice, really.’
The two took their seats in the reception hall.
Mr. Quinn was evidently well-prepared.
With a wave of his hand, a butler began to lead in a procession of staff—
First, two cups of pre-Qingming Longjing tea were served, their aroma crisp and refreshing.
This was followed by a collector’s edition red wine, opened and left to decant.
Then came freshly brewed coffee and squeezed juice, and finally, an ebony humidor was presented, revealing several dark, glossy Cuban cigars nestled neatly inside.
“Nephew Jett, since this is your first time here, I wasn’t sure of your tastes, so I prepared a little of everything. Please, treat this place as your own home. Don’t stand on ceremony.” Mr. Quinn smiled warmly, gesturing to the table laden with tea, wine, and cigars.
Jett Westgate glanced at the table, his expression unchanged.
“Mr. Quinn, my time is limited. If you have something to say, please be direct.”
Mr. Quinn’s smile faltered for a moment.
“I’ve long heard that Nephew Jett is decisive and efficient. Seeing you today, you truly have a remarkable presence.” He dropped some of the pleasantries and leaned forward slightly.
“In that case, I won’t beat around the bush.”
His voice lowered.
“You’ve probably heard, Nephew Jett. Both of my useless grandsons were taught a lesson by that punk from the Patterson family. Moreover, I heard that when my Ezra was getting beaten at The Empyrean Palace… you were there?”
When Jett Westgate didn’t reply, he sighed.
“I won’t hide it from you.
The Quinn family only has these two boys, and now they’ve both been crushed by that Patterson kid.
How can our family show its face in Veridia after this? New chapters come out on g.com first.
How can we hold our heads high?”
“Nephew Jett, you’re a smart man.
Although I’m in an important position now and can cause some trouble for the Patterson Family’s cargo ships, I’m getting old.
I’ll be retiring in two years.
If the Patterson Family dares to touch my grandson like this now, I’m afraid the Quinn Family won’t even have a foothold after I retire.”
Jett Westgate looked up at him.
“What does this have to do with me?”
Seeing Jett’s attitude, Mr. Quinn dropped all pretense and got straight to the point.
“Nephew Jett, you’re getting engaged to Miss Valentine tomorrow. Since you’re based in Aethelgard, you might not have the full picture. Zane Patterson has been using his childhood friendship with Miss Valentine as an excuse to hover around her for years.”
Mr. Quinn took a sip of tea, watching Jett Westgate’s expression, before adding pointedly, “They’re more than just friends.”
‘He knew that since Jett Westgate had agreed to come, he must harbor some ill will toward Zane Patterson.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend, as they say.
He might as well just lay it all out on the table and get them on the same side.’
Jett Westgate tapped his fingertips lightly on the armrest and looked up at Mr. Quinn.
“What makes you think I would help an outsider go after my fiancée’s friend?”
“Nephew Jett, in Aethelgard, decorum and reputation are paramount, especially for a lineage like the Westgate Family.
The truth of a matter is sometimes less important than the rumors and perceptions of outsiders.”
“Miss Valentine and Zane Patterson are close.
If word of that gets back to Aethelgard, it won’t reflect well on anyone.
Even if you personally don’t care, you can’t ignore the Westgate Family’s reputation.
Am I wrong, Nephew Jett?”
Jett Westgate’s gaze darkened.
“Are you trying to tell me what to do, Mr. Quinn?”
“Oh, no, no!
I wouldn’t dare.”
“Nephew Jett, there’s something you don’t know.
Back in the day, the Patterson Family monopolized the shipping industry in Veridia.
My Quinn Family wanted to get involved and get a piece of the pie, and the higher-ups had even agreed.
After all, you can’t let one family monopolize a business.”
“But, as fate would have it, those two kids from the Valentine and Patterson families were close.
To help the Pattersons, Mr. Valentine went and asked your Westgate Family to intervene.
With a single word from your father, the prize was snatched right from our grasp.”
There was a hint of a sigh in his voice.
“All these years, the Quinn Family had to pivot into real estate. We’ve been holding onto that grudge… and it’s been galling. Even though I can put some pressure on the Pattersons now that I’m in charge of Veridia’s shipping, the fact that they’d beat my grandsons proves they still don’t have an ounce of respect for the Quinn Family.”
‘Mr.
Quinn knew that if he wanted to move against the Pattersons, wooing the Valentines was useless.
The Valentine Family might be fabulously wealthy, but they had no political clout.
Everything hinged on the Westgate Family’s stance.’
‘If he couldn’t pull Jett Westgate over to his side this time—if the young man helped the Pattersons again out of some misplaced sentiment—the Quinn Family would lose the shirts off their backs.’
Jett Westgate glanced at him coolly.
“What are you proposing?”