Chapter 1014

As they were about to part ways, Feena held onto Jack's arm and said worriedly, "Jack, please. I'm begging you not to get into trouble with Patrick, okay?"

Jack could see the fear in her eyes. He gave her a reassuring nod, and only then did Feena leave reluctantly.

After returning home, Jack first visited Valery and her family. He'd heard that one of Tarthy City's most prominent lawyers had taken up Valery's case. He asked about the details and offered a few words of comfort to the Babcock family.

Jack received a mysterious phone call. After answering, he said calmly, "Keep monitoring. Let me know immediately if anything happens."

A while later, Emily came to find Jack and handed him a gold-embossed invitation.

"There's a charity gala in Tarthy City in a few days. Your father and I won't be able to attend, so I want you to go. Events like this are a good chance to meet people and start building your network."

Tarthy City was, after all, Jack's true home. If he was going to build his future here, it was best to start building his connections sooner rather than later.

Jack accepted the invitation with a faint smile.

Later in the evening, Jack called Elias and asked to meet at the latter's private club for tea and a conversation.

Lately, Elias had been feeling increasingly uneasy.

Among Tarthy City's four most prestigious families, the Carpenters had long been at odds with the Roes in the business world. The Carpenters held a slight edge in power, keeping the Roes consistently at the bottom of the pecking order.

But the tide was turning. The Roe family was now forming a close alliance with the Trevell family, both rallying behind Gerard, who was expected to take office soon. Together, they had launched a counterattack on the Carpenter family.

Various government departments in Tarthy City had begun investigating Carpenter family enterprises under official pretexts.

Although no serious issues had surfaced yet, the Carpenters' publicly listed companies were already under pressure. Negative media coverage was piling up, hindering business operations. The Roe family capitalized on the turmoil to expand their interests.

This was only the beginning. If Gerard did take office, the Carpenter family would face even more difficulties. The Lycans were in a

Carpenters, which was why Elias readily accepted Jack's invitation to meet.

similady precarious pose Pnet

They met at a quiet pavilion in the private club, enjoying fine red wine and high- grade caviar that Elias had specially prepared for Jack. The atmosphere was calm and light-hearted.

"The Sandalwood Group has been in trouble lately, right?" Elias asked.

Jack replied, "Just like the Empire Group. Things have not been exactly smooth sailing."

Their eyes met, then they both laughed. A shared enemy and common crisis had brought them closer.

After a toast, Elias cut to the chase. "So, Jack. Did you come today to talk about joining forces against the Roes and the Trevells?"

Jack nodded in agreement. The enemy of an enemy is a friend, especially since Elias was the first person he had connected with in Tarthy City.

Elias looked concerned as he said, "But taking them on won't be easy."

Among Tarthy's four major families, their strength was more or less evenly matched. The Carpenters

ranked first, but only by a narrowmet

margin Now that the Roes and the Trevells had joined forces toomutual gain-and with the added backing of Gérard, who was poised to take office-the Carpenter family's position had become precarious.

However, if they could join forces

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with the Lycans, the power balance would shift. After all, the Lycans were rumored to hold a terrifyin level of influence in Tarthy City one that surpassed even the four major families.

Elias' only concern was whether those rumors about the Lycans' power were true. The Lycans had stayed quiet for years, never once making a public move. Despite the uncertainty, they were his only real shot.

Jack gave a faint smile. "Are you scared?"

Elias shook his head. "We can join forces. However, they have Patrick acting as a key connector, helping them consolidate their power. As things stand, they may still outmatch us. We'll need more allies."

With that, Elias made his stance clear that he was ready to work with Jack. And it was, without a doubt, the wisest decision he could've made.