Chapter 218: You Call This a Win-Win?
With the women in his family gone, Dennis Donovan’s face visibly darkened. He’d run out of patience for his precious granddaughter’s good-for-nothing friend.
"Get to the point."
Caspian Rhodes took a deep breath and cut straight to the chase. "I’m sure you’ve heard the gist of what happened at the auction tonight from various sources. Especially from those relatives of yours, and about why Serena was so determined to win those two plots of land, no matter the cost."
Dennis Donovan froze. He furrowed his brow and stared intently at Caspian Rhodes for a long moment. "What are you talking about? I don’t follow. Didn’t Serena buy those two plots on a whim?"
Caspian Rhodes smiled. "You don’t have to be so wary of me, and you don’t have to beat around the bush to test me, afraid I’m trying to swindle you. I’ll be frank. Some things you can hear... I can hear them too."
Those words ripped away the veil of secrecy everyone had so painstakingly maintained. This time, Dennis Donovan was genuinely stunned.
"You... How is that possible? You’re not even..."
"It’s surprising, but it’s the truth."
The moment Beatrice Donovan showed up, Caspian Rhodes already had a good idea of why she was in the area.
He had been struggling with how to convince Dennis Donovan to work with him, but her appearance gave him the confidence he needed. That’s what led to this confession.
"Since when have you..."
"Since the first time I met her."
Dennis Donovan looked surprised again. "Then that last time..."
Caspian Rhodes nodded. "I know she was only trying to save the old madam, and that she deliberately led you all there for that purpose."
Hearing this, Dennis Donovan had no choice but to believe it, however reluctant he was. His eyes narrowed, and his gaze on Caspian Rhodes turned chillingly cold.
"You, Rhodes Boy... Aren’t you afraid I’ll silence you to protect this secret?"
"You won’t. Anyone who has earned Serena’s trust, who can hear her innermost thoughts, can’t be a bad person. Besides..." Caspian Rhodes glanced up at the old man, his expression confident, as if he had the whole situation figured out. "You wouldn’t do anything that could possibly make her sad."
"Then you underestimate this old man. I’d do anything to protect the ones I care about." Dennis Donovan scowled and gave a cold snort. "However, you were right about one thing. You get soft in your old age. You can’t bear to do anything that would hurt the younger generation."
’That "younger generation" probably refers to one person, and one person only.’
Caspian Rhodes just smiled, not pointing it out.
"You’ve been talking all this time, and you even went as far as to reveal this secret. What is it you actually want to discuss with me?"
"It’s about the two plots of land Serena won at the auction tonight. Serena might not understand the complexities involved, but you should know what a couple of hot potatoes those are. After tonight, everyone will know it was her who beat out several of Brynn’s major local families for that lakeside plot in the Southward District. This means that starting tomorrow, she’ll be a target for everyone."
"So what?" Dennis Donovan’s cane struck the ground with a sharp RAP. "As if! I refuse to believe there’s anyone in Brynn that I, Dennis Donovan, cannot protect!"
"I believe you. But you can protect her for a time; can you protect her for a lifetime? Serena said that after your wedding, she plans to leave Brynn and go back to her hometown. As resourceful as you are, you’ll be too far away to have any influence there. Your reach doesn’t extend that far."
Caspian’s words, though unpleasant, were the truth.
Taking a step back, even if those gutter rats wouldn’t dare touch the girl while he was still around, who knew if those petty, vindictive people would come back to settle old scores after he was gone?
Dennis Donovan had never been one to gamble the fate of important people on the goodness of human nature. Caspian’s words had undoubtedly struck a nerve, and his face grew even darker.
"Then what do you propose we do?"
"The best solution is to set up another target to draw attention away from Serena’s involvement."
Dennis Donovan’s eyes flickered, but his expression remained impassive.
"And who do you think would be a suitable target?"
"Me."
"You?" Dennis Donovan was stunned for a moment, then let out a cold laugh. "So that’s your game! You want Serena to just hand over those two plots of land to you, so you can waltz in and reap the rewards?"
The more Dennis Donovan spoke, the angrier he became. He slammed his hand on the table, pointing a finger at Caspian Rhodes’s face. "Rhodes Boy, you’ve got a massive appetite! Aren’t you afraid you’ll choke trying to swallow it all in one bite?"
Facing Dennis Donovan’s towering rage, Caspian Rhodes remained completely unfazed.
"You’ve misunderstood. I have no intention of taking advantage of her predicament."
"Then what do you mean?"
"Before I came back, I already spoke with her. We’re going into partnership. She provides the land, and I’ll handle the development. Once it’s done, we’ll split the profits sixty-forty. She gets sixty, I get forty."
Dennis Donovan: "???"
Even for a man like Dennis Donovan, who had navigated every circle imaginable for decades and thought he’d seen it all, this move from Caspian Rhodes left him utterly speechless.
"...What’s your angle?"
"I’m after your network. I’m after the opportunity for the Rhodes Family to quickly gain a foothold in Brynn. And I’m after the potential for the future development of that Southward District plot to take the Rhodes Family to the next level."
Caspian Rhodes was so forthright that it made it difficult for Dennis Donovan to press him further.
"Hmph. Even so, that profit split is absurd. That’s no way to do business, young man."
"You’re right, that’s no way to do business. But it is a way to be a friend. Besides, it’s true that this will allow the Rhodes Family to quickly assimilate into Brynn. Strictly speaking, you could call it a win-win for both of us."
Dennis Donovan: "..." ’You call *this* a win-win? Keep spinning that yarn. See if I buy it.’
Caspian Rhodes knew these grandiose justifications wouldn’t be enough to convince Dennis Donovan. He smiled and added honestly, "Of course, the most important reason... is her."
Dennis Donovan’s expression shifted. "So it’s true, you young punk..."
"That girl... sometimes she’s brilliant, and other times she’s a complete fool. Did you really think you managed to hide things from her flawlessly? Of course not. When it comes right down to it, it’s only because she’s fond of you all and wants to believe you. Even when she has her suspicions, she’ll deceive herself for the sake of that affection."
Dennis Donovan was silent for a long moment before asking in a hoarse voice, "What exactly are you trying to say?"
"She has a mind of her own, yet she’s also very pure. She knows what she wants, and she knows what she deserves. She’s the type to give her all for someone she likes, asking for nothing in return. She’s also the type to rack her brain to change a stranger’s tragic destiny just because she can’t stand by and watch. That kind of goodness, that earnest devotion... it’s undeniably captivating. It makes a person want to do something, anything, to repay her."
As he spoke, Caspian Rhodes looked up at Dennis Donovan again, a flickering light dancing in his otherwise calm eyes. "Putting others aside, look at yourself. You’ve only met her a few times, and aren’t you already on her side without even realizing it?"