Chapter 218 Stagnation and Bad Intentions (2/2)

While they still carried it out to the best of their ability, the fleeing seeds from their clan were promptly caught then dragged back as they had everything explained to them, showing them how it worked.

The first time this happened, it caused them some resentment, but Vincent would gladly bear the blame, knowing that there were no clan members under his rule that left thinking that the entire clan, as well as their families, had been massacred in an unknown incident as a final cruel test.

Hopefully, this would ease the death rate in their children who went out to explore. They would not be as reckless, nor as careless with their lives like before.

It would not cause their clan to decline, like so many of the elders had insisted, but instead push themselves to achieve greater heights.

Vincent was a lucky man that had friends and subordinates that supported him in the clan, otherwise he would never have been able to implement the changes that the clan needed.

After three years, Vincent had finally managed to somewhat stabilize the situation in the clan.

The clan now fell entirely into his command, and things were progressing at a steady pace.

There were many things that had happened, but Vincent only told Alec about what had happened in the most factual way, free of bias and opinion, leaving Alec to be free to form his own opinions.

”You've come back at a good time,” Vincent said, looking pleased.

He'd managed to quieten all the dissenters who didn't think that his harsh way of handling the situation was optimal, but Vincent had shown them over the years that he didn't resort to violence as the first method.

It was, in fact, the final method when everything else failed.

Doing so had won him more supporters within the clan, and the progress they made was heartening to the clan members, who dreamed about lively days in the future.

Alec was a little disappointed, even when he was impressed. He'd thought about various ways to deal with the ears on the walls, but it seemed like his uncle had it well in hand.

Alec thought that he'd come back to face some backstabbing now that he'd returned due to his parentage, but it was a pleasant surprise that he didn't.

”Did mother take part in helping you?”

Vincent's normally stern face faded into a smirk. ”How could she not?” he said instead of answering. There was something in his tone that Alec couldn't place.

Vincent got up from his comfortable position on the couch, walking over to the desk in the middle of the room.

He pulled out a sealed envelope from within, causing Alec to raise an eyebrow.

Alec took the heavy but slim envelope from his uncle instead of asking questions that could be easily answered. The outer appearance of the enveloped suggested that it should be light, but the weight in his hands said otherwise.

”Elder sister left around a year ago. None of us expected that you would be back so quickly, but she left behind that for you if you did return before she returned.”

”How long do clan members take before they come back?” Alec asked absently.

Vincent's lips curled into a smile. ”Ten years, twenty years. Some never come back at all.”

Alec's brows raised, but he understood.

He lowered his head to silently read the contents of the letter, his face set in his normal smile. He didn't let on the contents of the letter, but Vincent thought he knew what was inside already.

His elder sister was probably explaining the rather complicated situation between herself and Alec's father –

Ah, he shouldn't speculate so much. His sister had her own life, as he did his.

She was a grown woman, and she could take care of her own affairs.

Instead of saying anything else, Alec gracefully stood up, thanking his uncle.

”So, uncle, are you going to visit our apartment later?” Alec said, and his smile took on a bit of a mischievous edge, causing him to look very similar to his mother, but it disappeared before Vincent caught sight of it.

Vincent's face blanked as his lips twitched lightly.

The best thing about his sister being gone was that he *didn't* have to visit that damn haunted apartment!

Unfortunately, Alec, unlike his sister, did not know that he tried to avoid whatever supernatural spirits were dwelling in that apartment.

Vincent stiffly agreed, desperately trying to keep up his image in his nephew's heart, not knowing that his image had long been shattered before Alec.