Ch. 921..930

Chapter 921

Chapter 921

"Don't worry." Neil thought for a moment and said in a deep voice, "I'll get someone to send you home. Regarding your brother, the Irwins have gotten people to protect him. Victoria would not be so foolish to harm him in the hospital."

Suzanne looked at him with appreciation and nodded.

When they were about to leave, notification alerts popped up on their phones one after the other.

It was a piece of news.

[Exclusive breaking news! Prince Alexander has a thing with Mr. Z of Centrolis. Are they having an affair!?]

Neil's hand trembled, and his phone almost fell onto the ground.

Suzanne's face changed drastically-she was as pale as a piece of paper!

"It wasn't me... It wasn't me! I came to you as soon as I escaped from the palace! I swear on my brother that I've never sent anything like this to the media!" Neil's face was grim. He forced himself to calm down.

Within just a few minutes, the news spread like wildfire, rapidly gaining traction across numerous news websites and overwhelming their servers.

The comments poured in like a flood, with the majority of them being malicious toward Alexander.

[So, our dear prince is homosexual? How can we tolerate that!]

[This is challenging Southern Aciatic's bottom line! I disagree with such a person to be our king!] [What credibility and image does he have after this scandal? Remove yourself from the throne!] [We want someone new! We don't want a king like this!]

Neil rushed to the Irwins as fast as he could.

Cordelia and Zephyr had seen the news earlier. They were currently sitting in front of the computer in the study. The notifications flooded their phones. "Cordelia, Zen, you-" Before Neil could finish his sentence, he suddenly noticed another person on the couch.

"Alexander!?

"Damn!" He was shocked. "You dare come here during the storm of the scandal? Do you think it's not chaotic enough for my cousin and her husband?" Alexander removed his hoodie, revealing his handsome face. Coupled with the smile on his face...

Neil gulped. If Alexander had been in the entertainment industry, the title of the best-looking man might have been replaced.

"Hey, best actor, although we're quite close, you can't be rude, right? You'll have to bow at least when meeting me!"

"You..."

Neil frowned and then looked at Cordelia and Zephyr.

They looked calm and confident as if they had it all figured out.

He was confused.

"What's this, you guys?" He came to his senses. "It's just a setup?"

They looked at each other and giggled.

"What exactly happened?"

"Our PR team didn't suppress the scandal." Cordelia was calm, "We allowed it to brew and might get an unexpected effect."

Cordelia looked at her husband and smiled in pride. "Zen used to teach me this: God will boost the person up before ending them. This is perfectly applied to Victoria!"

"Oh..." Neil got it now. "So, you guys are clearing the last obstacle for Alexander?"

Chapter 922

Chapter 922

"Something like that!" Cordelia smiled and continued looking at the screen.

The loyal, old butler entered and handed some files.

"Madam, sir, these are the data the PR team has gathered. These are the accounts that appeared the most in the comments."

Neil went closer to take a look. "What's wrong with that?"

"These accounts appear frequently and comment on things that are harmful to Prince Alexander. They even encouraged the netizens to boycott him!

"Not only that, but the PR team also discovered that someone seems to be controlling the comment sections. The team contacted the media platforms and discovered that many netizens can't share the comments they'd like to share."

Zephyr nodded. "So, these are spam accounts, and someone controls them. Ha, they think they can stir a wave with a small trick like that?"

"My sister is simple-minded." Alexander forced a smile. "She used to follow Aunt Carmella, and my aunt would stand up for Victoria whenever something happened. Without my aunt, she..."

"So, you guys knew that it was Victoria who did it?" Neil looked at them with wide eyes.

Everybody knew, and he was the only slow one!

Zephyr patted Neil's shoulder while smiling. "Not only did we know that it was her who did it, but we were also the ones that exposed the news!"

"What!?"

"All credit goes to Cordelia." He looked at his wife. There was endless pride in his gentle eyes filled with allure.

Neil faked a cough due to their PDA. He stretched his arm to block between them.

"Can you tell me what happened before you show off your love? Suzanne came to me today, telling me that Victoria asked her to spread the news. We then found out that the news was already trending! I was panicking!"

"I don't deserve any credit, actually." Cordelia smiled. "I merely set up a couple of cameras in the courtyard."

"What do you mean?"

"Zuko is active now, and she's worried. Thus, she got people to set up cameras everywhere in case he hurt himself." Zephyr chuckled. "Not only in the room. There are cameras in the courtyard, forest, and even in the rainforest of Sabe!"

"Sabe..." Neil was stunned. "The cameras caught someone spying in the forest?"

"That's right!" Alexander was not sure whether to laugh or cry. "It was supposed to be a goodbye hug, but I didn't expect Mrs. Hamerton to capture it. I want to jump into a hole!"

"I'm sorry, Your Highness." Cordelia looked at him apologetically.

"I should be the one who is sorry." Alexander blushed. "It's all thanks to your 'trap' that we found that spy. Only then did I learn about my sister's evil intentions."

"We went to look for the spy and get him to give us the photos." Zephyr scoffed. "The angle was risque as if there were really something going on with us! So, we discussed it and thought we'd just go all out to expose this ourselves."

"You're out of your mind!" Neil was in disbelief.

"We'd rather take action than be sitting ducks." A complicated gleam flashed through Alexander's eyes. "The citizens would find out sooner or later. There's no way for me to run, so the only thing to do is to face it bravely.

"I know Southeast Aciatic is a conservative country and that this threatens my place on the throne, but I have a clear conscience! I believe as long as I'm honest to myself, as long as I tell the citizens the truth, this will go away soon."

Neil frowned. "Alexander, you're oversimplifying the human mind..."

Chapter 923

Chapter 923

Neil had been in the entertainment industry for years. He knew very well that the tongue was not steel, yet it cut. He had seen many celebrities with bright futures fall due to some gossip. Those people were honest with their fans but in the end...

"I know," Alexander said, turning his head to look at Neil. He appeared calm and fearless. "I'm not challenging the citizens' bottom line. I'm just speaking the truth to relieve the burden in my heart. It's like a ticking bomb, and I don't know when it will explode. Instead of waiting for someone else to detonate it, I'll do it myself!"

"Alexander!"

Neil was worried about him. It would be Southeast Aciatic's loss if such an amazing person did not become the king.

"Don't worry, cousin." Cordelia chuckled and showed a couple of data. "Can't you see the problem from these? Victoria has lost her mind to be controlling the netizens' comments. The madder a person is, the easier for us to catch their weakness.

"We'll find out that Victoria is the one pulling strings behind the scenes following these spam accounts!" she said calmly. "Even if Southeast Aciatic can't accept a king like Alexander, could they accept a cunning person as their queen? The citizens are not fools. They have the ability to judge! Moreover, most netizens' comments are being blocked for now!"

Zephyr held her shoulder and chuckled. He then made an overseas call. "Sorry to disturb you, Uncle Bond. I wonder if you could solve the problem on the Internet in Southeast Aciatic?"

Cordelia was stunned and only asked him after he was done with the call. "Why did you call Uncle Bond?"

"I forgot to tell you." Zephyr smirked. "I've been suspecting his real identity, so I did a little digging around, I didn't expect that..."

"Who is he?"

"Not only is he a famous detective, he's..." He paused. "Also a hacker!"

Cordelia looked at Zephyr in shock.

No matter how mysterious Jim was, Zephyr had managed to find out the truth about him. He had done that for nothing else than worrying about his mother falling into a romance trap and losing herself. Now it seemed like they could use Uncle Bond's help.

"He used to have a detective agency in Melorian, solving many cases for the police. Also, he's an expert in network engineering. It's just that he doesn't use his real name as the detective and hacker."

Cordelia smiled. "I can't believe he uses his real name as a writer."

"That's right."

Zephyr's phone vibrated a moment later. It was a message from Jim. There were only two words. [Don't worry.]

The incident continued to brew for the next few days. Alexander was drowned in trending topics.

Martin had been impatient and panicking while Alexander looked calm and at ease.

"What are you thinking, Alexander?" Martin visited his residence again, looking rather pissed. "You're the heir I value, yet you stirred such a scandal. Are you not going to explain anything to me?" Alexander was respectful. "Uncle, do you really think this is... serious? I mean my sexual orientation."

Chapter 924

Chapter 924

Martin looked into Alexander's eyes. He did not know what to say at the moment.

Alexander's eyes sparkled with clarity as if a paradise dwelled within them. He was resolute in his belief that his judgment was correct. Martin was certain that choosing Alexander to rule the country was the wisest decision.

However, he sighed helplessly. "To be honest, Alexander, I don't care about that."

Alexander's eyes lit up.

"I'm old but not stubborn." Martin looked at him. "There are many kinds of human love. Is the one that caters to the world the only normal one?"

"Uncle..."

"You've never hurt anyone. Even though you like Zephyr, you didn't ruin his family. As long as one is kind and pure, is their sexual orientation important? I believe that you're a good kid, as well as a good future king. However, that's what I think. It doesn't mean that the citizens think the same. You get it?"

Alexander's smile was adorned with a glimmer of light in his eyes.

Alexander bowed respectfully, placing his right hand on his chest as he half-knelt before Martin. He expressed his deep appreciation to the king with utmost formality, acknowledging his guidance and understanding. He vowed to repay Martin's kindness in the most heartfelt manner.

Alexander had always been suffering because he could not make his father happy when he was younger.

However, ever since Martin took him under his wing, only then did he understand that not everyone was fit to be parents. Some people's love could really surpass their parents'. "Get up, Alexander!"

Alexander lifted his eyes to look at Martin and said in all seriousness, "Uncle, thank you."

Martin choked and held his hands.

Martin did not blame Alexander. Ever since the news broke out, all he had been thinking about was how to protect him.

He could only blame himself now. If he had cared more for Alexander and saved him from his father earlier, perhaps he would be a different man.

Martin asked him worriedly, "Alexander, the situation is chaotic on the Internet, and the cabinet is discussing this too. They'll point their fingers at you next. What are you going to do?" "Don't worry, uncle. I know what to do."

Alexander's smile was warm and firm. He had the power that made people trust him instinctively.

Three days later...

Alexander showed up at a press conference taking place at the palace. Almost all the main media outlets were there. It was a grand occasion, and it was being broadcast live. The people would see everything Alexander did and hear every word he said in real-time.

Cordelia and Zephyr were among them, watching under the stage quietly. They locked their fingers and smiled, looking at each other. They were confident with Alexander. Neil was next to them, but he was frowning. He felt disdain for this couple which was always showing off.

"What's so great about that?" he mumbled, playing with the ring on his finger. "Pfft, I have one too!"

Neil rolled his eyes at them in disdain while playing with his ring faster. However, there was an opening on it, and he accidentally cut his finger with the ring.

The ring Aurelia had gotten from the street was rough, while the opening was extra sharp. Neil could not help but groan from the pain.

Zephyr laughed at him. "Were you cut by jealousy?"

Neil glared at him but calmed down and sat quietly.

"Stop it, you guys..." Cordelia whispered, "Look over there!"

Chapter 925

Chapter 925

The door opened, and Alexander walked in slowly. Everyone had their eyes on him, and the entire place fell into silence.

Alexander walked onto the stage calmly with a light smile on his face.

The reporters unleashed hard-hitting questions while the relentless stream of netizens' comments flashed on the big screen behind Alexander. The sheer magnitude of the terrible things being said became unbearable.

Alexander merely smiled and looked at everyone calmly. Subsequently, he stood up and enunciated word by word in all seriousness.

"I know everyone cares a lot about this. I'll explain everything today." Alexander licked his lips and took a deep breath. "That's right. I'm homosexual."

An uproar broke as soon as he said that. It was chaotic below the stage.

"I've actually been suppressing this for a long time." He chuckled. "I announced this today to give everyone, as well as myself, an explanation.

"I admit that I like men, but I don't think it's outrageous. Everyone is different when it comes to love. Even though I don't conform to what everyone does, I've never hurt anyone. I'm willing to tell you the truth today, accept your criticism, and face my truth...

"Also, I'd like to tell you that if I become the new king, I won't marry a queen. I'm different from regular people. It's only natural that I can't hurt a normal lady."

The reporters stopped breathing. The cameras were all focused on Alexander, afraid they would miss a word.

"Regarding the criticism and humiliation on the Internet..." He smiled. "Do you guys think I don't care?"

There were murmurs below the stage. The spectators were whispering as they discussed among themselves.

"I can accept that you express different opinions," he said in all seriousness. "However, personal attacks are not only lowly but also illegal. I support your right to speak, but please don't take my support as a weakness!

"Therefore, I won't hold back my right of recourse. Those people who humiliated me either apologize or wait for the summons from the court!"

Everyone fell into silence as soon as Alexander finished. A wave of applause came suddenly after a short moment of silence.

There were only one or two at first, and more and more joined. The wave of applause then filled the venue, and many people cheered for him.

At the same time, the problem on the Internet had been fixed. The spam accounts no longer occupied the comment sections.

The people who were watching the live broadcast commented.

[No matter what people think, I support Prince Alexander to be our king!]

[So what if he has a different sexual orientation? It doesn't make Prince Alexander less of a good person!]

[I grew up in a poor family. If not for Prince Alexander donating to the school and giving education for free, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to attend school. I support Prince Alexander. I believe he'll be a good king!]

Alexander pressed his palms together and bowed to the crowd.

Meanwhile, Victoria, who was hiding behind the scene, was panicking. She was over the moon when the news came out. She had been under the impression she could beat Alexander with that-never had she thought the citizens would have such reactions.

What surprised her even more was that the spam accounts she had created were useless!

Her hands shook a little while her face was pale from rage.

At that moment, a few royal guards entered her residence. They were no longer respectful like before as they glared at her like a criminal.

"Your Highness, His Majesty ordered you to see him immediately!"

Chapter 926

Chapter 926

Victoria arrived at the main palace and could not help but shiver when she locked eyes with Martin.

"Uncle..."

Martin looked sullen as if he had lost all hope in her.

Victoria looked around-the guards seemed to be General Harris' men. It was easy for one to figure out why Martin had summoned the team to the palace at such a time.

She bit her lip and forced a smile. "I wonder what it is that you summoned me here?"

Martin took a deep breath to suppress his rage and waved to get the guards to leave.

Soon, they were the only people left in the main palace. In reality, Martin still cared about her dignity. After all, he was the one who had brought her up.

"We're the only ones left." His voice was deep as he glanced at Victoria with sharp eyes. "Tell me the truth!"

Victoria pouted. "I don't know what you mean, uncle."

"You're still denying it!?" he barked. "Was it you who posted those photos? Did you buy those spam accounts? You hurt Alexander, making him go through this crisis. What exactly are you doing!?"

"Uncle, what makes you think that I did it?" Victoria denied it. "Ha! Don't tell me you think I'm jealous of Alexander? He's my brother by blood! What's the benefit for me to do that?"

"Yes, I just wanted to ask you that! What benefit do you get out of it!"

Martin gasped for breath, his chest heaving up and down. His voice came out in a hoarse whisper. "When you and Alexander were just children, you entered the palace. I held both of you in my hands and climbed the stairs... I made a vow to myself that I would care for you as if you were my own, and I kept that promise!

"But why is he grateful, yet you are not? You're going all out to destroy him, even to destroy the entire royal family!"

"I..." Victoria's lips moved, and her voice shook. "Uncle, you have no evidence!"

"Evidence?" Martin could not believe that she refused to admit it until she was faced with grim. He scoffed and tossed a brown folder.

Victoria opened the folder and saw many documents regarding the spam accounts, payment methods, and bank accounts she had used.

She widened her eyes and inhaled sharply.

"Are you giving up now that you've seen the evidence?" Martin glanced at her. "You think you did everything perfectly and that nobody would find out?"

She sat on the ground, drenched in cold sweat.

Martin had indeed dedicated considerable effort to investigate those accounts. However, with Jim's assistance, gathering the evidence became effortless, like a piece of cake.

Upon first encountering the evidence, Martin found himself reluctant to believe that it was Victoria who was responsible.

"I can't believe that I spent so much effort to raise a person like you," he mumbled.

Martin was consumed by a mix of emotions-troubled, angry, and filled with self-blame. He reproached himself for failing to properly educate Victoria and for not being able to protect Alexander. "You're wrong, uncle." Victoria got up from the ground slowly and revealed a crazy smile. "I'm removing the trouble for the royal family to be doing that!

"What did you say?"

"What makes Alexander worthy of the throne!?" Her eyes gleamed with madness. "He is not an ordinary man. He doesn't deserve it!

"Are you asking all men in Southeast Aciatic to copy what he does to make him the king? What would Southeast Aciatic be by then? "Uncle, if my aunt was still around, she'd support me!"

"Shut up!" roared Martin. "You're mad... You're completely mad!"

He pointed at Victoria, his finger trembling, before yelling to summon the guards. "Take her out!

"Since you like listening to your aunt, stay in your palace to reminisce about her all you want!"

Chapter 927

Chapter 927

Victoria was stunned. Subsequently, a few tall guards came forward to hold her arms, dragging her away.

Martin prohibited her from leaving her palace, so she could not get out within a short period.

She screamed with all her might, her frantic cries echoing through the elegant corridor. Martin, his emotions in turmoil, turned around at the sound. It took a few deep breaths for him to finally regain his

composure.

Alexander heard the commotion emanating from the main palace and hurriedly made his way there. As he arrived, his eyes fell upon the guards forcefully escorting Victoria out.

The siblings crossed paths, and a fierce glare from Victoria met Alexander's gaze. In that instant, a chilling sensation began to creep over him.

...

Alexander squatted before Martin when he walked into the main palace.

"You're here..." Martin forced a smile.

Alexander had been treating him like a tree, thinking that he was the refuge for all disasters and that he was everlasting. However, he suddenly realized that this tree had many gray strands of hair on his head. Alexander held Martin's hand. "Uncle, please don't blame my sister or mind her. She..."

He could not say anything comforting as he squeezed his brain.

Martin smiled in a carefree manner and said, "I treat her as my own daughter. I won't mind that. But it wouldn't be fair to you..."

"We're even now that I obtained the throne that she desires the most."

Martin patted his head and showed a kind face.

"Oh yeah, there's something that I need to talk to you about." Martin got up and pulled Alexander to the courtyard. He looked at the scenery in the garden while breathing in fresh air and felt better.

"I want to throw a party, especially for Aurelia," he said. "I haven't done anything for her since she came back. We can seize this opportunity to officially introduce her to the royal family members so that people will know her when they see her."

Alexander was stunned, and then he smiled. "That's a great idea, of course!"

"I'll leave it to you." Martin looked at him. "Come up with the guest list and get people to send the invitation out. About the party... You young people can decide for yourselves!"

Alexander nodded. The first name that popped into his mind was Neil.

Since the party was up to him, then he would take the initiative to get him to propose to Aurelia at the party!

Naturally, the few major families should be included, such as the Irwins... Rowan had a title, after all.

Alexander had a rough idea in his head now. From the guest list to the venue, he did everything himself.

He sent the invitation to the Irwins and invited Zephyr and Cordelia to the party himself. He even picked the gown for Aurelia.

On the day of the party...

Alexander smiled when Aurelia walked into the crowd in the traditional Southeast Aciatic embroidery gown. He was very proud of himself.

"How's that?" He poked Neil, who was staring blankly, with his elbow and chuckled. "I picked out her gown!"

The latter was charmed by Aurelia and did not hear what Alexander said at all.

"Hey!" Alexander added, "I'll put the two of you together during the group photo. There's a ball after that. I've prepared the rose petals that you asked for. "I've done everything I can. You can only depend on yourself for what happens next!

"Are you stupid or deaf? Say something!

"Neil!"

The startled Neil screamed and stared blankly at him. He asked something that was infuriating, "What did you say?"

Chapter 928

Chapter 928

Alexander glared at Neil speechlessly.

Neil was still indulging, being stupefied. He conveniently played with the ring on his finger. He only came to my senses a long time later when Alexander seemed to have spoken to him. "Hey, what did you say?"

"Nothing." Alexander squeezed a smile, "I was just thinking if I should just remove the hereditary knighthood in the future."

Neil was confused. "Why?"

"If everything goes as planned, you'll inherit General Harris' knighthood."

"That's right." He nodded. "So what?"

Alexander smirked. "I was just thinking that the hereditary knighthood system doesn't make sense. I can't be giving it to a fool, right?"

Neil widened his eyes and attempted to hit him.

"Hey!"

Alexander dodged him when Neil swung his fist, smiled, and said, "I spent so much effort putting on a show for you... And this is how you're treating me!"

"What show?"

Alexander clapped, and someone brought a tray. A pair of diamond rings shone brightly under the light.

"Although I shouldn't be giving you rings, I really can't think of anything else." Alexander smiled. "My uncle left these for me. He thought I'd wear them with my queen, but I have no queen." "Alexander..."

"No need to be shy." He patted Neil's shoulder, "My uncle said Aunt Lene should have the throne. If nothing happened to her, it should belong to Aurelia now.

"So, you and Aurelia deserve these rings!"

Neil was moved upon hearing that. He was at a loss for words as he played with the ring that was getting rusty on his finger.

"Make it grand when you propose later!" Alexander smirked mischievously. "You must let the entire royal family know that the military department will treat Her Highness well!"

Cordelia and Zephyr attended the party with Zuko.

The over 1-year-old boy had his attention on the scenery in the garden. He was chasing after butterflies and accidentally bashed into the violinist. The pretty violinist did not blame him. Instead, she did a curtsy and smiled at him.

Zuko was expressionless. After managing to stand still, he bowed like a gentleman, making the people around laugh.

Cordelia went over to pick him up and kissed him in pride.

Zephyr, who was standing aside, was instantly jealous and inched his face closer, "Wifey, don't forget about me."

His face was serious and strict, and his voice was deep. He did not look like he was flirting at all.

Cordelia was stunned and stared blankly at him.

He pointed at his cheek.

She was not sure whether to laugh or cry. She warned him softly, "Many people are watching. Please behave!"

"No!" Mr. Z glared at her. "Why does our son get a kiss from you but not me? I'm a first-time father too. Why must I give in to him all the time?"

"You..." This man was ridiculous!

Zuko sucked his chubby finger and stared at his father cutely.

"Dada-"

Zephyr was stunned. Although he was still pretending to be serious, he could no longer hold back his laughter.

Who could resist this babyish voice?

Zuko opened his arms, and Zephyr laughed while opening his arms to carry his son.

Cordelia thought she would see a beautiful image of a father and son next.

Who knew... their son seemed eager to play tambourine with his hands as he slapped Mr. Z's cheeks!?

Zephyr, who was filled with fatherly love before, was dumbstruck by the shock.

Chapter 929

Chapter 929

Zuko's chubby hands were strong. After hitting the 'tambourine', he held his own cheeks and giggled.

"Zuko!" Zephyr pulled his chubby hand and pretended to hit it. "How dare you hit your father, you brat. Let me punish you!"

"Mama!"

The boy who was wronged turned around to hold Cordelia's neck.

However, she did not spoil him like she usually did. Instead, she softly placed him on the ground, allowing him to cry, and insisted not to carry him. Later on, she squatted down with Zephyr.

She stopped smiling and said, looking at him seriously, "Which hand did you hit Daddy with? Show me!"

Zuko widened his eyes at first before frowning. He was about to cry again, but Cordelia stared fiercely at him.

"It's wrong for you to hit someone! He's your father. How dare you hit him?"

"Wah..."

"Which hand did you hit Daddy with? Show me!"

Zuko realized what was happening now. He found out he had no backing this time. He understood he might have made a mistake this time, so he extended his chubby, fair hands with his palms facing up. Cordelia did not hold back and gently hit each palm. When Zuko was about to cry, she stopped him.

"You're one and a half years old now, darling. There are things that Mommy has to teach you. Hitting someone's face is very rude. Don't do that again, okay?

"You're a gentleman." She patted his head. "So, Mommy believes that you'll definitely not do something so rude again. Am I right?"

Although Zuko was teary, he understood what 'gentleman' meant. He held his tears back forcefully.

Zuko still could not really speak. He looked at Zephyr in terror and stuttered. "Dada... I... sorry."

Zephyr's heart melted. Not only was it because of his son's apology, but also because Cordelia was on his side for the first time.

He picked Zuko up and kissed his cheek to show that he accepted his apology. He then looked at Cordelia with allure. "Why are you staring at me?" she asked.

"I..." Zephyr was so emotional that he did not know what to say. "I just finally feel my existence with you now."

Cordelia was stunned. How much did she neglect him in the past that he felt so wronged?

Also, she did not educate their son because of him, but for him to grow up in a healthy environment.

"Okay." She caressed Zephyr's cheek while smiling. "You'll forever have a place in my heart!"

"Okay!" He nodded hard. "Wifey, if our son makes you angry again, I'll definitely be on your side! We'll fight that little brat together!"

Zuko's eyes, which were as big as grapes, instantly stared at his father.

'What did this old geezer say?

'Oh yeah, my grandpa said he'd teach me acupuncture, and he said I could practice on my dad... I'll have to talk to my grandpa to carry out this plan earlier!'

"Mr. and Mrs. Hamerton!" A maid walked over and smiled courteously. "Please go to the center of the garden. It's time for a group photo!"

Zephyr picked up their son in one hand while holding Cordelia on the other. The family of three walked to the garden leisurely.

"Hubby, let's stand in the corner," she whispered. "Carry Zuko and make sure that he doesn't throw a fuss."

"You think I didn't know that?" He smiled. "Aurelia and the royal family members are the stars today. If I can be honest, I don't think we should be in the group photo at all. But since they invited us, we'll just go with it."

"Mm-hmm!"

Just as they walked over, Cordelia suddenly felt someone sneaking out from the side.

As she saw that from the corner of her eye, it did not seem real.

She gasped and suddenly turned around!

"What's wrong, Cordelia?" asked Zephyr.

Cordelia's heart squeezed. When she looked carefully again, there seemed to be nothing else apart from the bushes.

Chapter 930

Chapter 930

"I..." Cordelia frowned and said hesitantly, "I think I saw someone passing here just now!"

Zephyr looked around in alertness but did not see anything suspicious.

The ecological environment inside the palace was decent, as the royal family had never set restrictions on small animals. There were often cats sneaking in from outside for food or squirrels scurrying on the

trees.

Zephyr gave it a thought and said in a low voice, "Whether it's a trick of the eyes or not, we need to let Alexander know and let him keep his guard up."

"Mm, you're right," Cordelia agreed. "It's always better to be more careful."

The husband and wife hastened their steps, but by the time they came to the center of the garden, everyone was set in place for the photo.

Martin sat in the center, with Aurelia and Alexander on either side of him. The young cousins wore crowns and were formally dressed. In addition to their outstanding appearances, one could not help thinking that this was probably what the fairytale prince and princess looked like.

Neil kept wanting to go close. Even if he was not qualified to sit next to Aurelia, he was fine with standing behind her! He squeezed himself in, only for Noah to drag him out.

"This is the group photo for royal family members. What business do you have with it?"

Neil was unimpressed and murmured inwardly, 'Let's see what you can do about me when I successfully propose later, old man!'

The royal family members were all in place, and the photographer stood in front of them.

The atmosphere was light and joyful. No one noticed a pair of vicious eyes zeroing in on the pleasant occasion there from behind the pillar.

Victoria's lips were white from how hard she bit on them. The gun in her hand was already loaded.

As she looked at Alexander, scenes from their childhood naturally flashed through her mind.

The young Alexander was not a favorite since he looked sad and gloomy. She, instead, was outstanding in everything. Carmella was happy with her, and Southeast Aciatic's tradition was enthroning a queen, so she had been under the impression that the throne was certainly hers.

Alexander had never dared to fight with her, not daring to say another word even when he was bullied.

She remembered that she had purposely let her two wolfhounds out once when they were younger. Alexander had been running everywhere from being chased and had had to climb up a tree in the end. He had been bawling pitifully, frightened, but she had the wolfhounds sit under the tree and returned to the palace to tell everyone that Alexander had sneaked out to play.

That time, Alexander waited until midnight on that tree. He was starving and thirsty when he was found, sporting a few wounds from the branches.

Alexander had gone through pranks and bullying incidents like that countless times growing up, and never once had he dared fight back.

'Why did he not give in to me when we fought for the throne this time!?'

A burning rage bubbled up within Victoria while jealousy and wrath reddened her eyes.

The merrier it was in the garden, the more twisted her thoughts became, and the more she wanted to kill Alexander!

It was then that she realized that Zephyr and Cordelia were hurrying over, but the guards stopped them.

The guard said politely, "Mr. and Mrs. Hamerton, this is the photo session for the royal family members. After that, it will be for the counts and their families. Please wait here for a moment." Cordelia looked anxious. "Please inform Prince Alexander right now to strengthen the security. I saw someone suspicious just now!"

"What? Just now?" Both guards exchanged a glance. "We've been here all this time. There can't be anyone suspicious."

Cordelia did not know how to explain it, while Zephyr took a step forward and said sternly, "Whether there's someone suspicious or not, everyone's safety must be prioritized at all times!" "Yes, Mr. Hamerton..." The guard nodded firmly, intimidated by Zephyr's commanding presence.

The two guards turned to report it to their superior, but a gunshot broke the peace right at that moment!

It was like the pause button was hit as everyone froze. By the time they reacted, a guard in the garden was already lying in a pool of blood.

"Ahh!" Many people screamed in panic.

Zephyr subconsciously protected his wife in his arms and scanned his surroundings for a safe place.

"Guards! Guards!"

"An assassination!"

The guards rushed there, and it was chaos all over the garden.

Noah pulled his gun out of the holster on his hips and calmly ordered the royal guards, taking a big step to put himself in front of Martin at the same time. Amidst the chaotic commotion, a gun's muzzle was aimed directly at Alexander.

Martin noticed it early. He sprinted to Alexander without care and dragged him back with all his might as he shouted hysterically, "Alexander, duck!" Alexander's foot slipped, and Martin yanked him down.

At the same time, a second shot was fired! The bullet hit the tree, and sparks flew.

Alexander was so stunned that his limbs were not his to command. When he saw the shooter's face, he was even more shocked.

"Victoria!?"

"Die!" Victoria had lost her mind. "All of you, die!"

Her first shot was aimed at Alexander, but her marksmanship was awful, so she wounded a guard. Her second shot was avoided by Alexander too... Consumed by fury, she did not aim her next shot at Alexander. Instead, she pointed her gun at Aurelia.

The moment the guard stopped her, she had fired her third shot.

Aurelia's mind went blank. She saw the gun pointing at her and heard a loud bang. It was like she lost her thinking ability in that split second.

Someone pushed her, and she fell to the ground like a puppet. Time seemed to freeze, though, since she did not feel the burn and pain she anticipated.

"Uncle!" When her senses returned, she was taken aback to find Neil sprawled on the ground.

The bullet had hit him.

The bullet had gone through his shoulder blade, and blood poured from the hole in his shoulder. His white shirt was instantly stained crimson...

Aurelia shouted and threw herself at him.

Victoria still wanted to shoot them, but a guard kicked her wrist. More guards came from various directions and pinned her hands behind her to lock her down. Aurelia cried out Neil's name tearfully.

Rowan was rather composed as he pulled out a small bottle from the medical kit he carried around, shakily pouring the medicated powder on Neil's wound. "This... can stop his bleeding for the time being." He panted. "Send him to the hospital now to get the bullet out!"