Chapter 326

Out of nowhere, Charlotte's voice took on a sorrowful tone.

"I used to think that as long as I was under my family's protection, I could live carefree, that everything I saw and experienced was beautiful and full of light. But now, I realize there's so much in this world that I never even imagined. Beyond what we see, there's cruelty... and ruthless battles being fought in the shadows."

Jack frowned, confused by the sudden shift in her mood. But before he could ask, she turned to him and said, "Do you know that far from here, in places like Afrona, people are living in warzones, struggling through unimaginable poverty? Can you even picture what their daily lives must be like?"

Jack listened intently. He wasn't particularly well-versed in global conflicts, but he could hear the weight in her words.

Then, something clicked in his mind.

"Your uncle-he's trapped in a war-torn country in Afrona, isn't he?"

Charlotte's eyes widened in shock. "How did you know?"

Jack chuckled. "Your brother mentioned it once at the foreign language faculty."

She nodded slowly. "Yeah. He's in Crawford, and things have gotten so bad there that they can't get out."

As she spoke, Jack pieced it together. Crawford was currently a disaster zone, caught in a violent civil war. And her uncle, a diplomat, along with his family, was stuck there. Political complications had made their evacuation nearly impossible. Jack's mind raced. Maybe... just maybe, he could do something about this.

But he kept his thoughts to himself for now. Until he fully understood the situation, he wasn't going to make any promises.

At that moment, Zane, Neil, and Leo finally arrived at the tennis courts.

After a few quick greetings, Neil suggested, "Let's play a round together."

Zane grinned. "I'm in."

Leo, always the troublemaker, smirked at Jack. "Jack, you're a beast in a fight, but tennis? I bet you can't take down Charlotte."

Jack just chuckled, saying nothing. Charlotte didn't bother defending him, either. She simply shot a side glance at her brother and said casually, "Fatso, I'd rethink this if I were you. You might end up questioning your entire existence."

Neil scoffed. "Yeah, right. Jack, don't tell me you're actually better than my sister?" Jack smiled. "We'll just be playing for fun."

But Neil wasn't dumb. He suddenly realized something-Charlotte had been playing tennis almost obsessively these past few weeks. And she had even hired a national-level coach for extra training.

There was only one reason she'd go that hard. And that would be Jack.

Neil hesitated. Did he really want to go up against Jack? Before he could make up his mind, a new group approached, radiating a strong presence.

Leading them was a tall, good-looking guy named Simon Raynor. He walked with an air of arrogance, flanked by his own crew.

Among them was Hector.

Simon smirked at Zane and said mockingly, "Zane, what's wrong? Couldn't handle the pressure in the capital, so you ran to Alnewgo to act like big shots?"

Zane's and Neil's expressions darkened.

Neil snapped coldly, "What the hell does that have to do with you? Get lost." Chapters first released on find(ɴ)ovel.net

It was clear they had bad blood. And judging by Simon's unbothered demeanor,

he wasn't just some random rich kid he was on their level.

Even Hector, who was usually arrogant, wasn't the main character here. He was just another follower in Simon's group.

Simon ignored Neil entirely. His gaze landed shamelessly on Charlotte.

His eyes roamed over her body, lingering in all the wrong places. Then, he licked his lips and said with a grin, "My future wife... I haven't seen you in a few days, and damn, those curves are looking even better. Why don't you come over here and let your man take some measurements?"