Chapter 1730: Seize The Initiative

Chapter 1730: Seize the Initiative

Joyce believed what Reuben said. She raised an eyebrow and asked,

"Are you saying they're colluding? They've always been?"

Reuben smiled and shook his head. "More than colluding, it's

symbiotic. They're comrades, the hidden hands of the royal family, who

engage in dirty deeds behind the scenes to maintain their glamorous

facade.”

Joyce couldn't help but be astonished. She hadn't expected OGW to

have connections to the royal family. If that was the case, it would be

much more difficult to deal with them.

Reuben's dazzling silver hair shimmered in the sunlight.

"Are you not the strongest contender for the throne?" Joyce asked.

"Sorry, I might be too direct. Although I don't know much about the

Rohomes royal family, I've read some reports. Besides, you also have

half-Pascaylian blood."

Grizela couldn't help interjecting, "Your Highness, although you're not

the strongest contender, you're undoubtedly the most suitable one. The

current crown prince is cruel and sinister..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Reuben interrupted her. "Grizela,

you're going too far."

Grizela looked aggrieved, tears welling up in her eyes. She suddenly

turned and ran away, disappearing into the Bryant family's villa.

"I apologize. I've spoiled her too much," Reuben apologized to Joyce.

“I'm sorry if she caused any inconvenience.”

"She's really angry. Should we call her back?" Joyce looked in the

direction where Grizela had disappeared, feeling somewhat worried.

“I'll go check on her. You two can talk,” Darrin quickly left his seat and

chased after Grizela.

“You may continue," Joyce shrugged. From Kiki, she had learned some

things about Reuben’s mother, the story of her being sent to a mental

hospital. It must have been a heartbreaking story.

Reuben sighed. "The crown prince's name is Clint. He comes from a

powerful matrilineal family, the Yoshikawa family of Rohomes. I don't

know if you've heard of them."

Joyce shook her head. "I don't usually pay attention to politics. I'm

sorry, I haven't heard of them." In fact, she had heard about them from

Luther, but there was no need to reveal that in front of Reuben.

"That's alright. You only need to know that the Yoshikawa family has a

tight grip on Rohomes. They have immense wealth and a dark network.

OGW was established by the Yoshikawa family. The current director of

OGW, Cloud, is known to me as Charity's adopted son. Charity has

shown him great kindness, so Cloud is fiercely loyal. He's extremely

skilled, and his Rohomes ninjutsu is extraordinary,” Reuben explained.

Reuben's explanations continued.

Cloud-something about that name made Joyce suddenly think of the

mysterious man in black she had encountered in front of the Capital

Peninsula Bank. He had incredible skills, catching the falling coffee in a

way that seemed impossible for an ordinary person.

And on the helicopter, besides Athena, there seemed to be another

man. Could he be the Cloud Reuben was talking about?

"Joyce?" Reuben called out, seeing Joyce lost in thought.

Joyce immediately snapped out of it and shook her head. "Oh, Charity.

The Yoshikawa family... I feel like I've heard of them somewhere, but I

can't remember. Have I had any dealings with them? It doesn't seem

likely."

"Perhaps you have. I know you have some connections to the Ballard

Group," Reuben shrugged. "I won't hide it from you. I've conducted

background checks on you, so I know some things about you.”

"Connections with the Ballard Group?" Joyce was taken aback. This

information seemed to be converging on Athena. It was definitely

related to Athena.

"Well, Charity, when she remarried, entered the Ballard Group's family.

So, the Yoshikawa family and the Ballard Group have had some

interactions,” Reuben explained.

Joyce was greatly surprised. How could she have known these

undisclosed details if Reuben hadn't mentioned them?

"Why was it a remarriage? Who was Charity's first husband?" Joyce

wondered.

Reuben shook his head. "I'm not sure. Perhaps it was a husband of her

own choosing, and they had a daughter together. Later, her husband

passed away or for some other reason. In any case, Charity entered

the arms of the Ballard Group with her daughter. The two families have

similar backgrounds, so the marriage made sense. The Yoshikawa

family didn't object.”

"So, OGW is connected to Charity. Because Cloud is her adopted son,

and with her entering the Ballard Group, OGW frequently appears in

Pascaylia?" Joyce analyzed based on Reuben's words, leaving out the

last part. Could Charity's daughter withher previous husband be

Athena? After all, Christian had claimed that Athena was brought into

the Ballard Group and had no blood relation to him.

So that's how it is!

Reuben nodded. "You're right. That's exactly it. This time, OGW

appeared in Khebury because of Clint's instructions. Their purpose is

related to his desire to obtain the position of Emperor. The general

election doesn't start until the end of the year, so they're making early

moves, probably searching for something they need within the

Pascaylia region.”

Joyce's mind churned with thoughts. She hadn't expected Athena to be

involved in the struggle for the Rohomes throne. If Athena sided with

Clint and he ascended to the throne, OGW's power would grow, their

background would become stronger, and they would be even harder to

deal with.

She hadn't realized that to bring down Athena, she would have to

become an enemy of the Rohomes royal family.

This went beyond just her personal problems. The international

situation would be affected as well.

Just as when dealing with Otis, she had to be cautious.

Squinting her eyes, Joyce's expression became dangerous.

"According to what you said, I can only join forces with you to bring

down OGW. Many things are beyond my country’s scope, and it's

inconvenient for me to act,” she said, looking at Reuben intensely. She

finally understood why he had approached her for cooperation.

"Similarly, there are things within Pascaylia that I can't handle either,”

Reuben smiled.

He suddenly reached out his hand. "A pleasant cooperation!"

Without hesitation, Joyce also extended her hand and shook Reuben's.

“Indeed. Let's each get what we need. If you have any plans, we can

discuss them."

Reuben's expression became content. "No rush, let's see what they do

first. I prefer to strike from behind, seizing the initiative."

Joyce nodded.

She looked around and wondered why Darrin hadn't returned after

chasing after Grizela.