Gwen and Ariana had formed an alliance to achieve their respective goals.
Naturally, Gwen relayed every word Beverly had said to her, down to the smallest detail, to Ariana.
Ariana calmly trimmed the flower stems in her hands. Then, lifting her gaze with an air of indifference, she asked, "So?"
Gwen blinked, momentarily confused by Ariana's response. She had come today precisely because Beverly had contacted her the day before, advising her on how to win over Old Mr. Stone and Old Mrs. Stone—specifically, to persuade the old lady to transfer five percent of the family shares to Alvin. If successful, Gwen could use Alvin as leverage to stage her own comeback.
Beverly's proposal was undeniably tempting.
After all, Collin wasn't Gwen's biological son—he was another woman's child. Even though he was Finley's son, the thought of him still left a bitter taste in her mouth. Alvin, however, was different.
Though not Finley's son, he was the child of Beverly, her own cousin. And now that her cousin was gone, and the family's eldest branch had been cast out, Alvin might as well be her own son.
Securing five percent shares for Alvin would ultimately benefit her.
Truth be told, if Gwen had not already allied with Ariana, she might have been swayed by Beverly's offer. But now, her ambitions had grown beyond that. She still longed for the life Ariana had promised to help her achieve.
This endless scheming and fighting simply wasn't for her.
Ariana turned her head slightly, studying Gwen before asking, "What I mean is—what do *you* want?"
Gwen hesitated. "What do I want?"
Ariana gave a slight nod. "What's your decision?"
Gwen finally grasped what Ariana was implying. As she studied the woman's composed expression—unchanged from moments before—a flicker of unease passed through her. After a brief silence, she said, "I don't have any particular demands. I just hope you'll keep your promise to me. Whether Alvin gets that five percent stake or not means absolutely nothing to me."
Besides...
It was never going to happen anyway.
Gwen nearly scoffed to herself. She might not be the sharpest when it came to scheming, but she wasn’t stupid. She knew full well that the old lady had no fondness for Alvin and would never hand over those shares. As for Collin? Even his chances were slim. Beverly’s so-called proposal was nothing but an impossible task.
Did anyone really not know who the old lady favored most? Lucian, of course, and Ariana’s twins.
She wasn’t an idiot.
Beverly was using her as a pawn to secure the best deal for her son while making sure Gwen took the fall by angering Ariana.
If she actually went along with it, she’d be playing right into Beverly’s hands.
Ariana observed her expression carefully, noting the complete absence of resentment, and felt a quiet relief. The five percent stake wasn’t her concern. In fact, she’d never even considered it. The shares belonged to the old lady; she could give them to whomever she pleased. Even if they ended up with Alvin, there was nothing Ariana could do about it.
This was merely a test.
She needed to know if Gwen could be trusted.
The last thing she wanted was to be stabbed in the back by an ally when her battle with Beverly reached its climax. She might survive the betrayal, but the damage would be inevitable.
So, she had to eliminate any potential threats.
Seeing the scrutiny fade from Ariana’s eyes, Gwen exhaled subtly. She pressed her lips together briefly before asking, "So, what’s the next move?"
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