Chapter 834
Chapter 834
834 Chapter 833
Keira hesitated briefly when she heard that. "The Guardian will deliver it?"
Her sister's Guardian was apparently Matthew.
But ever since she exposed his identity last time, the two of them hadn't really been in contact…
Keira tapped her chin thoughtfully and nodded.
Well, that worked out.
Matthew was definitely in the same boat as her—or at least he should be willing to help her, right?
"Have you all gotten your tickets yet?" she asked.
Erin immediately nodded. "I got mine ages ago! My Guardian sent it to me a month back!"
Jenkins chimed in as well. "I've been here in Crera for a while, but my Guardian sent mine too!"
Hearing this, Keira froze for a second before pulling out her phone and dialing Matthew.
The phone barely rang before he picked up.
His voice was calm, almost soothing. "Keira, what's wrong?"
Keira got straight to the point. "So, about the South family's ticket—when were you planning to give it to me?"
What she didn't expect was Matthew's blunt response: "I wasn't planning to give it to you."
Keira was stunned. "What did you just say?"
"I'm not giving it to you," he repeated evenly. "You're not ready to go to the South family."
Her tone sharpened. "Matthew, you don't get to decide that for me!"
Matthew sighed on the other end of the line. "You're right, I don't. But I do get to decide for Keera—I'm her Guardian."
Keira frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Keera has never set foot in the South family home. Do you know why?"
"No," Keira said flatly.
Matthew's voice grew heavier. "Because that house isn't hers."
Keira's frown deepened. "What does that mean?"
"It means," he said carefully, "that her adoptive mother doesn't like her. If you go back and they find out you're not her, that woman might very well expose your identity. The only reason she ever tolerated Keera was because the South family needed a daughter to serve as the next heir. Otherwise, that woman wouldn't have kept her at all."
Keira took a deep breath. "That doesn't matter to me. I need to go back to find my mom."
"I know," Matthew said quietly.
"And that's exactly why I'm telling you that you can't go back. Do you realize that once you enter that house, you won't be allowed to leave? And you will leave. I know you, Keira. You'll slip out, and when they find out, both you and your mom will be in danger."
Keira lowered her gaze, her voice cold. "There are probably only a handful of people in that family who know I'm my mom's daughter. Even if something happens to me, it won't affect her."
The fact that Keera was Jodie South's daughter was a tightly kept secret, known only to Keera's adoptive mother, the very person who had orchestrated this arrangement. No one else in the family had any clue about her connection to Jodie.
Matthew was playing this angle—that if Keira got caught, Jodie would be dragged into it—to scare her into backing off.
But he knew Keira too well.
If it were only about her own safety, she wouldn't care at all.
It was only when he brought her mom into the picture that she'd hesitate.
Unfortunately for him, thanks to Erin and Jenkins's stories, Keira wasn't buying his excuses this time. She had her own judgment now.
Matthew clearly didn't expect this. After a long pause, he asked, "Do you have to go?"
"I do."
His voice was quieter now. "Even if it means you might not come back?"
"Yes."
Matthew sighed heavily. "Fine. I'll deliver the ticket to you myself tomorrow. But, Keira… you need to understand something. The South family isn't as good as you think it is. Nor is it as bad. It's just… mysterious."
Keira's gaze fell on the reflection in the glass window ahead.
It was nighttime, and she could see her silhouette faintly superimposed on the dark sky outside.
For a moment, she felt as though she was staring at Keera herself, a strange and unexplainable feeling.
"That's exactly why I have to go," she said softly. "I need to see it for myself."
She needed to see this South family that had everyone so intrigued.
Besides…
If she wanted any chance of winning in the end, she had to use this time back at the South family to locate the other four heirs.
After hanging up, Keira turned to Erin. "Alright. Now, can you tell me about the nine heirs of this generation in the South family?"
Erin started without hesitation. "I don't know their real names, but I can tell you the codenames we've figured out so far. You already know a few. Vera saded with me, and her codename is Cat. Clownfish is Sean Church. Jenkins is Lion, I'm Fox, and you're Rabbit. As for the remaining four, we only know their codenames. Eagle is in the U.S., Cobra is in Country D, Cockroach is in Country P..."
Keira almost choked on her drink. "Excuse me—Cockroach?"
Erin rolled her eyes. "It's a codename. What's wrong with that?"
"Cockroach was gross," Erin muttered. "I remember her from preschool. She was always filthy, like she lived in the shadows. Honestly, it suits her."
Keira nodded slowly. "And what about the last one?"
The moment she asked, Jenkins couldn't help but stifle a laugh.