Chapter 534 Cousin Shows Up

• Seeing the unwavering resolve burning in Dwayne North’s eyes, George Parsons nodded, pleased, his expression turning even more respectful. Now this looked like a true heir from a top-tier clan like the Norths. Mr. North had fallen on hard times, and here he was, offering help when it mattered most. Mr. North would remember that. Besides, helping Mr. North cost him nothing. And if Mr. North really did reclaim the identity of Young Master Dwayne someday, George would rise right along with him. Right now he worked under Zaire Jones and, sure, the guy looked unstoppable. But truth was, Zaire was in his prime, and moving up from here was like trying to climb a sheer cliff. In Andridge, Zaire already spoke for the Norths. Pushing higher? Crazy hard. The chief for the whole Jiangnan region—that was a mid-level seat in the Norths’ hierarchy. Plenty of people had their eyes on it, including a lot of collateral Norths holding state head posts all over the world. To get that seat, Zaire would probably grind away his whole life and still never break through. Don’t be fooled by the “hundreds of billions” under Zaire’s name; every cent came from the Norths. One bad mood from them and, with a single word, Zaire would be begging on the street. And George? Put bluntly, he was just Zaire’s dog. If even Zaire had to read the Norths’ faces, then George might as well seize this chance to curry favor with Mr. North. For George, this was the one shot to hitch a ride out of his cage. Even if Dwayne never went back to the Norths, George hadn’t paid much to help anyway. No real downside. And if Mr. North came back as the third young master, George’s whole life would be set—riches, status, the works. He could even hold serious power, with others watching his mood like hawks. Thinking about what Dwayne had promised earlier, George felt a thrill. An outsider elder of the Norths—now that sat miles above Zaire’s current rank. Technically, outsider elders even outranked many of the clan’s own elders. Folks from the North bloodline with decent seniority and skill had a solid shot at making the elder council. But outsider elders were handpicked by the family head for both ability and loyalty. Those people carried heavy responsibility and wielded way more power than the average elder. George forced himself to tamp down his excitement, but the worship in his gaze was impossible to hide. At this point, even if Dwayne told him to have his wife keep him company for the night, George would agree without blinking. He believed the Norths were secretly watching Dwayne, too. Seeing Dwayne grow sharper and steadier, they’d absolutely call him back. Dwayne, of course, had no idea George had gone all-in, staking his future on him. Right now, he was just a normal guy trying to protect Sherlyn Harding. Going back to the family wasn’t something he dared entertain. The order banishing him had come straight from the grand elder. And that day he left Peach Island, his father’s worn face and graying hair had crushed him inside. Now he had only Sherlyn at his side. Other than her, Dwayne didn’t see any reason to cling to this world. He had to cherish her. No one was going to lay a finger on her again. He lifted his head, looked at George, and repeated, steady and firm, “George, I won’t hesitate anymore. You can count on that.” “Mr. North, whatever you decide, I’m all in.” George said it politely, but inside he was grinning like a kid with candy. “Hah. Clown.” Not far away, Ashton Johnson watched George and Dwayne chatting like old friends and couldn’t help curling his lip, full of scorn. Just then, the elevator on the sixth floor slid open. A figure burst out of it, moving fast toward Ashton. “Cousin, over here!” Hearing the commotion, Yvonne White spun around. When she saw who it was, she waved quickly and called out, smiling. Mila Farley hurried up to Yvonne, but when she caught Ashton standing there with a dark face, she stuck out her tongue playfully and murmured, “Uncle, hey.” “Mm. Mila, good you’re here. Take a look at these makeup bottles on the floor—are they real? Yvonne knocked them over by accident, and the other side is yelling for compensation. Thing is, the owner’s just a broke *ss, so we’re thinking nine times out of ten these are fakes and they’re trying to scam us.” Ashton grinned thinly. “You’ve worked years in the cosmetics area at Modern Square. You know this stuff inside out. Half an expert. Check them—real or not?” “Okay.” Mila didn’t waste time. She swept a glance over Dwayne’s group, then rushed to the scattered products, pulled out her phone, clicked on the flashlight, and crouched to examine them carefully. “Make some room. Let Mila see clearly!” Ashton strode over, shouting. Dwayne frowned slightly but said nothing. He just drew Sherlyn back a few steps, standing off to the side, cool and watchful. Those cosmetics were all bought at Modern Square. No way they were fake. He wasn’t worried Mila could pull anything shady. There were too many eyes here. Plus cameras overhead. Even if she was Yvonne’s relative, she couldn’t get away with tricks. Mila crouched, first checking the shattered packaging in detail, then lifting a bottle to sniff the remaining liquid. Her face changed in an instant. “Cousin, what’s wrong?” Seeing Mila’s expression shift, Yvonne tensed and asked quickly. “This little black bottle…” Mila hesitated, then gave it straight: “It’s real… Our mall price is one thousand four hundred eighty.” In the back, Ashton—arms folded, smirk ready—froze. Damn. That tiny black bottle was legit? And it cost one thousand four hundred eighty for something that small? Daylight robbery, man.