The Enigmatic Return (Nancy’s And Roxanne )

In the days that followed, Avery did not visit the Gordon residence again.
Neera was unsure if he had given up. She felt relieved, yet troubled at the same time. Even if we don’t meet now, the Bartitsu
Guild will still hold the Council of Elders. We’ll have to meet then. Will it be awkward?
A week later, the Bartitsu Guild convened its scheduled Council of Elders as planned.
The meeting took place in a branch of the Bartitsu Guild, which was a quaint old mansion.
Since it was a meeting of the elders, unrelated individuals were not allowed to attend. Therefore, Neera went alone with Avery.
On the way, the atmosphere was unbearably awkward.
Avery was not like before, engaging in conversation. He sat in silence.
He chose not to speak, and Neera naturally didn’t pry. She quietly gazed out the window, trying to make her presence less
noticeable.
The eerie atmosphere persisted until they reached their destination.
After getting out of the car, Avery finally regained his composure. He walked around the back of the car to Neera’s side and
gently advised her, “Once we go in, try not to speak first. Adapt to the situation as it unfolds. Let them reveal their intentions first
so we can figure out how to counter them.”
Neera nodded. “I understand.”
Avery looked at her fair and radiant profile, his gaze profound. He fell silent for a moment before saying, “Don’t be afraid. I will
protect you. Rest assured.”
Neera was taken aback for a moment, instantly feeling tremendous pressure. Her scalp tingled.
She was grateful for Avery’s kindness, yet she couldn’t fully accept it.
Therefore, the more he behaved that way, the more burdened she felt.
However, she couldn’t express it outright, as it might make her seem ungrateful. In the end, all she could do was nod slightly.
“Thank you.”

Soon, they walked in.
In the spacious hall, an impressive round conference table was placed in the center, accommodating ten seats perfectly.
The vice president, the representatives of the eight elders, and Neera filled all the seats.
After quickly scanning her surroundings, Neera turned her gaze toward Matthew, nodding in acknowledgment. “Mr. Lozano.”
Matthew hummed in agreement, pointing to the seat opposite him. “Have a seat.”
Neera glanced at Avery, who subtly nodded back at her. He then walked over to a spot near Matthew and sat on the third
intricately carved wooden chair available.
Seeing that, Neera also chose to sit down.
Seeing that, Neera also chose to sit down.
From the moment she entered, all eyes were on her. As she took her seat, they scrutinized her carefully, their gazes analytical
and filled with scrutiny.
Then, Matthew began to speak, initiating the meeting. “Mr. Grey has been extremely busy lately and couldn’t find the time to
attend this meeting in person. Therefore, I will be standing in for him, presiding over this meeting.”
He got straight to the point. “The reason I’ve called all the elders here is quite straightforward. I would like to discuss the matter
of the ninth elder’s seat. Does anyone have any objections to the Gordon family taking over this position?”
In fact, the position of the ninth elder had already been promised publicly by the Bartitsu Guild.
The Gordon family had secured the position of district president, so they should have been granted a seat directly.
However, Matthew asked that question on purpose, intending to put the Gordon family in their place.
That was because he knew that aside from the Cox family, the other seven families would surely oppose.
Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, the seven elders, excluding Avery, quickly reacted, expressing their opposition
one after another.

“I disagree! What’s so special about the Gordon family? They’re nothing but a third-rate force. Whether in Phison or within our
own guild, they barely make a contribution, let alone have any presence. Why should they be exceptionally promoted to the
elder’s seat? This is absurd!”
“Exactly. The Gordon family is far inferior to us. If we let her sit on an equal footing with us, wouldn’t we, the elders, become a
laughingstock?”
“The elder’s seats of the Bartitsu Guild have always been occupied by the strong or those who have made significant
contributions and achievements to the guild. The Gordon family? Ha! They should just give up!”
At that moment, Avery let out a cold laugh and spoke in a low voice.
“The Gordon family has just ascended to the position of district president, securing the power of five other regions for the guild.
How can you all choose to ignore such a significant contribution?
The Gordon family was indeed low- key before, keeping to themselves and not vying for power or resources, so they didn’t have
much of a presence. But now it’s different.
If you say the Gordon family hasn’t made any contributions to the Bartitsu Guild, that would be a blatant lie, The current Gordon
family, with its greatly increased power, is fully capable of taking on the role of an elder.
Moreover, this matter was decided long ago by Mr. Grey and Mr. Lozano. It was made public before the district presidential
election, and everyone in Phison knows about it.
Now you want to stop it. Are you trying to make Mr. Grey and Mr. Lozano lose their credibility and integrity? And what about the
reputation of the guild?”