Chapter 836
Chapter 836
836 Chapter 835
That evening, Keira told Lewis about the situation.
Lewis listened, his reaction calm as always. "Got it," he said plainly, offering no further comment.
Keira assumed he'd given up on the idea entirely.
But the next morning, Matthew arrived and handed her two cruise tickets.
Keira looked at them in surprise and asked, "Who's the other one for?"
Matthew answered in his usual detached tone, "I'm going with you."
She blinked. "You?"
He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses. "Yes, you may be 'Keera', but there's a lot you don't know. Sure, you left the South family when you were three and don't remember much, but over the years, I've maintained contact with them. Without my help, you wouldn't be able to pull this off. Besides…" He paused before continuing, "You're going to need Keera's account credentials and password, right?"
Matthew explained further, "The final round of the competition requires an entry ticket. The South family has implemented strict measures to prevent imposters, so you'll need the account credentials to verify your identity. DNA verification might also be required. Since you and Keera are identical twins, your DNA should be similar enough, but you don't know the credentials—only your adoptive mother does."
Keira frowned and took a moment to process this. "Can guardians board the ship too?" she asked.
He nodded. "They can."
She sighed. "Alright then."
Her eyes dropped to the cruise ticket in her hand.
It was for a luxury cruise spanning Europe, set to sail for two weeks. Curious, she asked, "Where exactly are we supposed to disembark?"
Matthew replied, "That depends on instructions from the South family. I have a satellite phone for updates. As for you, you won't be allowed to bring any personal belongings on board."
Keira nodded, then asked another question. "Are all the heirs on the same ship?"
"Of course not," Matthew said, shaking his head.
She exhaled in relief.
The thought of every heir being on one ship sounded like a disaster waiting to happen—what if someone decided to sink the entire ship?
As if reading her mind, Matthew added, "About a century ago, they did put all the heirs on one ship. Someone actually sank it. Luckily, the South family was nearby to rescue the survivors, but even then, the number of heirs dropped from over a hundred to barely a dozen. The rest drowned. Ever since then, they've divided everyone onto different ships. No one knows which ship you'll be on."
Keira stared at him. "Wait, are you saying…" Matthew asked, "What?"
"That ship wasn't… the Titanic, was it?"
Matthew didn't know what to say.
He gave her a blank look and ignored her joke, continuing instead, "When you board, you can bring personal items and just tell people you're going on vacation. But once you're on the ship, follow my lead."
She nodded obediently.
Matthew studied her for a moment and added, "And when we get to the South family, you'll also need to follow my instructions. No running off and doing your own thing. If you can't agree to that, I won't take you to the South family, even if you board the ship."
Only Matthew could contact the South family.
Keira rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'm not stupid. I'm not going to risk blowing my cover and getting myself killed!"
Matthew seemed satisfied with her answer. He handed her a small box of pills next.
"What's this?" she asked.
"Your iron deficiency anemia hasn't flared up recently, right? It's because of this medication. Make sure to take it regularly."
She looked at the pills and sighed. "Fine."
Matthew stood and dusted off his coat. "I'll see you in two days then," he said, referring to their boarding date.
Keira nodded.
After he left, Keira headed upstairs, hoping to check on Lewis. But when she found him, he was still glued to his laptop, buried in work. She leaned against the doorway. "You're still working? You're not even coming along, so why bother?"
Lewis looked up and smirked. "Who said I'm not coming?
"Let me finish my work first."
Keira froze, confused. "Wait… you found a way?"
"There's always a way," Lewis said nonchalantly, still typing.
"Why don't you chat a little more? Keep talking."
"What?" Keira blinked. "About what?"
"Anything," he replied, pulling off his headphones and unplugging his laptop. "The team wants to hear from you."
She glanced over his shoulder and realized he was on a video call. On-screen, several faces eagerly greeted her.
"Hi, Mrs. Horton!" someone called out cheerfully.
Keira waved awkwardly, shot Lewis a glare, and left the room, retreating to their bedroom.
Half an hour later, Lewis finished his call and joined her.
She raised a brow. "Yeah. So? Spill."
He leaned casually against the doorframe. "You already know the rules. Only guardians or future sons-in-law can accompany the heirs. Since I'm neither an heir nor a future son-in-law, I'll go as a guardian."
Her confusion deepened. "Who's guardian will you be?"
"Erin's," he said calmly.
Keira froze. "What?"
Lewis explained, "We've already worked it out. Her current guardian has handed me the ticket. We'll board separate ships but end up at the same destination. So… I'll see you at the South family estate."