?Everyone just looked at each other nervously.
Things could go bad real quick.
For several seconds, everyone remained quiet.
"Sir, this contract can't be fake," one of the people from Kugelblitz said carefully.
Vernon narrowed his eyes. "Are you saying I'm a scam artist?" he asked.
"No, no, no!" the man quickly answered with fear. "Maybe… your contract is fake…"
Vernon's eyes narrowed even further.
"But you didn't fake it?" the guy added carefully, almost wording it like a question.
Vernon's brows furrowed.
The contract could be fake, but he didn't fake it…
Vernon looked at the contract in concentration.
Only people who had signed the contract could give it to the city for safekeeping, and Vernon was certain that Wyntor would never allow Nick to give the contract to the city.
This meant that it had been Wyntor who had given the city the contract.
As for the apparent fake contract that Vernon had received, that had only been touched by Wyntor and Vernon.
It was difficult for Vernon to accept, but the contract that the city had kept safe had to be the real one, which could only mean that his contract was fake.
And since Vernon didn't fake it…
Vernon fell into thought.
Why?
The only explanation remaining was that Wyntor had given Vernon a fake contract.
However, Vernon couldn't think of a reason why Wyntor would give his own father a fake contract?
What would he have to gain from it?
"Are you saying that my son faked this?" Vernon asked the person from earlier with a thoughtful tone.
"No, sir! I would never accuse your son of something like that!" the man replied rapidly.
"Ah, that could be," Nick said casually from beside one of the guards. "At first glance, you seem like a nice guy, but I've seen how you act during big meetings."
Vernon narrowed his eyes again, but he didn't look at Nick.
He only focused on the contract.
"I also wouldn't trust somebody like you," Nick said with a sneer. "Someone that managed to reach the top of Kugelblitz must have done some shady things."
"Silence!" the Specialist from Kugelblitz shouted. "These are baseless accusations! Consider this your only warning!"
Nick looked at the Specialist with narrowed eyes.
His relationship with Kugelblitz was already irreparably damaged.
He had already planned all of this, but it was still extremely dangerous.
Everything was going just like Julian had predicted.
The next moment, Nick looked at Vernon, who was still in thought.
"Vernon," Nick said.
Vernon didn't react.
"Evaluate the next question carefully."
"If you were somebody else, would you trust yourself?"
Vernon didn't show any reactions, but Nick's question still entered his mind.
Would he trust himself?
That answer was obvious.
Of course not!
He was a major shareholder of Kugelblitz.
He was someone who had decades of experience in a ruthless market.
Trusting him would be na?ve.
…
And his son wasn't na?ve…
Vernon's expression changed to discomfort.
Wyntor was his son.
Wasn't it different with family?
Vernon had raised Wyntor.
He had given him everything.
Did he make a mistake while raising him?
'No,' Vernon realized. 'It's not that I made a mistake while raising him.'
'It's that I raised him too well.'
'I told him to doubt everyone.'
'I told him to be suspicious of everyone.'
A pained expression appeared on Vernon's face.
After thinking about it for a while, Vernon realized something.
Believing that Wyntor had trusted him was akin to insulting his intelligence.
He did the smart thing by not trusting his father.
Vernon should be proud of him!
But…
Then why did it hurt so much?
Vernon took a deep breath.
He believed it now.
Wyntor had given a false contract to Vernon while submitting the real one to the city.
As to why, Vernon couldn't be sure.
Maybe Wyntor had been afraid of some kind of takeover from Vernon.
Or even worse, maybe Wyntor suspected that Vernon would kill him if he learned of the clause, which would then give Nick all the shares, which would give Vernon an easy way to get all of Dark Dream for cheap.
After all, Nick was just some idiotic and na?ve Extractor from the Dregs.
It would be easy for Vernon to get an amazing deal from Nick.
'Did Wyntor really think that?' Vernon asked himself. 'Did he really think that I would kill my own son?'
Vernon took a deep breath.
Then, he pushed the contract away from him and looked at Nick with narrowed eyes.
Vernon realized that Nick was actually not wrong in accusing him of killing his own son.
From Nick's point of view, Vernon must have looked incredibly suspicious with the fake contract.
But that didn't matter!
The things Nick had said to him were unforgivable!
Nick accused Vernon of killing his own son, called him shifty, and, worst of all, called him a scam artist!
Vernon had always prided himself on his fairness!
He would never scam anyone!
It had been decades since Vernon had been disrespected this much, and it didn't matter whether or not Nick had a good reason.
Vernon hated Nick, and he wouldn't forget what Nick had said to him today.
One day, if the opportunity presented itself, Vernon would throw these words back at him.
He could hardly wait.
"Congratulations," Vernon said coldly to Nick. "You own all of Dark Dream."
"I'm sure Dark Dream will-"
"Thanks," Nick interjected, not allowing Vernon to end his sarcastic insult.
Vernon's eyes narrowed a bit.
Then, he walked towards the door and left.
Even though he couldn't finish his insult, the meaning was still clear to everyone.
With the name of Melfion no longer attached to Dark Dream, its shield had vanished.
Dark Dream now had to openly compete with Solace, Gemini, Ghosty's Lab, Anatomy, and Kugelblitz.
All the Manufacturers had something that allowed them to exist.
Kugelblitz and Anatomy were the most powerful.
Ghosty's Lab was the city's bastion of technology and advancement. Its survival was vital.
Gemini had the backing of Ghosty's Lab, and the two sisters had proved to be extremely good at playing the political game.
Solace was the provider of all the light in the city, and the city government held a protective hand over it.
The Spartans had pledged themselves to Anatomy during their creation.
And Dark Dream?
Dark Dream had nothing.