Betrayed, But Not Defeated novel Chapter 185

Hector's visit took Daniel by surprise. The latter hadn't realized Hector was the man he'd randomly saved.

"There's nothing I can do to repay your life-saving kindness, Mr. Ashcroft." Hector smiled as he got up and walked toward Daniel.

Daniel shook his head. "I didn't expect the Crane family to be incapable of handling something as minor as Shadowheart Vine either."

A flicker of helplessness flashed across Hector's face. "You may not know this, but the larger a family is, the harder it is to handle certain matters."

Daniel remained silent and watched Hector with a knowing smile. The latter had chosen to visit now out of all times, and his intentions were obvious.

"To be honest, I feel somewhat ashamed about what happened to the Crane family…" Hector hesitated and eventually spoke up after being stared at with an unfathomable gaze.

Before he could continue, Daniel raised his hand to stop him. "If you're here for a friendly chat, we can talk. But don't bother if you're acting as a mediator. I don't think there's any room left for reconciliation with the Cranes."

Hector frowned slightly. But he soon relaxed and explained, "You might've misunderstood. There are conflicts within the Crane family as well."

Daniel looked at him thoughtfully.

From how Hector had endured the Shadowheart Vine's possession without seeking medical help from the Cranes, it was clear that the former had a fairly low status within the Crane family. Plus, the possession was likely orchestrated by someone within the Crane family itself.

The internal conflicts within the Crane family began to surface especially after Daniel had killed Rowan. Hector hesitated but eventually decided to come over.

"Maybe," Daniel said as he got up. Hector's indecisiveness was clear, and if he remained hesitant even at this point, Daniel had no interest in working with someone like him.

"I have other matters to attend to, so I'll get going now." Daniel turned around and left without waiting for Hector's response.