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The Enigmatic Return (Neera and Jean) novel Chapter 1401

The way Neera interpreted “tidying up” clearly embarrassed her; her face flushed.

She stomped her feet, feigning a pout, “Oh, I'm just worried about the Cox family, not just Avery. Don't cause trouble; it's a critical moment now.”

Jean, understanding her current concerns, sighed and pulled her into a seat, embracing her.

“Don't worry; the Cox family will be fine. I can assure you of that.”

Neera looked up at him, her gaze resting on his perfectly chiseled jaw. Curiously, she asked, “How can you be so sure?”

Jean remained composed, casually stating, “The Cox family is not as vulnerable as you imagine, and Bartitsu Guild is not invincible. In a direct confrontation, it's unclear who would win. Right now, the Cox family is desperate to leave, without constraints. They can go all out against Bartitsu Guild. However, Bartitsu Guild won't dare to go all-in; they'll be cautious. Besides, Bartitsu Guild might fear that if the Cox family can't evacuate, they'd rather go down with a fight, pulling Bartitsu Guild down with them.”

Neera pondered for a moment, finding some logic in his words.

At this moment, Zephyr's call finally came through.

Neera immediately picked up. “How is it? Has the Cox family evacuated? What's the situation?”

Zephyr's voice promptly came through, “Ms. Garcia, don't worry. The Cox family has completely withdrawn. They should reach District Ten by daybreak.”

Neera, whose heart had been suspended in anticipation, finally experienced a sense of relief.

“How did it go? Did they face any ambush or interception? Did anyone from the Cox family sustain injuries?”

“There was indeed an interception. People from the Watson family and the Laker family tried to stop the Cox family. But surprisingly...”

At this point, Zephyr paused, as if weighing his words.

After a few seconds, he continued thoughtfully, “I always feel like someone was secretly helping the Cox family. The Watson family and the Laker family brought quite a few people to intercept the Cox family, outnumbering them. However, in the chaos of the skirmish, I sensed that the Cox family's numbers increased, and the advantage was entirely on their side. The Watson family and the Laker family were overwhelmed, suffering numerous casualties. However, when the Cox family withdrew, I didn't feel any change in their numbers.”

Neera, surprised, inquired, “Are you suggesting that some individuals silently joined the chaos, aided the Cox family, and then discreetly withdrew without leaving a trace?”

Zephyr affirmed, “Exactly, that's how it is. I'm sure of it. I definitely wasn't seeing things.”

Neera, puzzled, said, “How could this happen?”

After ending the call, she shared this information with Jean.

The latter, seemingly indifferent, responded casually, “It might be families that have private alliances with the Cox family, fearing reprisals from Bartitsu Guild. They could be helping covertly to avoid being targeted. The Cox family has deep roots and connections after so many years under Bartitsu Guild. Having a few friendly families is quite normal.”

Neera, convinced by his explanation, didn't dwell on it much and quickly crawled into bed.

Jean, observing her wrapping herself tightly, chuckled softly, “What, feeling sleepy now?”

Neera's round, wide eyes peeked out from the blanket, and her eyelashes blinked twice. “Yeah, turn off the lights. Let's go to sleep.”

Jean raised an eyebrow, kissed her forehead, and laid down beside her.

As he turned off the bedside lamp, he glanced at his phone.

Ten minutes ago, Ian had sent a message: Mr. Beauvort, the Cox family has safely left District Fourteen, and Mr. Wiley's people have returned.

After reading it, he swiftly deleted the message with his slender fingers.

At the same time, Avery, who had already left District Fourteen, sat in his car deep in thought.

He had noticed something unusual regarding the recent skirmish, and what puzzled him was that this situation had occurred for the third time.

Previously, on Adieu Island, a group of people suddenly appeared to aid the Cox family.

The subsequent list was also provided by mysterious individuals.

Now, in a critical moment, another batch of unfamiliar faces emerged to assist the Cox family, leaving without a trace.

Who was repeatedly helping the Cox family in secret, and what was their purpose?

Irwin couldn't fathom it and speculated, “Mr. Cox, could those people be from Ms. Garcia's Gordon family?”

Avery immediately denied this possibility, “No, Neera is sensible. I made it clear to her, and she wouldn't risk the entire Gordon family. Besides, the people today were all new faces; I've never seen them before.”

As he spoke, a furrow appeared on his forehead.

Irwin immediately caught on. “Never seen them before. Could it be... people from Lordsworth Estate?”

Avery remained silent, contemplating the possibility.

It couldn't be ruled out, but the question lingered—why would Lordsworth Estate be so generous?

Accepting the Cox family into their fold was one thing, but secretly protecting them, especially given their previous interactions, raised questions.

Unable to find an answer, he leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Let's set that aside for now. Once we reach District Ten, settle in quickly. It's not the time to relax yet. Bartitsu Guild will undoubtedly regroup, and there's much to handle on the Lordsworth Estate side as well.”

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