Cold sneers rippled through the surrounding crowd. It was obvious everyone suspected Matteo had a hand in Nathaniel’s demise. After all, in Nathaniel’s own words, Matteo was nothing more than a dog. When he slaughtered the entire Patrick family years ago, Nathaniel only adopted Matteo because he had no sons of his own—a move designed to exploit the sole survivor of the Patrick bloodline to the very end. Yet now, Matteo sat in Nathaniel’s seat. Who could say for sure how this had come to pass? "It seems you do not trust me." Matteo looked up at the men before him. At his gaze, they instantly fell silent, not daring to utter another word. "If you gentlemen do not believe me," Matteo said coldly, "then I shall leave it to you uncles to avenge my father." The men who had been vocalizing their suspicions suddenly shut their mouths. Not a single person among them dared to issue a challenge to Nolan. He was the head of the Hayes family. None of them were foolish enough to cross a man of his stature. With that realization, the elders all held their tongues, terrified of provoking Nolan. "If you truly can avenge Mr. Hartwell, then this position of patriarch is yours by right. We only fear you might not be up to the task, Mr. Matteo." The men continued to direct cold, mocking remarks at him. When Nathaniel was alive, though he had made Matteo his adopted son, he treated him like a stray—using him to handle the family’s' dirty work without ever intending to hand over the Hartwell estate. If not for Matteo’s current status as patriarch, and the fact that Nathaniel’s killer was likely someone as formidable as Nolan, they would never have stood there taking orders from him. "Since no one here is capable of standing against Nolan, and I am the son of my father, I will humbly accept this position. I know my words carry little weight and many of you remain unconvinced, but I, Matteo, swear an oath before you all: I will find and take revenge on the one who killed my father. Should I break this vow, may I be executed by all." Since Matteo had put it in such absolute terms, the crowd naturally dared not object. None of them wanted to face Nolan themselves; only Matteo was willing to shoulder the burden of leadership. "Mr. Matteo succeeds as the patriarch of the Hartwell family—I am the first to agree!" "I agree as well!" Voices rose one after another in support. Seeing how Matteo had managed to win over so much of the crowd without them noticing, the elders who had followed Nathaniel began to feel a sense of dread regarding Matteo's true strength. If Matteo decided to move against them, none of these old-timers would meet a kind end. Over the years, they had witnessed his ruthless methods firsthand. Compared to the Nathaniel of old, Matteo was arguably more formidable, and his capabilities were undeniable. At this point, submission was their only hope for survival. The few remaining hesitant elders bowed their heads, addressing Matteo respectfully. "We have watched Mr. Matteo grow up. You must find the killer and avenge Mr. Hartwell; the rest of us will certainly devote ourselves entirely to your service." "Very well." Matteo’s expression remained indifferent, offering nothing more. By the next morning, the news had already seized the front-page headlines: the Hartwell family had seen a total change in leadership. All of Westbrook knew that Nathaniel, the notorious mob boss, had been declared dead from a sudden stroke, and his adopted son, Matteo, had emerged as the new patriarch. This forced everyone to wonder if there was more to Nathaniel’s death than met the eye. "Nathaniel is dead? Then what happened to Eliza? What on earth is that kid Matteo doing?" Colton was becoming increasingly bewildered. He couldn't make heads or tails of the chaos within the Hartwell family. Wasn't it Nathaniel who had kidnapped Eliza? "Did you kill Nathaniel for Eliza’s sake?" When Lewis asked the question, Nolan’s brow furrowed. Colton's eyes widened in sudden realization. "You've lost your mind! How could you kill Nathaniel? He was the head of the Hartwell family, after all!" Nathaniel operated in the underworld, where people specialized in hidden daggers and backstabbing. If Nolan had killed Nathaniel, his subordinates would never let the matter rest.Colton worried that Nolan hadn't thought this through; he was already in the heat of a struggle with Tyson and couldn't afford to make more enemies right now. "It wasn't me." Hearing Nolan’s denial, both Colton and Lewis were stunned. "If it wasn't you, then who could it be?" They truly couldn't think of anyone else who would move against Nathaniel. Their people had been searching for him recently without luck, yet in just twenty-four hours, the news of his death had broken.