His Beloved Ex-Wife

Chapter 692 More Greedy Over Time

“Well, we’re worried about you guys!” Lysander noticed the lingering worry on Anita’s face. As she walked into the house with Josiah, she asked concernedly, “Is Mr. Alvarez doing all right? We’ve heard about this afternoon’s incident. Rest assured, those people have already left and won’t be staying here tonight. As for the issues concerning the lake and the village land, a resolution will soon be reached. We won’t let you live in fear as you did before.”

In the midst of their conversation, Blaine, clad in a coat, emerged from the inner room. Coughing, he said, “I’m glad it’s you guys. I heard some noise and feared those inhumane creatures had returned.”

Blaine mentioned the big shots who had previously looked down on the village, expressing only a few words of regret before letting it go. However, he had harsh words specifically for Dillon and his group, indicating that they had done something truly outrageous.

Josiah’s gaze narrowed, and he asked, “I’m interested in learning about the events that happened in the village a while ago. Would it be all right to discuss?”

Blaine only knew that Josiah was a big shot from the city, who was known for his generosity and kindness. However, Blaine was completely unaware of his true identity. Blaine’s emotions were incredibly mixed when he learned that Josiah wanted to lend a hand.

“Mr. Guerra, I know you’re a good man. However, these people are not to be trifled with. It would be best if you keep your distance. What will you do if they decide to trouble you once you return home? I’m a poor old man with nothing to worry about, but it’s different for you.” Blaine said.

Lysander felt a wave of emotion in her heart and gently uttered, “Mr. Alvarez, you don’t need to worry about us. He’s a…”

Lysander stole a glance at Josiah. Their eyes met, and a mutual understanding was reached before she continued, “He’s a businessman, too. He wouldn’t let himself be manipulated. Although I can’t go into details right now, I assure you, once everything is over, you’ll be informed.”

Blaine and his folks were genuinely good people. Even if they found out that Josiah was the head of Guerra Group, they wouldn’t necessarily misunderstand him. However, with so many people in the village, there was no guarantee that Dillon wouldn’t manipulate or instigate them. This secret had to remain hidden temporarily.

Josiah agreed, saying, “If you’re willing to trust me, could you please clarify the situation a bit more? Rhizone did mention a few things while helping us escape, but after all, he’s just a child. He was unclear about some things.”

After a brief silence, Blaine and Anita exchanged glances, simultaneously letting out a long sigh.

Blaine then said, “It’s a long story. You all better sit down first.”

Lysander and Josiah settled themselves beside the only square table in the room, and before long, each of them had a cup of hot water at their disposal.

“I didn’t intentionally hide the danger in the village from you all. It’s just that these people hadn’t shown up for a while, and I thought they had given up. Unexpectedly, not only did they return, but they also escalated their harm to others. Thankfully, you alerted the authorities in time and called for help.”All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

With that, Blaine expressed remorse and apologized to them, saying, “However, I must confess that I had my own selfish motives. I was afraid that if you knew the truth, you’d be frightened off. The number of people willing to support our village has been dwindling. If you were to leave, I truly wouldn’t know what to do.”

Blaine had served as the village chief in this small mountainous village for several decades. He was always held in high regard by the villagers, and he never anticipated encountering such significant trouble in his later years, truly leaving him at a loss.

Lysander could never bear to see elderly people showing sadness in front of her. Hence, she gently comforted, “Mr. Alvarez, I can understand how you feel. My visit tonight isn’t meant to confront or question you, but because I believe you have a grasp of the situation, and I want to hear your perspective.”

“All right.” Blaine sat under the dim light of his own home, recounting the events that had transpired recently. The matter involving the university student and the identities Dillon and his group used to intimidate others was all as Rhizone had described. However, there were also things the young man was unaware of.

“Everyone in the village depends on that lake for their livelihood, not just those living by the water’s edge, but also us, who reside in the heart of the village. However, since last month, all the fish in the pond have died. The loss isn’t just ours, but also of those in the nearby areas who rely on fish farming.” Blaine said.

Jonah and Lysander silently walked through the events of the past, seeing those who had willingly given up their lives for the sake of the village. The connection between these seemingly disparate events was finally becoming clear. The poisoning of the water was not merely an accident but a deliberate act by those who sought control over the village.

Jonah recalled the poisoning theory and asked, “Mr. Alvarez, would you suspect there was something wrong with the water?”

“Initially, no one suspected anything was amiss. After all, the lotus and lotus roots were flourishing. However, when the fry started dying off each time they were introduced, people began suspecting foul play. Someone from our village collected water samples and sent them to a lab, but unfortunately, something happened to him very quickly.” Blaine said.

Despite his age, Blaine's eyes reddened with emotion as he continued, “I watched that child grow up. He was bright and passionate from a young age. If it weren’t for my old bones holding me back, I would have gone with him. However, tragedy struck. When his family moved away, I was too ashamed to see them off.”

Over time, Blaine regained some of his composure and asked, “Do you know where his family moved to? We might need him to testify in court.”

Jonah, witnessing Blaine’s distress, said, “If you’re willing, we want to save the people causing harm in the village. Would you be willing to provide your assistance?”

Having lived in the village for many years, Blaine had grown accustomed to dealing with trouble. The severity of the situation and the willingness of the village residents to stand up made him more hopeful of finding a solution to these problems.

“If it comes to that, I will do what I must,” Blaine said with a sigh, the weight of his years evident in his voice.

The couple of days that followed were filled with anticipation and fear, as everyone in the village hoped for a resolution while bracing themselves for the potential fallout.

Josiah said, “We must bring this to court. We can’t let them continue exploiting and harming the village. They will only grow greedier over time.”

Blaine pondered over his words for a long time, so long that the cup in Lysander’s hand gradually grew cold. Finally, with a resigned determination, Blaine said, “All right. Let’s bring this to court. We’ll just go all out against them. It doesn’t matter. I’m not getting any younger. I have to think about the children.”

Anita also started to get excited. “Blaine, I’ve been waiting for you to say that. We’ve all grown up by the lake in this village, and every household owns their own land. Why should we just hand it over to them for nothing? They keep talking about building a hotel. Who knows if they might end up draining the lake?”

Upon hearing these words, Lysander felt a tightening in her heart. “Did they really say that? This is the west side, famously known for its water shortage. Having a lake here is a rare luxury. If it were to be drained, it could potentially cause water supply issues for the nearby villages.”

Josiah furrowed his brows instinctively and exclaimed, “Did they say they wanted to drain the lake?”