True Immortal Heart-Chapter 32: Forced to Apologize

Elias was torn.

He stood there, struggling between acting with impartiality or following the stirrings of his heart.

If this matter had truly touched upon the ideals of justice he held dear, he would have acted without hesitation.

But no matter the outcome, it would not affect the core of his righteousness in any meaningful way.

After a brief inner conflict, he closed his eyes tightly—then opened them again.

His gaze sharpened, as if he had finally realized what it was he truly wanted.

Without another word, he wrapped his arm around Seraphine’s waist, pulling her tightly into his embrace. With domineering certainty, he declared,

"She is mine. Our love will not be torn apart by some outdated ancestral arrangement. Whether the engagement is real or not, she belongs to me—and me alone."

Seraphine, moved to her core, threw her arms around him.

A man with a promising career, a powerful family, and a love so devoted—he was someone she would treasure for a lifetime.

"Elias... thank you. Thank you so much," she whispered, her eyes brimming with love and joy.

The two locked eyes, and their passionate kiss brought a stunned silence over the entire house.

On Seraphine’s family’s side, the silence was one of satisfaction—this son-in-law was more than worthy of their daughter.

But on Viper’s side, the silence was pure disgust. The sight before them was enough to make them want to gouge out their eyes.

A brazen wench acting all high and noble—just watching it made them sick to their stomachs.

Aldric, realizing the engagement might not survive this turn of events, leaned in and whispered to Viper:

"Boss, what do we do now? Should we lower the offer a bit? As for revenge... we can always handle that in the shadows."

Viper fell silent for a few seconds, then gave a small nod.

She hadn’t expected Elias to have such a powerful backing behind him.

If he had been just another low-ranking officer, she wouldn’t have given him the time of day.

But his father... his father was a big deal.

She wasn’t about to let this mess jeopardize the operations of the entire gang.

"How about this?" she said, her voice sharp and commanding—as though issuing an order rather than making a suggestion. "We genuinely respect the love between you two, so we’ve decided not to bring up the engagement any further. However, those people just now clearly disrespected us. If their entire family can’t offer a proper apology, we won’t be letting this slide."

No one from Seraphine’s family dared raise their voice in protest.

They didn’t know why, but something about her presence made them hesitant—uneasy even—at the thought of going against her.

When she spoke earlier, she had purposefully praised Elias, earning his favor. Then she played the role of the magnanimous one—pretending to let go of past grievances, asking only for a simple apology.

Having met Elias a few times, she could tell he was a good man. His sense of justice placed him among the best in the police force.

To someone like him, lowering one’s head to admit fault wasn’t a weakness—it was the right thing to do.

But what she truly wanted to witness... was the look on those arrogant faces when they were forced to bow and apologize to people they saw as beneath them.

Just imagining that scene gave her a sense of satisfaction. It was the perfect opening act.

As for the rest? That would be handled in the shadows—where she thrived.

Just as she predicted, Elias wasn’t offended. In fact, he looked pleased with Viper’s proposal.

"Good. No problem at all," he replied with a bright smile.

Then, turning to Seraphine and her family, he clapped his hands and grinned widely.

"Everyone, the situation has been resolved. Let’s all offer an apology—for the sake of a better future."

Upon hearing his words, the expressions of Seraphine’s family turned pale, then green.

They were a proud and wealthy clan—how could they possibly lower themselves before such ’commoners’?

But the one speaking was none other than Elias.

If they overreacted now, they risked offending their prized son-in-law, and that could mean the end of his engagement to Seraphine.

Seraphine’s father clenched his jaw in fury but found himself helpless.

Grinding his teeth, he reluctantly signaled the rest of the family.

One by one, they all bowed their heads.

"I sincerely apologize for my inappropriate behavior," he said.

It was a half-hearted apology, devoid of any real sincerity—but it was the best they were willing to offer.

Was Viper satisfied? Of course not. It still wasn’t enough.

The one who had shouted the loudest earlier was still standing there arrogantly, refusing to lower his head.

"Why haven’t you apologized?" Viper asked coldly, her voice laced with open provocation.

"Do you not respect Elias? Or do his words mean nothing to you?"

Seraphine was fuming—she was ready to explode—but Viper had dragged Elias into it, leaving her with no way out.

After all, she had built a perfect image of a noble, educated lady in Elias’s eyes.

There was no way she could ruin that by acting rashly.

"I sincerely apologize," she said, lowering her head.

She bowed to hide the fury twisting her features beyond recognition.

’This grudge... I’ll make sure to repay it in full.’

"Hahaha, good. Very good. Are you satisfied now?" Viper laughed and turned to Aldric.

Aldric gave a small nod, feeling much more at ease now.

It was true—when it came to pressuring others, Viper was far better at it than he was.

"It’s enough. Let’s end it here and go home," he said calmly.

Just before leaving, he turned to Elias and offered a friendly smile.

"I wish you happiness."

Seeing someone who almost became a love rival act so graciously, Elias couldn’t help but smile in return.

"Haha, thank you. If we meet again, I’ll buy you a drink."

Everyone went their separate ways. Elias had to return to work anyway, since he had left without permission earlier.

Would the house finally return to peace and quiet?

The answer: absolutely not.

As soon as the guests left, Seraphine’s family erupted in a fit of rage—screaming, cursing, and smashing furniture to vent their humiliation.

...

Sitting in the car, Dusk was deep in thought, contemplating how best to shape the future to his advantage.

After a while, he came to a realization—he would need a lot of people to work with him.

"Viper," he said seriously, "have you thought about the future?"

He wanted to use this moment to share his idea with her—one that could bring them the greatest benefit in the days to come.