Chapter 1085

The events unfolded precisely as planned.

"Where did you get the 'secret handbook'?" Lily asked, though she knew the book in the safe was a fake; she'd never examined its contents.

"Tons of similar things are online," Alexander explained simply. "I found an obscure one, altered its appearance to look old. Piece of cake."

He'd placed the handbook in the safe, devoid of poison. It was a gift for Ralph; they hadn't needed to complicate matters.

"Why use it then?" Lily pursed her lips, gesturing toward the wall arrow. "Aren't you worried your uncle might die if something goes wrong?" The thought of finding Ralph dead upon entering their room made her queasy.

Alexander smiled, walked to the wall, and effortlessly plucked an arrow. He showed it to Lily; it lacked an arrowhead. The arrow had a magnetic tip, requiring noticeable effort to remove, suggesting stronger-than-average magnets.

"If this killed your uncle, wouldn't it expose your plan?" Lily examined the realistic-looking arrow. Without Alexander's revelation, she wouldn't have known the arrows were harmless.

Alexander shook his head. "My uncle is suspicious and thinks he's the smartest. Too simple traps would arouse suspicion; too difficult, and he wouldn't solve them with his 'intelligence.' I deliberately let him see the safe's passcode back at the office—to prevent him stealing company information, not for this."

Lily hadn't anticipated his long-term planning. Ralph was no match for Alexander, leaving her to wonder, "If he didn't remember or clearly see the passcode, he couldn't open the safe. Wouldn't that make your effort pointless?"

"Then he'd keep trying until he succeeded," Alexander paused. "But my target was never him. As long as Heather got it, it's fine." Heather was the priority.

Lily's smile vanished. Heather always gave her goosebumps—an unprecedented feeling. She'd never seen such obsessive, bordering-on-madness dedication, even to her own fragrance obsession; she wouldn't harm anyone for an ingredient.

"Aren't you worried she'll discover her handbook is fake?" Lily asked.

"No," Alexander said confidently. "She's never seen the real one. How could she tell the difference?"

He'd prepared two fake handbooks: one for Ralph, clearly fake; another for his study, convincingly authentic. He knew Heather would retrieve it herself.

"There's no secret handbook. I told them that, but they insisted it existed, according to legend. So I created one."

Lily frowned. "Then the moves in the book…"

"They're modified techniques I learned. I added some lessons; if Heather understands them, it enhances her skills. If not, it only hurts her if she persists."

Alexander didn't intend harm; without the "secret handbook," the matter would never end. The book's techniques contradicted her existing style, minimizing harm if she noticed discrepancies. However, persistent practice could severely hinder her kickboxing.