"What do you mean?"
Ruth Dawn looked at William Cole. The William Cole she knew was always calm and steady. The William Cole of today, however, was like a drawn sword, revealing its sharp blade.
William Cole's gaze flickered, then fixed on the space ahead of him: "Since I became the Patriarch, how many eyes have been watching me openly and covertly?"
"Many people want me dead. There are too many of such people."
"The car accident my elder sister was involved in is just a probing move by some. Today it's my elder sister, tomorrow it might be Michele, Joshua, Minnie Wright…"
"Even you."
Ruth Dawn looked at William Cole: "Maybe it was just an accident."
"With your actions, you've caused many people to be anxious. Maybe everyone thinks you're ambitious."
William Cole smiled: "Why can't I be ambitious?"
Ruth Dawn did not expect William Cole to respond like that. She paused for a moment, then slowly began: "You weren't like this before; you used to be sincere and kind-hearted."