"But Your Eminence, why do you insist on having Flory kill Ella Smith? She's only the Third Bishop's illegitimate daughter. The Third Bishop himself probably wouldn't care whether she lived or died," Catherine asked, gazing at Jerry in confusion.
"It doesn't matter whether the Third Bishop, Ezekiel Mammon, cares about Ella Smith's fate. All that matters is that Aldrich Mammon does!" Jerry smiled faintly.
"Flory is nothing like Jasmina Garcia, that incompetent fool we met on the cruise ship who relied on her family connections. He became Germany's chief Auror entirely through his own abilities and methods. In other words, he's still very useful to us," Jerry continued.
"But Catherine, don't forget that before Flory joined us, he worked for the Third Bishop for years!" Jerry's gaze grew serious. "Perhaps he genuinely sided with us to lift the Blood Magic Curse on himself and his daughter, but what if he didn't? After all, he knows quite a few of our secrets."
"That's why Flory must carry out this task himself. By killing Ella Smith, he'll cut off his own retreat and break with his past for good."
Catherine drew a deep breath and gently wrapped her arms around Jerry from behind. Her voice carried deep concern. "Your Eminence, have you ever truly trusted anyone, even Dumbledore?"
"Of course. I simply think things through more carefully and exercise more caution," Jerry said, feeling Catherine's warmth against his back. He gently patted the hands she had wrapped around him, then turned with a smile, sincerity shining in his eyes. "Don't I trust you? I've told you almost all my secrets!"
"Then what should we do next?"
"Wait." Jerry took Catherine's hands and pressed their backs against his forehead, his eyes half-closed. "The only thing we need to do now is wait. Wait