Just as Aria was about to leave, the nanny walked in and reported, “Mrs. Susan Fletcher, the Palmer family is outside. They say they want to see Aria.”

    Susan looked puzzled. She thought, ‘How did the Palmer family end uping to our house just to see Aria?‘

    Ever since Griffin was sued, the Palmer family had tried to reach out to Aria more than once, but they couldn’t get past the security at Mayen Garden.

    “Aria, what do they want with you?” Susan asked. Seeing the look on Aria’s face, she could tell it wasn’t anything good. So she suggested, “Maybe you should slip out the back?”

    Aria said, “It’s alright. Sorry for the trouble, Susan.”

    “It’s no trouble at all. If you ever need my help, just say the word,” Susan replied.

    As Aria left the Fletcher residence, Susan, worried Aria might get taken advantage of, had a few nannies hide in a corner to secretly keep watch.

    Tristan said to Aria with utmost respect, “Aria, we truly had no idea Griffin would pull something like this. However you want to punish him, it’s up to you–we’ll leave it all in your hands.”

    Griffin was sporting fresh injuries, clearly having gotten a taste of Tristan’s beating. He said defiantly, “I’m not wrong.”

    Amelia pped him hard and snapped, “You disgraceful son. If you weren’t dragging the Palmer family’s business down, we honestly wouldn’t care if you lived or died. Apologize to Aria right now.”

    “Why should I apologize? If it weren’t for her, Hannah wouldn’t have been framed and sent to jail.” Griffin shot back.

    Aria sneered, “Your son doesn’t even think he’s done anything wrong. What’s the point of forcing an apology?”

    Tristan looked like he was about to go gray from stress. He said, “I’m so sorry, Aria. Griffin has been spoiled rotten by us. Let me apologize on his behalf. For the sake of our uncle–nephew rtionship, please forgive him.”

    Aria replied coolly, “That’s not necessary. You don’t need to call yourself my uncle. I cut ties with the Saxon family a long time ago- we have nothing to do with each other anymore.

    “Griffin is an adult, not a little kid. He can take responsibility for his own actions. I don’t need, and won’t ept, anyone apologizing for him.

    “And you all know this isn’t the first time he’s been out there spreading rumors and stirring up trouble.”

    The first time, Aria chose to sue, and Tristan and Amelia were upset, thinking she was being ruthless.

    But even after Griffin got out of detention, he was still up to his old tricks. He pulled the same old stunt a second time, still for

    Hannah’s sake.

    Tristan sighed and said, “Aria, I heard you and Benjamin are friends despite the age gap. Will this incident affect the Palmer Group’s partnership with the Hayes Group?”

    Aria replied, “Benjamin is fair–minded. If the partnership with the Palmer Group can go through and the Palmer Group is sincere, the oue won’t change.”

    12:41 Fri, 22 Aug

    74%

    If they couldn’t settle things, the Palmer family would have to personally hand Griffin over to the police. Even if this whole thing went public, the Palmer family would still be justified.

    Tristan looked at Griffin and asked, “You really don’t think you did anything wrong?”

    “I don’t,” Griffin said tly. He figured his family would never really do anything to him. He thought, ‘I am their only son–they’d always end up spoiling me no matter what.‘

    Seeing Griffin still so stubborn and unwilling to change, Tristan could only look at him with utter disappointment.

    Amelia was about to say something, but Tristan shot her a warning look and turned to Aria. He said, “Sorry for troubling you, Miss Saxon.”

    As soon as Aria left, Amelia immediately startedining, “How could you just let her go like that? This time, the consequences are pretty serious. I’ve already talked to awyer–Griffin could end up getting sentenced.”

    Tristan’s face darkened as he snapped, “And what do you want me to do? Griffin refuses to apologize. Are we supposed to force Aria to forgive him? All for the sake of some homewrecker, he keeps hurting Aria again and again.”

    Amelia’s voice grew smaller and smaller as she said, “It’s not like he really did any real harm.”

    “Are you seriously going to wait until he actually hurts someone before you do something?” Tristan snapped.

    He then turned to Griffin and said, “You’ve got two choices. One, sincerely apologize to Aria and turn yourself in to the police. Two, if you refuse to apologize or admit you’re wrong, then I’m done with you.”

    “I’ll take the second one,” Griffin replied.

    “Griffin!” Amelia shouted. Realizing Tristan meant business, she hurriedly tried to get Griffin to apologize, but Griffin just looked impatient.

    He retorted, “So what if I end up in jail? If Aria has the guts, let her put me away for good. Hannah’s in jail, I’ll be in jail too–guess we’re just made for each other. The moment she gets out, I’ll marry her.”

    Hearing this, Tristan immediately picked up his phone and called his secretary, instructing him to issue a statement publicly disowning Griffin as his son. Then he turned to Amelia and said, “You have to choose–be my wife, or be Griffin’s mother.”

    “Does it really have to be this serious?” Amelia asked, her voice trembling.

    “Which one?” Tristan pressed, his tone unwavering.

    Amelia’s anger red. She said, “I choose to be Griffin’s mother.”

    “Alright, then let’s get a divorce,” Tristan said coldly.

    “Divorce? Fine by me. I’m not leaving the Palmer family–if anyone’s leaving, it’s you,” Amelia shot back.

    “Fine, I’ll go,” Tristan retorted. He left first, driving off in the car.

    Amelia was cursing nonstop as she gged down a taxi, muttering angrily the whole time.

    Griffin tried to reassure her. He said, “Mom, from now on, I’ll only look after you. You’re the only family I care about.”

    Amelia replied, “I believe you. But you can’t keep pulling stunts like this. Hannah is just a homewrecker—she’s not worthy of

    12:41 Fri, 22 Aug O

    marrying into the Palmer family.”

    Griffin replied half–heartedly, “Yeah, I get it. I just in hate Aria–she thinks she’s all that.”

    “She’s no pushover, so don’t go picking a fight with her,” Amelia warned.

    From her hiding spot, Susan said, “Aria knows how to handle herself. Come on, let’s go home.”

    74%

    As Aria got out of the car, she ran into Flynt.

    Flynt brought up the video incident and handed her a bank card. He said, “I’m sorry for all the trouble the video caused you. There’s 150 million dors on this card–aspensation for the damage to your reputation.”

    Aria looked at him and said, “Flynt, I don’t care what your intentions are. Please, just stay out of my life.”

    Flynt clenched the bank card tightly and asked, “Can’t we at least be friends?”

    “I have high standards for my friends–you don’t even qualify,” Aria replied coldly.

    “What if I change?” Flynt asked, his voice desperate.

    “That still doesn’t change the fact that you’vemitted crimes,” Aria said, her tone unwavering.

    Flynt didn’t say another word, just watched her leave, then locked eyes with Owen across the lobby. He smirked, a provocative glint shing in his eyes.

    Owen didn’t even spare Flynt a nce, simply took Aria’s hand and walked her into the elevator. He said, “Madelyn, Flynt is such a pain.”

    Aria hooked her pinky with his and said, “Same here. I’ve already contacted those researchers. Once we’ve got enough evidence, we’ll kick him out of Huthailia.”

    Owen said, “I’m collecting evidence of his crimes, too.”

    b3/3 /b

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