bChapter /bb289 /b

    The bdrowsy /bbDavid /bhad been keeping a vigil for hours when a sudden shout startled him awake, sending him fumbling bright /boff his chair…

    Supporting bhis /bsore back as he stood up, David grumbled, “Zachary, what did you say?”

    Seething with rage, Zachary spat, “Skr, that bitch, put me in this state! She’ll pay for this!”

    David was furious to hear this. Ignoring his aching back, he clenched his fists and said, “Fine! So it was the who beat you up like this!

    “That bitch is deliberately trying to make things hard for our family. Don’t worry, I’m going to make her pay for this right nowbi./i/bbi” /i/b

    David had barely taken a few steps when it suddenly hit him that Skr was no longer the same Skr who used to rely on the Stone family band /bblet /bbthem /bcontrol her.

    Now she had the powerful Lambert family, the richest in the country, backing her. Moreover, Skr was now downright dangerousb, /bnot someone easy to deal with anymore.

    David walked back and said carefully, “Zachary, she’s not someone to be trifled with now. If we want to teach her a lesson, bwe’ll /bneed to bn /bcarefullyb./b”

    Zachary scoffed dismissively, “What’s there to fear from a little girl?

    “Getting beaten by her this time was just me underestimating her. Next time, I’ll make her pay back double, with interest!”

    David waved his hands frantically. “Zachary, you’ve juste home. There’s so much you don’t know yet. Just listen to meb, /bokay?”

    “Listen, she’s no longer who she used to be. She’s now the heiress of the Lambert family, the richest family in town. And with Yosef behind herb, /bbwe /bbreally /bcan’t afford to mess with her.”

    “Is that so?” Zachary said, gritting his teeth. “Seems like a lot has changed during all these years I’ve been away. Isn’t Yosef into Elianna? What’s bwith /bbhis /bsudden interest in Skr?”

    “How would I know that?” David replied.

    Zachary’s lips curled into a dangerous smirk. “Skr can only be mine. Not even Yosef can take her away from me.”

    David felt a foreboding twitch in his eyes. “Good lord, my son! Why must you insist on having Skr? She was once considered your sister! bIf /bthis gets out, what will happen to the Stone family’s reputation?”

    “My business is none of your concern,” Zachary said, not even bothering to be polite to his father. “I’ll take back thepany, and I’ll also make bher /b

    mine.”

    David mmed his fist on his thigh and shouted, “What on earth are you trying to do?”

    “Dad, you’re too noisy. Just go home and let Mom stay with me at the hospital,” Zachary said coldly.

    “You ungrateful brat! Are you trying to drive me to my grave?” David raised his hand, intending to smack some sense into his son, only to bmeet /bthose cold, emotionless eyes

    He felt a chill run down his spine, his whole body trembled, and he put down his hand involuntarily. “We must take back thepany. As for the brest/bb, /bbdo /bas you wish. I can’t control you anymore,” he said

    David snorted heavily to vent his dissatisfaction. He then turned around and stormed out of the room.

    As David stormed out, he bumped into Elianna. Without hesitation, he pped her hard across bthe /bface, taking out all bthe /banger from his son bon /bher. “Were you waiting for your brother to die before showing up?” he roared.

    Elianna red at him. David grew even more furious and raised his hand to strike again, but Elianna caught his hand bmid/b–bswing/b.

    bChapter /bb289 /b

    b“/bbDad/bb, /bblet /bbme /bremind byou /bexactly what bposition /byou’re in bright /bbnow/bb, /bbEnna /bsaid bcoldly/b,

    b“/bbFace /bbit/bb, Dad/bb, /bbyou’ve /bgot nothing left. You need me to strategize how to reim thepany and take on Skr, the cantmund,

    David’s face flushed redb, /band his body trembled as he said, “This is outrageous! You dare speak to me like this!”

    bAs /bhe continued, his anger escted. “Hmph! You’ve all grown up, and I can no longer control you. You ungrateful brats! Leave bthe /bStone family en never return! From now on, the Stone family will take it as if you’ve never existed.”

    Dávid wrenched his hand free from Elianna’s grasp and stormed out of the hospital, seething with rage.

    A