CHAPTER 125: SHUT THE HELL UP!

Author’s POV

"Bro... Brother..." Melissa stepped forward. Her voice was low, trying to play innocent, and take things under her control before it slipped out of her hands. Her eyes flicked between them as her mind was already calculatinhg.

But Asher didn’t even let her breathe.

"Shut the hell up," he spat at her like a whip. His glare didn’t shift as he glared at her. "Don’t you dare open your mouth in front of me."

The way he looked at her was full of disgust as if what he had known about was not malicious enough!

And then Mrs. Lancaster’s cold and familiar voice interjected.

"What are you yelling at her for?" she demanded, stepping forward. "Do not forget... She is your sister!"

Alistair let out a bitter laugh that didn’t reach his eyes. "Sister?" he repeated, turning toward her like he couldn’t believe she still had the guts to speak. "You brought in a girl off the street... not knowing if her blood is filthy, or what kind of background she had... and dressed her up like a princess. You gave her everything."

His voice cracked, but he didn’t stop.

"And the one who was your daughter? The one who carried your name and your blood?" His eyes were blazing now, hands clenched at his sides. "You left her to rot and even joined people in bullying her!"

He took a step forward as his voice was rough and cold.

"You didn’t just abandon her. You didn’t just let everyone demean her, but joined them in all sorts of activities! You really are a monster!"

No one dared to move as Alistair exploded.

But it seemed Mrs. Lancaster wasn’t done yet.

She stepped forward and slapped Alistair hard on his face. The sound echoed loud and clear.

"How dare you!" she hissed. "Calling your own mother a monster? I gave birth to you!"

Her eyes flashed as they shifted toward Asher, then back to Alistair as she continued.

"So what if I slapped her? I didn’t know the water was hot! And I dragged her away because I didn’t want her to get hurt more by the glass—I was trying to help!" She scoffed in a bitter voice. "And if I can slap you, why the hell can’t I slap her too?!"

"Excuse me?" Emma barked, folding her arms. "Madame, then explain this... Why the hell did you lock her in that room?"

Mrs. Lancaster’s jaw twitched. "Why can’t I?" she shot back. "I was angry, alright? But I did go to call the doctor, and by the time I came back... She was already gone!"

"What...?" Melissa muttered under her breath as her eyes blazed with fury. She tried to call a doctor? Without telling me? Her nails dug into her palms. She had not thought her mother to be soft toward that bitch!

Mrs. Lancaster didn’t even glance at her. She kept talking.

"You think I don’t care?" she threw her hands up. "You think I’m not worried about where that girl ran off to? My men are out all over the city looking for her!" She gasped, like she was the one who had been wronged. "I haven’t gotten any news yet!"

However, despite all these things her face stayed too calm.

"Woah," Emma commented with a deadpan expression. "What kind of pathetic cover-up is this?"

She almost laughed at the nerve. "You nearly killed my friend, and now you’re here spinning some sob story to make it sound like a damn accident?"

"Emma!" Melissa finally stormed in toward her in a sharp voice. "Don’t talk to my mother like that or else—"

"Or else what?" Emma cut her off, eyes narrowing. "You gonna kill me too?"

The room went still.

Melissa clenched her fists, her nails digging in deeper than before but she didn’t speak.

Emma didn’t flinch. She pointed straight at the two women standing like they own the world.

"Let me make this clear," she said in a steady tone. "If anything happens to me, these two... Melissa and her mother will be responsible. Mark my words."

"You—!" Melissa’s breath caught in her throat. Her head spun as her rage meter was full.

She was supposed to be in the control and to silence people boldly, not being called out pathetically.

And now Emma? She didn’t seem as sacred as she used to be in the past!

Melissa’s blood boiled.

Why the hell was everyone around her getting bolder by the damn minute?

Before Melissa could spit another word, Asher stepped forward.

"Enough." His voice wasn’t loud but it was ice cold, dangerous and controlled.

He didn’t even look at Melissa. His eyes were fixed on Emma. She had said everything right that he couldn’t even refute.

Melissa was that dangerous and if she really did something to her... No, he couldn’t let that happen.

"You’ve said enough," he muttered. "But you’re not wrong."

Then, slowly, his gaze slid to Melissa, and his jaw tightened.

"You think you can do anything and no one will touch you?" he said. "You really think I’ll spare you just because we share some pathetic bond?"

Melissa opened her mouth but nothing came out.

"I should’ve stripped your title the moment she ran away from that ambulance," he growled, taking a step forward. "You laid a hand on Seraphina, and let her suffter this much..."

"Third Young Master—" one of the servants tried to step in.

Asher didn’t even blink. "Speak again, and I’ll make sure you leave this mansion the way Sera did. Except no one will help you."

The servant froze.

Alistair had been silent, but now he turned toward them too in a low and dangerous voice.

"I’m not going to ask what else you’ve done," he said, looking between Melissa and the trembling staff. "Because I know you have done even worse than I expect."

His hand clenched into a fist at his side.

"But from now on, if I ever hear Seraphina’s name spoken with anything less than respect in this house... I’ll burn every last one of you down."