"What''s there to be afraid of? You''re my brother-inw. Out of respect for your sister, I''ll make sure to treat you with all the courtesy you deserve."


    Lysander''s eyes narrowed into sly slits, but he didn''t ease up.


    Hugo shook his head frantically, too scared to admit anything. "I... I''m not... I''m not..."


    "Oh, I think you are," Lysander said with a mocking lilt.


    Hugo hurriedly blurted out, "It wasn''t me, it was Charlotte... No, no, it was me, I was out of my mind. Brother-inw, please, have mercy on me! I swear we''ll leave Kingsford and nevere back!"


    He used his free hand to p himself repeatedly, clinging to Lysander''s pant leg with tears streaming down his face.


    Lysander kicked him away with a dismissive snort. "At least you''ve got a bit of backbone, Leonard."


    Leonard responded promptly, pinning Hugo to the ground and swiftly unwinding the bandage from his head. He pulled out a camera and took detailed photos of the freshly exposed wound.


    Hugoy on the ground, clutching his head, feeling the cold air on the wound and hardly daring to breathe.


    Lysander took a moment to admire the photos, then nudged Hugo''s face with his foot, speaking with deliberate slowness.


    "Dear brother-inw, since you''ve made the trouble ofing to Kingsford, it''s only fitting I give you a proper wee. So, don''t leave just yet, understand?"


    Hugo didn''t know what Lysander intended but nodded vigorously, still clutching his head.


    At that moment, the hospital room door swung open, and Charlotte-who had fainted from blood loss-was wheeled in on a bed.


    "Perfect timing. You two lovebirds can recover here together. I''ll cover the medical bills."


    With that, Lysander left with Leonard, clearly satisfied.


    In the hospital room, Hugoy curled up on the floor for a long time before he managed to crawl to his feet. He stumbled to Charlotte''s bedside, holding her pale face, tears flowing uncontrobly.


    "I''m sorry, I''m so sorry..."


    Ovee, Hugo fainted. The arriving doctors re-bandaged his wound and lifted him back onto a bed.


    ...


    Late at night.


    In the heart of Kingsford, stood a secluded townhouse.


    The Montgomery family patriarch enjoyed solitude. After retiring from the military, he lived here alone, rarely receiving visitors.


    But tonight was different.


    The townhouse''s grand gates opened, allowing a ck car to drive through. Not long after, Adrian was dragged out of the car.


    Perhaps resigned to his fate, he didn''t put up a fight. He walked obediently through the corridor to the study door and stood silently with his head down.


    The study door was shut, but the deep, steady voice of an elder could be heard inside.


    "Kneel!"


    Adrian didn''t resist and dropped to his knees. He might put up a fuss with his father, but not with his great-grandfather, who was the undisputed authority in the Montgomery family. When it came to discipline, the old man never spared the rod. Obedience might earn a lighter punishment.


    Outside, the wind howled, scattering the remnants of snow and chilling to the bone.


    Soon, Adrian was shivering uncontrobly, his teeth chattering, but he didn''t dare rise.


    The study door swung open.


    An impably groomed man with silver hair, dressed in a somber ck outfit, stepped out. He held a ruler in his hand and stood before Adrian.


    Adrian recognized him as Butler Marshall, the loyal attendant who had served the patriarch since time immemorial.


    The elder''s voice came from inside, "Do you know what you did wrong?"


    Adrian shuddered. "I failed to meet the expectations Father set for me."


    Silence from inside.


    Marshall spoke coolly, "Young master, hold out your hand."


    Adrian hesitated for a moment, but then, trembling from both cold and fear, he obediently extended his hand.