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The pnded squarely, leaving Matthew frozen in ce, his mind reeling from the shock. Even the servant who had gone to fetch help for him stood there, utterly dumbfounded.
He had thought that the Duke''s arrival would mean justice to Matthew. But who could have imagined that the illegitimate son would be so shameless?
A grown man, acting all innocent and pitiful like a helpless maiden was disgusting.
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And yet, the Duke actually bought into it. Without even hearing Matthew''s side of the story, he had already taken the illegitimate son''s side.
Matthew was the Duke''s legitimate heir. For the Duke to strike his own son in favor of an outsider, how was Matthew supposed to hold his head high after this?
If even a servant could see the absurdity of it all, how could Matthew not?
"Father, you hit me because of him?" Matthew''s voice
trembled with disbelief and fury as he stared at Gabriel.
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The burning pain on his cheek was a stark reminder that the
p was no figment of his imagination.
Gabriel realized the moment
his handnded that
something was off.
But what was done was done. As a father, was he not allowed to discipline his own son?
With a stern expression, Gabriel said, "Stop calling him a bastard. He''s your brother, and you will treat him as such."
"I disagree!" Matthew erupted in fury.
He jabbed a finger at the figure
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hiding behind Gabriel. "How can you casually bring back this bastard from outside? You
didn''t even discuss it with us for a single moment!"
"Did Benedict agree? Did Dn agree? And what about Anthony? Even if Anthony is dead, the three of us are still alive!"
"Father, aren''t you afraid this will tear us apart? Do you even see us as your sons anymore?"
Gabriel''s face remained cold as he replied, "Your eldest brother has been aware of this from
the start. As for Dn, that disgrace left the family long
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ago-this has nothing to do with him, nor does it require his approval."
"And you, what makes you think you have the right to question me? Don''t forget what I''ve told you: if you can''t be the obedient son I need, I can always find someone who will. As for what you want, forget it entirely."
Matthew stumbled back, his steps faltering.
Clenching his fists, he sneered
bitterly, "Someone more obedient? Are you talking about him? This nobody with
no background? Do you really
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think he''ll be more loyal than
your own son?"
+15)
From their earlier sh, Matthew could already figure it
out.
This illegitimate child seemed easy to bully, but in reality, he was far from simple.
He had almost killed him just
moments ago.
Someone who could kill
without hesitation, with no
regard for human life, was undoubtedly ruthless.
And he wasn''t just ruthless-he was cunning, skilled at ying the victim, and
adept at
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feigning weakness to
manipte others.
Anyone who dared to
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underestimate him, even for a
second, would find themselves swiftly taken down by this bastard.
Just like earlier, Matthew had almost fallen into his trap!
Now that he thought about it, a chill ran down Matthew''s spine.
He shot a sharp, lingering look at Rafe, his heart a mix of resentment and unease.
And beneath it all, there was a trace of mockery aimed at his
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father. ''Father, don''t end up causing harm to yourself in the
end.''
"I''d definitely be more
obedient than you, Matthew!"
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