5


    Right after, Jonah''s voice sliced in, cold enough to make Franklin flinch.


    "You think you can just snap at Lieutenant General Valor''s mom like that?" he said, his tone like ice.


    Franklin grabbed at his stinging cheek, staring at Jonah in total disbelief.


    This was the first time anyone hadid a hand on him since he''d taken over as family head.


    Before he could snap out of it, Raven''s steady,manding gazended on him.


    "So, she said, "what secrets did my mom supposedly take from the Valor family back then? What''s this promise you two had? Spill it."


    Herid-back but heavy words sent a chill right down Franklin''s spine.


    But he knew if he lost it now, the Valor family might be sunk for good.


    He forced himself to pull it together.


    "A few days ago..." he began, his voice wobbly.


    手


    吕


    Then, keeping his face straight, he spelled out the promise he''d made with Ruth.


    When Franklin wrapped up, Raven let out a suddenugh.


    She looked at him, her smile frosty. "Even wolves don''t hurt their cubs, Franklin. You''re lower than a beast!"


    Franklin flung his hand up, jabbing a finger at Raven''s face. "You-1"


    "p!"


    Another crisp smack rang out in the room.


    Jonah''s voice dropped even colder than before.


    "Franklin,” he said, "watch your mouth."


    By now, Franklin was about to lose it.


    舍


    But with Jonah''s rank and the Yardley family''s weight hanging over him, he had to


    choke down his shattered pride.


    Raven nced at Franklin again, cool as ever


    .


    "So," she said, "what''s this about my mom stealing secrets from the Valor Group?”


    After two ps, Franklin finally got the hint.


    The second Raven asked, he jumped to answer


    林含60%备


    13


    "She nabbed key data on a top-secret product from the Group," he said,


    shooting Ruth a look full of hate. "She even tried to sell it. If I hadn''t stopped her in time, the Valor Group would''ve been done."


    His eyes stayed glued to Ruth, dripping with bitterness. "Even then, she cost the Group tens of millions! She tanked our long-term ns-hard."


    Franklin''s words drained the color from Ruth''s face.


    She shook her head hard, but her gentle side held her back from snapping right away.


    410


    16:44 Mon, 14 Aproj


    "Raven," she finally said, "it''s not true-it didn''t happen like that!"


    Raven cut in, her voice calm and steady. "Mom, rx. Take your time. I''ve got your back."


    Her tone softened, letting a rare warmth slip through.


    She started to say more, "He..."


    Raven Valor nodded slightly. "Okay."


    But before Ruth could get another word out, Franklin broke in with a sharp warning.


    "Ruth," he barked, "no matter how I''ve treated you, you''ve got Vr blood in you. Think twice before you say anything!"


    60%


    Ruth paused, then turned to Raven. "The rest of the Valor family-they''ve been decent to me, mostly. Can you leave the ones who aren''t involved out of


    this?"


    Raven gave a quick nod. "Yeah, sure.”


    Hearing that, Ruth''s shoulders loosened a bit.


    Then, under Franklin Valor''s murderous gaze, she told him everything that had happened back then.


    When she was done, Raven slowly swung her head toward Franklin.


    Feeling her eyes on him, Franklin''s whole body twitched without him meaning it


    to.


    A secondter, Raven cracked a smile.


    But to Franklin, that smile looked straight-up evil.


    Then Raven took a step his way.


    "You called my mom a money sink?" she asked.


    Franklin felt Raven''s heavy vibe pressing down on him, pushing him back a step.


    But just as he got his footing, Raven stepped closer again.


    Her pissed-off look sharpened, turning darker and scarier than before.


    She clenched her jaw. "You said her only value was for a marriage deal-that she was just a pawn for that?"


    Under the choking weight of Raven''s presence, Franklin staggered back another step.


    Raven kept pace, moving in.


    ????


    5


    2


    Her eyes zed with anger, practically throwing sparks, "You said because she picked my dad, she lost her only purpose and turned into dead weight for the Valor family?"


    "Thud." The sound bounced around the hall.


    The second those words hit, Franklin''s knees gave out, and he hit the floor hard.


    Now, looking up at Raven, his eyes were swimming with pure, gut-level fear.


    He couldn''t figure it out how could anyone look this terrifying?


    The Raven standing there didn''t even feel human anymore-she was like a damn demon.


    460%會 +13)


    16:44 Mon, 14 Apro


    But Raven wasn''t finished with him. She wasn''t about to ease off.


    She kept stepping closer, one foot after another, her face getting fiercer.


    She stopped for a beat, then kept going. "My mom outshined all your sonsbined at the Valor Group, but just because she was a woman, you handed her wins over to them?


    "Because you were freaked she''d spill the real story and shake up your sons'' spots in the Group, you pped a traitor tag on her?


    "Because of your genius move, pretty much everypany in Vyrdenia shut her


    out?"


    With every question Raven threw at him, the panic on Franklin''s face grew thicker.


    He scooted back without even thinking.


    Soon, he smacked into a wall-no more room to run.


    He watched Raven''s steps closing in, and under that bone-chilling fear, his breath


    almost quit on him.


    "Old man, you were the big shot witch-hunter, and now you''re talking about


    clearing her name?" Raven growled, her voice low and rough.


    The second herst wordnded, her vibe exploded out, wild and loud, hitting like


    a thunderstorm.


    The Valor family members stumbled back a few steps, almost like they''d rehearsed it.


    “Pfft!” Franklin, right in the thick of it, coughed up a mouthful of blood..


    His eyes stuck on Raven, drowning in fear so deep it could''ve turned solid.


    ????


    ????


    8118


    He couldn''t wrap his head around it-how a woman, who was only ever meant to


    be a marriage bargaining chip, could be this strong.


    No matter how much he wanted to deny it, the truth wasn''t budging for him.


    ???? ????


    Caleb, his golden boy, didn''t evene close to the Raven standing there. The difference was night and day.


    GH


    Before Franklin''s panic could even think about settling, Raven tilted her head down, towering over his sorry, slumped figure.


    "I won''t mess with the innocent in the Valor family," she said, "but you? You''re gonna do every damn thing you put on my mom-word for word."


    "That means bend your waist, one by one, for every Valor family member, three full bows each,"


    "That means taking a whipping from every single one of them-life or death,


    whatever happens."


    ???? ????


    "And if you somehow drag yourself out of that alive, you''ll spend the rest of your miserable days rotting in the Valor family''s water dungeon."


    "Or else, I won''t wipe out the Valor family, but I''ll make damn sure you never sniff Regalhold''s top ranks-ever."


    It sounded insane.


    The second Raven''s voice cut off, that thought zipped through every Valor family


    head at the same time.


    But right then, not one of them dared say a peep


    Because the Raven standing there? She''d earned that cocky edge.


    And they didn''t doubt for a second she could make it stick.


    Franklin let out a weak, raspy breath.


    16:44 Mon, 14 Apro


    He teetered for a bit, then finally choked out, "Fine.... I''ll do