Chapt


    Chapter 355 Self-Harm


    Lionel froze,pletely shocked by the unexpected words. For the first time, his calm and calcted demeanor cracked, and a flicker of panic crossed his face. He never imagined Miles would back out at thest minute, not even in his wildest dreams


    Lionel quickly forced himself to calm down, regaining hisposure. "Miles, you''ve just walked from the brink of life and death. It''s only natural to want to take care of yourself first.


    "I didn''t tell you about her situation before because I was worried it''d weigh too heavily on you.


    "A year ago, when she was about toe of age, more than a dozen men had sinister intentions. If I had not asked the guards to keep an eye on her, she would''ve been raped!


    "Afterwards, I appeared before the higher-ups and requested their protection. They reluctantly agreed because of your many military achievements.


    "If you abandon her now, the higher-ups will likely revoke that protection immediately, and what happens after that... I can''t even begin to imagine.


    Miles''s body trembled. It was unknown if it was from anger or the bitter realization of his foolishness.


    Raven nced at Ken''s phone, and her lips smirked. Lionel truly lived up to his reputation—a Mid-ss Warrior who wed his way tomander. His talent for spinning lies and leveraging pressure from ''higher-ups'' was remarkable.


    If she weren''t the girl he imed had ''barely escaped sexual assault'' a year ago, she might''ve bought into his nonsense. But for Lionel to fabricate such tant lies about her, she couldn''t help but wonder, ''Does he even realize the storm he is inviting upon himself?


    Raven stayed silent, standing still as she watched, curious how far Lionel would take his charade. Meanwhile, Lionel sighed in relief when he noticed Miles''s silence on the other end.


    Then, in a tone that carried a mix of persuasion and concern, he said, "Miles, you''re already sixty-one. Even if you stay in the military, the chances of advancing further are slim.


    "You only have one granddaughter. Can you turn a blind eye to her suffering?"


    Miles slowly lifted his head at these words, his expression devoid of warmth, leaving only an icy coldness.


    "Lionel, you said my battlefield achievements became the higher-ups'' consideration to protect my granddaughter. Then, wouldn''t staying in the military and earning more merits only ensure her continued safety? Why are you saying my stay would lead to her being abandoned?"


    His words met with a few seconds of silence on the other end. But soon, Lionel''s voice came through, "Miles, let me exin. I had arranged with the higher-ups for someone to protect your granddaughter until our agreement was fulfilled.


    "Now that you''ve done your part, it''s only natural for them to withdraw that protection. Besides, hasn''t your ultimate goal always been to spend your retirement with her?


    "She''s been left all alone in that ce, living in constant fear. I''ve even heard that she nearly suffered an assault, and as result, she''s been struggling emotionally, even resorting to self-harm."


    Miles listened to Lionel''s heavy tone, his expression growing stiffer by the second. He had always known Lionel was a meticulous schemer, but that day, he finally grasped how terrifyingly skilled he was at spinning lies.


    If his granddaughter weren''t standing right there, he would''ve stormed into the Bastion Prison and torn those said "beasts" who dared harm her limb from limb.


    Meanwhile, Raven''s lips curled into an even colder smile. ''Self-harm? I don''t know about self-harm. But Lionel, I''ll make sure you''re the one left crippled!