<h4>Chapter 1297: Chapter 1293: Ashton Heath is Back</h4>


    Tedd looked worriedly at Joanna Lawrence.


    "Mom, Lady Delh, what are you doing? Is this some kind of court hearing?" A sudden voice made the faces of several people present change.


    Tedd turned around and saw a slender figureing in from outside, and couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.


    He stepped forward quickly: "Mr. Ashton."


    Ashton Heath nodded faintly. After entering the grand hall, he walked straight towards Joanna Lawrence.


    When he arrived at Joanna’s side, she looked at him in surprise: "Why did youe?"


    Ashton wrapped his arm around her, but instead of responding, he raised his head, his gaze coldly onto Lady Octavia and Lady Delh.


    Both Lady Octavia and Lady Delh were startled.


    None of them had expected Ashton to return at such a time.


    "Ashton, why are you back? Aren’t you at work?" Octavia asked, trying to sound nonchnt after a moment’s hesitation, her eyes faltering.


    Ashton sneered, "If I had not returned, I’m afraid my wife, who I’d painstakingly brought home, might have been scared off by you."


    "Ha, hahaha, things have really changed after marriage. Even Ashton can make jokes now." Lady Delh tried to lighten the mood with her amiablement, showing a touch of guilt in her eyes.


    "A joke?" Ashton Heath curled his lips, but there was no trace of humor in his eyes. He stared coldly at Lady Delh, "Lady Delh, do you think I’m joking?"


    His voice was as cold as frost.


    Every word he uttered sent chills to the bone.


    His gaze was frosty, devoid of warmth.


    Lady Delh looked up at him and then quickly averted her eyes guiltily.


    She was somewhat afraid of her nephew.


    "Ashton, what are you doing?" Lady Octavia asked softly, a frown on her face. "How could you talk to your Lady Delh with such an attitude? We were just having a casual chat with Joanna. Nobody was bullying her or scaring her away."


    "Casual chat?" Ashton sneered once more, "Mom, as soon as I walked in, I saw both of you sitting while Joanna was standing as she spoke to you two. Is there a reason she had to stand while chatting with you?"


    The expression on Lady Octavia’s face froze momentarily.


    "Ashton, you’re being unreasonable here. We didn’t ask her to stand, she chose to. We know you care for your wife, but is this the way to show it? You’re making it sound like we deliberately bullied her."


    "Isn’t that the case?" Ashton nced at the girl in his arms, his gaze growing colder, "While Grandma and I were not at home, you called Joanna back. You know very well what you intended."


    "I neither know nor care what you were up to. But Joanna Lawrence is my wife. Anyone who harms her, regardless of who they are, will have to answer to me."


    As he spoke, his icy gaze lingered on Lady Delh for a few seconds.


    "Lady Delh." Ashton tightened his hold on his wife, showing no hint of respect, "You deal with your issues with Uncle Damien yourself and do not involve Joanna. I call you Lady Delh out of respect for you as an elder. But if my respect for you is met with harm to those I care about, then don’t me me for being ruthless."


    Lady Delh’s face turned ugly instantly.