Chapter 160 Scorched Earth
Finished
<b>Yunice </b>and Elianna were both startled, but since they were seated on Wyatt’s side of the table, they managed to avoid the
chan
Jackson’s face was already dark with fury after such tant defiance. “You little <b>bastard</b>! Think I can’t handle you? Go kneel!”
“Heh” Wyatt kicked aside a shattered porcin bowl with his cane, took Yunice by the hand, and swaggered right out of the dining room.
her he left, the rest of the guests, now sttered with sauce and stunned into silence–didn’t know whether to sit or stand. Everyone stared nervously at Jackson, terrified he’d turn his wrath on them next.
Just then, rushed footsteps echoed from the hallway. Taylor appeared at the dining room entrance, panting and out of breath.
She froze when she saw the wreckage.
Linda, noticing she was alone, quickly asked, “Ms. Taylor, where’s Paul!”
Only then did Taylor seem to realize Paul wasn’t in the room. Her face turned cold. “I didn’t see him.”
After that, her cheeks flushed with humiliation, and she stormed off, clearly furious,
<b>Linda </b>stood frozen for a moment, then suddenly caught on. Don’t tell me Taylor never found Paul at all?
“Ms. Taylor Linda’s face turned pale as she hurried after her.
Of course Jackson and Jensen understood exactly what had happened.
Paul had <b>always </b>been tangled up with Elsie. Ignoring Taylor was one thing, but making her <b>lose </b>face in front of everyone! That kind of embarrassment–how was the engagement supposed to go forward now?
<b>Jackson</b>, already seething, exploded. “Find that useless brat and bring him back to me?”
Everyone knew exactly <b>who </b>he meant
When they found Paul, he was entangled with Elsie–again.
Jackson immediately dragged him to the ancestral hall, where he struck him with his <b>cane </b><b>over </b>a dozen times, <b>hard </b>enough to break the skin. <b>Paul’s </b>mouth <b>was </b>bleeding from biting <b>down </b>too <b>hard</b>.
He had never been punished like this in his life. And worst of all, he genuinely didn’t understand what he’d done wrong.
Jensen and Linda stood silently by, not daring to intervene. Jackson pointed at him furiously. “You were supposed to be with Taylor What the heck were you doing?”
Linda tried to smooth things over. “<b>Paul</b>, Ms. Taylor felt humiliated because you ignored her. Apologize to Mr. Jackson.”
All Paul had to do was take the out Linda offered. But instead, still riding a wave of youthful arrogance, he didn’t feel like he’d done anything wrong
He felt the beating had beenpletely unjust. So he snapped. “It’s <b>not </b>like I invited Taylor here! She came running <b>to </b>the Powell family to make a fool of herself–that’s not on me!”
Jackson shouted, “Say that again!”
I’m serious What, she can’t get marned to anyone else, so <b>now </b>she’s got her ws in me?” Paul continued. “She acts like: (man–bossy and self–centered. I never even liked her!”
Jackson’s cane mmed onto the table with a deafening crack
Chapter 160 Scorched Earth
Paul froze, thinking he’d misheard. He raised his voice in disbelief. “I’m not functioning?”
Finished
No one answered. They all just <b>stared </b>at him–heavy, silent, as if the usation had already been decided. And he, flustered as he was, only looked defensive.
Truth was, their suspicion had a basis.
They knew Paul. He was the first among his peers to start messing around with women.
And the women he dated <b>were </b>all schemers. Hooking up with <b>a </b>wealthy heir like him, any one of them would’ve killed to have his kid and leverage it into status.
But Paul–simpleminded as he was–had never had <b>a </b>single woman show up <b>with </b>a surprise pregnancy. Not once.
Even those two girls from the Saunders family–he’d had both of them, and neither ended up with so much as ate period.
So if there was <b>a </b>problem, it was probably with him.
If Yunice hadn’t made that little jab at dinner earlier, none of them would’ve dared say it out loud. But now…
Jackson <b>said</b>, “If it’s really your issue, you’ve got no right to reject Taylor. This is a business marriage. Love and children aren’t part of the deal. Marry her first, then get <b>treatment</b>. Medical tech these days can fix anything.”
Paul stood there, stunned. “Wait, what do you mean my issue? What treatment? Can you <b>all </b>stop being so cryptic?”
But no one was listening. Jensen said, “If you don’t <b>cut </b>things off with that girl from the sticks, don’t me me if-
“If what?” Paul cut him off, annoyed. “<b>You </b>gonna have another kid? Look at how <b>old </b><b>you </b>are. Do <b>you </b>think you <b>can </b>still pull that off? Hah<b>, </b>maybe grandpa should try it too.”
Even if Jensen had another kid now, there was no way they’d catch up to Wyatt. That was just the truth.
The three of them fell silent.
Paul wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, growing more self–righteous by the second. “This is what this is about, huh? You can’t deal with Wyatt, so you’re taking it all out on me!”