Even Quennel waspletely blindsided by his mother''s sudden p.


    Everyone was stunned into silence, unable to believe what Mrs. Mary Rosenberg had just done.


    "Lionel, I don''t care how serious or urgent things are right now. What you need to do, right this instant, is learn to respect people!"


    Mrs. Mary Rosenberg screamed hysterically, her eyes zing with fury as she red at her impossibly arrogant son.


    His insolence had caused the elders to me her, to suggest she had failed as a mother.


    Her entire life''s reputation was being destroyed by Lionel. If she had known it woulde to this, she never would have brought him home in the first ce!


    "If you can''t even learn respect, then I''ll disown you! Just get out! I don''t need a son who doesn''t know how to behave. No matter how urgent things are, you don''t throw away basic decency, do you understand me? I''m talking to you! Can you look at me? Can you try to understand instead of always being like this!"


    She had put all her strength into that p. Lionel''s head snapped to the side, and a bright red handprint immediately bloomed on his cheek.


    Lionel raised a hand to his stinging face, but for a long moment, he remained silent.


    He knew exactly why the elders had summoned him. It was to humiliate him, to force him into a groveling apology so they could grant their forgiveness.


    And it was precisely because he understood their intentions that he had refused to y along and waste time with pleasantries.


    But he hadn''t expected them to blow it so far out of proportion, wasting all this time arguing about hisck of respect and manners. Did they really need to trample his dignity into the dust like this?


    "Lionel, everyone here, myself included, is your elder. Don''t treat us the way you treat Hannah."


    Quennel''s tone was grave. "You are just a junior member of this family, with no real power. Without the Rosenberg name, you will be ruined. Can you not grasp your own position?"


    "You failed to understand your ce with Hannah, and now you''re failing to understand it here? If you''re really that clueless, then there''s nothing f as your older brother, can do for you. Just pack your things and leave."


    "And don''t you dare go around iming the family misunderstood you after you''re kicked out. You should know that our entire


    conversation today has be


    recorded by the cameras over there. If you dare spread lies online, this footage will be released.


    Understand?"


    Quennel added the warning thoughtfully, pointing a finger toward a security camera on the ceiling.


    After all, this was the same Lionel who hadn''t hesitated to lock up the mistress he''d spoiled for so long, torturing her in a basement and not caring if it became a public scandal.


    If he could do that to her, what would he do to the Rosenbergs, who he felt had no use for him? It was entirely possible he would turn around and nder them online.


    Quennel studied Lionel''s expression and saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes before continuing.


    "Lionel, apologize to the elders. Sit down and discuss how you''re going to handle things with Hannah. Otherwise, if you''re really cast out of this family, you know what the consequences will be."


    As he said this, Quennel shot him a look, reminding him of their conversation the previous night.


    Only aplete fool would be ignorant of the consequences of leaving the Rosenberg family.


    "If you''re not afraid of ruin, you can walk out that door right now. But you should realize that when you first came in without a greeting, the elders were already being generous by not making a scene. They only asked you toe in again and do it properly."


    "But you continued to be arrogant. You clearly have no respect for them. Even if they weren''t powerful family elders, but just ordinary old men, wouldn''t you greet an elder of the Rosenberg family? Where are your manners?"