Chapter 496

Jason’s heart sank as he bolted down the stairs to the living room.

Today, with Emeric out of town and word that his rebellious daughter had once again sneaked off to see Thaddeus–and even leapt from a window in the process–the patriarch was livid, his rage burning with the intensity of a three–alarm fire. With Mr. Dylan in tow, he had set off towards Elmsworth.

But halfway there, the car was forcibly stopped by Cassius and Elvis. Elvis, intent on preventing Emeric from breaking up the star–crossed lovers, had gone so far as to blow out the tires of the million–dollar Rolls–Royce.

Where the brothers had taken the old man and what the situation was now remained a mystery.

Thus, the house was left nearly to the womenfolk.

“Mom, you’re not well, please take it slow.”

Cedric gently supported the worn Mrs. Dempsey to the living room sofa, soothing her, “Now that we know Jason has been with Nydia these past few days, there’s no need to worry. Jason’s pushing thirty, and this is his first love. He’s bound to be head over heels. Part of raising a son is preparing for this, for when he takes a wife. But I’m sure Jason wouldn’t do that to us. He’s always been the most devoted of us three to you and Dad. So maybe it’s best not to get worked up over this. Your health is what’s most important.”

Though Cedric’s words offered comfort, they were laced with a mocking undertone that fanned the flames!

As expected, Mrs. Dempsey’s face darkened further, and she clutched at her chest with a muffled cough, I see your brother is set on following the path you’ve laid out for him! If I don’t intervene now, does he still acknowledge me as his mother, or care for the Dempsey family name at all?”

“Aw, Mom, you’re overthinking it. It’s not as serious as all that!” Cedric patted her back reassuringly.

“You’re right, Jason’s just inexperienced with women. That’s why he’s so easily swayed by that girl and has changed so much!”

Mrs. Dempsey bit her l*p in frustration, “If I don’t step in now, he might be taken for a fool without even realizing it. Wouldn’t I be failing as his mother?”

“Taken for a fool? I wonder who Mrs. Dempsey fears might fool her dear son.”

A cold, commanding voice suddenly filled the room, startling Mrs. Dempsey and her son.

Suri and Myra entered arm in arm, Suri exuding the grace and poise of a lady of high breeding.

Mrs. Dempsey forced a polite smile, “Suri, how have you been?”

Of Emeric’s three wives, Myra and Aviana, with their less illustrious backgrounds, had always been objects of her scorn, but Suri was someone she dared not slight.

“Mrs. Dempsey, I know you’re deeply concerned for your son. But you gave birth to a son, not a daughter. Isn’t it inappropriate to coddle him as if he were a delicate flower in a greenhouse?”

Ignoring her greeting, Suri scoffed, “You’ll spoil the boy, smother the manly vigor right out of him. Besides, you can control him for now, but can you do so forever? It might be wiser to relax and enjoy your golden years with Mr. Dempsey. Otherwise, you risk losing even the bond between mother and son.”

The words struck a nerve, and Mrs. Dempsey rose from the sofa in a fury, “Suri, I know my own son better than anyone. I do this precisely to preserve our bond! Jason is young and naïve, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. He doesn’t realize what kind of girl is truly right for him, and he might veer off course without even noticing!”

Myra’s eyes blazed with anger, her breath heavy with indignation.

This woman was insulting Nydia without saying her name, and Myra couldn’t stand for it!

Though she was not quick with words, Suri immediately became her voice, her gaze sharp and commanding,

“Mrs. Dempsey, are you speaking of Nydia? You’d best think carefully before you answer me.” Cedric, sensing the growing tension, quickly caught hold of his mother, eager to stir the pot.

But Mrs. Dempsey, driven by maternal instincts and provoked by Suri, laughed bitterly, “Oh, Suri, don’t misunderstand. My children are well aware of their place and would never presume to reach for the lofty branches of the Ashbourne family. A noble lady like Ms. Nydia is suited for someone of the Chambers family’s standing, not ours.”

Myra’s face flushed with anger, her l*ps quivering with unspoken rage.

Suri, too, was barely containing her fury, wishing she could stuff the woman’s mouth with dirt from the nearest flowerpot!

“Mom! What are you saying?”

Jason bounded down from the staircase to confront Mrs. Dempsey, his eyes alight with fury, his entire being like a flame set ablaze, “What are you talking about? How can you say such things?”

Seeing her son with a bandaged eye and bruises on his face, Mrs. Dempsey’s tears flowed freely, “My boy, what happened to you? Who did this to you? I’ll fight them for this!”

As she reached out to touch Jason’s cheek with trembling hands, he sharply slapped her hand away.

“If you ever want to hear me call you ‘Mom‘ again, those hurtful words you just said, they better disappear from your mouth from now on!”

Jason was seething, his veins nearly bursting, one eye red as if bleeding, “And another thing, Nydia is my woman! I will marry no one but her in this life! Don’t you dare associate her with the filth of the Chambers Group ever again!”

“Jason!”

Mrs. Dempsey, publicly rebuked by her own son in front of the Ashbourne family, was mortified and speechless with anger.,

“Jason! What are you doing?”

Cedric rushed forward to support the unsteady Mrs. Dempsey, his face full of a brother’s protective concern, “Do you have any idea how much Mom has been worrying about you, fearing for your safety? You got sued by the Chambers family!“.

Suri and Myra couldn’t hide their shock.

Only Jason, with his handsome and composed face, remained unfazed, his voice icy, “So what? What’s it to you? I can handle this myself.”

“Handle it? With what? You’re just going to make a mess of things!”

Cedric, frustrated and disappointed, pointed at Jason’s face, “The Chambers are going to hit you with assault charges, and who knows what kind of ace they’ve got up their sleeve. You fighting them is like throwing eggs against a brick wall. And these injuries you’ve got, you know better than anyone how you got ‘em!”

“Cedric! Shut up!”

Jason lunged forward, grabbing Cedric by the collar and hoisting him up single–handedly, “If you really cared about mom and dad, you wouldn’t have told them about this! Don’t think I don’t know what you’re plotting. If you have a grudge, come at me! And if you dare mess with Nydia and her family, I’ll never let you off!”

Mrs. Dempsey instantly understood and shivered. Her son had crossed one of the big four families, the Chambers, and now they were out for blood!

What did it matter that the Dempseys had supported the Ashbourne group for years? To the K Group, they were just pawns to be used and discarded. Emeric and Jeff were thick as thieves. If trouble really came, would they stand by her son?

11:07 1

And the reason Jason was in such hot water? All because of Nydia, that mistress’s daughter!

Why did she have to bring disaster upon her son!

In her fear, Mrs. Dempsey felt a crushing pain in her chest, her b*dy drenched in sweat, she collapsed, weak and powerless, into Cedric’s arms.

“Damn it! Mom’s having a heart attack!”

Cedric quickly fetched nitroglycerin pills from his suit pocket and popped them into Mrs. Dempsey’s mouth, yelling at Jason, “Call an ambulance, now!”

No matter how much Jason wanted to stay with Nydia, he couldn’t ignore his mother’s dangerous situation, and had to rush Mrs. Dempsey to the hospital.

After the intense family drama, the spacious living room was left eerily quiet, the air heavy with tension.

Myra clutched her blouse with one hand and gripped Suri’s arm with the other, unable to speak.

“Myra, you okay?” Suri gently rubbed her cold hand.

“I’m fine.” Myra’s voice was dry and shaky.

“The Chambers may be a nest of vipers, but this Dempsey family–no saints either!”

Suri shook her head in disgust, “After all Emeric did for them, we thought they’d be grateful. Turns out, we’ve raised a thankless cur! Jason’s a decent man, but his parents, his brother… I fear for Nydia. Marrying into that family, she might be bullied to death!”

“Suri, stop,” Myra said, tears closing her eyes, shaking her head in self–blame, “It’s not Jason’s fault, nor anyone’s. Blame me for being weak, for not securing a good marriage for my daughter.”

What they didn’t know was-

From a shadowy corner of the upstairs landing, Nydia had quietly listened to everything.

She heard the hurtful words and saw how Jason had valiantly stood up to his family for her.

And it was exactly for that reason that her heart ached as though it were being torn apart.

Leaning against the wall, Nydia staggered to a dark nook, crouching down with knees hugged to her chest, wishing she could hide from it all.

“Nydia? Nydia? Are you there?”

Aviana, following the sound, found Nydia curled up like a kitten, sobbing uncontrollably. Never having had children of her own, Aviana’s maternal instincts surged, and she enveloped the young girl in her arms.

“Sweetheart, why are you crying all by yourself?”

Tearful and looking pitifully helpless, Nydia’s state tugged at Aviana’s heartstrings, “Aviana, do Jason and I really have no chance? Mrs. Dempsey seems to really dislike me. Am I that bad?”

“Nonsense! Don’t put yourself down! That old bat from the Dempsey family can’t see the treasure you are! Don’t let them get to you!”

Nydia’s tears were soon replaced by laughter at Aviana’s words.

“That’s my girl, you always look best with a smile,” Aviana said, wiping away her tears, though her heart still ached with indignation.

After settling Nydia in her room, Aviana couldn’t shake off a sense of injustice. So she reached for her phone and dialed a number she hadn’t called in ages-

It was an old associate from her days in S–Star Group, a kid her father had taken under his wing, named Lionel. Once a mere foot soldier, he now sat in a position of power.

“Is that my princess? I can’t believe I’m getting a call from you in this lifetime. Am I dreaming?” Lionel was almost in tears.

“No, you’re not dreaming. Cut to the chase, I need you to beat someone up for me,” Aviana, as always, wasted no words.

Who? Just give the word.”

Aviana said with vengeance, “Cedric.”

Lionel didn’t bother asking for details, “The usual way?”

“The usual way. Just make sure he doesn’t die, but beat him to a pulp!”

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