Free Web NovelChapter 254: Chapter 257: Cecilia Quincy Gets Beaten Again
"Sandy, look over here..."
"Look at the little caterpillar in Auntie’s hand..."
"Sandy doesn’t want to see the caterpillar, he wants to see the robot in Uncle Linden’s hands..."
"What robot?" Lynn Preston swatted Jasper Linden with the toy caterpillar. "Get out of here with your hideously ugly robot. Our Sandy doesn’t play with things like that!"
Jasper Linden didn’t leave. Instead, he argued, "You’re not Sandy. How would you know he doesn’t want to play with it?"
Lynn Preston retorted, "Because our Sandy has good taste. Your robot is so ugly, of course he won’t play with it!"
"Nonsense..." Jasper Linden muttered under his breath. ’My robot is clearly so handsome and cool. How is it ugly...’
In the living room of the Shaw Villa, Jasper Linden and Lynn Preston were gathered together, teasing Sandy and bickering from time to time.
Felix Preston, Evan Yates, and Mason Shaw sat on the opposite sofa, sorting through the evidence Robert Ford had provided.
"The stuff Robert Ford gave us is a complete mess. It’s giving me a headache." Evan Yates rubbed his aching temples, sighing with worry.
Mason Shaw gave a weary smile. "It may be a mess, but every single piece of this can be used to convict Ethan Lockwood. Once we get it organized, he won’t be able to recover."
Evan Yates snorted. "Simon Abbott sent word that Ethan Lockwood was released from the police station this morning. The police chief himself even escorted him to the door."
"I wonder what kind of favors he offered that chief to get out so quickly and completely unscathed."
Mason Shaw said, "Ethan Lockwood has been building his power in Aethelburg for so many years. He’s bound to have his people in the police department and the prosecutor’s office. It’s not surprising at all that he could get out so fast..."
"Felix Preston!!"
"Felix Preston, get out here!!"`
"And you Shaws, get the hell out here too!"
The light snow outside had just stopped when two shrill female voices cut through the air, their owners trampling the fresh snow in the yard.
Felix Preston’s hands paused on the keyboard. He pushed up his glasses with clear irritation and glanced toward the door.
The glare of the snow in the yard was blinding, and he couldn’t quite make out who was standing there.
"I’m telling you, you Shaws don’t have the guts to face the consequences of your actions, do you? If you have any nerve, come out and face us!"
"Exactly! What kind of cowards hide in their house like turtles in their shells?"
More female voices carried in from the yard.
"Who is it?" Lynn Preston put down the toy caterpillar, got up from the sofa, and headed outside.
Evan Yates and Mason Shaw followed right behind her.
Jasper Linden called for the nanny, handed the drowsy Sandy over to her, and then pulled Felix Preston along to go outside with them.
In the yard, Cecilia Quincy and Fiona Dalton were standing there with seven or eight people. The moment they saw Mason Shaw emerge, they began to question him harshly.
"What do you think you’re doing, Shaw family?"
Mason Shaw put on a blank face and played dumb. "What ’what do you think you’re doing’?"
Cecilia Quincy demanded, "Where’s Felix Preston? Why are you the only one who came out?"
"Looking for me?" Felix Preston stepped forward nonchalantly to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Mason Shaw.
"Hmph," Cecilia Quincy sneered, not bothering to beat around the bush. "Felix Preston, you hired that online water army, didn’t you? You’re the one behind the scenes, manipulating public opinion and spreading rumors that my brother is in love with Sonia Quincy!"
"...Sonia Quincy?" Felix Preston narrowed his eyes, the long-unheard name sounding almost unfamiliar. "I don’t know any Sonia Quincy, and there’s no one by that name here."
Cecilia Quincy craned her neck, her face full of resentment and anger. "Stop playing dumb with me! Sonia Quincy is Charlotte Shaw, and Charlotte Shaw is Sonia Quincy!"
"Charlotte Shaw..." The mention of this name brought a hint of gentleness to Felix Preston’s eyes. "Oh, so you’re looking for Charlotte."
Cecilia Quincy’s face was sour. "I’m not looking for your precious Charlotte, I’m looking for you!"
"You hired that online water army, didn’t you? You’re the one who spread the rumors that my brother is in love with Charlotte Shaw and kidnapped her, right?"
"..." Felix Preston raised an eyebrow in a half-smile, saying nothing.
Fiona Dalton had come here angry, and seeing his attitude, her fury instantly boiled over.
"Felix Preston!" She stood at the bottom of the steps, pointing a finger forcefully at him. "You should have a conscience! Even though Charlotte Shaw has nothing to do with our Quincy Family anymore, she was still Willow’s sister for over a decade! By spreading rumors that Willow is in love with his sister, aren’t you just accusing him of incest?"
"Aren’t you afraid of being struck by lightning for spreading such rumors?!"
Cecilia Quincy added, "Charlotte Shaw deserved to be kidnapped! She brought it on herself with all her wicked deeds. What does it have to do with my brother? Aren’t you afraid Charlotte won’t come back after you’ve done something so shameless?"
"...What did you just say?"
Mason Shaw’s brow furrowed, and the atmosphere around him suddenly dropped, becoming frigid.
His gaze shifted, landing squarely on Cecilia Quincy. His cold, predatory glare seemed to become tangible, making her squirm with discomfort.
Cecilia Quincy was frightened by his vicious expression, but to save face, she forced herself to speak.
"I said, you’ve done something so vile, you should watch out for the karma to fall on Charlotte Shaw!"
"..."
The last, fraying thread of Mason Shaw’s self-control finally snapped.
His hands, hanging at his sides, clenched into tight fists as he took long strides, descending the steps one by one.
"Y-You... what are you doing?" Fiona Dalton sensed the thick, violent aura surging from him, and her heart leaped into her throat.
"Mason Shaw, what do you think you’re doing?" Before Mason Shaw could even get close, Fiona Dalton was already shielding Cecilia Quincy, backing away step by step.
"Heh..." Mason Shaw suddenly let out a cold laugh.
Cecilia Quincy stared at him timidly, a terrible premonition inexplicably rising in her heart.
Mason Shaw said, "Cecilia Quincy, you’ve got a real filthy mouth."
"..." Cecilia Quincy averted her gaze, not daring to look Mason Shaw in the eye.
But that didn’t stop Mason Shaw from hitting her.
She didn’t even see how he moved before a heavy, swift slap landed across her face.
"SLAP!"
The crisp sound made Fiona Dalton’s heart skip a beat.
"GASP—" Everyone in the yard sucked in a sharp breath.
Everyone except Felix Preston.
"..."
Cecilia Quincy clutched her cheek, completely stunned by the blow. It wasn’t until the fiery pain spread across her face that she realized what Mason Shaw had done to her.
"...AAAAAHHHH!!!!"
She shrieked at the top of her lungs, breaking down as she cried and screamed, "Mason Shaw, you actually dared to hit me!"
Meanwhile, the stunned Fiona Dalton snapped back to her senses and shoved Mason Shaw hard on the shoulder.
"Mason Shaw, are you crazy? How dare you hit a woman!!"
Mason Shaw curled his lip in disdain. "She dared to curse my sister, so why wouldn’t I dare to hit her? I, Mason Shaw, will make this clear right now: if Cecilia Quincy ever dares to speak ill of my sister again, I’ll hit her again!"
"You—" Fiona Dalton was incandescent with rage at his arrogance. She hesitated for only a second before decisively raising her hand and swinging a hard slap at Mason Shaw’s face!
