Julian Lawson felt like he was being held over an open flame. How could he possibly admit that this was his own one-sided obsession, that he was determined to compete with Mason Lawson and win Eve Vaughn back?

He glanced secretly at Eve Vaughn, a flicker of guilt in his eyes.

Old Mr. Lawson pressed him, "Julian, what are you dawdling for? Tell me the truth. We Lawsons should at least have that much integrity! If it was your decision, then own up to it. If someone else tempted you, you’re not to cover for them."

Under the old man’s intense interrogation, Julian Lawson’s mental defenses completely crumbled. He didn’t dare entertain the thought of calling off the wedding anymore.

His voice trembling, he said, "Grandfather, I know I was wrong. I had a moment of weakness and was tempted by a few words from Eve Vaughn. I nearly brought shame upon the Lawson family! I swear I’ll never be swayed by her again. Please, Grandfather, give me another chance."

With Julian Lawson’s words, the members of the family’s first branch finally breathed a sigh of relief.

’It seems their son isn’t so stupid after all! He knows what to say to absolve himself of blame when the situation calls for it.’ 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

But Eve Vaughn’s eyes were filled with disbelief and contempt.

A tide of grievance and hatred surged within her as she stared intently at Julian Lawson.

The man didn’t dare meet her eyes, not even for a second.

This once again showed Eve Vaughn just how despicable Julian Lawson was!

She let out a cold laugh. "Julian Lawson, I used to think you were just a soft-spined mama’s boy. But now I see you’re nothing but a spineless coward! You don’t even have the most basic sense of responsibility, shoving all the blame that should be yours onto someone else. What kind of man are you!"

Her words left Julian Lawson furious and ashamed, but he still didn’t dare admit that calling off the wedding had been his unilateral decision. He could only hang his head like an ostrich, not saying a word.

Old Mr. Lawson, having lost all patience, turned to Eve Vaughn. "You girl, now I finally see how you managed to seduce my grandson, and then my son! Your methods are truly impressive! But don’t you forget, this is the Lawson Family estate. How dare you speak to my grandson like that, right in front of me? Do you have any respect for me at all?"

The Third Madam was about to die from anger. The first branch had completely shirked their responsibility. Didn’t this mean that Eve Vaughn would now be tied to her own son?

If that was the case, there was no way Old Mr. Lawson would let Mason Lawson off the hook!

She immediately said, "Old Mr. Lawson, you must see the truth! Our Mason is innocent as well. This girl is an expert at seducing men. She only approached Mason because she wanted to get revenge on Julian. Our Mason would never be moved by a woman like her!"

Although Eve Vaughn knew The Third Madam was just trying to push all the blame onto her, and she didn’t like The Third Madam.

But she had to admit one thing: The Third Madam was doing it for Mason Lawson, and she didn’t want to drag Mason Lawson down either.

From that perspective, her goal and The Third Madam’s were the same.

Now that Old Mr. Lawson had such a fixed opinion of her, Eve Vaughn knew that any further explanation would be pointless.

Therefore, to get Mason Lawson out of this mess, Eve Vaughn took all the responsibility upon herself.

She met Old Mr. Lawson’s gaze fearlessly and said, "The Third Madam is right. I wanted to get revenge on Julian Lawson, so I tried every means possible to get close to Mr. Lawson. But Mr. Lawson is a man of principle. I tried everything I could think of, but nothing worked. In fact, Mr. Lawson warned me to stop seeking him out."

Old Mr. Lawson was slightly taken aback. He didn’t seem to expect that the girl who had been so defiant just moments ago would suddenly confess so readily.

The Third Madam breathed an even bigger sigh of relief. This was for the best; it wouldn’t implicate Mason Lawson.

Mason Lawson was the son Old Mr. Lawson currently valued most. Since Eve Vaughn had said as much, he didn’t want to pursue the matter with Mason any further. He wanted to avoid giving people the impression that both an uncle and a nephew in the Lawson family had been utterly bewitched by some young girl.

So, the old man nodded and said, "Good. Since you’ve admitted it, that’s for the best. However, a girl like you who dares to stir up trouble in our Lawson family—I certainly can’t let you off easy. You now have two choices. One: take your mother and leave Rivaster, never to return! Two: I use our family’s disciplinary measures. If you can withstand the Lawson family’s punishment, then I can let you off the hook this once and give you a chance."

Eve Vaughn was clearly repulsed by the old man’s words. She furrowed her brow and said, "Why should I have to choose? If I’ve committed a crime, the law will be my judge, not you!"

Old Mr. Lawson’s narrowed eyes glinted with a cold light. He spoke, word by word, "Eve Vaughn, think about your mother. Don’t force me to act against her! You had best believe that I have the power to make someone in Rivaster disappear without a trace! Especially a helpless person in a vegetative state!"

Eve Vaughn’s heart sank. She clenched her fists, but she couldn’t disregard her mother’s life.

She had no choice but to submit to the old man’s conditions and pick one of the two options he had just proposed.

She couldn’t leave Rivaster. She had been born and raised here; it was the place she knew best.

Her house was here, her school was here. Besides, moving to another city with her mother in a vegetative state, where they knew no one and nothing, meant she couldn’t even continue college. It would be utterly devastating for her.

Although Eve Vaughn could anticipate that this family punishment would be terrifying and would likely leave her covered in wounds.

Still, she had no other choice.

’I just hope that after I endure this punishment, I can stay far away from the Lawson family and never have anything to do with the Lawsons again.’

And so, Eve Vaughn chose the second path Old Mr. Lawson had offered.

Though the young woman seemed frail and delicate, her tone was remarkably tough. "I choose the second option."

"Good. A girl with guts!"

The old man’s tone was dripping with sarcasm. Then, he spoke with vicious cruelty, "Butler, go fetch my Snake Bone Whip! Bestow upon Miss Vaughn twenty lashes!"

Eve Vaughn’s eyes widened as she watched the butler approach her with a thick Snake Bone Whip.

Everyone else in the living room looked on as if they were watching a show, especially Charlotte Vaughn, who was practically ecstatic.

A vicious glint shone in her eyes. She wished these twenty lashes would just kill Eve Vaughn outright!

A trace of worry crossed Julian Lawson’s face, but it was only worry. He didn’t dare do anything. He dared even less to imagine what so many lashes would feel like on his own body.

He was even a little relieved that Old Mr. Lawson had believed him and hadn’t pressed the matter further!

The butler walked slowly to Eve Vaughn’s side and said, "Miss Vaughn, please kneel."

Eve Vaughn looked at him, bewildered. ’What kind of family is this?’

’Using a whip for family punishment, and telling people to kneel at the drop of a hat?’

’Does Old Mr. Lawson really think he’s some feudal-era despot?’

Though she was seething inside, Eve Vaughn knew that when you’re under someone else’s roof, you can’t meet force with force.

Still, she didn’t kneel. With her back ramrod straight, she said, "Just do it like this."

Autumn Woods sneered, as if laughing at her naivety.

The Third Madam snorted disdainfully. "Eve Vaughn, even if you don’t kneel now, you won’t be standing once that whip comes down!"

Eve Vaughn flinched, her voice soft but firm. "It doesn’t matter. I’ll stay on my feet for as long as I can."

She might get knocked down, but she would never willingly kneel and admit fault to these people!

Old Mr. Lawson snorted coldly. "Interesting! You seduce my grandson, then my son, and now you’re putting on this show of unyielding pride? Who are you trying to impress?"

Eve Vaughn said with a blank expression, "So, stop wasting time and get on with it!"

Autumn Woods said with a cold laugh, "Once that whip hits you, you’ll learn your lesson!"

The butler was now holding the whip ready. Old Mr. Lawson nodded at him. The butler said, "Miss Vaughn, my apologies then!"

With that, he raised the whip high.

Eve Vaughn squeezed her eyes shut. She could even hear the terrifying sound of the whip cutting through the air.

With a loud CRACK, the whip made contact with clothing, and everyone heard the sound of tearing fabric.

Eve Vaughn was suddenly pulled into a broad, familiar embrace. The pain she had been expecting never came.

She snapped her eyes open to see Mason Lawson holding her tightly from behind. The man’s strong jaw was clenched, as if he were gritting his teeth against immense pain.

"Little Uncle?"

Tears instantly welled up in her eyes. She thought she must be dreaming.

The butler stopped, seemingly blaming himself for accidentally striking Mason Lawson.

But Mason Lawson continued to shield the young woman in his arms, murmuring an apology, "Sorry, I’m late."