Old Mr. Lawson’s face was ashen. If Janet Chandler kept this up, the marriage alliance with the Shaw Family would be completely ruined!

He struck the ground hard with his cane and ordered, "Go! Get the bodyguards and drag this madwoman out of here!"

"Wait!"

But Mrs. Shaw was a shrewd woman. Since this person had already shown up at the Lawson Family’s doorstep, she was determined to get to the bottom of things.

She couldn’t let her daughter suffer at the hands of some little homewrecker, and then have to put up with the homewrecker’s entire family on top of that!

Judging by this woman’s aggressive demeanor, Mrs. Shaw worried she would eat her daughter alive in the future.

Therefore, Mrs. Shaw said to Janet Chandler, "Since you’ve come all the way here, let’s just get everything out in the open. That way, you can’t accuse the Shaw Family of using our influence to bully people and wrongly accuse your daughter!"

Janet Chandler snorted. "You think the Shaw Family is the only one with some official post in Calypsos? Let me tell you, my husband, Sullivan, served as an ambassador abroad for years and has just been transferred back to a position here. Our status is on par with yours. If you want to bully my daughter, you’ll have to get through me first!"

Mrs. Shaw wasn’t the least bit intimidated. Instead, she replied reasonably, "Mrs. Sullivan, no matter how high your husband’s position is, surely it can’t justify raising a daughter who destroys other people’s marriages, can it?"

"Whose marriage did our Joanna ruin?"

Janet Chandler narrowed her eyes, a mocking smile on her face. "Could it be that Mr. and Mrs. Shaw haven’t even asked their own daughter whether her relationship with Mason Lawson is real or fake?"

At these words, even Old Mr. Lawson was stunned.

He was no longer in a hurry to throw Janet Chandler out. He demanded sharply, "Explain yourself! If you don’t make things crystal clear today, I’ll make sure Joanna Sullivan can’t survive anywhere in this country, let alone in Rivaster!"

Under the confused and anxious gazes of the Shaws and Old Mr. Lawson, Janet Chandler said, "From what I know, Eve Vaughn and Mason Lawson are fooling around together all the time. The Crimson Spring Resort, love hotels... they’ve been spotted everywhere! And the dear daughter raised by the Shaw Family? She’s been tirelessly providing cover for them!"

The Shaws were dumbfounded.

After all, Old Mr. Lawson had long known about Eve Vaughn and Mason Lawson’s relationship, so this news wasn’t particularly shocking to him.

At most, he was just in disbelief that Regina Shaw would be so absurd as to cover up for the two of them.

But Mrs. Shaw was a different story. She said angrily, "Impossible! Eve Vaughn, you said? That’s absolutely impossible! She’s Regina’s only friend. Why would she do something like that?"

Janet Chandler said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, "That, I wouldn’t know. Kids these days... who knows what they’re thinking? Especially from a prestigious family like yours. The daughter you’ve raised is certainly ’extraordinary’—she does things differently than everyone else."

Hearing Janet Chandler’s passive-aggressive taunts, Mr. Shaw, who had always prized his family’s reputation, turned pale with fury. He said through clenched teeth, "Call Regina. Tell her to bring Eve Vaughn here immediately. We’ll have them answer for this in person!"

The Third Madam feigned an objection. "Oh, let’s not. My dear in-law, it would be so terrible to expose them in person... After all, they’re just girls. They have their reputations to think about!"

Mrs. Shaw could tell The Third Madam was siding with her sister, so she countered, "Mrs. Lawson, that’s not right. Why is it all about the girls? Is your son not involved in this? These two girls are young and might not know any better, but your son is a thirty-year-old man. Is he immature, too?"

Mrs. Shaw’s words left The Third Madam speechless.

...

「One hour later.」

The Lawson Family sent a car to bring Eve Vaughn and Regina Shaw over. The family from the first branch also returned at the same time.

After all, with such a huge drama unfolding at home, the first-branch family wouldn’t miss it for the world.

They were dying for any chance to kick Mason Lawson while he was down!

Old Mr. Lawson glanced around at the crowd, frowned, and asked, "Where is that scoundrel, Mason?"

The butler bowed and replied, "The Third Young Master was negotiating an acquisition this morning. He just closed the deal and is on his way back now."

Eve Vaughn and Regina Shaw stood together, looking at each other uneasily.

They had no idea why the Lawson Family had suddenly sent a car to pick them up.

After all, with Regina’s parents present, it made some sense to bring her over.

But there was no reason to bring Eve Vaughn along as well.

Regina Shaw guessed instantly. ’Could it be? Did everyone find out that my relationship with Mason Lawson is a sham?’

At that thought, a cold sweat ran down her back. After all, Regina knew her father’s temper better than anyone.

’If this gets exposed, how will Dad punish me?’

Just then, Old Mr. Lawson’s grim voice broke the silence in the living room. "You two. Who’s going to explain what’s on this video?"

The old man gave a signal, and the butler handed over a phone. It was a video of Mason Lawson and Regina Shaw entering and exiting the Crimson Spring Resort and a love hotel together after they had ’confirmed their relationship’.

Eve Vaughn’s heart leaped into her throat.

’No wonder this feels like an inquisition,’ she thought. ’They know everything.’

Thinking of the Lawson Family’s punishments, Eve Vaughn shuddered. Her lips trembled, and she had no idea where to even begin her explanation.

Regina Shaw’s mind went blank as well. ’Should I just confess?’

’What would the consequences be if I did?’

Mr. Shaw said to Regina, "Regina, someone is claiming that you and Mason Lawson are deceiving both our families, that you aren’t actually in a relationship at all. What do you have to say about that? If this person is just spouting nonsense to ruin your good name, Dad will absolutely back you up! Some people lead promiscuous lives, surrounded by women. Don’t think for a second they can drag my daughter down with them."

Regina Shaw immediately understood her father’s meaning.

Mr. Shaw was hinting that she should push Eve Vaughn out to take the fall.

All she had to do was insist that she and Mason Lawson were really dating and that she knew nothing about his affair with Eve Vaughn. Then, she would become the victim, and none of the blame could touch her.

The Shaw Family could even use the opportunity to seize the moral high ground, demanding an explanation from the Lawson Family or making them owe the Shaws a favor.

But if she confessed that she had been covering for Eve Vaughn and Mason Lawson, then the Shaw Family would be the ones in the wrong.

Regina Shaw glanced at her father. His gaze was sharp, a clear warning: think carefully before she spoke, and do not drag the Shaw Family down with her.