The heartache was unbearable, even her breathing became heavier. She breathed deeply for a while before looking at them. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Unwilling to punish them harshly, yet truly furious.

These kids, bold beyond measure, even went so far as to hide their sister.

Although the punishment was severe, it was a way to give an explanation to the other brothers, hoping they would learn a lesson for the future.

Finally, Preston Quinn finished punishing them.

He stood aside, trying to breathe steadily.

Thinking back, it had been many years since he last exerted such effort in disciplining the young masters, and he wasn’t as vigorous as he used to be.

He panted for a while before approaching Rouge Jarvis, bowing his head, "Madam, the young masters have been punished."

Rouge Jarvis waved her hand, "Go take a rest."

"Yes, Madam."

After Preston Quinn left, there were only the mother and her four sons left in the room.

The four brothers were too exhausted to speak, supporting each other, watching their mother.

Ultimately, it was Isaac Ford, who had been punished the least, who spoke first, "Mom, we all know we were wrong. Please calm down; we won’t do it again."

Rouge Jarvis certainly understood they couldn’t repeat the mistake.

After all, Tiana had been found, and no one could hide her anymore.

Maxim Ford noticed her stern expression, her eyes misty as she swallowed her feelings several times, this was a true sign of sadness.

He moved his lips, "Mom."

Rouge Jarvis didn’t speak; her anger hadn’t subsided yet.

Worried about her heart condition, he persuaded, "It was my mistake as the eldest brother; please don’t be upset and take care of your health."

Julian Ford and Aiden Shaw remained silent.

They were punished the hardest, yet they knelt diligently, hoping their mother would no longer be angry.

Looking at these sons, in the past, when they knelt, they were just little boys.

Now, each of them had grown up and become men. Even kneeling, they exuded a sense of strength and grandeur.

They had all become men with responsibilities.

Looking at them, Rouge Jarvis felt a sharp pain in her heart. They made mistakes, but so did she.

If only she had been more careful back then, if she’d done a thorough check and confirmed with DNA tests a few more times, she wouldn’t have made such an error and missed out on twenty years with her precious Poppy.

Because of this, when her sons found their sister, they wanted to hide her and keep her doted upon.

They just loved their sister too much.

From their perspective, there really wasn’t much wrong.

Thinking of this, tears welled up in her eyes once more. She wiped them away, remaining silent.

Maxim Ford knew how heartbroken his mother felt at that moment, probably thinking of those twenty years of deception. He worried she would blame herself, getting stuck in a cycle of depression and distress, triggering a recurrence of her heart condition.

Swallowing hard, he gently said, "Mom, don’t cry. Your sister has returned, and the past doesn’t matter anymore."

Julian Ford was also deeply moved. Over the years, he had witnessed how much their mother missed their little sister, something he would never forget.

Even when she wasn’t with them, whatever they had, whatever Meredith Ford had, they would also prepare for her.

Bedroom, study, walk-in closet...

Many girl’s clothes, jewelry, cosmetics, each chosen with care.

Yet, they hid their sister away; how could their mother not be angry and sad?

Also worried about his mother’s health, he moved his lips and comforted, "Mom, we were wrong. We shouldn’t have prevented you from recognizing your sister. Please don’t cry."