Chapter 9 Misunderstanding

The room fell silent as his words sank in. All the relatives looked stunned. Even Samuel and Callum stood there, speechless. Had he lost it? How could he just curse Madam Peterson like that? "Dwayne, are you out of your mind? How dare you curse my mom? Do you have a death wish?" Joanna fired back. Dwayne was sincere, answering, "Look, I get that it sounds unbelievable, but Madam Peterson is really in danger…" Despite any resentment Michelle might have had toward him, this was serious. He couldn't just ignore it. "Enough!" Samuel barked, pointing a rigid finger at Dwayne's nose. "Do you think you're Saint Larson, head of the Medical Association, who can diagnose people by just looking at them? For your information, I'm a professor of medicine! I know my mom's health better than you ever could." Callum had his own grudge, shouting, "Dwayne, Madam Peterson took you in, fed you, and even handed you 75,000! And this is how you repay her? Cursing her like this? You're worse than an animal!" "I'm not cursing Madam Peterson!" Dwayne tried to clarify. "Still denying it?" Britney shrieked. "The doctors already said she's fine, but here you are insisting she's not. Since when did you know anything about medicine?" Michelle gave Evelyn a withering look, adding, "He's your man. Shouldn't you keep him in line? This is humiliating." "I'm sorry, Madam Peterson… I'm really sorry…" Evelyn stammered, hurt and furious, clenching her fists as she glared at Dwayne. Michelle wasn't moved, her tone icy as she asked, "Evelyn, haven't I been good to you? I entrusted you with multiple family assets, and this is how you repay me?" "I…" Evelyn faltered, unsure of what to say. Michelle waved her off coolly. "Forget it. You've been in poor shape yourself lately—clearly, you can't manage either your husband or our businesses. Hand over the project to your uncle for now. When you're ready, we can talk about it." Samuel's face split into a barely-hidden grin, though he tried to look disapproving as if his mother outweighed all the money in the world. Evelyn's face paled. She had poured years of effort into building these businesses. Now, they were being taken away just like that—all her years of hard work and effort were gone. "Madam Peterson, your condition is really serious. You must seek treatment immediately before—" Dwayne tried once more, wanting to cure her to make amends, but other relatives cut him off. "Evelyn, why is this ingrate still here? Are you not embarrassed enough?" Britney accused, her voice sharp. Dwayne saw Evelyn's red-rimmed eyes, her shoulders shaking. Guilt clawed at him. "Evelyn, I—" "Leave." Her voice trembled as she spoke. He reached out to steady Evelyn's shaking shoulders, but she shoved him away forcefully. Her beautiful eyes were brimming with hurt and helplessness as she pointed at the door, yelling, "Get out! I never want to see you again!" Dwayne sighed and made his way toward the exit. "Poor guy," someone sneered. "Wherever he goes, he's just a walking disaster. It's tragic he's even alive." "If I were him, I'd have found a way out ages ago." The relatives chimed in with cold insults, kicking him while he was down. Just then, an elderly man noticed the commotion and walked over, asking, "What's all this about?" Britney shot him a haughty look. "Who asked you to butt into our family's business?" When Michelle caught sight of the old man, her expression turned to shock. She quickly stepped forward, her tone anxious as she asked, "Wait… Are you… Mr. Thompson?" William Thompson had been Bryan's right-hand man for decades and was one of his most trusted allies. Though a steward, he controlled many of the Yorm family's large industries. For the Yorm family, apart from some direct descendants like Selina, William held the highest position. Even some of the Yorm family's direct descendants had to show respect when they saw William. Michelle remembered attending a prestigious provincial gathering once where William sat among top executives on stage, while thousands of business leaders watched attentively from below. She had barely managed to secure a seat in the second-to-last row, and it had taken a lot of connections to get even that close. Men like William didn't need to lean on Yorm family power to make an impact. With a single word, he could ruin families like the Lynns. Noting Michelle's reaction, Samuel and the others quickly understood the significance of this guest. Samuel muttered, "Mr. Thompson," quickly piecing things together before exclaiming, "Are you… the Yorm family's chief steward, Mr. William?" The chief steward of the Yorm family? Every Lynn family member went pale. In all of Ashtonville, William was practically a legend. Crossing him would be akin to digging your own grave. Britney looked as small as a quail, hunched over, her face blanched with fear. However, William simply smiled, showing a benevolent calm. "No need to worry. You're guests, and the Yorm family treats all guests with respect. Just be a bit more mindful, as we have other guests here today." He squinted, a look that somehow softened his face, but the effect only made everyone more terrified. Michelle scrambled to say, "Apologies for our family's ungrateful son, Mr. Thompson. I'm sure it's an embarrassment to you." William gave her a dismissive nod, clearly unbothered. Just as he turned to leave, his eyes landed on Callum, who was holding the Yorm Dragon Jade in his hand. His expression froze, eyes widening as he demanded, "You—Where did you get that?"