Chapter 5 Throws Herself at Him

• "Feed the fish?"
• Claire was startled by the woman in the red dress, so much so that she completely forgot about Hudson's injuries. Fear filled her eyes.
• When the bodyguards actually pulled burlap sacks out of the car and began tying them up, she panicked completely.
• "Miss, lady, milady, this is a misunderstanding! It's a huge misunderstanding!"
• As for Hudson, his face swollen beyond recognition, sheer terror gripped him. Urine streamed down his legs as he trembled violently, his body cold as ice, unable to utter a single word.
• The woman in the red dress didn't even bother to look at them. She walked over to Timothy with long, smooth legs, a sweet smile on her face, and extended slender fingers.
• "Mr. Lawson, hello. I am Yvonne Royce, eldest daughter of the Royce family, one of the four major families in Southonville. My dad sent me here to invite you back home."
• "Hmm." Timothy's attitude was indifferent. He only glanced at Yvonne without shaking her hand.
• His attitude instantly annoyed Yvonne. She frowned slightly, feeling displeased.
• Timothy was truly arrogant. In Southonville, she was known as the aloof beauty. With the Royce family backing her, she could walk freely across the entire city. Her stunning beauty had left countless young elites desperate just to shake her hand, yet Timothy brushed her off like she was nothing.
• "Forget tossing them into the sea. Let them go," Timothy said as he walked past Yvonne toward Grace Kindergarten.
• Though anger simmered in her heart, Yvonne didn't dare direct it at Timothy. Instead, she spun around and snapped at Claire and Hudson,
• "Scram!"
• Hearing this, Claire felt like she had been granted a pardon. She quickly grabbed Hudson, dragging him away in a panicked scramble.
• The thugs nearby didn't even bother to collect their motorcycles. They scattered without a second glance.
• Once Yvonne and her group were out of sight, Claire finally let go of Hudson's hand and cursed under her breath,
• "That d*mned tramp was acting so high and mighty! One day, I'll sell her off to a brothel, let's see her beg for death and find no escape! And that b*stard Timothy, does he think hiring some actors will scare me? As long as they're still in Froston, I have a thousand ways to kill them!"
• Hudson clutched at Claire, groaning in pain.
• "Mom, stop yelling... Call a doctor, I can't take this anymore..."
• "Oh, my poor baby, hold on, I'll call Hannah..." She reached for her bag, only to realize she had dropped it while running.
• Desperate, she dragged Hudson back to retrieve it.
• Just then, they saw a convoy leaving the gates of Grace Kindergarten, sleek and imposing.
• "Mom, look! Is that Timothy inside that Bentley?" Hudson rubbed his swollen, bleeding head and pointed at the shadowy figure by the car window.
• Earlier, they'd been too busy running for their lives to notice what kind of car Timothy's group had driven.
• "My poor, foolish son. That beating really did knock the sense out of you."
• "There's no way that loser is riding in a car like that!" Claire stared at the convoy pulling away, her heart aching as she rubbed Hudson's head.
• Hudson spat out bloody saliva.
• "That b*stard almost knocked the lights out of me... He's dead meat!"
• ...
• Inside the Bentley, Timothy held Laurel, who had already fallen asleep, while staring silently out the window.
• Next to him, Yvonne organized some documents. After a long pause, she handed Timothy a tablet and pointed to the information on the screen.
• "Mr. Lawson, this is the employee information from the sudden outbreak in the high-tech district. We've consulted every expert and specialist in the country, but nothing has worked. We've been using compensation to cover it up, but if this continues, it will weaken the Royce family's influence in Southonville. My dad gave me strict orders. Please, you have to help us!"
• Timothy took the tablet, skimmed through the information, and handed it back.
• "I'll try. I can't promise a perfect solution, but there's a ninety-nine percent chance."
• Yvonne's expression shifted instantly. She bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, then subtly shifted closer to him.
• "Mr. Lawson, as long as you help us, I'll do anything you ask. Even... unreasonable requests aren't off the table."
• Timothy frowned and gently pushed her away.
• "I said I'll help. It's not a sure thing, but I'd say there's a ninety-nine percent chance. You can relax."
• Yvonne froze.
• She stared at Timothy's calm expression, struggling to accept what had just happened.
• It wasn't his confidence she doubted, but his utter lack of desire.
• She was the heiress of the Royce family, one of the top beauties in Southonville. Men, young and old, couldn't resist her charms.
• Yet Timothy didn't show a hint of interest. He even kept his distance, completely unmoved by her offer. What kind of self-control is this?
• One word suddenly popped into Yvonne's mind, Extraordinary.
• He is a truly extraordinary man.
• Only now did she understand why her dad had insisted on bringing Timothy back at any cost. Looking at him now, she realized her dad had been right.
• A man with such restraint and composure at his age was destined for greatness.
• The Royce family might just have a chance after all.
• …
• In the hospital room at Froston Hospital, Hudson lay on the bed, his head wrapped like a mummy, an IV needle stuck in his hand. Claire sat beside him on a chair, wiping away her tears.
• Creak!
• The door to the room opened. Hannah walked in, followed by a man in a sharp suit, his hair slicked back so smoothly it looked as if a calf had just licked it clean.
• "Mom, what happened to Hudson?" Hannah's face was full of concern as she hurried to the bedside.
• The moment Claire saw Hannah, her tears fell even harder. "Hannah, you're finally here!"
• "It was that b*stard Timothy! He brought a mistress with him and beat Hudson and me until we were badly injured. If I hadn't dragged Hudson away fast enough, you'd be picking out coffins for us right now!"
• "Timothy did this?" Hannah looked at Claire in disbelief.
• She had been married to Timothy for six years. He was gentle, polite, and a true gentleman. She couldn't believe he would ever do something like this.
• And she knew exactly what kind of person Claire was.
• Even though Claire was her mom, she was a compulsive liar, sharp-tongued, and only ever cared about personal gain. Not a single word she said could be trusted.
• "Hannah, you've been fooled by him! Now that you're divorced, he'll do anything for money! You probably don't even know that he's had some tramp on the side for ages. That sl*t even threatened to tie Hudson and me up and toss us into the sea to feed the fish!"
• Claire spoke with such conviction that Hannah found herself momentarily stunned.
• "That's impossible! You must've provoked him somehow. Timothy wouldn't act like this without a reason!"
• At that moment, Jonathan, the sharply dressed man, jumped in. "Why wouldn't it be possible? Hannah, you're still being deceived! Timothy's a schemer. Everything he's done is just to get your family's money!"
• Claire's eyes lit up. "Oh, Jonathan, my good son-in-law! You're the only one who sees things clearly!"
• "Hannah, are you saying you don't believe me? Oh my, if I had known this would happen, I would've just let him beat Hudson and me to death..." Claire threw herself onto the bed, wailing dramatically.
• "Claire, don't be upset. That's not what Hannah meant," Jonathan said, playing along as he patted Claire's back. He turned to Hannah, saying, "Hannah, just stop. You've seen their injuries with your own eyes, do you think they're faking this?"
• Then, turning back to Claire, he comforted her again. "Don't worry, Claire. You two just focus on getting better. Once you're healed, I'll personally find Timothy, break three of his legs, and leave him begging on the streets. That'll teach him a lesson!"
• Claire gripped Jonathan's hand, her face full of satisfaction. "You truly care for me, so much better than that heartless b*stard Timothy!"
• Hannah frowned, her mind full of doubts.
• Could it be that Timothy has been deceiving me all along?
• Suppressing her emotions, she gently comforted Claire. "Mom, don't get worked up. I'll make a call and find out what really happened. If it was him, I swear I won't let him get away with it."