Chapter 70: House Rules

Lincy finally seemed to understand where she was standing.This wasn’t her father’s territory. And Lewis wasn’t Grant.

She couldn’t cry, scream, or twist the story her way out of this. The air itself felt different here. Unforgiving.

I shifted my gaze to Yenik, keeping my voice steady. "Go on," I said. "Explain how I ’seduced’ you."

He didn’t hesitate.

Just like always, the moment things turned ugly, he scrambled to save himself. No spine. No pride. Only fear.

He pointed at me, words spilling fast. "She set me up! One of the guards led me there. The room was empty. Then a woman grabbed me as soon as I stepped inside. Lincy, Mr. Ashbourne, you have to believe me. I’d never betray Lincy. Never!"

I let out a quiet laugh. Cold. Sharp.

"Loyal?" I repeated.

The word tasted bitter.

I couldn’t believe Riley had once loved him enough to think her life wasn’t worth living without him. Looking at him now, I felt nothing but disgust.

Grant rounded on me, anger blazing. "What’s so funny? You never approved of this relationship. Now that you’re tied to the Hales, is this how you behave? You’ve shamed us in front of four major families!"

Before I could speak, Lewis stepped in.

"Mr. Ashbourne," he said calmly, "do you always judge before hearing both sides? Or is this how you normally speak to your daughter?"

Grant stiffened. He clearly wasn’t used to being challenged.

"But Yenik confessed," he argued. "Why would he lie?"

Lewis’s voice didn’t rise, but the pressure behind it was unmistakable. "Did you ever ask Riley what happened? Or do you simply assume she’s at fault?"

"I know her," Grant muttered, more defensive than sure. "I wouldn’t accuse her without reason."

That was when Lewis lost his patience.

"Then you’re about to learn something," he said. He glanced at Theo. "Show them."

Theo was already moving. A screen was set up, and footage flickered to life on the wall.

My breath caught.

It showed Yenik and me outside a door.

I blinked. Just how much did the Hales monitor their grounds?

Then his voice filled the room, clear and unmistakable.

"Riley, we’ve known each other forever. Don’t you want to avoid regrets? Why give yourself to someone else? He can’t even stand properly. Who knows if he’s still capable?"

The words made my skin crawl.

"I love you," Yenik continued on the screen. "Just come with me. No one will notice. It’s too busy tonight."

The footage was clean. Edited carefully. Everything humiliating for me had been removed. Only his filth remained.

Lewis wasn’t finished.

He lifted my phone, showing the message Yenik had sent earlier.

Riley, come here. I miss you.

Unread. Unanswered.

I looked at Grant. "You don’t have to care about me," I said quietly. "But at least hear me out before deciding I’m guilty. Even if I mean nothing to you... doesn’t the family’s name matter?"

Lewis followed smoothly, his presence solid at my side. "The Hales and the Ashbournes stand together. Yet this man tried to drag my mate into betrayal. And you chose to defend him instead of your daughter. Doesn’t that strike you as strange?"

The room fell silent.

Grant had nothing to say.

For the first time, the truth hit him full force.

And he had nowhere left to hide.

Then my mother stepped forward.

Her face had gone cold, sharper than I had ever seen it. Before anyone could stop her, she raised her hand and struck Grant across the face.

The sound was clean and loud.

"What kind of father are you?" she snapped. "You almost pushed your daughter over the edge once. Do you want to do it again?"

Grant froze. He didn’t argue. He didn’t defend himself. But when he turned toward Yenik, his eyes burned.

"This is your fault," he growled.

Lincy, who had been swinging between rage and collapse, suddenly snapped again. She spun on Yenik and slapped him hard. "You lying trash! She’s already bound to someone else, and you still chased her? I swear I’ll ruin you for this!"

I chose that moment to speak.

I looked straight at Lincy, my voice calm. "Didn’t you once say all men slip up like this? That Riley should’ve stepped aside because she couldn’t hold onto him? Maybe you should follow your own advice."

The words landed hard.

Her whole body shook. She pointed at me, voice cracking. "Y-you shut up!"

I smiled softly. "You’re right. That was rude. I shouldn’t have said it."

Of course, I wasn’t sorry. And she knew it.

I tilted my head, tone light. "Still, it’s obvious now. Your precious fiancé was caught with Ms. Morrigan. If he doesn’t take responsibility after this, the fallout will be ugly. That makes him irrelevant to our family ties, doesn’t it? No longer my brother-in-law."

Her face twisted, torn between shame and fury.

I leaned closer and lowered my voice. "Not everything can be taken, Lincy. What you steal, one day, you’re forced to give back."

She screamed and rushed me, hand raised.

But she never reached me.

Smack.

The sound cracked through the room.

Theo’s hand connected with her cheek mid-swing, sending her crashing to the floor.

Everything stopped.

Grant rushed forward, but Lewis’s voice cut through the room, cold and final.

"Mr. Ashbourne," he said, "you still have another daughter. That strike was necessary. Lincy attempted to harm my mate. In my home, that is not allowed."

It wasn’t a threat.

It was a boundary.

Lewis had drawn the line. I was under his protection now. Anyone who crossed it family or not would pay for it.

Grant looked down at Lincy and said quietly, "You did this to yourself."

Then Lewis turned to Yenik.

His voice was low, steady, dangerous. "And you. You tried to pull my mate into betrayal. Tell me what do you think the price for that should be?"

Yenik stood frozen. The confidence he once wore so proudly was gone. Everyone knew his place in the Hudson family was weak. His brothers held the power. Even Sera outranked him.

That was why he had chased me before. He thought I was an easy climb.

Now, everything he gambled on had collapsed.

"Mr. Hale, please," he stammered. "It was a misunderstanding."

Lewis let out a short laugh. There was no humor in it. "A misunderstanding?"

He turned slightly. "Theo. Take him down. Teach him what it means to disrespect the Hales."

Panic flooded Yenik’s face. "Mr. Ashbourne! Please say something!"

Grant didn’t even look at him. "You made this mess," he said flatly. "Deal with it."

And just like that, Yenik was dragged away.

I stood beside Lewis, heart steady, instincts calm.

This time, no one would touch me again.