The incident at last night's gala had spread like wildfire through the city.
Directly confronting Paul in front of everyone, and twice whisking Ella away from Paul's side was far from the
behavior expected of an uncle toward his niece.
By the end of the night, taking Ella away from the gala without any attempt to conceal his actions was the
tipping point. The whole party was buzzing with speculation.
Paul had cto the family estate last night, looking for Ella with a face that bore both embarrassment and
shas he apologized. Paul had taken her out, and now he hadn't brought her back, for which he was sorry.
Already concerned, Jon had pressed for answers, only to learn that it was Noah who had brazenly taken Ella from
the event.
Jon had immediately called Noah, who admitted without evasion that he was the one who took Ella.d2
Noah told Jon he would handle it. And cmorning, the news of the broken engagement hit everyone like a
bombshell. P City was in an uproar.
If the gala incident could have been brushed off with sstubborn explanation, the quick-following broken
engagement was an undeniable confirmation of the scandal.
Worse still, the Minton family had been kept entirely in the dark. They had bombarded Jon with calls that very
morning inquiring about the situation. It had all been Noah's unilateral decision.
Jon could never have imagined that his son, the pride of his life, who had never once disappointed him, would
make such an unbelievable and reckless decision at such a mature and steady age.
Noah took Jon's cane blow without flinching, a dark purple mark instantly blooming on his neck. His lips pressed
into a thin line, and he remained silent, accepting Jon's wrath without protest.
Jon was livid, and Noah's demeanor made it clear—no matter how much he was scolded or beaten, he wouldn't
change his mind.
His father pointed a trembling finger at him, unable to articulate his rage. “What are you thinking, breaking off
the engagement unilaterally? How can you face the Minton family?! Rebecca, a fine young woman, wasted four
years on you. How could you... How could you commit such a despicable act?!”
Noah's jaw clenched tighter, his hands balled into fists. “I will explain it to her.”
“You can’t explain this away!” Jon roared. “How can you compensate for four years of a woman's life? Ill say it
again, Noah—the Tretton family’s daughter-in-law can only be Rebecca!”
Noah's frown deepened. “The engagement is off. | won't marry her.”
“Are you determined to be seen as the jerk? Have you no shame? Does Ella know of your foul deed? You may not
care for your reputation, but does Ella not care for hers?”
“I warn you, Noah, don’t push me. Remember what | told you years ago. You promised not to back out. If you
ever do, | won't touch you, but I'll make Ella pay for it.”
Noah's eyes flashed with defiance. “This is my responsibility. She was coerced.”
Jon glared at him, then shouted up the stairs, “Bring Ella down. I'm taking her away.”
“No way!” Noah didn’t pause a moment. His first words were harsh and unquestionable. “I've said, whatever
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Jon tried hard to control his anger. He had to close his eyes forcefully, preparing himself for a long tto barely
hold back his rage. “Do you think you can lock her up like this for the rest of your life? Does she know that you
called off the wedding? Do you think that even if you cancel the wedding, she can still be with you?”
Noah frowned, “She has no other choice.”
“She does!” Jon snorted, “Her choice is Paul. They are dating!”
At this point, Jonn’s voice carried uncontrollable anger again, and he unavoidably hit Noah with the cane.
“Bastard! You have a fiancée, yet you want to snatch someone else's girlfriend! And she’s even your own niece!
You...”
Jon really didn’t know what else to say to vent his anger, and again swung his cane down onto Noah's shoulder.
With the sforce, the cane landed mercilessly on his shoulder. “Our Tretton family really made a huge joke in
P City!”
After he finished speaking almost furiously, he ordered the person who had been brought in, “Go and bring down
that person from upstairs!”
Four burly bodyguards stepped forward immediately.
Noah's expression darkened, his gaze chilling. “Not on my watch.”
With a loud thud, Noah stumbled as Jon's cane struck his knee with brutal force. The sound of bone meeting
wood was chilling, and Noah's usually composed figure swayed alarmingly.
Tony, the butler, watched in horror. That blow could have shattered his knee. He hurried to Noah's side, acting as
a buffer between him and the bodyguards as they ascended the stairs.
Noah straightened up, shrugging off Tony's assistance, and started after the bodyguards, only to be stopped by
another blow to his leg from Jon's cane. Each strike was forceful and merciless.
Noah grasped the stair railing for support, watching helplessly as the bodyguards went upstairs.
Tony, sweating profusely, had no choice but to restrain Jon from wielding his cane again.
Soon enough, Ella was brought down.
Jon stood at the foot of the stairs with a thunderous expression, while Noah, pale and sweating, clung to the
banister. The atmosphere was suffocatingly tense and oppressive.
As she descended, passing by Noah, he suddenly gripped her wrist tightly. Startled, Ella flinched and instinctively
turned to look at him, only to collide with his dark, pleading eyes. “Don’t go.”
His voice was shaky, hoarse as if coming from the depths of an abyss, as he struggled to control something
profound.
Her heart clenched at the sight of the sweat on his brow and his pallor. Her concern for him was overwhelming.
“What happened?” she asked, her voice tinged with worry. Ella walked towards him, her other hand reaching out
to touch his sweat-drenched forehead.
“Ella.” Grandpa's voice cut through the silence, icy and sharp. He couldn't bear to see any more closeness
between these two, no more emotional exchanges.
Ella’s movement halted abruptly, and slowly, she withdrew her hand. “Grandpa.”
Grandpa's expression was stern. “Chwith me.”
The grip on her wrist tightened. “Ella.”
“Uncle Noah.” Ella tried to pull away, but his hold was unyielding. “I need to go back and be with Grandpa.”
Noah's lips pressed into a thin line, his stubbornness clear in his refusal to let go.
Jon watched them, took a deep breath, and surprisingly turned to sit down on the living room couch. “Ella.” Jon
called her nheavily, and everyone in the living room turned to look at him.
Ella could only stand there, softly calling out, “Grandpa.”
“If he’s not willing to let you go now, then we'll talk right here. You listen to your grandpa, don’t you?”
Ella’s body stiffened; she had a bad feeling about this. She looked at Grandpa quietly, trying to read something
from his face, but all she felt was more panic. After a long moment, she could only nod slightly.
Jon's gaze slid coldly over Noah's face and settled on Ella, the hint of compassion in his eyes replaced by
ruthless determination. “Then, | give you two choices. One, stay in P City and get engaged to Paul immediately.”
Noah slowly turned around, his eyes frosty and unyielding. “I won't allow it.”
Grandpa ignored him, continuing, “Two, leave P City, leave the Tretton family, and never cback.”
Noah's face was so cold it was almost unbearable to look at, every feature sharp as a blade, his words deliberate
and heavy, “I. Do. Not. Allow. It.”
Jon's expression was unchanging, his weathered face cold and detached. “Ella, you choose.”
Ella’s face turned ghostly pale. For her, this was an impossible choice.
She didn’t understand what had happened today, why the atmosphere between father and son was so tense,
and why they were forcing her to make such a decision now.
What happened?
“Grandpa, I've only just started dating Paul.”
“Is it a relationship that’s headed for marriage?”
Ella nodded, “Yes.”
Her wrist suddenly hurt. It felt like her bones were being crushed. She could not look into Noah's eyes. His
behavior from the night before scared her.
She was Paul's girlfriend now; she couldn’t imagine what Paul must have faced alone there last night. No matter
what, she couldn't let Paul be embarrassed at this moment.
Grandpa grunted, turned to Noah with a scoff, and got up with the support of his cane. “If that’s the case, then
announce your engagement now. No problem, right?”
Ella didn’t speak for a moment.
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Ella's eyes flickered, clearly swayed. Grandpa was right. Announcing the engagement now would solve
everything from last night.
“Okay.”
“Ella!”
As soon as she spoke, Noah's furious voice exploded in her ear. Ella flinched, her eyes swept to his red, furious
eyes, and she couldn't help the tears that welled up.
She had never seen him so out of control. In her eyes, he was always a composed and aloof man, confident and
resolute.
He could be arrogant, indifferent, or stern, but never this uncontrolled and furious due to panic. Was she really
that important to him now?
How much better it would have been if it were four years ago. Everything would have been much simpler than
now.
She couldn't disrupt the current balance, or it would be chaos. The Tretton family, the Reeves family, the Minton
family—it would benefit no one.
Now, the path back was thorn-covered.
With a heart tearing pain, Ella choked up, “Uncle Noah, it's better this way for everyone.”
“But not for me, and it’s not the outcyou want. Ella, you can’t announce your engagement to him!”
“Uncle Noah, please, don't do this.”
Noah shook his head, gripping her tightly and shielding her behind him as he faced Jon with almost savage fury.
“She won't have the chance to choose an engagement.”
Jon's knuckles turned white on his cane as he tried to control his temper, his voice low, “She doesn’t have to
announce it personally.”
“And what if she does? | won't let her show up at the engagement party, and it will be just another joke.”
Everyone in the room, including the usually expressionless bodyguards, showed a look of astonishment.
Take Ella away from P City forever?! For this niece, he would give up the Tretton family? The company? Even his
own father?
Giving up all this meant he would be relinquishing everything.
Jon felt a darkness before his eyes, his body swayed violently, and he collapsed onto the couch. “You are
threateninglike this?!”
Noah's lips were a tight line, “You should know, I'm not just talking.”
“You're mad...”
Noah didn’t deny it, “Maybe as long as | don’t want to let her go, she'll never think of leaving.”
“Have you asked her?!”
“I don’t need to. | don’t need anyone's agreement.”