C6 Was He a Piece of Trash or a King??

Boom!

The once noisy hall fell into a deathly silence, with everyone too afraid to even draw a breath.

The esteemed and wealthy King of Brialedo, a man with influence in both the legal and underground worlds, was kneeling before Tella's so-called "wild man"?

What on earth was going on?

"Mr. Cooper, could you be mistaken? That guy is nothing but a wild man."

Burrell was momentarily stunned. At the Griffiths family matriarch's signal, he tried to assist Larkin, only to be roughly shoved away.

"Silence! The God of Soldier does not take kindly to your disrespect. Speak out of turn again, and you'll have me to answer to!"

Larkin lay face down on the floor, too scared to look up, cursing himself for trying to curry favor with Wood and ending up in this humiliating predicament.

The entire Griffiths family was dumbfounded by the scene before them, struggling to process the shocking turn of events.

Wood let out a soft sigh. He had intended to return under the radar, but fate had other plans, landing him in this unexpected mess.

Hearing Wood's sigh, Larkin, still on the floor, was drenched in a cold sweat, wishing he could slap himself.

"Larkin, don't worry about today. Go on home. We'll talk another time," Wood said.

Upon hearing this, Larkin quickly stood and made his exit.

It took a while for the Griffiths family to snap out of their daze. When they did, they realized Wood had already left, and Tella was nowhere to be seen.

The events they had just witnessed seemed like a hallucination to the bewildered Griffiths.

Hassie blurted out, "Where did Qingya go? Did she run off with that wild man? That headstrong girl is going to be the death of me."

"Mom, what just happened? Mr. Cooper is the King of Brialedo, and yet some unknown wild man made him kneel. Who is he?" Burrell said, his voice laced with astonishment.

The old lady's brow furrowed deeply as she set down her dragon-headed cane. "I'll give Mr. Cooper a call."

The phone call connected, but there was only silence on the other end. A wave of unease washed over the Griffiths family.

Hassie's mind raced with a bold thought that startled even herself. "Mom, could it be that Qingya's man has some remarkable background? We know nothing about him, and even Qingya seems to be in the dark. Otherwise, why would Mr. Cooper treat him with such deference?"

Burrell scoffed at the suggestion. "What are you babbling about? He looks like he's good for nothing but a fight. If he were someone important, I, Burrell, would bow down and apologize to him personally."

Hassie, visibly shaken, pressed on. "But how do you explain what just happened? If he is someone of stature, our treatment of Qingya would be..."

"Out of the question, it's simply not possible. There has to be some mistake," Burrell bellowed.

The matriarch of the Griffiths family cut through their bickering. "Enough! What good does this arguing do? Hassie, go see Qingya later and find out what's really going on."

"If that young man truly is a person of influence, I'll go apologize to him myself and bring him back. But if he's not, Qingya will certainly not marry a worthless man."

Burrell's eyes gleamed with resolve. "Alright, we'll handle it that way."

That evening, Hassie arrived at Tella's home, causing Tella to freeze in surprise. "Mom, what are you doing here?"

"Where's that brute?" Hassie demanded without a hint of courtesy as she made her way inside.

"So you're Wood, correct? What's your relationship with Mr. Cooper?" Hassie asked bluntly, immediately regretting her directness.

She softened her approach, "Regardless, Qingya became pregnant because of you. You wronged her and then vanished for five years. We need an explanation."

Hassie had intended to confront him, but the possibility of Wood's connection to Mr. Cooper tempered her tone.

Tella's gaze met Wood's, a silent plea for the truth in her eyes.

"Wood, I need to know where you've been," Tella said, her voice trembling, tears brimming in her eyes.

For five long years, she had endured the whispers and stares, raising her child alone amidst overwhelming pressure.

Witnessing the unfolding scene, Wood was consumed by guilt.

"Qingya, I never intended to deceive you. The truth is, I'm a soldier of the empire. Five years ago, an unexpected conflict erupted in the empire's Northgard, and I had no choice but to return," he explained.

"I've been searching for you all these years, and only recently did I learn of your whereabouts. I came back as soon as I could."

Hassie's voice shot up in disbelief. "A soldier? You're actually just a soldier? Then why does Mr. Cooper treat you with such reverence?"

"I guess I'm lucky; I was assigned to a prestigious unit. Mr. Cooper, too, once served as a soldier, and we're acquainted," Wood downplayed his status. Anyone listening would be unaware that he was the empire's most formidable soldier, a veritable War God who had earned countless honors over five years.

Tella's tension eased, unraveling the emotional knots that had tightened over half a decade. Learning that Wood had been searching for her all along, her resentment began to melt away.

But Hassie's expression turned thunderous. "Trash! We mistook you for someone of importance, but you're nothing more than a soldier."

"Listen here, the Griffiths family will never consent to a union between you and Qingya. Dream on if you think she'll marry you," Hassie seethed, feeling duped.

She scorned the young man's fortunate ties to Qingya, questioning his worthiness of her daughter. Hassie's gaze became more piercing as she stewed in her thoughts.

"Mom, please, I'm pleading with you. I will choose my own partner. I've committed to Wood for life, and nothing you say will sway me," Tella implored through her tears.

Slap!

Hassie's hand struck Tella's cheek as she bellowed, "Silence! I refuse to acknowledge a daughter as defiant as you."

She raised her hand to strike again, but Wood caught her wrist.

His gaze was icy, "No one has the right to harm Qingya."

"Out of respect for the fact that you raised her, I will spare you. Now, I insist you leave at once."

Hassie was rattled by his frosty stare, but she masked her fear with bravado, "Who do you think you are? She's my daughter, and I'll discipline her as I see fit!"

"Five years ago, you got Qing Ya pregnant and now you slink back without a word. What do you think the Griffiths family is?" Hassie demanded sharply.

"I need to explain, I..."

Smack!

Before Hassie could finish, Wood had struck, leaving a vivid red handprint.

"This is your final warning."

"Fine, fine, Wood, you think you're tough? We'll see about that." Hassie backed down from Wood's icy stare, hastily spat out her threat, and left.

Tears streamed down Tella's face, her heart aching from Hassie's actions.

Wood wrapped her in his embrace, whispering comfort, "Qing Ya, from now on, I'll be the one to protect you and our home."

"Mhm." Tella was deeply moved.

While they basked in the warmth of the moment,

Eldon and Han Xiao, the two little ones, burst in.

"Dad, Mom, it's getting late. Tonight, sis and I will bunk together, and you two can have a room."

"We're off to sleep."

With that, the youngsters scampered off, vanishing from sight.

Leaning against Wood's chest, Tella's cheeks flushed, her heart fluttering wildly.

Wood couldn't help but burst into laughter at Tella's bashful demeanor.

Meanwhile, back at the Griffiths family villa, Hassie recounted the events.

The entire Griffiths clan was seething with anger.

The matriarch of the Griffiths family spoke coldly, "If Wood isn't some high-profile figure, then he can't be with Qing Ya. The Griffiths family cannot afford such embarrassment."

"Wasn't the Cooper boy interested in Qing Ya last time? I think he's a suitable match. I'll call the Cooper family tomorrow to discuss and arrange a meeting."

"Agreed."

The consensus was unanimous among the Griffiths.