C16 Would You be Satisfied with This?

Outside the Ellis family estate.

Lydia hurried out of the taxi and into the villa, pushing open the front door with urgency.

Glancing into the living room, she caught sight of her father pinned to the floor by the servants, her uncle Blain ruthlessly striking his back with a rod. Even her father, a man as tough as iron, couldn't suppress a pained grunt.

Tears welled up in Lydia's eyes as she instinctively cried out, "Dad!"

"Lydia?" Benny turned at the sound, his shock quickly turning to anger as he fixed a fierce glare on Eliza. "How many times did I tell you not to inform Lydia, not to let her come back?"

"Old An, I... I didn't tell Lydia," Eliza protested, shaking her head in distress.

They cherished and shielded their daughter, fearing the old lady's wrath would fall upon her if she returned. That's why the couple willingly bore the brunt of the Woodward family's hostility in her stead.

This was also the reason Benny offered no resistance when the old lady struck him; he believed that once she had vented, she would cease tormenting his daughter.

To others, Lydia might be seen as a disgrace, but through Benny's eyes, she was forever his child, one he believed would improve.

At that moment, Blain, the second uncle, lifted his rod for another blow.

Lydia's pupils dilated in horror, and she dashed forward, shielding her father with her body and absorbing the brutal strike.

A wave of sharp pain swept over her back, nearly causing her to black out. Her hands, once dry, were now slick with cold sweat, and she collapsed, weak and limp, beside Benny.

"Little... Little Violet!" Benny exclaimed, cradling Lydia's slender form with a heart full of anguish.

"You foolish girl, why are you so reckless? I'm a man; I can take a few hits! Does it... does it hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt," Lydia replied, gazing into her father's eyes brimming with love, shaking her head.

"Old An, Lydia!"

Eliza, with tears streaming down her face, broke free from the relative who had been restraining her and embraced the two people dearest to her.

Trembling, she attempted to touch the spot where Lydia had been struck, but fearing she might cause more pain, she withdrew her hand and simply held her daughter close. "Lydia, you shouldn't have come, you just shouldn't have."

"Dad, Mom, don't cry. I'm okay, it doesn't hurt one bit."

Lydia tenderly wiped the tears from her mother's eyes, her smile radiant as she reassured them that she was truly alright and in no pain.

As the family embraced, Blain found no opportunity to strike. Seizing the moment, Lydia deftly wrested the stick from his grasp.

"My dear niece, it was your grandmother's orders, and I had no choice but to follow them. Please don't hold it against me. Step aside now, or soon it won't just be your parents who can't protect you—I won't be able to either," Blain said, feigning warmth with a strained smile, as if to offer a kind warning.

Lydia regarded Blain with a cool gaze, feeling a wave of revulsion at his pretense of concern.

It was no surprise that Viola was so adept at playing the good Samaritan; it wasn't just a matter of talent, but a trait passed down through the family.

The deceitful nature of this father-daughter duo was strikingly similar.

Ignoring Blain, Lydia turned to face Janie, who sat at the head of the room, and spoke calmly, "Grandma, what has my father done to upset you? Why invoke the family discipline on him?"

"Heh... Do you even have to ask? Are you unaware of the embarrassment you've brought upon the Ellis family today?" Janie said with a scornful look, her eyes briefly darting to the Woodward couple, before turning back to Lydia with disdain.

Janie's fleeting approval of Lydia, sparked on her birthday when Lydia reclaimed the Blue Bay property, had evaporated after the Woodward family debacle.

"I truly have no idea, Grandma. Please enlighten me," Lydia said, moving towards Janie, but the pain from her earlier beating caused her to gasp and halt in her tracks.

Not wanting to worry her parents, she didn't linger and, biting back the pain, took determined steps toward her grandmother.

"Hmph, Lydia, to stand there and claim innocence in front of us all? Heh... Heh, the shamelessness is astounding!"

Before the elder Mrs. An could respond, Mildred, who had been eagerly observing, chimed in.

Mildred hobbled over to Janie and sneered, "Old Madam An, just look at this granddaughter of yours, the product of your esteemed upbringing. Tsk... If you're unable to discipline her properly, I wouldn't mind stepping in to take a hand."

Janie was someone who took great pride in her appearance. Despite not showing much disturbance on the surface, she was seething with rage behind closed doors after being pointed at and scolded.

Casting a sidelong glance at Mildred, who had been causing a scene all day, Janie responded with a forced smile, "The affairs of the Ellis family are mine to manage. We don't need outsiders meddling."

Mildred scoffed dismissively. "Fine, then I expect the matriarch to provide me with an explanation, now!"

The arrogance in Mildred's tone made Janie's chest heave with suppressed fury. However, given the longstanding alliance between the Woodward and Tillman families, the old madam had to swallow her anger for the sake of the family's financial prospects.

Lydia, her teeth practically aching with irritation, had taken in the whole spectacle.

As Janie turned to her with a stern look, Lydia swiftly raised her hand and delivered a resounding slap to the overbearing Mildred.

Smack!

The slap caught Mildred off guard, leaving her dazed for a moment.

The entire hall fell silent, with all eyes suddenly fixed on Lydia.

Lydia stared down at Mildred and dropped a chilly remark, "Does that settle things for you?"