With just one sentence, Theodore threw the previously peaceful gathering into chaos. He leaned back comfortably against the couch, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. He loved watching drama unfold. The messier, the better. The apocalypse had been mind-numbingly boring, day after day of dead silence, so dull it was starting to give him depression. But who would've thought that little feral bloom Cassian kept turned out to be the best thing to happen in weeks. The moment Theodore saw that anonymous notice, he was grinning like a kid on Christmas and rushed over with his people to join the fun. Not even Dave slamming the table and shouting could stop him. Buzzing with excitement, Theodore grabbed a bag of popcorn from his personal bodyguard, leaned back, and got comfy to watch the chaos unfold. What a shame Cassian wasn't here. If he were, the whole scene would've been ten times wilder. Meanwhile, Jacob and the two others being called out were clearly not enjoying the spotlight. A few of the neighbors were speaking loud enough for everyone to hear, obviously trying to humiliate them. "If you ask me, Natalie used to live in the Hillside Villa District. If it weren't for all that drama with her family, she'd still be quietly living at home. None of this mess would've happened!" someone said, voice sharp. That was clearly a dig at Jacob. His face now a deep shade of red, Jacob finally couldn't take it anymore. He stood up. "Everyone, please calm down for a moment. Let me say something."The room immediately fell quiet. Jacob cleared his throat. "First of all, I need to admit something. The new resident who killed the Boltons—that is my daughter, Natalie." Gasps rippled through the crowd, and someone immediately demanded, "If she's your daughter, Mr. Ashford, why didn't you say so earlier? We've all been wasting time trying to figure this out!" "Exactly! Since she's your kid, why don't you just talk to her? Tell her to stay in line and stop going around killing people!" "Yeah! What, are we supposed to spend our own time and money helping you discipline your daughter? That's insane!" As more and more people started giving him sharp judgmental looks, Jacob quickly raised his hands in protest. "Please, just let me finish! Natalie was kicked out of my house over two years ago. I cut all ties with her. She's no longer my daughter. She has absolutely nothing to do with me anymore," he said. Then he took Rosalie's hand beside him. "This is my only daughter now, Rosalie." The moment he held her hand, Rosalie's eyes welled with tears. And this time, it wasn't for show. She was genuinely moved. After all, the first 20 years of her life had been spent in the shadows, like she didn't even exist. And now? Jacob was publicly recognizing her, in front of all these people—acknowledging her identity, her place in the family. She wasn't some illegitimate daughter anymore. She was the daughter. The only one. It felt incredible. She'd finally earned Jacob's approval, and in doing so, completely trampled over Natalie.Jacob noticed the tears in her eyes and, ever so gently, wiped them away. Watching this over-the-top father-daughter performance, the rest of the homeowners couldn't help but cringe. Seriously? What the hell? They came here to talk about security issues in the neighborhood, not to sit through a soap opera. And dodging responsibility? This was a whole new level. Lillian noticed how the others were reacting and quickly tugged at Jacob's sleeve, silently telling him to knock it off. So Jacob finally cut the heartwarming act and continued, "Anyway, as far as I'm concerned, Natalie and I are nothing more than strangers. Whatever needs to be done, go ahead. Don't worry about me." What he really meant, of course, was—this has nothing to do with him, so don't drag him into it. That kind of shameless attitude made everyone even angrier. So let's get this straight—his family caused all the chaos, but now he wanted no part of fixing it? And expected them to clean up the mess? How was that fair? Just then, the tightly shut front doors swung open again. A cool, sharp voice echoed from outside, tinged with accusation, "Tell me, what exactly did your daughter do that was so unforgivable you had to disown her?" Everyone turned to look toward the entrance. A tall figure strode confidently into the room. His sharply defined features flickered in and out of the candlelight, casting a dramatic, almost cinematic glow over his face. When the residents recognized him, a wave of excitement swept through the crowd. "Mr. Holland's here too!" someone exclaimed.First the Mervyns showed up, and now the Hollands? With both families stepping in, surely they could handle one gun-toting woman, right? And look, Cassian even had a shotgun slung across his back. But Cassian ignored the murmurs. His gaze stayed cold and fixed on Jacob as he walked straight up to him. Meanwhile, Theodore, who'd been sprawled lazily across the couch enjoying the show, suddenly sat upright, eyes sparkling with excitement. Here it comes. This was the good part. He glanced at Jacob, then at Cassian, his grin widening. A heartless father-in-law versus the passionate son-in-law? Delicious. Absolutely delicious. He grabbed another handful of popcorn. Fight! Come on, fight already! Best-case scenario? Cassian commits patricide and ends up tragically separated from his little feral bloom. Love turned to hate. Lovers to enemies. Perfect. Back in reality, Jacob was stammering, unable to get a single coherent word out.