The Stone Family’s laws were notoriously strict. If Audrey were subjected to the punishment, her body would be left bruised and battered, perhaps even beyond recovery. Madam Thelma’s face paled with horror, and she immediately pleaded, her voice shaking. “Gavin , please spare Audrey! She’s delicate and fragile. If she’s punished with the family law, she might not survive!” Gavin’s expression remained calm and unmoved. “When you were so eager to punish my wife, did you stop to think if she could endure it?” Audrey’s face crumpled as tears streamed down uncontrollably. Her heart seethed with resentment. Why? Why was Liza the one who got to marry Brother Gavin and live under his protection? In her mind, Liza was nothing but an insignificant woman from the countryside, while she, Audrey, was the daughter of an influential and wealthy family. Their statuses weren’t even comparable. Worse still, she had injured herself while Liza remained completely unharmed. Lady Edna’s expression turned sour, her tone sharp and accusing. “Gavin, all Audrey did was express her feelings for you. Is that a crime? Besides, I was the one who had Liza locked up in the dark room. If you insist on punishment, are you planning to beat me as well?” Gavin’s lips curled into a faint smile, his tone mocking. “You said it yourself—when someone does something wrong, they must be punished. Since you’ve volunteered, why not? I’ll deal with you too.” “You…” Lady Edna’s face flushed with rage. This is madness! Gavin had clearly lost all sense of reason for the sake of Liza. His cold demeanor made it clear he had no hesitation in his decisions—even if it meant going against his own family. Without another word, Gavin glanced at George, who immediately understood the silent command. George opened the door, gesturing for the bodyguards waiting outside to enter. Within moments, Audrey was restrained, her cries filling the room. “Lady Edna! Aunt!” Audrey’s voice trembled as she struggled desperately, tears pouring down her face. Her gaze shifted to Gavin, pleading in terror. “Brother Gavin! please! I was wrong! I won’t do it again—please let me go!” “Gavin!” Lady Edna shrieked, her voice trembling with both anger and fear. She never thought he would truly follow through. “Stop this nonsense! You’ve gone too far!” Gavin remained unfazed, a dart twirling between his fingers as he leaned back leisurely. His tone was light yet chilling. “Say whatever you want, Lady Edna. You can’t stop me. She crossed a line, and she will pay for it. Or… are you volunteering to be punished alongside her?” Lady Edna trembled violently, her anger barely contained. “You ungrateful bastard! Is this how you speak to your mother? You’d go so far as to beat Audrey to death—all for that worthless woman Liza? How can someone like her ever be worthy of being the Stone Family’s daughter-in-law?”Bang! A sudden, deafening sound interrupted Lady Edna’s tirade. The dart in Gavin’s hand flew past her and embedded itself into the wall behind her, vibrating ominously. The room fell into stunned silence. Gavin’s gaze darkened as he turned his icy glare to Lady Edna. “Watch your mouth, Lady Edna. If you dare call her that word again, I won’t promise I’ll hold back next time.” With that, he turned on his heel and left the room. Behind him, Audrey’s cries grew fainter as the bodyguards dragged her away. Lady Edna and Madam Thelma were frozen in place, their bodies trembling with anger and fear. Neither dared to utter another word. Meanwhile, Liza had already returned to her room. Her phone buzzed with a WeChat notification, a message from Albert.Albert’s message popped up on Liza’s phone screen: [Liza, are you joining the translation competition? I heard Davis, the well-known professional translator, is looking for a disciple. Do you want to give it a shot?] Liza barely hesitated before replying: [Not interested.] A moment later, Albert responded, seemingly unbothered. [That’s fine. You’re talented enough to not need anyone’s mentorship.] Liza tossed her phone aside with little thought. It wasn’t that she looked down on the translator, but she simply found it… dull. Her thoughts, however, were now preoccupied with Gavin. Why was he so concerned about her? He had dropped everything just to save her earlier, disregarding what anyone thought. The memory made her pause, a faint and strange emotion flickering in her chest. She was used to standing alone, never needing anyone to rely on. But now, Gavin had appeared in her life—a man who stood by her side and protected her when the world seemed against her. Her train of thought was interrupted by the faint chatter of servants outside her room. “Mr, Gavin really locked Miss Audrey in the dark room. Lady Edna is practically furious…” Liza’s eyes widened in mild surprise. Gavin actually did it. She had thought he would hesitate to go against Lady Edna’s wishes. Instead, he had locked Audrey up without a second thought. Before she could process it fully, her phone buzzed again. [Liza, the fiancé your grandfather arranged for you—he’s in the Stone Family’s residence. Do you want to go hide?] Her fingers froze mid-motion. Wait, what?! The so-called big shot—her mysterious fiancé, whom both her grandfather and her Albert spoke about with such respect—was in the Stone Family? Before she could respond, the door to her room creaked open, and Gavin walked in. Startled, Liza quickly put her phone face down on the table, hoping Gavin wouldn’t notice her suspicious behavior. He glanced at her, his sharp gaze narrowing slightly. Ding! Her phone buzzed again. The message preview lit up the screen: [Liza, let me tell you. That fiancé of yours is no ordinary man. He’s a true legend. He owns some of the rarest treasures in the world, and those are priceless.] [His reputation abroad is unmatched, but he keeps such a low profile in the country that few have even seen his face. Especially in the academic and research fields, no one can compete with him. I’m telling you—he’s the real deal!] Liza’s heart skipped a beat.No wonder Grandfather, who was usually so critical of everyone, couldn’t stop singing this man’s praises. Her mind whirled with questions. What was this big shot doing here in the Stone Family? And, more importantly… how long could she keep this under wraps before Gavin noticed?