Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Gavin strolled over to Liza’s side with calm, measured steps and effortlessly took her hand in his. His actions were casual, yet they carried an undeniable weight. Liza blinked, her mind swimming with confusion. From the moment she first met Sophia, Liza had always wondered why Gavin had ever agreed to marry into the Reed Family. Could it have been because of pressure from Old Master Stone? But something about that didn’t sit right—Gavin didn’t strike her as the kind of person who would blindly follow anyone’s orders. And now, with his words hanging in the air, a realization struck her. The person Gavin had been waiting for outside the Civil Affairs Bureau that day—it wasn’t Sophia. So who was he waiting for? Sophia’s face was ashen as she scrambled for composure. Forcing a nervous smile, she said, “Brother Gavin, Lady Edna and I were just joking with Miss Liza. I didn’t mean anything serious… certainly not to drive her away.” Gavin didn’t even glance her way as he spoke coldly. “Don’t call me ‘Brother.’ I don’t have a sister who behaves as shamelessly as you.” Liza was immediately taken aback. ‘Didn’t you like being called Brother Gavin just a while ago? Men really are impossible to understand!’ Sophia’s face twisted in discomfort. Her lips trembled as she plastered on a smile that was more pitiful than tears. “Alright… if that’s what you prefer…” Lady Edna, however, could no longer hold her tongue. Seeing Sophia reduced to such a state filled her with fury. She pointed at Liza accusingly and barked, “What? Do you think you’re invincible now that Gavin is here? You’re openly bullying Sophia as if it’s your right! How can someone as wicked as you even exist?!” Liza chuckled softly, an air of amusement in her expression.Wasn’t she the one being bullied just moments ago? It was Gavin who had delivered the cutting remarks, but somehow, she was the one being blamed? There was one thing Liza despised more than anything: being anyone’s scapegoat. Straightening her posture, she crossed her arms and locked eyes with Lady Edna, exuding a commanding aura. “Lady Edna,” Liza began with a sly smile, “it seems you might’ve left your sense of logic at home today. Allow me to clarify something for you—the person who just reprimanded Sophia is none other than your son standing right beside me. And while we’re on the topic, I’d love to know where you got the idea that I’ve been indecent or that I somehow seduced Gavin.” Lady Edna’s face flushed with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. “Isn’t it obvious? You’re a nobody from the countryside! A poor, desperate woman like you would do anything to marry into wealth and claw your way into high society!”Liza tilted her head thoughtfully, then gave a slow, deliberate nod. “Ah, I see now…” she said, her tone laced with mock understanding. Her eyes sharpened as they landed squarely on Lady Edna. “But if I’m not mistaken, didn’t you also come from a modest family? Rumor has it, you owed quite a bit of money back then. By your own logic, doesn’t that mean you married into the Stone family purely for financial gain and… shamelessly became someone else’s mistress?” A hush fell over the living room, so heavy it seemed to swallow the very air. Everyone froze.. Lady Edna was trembling with rage, her finger quivering as she pointed at Liza. Her voice rose into a sharp screech. “Y-You shameless woman! How dare you speak to me like this?!” Liza, unfazed, smiled faintly. “Oh? Did I hit a nerve? Or do you still think of yourself as some untouchable saint, spotless and pure?” Lady Edna’s face flushed a deep crimson. In a fit of fury, she grabbed the cup beside her and hurled it to the floor, shattering it. “Gavin! Are you just going to stand there and let this… this woman insult me? Don’t forget, I am your mother!” Gavin’s expression darkened as he lowered his gaze, his voice cold and devoid of emotion. “Mother?” The word seemed foreign to him. How could someone like her deserve that title? From his earliest memories, she had been anything but maternal. Her erratic temper had been a constant threat. She had beaten him, screamed at him, and even tried to harm him as a child. There had been times she attempted to drown or strangle him, cursing him as an unwanted burden. Now, years later, with him as the head of the Stone family, she paraded herself as his mother, using the role to manipulate and control him. Her concern for his well-being was nothing more than a facade, a selfish ploy to serve her own interests. Was such a cruel and hypocritical woman worthy of being called his mother? Sensing the tension in the air, Sophia stepped forward, a hint of panic in her demeanor. She moved to Lady Edna’s side, gently placing a hand on her arm as if to calm her. “Lady Edna, it’s alright… really. I don’t have to live with Brother Gavin.” Her words were soft, her expression sorrowful, but there was an undercurrent of calculation in her tone. Turning her gaze to Liza, Sophia sighed dramatically. “Miss Liza, I can’t help but admire you. You managed to win Brother Gavin’s heart so quickly. As for me, I’m just… just an insignificant childhood friend.” Her words seemed self-effacing, but they were designed to fan the flames of Lady Edna’s anger. And it worked. Lady Edna, already fuming, bristled further at Sophia’s apparent heartache. Sophia was the girl she’d always envisioned as the perfect match for Gavin. Yet here was Liza—a woman with no pedigree, no refinement, fresh from the countryside—capturing her son’s attention. It was an insult, a slap in the face, and Lady Edna could barely contain her fury.Sophia continued, tears brimming in her eyes. Her voice quivered as though she were barely holding herself together. “It’s my fault, really. I couldn’t make Brother Gavin like me. I know it’s wrong, but I… I just can’t help it. I still care for him so much. What should I do? I can’t stop myself from liking him…” Her sorrowful act might have swayed some hearts, but not Gavin’s. His cold, piercing gaze swept over Sophia as he spoke, his tone cutting and devoid of sympathy. “Call me ‘brother’ again, and I’ll have your mouth sewn shut.” Liza blinked in surprise. “…” Sophia froze, her tears hanging in the balance. “…” Despite her attempts to look pitiful, Gavin’s icy demeanor did not waver. He addressed her without the slightest hint of compassion. “Miss Sophia , insult my wife again, and your family should prepare to face bankruptcy.” Sophia’s facade of sorrow faltered, her face draining of color. The chill in Gavin’s voice made it clear he wasn’t making an idle threat.