Zephyr patted her shoulder gently. "I don't think so. Your brother knows his limits. He knows what he's doing." Cindy gritted her teeth. "He knows... my ass! I've lived under the same roof with him for almost 30 years, and for the first time I see it clear—my brother's a jerk." Maybe it was female solidarity, or maybe her friendship with Darcy was just too strong, but Cindy couldn't help but see things from Darcy's perspective. If it were her boyfriend at the center of a scandal like this with zero explanation, she'd kill him! The thought made her narrow her eyes and glare at Zephyr. She spat out, "Men! You're all the same!" Zephyr blinked. Why am I the one getting dragged into this mess?!I'm a total bystander—how'd I end up caught in the crossfire? I'm innocent! He hauled his wife into his arms and planted three loud kisses, then rushed to draw a bright red line. "I swear! The last time I was even in the same frame as that jerk was ages ago. I haven't even liked his Instagram posts! Sweetheart, you can swing that bat, but please aim carefully. Don't accidentally hit your perfectly good, loyal husband!" At the Blackwood Villa, Jethro, coming downstairs from his study to get water after finishing work, sneezed three times in a row. He rubbed his nose. Is the A/C turned up too low? Just then, the roar of a car engine sounded in the driveway. Looking out through the dim light above the kitchen island, he saw it was Clara's car. A few minutes later, Clara walked in. Seeing her son sitting on the living room sofa, she paused in surprise."Mom, you're back from your business trip?" Jethro said. "It's so late. You could have stayed the night and come back in the morning." Clara changed her shoes and sat on the sofa opposite him, her anger barely contained. "If I hadn't come back, you might have turned the Blackwood family upside down by now." Jethro frowned. "What are you talking about, Mom? The Group's performance is excellent. The Q2 financials were just released, showing 20% year-over-year growth. You should be pleased." Clara slammed her hand on the table. "Don't play dumb with me! I'm talking about our family! I'm in the middle of a trip, and suddenly a bunch of old geezers are congratulating me on my new grandson! I thought I was hearing things until they shoved their phones in my face. I nearly fainted on the spot! "What on earth are you thinking? It's been days. No statement, no effort to take down the trending stories. What, is the child really yours?" Her normally steady and reliable son was acting completely out of character, and it was infuriating. "Mom, you must be tired from the trip. Have some water first." Jethro stood up, poured a glass of water, and set it on the island counter for her. "Stop trying to distract me," Clara said. "What is the truth about this child?!" Jethro sighed and told her about Annie's return and her claims. Clara's eyes widened in shock. Annie's back?! And she had a child—Jethro's child? She was so stunned her mind went blank for a few seconds. Then, suspicion crept in. Back when Jethro and Annie broke up, Clara, while saying little, had privately agreed with Arthur's stance. With that terrible history between their families, she would never have approved of Annie marrying into the Blackwoods. All these years had passed. Her son had finally moved on and was starting a new chapter. And now, of all times, Annie chose to return? Was it really just a coincidence? Clara fixed her son with a sharp gaze. "Have you done a paternity test? Are you sure the child is yours?" Jethro nodded slowly. "Yes." Clara was at a loss for words. She closed her eyes slowly, her voice trembling slightly. "How could this happen? What are you going to do?" Jethro gave a bitter smile, his answer blunt. "I don't know. Guess I'll just take it one day at a time." "And what about Darcy?" Clara pressed. "Are you just giving up on her?" Jethro fell silent. In the end, Clara's heart ached for her son. She didn't push further. She stood up to go upstairs. "It's very late. Get some rest."On the stairs, she turned back and gave him a long, deep look, sighing, "This has already become a public spectacle. Your grandfather must know by now. You need to be prepared." "I know." Jethro remained seated on the sofa, his gaze drifting to the window. Outside, the night was thick as spilled ink. Two streetlamps glowed sickly, barely squeezing out a strip of dim light—like someone stuffed a dirty secret into a black sack, and the bag split a seam, dripping light bit by bit. Jethro let out a deep, weary breath and headed upstairs. Arthur reached out to Jethro two days later. The butler called him. "Sir, Mr. Arthur Blackwood asks that you join him for dinner at the Manor this evening." Jethro raised an eyebrow. "How is his mood?" Still... stable?The butler hesitated, giving a vague reply. "Acceptable." That evening, Jethro canceled a meeting and left early for the Blackwood Manor. As he pulled up to the gate, Jasper arrived at the same time. Jethro rolled down his window and smiled, "What a coincidence. I thought Grandpa had only called for me. Seems he's feeling lonely again and wants some company."