NovelGoldChapter 271 The crystal chandelier cast a sharp halo of light across Sean's brow, throwing deep shadows over his features. His gaze was icy, cold as a winter lake, and when it landed on Jarrod, it was as if he were staring not at a living soul, but a corpse.
Meeting that chilling stare, Jarrod felt a wave of cold shoot up from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. His entire body went numb, and beads of sweat broke out across his forehead.
Fighting through the pain and discomfort wracking his body, Jarrod stammered, "M-Mr. Foster..." But before he could finish, Sean's gaze slid away, shutting Jarrod down without a word.
Sean turned his attention to Claire, his long strides bringing him to her side in an instant. Without hesitation, he reached for her hand.
Claire's pale skin was marred by an angry red burn, a blister already forming where the scalding soup had splashed her.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtSean's brow tightened in concern as he led her gently to the couch.
Just then, Aberdeen, Grace, and May emerged from inside the house.
The elderly lady's eyes went wide the moment she saw the burn on Claire's arm, her face crumpling with worry. "What happened to you, dear?" Grace's eyes filled with tears. Ever since Claire had called her "Mom" for the first time, Grace had treated her as if she were her own daughter, caring for her with the utmost tenderness. Even a sneeze or a cough was enough to make her fret over Claire's fragile health.
Now, seeing her so badly burned, Grace's heart ached. She hurried off to get the first aid kit.
May, meanwhile, caught sight of Mandy and exclaimed, "Mandy! What are you doing here?" Her gaze swept over the chaos in the room and the disheveled state of Jarrod and Karin. "What on earth happened?" she demanded.
Mandy quickly recounted everything that had transpired.
May listened, her expression twisting with disgust as she shot a fierce glare at Jarrod and Karin.
Aberdeen was shaking with anger, gripping his cane so tightly that when he slammed it onto the hardwood floor, the crack echoed through the silent living room. "How dare you lay a hand on my granddaughter-in-law in my own house! The two of you have no shwhatsoever!" Sean gently placed Claire's hand on his knee, accepting the first aid kit from Grace. He began tending to her burn, his touch feather-light.
"Does it hurt?" he asked softly, concern etched in every line of his face.
Claire kept her eyes on him, giving a tiny shake of her head.
Sean's eyes glimmered with sympathy, and his movements beceven more delicate.
The room was so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop. Aberdeen, Grace, May, and Mandy all watched Claire with anxious eyes.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmMeanwhile, Jarrod and Karin, thoroughly ignored, felt every passing second drag on like torture.
It was a full ten minutes before Sean finished treating the burn. He closed the first aid kit, then looked up) his eyes cold as frost as they swept over Jarrod and Karin. His tone was low and dangerous, carrying the threat of a coming storm. "You'd better have an explanation." His voice wasn't loud, but it commanded absolute authority.
Jarrod clenched his jaw, the muscles in his face twitching with anger. "Mr. Foster, we didn't chere to start I trouble. We were here for our son, Brian. But when we saw the woman who put our daughter in a coma, we couldn't help ourselves. She deserves everything she got!" Karin, disheveled and desperate, blurted out, "Mr. Foster, that woman is no saint. Five years ago, when she was only eighteen, she nearly killed my daughter. And now, God knows what tricks she's using to seduce you. Don't let her fool you."
"That's right!" Jarrod chimed in, his tone taking on a thinly veiled threat. "We hit her partly for our daughter's sake-and partly for yours. If word gbt but that the heir to the Foster family was involved with a convict, think what it would do to your reputation. You understand, don't you?" He left the implication dangling, as if ready to trumpet Sean's "scandal" to the entire social elite at the first sign of resistance.
But Jarrod clearly didn't understand Sean at all. This was a man who'd let the world believe any rumor-no matter how outrageous-just to keep women at arm's length. Why would he care about a little gossip now?
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