Chapter 5: Hostage in the Halls

As soon as I entered the grand hall, the Dowager sat at the head—an old witch—beside the young, fresh-faced Lady Chandler.

Lucas, face still bleeding, stepped forward. "Dowager, Lady Chandler, Lila is here to pay her respects."

I had no intention of bowing.

The Dowager was furious. "Lila! Did you hit your brother?"

Her voice rang out, sharp as a whip. The staff shrank back, and even Lady Chandler flinched. Lucas dabbed at his cheek, milking the moment for all it was worth.

Lucas hurried to smooth things over. "Please don’t be angry, Dowager. It was just a misunderstanding, but Lila is here now. Let’s clear things up quickly."

The Dowager said, "Poor child, you’ve suffered."

"I’m fine…"

I found a stool and sat down. "Should I leave so you can keep up the act?"

The Dowager slammed her armrest in anger. "Nonsense! Look at you! At your age, still refusing to marry, and now you’ve come back with five thousand boyfriends! Is that true?"

I smiled. "Of course not. Those are my private security."

The Dowager sneered, "Absurd. You’ve been idle since childhood. How could you train private guards? Even if you have no shame, I still have to cover for you."

I just stared at her.

She thought for a moment, then said, "That Carter under your command is a descendant of the old Maddox clan. No matter how handsome, you can’t get greedy."

I replied, "Oh? Then what do you think I should do with him?"

"Of course he should be sent to the city and handed over to the family council! As for you, though you’ve been reckless, you’re still a Whitlock. As long as you promise to choose a proper fiancé this time, we’ll let this matter drop."

I’d expected this. Classic give-an-inch-to-take-a-mile. As long as she didn’t call it treason, it wasn’t treason. If I eased up, I’d be trapped.

I said, "Fine."

She was delighted.

But my marriage has to be decided by my eldest sister.

The Dowager said, "She’s unwell…"

I shook my head. "Please, don’t tell me Evelyn is unwell."

At that moment, there was a commotion outside. An attendant rushed in, panicked.

"Dowager! The Grand Heiress has had Savannah seized!"

The Dowager was shocked. "Lila!"

I looked at her, unfazed. "Dowager, take another look. Now, doesn’t this count as rebellion?"

She insisted, "Nonsense!"

Evelyn always looked to the heavens, never realizing that family affection only existed when the estate was in peril and everyone needed to pull together. In times of peace, when it came to dividing up benefits, hearts turned ugly.

For the sake of profit, people would stop at nothing.

When I was a child, I saw the Dowager use this slow-drip tactic to ruin people.

Now, looking at her, I realized she was still confident in her little tricks, still trying to use them on me.

I couldn’t help but wonder: Evelyn, how many times have you been fooled by her?

Just then, Savannah was dragged in, throwing herself at the Dowager’s feet.

"Aunt! I’m from a noble house, but I was dragged out of the Chandler mansion and humiliated before thousands! I can’t go on!"

Bailey saluted me and stepped back.

For a moment, only Savannah’s cries echoed in the hall.

"What did I do wrong? I only loved Chris—don’t I deserve to live?"

I raised an eyebrow. "You dared lay a hand on my sister. Of course you don’t deserve to live."

Savannah clung to the Dowager’s skirt, sobbing, believing her aunt was her protector. But she didn’t realize the Dowager looked embarrassed and ugly. The young Lady Chandler was already terrified. Lucas was stunned. They all stared in fear at Bailey behind me, because in full gear, he couldn’t possibly have entered through the mansion gates. He must have scaled the high walls, slipping in unnoticed.

I glanced at him, then feigned sudden realization. "Did you all really think I’d rebel with just Carter?"

The Dowager’s voice trembled. "What are you planning?!"

I smiled. "I told you—I’m rebelling."

She looked at Bailey, who grinned maniacally at the old witch.

I said deliberately, "Dowager, ever hear the saying? Push people too far and someone bleeds."

She was so scared she collapsed into her seat.

"Aunt…"

The Dowager shoved Savannah aside. "Lila, must you really turn kin against kin, shed family blood?"

I just copied Evelyn’s usual pose—crossing my legs, fingers intertwined, watching her with a half-smile.

"We’ve already turned against each other. Whether blood is spilled is up to you."

She finally said, "Let me… think about it."

Before I could respond, my rider Ginny suddenly strode over and yanked Savannah up by the hair.

The Dowager flinched, but didn’t stop her.

"Aunt, help me…"

I was surprised, but quickly recovered. I stared at the Dowager. "Take your time. But I’ll be taking your precious niece with me for now."

Ginny was rough—Savannah’s eyes were red and swollen from being pulled.

She looked at the Dowager with tears in her eyes, but the old woman only said, "Go with her. Tell her everything."

I stood up. "Let’s go. Out of the mansion."

Once outside, I glanced back at the Northern Guards, who kept their distance. It was more about containment than pursuit. They never moved against us, even as we left the gates.

I looked back coldly, watching the gates slowly close behind me.

Ginny came over and whispered, "Miss, the Grand Matriarch is still alive."

I turned to her. "Are you sure?"

She said, "I am."

First rule of the rich: never let the other side set the terms.

Before entering the city, I’d already ordered Ginny: "Buy us time—give me a chance to investigate." She’d done just that.

"When I took Savannah away, the Dowager didn’t look worried at all. She’s their family’s pride—there’s no way she’d just abandon her…"

Then Savannah started screaming, "Father! Father! Help me!"

I looked over. The Dowager’s brother, Judge Worthington, dressed in a scarlet robe and flanked by two aides, was standing at a distance, watching us.

I laughed. "Ginny, do you think he’ll dare come over?"

Savannah screamed her heart out, "Father! Father! I’m here!"

Ginny frowned, walked over, and slapped Savannah a dozen times right in front of the judge. The delicate socialite collapsed into a puddle.

Judge Worthington finally lost control and rushed over, ignoring his aides. "Miss Whitlock! You’ve gone too far!"

I smiled. "What have I done?"

Facing my hundred riders, the judge didn’t flinch—trying to show strength and protect his daughter.

"My Worthington family is one of the founding clans. How can you humiliate my daughter over a petty love affair?!"

A few family advisors hurried over and pleaded with me.

"Grand Heiress, please show mercy. The girl is family, after all. Isn’t this a bit much?"

"Yes, there might be some misunderstanding here…"

I said, "Oh? So the Worthington daughter is so precious, yet you could abandon her in wartime?"

The judge’s face changed.

An advisor asked, "Miss, what do you mean?"

I stepped aside. "Let me introduce someone. This subordinate of mine is the daughter of the Yates family from Maple Heights."

The judge blurted out, "Nonsense…"

The moment he spoke, he knew he was done for. I hadn’t said which Yates daughter. And it just so happened that his original wife, Mrs. Yates of Maple Heights, and their eldest daughter had gone missing during the city siege. Only a few knew the truth: he’d kicked his wife out of the car, and their daughter chased after her, but he didn’t wait.

The family advisors were clever—they understood instantly. They fell silent.

I waited a long time, but the judge said nothing more.

I walked over to him. "Judge, I’ll be taking your daughter with me for now."

At that moment, I knew he was terrified. They were probing my limits, so I had to show them, bit by bit.