Chapter 26: Cast Out
Giselle stood her ground as two figures tried to berate her from their self-assumed moral high ground.
"You want the cash and the mansion, is that it?" Giselle sneered, beckoning Fiona with a flick of her finger. "Come over here, let's have a chat." Her smile was unsettling, causing Fiona to unconsciously take a step back.
Henry's gaze swept over fiercely, his intimidating presence forcing Fiona to comply; she hesitantly moved towards Giselle.
"Giselle, please, you're misunderstanding us. What we're trying to say is—"
Slap!
The sound was sharp.
Giselle, typically seeming delicate and fragile, drew upon her years of dance training, endowed with greater stamina and resilience than most.
Fiona felt a painful ringing in her ears, a buzz that mingled with the sting on her face, leaving her momentarily stunned.
"Leave!," Giselle commanded icily, tilting her chin up. "You, the murderer of my mother, have no right to cry and howl before me."
"Giselle!" Cynthia exploded in anger, her voice booming yet quickly subdued due to her caution around Henry. "Have you no respect for elders?"
As she swung her hand to strike back for Fiona, Henry swiftly caught her wrist, stopping the blow mid-air.
He tightened his grip slightly, causing Cynthia to wince and sporadically plead, "AhIt hurts, Mr. Jefferson."
He disgustedly dropped Cynthia's wrist as if it were contaminated and frowned, signaling Sophie for a wet towel.
Sophie, ever perceptive, promptly handed him a damp cloth.
Henry carefully unwrapped it and attended to Giselle's palm-the one she had used to slap Fiona.
Despite the force of the slap, her palm was still visibly red. He gently blew on it and meticulously cleaned between her fingers.
His movements were deliberate and precise, rendering the atmosphere eerily silent, though the air remained charged.
Clark attempted another emotional appeal, adopting the tone of a doting father. "Giselle, you grew up in that mansion, and I loved you, right? There must be some misunderstanding between us. Please let me explain."
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"Enough!" Giselle retorted, clearly annoyed. "Leave or not?"
After Henry had finished cleaning her, he used the towel to wipe his own hands, then tossed it back to Sophie.
With a cool, indifferent expression, he commanded, "Throw them out."
Upon his order, Sophie directed two servants to forcibly remove the trio from the mansion.
Henry escorted Giselle back to the living room, just in time to see the variety show she had paused. He sat down beside her on the couch and resumed playing the show as if nothing had happened. The TV volume was unexpectedly loud, startling Giselle, who shifted away from Henry.
"Did that scare you?" Henry asked, adjusting the volume lower.
Giselle gave a slight shake of her head, her reaction subdued, almost absent-minded.
The program was a popular reality dating show. Though Henry rarely watched TV, with his beloved beside him, he was indifferent to the choice of program.
He absentmindedly played with her fingers and casually inquired, "Do you enjoy this show?"
Giselle was still distant and didn't reply.
After a few seconds, Henry turned off the TV and drew Giselle closer to him.
He toyed with her hair, probing, "Are you still thinking about the mansion?"
Giselle hesitated, then nodded resolutely, her lips pressed tightly together, remaining silent.
Recognizing her reluctance to speak, Henry was not surprised. He confidently stated, "You don't want me to buy that mansion for you."
No longer evasive, Giselle admitted, "No, I already owe you ten million. If we include the mansion, I don't know how long it will take me to pay it all off." "Alright, then we won't buy it," Henry declared firmly, aligning with her wishes.
Giselle's expression turned troubled as she wrestled internally.
If the mansion were to fall into other hands, considering her prospects, even if she could buy it back eventually, it might be too late for her grandmother.