Chapter 646
Chapter 646
In the quaint town of Elmsworth, autumn had painted the leaves with fiery hues and the crisp wind had
begun to whisper of theing winter.
Cassius had been absent from his home for three days straight, cloistered within the sanctity of the
local church, praying and confessing before the Lord.
What sins weighed so heavily on his soul?
Was it his past, darkened by the time when he had been the voice of a notorious underground
syndicate?
Or was he confessing a heart that had dared to love where it should not, his affections falling upon
someone forbidden?
On the fourth day, Cassius found himself drawn as if by a spectral force, wandering as though in a
trance to the decaying Bright family manor.
He knew that young Chasel had no other refuge, no other home, but this decaying symbol of a once
great dynasty.
His concern had overwhelmed his resolve to stay away, and so he hade.
Cassius understood that with his past, he could only stand watch, a silent guardian to the legacy of the
Brights.
He could now empathize with the tormented soul of Thaddeus, who had once braved the tempest
outside the gates of Silveke Harbor, all for a mere glimpse of his beloved Evadne.
It was a feeling akin to one’s own bile churning within, rising up to choke the throat with a bitterness
that could not be expelled.
It was in this moment of somber reflection that a procession of luxury cars glided up to the manor,
stopping with a sense of entitlement that only the wealthy couldmand.
Servants and secretaries nked a tall, imposing middle–aged man as he stepped out, impably
dressed in a suit. Cassius recognized him immediately as the current head of Bright Biopharmacy,
Suri’s older brother, Zachary.
“Dad! Wee home. You must be weary from your journey,” Warner greeted, bowing with an air of
formal respect.
“Indeed,” Zachary replied curtly, his expression stoic, “Where is Chasel?”
“Locked up as per your instructions. He’s been quiet in his room,” Warner–replied, seizing the chance
to belittle his brother, “Dad, Chasel has truly crossed the line this time. Not only did he disregard our
family’s code, but he’s been fraternizing with the Ashbournes. If word got out, our family’s reputation
would be aughingstock. People would say we’re all talk–acting righteous in public while cozying up to
our rivals in private!”
Zachary’s lips curled into a frosty smirk. “We shall see who panders to whom in the end,” he said
ominously.
Warner continued, fueled by spite, “Word has it that Emeric’s health has taken a turn for the worse,
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barely clinging to life. That’s why Aunt Suri was so desperate to seek our family’s aid. I doubt Emeric
has much time left. Once he’s gone, the Ashbourne fortune will crumble, and we’ll see how high and
mighty they can act then!”
Zachary eyed Warner with suspicion, “You never seemed this bitter about the Ashbournes before. Did
they slight you when you went to fetch Chasel?”
Warner’s heart skipped, beads of sweat forming on his brow, “Of course not! They wouldn’t dare touch
a member of the Bright family!”
As they were about to enter the house, Warner felt a shiver down his spine and nced back.
“What is it?” Zachary inquired.
Warner shook off the chill, “Dad, there’s a man dressed like a priest or minister, staring this way. It’s
quite unsettling in the dead of night.”
In the darkness, Warner hadn’t recognized Cassius‘ face.
Zachary nced back, but the street was deserted.
Warner, bewildered, muttered, “Huh? Where did he go? He was just there.”
“Warner, you’ve been working hard. Make sure to rest,” Zachary advised before stepping inside.
Warner was left to his thoughts.
Chasel was released from his “cage” and brought into the grand courtyard.
The entire household of the Bright estate had gathered, a sea of expectant faces.
Standing tall and proud at the center, Chasel faced his father, leisurely sipping tea on a fine chair, his
elder brother standing at attention, and the audience” summoned to witness the night’s drama.
The difort churned in his stomach.
Beyond these wallsy the modern world, yet within the confines of this grand estate, archaic traditions
lingered.
As a child, he had pitied his aunt for abandoning her luxurious life in the Bright household. But now, his
heart yearned to follow in her footsteps
“Kneel,manded Zachary with icy detachment.
Chasal, however, stood defiant, the hint of a smile at his lips, “Father, it’s been years since the fall of
empires. Even presidents aren’t greeted with kneeling anymore. Perhaps it’s time our family shed these
outdated customs?”
Zachary’s face tightened with displeasure.
Warner spat angrily, “Chasel! It was you who erred, you who shamed our family! Is this your idea of
repentance?”
“I’ve apologized, said all there is to say. From now on, it ends.”
It ends.
The words were a knife to Chasel’s heart, severing the tenderest part of him with ruthless precision.
“I’ll have no more dealings with the Ashbournes. Their affairs are no longer my concern. I’ve done as
you asked. Why must you humiliate me further, pressuring me so?”
His rebuttal silenced the crowd.
In the Bright family, a hierarchy as rigid as steel, no one but York dared defy Zachary.
“Chasel, your dealings with the Ashbournes broke our family’s cardinal rule; that was your gravest
mistake!”
Warner immediately stepped forward, putting on the act of the good cop. “If Dad doesn’ty down the
be a joke. Who’ll follow them then, who will respect us?”
“Oh, so it’s a scare tactic, huh?”
Chasel snorted with a dismissive chuckle, thoroughly infuriating Zachary!
At that moment, the butler, under the watchful eyes of the family, presented the instruments of
punishment to Zachary. “Mr. Bright, the family discipline awaits.”
A collective gasp swept through the crowd, and Chasel felt his heart squeeze tight!
In the butler’s hands were a whip and a thick wooden rod.
“The rules of the Bright family are clear,” Warner said with an icy stare. “Either you’re whipped until you
bleed, or we break your legs. Take your pick.”
It was hard to believe that they were brothers born of the same mother.
This was the way of the Bright family: power, ability, and money above all else. Family ties were always
an optional extra. Chasel’s eyes widened in shock, then he burst intoughter again.
“Isn’t this something utterly fascinating! Today, I’m going to see just what kind of justice is served Bright
family–style.”
Stillughing, Chasel shook his head, his eyes–a striking fox–like red–gleaming with mischief. “But we
are a family with a medical background, aren’t we? Why resort to such crude tools as whips and rods? I
brought back a set of surgical knives from my travels abroad. Why don’t you use those instead?
They’re much more efficient!”