Chapter 474 The Threat Of The Canc


    That night was not a calm night.


    To the upants of the Newton residence, especially, it was a sleepless, painful night.


    Jasmine had paid a visit to a rtive of her mother’s. She was unreachable because she had turned off


    her phone.


    After Gwendolyn and her group left, Craig ordered the bodyguards to locate Jasmine immediately.


    Five hourster, at daybreak, Jasmine was dragged back from her rtive’s house and flung into the


    ancestral hall.


    “Hey! Go easy, would you? Are you trying to kill me?”


    She massaged her sore buttock as she grumbled at the bodyguard.


    Without a word, the bodyguard departed the ancestral hall after onest bow.


    With a bang that startled Jasmine, he mmed the doors to the ancestral hall shut.


    In the pitch-ck darkness of the night, the candles in the ancestral hall remained lit. Shivering at the


    asional cold breeze, Jasmine swallowed guiltily as she got to her feet.


    “Remain on your knees.”


    An icy male voice that chilled her to the bone sounded behind her.


    Jasmine shuddered with a fear that prated her bones when she heard the voice.


    Clumsily, she whipped around and saw Craig standing before the ques of their ancestors with a


    menacing scowl. Even more frightening, he was holding the cane used to uphold their familialws.


    The slick-looking cane looked imposing. It was in that it had been soaking before it was produced.


    prepared especially for her.


    Terrified, she braced herself before stepping forward and kneeling, giving a weak chuckle as she did


    so.


    “You scared me, Craig. What did I do wrong to warrant the use of the cane?”


    Craig did not speak. His face, contorted with rage, looked as cruel as a bloodthirsty demon’s.


    “We can talk about this, Craig. My skin is too delicate to withstand the cane. Besides, you’ve never


    struck me. Calm down.”


    She put on an act of indignity by biting her lip.


    Standing over her, Craig gazed down imperiously. His tone was cold, as if he was interrogating a


    criminal.


    “Answer my questions. If I find out you’re lying, I’ll break your legs.”


    Jasmine turned pale. She shook her head vigorously, “I won’t. Ask your questions, Craig, I will not lie.”


    “Why did you seek refuge outside tonight?”


    She froze, recalling Gwendolyn’s repeated reminders earlier that day to feign ignorance.


    “I did no such thing. Why do you say that, Craig? It was Genevieve who called me over to y like she


    always does. I wasn’t nning oning home today, but you sent someone to retrieve me I spend


    the night at her house all the time. Was that so wrong that it warrants intimidating me with the cane?”


    Narrowing his eyes, Craig studied her expression. “Are Gwendolyn’s crystal earrings with you?”


    Having arrived at the point, Jasmine began to grow nervous. She reminded herself to answer ording


    to how Gwendolyn taught her.


    Otherwise, I may not survive the night.


    At that thought, she looked up innocently. “Yes, they’re with me. Is there a problem?”


    Craig scowled. His pupils seared with rage. He brought the cane up with the intention of delivering a


    stroke at her.


    “Hey, Craig! Calm down! That would hurt so much. Please don’t hit me!”


    Shielding herself with her arms, Jasmine took advantage of his hesitance to lunge at him and hold on


    to his thigh as she began to sob.


    “You know me. Craig. I’ve always been good. What did I do? Could you at least tell me that before you


    punish me?”


    Her eyes welled up with tears as a result of Craig’s threat.


    Craig lowered the cane. “You seemed to have forgotten the virtues of our family I have taught you,


    Jasmine,” he continued coldly. “When did you learn to steal? Which hand of yoursmitted the


    heinous act?”


    Jasmine hugged his leg tighter. Gazing up in confusion, she met his gaze.


    “What are you talking about. Craig? Are you insinuating that I stole the crystal earrings? Preposterous!


    I am the heiress of the Newton family, and I have seen much more valuable jewelry than that. Why


    would I steal? And from Gwendolyn, no less! I would never do such a thing even under threat of death.”


    Craig’s brows tightened.


    He, too, did not believe her involvement. Having raised his own sister, he knew her temperament very


    well.


    It was for that reason that he had her brought to the ancestral hall to question her instead of dragging


    her there to subject her to punishment in ordance with their familialws.


    “Tell me everything that had happened in order,” he ordered brusquely.


    Jasmine heaved a sigh of relief before telling him the story she had rehearsed many times in her aunt’s


    house


    “Gwendolyn chatted with me during the tea party and told me she missed me having not seen me in a


    long time, and asked how I was. By the way, she also asked about Jennifer. Since I do not know, I


    didn’t say anything. After that, our conversation was pleasant Gwendolyn said she had a gift for me and


    gave me the crystal earrings. They’re now in my purse.”


    Her purse had fallen to the ground by the pir when the bodyguard had flung her into the ancestral


    hall.


    She got up tentatively and shot a wary nce at Craig’s expression. Upon noticing that his anger had


    subsided, she headed to the pir and picked up her branded purse


    From there, she fished out a pair of expensive, intricate pendant earrings of blue crystal and handed


    them to Craig obediently before she went on with her exnation.


    “After returning from the tea party, I was thinking if I should leave such an expensive pair of earrings at


    home when Genevieve called, so I forgot to leave them on my dresser as I nned and brought them


    with me instead.”


    Then, she produced her phone from her purse and showed Craig her messages.


    After hearing the convincing exnation, Craig appeared satisfied; his expression returned to normal.


    “Why did you use me of stealing Gwendolyn’s earrings, Craig?” she asked, feigning ignorance. “Did


    something happen?


    Craig looked away. His gaze turned grim. “Gwendolyn imed that her earrings had been stolen. With


    Nico, she searched the Newton residence and took away Jennifer.”


    Jasmine heaved a secret sigh of relief before hurriedly acting surprised. “How could they have brought


    Jennifer away? Weren’t they trespassing? Besides, why would Gwendolyn say the earrings were


    stolen? She gave them to me!”


    Not wishing to exin further, Craig studied his innocent, albeit ditzy sister,


    “Stay away from Gwendolyn, and don’t let her use you. You’re old enough to know by now-aside from


    your family, trust no onepletely.”


    “I understand,” she answered meekly, then cast a timid nce at the cane in his hand. “Could you put


    that thing away, Craig? The mere sight of it scares me.”


    Craig caressed her head. “All right. It’s gettingte. You should get some rest.”


    Jasmine nodded obediently, then turned around and exited the ancestral hall.


    Even after leaving the ce, her legs still shook.


    Heaving a long sigh, she patted her chest to cate her racing heart.


    I hope Gwendolyn manages to take Jennifer away this time. I don’t want to see her at the Newton


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