Chapter 753


    The blistering sun scorched everyone outside, but Jasper seemed utterly unfazed. His face showed


    not a trace of difort as he quietly observed the melodrama unfolding before him.


    It wasn''t until Asher spoke again that Jasper, with a yful tap of his cane on Fredrick''s shoulder,


    intervened, "Asher, don''t stoop to his level. My son here has never been much of a handler. He just


    can''t stand to see me bad-mouthed."


    Jasper''s cool gaze swept over Isaac, who had fainted on the ground, his look as indifferent as if he


    were staring at a piece of trash. "However, your man really doesn''t have the gift of gab. After all, I''m


    from the same generation as your father. For a mere servant to y the hero in front of me... The


    Grimshaw family''s manners sure have decayed over the years, haven''t they?"


    Asher, irritated by the relentless heat, snapped, "Never mind him. Jasper, I don''t have all day to


    waste with you. Where the hell is Vivienne?!"


    "How should I know where Vivienne is?" Jasper spread his hands innocently.


    With a subtle nod to Carmen, a chair was swiftly ced beneath him. "Ah, I''m getting on in years.


    When I see a promising young person, I can''t help but wish they were one of my own. That''s why I


    took the girl as my goddaughter. But blood is thicker than water, and she doesn''t report her


    whereabouts to me. What''s the matter, Asher? Got business with her?"


    Facing Jasper''s probing little gaze, Asher choked, his eyes growing more cruel by the second.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Before he could get a word out, Joss, one of the other bodyguards, jumped in, "She hurt our young


    master. We''ve been giving the order to bring her back!"


    A snicker rippled through the crowd at his statement.


    Asher''s face flushed with anger and embarrassment, his eyes ring daggers at Joss, "Shut your


    trap!"


    Idiot!


    Realizing toote that he''d misspoken, Joss grew frantic.


    With one menacing look from Asher, he felt like his soul had been scared out of him. He hastily


    retreated behind the crowd, wishing he could vanish into thin air and be forgotten by Asher.


    He was doomed!


    If the Perez family mocked the young master over this, he was a dead man!


    Silently, he prayed, but it seemed the heavens weren''t listening.


    Zelda, the strong-willed Lte heiress, had never feared anyone. She had been eyeing Asher''s


    pompous attitude with distaste. "I thought it was something serious. The mighty Asher, beaten by a


    girl? If I were you, I''d be too embarrassed to even leave the house, yet here you are, demanding we


    hand her over. How shameful."


    "You''re out of the loop. Some families just shamelessly pass down theirck of decency. You don''t


    know about Oliver..."


    Maddox loved a good scene and was about to share Oliver''s dark past with Zelda when a furious


    Asher couldn''t take it anymore.


    A swift hand sent a st toward Maddox''s face, "Maddox, you''ve gone too far!"


    "Whoa there!"


    Maddox cursed under his breath and dodged, "Asher, sneaking around, is that the Grimshaw


    family''s style?!"


    "Why waste words? Let''s just fight!"


    The next moment, Fredrick''s hand whirled, and a huge rock appeared out of nowhere, hurtling


    straight for Asher''s head!


    "Young master!"


    Joss cried out in rm. If the young master was hurt again, wouldn''t he and Isaac be dead men


    walking?


    Asher froze in ce.


    For generations, ancient warrior lineages had guarded secrets and formed alliances.


    Even the five major families didn''t fully know each other''s secrets. The current state of the Perez


    family''s offspring hadn''t escaped the scrutiny of the other families.


    Wasn''t it said that the fiercest of the Perez was Maddox?


    What was this new development with Fredrick?


    And this rock—if itnded, wouldn''t he be dead for sure?


    Asher''s nerves tensed. He wanted to run, but his feet might as well have been rooted to the spot.


    He could only watch as the massive boulder rushed toward him!


    Maddox had already moved next to Fredrick.


    Seeing Asherpletely petrified, the brothers exchanged a knowing smile. This had all been part


    of their n from the start.


    They knew Asher wasn''t as mild-tempered as he appeared.


    So, they had resolved to provoke him, to make him strike first. That way, even if it came to Oliver''s


    attention, they''d have nothing to say in their defense.


    They wanted to capture their precious niece? They should have checked if they were up to the task!


    "Young master! Dodge it!"


    Joss sprang to Asher''s side with lightning speed!


    With a mighty leap, he shoved Asher aside; then the rock crashed down. Joss''s body flew through


    the air like a weightless punching bag, out towards the open!


    Ashery on the ground, watching Joss reach the apex of his flight, then plummet down. With no


    order from him, no Grimshaw family member moved.


    They all watched as Joss crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.


    Oliver arrived with his entourage just in time to witness the scene.


    The pool of blood spreading beneath Joss reached Oliver''s white shoe, staining it red.


    "Jasper, we haven''t seen each other in years, and your temper seems to have grown," Oliver said,


    his voiceden with hidden energy that echoed in everyone''s ears.


    All the Perez family members, save for Jasper, staggered back a step from the force.


    Especially Maddox and Fredrick, who were closest and felt the greatest impact. For a moment, their


    ears rang with pain, and a sticky fluid trickled from their ears.


    Jasper''s pupils contracted to pinpoints as he witnessed the unfoldingmotion. With the agility of


    a cat, he tapped his cane sharply against the ground. The sound rang out with an almost magical


    quality, summoning a whirlwind of dust that headed straight for Oliver.


    The dust storm obscured the vision of everyone from the Grimshaw family, creating a moment of


    chaos.


    Seizing the opportunity and ignoring his difort, Yuri leaped forward. He grabbed the two


    brothers at the eye of the storm and pulled them to safety.


    By the time Oliver had managed to break through the dusty veil, the entire Perez family had put


    enough distance between themselves and him to ensure they wouldn''t get hurt.


    This distance made it clear that Oliver couldn''t directly challenge Jasper, who stood at the forefront


    of the confrontation.


    "Dad!" Asher, sprawled on the ground, called out as though he had just spotted a lifeline. Never


    before had he invoked that title with such desperation.


    Oliver nced sideways, stepping over Joss''s prone body and striding towards Asher.


    Asher struggled to his feet, still shaky from the scare, his legs like jelly beneath him. Stumbling, he


    approached Oliver. "Dad, I''ve found out who it was. The one who took our merchandise... It was


    Vivienne, Jasper''s granddaughter, she..."


    "Idiot!" Oliver burst out.