Jasper was gobsmacked! He was so impressed he almost wanted to drop to his knees right there and then for Noe!


    Millie scanned the room, her gazending on each person present. "Back to your rooms, folks. And if anyone''s thinking of sneaking off, well, I might just get an itch to stop you."


    The smile on her face sent shivers down everyone''s spine!


    It was at this moment that the younger members of the Gagher n realized that the true leader of their family was now Millie!


    Randy''s power had been silently stripped away from him!


    Carolyn held her breath, her eyes wide. "Millie, you can count on Uncle Jacob and me! We''re all ears!"


    With Morgan having just shared how Millie had always been there to protect him, ensuring his survival and return to the Gagher family, and how without her, he wouldn''t have been able to grow up at all, Carolyn pledged her unwavering support for Millie.


    "I''ve failed Morgan, failed to raise Christina and Caitlin right... I never realized how much Morgan cared for Caitlin, I failed to protect her..."


    Carolyn copsed to the floor, weeping uncontrobly.


    The children of the Gagher family, under Randy''s maniptive schemes, had long since lost any semnce of normalcy.


    Such a cruel survival-of-the-fittest n had left many of them shattered, with Randy turning a blind eye after the demise of the weaker links among them.


    Carolyn''s breakdown wasplete as she clutched her unconscious son, sobbing breathlessly.


    Millie sighed deeply.


    The others exchanged nces before retreating to their rooms.


    Millie''s mother approached Noe, her eyes brimming with tears. She seemed to want to say thank you but swallowed the words instead.


    With a meaningful look at Millie, she wiped away her tears and headed upstairs.


    Millie sat at the dining table, taking a big gulp of red wine.


    She chuckled bitterly. "Master, am I a disgrace? But this is how I grew up. I''ve always been so scared, afraid to sleep in case someone put a snake in my room."


    "Growing up in the Gagher family, only Morgan was kind to me. Even when he had nothing to eat, he shared with me... And yet, our parents never lifted a finger to help."


    Millie hastily wiped away her tears.


    "My dad''s a piece of work, but I can''t bring myself to hit him, so I had to dirty your hands instead, Master. I''m sorry... I''m so useless..."


    Noe patted Millie''s back, gently embracing her.


    "You''ve done well."


    Millie''s father, notorious for his debauchery and even for beating her mother to the point of hospitalization, had been ignored by Randy.


    It wasn''t until she met Noe that Millie began to see a glimmer of hope for a different life.


    "I never really wanted to take over the family business. It''s too corrupt, and I don''t want it. But without fighting for it, I''d have no chance to live, possibly trapped on this ind forever. I don''t want that."


    "I understand. Whatever you want to do, I''ll support you."


    Millie nodded, taking a deep breath and hugging Noe.


    She pped her cheeks, putting on a brave smile that masked her earlier despair.


    "Jasper, do me a favor?"


    "Name it."


    "There are a few Gagher cases I want to..."


    "Sure, I''ll help."


    Millie blinked in surprise. "What? Even if it''s illegal?"


    "I may not trust your character, but I trust your professional ethics."


    Millie, puzzled, gestured a punch toward Jasper.


    "Better speak inly! Or I''ll have to punch some sense into you!"


    Dragging Jasper upstairs, Millie turned to Noe with a sweet smile. "Master, I''ve texted Palmer to pick you up. Jasper''s with me for now!" "Sure, do as you please."


    Once upstairs, Millie got serious.


    "Some of the Gagher assets, I n


    to donate. The ones I control, I'' handle myself. For the rest, Ineed you to help me take legal action."


    "Easy, consider it done. I''ve been meaning to ask, how is Noe so skilled?"


    Millie started to make up a story.


    "Oh, that? You know, Master and


    Grandma Harriet had it tough. They''d go up the mountains to


    gather mushrooms, herbs,


    sometimes tussle with bears,l


    tigers, even fight with stray dogs over..."  over...


    Before Millie could finish, Jasper interjected in shock, "What? She had to fight dogs for food?!"


    He was overwhelmed, retreating into a corner, his mind flooded with imagined hardships of Noe''s childhood, breaking down in tears.


    Millie was at a loss.


    Was he okay?


    But she didn''t bother exining. After all, there were indeed people who honed their skills bypeting with stray dogs for food, like herself.


    The Gagher family, a golden cage rotting from the inside.


    Millie''s only wish was to dismantle this cage once and for all.


    ncing at the Valkyrie tattooed on her skin, Millie''s resolve hardened.


    "Let''s go, Jasper."


    Jasper, wiping away tears, followed her while transferring money to Noe via his phone.


    "Donating... for my sister."


    "What are you doing?"


    "Sending money... If only she had this before, she wouldn''t have had such a hard life!"


    Millie patted Jasper''s shoulder sympathetically.


    Though a bit dim-witted, Jasper had his moments of charm.


    Outside the Gagher mansion, Noe was just stepping out when Sienna, seated in the garden gazebo, waved her over.


    "Mom? I thought you guys went to the hospital?"


    "Ah, well, the hospital can wait a bit longer. We do have a house here, after all. Your dad suggested we just stay home and wait for you guys."


    After sitting at home for a few minutes, Tristan began to worry about the safety of his son and daughter, so he decided to wait at the neighborhood gazebo.


    Waiting there, Tristan put down his binocrs.


    "Buddy, what happened out there? I saw someone trying to strangle Randy after having one too many. Is everyone okay?"


    Noe looked somewhat exasperated.


    Only Tristan would do something like spying on the Gagher family with binocrs to catch up on the drama...


    It was outrageous, but then again, it was very much a Tristan thing to do.


    After getting a brief on what had happened, both Tristan and Sienna were shocked!


    Sienna felt a twinge of regret.


    "Oh, if only we knew there was a show to watch, we wouldn''t have left... The Gaghers really have stirred the pot again, haven''t they? What trouble have those kids gotten inte now? Ah!"


    s?novel


    "Millie''s mom has always felt guilty, thinking she failed Millie. But other people''s business isn''t ours to meddle in. It''s tough being Millie, that''s for


    sure!"


    Tristan, holding his binocrs, widened his eyes.


    "Honey, sweetheart, what''s that up there?"Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Following Tristan''s gaze, they saw a figure swaying dangerously on the rooftop of the Gagher''s house!


    "Could it be... someone''s about to jump?"