Chapter 325 This is My Move
Stephanie's fussing only made Gregory's wails louder and more dramatic. "James… James hit me! Look at me! He found out I told you about him, so he went ballistic. He slammed me into a marble statue and then slapped me around like I was nothing. He even said it doesn't matter whoever's backing me—if he wants to beat me, he'll beat me, and if he wants to kill me, he'll kill me!"
Gregory pointed to his friends. "If you don't believe me, ask them."
A dozen voices chimed in instantly, all fired up.
"Yeah, James went off on Gregory, slammed his head into the statue, and took swings at anyone who tried to step in…"
"He even said The Carter Family is a joke, claimed he could wipe 'em out single-handedly…"
They were all riled up, throwing shade at James like it was their job.
Most of the people present were members of the Carter Family, with some visitors there to see Lancelot. They either hated James or were unfamiliar with him, so Gregory and his friends felt no pressure in framing James.
James watched the scene calmly, completely indifferent to their performance.
Mia, however, was very anxious. "No, you're lying! It's not true!"
She even sent a message to Richard for help.
After all, fighting in Storm Manor would have some repercussions.
Gregory threw himself onto Stephanie, crying and wailing, "Mom, if you were any later, he would have killed me!"
Gregory and his buddies' accusations hit a nerve, and the Carter family's faces turned dark in an instant.
A few of the older Carters were so furious, they looked ready to choke James out themselves.
They couldn't wrap their heads around James's audacity—beating Gregory right here and throwing shade at the Carter family like that.
Everyone around started throwing shade.
"Who the hell does he think he is? Acting like he owns Rosewood City!"
"Even Richard wouldn't pull this kind of crap. This guy's out of control!"
"Someone needs to put him in his place…"
Gregory smirked slyly as the crowd piled on.
James did not argue back and even stopped Mia from speaking, just smiling faintly.
But for some reason, in Gregory's eyes, that smile had a chilling effect.
Stephanie couldn't hold back anymore. She jabbed a finger at James, her voice sharp. "So you're James! First, you hurt my son this morning, and now you're strutting around Storm Manor like you own the place? You think we're pushovers? You think the Carters are all spineless? Somebody take this guy down—now!"
Her motherly rage was in full force, her face flushed with fury as she barked orders at a dozen Carter Family goons.
Some of the Carter elders barked, "Yeah, take him out! If he fights back, kill him on the spot!"
The Carters had been tight with Larry. After he died, their perks took a hit, and today's drama just cranked their hatred for James up to eleven.
Since James started it, taking him out wouldn't even make them sweat over Lancelot's reaction.
Hearing Stephanie's order, a dozen members of the Carter Family drew their weapons, ready to charge at James with murderous intent.
"Stop!" Mia stepped in front of James, throwing herself between the two sides. "Mrs. Carter, it's not what Gregory said! The cut on his head and the slap—he did that to himself."
She shot Gregory a glare. "Gregory, you gonna come clean or keep digging this hole deeper?"
"Mia, this is between us and James. You're part of the Mystic Alliance—you should not interfere," Stephanie cut in sharply, her tone icy. "Stirring the pot like this won't end well for anyone. And you're clearly in James's corner, so your word doesn't mean much here."
Several elders of the Carter Family also glared at Mia, thinking she was being ungrateful.
"I'm not interfering; I'm restoring the truth," Mia anxiously pointed to the handprint on Gregory's face. "Look at this slap mark. The left thumb is at the bottom, which clearly shows it was self-inflicted. If someone else had hit him, the thumb would be on top."
Gregory's face changed dramatically.
Everyone else instinctively looked and quickly recognized that the slap on Gregory's face couldn't have been made by someone else.
James showed a hint of appreciation. He had noticed the flaw but was too lazy to explain. He didn't expect Mia to catch it too.
Seeing people's doubtful and chocked face, Mia continued to shout, "Gregory, are you still going to lie?"
At that moment, Stephanie suddenly stepped forward and slapped Mia across the face.
A crisp sound echoed, five red finger marks instantly appeared on Mia's face, and she staggered back a few steps.
Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
The sudden move left everyone speechless, and it pretty much sealed the deal that Gregory's slap was shady, though nobody had the guts to call it out.
Stephanie snapped, "Enough! James beat my son—everyone saw it. He broke his hand, cracked his ribs. Mia, quit playing games, or you'll drag your dad and Richard into this mess. James hurt Gregory—that's a fact!"
She glared viciously at James. "James, you coward, hide behind a woman?"
Mia shouted, "Mrs. Carter, are all the Caters unreasonable just like you?"
"In my presence, I am the truth," Stephanie glared at James and shouted, "Hitting my son comes with a price. Don't think you can talk your way out of this."
"Talk my way out?" James squinted slightly, then said mockingly, "I'm not talking my way out, nor will I. I just want to tell you all that if I, James, were to hit someone, it wouldn't be like this."
Everyone present was stunned, completely not understanding what James meant.
James suddenly stomped his right foot and shot forward.
Stephanie and the others' faces changed dramatically.
Several strong fighters from the Carter Family instinctively tried to stop him but all missed.
Gregory shouted ferociously, "He's trying to escape, catch him!"
The shouting abruptly stopped because, at some point, a sword was already pointed at his forehead! This sword was a famous one, named Aether.
James stood in front of him.
Too fast, it was too fast, so fast that no one had time to react.
Gregory's whole body went cold.
Stephanie's eyes were filled with killing intent. "Ja... James, what are you doing? You think you'll walk away if you kill my son?"
A dozen Carters erupted in fury.
"Let go of Mr. Carter now, or you're dead meat!"
"This is Storm Manor. Pull a stunt here, and Lancelot will wipe out your whole damn family!"
Gregory, regaining his composure, sneered, "James, if you dare kill me, then your whole family will be killed."
A sharp sound rang out as the sword tip pierced Gregory's forehead.
Gregory's body suddenly stiffened, disbelief in his eyes. "You... you..."
He couldn't believe that James actually had the guts to kill him.
James withdrew the sword with a backhand motion and said indifferently. "So what I kill him? Come on, now do you understand? This is my move!"
The scene fell into a sudden silence.
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