Chapter 442 Hypocritical
"Noah, get out of our house! North died because of you. I can't bear to look at you!" A voice rang out.
Cressida burst from the adjacent room. She had awakened and heard everything Noah said.
"Noah!" she screamed. "Give me back my son!"
Her eyes blazed red with tears as she rushed at Noah, pounding her fists against his chest.
"Give me back my son!"
"If it weren't for you, North would still be alive!"
"North!"
"Who needs your compensation? Who needs your million dollars? I just want North back!"
She hit and kicked Noah with all her strength, her fists landing blow after blow.
"Noah!" Ethan and the three bodyguards tensed, moving to intervene.
Noah raised a hand to stop them, standing motionless as he accepted Cressida's assault.
Ethan and the bodyguards hesitated, then stepped back.
Dull thuds echoed as Cressida's blows landed. Noah's face reddened from her slaps. His clothes were torn, skin beneath scratched raw by her nails, drawing blood. Still, he didn't move.
"Give me back my son."
After ten minutes, Cressida exhausted herself and collapsed to the floor.
"Get out!" she spat. "Noah, get the hell out! I can't stand the sight of you. You killed my North!"
"Mom, this isn't Noah's fault. Fox is the one who killed North," Hugo said, helping Cressida up.
His face was also tear-stained, but Hugo wasn't unreasonable. The real culprit was Fox—and Fox was already dead. Noah had given them a million dollars and personally delivered the news. In Hugo's eyes, Noah had shown responsibility.
"I don't care! North died because of him! Get out! GET OUT!""Noah, get out!"
Cressida lunged at Noah again, but Hugo held her back.
"Noah, you should go. My mom's out of control right now. I'm afraid she might do something stupid."
Noah looked at Cressida, guilt washing over him again. With a sigh, he left the house.
Outside, the mountain night was cool. The moon shone brightly overhead, and insects chirped in the darkness.
Noah took a deep breath. "I've truly failed North. For any family, losing a son is devastating."
"Don't blame yourself," Ethan said. "You've done everything right. If North's spirit is watching, he wouldn't want to see you like this." Changing the subject, he asked, "Where are we sleeping tonight? The nearest town is about an hour's drive. We could find a hotel."
"No need. We'll make do in the car," Noah replied. "Besides, I have a feeling Maddox might return to cause more trouble for the Graves family. We shouldn't go too far."
"Understood."
The GMC was spacious enough for everyone to sleep comfortably, and they settled in for the night.
Early the next morning, sunlight broke through the mist that blanketed the village. The air was damp and fresh.
Noah opened his eyes to see Hugo approaching, carrying a metal basin with bread and jam.
"Noah, I know you're not an ordinary person. You casually handed out a million dollars and have skilled bodyguards that must cost a fortune. We're a poor family—we just eat bread for breakfast. Hope that's okay."
Hugo's eyes were still bloodshot from a sleepless night.
Noah felt touched that Hugo had brought him breakfast. He hadn't eaten since yesterday and was quite hungry.
"That's fine. I'm not picky."
As Noah took the basin and was about to share with Ethan and the others, a cold voice cut in.
"Hugo! How dare you help an outsider? Noah is our family's enemy, and you're feeding him?"
Cressida approached, glaring at Noah with unconcealed hatred. "North died because of him! He doesn't deserve our food!"
"Mom, I'm devastated about North too, but we need to be reasonable," Hugo pleaded. "North's death wasn't Noah's fault. And after he helped us yesterday, what's wrong with giving them something to eat?"
"I said no!" Cressida snatched the basin and threw the bread on the ground. The family dog immediately rushed over and devoured it.
"I'd rather feed the dogs than feed Noah! He doesn't deserve anything from us!" she spat.
"Noah, I'm so sorry, my mom is just..." Hugo's face flushed with embarrassment.
"It's alright. I understand. North's death is partly my responsibility," Noah said quietly.
"You killed our North and then brought his ashes back! You're nothing but a hypocrite!" Cressida snorted.
Suddenly, the sound of an engine approached.
A black Audi A8 pulled up in front of Hugo's house. A red-haired young man stepped out from the driver's side.
"Maddox!" Hugo's face darkened with foreboding.
Cressida's expression also shifted.
After exiting, Maddox immediately ran to the back, fawning as he opened the passenger door.
"Boss, we're here!"
A middle-aged man emerged from the car. He was in his fifties, wearing a suit that stretched over his round belly, with a fleshy face. A woman was in his arms—Maddox's sister, Lila.
"Marcus Graham!" Hugo's face fell.
This man, Marcus, was Maddox's powerful backer—the brick factory owner worth millions. He had acquired many plots of land in the village for his factories, including two hectares from the Graves family.
Behind the Audi A8, a Buick Regal pulled up. Four men in suits and sunglasses stepped out—bodyguards with cold, intimidating presences.
"So this is Graves Village?" Marcus asked, one hand casually groping Lila's backside as he surveyed his surroundings.
"Yes, Mr. Graham!" Maddox pointed at Hugo's house with a servile smile. "That's the family who sold you the two hectares of land."
"I see," Marcus nodded. His factories had acquired thousands of hectares, too many individual sellers to remember. He left such trivial matters to his subordinates, focusing only on funding.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
