Chapter 111 A Cheap Life Spawns a Bastard

• A cold, furious voice cut through the air. In a heartbeat, everyone turned to look. With Ivey Kendall holding her up, Clara Miller was seething, her whole body trembling. On her left and right stood Mr. Murphy and Kunlun. They knew exactly what had happened outside just now, but Clara had already decided to let it go. Edward had already divorced Olivia Thomas. The two had nothing to do with each other. Randy Thomas had gone after Chen Tiansheng, not Edward. But Chen Tiansheng’s speech was clearly meant to splash filth on Edward, to “drag trouble Edward’s way,” twisting something that had nothing to do with Edward into his fault. She was a mother. Clara could not just stand by and watch her son get framed. Besides, Clara knew the Thomas family’s faces and methods all too well. If Edward really got hit with this bucket of muck, wouldn’t the Thomases hound him to death? It’s easy to pacify a king, but the little demons are relentless. Clara’s heart ached—Edward was already exhausted enough. She would not let those little demons at the Thomas Residence latch onto him. “You old hag! Where’s Edward? Get that dogshit bastard out here!” Pinned underfoot, Randy saw Clara and exploded, yanking his voice up into a raw scream. “Shut up!” Clara’s eyes flashed as she barked, “When will your Thomas family finally let my son go? You cozied up to power and got played like a monkey, and now you want to pin it on my boy?” She was so furious her breathing went ragged, coming in gasps. Ivey startled, hurriedly rubbing Clara’s chest to calm her. “Mrs. Raine, please, don’t get upset. Take care of yourself.” Clara raised a hand, signaling she was fine. “Well, well… Been years, hasn’t it?” Chen Tiansheng looked at Clara with mocking amusement. “If you’d dared smash me dead against the wall back then, you’d have buried yourself right along with me, wouldn’t you?” Clara’s brow knitted tight. She said nothing. Mr. Murphy stepped forward, chuckling softly. “Chen Tiansheng, today’s mess has nothing to do with us, and even less with our young master. If you keep slinging mud at our young master, Kunlun will have to clean house.” The words were barely out before Kunlun strode ahead, placing himself in front of the three. He loomed like a steel tower, radiating crushing pressure. Ever since he’d followed the old Master of the Raine family, the former mercenary king had focused on sharpening the Raine elite’s combat skills. It wouldn’t be wrong to call him the teacher of the younger Raine generation. Chen Tiansheng’s pupils tightened, though his smile stayed mocking. “Mr. Murphy, that’s a bit much, don’t you think? And would Kunlun even dare?” His gaze slid sideways at Kunlun, dripping disdain. To him, Mr. Murphy and Kunlun were just Raine house servants. In the Raine family, even house servants bowed their heads to regular clansmen—let alone to someone like him, one of the heirs. “Try me.” Mr. Murphy lifted a brow, still smiling. “I may be an old servant, but following the old Master, I’ve killed an heir before.” The words were light, almost playful, but a bone-deep killing intent pulsed beneath them. Even Chen Tiansheng’s face flickered. He chuckled, stood, and lifted his foot off Randy’s face. Randy scrambled up, glaring first at Chen Tiansheng, then at Clara. He was here to make trouble. How had it turned into a showdown between Clara and Chen Tiansheng? Still, their exchange had confirmed one thing for him: Chen Tiansheng knew Edward. If they knew each other, then everything going on at home had to be Edward’s scheme. Blinded by rage, Randy didn’t think it through. Fury blasted through him, and with a roar he charged straight at Clara. “You old hag, hand over that bastard Edward! He’s ruined our family!” Clara’s face went storm-dark. Rage surged; resentment clogged her chest. How could Randy be this stupid? “Mrs. Raine, please—don’t be mad. Don’t let it get to you…” Ivey kept her eyes locked on Clara’s complexion, heart racing, and snapped hard at Kunlun, “Kunlun, Mrs. Raine can’t get upset right now!” Randy was already almost on top of them. Kunlun slid a step sideways and sent a brutal kick flying. Thud! Randy had no chance to block. He flew back ten feet, hit the floor, went sheet-white, and spit a mouthful of blood. The dozen security guards watching sucked in a breath, their backs gone cold. “What stray mutt dares get close to my lady?” Kunlun’s voice boomed like a drum. “My young master is kind enough not to hold grudges against your Thomas family. Me? I’m not that forgiving.” It was a naked threat. A warning to Randy to keep his distance. Randy didn’t try getting closer after that blood. He flopped on the ground instead, thrashing his arms and legs, bawling and howling. “There’s no justice! Murder! Does the law even exist anymore?” His shrieking grated on the ears. Chen Tiansheng frowned, glanced down at Randy with disgust. “Noisy.” Then he lifted his chin at the security guards. “Do I have to toss him out myself?” The dozen guards snapped out of it, swarming Randy, hauling him up by force. “Let—let go of me! You—you dogs, let me go!” No matter how Randy fought, they didn’t loosen their grip. The lead guard even slammed a fist into Randy’s gut. “Shut up!” Randy’s face crumpled. He choked down the punch, felt his insides grind together, and couldn’t get a word out. Once the guards hauled Randy away, Chen Tiansheng finally looked at Mr. Murphy and Kunlun and lifted a slow thumbs-up. “Mr. Murphy, Kunlun—top-notch dogs, the both of you.” The raw humiliation made both Mr. Murphy and Kunlun frown. Still, they swallowed their anger. The gap in status meant they had to endure—for now. Even if Mr. Murphy had killed an heir once, it wasn’t something he could do on a whim. Back then was special; he’d gotten away with it. Now? If he really killed Chen Tiansheng, not even the old Master could save him. The Raine family’s house rules were the “law of heaven” for everyone in the Raine family. “You can get lost.” Clara’s voice suddenly dropped to a hard growl, squeezed through clenched teeth. “Chen Tiansheng, if you touch my son, I’ll put this cheap life on the line and drag you to hell with me.” “Oh? You sure know how to crack a joke.” Chen Tiansheng snorted, nudged his glasses up. “Your life’s not cheap at all. It’s worth more than mine.” Then his eyes rolled like he’d remembered something. He smacked his forehead with a self-mocking grin. “Oh, right. After what happened back then, I guess your life did turn cheap. That’s how you birthed a bastard like Edward.” “Shut up!” At the word “bastard,” Clara’s face flushed bright red. She roared. The shout had barely left her lips when her face blanched. Her body stiffened, blood rushed to her head, her eyes flipped white—and she collapsed into Ivey’s arms. “Mrs. Raine…” “My lady…” In an instant, Ivey, Mr. Murphy, and Kunlun all blanched with panic.