Let Me Go, Mr. Howard Chapter 53

The facts were indeed as Scarlett said, but it also depended on whether the judge was fair.

"You hit someone. You should apologize," George said coldly, his voice calm but brooking no resistance.

This statement naturally pleased Edith. She arched her eyebrows and smiled smugly at Scarlett when George wasn't looking.

Watching that smile while hearing George's cold voice and remembering Sebastian's warning, Scarlett felt disoriented. Beneath her measured breathing, resentment and injustice spread through her heart.

"So when she insults me and my mother, that's acceptable?" she asked softly, biting her lip and raising defiant eyes to meet George's gaze.

George merely looked at her calmly before letting out a cold laugh. "A woman who becomes someone's mistress—what good could she possibly be?"

His words dripped with utter contempt.

Scarlett froze. Before she could respond, George continued, "An illegitimate daughter who still cares about her mother—is the Seymour family really this kind-hearted?"

As he spoke, he picked up his teacup, tapping the lid against it with a crisp sound that hit Scarlett's heart like a heavy blow.

She stared at George in disbelief. She had hoped this powerful man would deliver justice, but Scarlett had overlooked something crucial: George particularly despised mistresses and illegitimate children. 

Reportedly, this stemmed from historical issues caused by Sebastian's younger uncle.

Now, all the strategies she had prepared became useless. She suddenly realized she was in a no-win situation.

Unlike Scarlett, the Seymour family members looked as though the storm had cleared—especially Edith, whose eyes gleamed with triumph. Brianna even put on a motherly act.

"We just thought that since this child grew up without her mother, she might be a bit... short-mannered."

Scarlett laughed coldly. Even at a disadvantage, she refused to stop fighting. "Is Mrs. Seymour referring to the kind of short-mannered where I was locked in a dark room five days a week? If that's spoiling, then I have nothing more to say."

Brianna immediately glanced at George. Seeing his indifferent reaction, she glared at Scarlett and cursed under her breath, "Little bitch!"

"Dark room?" George chuckled, giving Scarlett a cold look. "You're still sharp-tongued now—hardly seems like someone who was locked away."

"Yes, yes, this child has always been a liar," Brianna added with a smile.

A sense of helplessness instantly rose in Scarlett's heart. George wasn't finished. "The Seymour family raised you for over a decade. You should be grateful rather than entitled."

He looked coldly at Scarlett standing in the middle of the living room, his eyes filled with disgust.

Scarlett didn't raise her head. Her heart was still as she looked up at George with cold eyes. "Being so unfair and one-sided—and you call yourself the head of a family? Is the Howard family out of people?"

The Howard family had few descendants. George had two sons and one daughter. His eldest son and daughter-in-law had died young, his second son disappeared after the illegitimate child incident, and his daughter lived abroad year-round. 

Besides George, there was indeed only his eldest grandson Sebastian. How was that not a family "out of people"?

Scarlett knew exactly how to hit where it hurt. Her words made George's eyes widen with rage. Facing his fury, Scarlett maintained her composure.

"Everyone calls me an illegitimate daughter, but Michael never said that. He said my mother entrusted me to the Seymour family! I'm not David's illegitimate child! The Seymour family has twisted the facts and smeared my mother's name!"

The anger she had accumulated for so long finally exploded. "Do you know this, Mr. Howard? With no factual basis, just taking their word for it and looking down on me—where's the dignity of a family patriarch in that?"

From the moment Scarlett turned on George, the Seymour family members dared not speak. They all stared at her with shocked, fearful expressions. No one had expected Scarlett to challenge George this way.

George himself hadn't anticipated that a mere Seymour illegitimate daughter would dare raise her voice to him. His anger at being disrespected made him completely miss the information revealed in Scarlett's words.

He grabbed his teacup and hurled it at her!

Scarlett's pupils contracted. Before she could dodge, a strong hand gripped her waist from behind, pulling her backward. In an instant, she was off the sofa.

The scent of cedar mixed with faint tobacco suddenly filled her nostrils, momentarily disorienting her. She looked up to see Sebastian's stern jawline.

"Sebastian." Her mind still dazed, his name escaped her lips with unexpected softness and affection.

Sebastian glanced down at her briefly before shielding her in his arms. The teacup with hot tea crashed onto the sofa, the liquid seeping into the leather and spreading.

This sudden development naturally caused exclamations throughout the living room. But when they saw who had protected Scarlett, their expressions changed rapidly.

Edith's face went pale for a moment before she looked at Brianna, both seeing astonishment and displeasure in each other's eyes. 

David's expression didn't change much, but his eyes held disgust and coldness when he looked at Scarlett.

George's face darkened as he stared directly at Sebastian, his voice measured but ice-cold. "Seb, what are you doing?"

As the commotion subsided, Sebastian quickly released Scarlett and turned to face George. His voice remained characteristically calm. "Grandfather, we have guests."

Whether intentional or not, Sebastian's figure completely shielded Scarlett behind him. She looked up, but her gaze could only reach the back of his neck.

Sebastian had barely finished speaking when a voice came from the doorway.

"Party without me?" The voice was casual and showed no respect for George.

The voice wasn't unfamiliar to Scarlett. She turned in surprise to see Orion walking in with a smile, followed by Chris.

Chris winked at the astonished Scarlett, then made faces at Orion ahead of him. It seemed Orion was the reinforcement he had brought.

Scarlett glanced at Orion, but he wasn't looking at her. He merely glanced at Sebastian, his eyes crinkling with a smile that suggested he was ready to cause trouble.