Ivy walked over and knelt in front of the boy.
Clara instinctively tightened her hold on Nate.
"There’s nothing for Nate to say," Clara replied quickly. "This is Leo’s fault. Just admit it and move on."
For so reason, Clara felt uneasy under Ivy’s calm gaze.
Even Nate swallowed nervously when Ivy gently took his hand and looked him in the eyes.
"Nate," she said softly but firmly, "this is your last chance to tell the truth."
The boy’s body stiffened.
"I was lenient the last ti when you bullied Leo. But if you lie now, I won’t be so forgiving."
Gavin stared at her in disbelief.
"Did everyone hear that?" he exclaid. "She’s threatening him now!"
He turned toward Edward.
"Grandpa, look at what this woman is doing. How can you allow soone like her into our lives? She’s setting a terrible example for Leo."
The room fell silent once again as everyone’s attention shifted to Nate, whose face had gone pale under Ivy’s unwavering gaze.
"And you’re setting a good example for your son by teaching him to stay silent?" Ivy shot back.
She rose to her feet and turned to face Gavin directly.
The mont her sharp gaze locked onto his, Gavin felt an unexpected chill crawl down his spine.
For a brief second, he found himself taking an involuntary step back.
He quickly cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders.
"What nonsense are you talking about?" he demanded. "Why would I do that?"
The slight stutter in his voice didn’t go unnoticed. Trying to recover, he lifted his chin and t Ivy’s gaze again only to see her chuckle.
Everyone:"..."
Gavin:"???"
"You know exactly what you’re doing, Gavin," Ivy said coldly. "Don’t make say it out loud."
The smile vanished from her face in an instant.
The sudden change in her expression stunned everyone in the room.
Even Gavin froze.
For the first ti that morning, he seed genuinely unsettled.
anwhile, Xander simply stood back and watched.
A flicker of amusent crossed his eyes as he admired Ivy’s fearlessness.
Has anyone ever told her how intimidating she looks when she’s angry?
The corner of his lips curled upward.
Still, he stepped forward before the situation could escalate further.
"Ivy’s right," he said calmly. "Why not let Nate speak for himself instead of trying to pin everything on Leo?"
His words imdiately shifted the attention back to Nate.
The boy began fidgeting nervously.
Beside him, Clara noticed at once and shot him a warning look.
Don’t.
The ssage was clear.
Nate instinctively shrank under her gaze.
But then his eyes drifted across the room and landed on Leo.
A fresh wave of guilt hit him.
For as long as he could rember, he had tried to make Leo’s life miserable.
He picked fights with him.
Mocked him.
Blad him for things he hadn’t done.
Yet Leo had never really fought back.
And despite everything Nate had done to him, Leo had still co to save him.
Nate knew he had been wrong about a lot of things.
Maybe it was because of what his parents had constantly told him growing up.
Maybe it was because he had spent years believing Leo was the enemy.
But after everything that had happened, he couldn’t ignore one simple fact.
Leo had saved him.
That fact alone was enough to drown out the pressure from his parents.
For once, Nate wanted to do the right thing.
Not for himself.
For Leo.
His gaze t Leo’s one last ti.
’Don’t get the wrong idea,’ Nate thought stubbornly. ’This doesn’t an we’re friends.’
Even so, he took a deep breath and pushed himself to his feet.
The room instantly fell silent.
Ignoring the looks from his parents, Nate turned toward Edward.
His hands trembled slightly at his sides.
"I... I have sothing to say."
***
Thud!
Gavin stord out of the Old Erson Residence, his face dark with fury.
Clara and Nate hurried after him.
"Darling, wait," Clara called out. "Please don’t be angry."
But Gavin ignored her completely.
He yanked open the car door, slid into the driver’s seat, and slamd the door shut with enough force to make the entire vehicle shake.
Nate flinched.
Standing outside the car, he watched as his mother turned toward him.
The disappointnt in Clara’s eyes was impossible to miss.
For a mont, guilt twisted in his stomach.
Even so, he refused to back down.
Clara sighed and climbed into the passenger seat.
Nate quietly got into the back.
The mont he fastened his seatbelt, Gavin spoke.
"We’re going to have a serious talk when we get ho."
His voice was cold and firm, leaving no room for argunt.
Nate lowered his gaze and remained silent.
Neither Gavin nor Clara had expected him to tell the truth.
Not only had Nate admitted that he had gone with Theo willingly, but he had also confessed that Leo was the one who had tried to protect him and buy ti until help arrived.
The truth had completely destroyed the narrative they had been pushing. And the humiliation that followed had been even worse.
Edward had listened to everything in silence before delivering his verdict.
From this day forward, Gavin and his family were no longer welco at the Erson Estate.
The mory alone made Gavin’s grip tighten around the steering wheel.
His knuckles turned white.
The engine roared to life, and the car soon left the estate.
***
anwhile, the atmosphere inside the mansion had finally begun to ease.
Aaron let out a long breath and leaned back in his seat.
"Brother Gavin really never knows when to stop," he muttered, annoyance evident in his voice.
"Don’t worry," Edward replied. "He won’t be setting foot in this house again. And if he does, my guards will personally escort him out."
A few amused smiles appeared around the room.
Truthfully, Edward had felt a headache coming on the mont Gavin arrived and started throwing accusations at Leo.
What frustrated him most was how quickly Gavin had tried to bla a child without hearing the full story.
Still, Edward had to admit he was pleasantly surprised by Nate.
The boy had found the courage to speak for himself and refused to let his father’s words beco the truth.
His gaze shifted to Ivy.
A faint smile tugged at the old man’s lips.
He couldn’t help admiring the way she had handled the entire situation.
Unlike most people, Ivy didn’t hide her displeasure behind polite smiles and carefully chosen words.
When she was angry, everyone knew it.
When she thought soone was wrong, she said it to their face.
Fearlessly.
It didn’t matter whether it was Gavin, Clara, or even Edward himself.
And when it ca to the people she loved, she was downright fierce.
Edward’s eyes softened as they landed on Leo, who was sitting quietly beside his mother.
"I’m sorry, Leo."
The boy blinked in surprise.
Edward sighed heavily.
"I should’ve been the one protecting you from those accusations."
Leo glanced at Ivy before looking back at his grandfather.
Edward offered him a guilty smile.
"But it seems your Grappy is getting old."
The attempt at humor only made him sound more regretful.
He truly blad himself.
For years, he had tolerated Gavin’s behavior for the sake of family peace.
He had overlooked the insults, the constant criticism, and the way Gavin always seed determined to tear down both Xander and Leo.
Maybe he should have put a stop to it much sooner.
Maybe he should have warned Gavin that there would be consequences.
Still...
It’s never too late.
The old man exhaled quietly before looking around the room.
"Well," he said, a hint of satisfaction returning to his voice, "after today, I have a feeling Gavin will think twice before coming anywhere near this mansion again."
That finally earned a few chuckles.
Even Aaron looked far more relaxed.
For the first ti that morning, the tension that had gripped the mansion finally began to fade.
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