Chapter 536
Chapter 536:
Everyone froze and looked up.
Beatrice Lancaster sat in her wheelchair on the mezzanine landing, looking down on the scene with the cold authority of a final judgment.
Beatrice stood at the mezzanine railing, one hand pressed against her chest, her face an iron shade of fury.
The entire hall fell into deathly silence. Even Kaiden’s wails subsided into small, frightened whimpers. The spilled liquid on the marble floor seemed to freeze in place.
Ignoring the lift, Beatrice began her slow descent down the grand staircase. Each click of her cane on the marble steps echoed through the cavernous space like a hammer blow. Thomas, the butler, hovered behind her, ready to catch her if she faltered.
𝖥iոd 𝗻о𝘷𝘦𝗅 P𝘋𝖥ѕ оո
She cut a direct path through the chaos on the floor but did not stop in front of the boy. She walked straight to Grayson.
“Let him go,” she commanded.
Grayson’s grip went slack. Kaiden, caught off guard, tumbled to the floor. With a cry, he scrambled on all fours behind Belle’s legs, peering out like a cornered animal.
Beatrice looked down at him, her expression merciless. “Is this the future heir of the Lancaster family?” she asked, her voice laced with contempt. “Behaving like a common thug, raising his hand against a woman p>
“He was only being careless—” Genevieve began, already reaching to smooth the boy’s hair.
“Silence.” Beatrice’s voice cracked like a whip. “I have seen the security footage p>
The air left the room.
Her gaze moved slowly to Belle. “Since you are incapable of teaching him, someone else will p>
Belle’s face went white. “Grandmother, what do you mean p>
“Starting next month, Kaiden will be sent to a boarding school in Switzerland,” Beatrice declared. “If he cannot learn the rules of basic decency, he will not return until he has p>
“I’m not going! I want my Mommy!” Kaiden shrieked from behind Belle’s skirt.
Beatrice continued as though he hadn’t spoken. “And if he refuses to apologize, his trust fund will be frozen until he comes of age p>
For Belle, this landed like a physical blow. Money was the foundation everything else rested on. A frozen trust fund was not a distant threat — it was an immediate catastrophe. She grabbed Kaiden and forced his head down.
“Apologize! Apologize to Effie right now p>
“No!” Kaiden wrenched his head away, his face red with defiance. “I hate you all p>
He tore free of Belle’s grip and charged — not toward the door, but straight at Isolde. He shoved her hard with both hands before bolting for the main entrance.
The injury to her back was still raw. The unexpected impact sent Isolde stumbling, a sharp cry of pain escaping before she could stop it.
Grayson moved instantly, catching her before she fell. As he steadied her, his eyes tracked his fleeing son with an expression that was quiet and terrifying.
The sight of it was too much for Beatrice. She gasped, a hand flying to her chest, and swayed on her feet.