Riven Ashford said in a low voice, "She has been safe and sound in the Ashford family for many days. Why did she fight today?"
The maid said, "Young master, I really don't know about this."
"Don't let me find out that you're lying. No one can bully my people except me," Riven Ashford warned before heading straight to the monitoring room. He pulled up all the surveillance footage from the living room and watched it from beginning to end.
An hour later, Old Master Ashford had a rough idea of the situation. He slammed his cane onto the ground, shattering it into pieces. A shard bounced near Bella Evans' feet, making her jump in fright.
Old Master Ashford was livid. He got off the sofa, his breathing uneven. His face and ears were red with anger. He pointed at Bella but couldn't even speak. Seeing this, Travis Ashford immediately stepped forward to calm him down. "Dad, I'll teach Bella a lesson. Please don't get too angry. She already knows she was wrong."
"You'll teach her a lesson? Hmph! Bella, you will apologize to the Vale family tomorrow," Old Master Ashford ordered, his voice sharp.
Bella clenched her fists. "Dad, I'm not going. I won't apologize, not even if you beat me to death."
Old Master Ashford's expression darkened. "Either apologize, or get the h*ll out of our family!"
The entire living room fell silent. Bella started sobbing uncontrollably. She had been part of the Ashford family for so many years, yet she still couldn't compare to a daughter-in-law who had just moved in. It made her feel indignant.
"Fine…" Bella turned around and ran out, fuming.
Old Master Ashford sat down again, still fuming. With a serious expression, he looked at his eldest son and said, "Tomorrow, come with me to the Vale family to apologize."
Travis Ashford had no choice but to agree to his father's demand.
After watching the surveillance footage, Riven Ashford returned to his bedroom. As soon as he pushed the door open, he noticed a big bump behind the curtain. He immediately knew someone was hiding. He could hear her breathing.
Rhea Vale was trying to calm herself down. She called her parents and said, "Dad, I just got home. I heard that you and Mom came by today. Why did you leave so quickly? Why didn't you wait for me?"
...
He didn't know what was said on the other end, but Rhea Vale smiled and replied, "Aww, don't you know me? I can't be bullied. Staying at home was too boring, so I thought of going out for a walk. I didn't expect you old folks to come see me. Seriously, you two should've called me!"
Riven Ashford deliberately walked slower, making no noise. He sat on the sofa, listening quietly to Rhea's conversation with her family.
"Ah? You mean Riven? He's been very good to me. Today, he was the one who suggested I go out more since I was bored. Old Master Ashford is also very kind. He looks strict on the surface, but he's actually been taking care of me. He knew I was having trouble adjusting, so he assigned a few servants to look after me!
Big brother and sister-in-law are also great. Although Bella can be a little cynical, she's good to me. The Ashford family has a lot of rules. You know I don't like following rules, so Bella has been teaching me. She complains sometimes, but that's just because I don't pay attention.
As for big brother, I don't spend much time with him. He's busy with business, after all. Dad, Mom, don't worry. I'm doing quite well here. You don't have to worry about me. I'll come home to see you in a few days."
As Rhea spoke, silent tears streamed down her face. She was afraid her parents would see through her act, so she quickly ended the call.
Riven Ashford had listened to everything. For the first time, he felt an unfamiliar sense of shame. A man in his late twenties, bullying a young woman in her early twenties—it was pathetic.
At that moment, Rhea pulled the curtains aside, interrupting his thoughts.
"When did you come in?" Rhea was startled to see him sitting on the sofa.
"Just now," Riven replied. He looked at Rhea's small face and couldn't bring himself to say anything harsh. He had seen the video and now knew the truth.
Riven had deliberately copied the video onto his phone. He pulled it up and walked toward Rhea. "I hope you'll watch this first. It didn't happen the way she said. Bella was disrespectful to your parents, but she didn't actually order them to be thrown out."
Rhea didn't look at the video. Instead, she stared at Riven like a frightened kitten. "Are you trying to excuse her?"