Ch. 1661..1670

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1661-With a meaningful look, Winston shifted his gaze from Jonah to Julien.

Moments later, he rasped, "Jonah, let's have a private chat."

Winston and Jonah were alone in the room. Winston stared out the window with his back to Jonah without saying a word.

Jonah had expected a barrage of questioning and scolding, but they did not come. The silence, however, proved more agonizing than direct confrontation.

"Dad, everything you've read and seen is true. I'm sorry," Jonah broke the silence and apologized profusely to Winston. "I'm deeply sorry for all the time and energy you invested in me, only to end up being a disappointment. This is entirely my fault. I only ask one thing—please don't make things difficult for Julien."

Winston remained silent. Seeing that, Jonah slowly straightened up and suggested, "I know my scandal has landed KS Group in a crisis. I will turn in my resignation tomorrow and kickstart the handover transition. I will also step down from the board of directors."

Hearing that, Winston finally reacted. He shot up from the wheelchair and had to grab the window sill to steady himself from the sudden movement.

"Dad, watch out!" Jonah wanted to offer help when Winston spun around to glare at him.

Winston questioned, "Are you throwing the towel in over a mere scandal?"

Jonah looked taken aback.

"Many CEOs of major corporations abroad have come out of the closet, and they're doing just fine. The society here might be slightly conservative, but ultimately, this scandal is a personal matter that does not concern or hurt the public." Winston slammed his hand on the wall, looking aggrieved.

He added, "The tabloids made many headlines out of my decision to take four wives, and they were harsh to me. But look at me. That didn't stop my decadeslong tenure as the company chairman for a few decades. In the end, those who gossiped about me had to show me respect and take my orders."

Jonah was dumbfounded. Gaping at Winston, he stammered, "Dad, I—"

"How could my son be so spineless? You're not resilient enough. You're not even half as strong-willed as Lyse!" Winston shook his head furiously and started musing, "That's very odd. Who did you take after? Certainly not after me or your mom."

"Dad, I'm different from you." Jonah felt touched as he didn't expect Winston's support, but Winston's response only added to his guilt.

"How are we different? Explain!" Furious, Winston marched up to Jonah despite his sickly body. "Are you inferior to me or anyone else? No. In fact, you're on par with Jasper Beckett.

"Love isn't a crime, nor is having a different sexual orientation. Those who ridicule and curse you are narrow-minded fools. Pay no heed to them, and remember just one thing—" Winston's voice choked with emotions. He rested a hand on Jonah's shoulder as he remarked, "No matter what happens, you are…

my finest son."

Jonah's eyes widened. Each word from Winston filled him with warmth, reigniting his spirit.

Winston, who had never displayed vulnerability, not even during Jennifer's passing, unexpectedly teared up in Jonah's presence.

"Dad, thank you." Jonah had no more words except to thank his father.

As affluent and respected as Winston was, he was, above all, a father.

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1662-Setting aside Winston's titles, he was first and foremost a father. He had promised Jennifer to protect their children as long as he was alive.

Following the expose, Jonah and Julien's relationship created a huge stir online.

One could only imagine the level of insults hurled at them by the public and KS Group's business rivals, who wished for the company's downfall.

Someone wrote, "What the fuck? That's revolting. Don't homosexuals lead a promiscuous life and are prone to getting AIDS?"

"How obscene! That's against the law of nature."

"The homosexual circle sounds pretty messed up. They could sleep with anyone. True love doesn't exist for them."

"Jonah Taylor's image is irreparably ruined. He was once the perfect president of KS Group, but he's done for now!"

"I'm more shocked by his lover. It's Julien Lovelace of the Lovelace Group!

OMG! The rich certainly chase after thrills."

"What a waste of two hotties!"

The Taylor family was in disarray after the scandal. Lyla, Colene, Tatiana, and Cyrus joined Mandy in the adjacent room to offer comfort. Mandy was understandably upset because the scandal involved the Lovelace family as well.

Besides, she was one of the first few to learn about the relationship and keep it under wraps. Drowning in remorse, she wanted to punch herself in the chest.

Julien was her nephew, and Jonah was like a son to her. Both were family, and she shared their pain.

Standing alone at the end of the corridor, Jasper answered a call from Xavier.

Xavier reported, "Mr. Beckett, we've tracked down the user who spread the photos of Mr. Jonah and Dr. Lovelace. He's in our hands now. That man is an infamous tabloid reporter who'd do anything for money.

"He claimed that he'd received the photo and tip-off from an anonymous sender and received the transfer via bank account. He had not once met with the culprit, claiming that he was just taking orders."

"Get rid of this reporter. Teach him a really good lesson," Jasper hissed, his eyes looking frosty.

"Roger that! You have nothing to worry about. I'll make sure to make it hellish for him." Xavier seemed equally enraged.

"Obtain any piece of information about the culprit from the reporter, no matter how small. I'll personally look into it." Jasper, a graduate of a military school, had taken lessons on cybersecurity and knew a thing or two about hacking. It was time to refresh his knowledge.

Xavier blurted out without thinking, "You? Forgive me for my bluntness, but wouldn't it be faster for Madam to perform the hacking?"

"Are you looking down on me now?" Jasper clenched his jaw.

Inhaling sharply, Xavier replied, "I'm on it!!"

Jasper immediately received another call from an unknown number right after talking to Xavier, causing him to frown in suspicion. He never answered calls from strangers, not to mention it was weird for strangers to learn about his personal number, which only a few knew, unlike his work phone number.

Still, he picked up. "Who is this?"

"Is this a hotline? Do I have to spam it to get through?" Axel's unserious voice rang on the other end.

Jasper's eyes lit up with joy. "Axel?"

"How's Jonah?" Axel's voice turned serious and filled with concern.

After a short pause, Axel questioned, "How's Winston doing? He didn't faint or anything, did he?"

Speechless, Jasper assured him, "No, he didn't, but we worried that the bad news might take a toll on his health."

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1663-"I've looked into Winston's video that got leaked online," Axel muttered with a hint of menace.

Jasper lifted a brow in amusement as he pressed his lips unyieldingly.

He had wanted to quietly resolve the issue for Winston and Jonah without Alyssa knowing, but it seemed like Axel had beaten him to it.

Axel had tirelessly fought him for first place in class during military school. They often engaged in battles as students, but Jasper never anticipated that the competition would persist long after graduation. It appeared that Axel refused to give him a chance to prove himself.

Thankfully, Axel wasn't a female, or they might end up in an enemy-to-lover trope.

Jasper's gaze hardened. "Dominic was behind this, right?"

"Awesome. Mr. Beckett, you seem to solve cases through guessing," mocked Axel with a grin.

"The angle of the footage clearly proved it was a camera in the meeting room.

After I sent Winston to the hospital, I immediately made Mr. Benton delete the footage. I believe someone had made a move before us by copying the footage." His voice dripped with ice.

Jasper continued, "Lyse told me after the video leak that she had forced all the company board members to sign an NDA, except for Dominic. She planned to trick him into exposing his true colors, but she didn't expect him to publicize the footage. He's risking it all."

"Hah! Dominic is flirting with death." Axel curled his fists and cracked his fingers so loudly that Jasper could hear it from the other end. "I managed to track it back to him by locating the IP address from which the user posted the video.

"Looks like it's time to get rid of our family member. Dominic is about to find out the consequences of hurting Winston."

Jasper frowned. "No, we can't."

"Jasper Beckett, how dare you dictate what I can or cannot do? I'm your brother-in-law!" Axel raised his voice unhappily.

"Your dad is still sick. Besides, his condition is worse than what you could imagine."

Axel went silent upon hearing that.

"He has received a severe blow after the video of his relapse was leaked, followed by Jonah and Julien's scandal. I fear your confrontation with Dominic might be the last straw for him.

"After some time around Winston, I could tell that he cares deeply for his family.

Even after seeing Dominic for what he is, he dared not inflict harsh punishment on his little brother for the sake of their childhood memories,” Jasper patiently explained to Axel.

He added, "I know you're seeking revenge; I share the same sentiments.

However, Winston's health is our utmost priority at the moment."

Axel snapped, "Ugh, don't waste my time. Get to the point!"

"Haha! Jasper Beckett, you're a real jerk, aren't you?"

Looking exasperated, Jasper suggested, "You could have described me with many other adjectives—for example, smart or wise."

"They mean the same. You get it." Axel's voice dropped to a sinister tone. "I can leave Dominic to you, but I will personally get rid of the culprit who messed with Jonah."

Jasper grinned. "Sure."

"Don't waste your time if you're here to gossip."

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1664-Jasper held back the urge to roll his eyes as he tapped out of the chat.

Alyssa, seated in another room, repeatedly scrolled through the malicious comments online. Heartbroken and tearing up, she nearly crushed the phone screen. Silas and Liam kept her company, not knowing what to do except to exchange looks because they'd never come across such a situation.

"Lyse, don't fret about it. Jonah and Julien aren't in the entertainment industry.

The scandal will die down after a while," Silas comforted Alyssa.

He sighed, feeling sorry for Jonah.

"Sure, the gossip will eventually die down, but Jonah and Julien will be scarred forever." Alyssa closed her eyes, taking deep breaths to calm herself. "Jonah is the president of KS Group. We might own the company, but Jonah's reputation and public image have taken a huge hit.

"This is what the mastermind wishes to see—to tarnish Jonah's reputation so that he couldn't face the public.

"Julien isn't a public figure, but the Lovelace family is difficult. Now that they've heard about the scandal, I'm afraid Julien can't go back to them."

The thought of it upset her to no end. After hanging out with Julien for a while and going through ups and downs together, she had already considered him family.

Upon learning that Julien had suffered beatings by the Lovelace family, Alyssa felt an overwhelming urge to retaliate on his behalf. She nearly stormed to their residence.

Just like Jonah, she did not wish to see Julien suffer.

Liam immediately knelt beside her upon seeing the tears in her eyes. Holding her hand tenderly, he peered into her eyes. "Lyse, don't worry. If the Lovelaces are ignorant enough to abandon a fine young man like Julien, we'll take him in."

"Liam…" Alyssa softly called out to him as tears welled up again.

Liam chuckled. "I always wondered who Jonah would end up with, given how perfect and arrogant he was. Now, I realize that Julien is his perfect match."

Alyssa fell into a daze, recalling how Jonah and Julien always stayed by each other's side—how Julian had always tried to fulfill all of Jonah's requests to the best of his ability and the way they lovingly looked at each other like they'd found the universe in the others' eyes.

There were signs all along.

"Liam was right. We should celebrate Jonah finding himself a partner." Silas grinned cheerfully after shedding the gloom from before. "Hehe! One of the Taylor sons finally started dating. Jonah is a role model to us all."

Liam replied, "Silas, you should follow suit, then. You're not any younger."

That prompted Alyssa and Silas to glare at him. "No. You'd better not!"

At that moment, they heard a dull knock on the door. Silas answered the door and looked flustered. "J- Julien?"

Alyssa shot up from the couch when she learned that Julien had arrived.

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1665-Silas and Liam exited the room and closed the door behind them to offer Alyssa and Julien some privacy.

"Julien…" Alyssa called out to him softly.

Suddenly, she found herself at a loss for words. It did not seem like an appropriate time to comfort him or discuss his relationship with Jonah.

After what felt like a long silence, Julien hung his head low as a tear rolled down his cheek. "Lyse, I'm sorry."

Shaking her head furiously, she gently comforted him, "Julien, this is not your fault. You don't owe anyone an apology. There's nothing wrong in loving Jonah."

"It's my fault." Julien mumbled with his head kept low like a criminal. His confident self was nowhere to be seen. "Aunt Mandy was right. I ruined Jonah's life. Things would have been different if I had listened to her.

"Lyse, I am at fault. I'm being selfish. I would rather be the one to pay the price.

I'm willing to sacrifice anything as long as Jonah isn't hurt. I would like everything to go back to how it was, but I think it's too late."

A wave of pain rolled through her. She had a lump in her throat. Putting aside Jonah's suffering, Julien seemed to be utterly destroyed.

Julien continued, "Just now, I got in touch with a senior I'm on good terms with.

He's a renowned neurologist who pays attention to details and is known for his good character.

"Please get his help to treat Mr. Winston. He's as good as I am."

Alyssa's eyes wavered in shock. She croaked, "Julien, what about you? What are you going to do?"

"I'm going home to Mosgravia." He flashed her a bitter smile. "I will likely never return after this trip back to Mosgravia."

"That won't do! How is Jonah going to cope if you leave?" She worriedly grabbed his arm. "You love Jonah very much. You should know him well. Do you remember his reaction when the scandal first broke?

"He assumed all the responsibility because he didn't want you scolded and harassed. He'd risk his reputation to protect you."

He slowly raised his eyes to meet her gaze. An agonizing pain raged within him.

"Don't you get it? Jonah has decided to give up on everything just to be with you." She grasped his arm so hard that his coat sleeve wrinkled. "What does your relationship mean if you dump him? What about the sacrifices he'd made?

"You risked being beaten by family and disowned just to return to Jonah's side.

Is this the outcome you want after all that determination you showed? Are you happy that it has come to this?"

"Of course I'm not!" Finally, Julien broke down and cried. "But Lyse, what good does it do? Society will not accept us. Your dad and your entire family will not approve of us.

"I'm willing to give everything up for Jonah, but I don't want him to lose everything for me. He needs to be the happiest man in the world, or I'd rather have never met him."

"There's only one way to make Jonah happy." She stared at him intensely and said, "And that is you staying by his side and never giving up on him."

Never giving up on Jonah…

Julien trembled violently at the notion.

He suddenly looked up with flushed cheeks. "B-But I'm a man!"

He pressed his lips hard as he battled his overwhelming emotions, but he failed to stop his tears from falling.

"Lyse?" They heard Jasper's low voice from the other side of the door.

After consoling Julien, Alyssa rose to answer the door.

"What's wrong, Jasper?" She pressed her body against his and held his hand.

Jasper quickly peered into the room before holding her waist. He whispered, "The Lovelaces are here. Their cars have entered the hospital's underground parking garage."

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1666-"What?" Enraged, Alyssa snapped impatiently, "Son of a bitch! How dare they challenge me when I'm still pissed at them? It's time to teach them a lesson!"

"Jonah is with Winston. I haven't informed them about the Lovelaces yet." The look in Jasper's eyes hardened. He whispered, "We all know the reason the Lovelaces are here.

"Jonah ought to refrain from appearing during this delicate period. The same goes for Winston.

Otherwise, the Lovelaces would make a greater fuss about it. God knows what they'd resort to doing."

"Hah! Try me." Her eyes were filled with rage when she recalled the suffering that the Lovelaces inflicted on Julien. "Julien is a kind young man who got beaten up all because he wanted to treat Winston.

"The Lovelaces clearly treat Julien as their punching bag! How dare they call themselves his family? They have no right to!"

Jasper nodded knowingly. "Well, this is a conflict between the Taylors and the Lovelaces. As an outsider, it's not my place to interfere in this matter.

"Don't worry, though. Liam and Silas have headed over to handle the Lovelaces, and I'll lend a helping hand at the crucial moment to prevent any fight from breaking out. We don't want them to disturb Winston."

"You're not an outsider! Y-You…" She almost blurted out her honest thoughts.

Biting her lips, she grabbed his clean and crisply-ironed sleeve.

"Hm?" He lowered his gaze. His hot breath tickled her cheek, causing her to blush.

"You're the Taylor family's son-in-law. and my husband. You're not an outsider."

Her voice was soft and tender. Her face reddened after making the remark, and she shyly fell into his arms.

His heart raced as he caressed her nape. He said to her in a warm and deep voice, "I will always be your husband. I'm your husband forever."

He'd waited forever to hear her address him as her husband. Any ordinary couple would exchange such terms of endearment easily, but he dared not request it from her after how he had traumatized her.

Once again, he thought of the predicament she had been through. She was once his legal spouse but lived in loneliness like a widow, pining for his return.

She dared not even call him "husband".

Remorse flooded him. He swallowed hard and teared up.

At that moment, Julien had collected himself and approached them calmly, "Lyse, Jasper, I'll meet with them."

"No way!" Looking worried, Alyssa quickly shot down the suggestion. "Your family nearly beat you to death the last time. Do you want to flirt with death?"

Feeling touched, she called out to him, "Julien."

A procession of black luxury cars rolled into the Taylor General Hospital in grandeur.

"Dad, Julien has gone mad! He's a lunatic!"

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1667-Aidan followed closely behind Joseph with fury as he ranted and badmouthed Julien. If he could, he would crucify Julien. "That's why we couldn't find him for days! It turns out he went to Jonah Taylor. Jonah Taylor kept him hidden!

"Just look at him! He led a promiscuous life with the foreigners abroad, but he didn't change his ways after coming home. Not only that, he got involved with Jonah Taylor out of anyone else. It's a disgrace to the family! If Grandpa learned about this—"

"Shut up!" Joseph's irritation increased when he heard Aidan's rants. If only he could seal Aidan's lips! "As the oldest son, you're outperformed by Julien in medical expertise, and you don't have talent in business either.

"How could you even fail at making Julien toe the line? That was a simple task.

You are a good-for- nothing!"

Anger pulsed through Aidan. He felt unfairly implicated. Meanwhile, Joseph's eyes were colored by rage. "If you had told me about Julien's ridiculous affairs early on, the scandal wouldn't have happened.

"Now, the entire world has heard of the monster our family produced! How can I ever hold my head high in public now?"

"Dad, I wanted to keep Julien in check, but he was at Mosgravia at that time.

Besides, you know how stubborn and unruly he is. I couldn't keep him in line even if I wanted to!" Aidan's expression darkened.

He hissed, "Dad, now that this horrendous scandal has broken, you need to double down on disciplining Julien after we get home. He shall not be allowed to get in touch with the Taylors anymore, especially with Jonah Taylor. How disgusting it is for two grown men to hug and kiss each other!"

Joseph shared the same sentiments on the gay couple. For a second, he wanted Julien dead.

It didn't take long for the Lovelace entourage to run into two towering men who exuded a regal yet intimidating air. They had bumped into Silas and Liam.

Despite showing up with a huge group, including secretaries and bodyguards, the Lovelaces were instantly flustered in the face of Silas and Liam. The two Taylor siblings had won the battle without a fight.

"Liam." Looking stern, Silas quietly elbowed his sibling. "Look at their men. I'm kind of panicked. If there's a fight, you need to protect me because I'm the worst at combat among the four of us."

Liam flashed a faint grin at his sibling. "Don't worry. I'll protect you like you're my woman if we get into a fight with them."

Silas developed goosebumps from the cheesy metaphor. "That was a good metaphor, but maybe don't bring it up ever again."

"What are you doing now?" Aidan confronted the Taylor brothers, emboldened by their huge group and eager to show off in front of Joseph.

Silas chuckled. "Ah, you brat, you stole my lines. What are the Lovelaces doing, showing up at our hospital with that large group of men? You guys seem pretty normal, though. Is there perhaps something wrong in your head? Are you here to see the psychiatrist?"

Joseph's face crumpled when he heard Silas' taunt. Aidan angrily pointed a finger at Silas. "Silas Taylor, who are you taunting now?"

"You—" Aidan nearly went up to fight Silas in a fit of rage, but he worried he might lose to the latter.

Arguing with Aidan was a piece of cake for Silas, a seasoned prosecutor who had ample practice in court.

Silas coldly retorted, "If that's what you're here for, please leave. Julien will not come home with you."

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1668-"Do you even deserve to call yourself Julien's family?" With a chilling expression, Liam stepped forward, "This is an eye-opening situation on one of my rare trips back home.

"I'm curious as to what kind of family would physically hurt their child over a personal grudge, even going as far as to strip him of his human rights and keep him grounded."

"Right! You must be an animal to do that!" Silas chimed in indignantly.

"You know nothing. This is a Lovelace family affair. Those who go against our family rule shall be punished. It's something we've long agreed on. I bet it must be hard for a non-monogamous and disrespectful family like the Taylors to wrap their head around morals." Joseph snickered at Liam and Silas.

In contrast to Aidan's quick temper, Joseph was calm and calculative as he took a swipe at the Taylors.

Frowning hard, Liam cracked his fingers. "Say whatever you want, but you shouldn't dream of getting anywhere near Julien with me around, not to mention bringing him with you."

"Aidan, lead our men upstairs and bring your brother down here." Joseph's patience wore thin. He decided to break his way in.

Silas was alarmed to hear that. Meanwhile, Liam started flexing his muscles underneath his suit. It seemed like a full-on war was unavoidable.

Suddenly, they were interrupted by a jarring honking sound. Four more SUVs sped over and surrounded everyone at the scene. After the doors slid open, a group of hooligans dressed in light-colored suits with patterned shirts hopped out of the vehicles. Hands in pockets, they gave off arrogant airs.

Aidan immediately sweated in fear. "Dad, they look like… gangsters!"

"Hah! Is this the way your family settles disagreements? How dare you ambush us with gangsters? Is there any rule of law on this land?" Joseph was on the brink of losing it.

He realized that he hadn't brought along enough men. If they got into a physical altercation with the Taylors, they would be at a disadvantage.

However, Silas and Liam exchanged surprised looks, as they did not call any gangsters for help.

The gang members made way for a tall man in a pink shirt and white suit. The man quickly shuffled up to Liam and Silas. Then, he bowed to them. "Mr. Silas, Mr. Liam, it's an honor to meet you. I'm Nathan Waters. Ms. Colene has requested for my presence to lend you a hand."

Silas and Liam looked shocked. "Colene?"

Speechless, Liam stared at Silas.

Bastards? Hearing that, Joseph and Aidan turned red in anger.

Next, Nathan shot a disdainful look at Joseph's men, an evil grin playing on his lips. "Lovelace or not, they're at my mercy. Guys, let's go!"

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1669-Upon hearing Nathan's commands, the hooligans who had their hands in their pockets suddenly brandished weapons out of nowhere.

"H-How dare you?" Aidan's voice trembled. He seemed badly shaken. "Do you not know our family's standing in Belbanks? We're just second to the Taylors!

You're only bringing trouble to yourselves if you mess with us!"

"Haha! Even a kid knows that the Taylors are the wealthiest in Belbanks. But I haven't heard of the Lovelace family." Nathan stretched his neck to loosen his muscles.

Then, he snickered. "Anyway, I've finally met the Lovelaces in person. Second to the Taylors, huh? I guess that's only in Belbanks. Once you step out of this city, you're a fucking nobody! Hahaha!"

The other gang members joined Nathan in his laughter. Silas guffawed. Even Liam, who always looked serious, betrayed a grin.

"You—" Aidan was at a loss for words. Joseph glared at his useless son, who not only made a joke out of himself but also made the Lovelace family into a laughingstock.

"Mr. Joseph, it's not too late to change your mind." Silas decided to be civil. "You can't afford to get into a fight at this age. If you're beaten up, you might get bedridden for weeks!"

"Go, all of you!" Joseph instructed his men out of anger. He could not accept being taunted by the Taylor scoundrels. "We will leave with Julien today!"

"Damn it! This is the first time I've seen such a stubborn donkey! Guys, teach them a lesson!" Nathan barked.

The men from the Ivory Gang immediately charged at the Lovelaces' bodyguards. Soon, they were embroiled in a fight at the parking garage.

Although Joseph and Aidan were shielded by their bodyguards, they emerged from the fight looking disheveled. The poor Aidan, who tried to put on an act of the good son, was kicked on the butt, slapped in the face, and hit a few times by the stick, causing him to yelp in pain. His suit was in tatters, and so was his reputation.

Silas was enjoying the fight when one of the Lovelaces' bodyguards sneaked in front of him and attempted to punch him in the face.

Before Silas knew it, he heard an agonizing scream. Liam quickly showed up to shield him from the attack and fractured the arm of the bodyguard. Then, he stepped on the bodyguard, who lay sprawled on the floor. It all looked easy for Liam.

"Wow, Colonel, you truly live up to your reputation!" Gaping at the scene, Silas clapped hard. "I dare say, only Jasper Beckett could rival your skills."

"That scoundrel? Is he even this good?" Liam squinted doubtfully.

"Silas! Liam!"

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1670-"I'd be damned! That chick is so hot!" A few of the Ivory Gang members, attracted by Alyssa's beauty, were distracted from the fight.

Jasper keenly picked up on the vulgar remarks. He quickly pulled Alyssa into a hug in a protective stance. He had to always be on his guard because Alyssa was simply too stunning.

"What are you staring at? And be polite!" Nathan, aware of Alyssa's status, went up to slap the three guys on their heads.

"Stop it! Stop fighting!" Julien bellowed at the men.

He wasn't angry over his family being beaten, just disappointed at how his esteemed father had brought security over to provoke the Taylors and even got into a fight with the gangsters. In his eyes, Joseph was no different than the hooligans.

"Enough! Back off!" Nathan said and yawned. He didn't care to continue the fighting as the Lovelaces seemed badly defeated by the Ivory Gang anyway.

"Dad, how could you do this as the head of the Lovelace family?" Julien confronted Joseph, clenching his fist and trembling violently.

"Julien Lovelace, how dare you question me when you were the one who got into a scandal? You're a disgrace to your family!" Aidan, pressing a hand against his swollen cheek, barked at his brother.

"A scandal?" Julien broke into a laugh with a bold twinkle in his eye. "All I've done was to go after my love. It's the best decision I've made in my life."

Alyssa and Jasper were shaken by Julien's daring confession. Society's judgment had not forced Jonah and Julien apart. On the contrary, the disapproval had only strengthened their relationship. Such was the nature of love—determined against all odds and everlasting!

"Julien, come home with me right now!" Joseph glowered at Julien. He clenched his jaw and adjusted his loose tie.

"I won't," Julien smirked, angering Joseph. "Dad, do you take me as a fool? I'm not going home to be beaten to death."

"You rascal! Did you hear yourself?" Joseph widened his eyes in shock. He threatened, "Don't call yourself a Lovelace if you don't come home with me today! You will not inherit any of the family's assets and stocks!"

Aidan was delighted to hear the threat. Siblings in a wealthy family shared a familial bond yet treated each other as rivals. Not many families were as tight as the Taylor siblings.

Aidan knew he'd be the only heir if Julien was disowned by the Lovelace family, rendering him the sole candidate to inherit Edgar's wealth and Joseph's power.

Suddenly, all the injuries he had sustained that day did not feel that painful anymore.

Joseph dialed up his threats. "Not only that, you will be blacklisted from practicing in the country. Our family will exert pressure on the hospitals, and none of them will employ you."

"Pfft! That is some real bullshit!" Alyssa glared at Joseph and snickered. "Mr.

Joseph, are you drunk? Do you think you're the king of the land?

Silas joined in the teasing. "Tsk tsk. Joseph Lovelace must be really dumb."

"You brat! Scoundrel!"