Chapter 196
+25 BONUS
Niamh screamed while flailing her legs in an attempt to kick Finnegan. But the moment she moved her injured foot, a searing pain shot through her, making her gasp in agony.
“Help! This is assault! Ahhh! Let me gol Harvey, save me!!!
“Let her go!” Harvey barked.
Finnegan, who was still gripping Niamh, walked to the edge of the slope. He then turned his head to look at Harvey.
“Alright,” he said simply.
And with that, he loosened his grip. Niamh tumbled down the slope once again.
“Ahhh!”
She hit the ground with a heavy thud as her body landed like a sack of potatoes. Her mouth was now full of dirt. She lay sprawled orthe slope, not rolling further but too weak to get up.
Finnegan then turned toward Beau, his towering figure casting a shadow over the trembling child. “Do I throw you down, or will you go down yourself?”
Beau’s eyes widened in terror. He stumbled backward, shaking his head frantically before crouching behind Harvey, wailing, “I don’t want to! Waah!”
Harvey shielded his son as he scoffed at Finnegan. “My son isn’t yours to reprimand!”
“Then how about 1 do it instead? Do you think that would be acceptable?” Leonard’s voice suddenly rang out.
A chill ran through Harvey’s entire body. He whipped his head around, scanning the area, but Leonard was nowhere to be seen.
A plainclothes security officer stepped forward, holding an Pad in his hands. Leonard’s strikingly handsome face appeared on the screen, his presence so imposing that it fell almost divine.
Harvey inhaled sharply. He hadn’t expected the security team to contact Leonard so quickly. Even through a screen, Leonard’s gaze carried an invisible weight, pressing down on him like an unshakable force.
Moments ago, Harvey had been like a fierce tiger, baring his claws. But in front of Leonard, those claws retracted, leaving him subdued.
“Uncle Leonard, Xavier is safe and sound. You don’t have to worry,” Harvey said, forcing himself to remain composed.
“It’s you I’m worried about,” Leonard replied in a calm, almost gentle tone. But those words sent an icy dread through Harvey’s veins.
Looking at him through the screen, Leonard’s expression turned mocking. “I never expected the greatest threat to my son to come from your son and your so–called ‘brother.
Harvey’s face hardened into an icy mask.
“Beau Fisher.” Leonard’s voice carried the weight of an impending verdict, a judgment that felt inescapable.
Harvey motioned for his son to step forward. Beau didn’t even dare to lift his head to meet Leonard’s gaze.
“Kneel.” It was not a request, but a decree
Chapter 196
+25 BONUS
It was as cold as the wind through a winter forest. Beau’s knees buckded. His entire body shook violently as he looked up at his father, pleading with his eyes.
Harvey’s lips pressed into a thin, unyielding line. His chiseled features remained stoic and unreadable. Then, in a firm, unwavering voice, he ordered, “Kneel!”
Beau’s legs gave out, and he dropped to his knees as his eyes brimmed with tears.
Harvey guided him, “Tell Granduncle Leonard that you understand your mistake.”
Beau choked back a sob. “L… I know I was wrong.”
Leonard’s deep, measured voice carried through the air. “You only know that you’re being punished.”
Then, he gave his order. “Harvey, as his father, you will carry out the punishment. Strike his palm ten times.” One of Leonard’s subordinates stepped forward and handed Harvey a slender bamboo stick.
Beau had never been hit before. Seeing Harvey take the bamboo stick with a solemn expression, confusion flickered across his tear–streaked face.
Leonard’s subordinate instructed, “Hold out your left hand, palm up.”
Beau hesitated, and he didn’t move an inch.
Leonard’s voice came again, calm but unyielding. “If you don’t want your palm struck, then the alternative is somewhere else.”
The subordinate added, “Mr. Beau may also choose to have Mr. Harvey strike his backside instead.”
A violent tremor ran through Beau. Kneeling in front of so many people was humiliating enough, but getting spanked in public? He wouldn’t be able to show his face at school ever again.
Trembling, he slowly stretched out his left hand, pleading softly. “Daddy, please… be gentle.”
Harvey knew that if he showed mercy now, the consequences would only be worse. Leonard wasn’t a fool. If he deliberately held back, Leonard would see through it instantly.
There was a loud smack as the bamboo stick landed across Beau’s palm.
“Ahh!” His wail pierced the air, startling a flock of birds from the trees.
Elara had never seen Beau punished like this before and immediately caught her breath. Harvey didn’t allow a pause. The stick struck down again, layering pain upon pain.
A punishment like this couldn’t be drawn out–the longer it lasted, the more unbearable it would be. The crisp smacking sounds of the bamboo rang through the clearing, ach strike dragging out like an eternity for Beau.
His arm was held firmly in place by Leonard’s subordinate as he sobbed. His face was flushed red as snot and tears streamed down his cheeks.
“I won’t do it again! I swear I won’t do it again!”
Harvey swiftly delivered the ten strikes. The moment it ended, Leonard’s man released Beau’s arm.
Beau remained frozen as his small hand was still lifted in the air. He glanced down at his swollen palm, and the realization of his pain fully sank in. His cries immediately grew even louder.
