Ignatius Leclair's expression was cold and stern as he ordered the butler to dismiss the servants. He glanced at Bessie Leclair, and that single glance, filled with indifference and hostility, sent a chill through Bessie to her core. Her crying gradually subsided, and her complexion turned pale.
Delphine delivered a slap to Bessie with all her remaining strength, her body swaying slightly afterward.
Ignatius reached out from behind to steady her, silently picking her up and carrying her upstairs. He instructed the butler in a deep voice, "Bring the bruise ointment from the medicine chest upstairs."
Bessie stared at the scene in disbelief, trembling with fury before bursting into tears again, wailing, "You're my real cousin, my blood relative! And yet, you don't care when Delphine Carter hits me. I can't stay in this house anymore; I'm going to find Grandpa!"
