Chapter 146

"Chris, call him grandpa." Beckett ruffled Chris's head, his voice low. "…" The treatment room fell into a stunned silence. Beckett was not only displaying his authority but also showing the Merritt family Chris's place in his heart. Especially Stanton, who was fully aware of the 'marital' relationship between Madeleine and Beckett. His face darkened even further, Stanton coldly commanded, "Get out!" "Grandpa…" Chris timidly called out, only to receive Stanton's cold-eyed warning. Chris felt wronged, rested his head on Beckett's shoulder and whispered, "Uncle… it seems that grandpa doesn't like Chris." "Call me dad." Beckett spoke up again. Chris stared at Beckett, astonished. Is he… permitting me to call him dad now? After gazing intensely at Beckett for a while, Chris tightened his grip around him and cried out timidly, "Dad…" He was so happy. He liked daddy. Beckett felt a sourness in his chest, his hand that was holding Chris unconsciously clenched tighter. Who would have thought… he would love this child so dearly. Jenny teared up, stepping forward to question Beckett. "Must you humiliate me this way?" Adopting a wild child as a son? And asking that wild child to call him father in front of the members of the Merritt family! For Jenny, this was a matter of great humiliation. "Insult? How can you say this?" Beckett asked indifferently. "Beckett, the Beach family has agreed to an alliance with the Merritt family, so what does it mean for you to let an unknown child call you father in front of Xinyan?" Zhuang's father asked grimly, clearly unable to save face. "Xingye, what is Beckett thinking?” Stanton's face was also turning dark, he warned Beckett with his eyes, he better be aware of his position. "Dad ..." Charlotte was still sitting on the ground, and Zhuang's mother was holding her cry with a heartache. "Old Zhuang, look at our daughter, look at how they're bullying her, it's too much! No matter what, our Merritt family won't let this matter go this time!" Zhuang's mother cried out. "Madeleine, you've gone too far." Madeleine lowered her head, her fingers were tight. "What does this have to do with Madeleine? I am the one who bullied your daughter." Zhou Meiqi waved to Stanton. "Uncle Zhan, it's been a long time since we've last met." Stanton only then looked and noticed that the Brooks family was there too. "Meiqi? It's been a long time indeed." Stanton nodded in acknowledgement. He still owed some respect to the people in Zhou's family. After all, Zhou Meiqi now holds all the real power of Zhou's import and export trade. "You, ma’am. If you can’t teach your kids, it’s the parents’ fault. If your daughter lacks discipline, if you don’t educate her at home, someone will have to do it for you when she's out. You need not be too grateful to me, I’ve done my best. She still fails to learn, rotten wood can't be carved." Zhou Meiqi spoke with a face that said you shouldn’t thank me too much. The faces of Zhuang's father and Zhuang's mother had already darkened to the extreme. "How could this be..." "The Zhou's daughter, Zhou Meiqi," Stanton quietly introduced. "The Brooks family?" The Master of the Zhuang house's face darkened even more. "Are they overstepping towards my daughter?" "Why don't you ask your daughter what she did first?" Zhou Meiqi was shocked. "Before I came here, I was still wondering if there may just be one person without any quality in the Merritt family, it turns out they are all birds of a feather. Your daughter, together with a dozen bodyguards, attacked my boyfriend's place and injured my child; I haven't calculated this debt with you guys yet." Dane abruptly raised his head. Zhou Meiqi really was... she could lie without a draft and do so without blushing. When had he become her boyfriend? Madeleine also stared at Zhou Meiqi shockingly, then looked at her own brother again. Had the 'unyielding iron tree' finally consented to bloom? Feeling a bit of agitation, Madeleine's eyes welled up with tears. Through these years... due to her and Abigail's reasons, Dane had always been questioned. The smearing and slander he received was not any less than hers. Madeleine was heartbroken for her brother and hoped that there would be a woman who could truly love him, willing to accompany him through the second half of his life. "Mom... Dad, I'm in pain, it hurts so much." Charlotte was crying out in pain. "Dad, I don't care who she is, you have to teach her a lesson for me today." Zhuang's father made a grunt with a sinking face. "So you are all now ganging up and bullying my daughter." Zhou Meiqi rolled her eyes. This was a case of the thief crying thief. "Indeed, reasoning with unreasonable people is like playing the lute to a cow," Zhou Meiqi nonchalantly came forward and kicked Charlotte in front of Zhuang's mother. "Come on then, I'm waiting for you to teach me a lesson. Today, I just want to see what you Merritt family can do to me." After that, Zhou Meiqi directly dragged a chair and sat next to Charlotte. "Hurry up, I'm in a rush." Charlotte got scared and cried as she hid behind Zhuang's mother. "My goodness, what kind of teachings has the Brooks family instilled to raise such a brigand of a daughter? Who would dare to marry such a delinquent girl like you?" Mrs. Zhuang held Charlotte in her arms, her hands shaking with anger. "Ah, a girl? Thank you for your compliment, aunty. I'm known for my harsh temperament that could torment others. If anyone offends me, they'll have to face my wrath", Zhou Meiqi brazenly spoke. These phrases were clearly internet slander and the bad-mouthing behind her back in the south city circle, pouring dirty water on her. Yet she was able to easily turn them into weapons to counterattack others. Looking at Zhou Meiqi, Madeleine was filled with envy. This was perhaps the person she yearned to be, but could never become. "This is absolutely unreasonable!" Mrs. Zhuang angrily uttered, steering Charlotte to one side. "Doctor! Quickly tend to my daughter's wounds. If we need to call the police, we will." "I can also call the police. Your daughter has been partaking in unlawful acts of restraining others with her bodyguards, creating public disturbances, obstructing medical treatment, causing harm to a minor, damaging public property, and it seems she's still on a bail period?" Reuben coolly responded, heading towards Charlotte with a medical box. Despite the threatening situation, he was a doctor and needed to fulfill his duties. "Mum! I don't want him. I don't want him treating my wounds. He's with them," Charlotte screamed in terror, kicking up a fuss. Reuben shrugged his shoulders. "If she's uncooperative, there's nothing I can do about it." Mrs. Zhuang turned ashen, her daughter was definitely in no position to stir up trouble. "You said... why couldn't you just stay home instead of causing trouble outside," Mrs. Zhuang reprimanded Charlotte in a soft voice, realizing the Brooks family was not to be trifled with. Charlotte, however, was spoilt rotten and kept crying and howling for her mother to take her side. "Beckett..." Meanwhile, Jenny choked up, her eyes welling with tears. "Wanyin is my sister, and I apologize on her behalf for any missteps. I adore Chris deeply as well, and my heart aches to see Chris hurt... But please, don't use this incident to punish me, it's not fair... We're about to get engaged soon, and you've promised to take care of me. You know full well I can't handle this..." Everyone knew that Jenny showed signs of severe depression. This kind of stimulation from Beckett was surely too much for her to bear. Clearly, Jenny was much smarter than Charlotte. Her words may seem weak, but they all meant to inform everyone – I couldn't withstand such a shock, if you push me too far, I would take my own life, making all of you guilty in the end. Especially Beckett.