Chapter 190: Catherine’s Plan
A sharp slap echoed through the room, followed by a gasp of horror.
"Charles! Please!"
Aiden Montgomery stood still, his back straight and his posture tall, unwilling to bend down despite the searing pain of his cheek. Only his head was slightly veered to one side due to the force of the slap, but otherwise, he refused to move even an inch.
His mother had immediately wrapped her arms around him, trying to see his cheek. Aiden allowed her to just move him around to get a better glance, his own gaze cold and emotionless.
"Look at what you have done!" Charles Montgomery screamed, his entire body quaking with anger. "Do you even realize the gravity of the situation? Just because X’el is currently under Matteo’s control doesn’t mean that if it falls, we will not be harmed by the rubble!"
The slap had been so hard that he could taste a little bit of blood in his mouth. Perhaps it was from a split lip, perhaps something tore inside, he wasn’t sure. Whatever it was, it wasn’t the first time he felt this sort of buzzing pain, and he had long grown used to this.
"Charles," Catherine said, her voice soft. She was scared of this husband of hers. Maybe during her youth she had plenty of control over this man, but she could feel this control slipping from her grasp as the years went by. She had to play this carefully. "Aiden is still young―"
"Still young?" Charles echoed, his face reddening even further. "Do you even hear yourself, Catherine?" He gestured to Aiden up and down, his veins popping against the skin of his neck. "He is only five years younger than Matteo, and the latter brought X’el’s stocks up while your good son is trying to bring it down!"
He turned around sharply, swiping the vase on the side table off. The antique crashed against the floor, instantly shattering into a hundred pieces.