Justin only used a fraction of his strength with that slap.
in was fu
As a trained soldier, aware of the damage his he
could inflict. If he had unleashed his full strength, Shannon wouldnât
,
have ended up with a swollen cheek. Instead, she might have been knocked out cold right then and
there.
Yet he refrained, not wanting to give her a chance to leave, as there was still an issue between Bella
and Shannon that needed to be
settled.
Everyone in the house was in a state of panic. They just witnessed Justin slapping Shannon, yet no
one dared to intervene.
If even Gregory couldnât control Justin, who else could control him in
this household?
âAhh!â Bethany gasped. Her hand immediately covered her mouth in fear. Tremors coursed through her
body uncontrollably. Seeing her mother being slapped, she didnât even dare to step forward and stop
Justin.
Even the people from the Hoffman family were dumbfounded.
Although Shannonâs words were out of line, it was unthinkable that Justin would dare to slap her in
front of so many people. After all, Shannon was still Gregoryâs wife and his stepmother.
It was utterly audacious! This slap not only struck Shannonâs face but
insulted his fatherâs dignity.
Only Ryan looked at Justin with fervent eyes. He took a deep breath and smiled, feeling a rush of
indescribable emotion flood his heart. He knew that Justin had been suppressing his emotions for too
long. As his only best friend, no one understood better tha struggles Justin had endured within this
family over the years.
âGreg, Greg⦠I canât hear⦠My ears⦠I canât hear anything!â Shannonâs cry was frantic as she
covered her eyes.
She rushed over to Gregoryâs side and clung to him tightly. Her lips were bleeding, her meticulously
styled hair was now in disarray, and her eye makeup was smudged from tears.
Her carefully crafted image over the years was completely shattered. Iâm deaf⦠Your son made me
deaf! Arenât you going to do something about him?! How dare he hit me?!â
Bella thought, âDamn, that must have felt so satisfying!â
Bella could clearly see blood seeping from between Shannonâs fingers. Her beautiful eyes widened as
she looked at Justinâs cold expression. She could tell that Shannonâs eardrum must have ruptured.
Gregory looked at Shannon with mixed emotions. He still felt a lingering, dull ache in his heart, but he
knew clearly that it wasnât for her. But rather, it belonged to the woman he had long buried within the
deepest depths of his heart.
âJustin, are you out of your mind? How could you lay hands on an elder?â Gregory felt compelled to
intervene.
Justinâs smirk was cold, his lips forming a chilling smile. âElder? What
kind of elder is she? Looking at the whole Salvador family, I only
consider Grandpa, you, and Wilma as my elders. She has no place among the people I respect.â
âYoung Master Justinâ¦â Wilma smiled, feeling grateful and
that she was mentioned.
Shannonâs face swelled like a balloon, and the taste of blood lingered
on her tongue.
Shannon thought, âIs he implying that even a mere old maid like Wilma held a higher status than me?
This is unacceptable! This
bastard!â
âIâve addressed you as Aunt Shannon out of respect for your age and for being with my dad for nearly
30 years. Elder? Do you really think you deserve that?â Justinâs cold laughter sent shivers down
Shannonâs spine.
The Hoffmans watched eagerly. They couldnât miss this exciting
drama unfolding.
Justinâs eyes turned dark and chilling. âMy mother is where I draw the line. Anyone who dares to cross
it shouldnât expect me to show them any respect. I might even take their life.â
As he spoke, he cast a subtle glance in Bellaâs direction.