Chapter 132 - 131: Lost bonds

Chapter 132: Chapter 131: Lost bonds

Many years ago during the hot afternoon on the streets, a middle aged man dressed in a well decorated suit, stood on a podium in front of a large audience and was speaking to them.

By his sides were two bodyguards and the one on the right was holding an umbrella to shade him from the sun.

Behind the man was also middle aged woman wearing a formal dress, having several bodyguards by her side and one of them also held an umbrella above her head, covering her from the heat of the sun.

"I have stated my contributions and my plans for the cities. Any questions?" The man in the decorated suit asked the people.

The man took notice of fair skinned beastfolk woman raising her hand among the audience raising her hand.

"Yes?" The man said as he pointed at her.

"Excuse me, Mr Rockchild, is it true you will no longer be trying to compete with the twelve families or even try to join them?" The beastfolk woman asked.

"I learnt my lessons and I will not push beyond my boundaries again. So no." Mr Rockchild answered, "Next question."

A fair skinned human man raised his head and Mr Rockchild, taking notice of this quickly pointed at him.

"Yes, you."

"Thank you, Mr Rockchild. The question I have to ask is even though you’re not longer going to contest or try to be a part of the twelve families, if they decide to bring you in and make you the thirteenth, would you accept?" The man asked.

"That... Is something we’d have to wait for it to play out." Mr Rockchild answered, "Last question."

A dark skinned human man raised his hand and Mr Rockchild took notice of him.

"Yes, you." Mr Rockchild said as he pointed at the man.

"Thank you, Mr Rockchild. The question I have to ask is about your daughter, Elizabeth Rockchild." The man said.

Hearing that statement, Mrs Rockchild slightly stiffened.

Mr Rockchild’s face slightly hardened and he stayed quiet for a short while.

"Yes, what about her?" Mr Rockchild asked the man.

"It’s just that the news of two days ago was that your daughter, Elizabeth Rockchild, at the age of seventeen was sentenced to life prisonment for a case of extreme assaults and murder." The man said, "A seventeen year old... A child... Given a harsh punishment. Something that it should be for an adult.

Her life... Her future... They are gone.

What are your thoughts on that?"

Mr Rockchild stayed quiet for some time again.

He took a glance over his shoulder at his wife behind and returned it back to the man that asked the question.

"And what exactly do you want me to say? We did everything we could for Elizabeth." Mr Rockchild responded, "Everything, but she chose this path. She chose not to take the help we provided .

You can take a horse to the stream, but you cannot force it to drink.

As for the ’adults’ punishment, if she can make such drastic decisions then she should be able to bear the consequences."

"But she’s your daughter." The man said in bewilderment.

"Yes. Yes, she is." Mr Rockchild replied in a low tone as he narrowed his eyes, "That’s why I’m making this decision.

She has done nothing but bring shame to the family name.

A Rockchild? A violent criminal? No, we cannot have that. We will ’not’ have that.

That is why-"

"From today henceforth, Elizabeth is dissolved from the Rockchild’s name and heritage." Mr Rockchild continued as his irises glowed.

The crowd in hearing that, began to murmur among themselves.

"She will no longer be a part of this family. She will no longer bear the name or have any form of inheritance." Mr Rockchild’s voice resonated.

"She will no longer be our daughter." Mr Rockchild said as Mrs Rockchild brought her head down, "We disown her."

"Let her rot in her cell." Mr Rockchild continued with a small scowl formed on his face while his irises were still glowing, "Her shame is hers to bear and hers alone."

Elsewhere, Elizabeth, who was sitting among other female prisoners watching the news on the television, stared at the screen with a pained look in her eyes while tears welled at the corner.

Some of the other prisoners turned their gaze at her but Elizabeth quietly tilted her head down and stood on her feet to leave.

Currently inside the house of Morgan Qrow, her parents and her sat across from each other.

Morgan’s arms remained crossed and her face stayed with no emotions.

Her eyes still carried that empty void, showing just like a her face not a single sign of feelings behind them.

"So hurry up." Morgan said to her parents.

Mrs Rockchild swallowed and her hands came together.

"Elizabeth... We... Came to talk." Mrs Rockchild said.

"That’s why I allowed you in. So talk." Morgan replied her.

Mrs Rockchild’s eyes snapped towards her husband before moving back at Morgan.

"It’s been long. Too long... And you’ve really grown." Mrs Rockchild said, "Back then when you were a wee lamb, you were so small and... Frail... But now... You’re a grown woman.

You’re tall, beautiful and strong."

"You’re living on your own and you’re doing quite well." Mrs Rockchild kept speaking as her husband adjusted his bow-tie, "But the truth Is-"

"We miss you, child." Mrs Rockchild said as she bowed her head.

Hearing what her mother said, Morgan slightly tilted her head to the right, still carrying no emotions on her face.

"I’ll go straight to the point." Mr Rockchild said.

"Darling, ’don’t’." Mrs Rockchild said to her husband while her head remained low.

"While we do miss your presence, the atmosphere has been empty." Mr Rockchild continued, "Your mother and I have been unable to make another child, and the Rockchild line may come to an abrupt end, unless-"

" ’You’ come back." Mr Rockchild said as Morgan arched a brow.

"We need you back, Elizabeth." Mr Rockchild said, "We need our daughter back. Our heir to the family name and legacy.

I know things have been... ’Rocky’ between us, but let us move the rocks aside and build back what we lost.

What say you?"

Morgan stayed silent for a while, leaving her mother to nervously turn her sight to her father.

"You’re joking, correct?" Morgan asked.

"Have you ever known me as a man who tells jokes?" Mr Rockchild asked, "I am offering a chance. A chance to come back and reclaim what was once lost. A chance to take back what was once yours.

It is a win-win situation for both of us. You get back the name, fortune, heritage and legacy while we get our daughter back... Our lost treasure.

So once again, what say you?"

"No." Morgan answered.

"No?" Mr Rockchild asked with a raised brow.

Mrs Rockchild closed her eyes and let out a silent sigh.

"Tell me aside from money and the other bullocks about heritage, what is there for me to have? What could I possibly gain aside from all of these?" Morgan asked, "I’m perfectly okay with what I have and what I do."

"Yes, what you have... The sub-standard way of living. Something terribly beneath a Rockchild’s level." Mr Rockchild said as his eyes slowly moved around the environment of Morgan’s house, "And what you ’do’... The low styled boutiques and other things. Then ’ero-wrestling’?"

"Come, child. This is completely beneath you." Mr Rockchild said as his sights were fixed back on Morgan.

"This isn’t even my real house." Morgan said, "It’s just a place I rented for a few days stay to complete my project before travelling back to Manuwuge city.

As for my boutiques and other businesses, I am quite content with them.

As for ero-wrestling, I do miss it."

Mrs Rockchild scoffed and spoke.

"Elizabeth, please. While I can understand the other ones but ero-wrestling? That thing is distasteful.

What they do there is filthy and classless.

A place that promotes degeneracy. Filled with thugs and people with psychological problems.

Those things and that place is beneath you."

"That place is the reason I was able to survive when I got out of prison." Morgan replied.

"Besides, I do miss having my fists swung on people’s bodies. Having to force their mouths on my private area." Morgan continued as she tilted her head again, "Using my body on their areas to force them to squirm."

Mrs Rockchild snapped her eyes shut in disgust.

"Elizabeth, for heaven’s sake, stop. Do you hear yourself?"

"I do. I hear myself perfectly." Morgan answered, "The question for you two is do ’you’ hear yourselves at all?

You left me alone. Disowned me and after many years we meet again, this is the first thing you tell me?"

"I know things have been unpleasant between us but we need to move on from the past." Mrs Rockchild said, "I understand you are angry, but-"

"No, I’m not angry. I’m far past that." Morgan interjected, "I was angry with you when I was under your roof. I was angry with you when I served in prison. Now, I’m at simply at peace.

The one you abandoned under your roof, in prison and out of it was angry, not me."

"You forget that the reason why you even managed survive after the great pardon was because of some of the money that was left for you." Mr Rockchild said, "I wanted to take everything from you and leave you bare but out of mercy, I left you with that droplet."

"I’ll reimburse you if that’s you want." Morgan replied.

"Elizabeth, you know it’s not the money we want." Mrs Rockchild said.

"Well, that’s too bad." Morgan replied to her.

"Stop being so difficult, child." Mr Rockchild said with a scowl, "You might never see this opportunity again."

"Neither will I ever want to see it again." Morgan said.

"So you are okay with this? Living like this?" Mr Rockchild asked, "The daughter we raised would have hated the way she is living right now."

"Daughter you raised. Come to think of it, I don’t think you raised me at all." Morgan said, "I don’t recall a single time you held me. I barely recall the times we talked.

When I wanted to share time with my parents, you’d push me aside because you were too busy."

"We were trying to hold the family empire." Mr Rockchild replied with his tone a little defensive, "The food you ate, the roof over your head, the clothes you wore, your education and the things we bought for you, do you think they came through us playing tea house or sitting around idly?"

"In the end, none of those things mattered, and the times I needed you the most you weren’t there... You were never there." Morgan said, "But that’s okay. My time in prison, EBW and outside taught me everything I needed to know and learn."

"Enough of this." Mr Rockchild said as he was losing his patience, "You are a Rockchild and our daughter, and you’ll come back to us!"

"You disowned your daughter, remember? Left her to rot in prison." Morgan said.

"You were unstable and out of control. You needed to learn your lessons." Mr Rockchild defensively replied.

"Oh, and I did." Morgan coldly replied, "I learnt a lot. From the academy, down to prison and outside of it.

But since you keep saying I’m your daughter, here is a question, if I wasn’t released because of the great pardon, would you have bothered to ever visit me or would you have left me to rot in that cell?"

"Elizabeth, please -"

" ’Morgan’." Morgan interrupted her mother, "Morgan Qrow."

"Elizabeth died a long time ago." Morgan continued as tears welled round the corners of Mrs Rockchild’s eyes, "The girl who needed nothing more than your attention, love and help."

Morgan raised her forearm to check the time on her watch, and spoke.

"It seems your ten minutes are up. I must be leaving for my match tomorrow."

Morgan brought down her arm and returned her cold gaze to her parents

"Now get out." Morgan said as her irises glowed.