Chapter 273 - 271: Auntie’s Full Firepower

The scene descended into chaos. Startled, Cecilia Sterling quickly hung up the phone, shot up from her seat, and rushed to the door. She grabbed her coat and bag and headed straight out.

Ethan Sterling, having just returned home after a gleeful ride on his new bike, saw his aunt driving out of the gate. He couldn’t help but call out, "Auntie, where are you going?"

"Ethan, go on home. I have something to take care of. Eat your dinner, then wash up and go to sleep. Don’t wait up for me!"

As Cecilia Sterling spoke, she rolled up her window. The car turned onto the main road and, moments later, vanished into the night.

「In Veridia, at Jasmine Sterling’s home.」

The small living room was crammed with people. Aside from Yvonne Sterling, her husband, and their nephew Ronald, the rest were all members of the Fulton family.

Of them all, the only one Jasmine Sterling was even remotely familiar with was Justin Fulton’s older brother, Connor Fulton.

As for his second brother, Victor Fulton, and eldest sister, Claire Fulton, Jasmine had only met them over twenty years ago when everyone was still young. Seeing them again now, they were no different from strangers.

It was completely dark outside, but the visitors showed no signs of leaving. They were all shouting over one another, and the room had descended into chaos.

Jasmine Sterling, meanwhile, sat silently on the sofa, her expression cold as she observed their selfish, heartless faces.

’Anyway, Cecilia has already taken Ethan to Lorcain. Even if these people raise hell, they won’t be able to bother Ethan.’

"Let me tell you something. All that fuss you made, even taking it to court, was for nothing. Custody of Ethan was awarded to my sister-in-law. She’s his biological mother. She never even crossed the threshold of the Fulton household, so she was never your family’s daughter-in-law. That means her son has nothing to do with the Fulton family!"

"Besides, Ethan is an adult now. He has the right to make his own choices and decisions. He’s not going to just accept you because you show up here shouting and making a scene. What has the Fulton family done for the children all these years? You’re just experts at reaping what you haven’t sown. You only thought to look for the boy after my sister-in-law raised him into a fine young man. Aren’t you ashamed to even suggest it?"

Brendan Harris glared at the Fultons across from him, his face livid.

Victor Fulton, the second eldest of the Fultons, spoke up. "That’s not how it is. Your sister-in-law, she..."

"’If not like that, then how?’ Yvonne Sterling cut him off forcefully. She stared at Victor Fulton, her eyes filled with disgust and contempt. ’Look at you, with your fat head, big ears, and that pathetic expression. In my barbecue shop, you’d be classified as lymph node meat. What good could possibly come out of your mouth?’"

"How dare you insult me?!"

"I’m insulting all of you! There isn’t a decent human being in your entire family. Did you really think you could bully my sister just because you thought she was all alone?"

Connor Fulton, who had a somewhat better relationship with Jasmine Sterling, could only try to placate them. "There’s no need to make this so ugly. My younger brother is very blunt, when he speaks..."

"Even if his intestines are straight, he shouldn’t be pulling them out of his mouth!" Yvonne shot back. "A de-feathered goose’s ass is cleaner than his mouth!"

Connor Fulton: "You..."

Yvonne: "’You’ what? This is my sister’s house. It was her grace and good manners that let you in the door. But if you dare to walk all over her in her own home, I’ll show you what ’wild’ really means!"

The eldest sister, Claire Fulton, couldn’t take it anymore and demanded, "We’re here to see Ethan. What does this have to do with you? Who the hell do you think you are?"

"I’m not a ’who,’ I’m Ethan’s aunt! You’re the one trying to be a spring onion, but it’s a pity no one’s using you as dipping sauce!" Yvonne sneered, glancing over the crowd. "The amount of shit and piss I’ve cleaned up for that boy is enough to feed your entire family for three years. And you say it’s none of my business? Let me tell you something—Ethan is like my own son. If any one of you dares to bother him again, you’ll have me to answer to!"

Single-handedly, Yvonne Sterling took on the entire Fulton family in a war of words, and she was winning. She tore into them one by one, giving them a vicious tongue-lashing.

She knew her sister was too gentle to say such nasty things, and that silence would only make the Fultons think her sister was an easy target.

So today, she was going all out. Even knowing that Ethan wasn’t in Veridia and the Fultons’ trip was for nothing, she had to vent years of her sister’s pent-up anger.

Just as Yvonne was getting into the rhythm of her tirade, finding it more satisfying with each insult, a heavy banging erupted at the front door.

"Open up, police!"

An officer’s voice came from outside.

Hearing the police, Connor Fulton’s expression changed. He turned to Jasmine Sterling on the sofa. "Jasmine, what are you doing? This is a family matter. We can discuss it and resolve it privately. Why did you have to call the police?"

Connor Fulton knew this situation was dishonorable. No matter how you spun it, they were in the wrong. If this blew up, they would all lose face.

Jasmine Sterling rose slowly, her expression placid. "I didn’t call them. We were probably just so loud that we disturbed the neighbors."

With that, Jasmine Sterling went to open the door.

She opened the door to find two male police officers. One of them instinctively glanced into the living room, and his brow furrowed. "What’s going on here? Why are there so many people?"

Normally, Jasmine Sterling would have endured the situation quietly to avoid making a scene, especially since she had to keep living here.

But today, seeing the Fultons’ aggressive, entitled posturing, she felt an unprecedented resolve.

She looked at the officer and said, "Officer, these people came to my home to try and take my son by force!"

"Jasmine, don’t be ridiculous!" Connor Fulton cried out in alarm, rushing forward. "Officer, this is a misunderstanding. I’m the boy’s paternal uncle. We’re all his relatives. We just came to see him."

Claire Fulton chimed in, "That’s right, Officer. It’s perfectly reasonable for us to visit a child in our family."

"’Reasonable? Logical?’" Jasmine Sterling shot back, her voice quiet but piercingly sharp. "How is any of this reasonable or logical?"

She continued, "Your family was the one who did everything to prevent Justin Fulton and me from marrying. You not only caused his death, but you also made sure my son grew up without a father. Is *that* reasonable? Is *that* logical?"

"For so many years, what has the Fulton family ever done for my son? I won’t even bring up Cecilia. Even with your bias for sons over daughters, did you ever truly care about Ethan? Why is it only today that you’re raising such a fuss to see him? Is it for the sake of sentiment? Or for some twisted logic?"

As Jasmine spoke, she began to tremble. Yvonne quickly moved to support her sister, afraid she would collapse from the force of her anger.

The officers listened from the side. Although they didn’t know the specifics, they could grasp the gist of the situation from Jasmine Sterling’s words.

"Ma’am, this is your home, correct?"

Jasmine Sterling nodded faintly.

"Then you have the right to ask anyone who is not welcome to leave your home," the officer said.

Jasmine Sterling took a deep breath, looked at Connor Fulton and the others, and said, "You are not welcome here. Please leave!"

The two officers also turned their sharp gazes on them. With the police present, the Fultons knew today would be another failure. After exchanging glances, they slunk away in disgrace.