974 Have you finally known me now?

If he had trusted her a little bit more, he would not have behaved in such a way.

Does that mean he accepts whatever his niece says unconditionally?

What about me, then?

Will he listen to my explanation?

Why does trust need to be built upon an explanation, though?

The man did not know what she was thinking about. He saw her keeping her silence and drew his mouth close to her ear, speaking in his low tone to her, "I don't know what misunderstanding you have with Enya. As you know, she is the mayor's princess and has been the apple of his eye ever since she was a child. She's spoiled, but that doesn't mean she's evil. You are older than her; surely, you can give in to her? No matter who's in the wrong, you must apologize for injuring her hand…"

Her heart grew cold at his words.

She wiped away the tears on her face furiously, and like a giant wave that consumed her, her grievances came pouring out in a torrent.

"She deserves to have her arm broken." She told him in a calm and cool voice.

The man's eyes coldly glinted. "What did you say?"

"I said." She lifted her head, looked straight into his steely eyes, and spoke with emphasis. "She deserves to have her arm broken!"

"Shut up!"

He commanded her with a loud cry!

His face uncontrollably burned with anger as his chilly orbs went dark and hollow.

"I give you three seconds to retract your words!"

"…"

Retract my words?

He wants me to retract my words?!

She eyed him askance!

He was coldly rebuking her because of his niece with a menacing face and murderous eyes!

At that moment, understandably, she wondered how important that woman was to this man.

Are they truly merely uncle and niece?

If not, why was he chastising her without checking the facts first? Clearly, he was out to pin the blame on her!

Also, just because she said that that woman deserved to be punished, he harshly ordered her to take back her words!

Why did he not stop to think if she was such an unreasonable person in the first place?

She refused to back down; holding back the water brimming in her big, round eyes, she looked at him wordlessly.

Is this stupid woman out to fight headlong with me?

"What kind of attitude is this?"

When she heard that question from him, her icy eyes seemed to lose their focus. Hastily mustering up her composure, she lifted her small face to look at him and asked defiantly, "Why should I retract my words?!"

He frowned frigidly.

Feeling grieved and angry, her small hands clenched on the bedsheet as she refused to back down.

"She deserves it—"

"Retract your words!"

He cut her off again. His emotionless tone sounded so frosty that she could not recognize him.

"Who gives you the right to speak to me in this way?! I am not in the wrong! It's obviously—"

His slender fingers, which were holding her chin, pinched her hard, making her gasp in pain!

Both looked at each other silently, and the man's glare turned deadlier.

"I won't repeat it for a third time." His voice was sterner than ever as his look turned threatening. "I don't have the patience."

She pursed her lips tightly while tears flowed down uncontrollably on her face.

The man squinted at her and said, "I thought that you were a sensible woman. I didn't expect that you'd be so unreasonable!"