Rachel was no longer the same woman she had been five years ago. Even just being touched by William now made her skin crawl. She instinctively shoved his hand away almost immediately.

“Let go of me!”

With everyone watching, being pushed away like that was a major blow to William’s ego. His expression darkened, and his brows furrowed as he tried to maintain some semblance of control.

“Rachel, there are a lot of people here. Can you not make a scene?”

Rachel scoffed. “Make a scene? William, you need to get your facts straight. I’m Tyler’s girlfriend now. And by seniority, he’s your uncle, so I’m your future aunt. Is this how you speak to your future aunt?”

The word ‘aunt‘ hit William like a fierce slap. His face turned red immediately. With all their relatives watching, he felt like he had been completely humiliated.

“Oh my goodness, have you ever heard of anything more ridiculous? William’s ex-wife divorced him and is now dating Tyler. That makes her William’s future aunt!”

“This is insane. If this gets out, the entire Lewis family will be the laughingstock of Yurelia City!”

“Exactly! How will we ever show our faces again? What will our business partners think of us?”

“William, if you saw this coming, why didn’t you do something earlier? Now look at the mess you’ve caused! You’ve embarrassed both families.”

William felt like he was being grilled alive. His head pounded, and frustration burned through him like wildfire. He ran a hand through his hair and spoke to Rachel again, only this time, it was more forceful.

“Come outside with me. Now!”

Rachel lifted her chin and crossed her arms. “Is that how you ask your future aunt to speak in private? Is this your way of begging, William?”

That pushed him over the edge. His voice rose several notches in anger.

“Rachel, don’t push it! Do you think you’re actually my aunt now?”

He reached for her again, intent on dragging her out, but Tyler stepped in. Tyler’s patience had run thin. His tone darkened, and his brows furrowed ever so slightly.

“William, are you still stuck in the past and still think of her as your wife? You need to get it through your head. She’s going to be your aunt whether you like it or not, so start acting like it.”

The moment William saw Tyler, his stomach turned. But with Thomas present today, if he cowered now, he would forever live in Tyler’s shadow. He clenched his fists and forced himself to stand his ground.

“Tyler, are you doing this on purpose? Or did she fool you, too? You could have any woman in Yurelia City. Why her? Do you know what people will say about us two? What will they say about the Lewis family?”

Even Samantha, who had already known about Rachel and Tyler’s relationship, hadn’t expected it to go this far. She had thought Tyler was just toying with Rachel – a fling at best. Knowing his personality, she never imagined he would seriously date a divorced woman, let alone his nephew’s ex-wife.

This kind of scandal was unheard of in Yurelia City. If it got out, it would be beyond humiliating!

Tyler’s expression turned icy. He stepped forward, and even though William was already tall, Tyler’s presence was overwhelming. His height wasn’t just physical. It was the weight of his aura, a pressure few could stand up to. Step by step, he approached William.

“You just said it yourself. This is the Lewis family’s disgrace, not mine. Or have you forgotten? It was your family that drove me away in the first place. I was cast out, remember? And now what? When things blow up, you want me to clean up your mess?”

Thomas slammed his hand on the table. His voice trembled with fury.

“Tyler, are you out of your mind? Yurelia City is crawling with women chasing after you, and this is the one you choose? Your nephew’s ex-wife? You may not carry the Lewis surname, but you still have the Lewis family’s blood! And now, you want to sever ties with the family completely?”

Tyler’s gaze remained calm and unwavering. For the first time, Rachel realized how resolute he could be in a situation like this.