Chapter 47

Athena’s eyes were icier than ever, an edge they’d never held before. In the past, she had always been aloof and indifferent, simply choosing to ignore these people.

But today, when Matthew publicly humiliated her, Athena had no choice but to teach him a lesson.

Those three years in the military camp had Athena doing nothing but manual labor, leaving her far stronger than before.

In no time, Matthew’s cheek was swollen and red.

Blood began streaming from his nose, dripping steadily onto the ground.

Matthew wiped his face with his hand and saw blood. Towering rage flared in his eyes.

“I’ll kill you!” Matthew roared, lunging at Athena like a crazed leopard.

Athena snatched up the pot from the table and hurled it at Matthew with all her might.

Trained in martial arts, Matthew dodged with a quick tilt of his head.

Shards and scalding coffee splattered all over Willow. She shrieked and covered her face with her hands.

“Willow!” Eloise cried out in alarm and rushed forward to check on her daughter’s injuries.

Nicolas snapped out of his daze and lunged forward, grabbing Matthew in a tight hold. “Matthew, have you lost your mind?” he shouted.

He saw the murderous intent flashing in Matthew’s eyes. Afraid his brother might do something irreparable, he intervened without hesitation.

Athena seized the opportunity and landed several sharp slaps across Matthew’s head. Nicolas tried desperately to hold her back, but some of the blows landed on both Matthew and Nicolas.

Their hair came undone, and claw marks streaked across their faces. They looked utterly disheveled.

Yet Athena showed no sign of stopping, and soon the three of them were tangled in a chaotic brawl.

Henry’s face turned livid with rage. He barked at the maids and footmen, “Are you all just standing there like statues? Break them up, now!”

Only then did the servants snap out of their stupor and rush forward to pull the fighters apart.

From the moment Athena decided to strike today, she knew there would be no peaceful resolution.

The servants rushed forward to intervene, especially Andy, Matthew’s personal attendant.

He grabbed Athena’s hand and tried to wrench her fingers apart.

Athena felt her fingers were on the verge of snapping under his grip.

Just then, Andy let out a piercing scream.

In the chaos, Trina sank her teeth into his arm.

Matthew’s enraged shouts mingled with Willow’s whimpers, turning the great hall into a boiling cauldron of chaos.

Just as the chaos reached its peak, a commanding voice cut through the commotion. “Enough! All of you, stop right now.”

The entire crowd froze, stunned by the sheer authority in that voice.

Slowly, they turned to see Margaret standing sternly in the courtyard, her face darkened with fury.

With a glare that swept across them all, she strode inside without a word.

Eloise and Henry immediately rose to greet her, bowing respectfully. “Mother,” they said in unison.

Margaret cast a cool glance over the pair, her gaze settling on Eloise. Under that piercing stare, Eloise felt her scalp prickle and instinctively hunched her shoulders.

After taking her seat, Margaret slammed the table with a thunderous crack. “What are you all doing?” she roared.

Nicolas quickly dropped to her knees, urging the others to follow. “Grandmother, please calm down!”

Athena knelt as well, her gaze fixed stubbornly on the patch of floor before her.

Matthew, still seething with rage and his chest heaving violently, was the first to cry out, “Grandmother, you must stand up for me!”

He crawled two steps forward, displaying the injuries on his face and body. “Athena broke the family rules and attacked me. You must punish her severely!”

The Monson family’s rules strictly forbid family members from fighting. Violators would be subject to family discipline.

Margaret snapped, “Silence!”

Matthew sniffed and reluctantly clamped his mouth shut, though defiance still burned in his eyes.

Margaret’s gaze skipped over him and landed on Athena.

Although her hair had been pulled into disarray, Athena wasn’t seriously hurt.

The look in Margaret’s eyes was a mix of heartache and helplessness.

She thought, "To have driven the child to this point, what immense grievances she must have endured."

Margaret sighed and said, “When my husband was alive, he always said, ‘Harmony in the family breeds prosperity.’ But look at us now, has this household ever truly known peace!”

Her scathing remark wasn’t directed at Athena alone; it was meant for everyone present.

Eloise’s lips quivered as if to speak, but in the end, she dared not utter a word.

Henry also hung his head in silence.

The King, Arthur Cavendish, ruled the nation with grace and expected his officials to uphold the same principle in governing their households.

Margaret wasn’t merely reciting family rules; she was clearly invoking Arthur’s example. No one would dare to argue with that.

Even Nicolas and Matthew hung their heads, not daring to betray their dissatisfaction.

Only Athena remained, her expression cold and detached as she stared fixedly at the ground before her, the smoldering fury in her eyes undiminished.

Margaret surveyed them and let out a weary sigh before continuing, “You all demand Athena to be the one who always yields, to obey, to be sensible at every turn. Tell me, which of you has truly lived up to these standards?”

Nicolas felt his face burning with shame. Ever since Athena had returned, he realized he’d been misunderstanding her all along.

Guilt flooded his heart as he hung his head even lower.

Matthew still wore a resentful look, though he dared not speak up in Margaret’s presence.

After all, he was the one who had hurled insults at Athena first.

“Matthew,” Margaret suddenly called out. Matthew jolted, feeling as if her piercing gaze pinned him down like a physical weight.

He replied softly, barely above a whisper, “Grandmother.”

Fixing Matthew with a steely glare, Margaret demanded sternly, “As the elder brother, how could you use such disgraceful words to humiliate your sister? Do you think that brings you any honor?”

Though resentment still burned in his heart, Matthew maintained a respectful demeanor and replied through clenched teeth, “I acknowledge my wrongdoing, Grandmother.”

“Since you admit your mistake, I sentence you to be grounded in the Memorial Hall for three days. Do you submit?” Margaret demanded.

Matthew replied through clenched teeth, “I accept the punishment.”

Margaret then turned to Athena. “Athena.”

Athena murmured softly, “Grandmother, I know I was wrong.”

She was prepared to accept whatever punishment her grandmother might impose.

“What wrong have you done?” Margaret asked softly.

Confused, Athena looked up and met a pair of warm eyes, like the gentle warmth of early spring sunlight thawing the ice around her heart.

“Grandmother,” she called out, her voice trembling.

Margaret sat ramrod straight and smiled, her voice firm. “Turning the other cheek is not the Monson family creed. We return every slight. We don’t start trouble, but we fear none either. A coward has no place in this family.

“Today, it was Matthew who insulted you first. Though you fought back, it was justified. Therefore, you are not at fault.”

As Margaret’s words fell, heat pricked behind Athena’s eyes.

When Matthew had called her a slut, she hadn’t felt wronged. When others misunderstood her, she remained unshaken.

But facing her grandmother’s defense, her expression broke.

Tears spilled over. Athena blinked rapidly, fighting to hold them back.

Yet the more she struggled, the faster they fell.

Eloise was stunned by Margaret’s blatant favoritism. She pleaded urgently, “Mom, Matthew is injured. How could he possibly be grounded for three days? I beg you to show mercy!”

“As a mother, you have neglected your duty to discipline your child, which has led to this disgraceful situation. You cannot escape blame,” Margaret thundered. Eloise’s heart trembled as her stern voice continued, “As punishment, I hereby order you to copy out the Family Conduct Manual. Let this serve as a warning to others.”

A ripple of shock passed through the gathered family. None had expected Margaret to discipline even Eloise.

The next moment, Margaret continued sternly, “Nicolas and Willow, you are grounded to your own rooms for three days to reflect.”

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines. There was no mistaking it this time. Margaret was truly furious.

Just when everyone thought the matter was settled, Joseph barged in from outside. “Mom, why would you give Athena such fine jewelry? She doesn’t deserve—"

The butler was frantically signaling to Joseph, who belatedly noticed the tense scene in the room. His face turned pale with shock.

With a clatter, the items in his hands fell to the floor.