Chapter 519
Chapter 519:
As the guests left, Jayceon kept a firm grip on Patrick’s hand. “He will stay with us for a few days,” he said to Brenna.
Brenna didn’t protest. She simply turned and left, Ethan by her side.
On the way home, Brenna forwarded Ellie the video of Patrick’s formal recognition.
“Jayceon has gone too far!” Ellie’s voice burst through the phone, crackling with fury. “I already shut down that ridiculous surname change idea days ago! All members of the Russell family are vipers. They will swallow my son whole without blinking p>
“What are you planning to do?” Brenna asked, her voice laced with concern. “I just left the Russell family estate. Should I turn around and bring Patrick back with me p>
She heard the sound of a door closing on Ellie’s end.
“There is no need. I’ll go myself,” Ellie replied. “You are just his godmother and don’t have legal guardianship. It wouldn’t be appropriate—let’s face it, the Russell family won’t just hand him over. I’ll deal with them myself p>
Brenna nodded. “Just be careful. The Russell family members are all shrewd p>
After the call ended, Ethan tentatively reached for Brenna’s hand and said, “The Russell family is a den of vipers, full of competing siblings. The internal strife is fierce. Patrick is not ready to step into that snake pit p>
Brenna’s brows furrowed. “Is Jayceon using Patrick as a pawn for the inheritance p>
Ethan shook his head without hesitation. “I don’t think so p>
Just then, Ethan’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen, and his expression immediately shifted, bracing himself for a scolding.
Brenna glanced at his phone and could almost feel Elsa’s fury radiating from the screen.
Ethan answered the call with forced calm. “Hey, Mom p>
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“Don’t call me Mom,” Elsa snapped, her voice laced with rage. “I suppose I should address you and your girlfriend respectfully now p>
The volume of her voice stung Ethan’s ears, and he instinctively pulled the phone a few inches away. “I’ll come back and explain everything. Today’s situation was just an accident. Brenna had no idea it would be you p>
“Save your breath. I don’t want to hear your explanations.” Elsa was genuinely furious. She had attended countless state functions, but never as the entertainment at a socialite’s party.
Following orders in the military was normal for her, but when she learned that Brenna had been the one to ask her to go there, she felt she had been played.
“I won’t allow you two to be together,” she declared.
After dropping Brenna off at the Harper residence, Ethan headed straight back to the military compound, the weight of what awaited him pressing heavily on his shoulders. Inside, his father, Emmett Mitchell, and his mother sat stiffly on the living room sofa, their expressions dark—Emmett’s in particular, brimming with unmistakable displeasure.
The air was thick with tension, a heavy silence enveloping the room like a dense fog. Ethan’s gaze flitted around, only to confirm that Kenny, usually his staunch ally in such familial disputes, was absent. Ethan greeted his parents with a cautious tone, his steps hesitant as he sank into an armchair across from them. The stark military decorations on their uniforms added an extra layer of authority and sternness to their already imposing demeanors.