"ROAR!"
A trendous roar echoed through the room, its source majestic and imposing.
It was a white tiger.
The color drained from the faces of the three mbers of the second branch.
Fabian Lockwood, mustering the last of his courage, scread, "Shane Lockwood, don’t you try to scare with this beast! I’m not easily frightened!"
A smile played on Shane Lockwood’s thin lips, his tone gentler than ever before. "You’re overthinking things, Cousin. We’re all family. Why would I ever threaten you with a beast?"
Fabian Lockwood let out a clear sigh of relief.
Recognizing he was at a disadvantage, Fabian Lockwood’s tone softened. "Cousin, I know—"
Shane Lockwood cut him off, speaking in that sa gentle tone. "This is the White Tiger, Kael. I called him back to help you. Rather than committing suicide, you might as well fill Kael’s belly. At least you’d be doing a good deed."
The words had barely left his lips when the White Tiger nimbly leaped up and pounced toward the mbers of the second branch.
The three of them hadn’t expected Shane Lockwood to be serious. For a mont, they failed to react, not until the White Tiger was right in front of them, its gaping maw scaring them half to death.
"AHHH!"
They scread, using every ounce of their strength to roll aside, scrambling around the room in a disgraceful panic.
The White Tiger toyed with the three of them like a cat playing with mice.
Shane Lockwood had soone brew a pot of tea and invited Eliza Sutton to have a seat. "Sit down and watch."
"Oh." Eliza Sutton sat down next to Shane Lockwood, looking as if she wanted to say sothing but was holding back.
Shane Lockwood noticed and said, "If you have sothing to say, just say it. Seeing as you saved Emtt, as long as your request isn’t too outrageous, I’ll grant it."
"Really?" Eliza Sutton’s eyes lit up. "In that case, I won’t be shy." She looked at a nearby bodyguard. "Get sothing to eat. With at."
Eliza Sutton rubbed her stomach.
She’d been up since early this morning, saving Emtt, then getting caught up in the Lockwood family’s turmoil. It was now four in the afternoon, and she still hadn’t eaten. She was so hungry her stomach felt like it was stuck to her spine.
’This so-called life of luxury is worse than prison.’
’At least in prison, you get three square als a day. You can at least eat your fill, good or bad.’
The expression on Shane Lockwood’s face seed to crack. In disbelief, he asked, "That’s your request?"
"Yes." Eliza Sutton paused, then added in a low voice, "Is that too difficult a request?"
’It probably is,’ Eliza Sutton thought.
’After all, Lord Lockwood’s family is running for their lives, and here I am, sitting here asking for food and drink. It’s pretty heartless.’
Shane Lockwood took a deep breath and waved his hand.
Soon, soone brought food—dishes with at and vegetables, wine and other beverages. It was a comprehensive spread.
Eliza Sutton ate with great satisfaction, especially with the miserable screams of the second branch as background music.
Shane Lockwood watched them being chased by the White Tiger with nowhere left to run, leisurely sipping a cup of tea.
’He didn’t care that the second branch had plotted against him.’
’After all, he held the position they coveted.’
’But they never, ever should have touched Emtt.’
’Before, he had been unconscious and powerless.’
’Now that he had t the Ghost Doctor and had his life saved, he had to get justice for Emtt, just to let them know that his son also had soone in his corner.’
"Shane, make this beast stop!"
"Shane Lockwood, if Master Lockwood finds out, he’ll never let you get away with this!"
"Shane Lockwood, do you want everyone to know you’re trying to annihilate your own uncle’s family? A cruel and rciless person like you will be despised by everyone!"
Shane Lockwood’s brow furrowed in irritation. He tapped his finger against his teacup.
The White Tiger, which had been leisurely toying with the family, suddenly turned ferocious. It lunged, pinning Fabian Lockwood to the ground, and its massive jaws snapped at him.
"AHHH!"
The tiger’s teeth sank into his shoulder, and a sharp pain shot straight to the top of his skull.
"My son!" Florence Young cried, lunging forward to try and save her son from the tiger’s jaws.
Lord Lockwood seized the opportunity to leap onto the windowsill. He intended to escape through the window, but before he could climb out, the White Tiger snagged his clothes with its teeth and dragged him back down.
A family should stick together, after all.
Even the White Tiger understood that principle.
Eliza Sutton comnted from the sidelines, "This White Tiger is very well-trained."
A tiger is a natural predator, yet this one was able to rely restrain the three of them instead of killing them. That would be impossible without training.
Eliza Sutton’s eyes darted about as she said, "Didn’t you say I could ask for anything?"
"You can’t have Kael."
"Can’t we negotiate?"
"No."
"Fine," Eliza Sutton said, deeply disappointed.
’Though she was itching to try and steal the tiger, it was, after all, a tiger, not a white cat. It wouldn’t be easy to smuggle such a large creature away from Shane Lockwood.’
The mbers of the second branch were toyed with by the tiger until they were on their last breath.
Lord Lockwood gritted his teeth. "Shane Lockwood, if you want to kill us, then get it over with! What’s the aning of humiliating us with a beast?"
"You’re right. This is unfair to Kael."
Hearing Shane Lockwood’s words, the White Tiger let out a cry in his direction, a look of clear grievance on its big, furry face.
’Biting such filthy things would make a tiger unclean. What an injustice to tiger-kind!’
"Shane Lockwood! I am your second uncle, at the very least! Are you really going to let this beast kill our family? Master Lockwood will never forgive you! When that ti cos, no matter how powerful you are, you won’t have a place in Seabourne!"
Shane Lockwood’s long fingers tapped on the armrest of his wheelchair. "Second Uncle, don’t you worry. With the fine example you’ve set, I’m sure Master Lockwood will co around. If not, I could just leave you with a single breath. Just like I was before. A living corpse. What do you think?"
Shane Lockwood was smiling as he spoke, like a gentle junior seeking his elder’s approval.
But the three mbers of the second branch all shivered in unison.
They were afraid.
They were truly afraid.
But even more than fear, they felt regret.
If they had known, they shouldn’t have tried to be subtle by poisoning Shane Lockwood back then.
They should have just finished him off directly.
Unfortunately, there’s no dicine for regret in this world.
Under the White Tiger’s nacing gaze, that regret quickly turned back into fear and terror. "Shane, we were wrong before. Please, for the sake of family, give us a chance to make ands. Let us go."
Lord Lockwood pleaded humbly, his body trembling under the White Tiger’s paw. Fear had already stripped him of his pride.
Fabian Lockwood, even more pathetically, had wet himself in terror.
Few people could remain calm in the face of such a behemoth, and he was no exception.
One careless move, and his life would be forfeit.
"Family?" Shane Lockwood sneered. He wheeled himself over, bent down, and pinched their chins. "Are you worthy of calling yourselves my family? How about this: if you really want to be my family, hurry up and reincarnate. We can be a family again in the next life!"
As Shane Lockwood spoke, the White Tiger opened its mouth and moved to bite down on their heads.
"Shane, that’s enough."
Just then, an aged voice rang out.
As the voice faded, Master Lockwood walked in, leaning on a cane.
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