C14 The Mean Hassie!

Upon arriving home, they discovered that Raleigh had already departed.

As the children entered, Tella stood up quickly, helping them off with their backpacks and immediately noticing the bruises on Eldon's face.

"Eldon, what happened? Who hit you?" Tella's voice shook with a blend of anger and deep concern.

Eldon replied with a smile, "Don't worry, Mom. Dad already avenged us."

"Dad was so cool! Those bullies didn't dare say a word in front of him—they even knelt and apologized to us," Selena chimed in with a giggle, oblivious to the seriousness of the event.

"Today, Retag in our class said we didn't have a dad, and big brother got mad and fought him. Retag was so pathetic—a single push from Eldon and he tumbled to the ground," Selena recounted naively.

What?

Tella's face went pale with shock, but she quickly checked Eldon for any further injuries. "Eldon, let me look at you—are you hurt anywhere else?"

After hearing the whole story, Tella muttered, "Such lack of decency," relieved that her children were unscathed.

Hassie, visibly shaken, interjected, "Wood, you've taken a huge gamble. The families at Huan'an Academy are wealthy and powerful. What if they retaliate?"

"Why are you taking their side, Mom? Eldon was injured. If their child hadn't been so disrespectful, none of this would have happened," Tella retorted, her protective instincts flaring.

"Wood did the right thing. We can't let our kids suffer any injustice, regardless of the trouble we may face," she said firmly, leaving Hassie speechless.

Hassie, at a loss for words, could only redirect her frustration toward Wood.

"This is all Wood's fault. If he hadn't been absent for five years, Selena wouldn't be taunted for being fatherless."

Hassie's words were harsh and venomous.

"Little Zhou, who came by today, is a perfect match. He's courteous, well-educated, from a distinguished family, and even studied abroad. He's a catch in every way. If you married Raleigh, we wouldn't have to deal with problems like this."

"Mom, why are you starting this again?" Tella frowned, clearly tired of the repeated criticism.

Upon hearing the words, Selena quickly scampered to Wood's side. "Grandma's the bad guy. I don't want a new dad, and Mom shouldn't leave Dad either."

"You foolish child, what do you know? I can't stand the sight of Wood," Hassie snapped, her teeth clenched in anger.

Suddenly, her phone rang, interrupting her tirade.

After a moment, Hassie gasped, nearly dropping her phone in shock.

"What? The Ortega family was almost annihilated?" she cried out in disbelief.

Tella trembled, her eyes reflecting sheer incredulity.

"What happened, Mom?" Tella urgently asked as Hassie hung up the phone.

The shock in Hassie's eyes lingered as she explained, "Yesterday was the wedding of the Ortega family's eldest grandson, Craig, to the Stark family—one of the four major families of Jiangnan. It was a grand celebration with many guests, but it turned tragic when an uninvited guest caused a violent scene."

"The Ortega family fought with all their might but couldn't stop the intruder. Even the boxing champion Wu, who dominated the nation twenty years ago, fell to this mysterious figure."

"The entire Ortega family was nearly decimated," Hassie continued, her voice shaking. "The intruder brutally forced information from the family head, Randall, before disappearing, sparing the Ortega family from total destruction."

Tella's complexion turned ashen.

"The Ortega family is a top power in Vriayledo. How could they nearly be destroyed?"

Hassie's body shook. "It's true, though. The news has spread, and I bet most of Vriayledo's prominent families are aware by now."

"What's strange is that no one has a description of this mysterious person. It seems only those who attended the banquet know who it is, and they're too frightened to speak up for fear of retaliation."

Hassie then fixed her gaze on Wood, her eyes brimming with contempt. "Wood, did you hear what I just said? Don't cause any trouble outside, especially not now."

"Mom, Wood isn't the type to stir up problems," Tella said, her voice laced with helplessness.

Hassie scoffed, her eyes narrowing. "Who are you kidding? Wood is a soldier, known for his hot temper. Didn't he get into a fight with Raleigh earlier today?"

"Wood, I'm warning you. If your actions bring trouble to our doorstep, don't blame me for taking Qing Ya and the kids and leaving immediately."

She fixed him with a steely gaze and issued a stern warning. "Go ahead and meet your end out there if you must, but keep that trouble away from our doorstep."

Tella was about to come to Wood's defense, but the day's events gave her pause, and she swallowed her words.

Wood's expression soured. If Hassie weren't Tella's mother, the outcome might have been grim.

The situation was almost laughable: the empire's mightiest soldier, humbled into enduring a middle-aged woman's scolding without a word of protest. Such a scene would surely send shockwaves through the elite circles of the empire, were it to be known.

Hassie's next words struck Wood like a thunderclap. "It's such a shame about the Ortega family. Your dad and Randall were business partners five years back. No one knows what happened, but they split ways, and that's when your dad came back home."

Wood's mind raced. His father-in-law was connected to Randall? Could he be linked to the incident in Northgard?

"Wait, are you saying my father-in-law had ties with Randall?" Wood pressed, incredulous.

Hassie's temper flared, her tone sharp with offense. "What exactly are you suggesting? That our family isn't good enough for you?"

Tella stepped in quickly, trying to defuse the situation. "Mom, Wood didn't mean it like that."

Hassie retorted with a cold sneer, "A freeloading son-in-law who dares to judge us? I've never seen such nerve."

Later that evening, after the family had finished dinner, Wood took it upon himself to clear the table and headed to the kitchen to wash up.

Tella joined him soon after, her voice low and earnest.

"Wood, my mom can be pretty tough on you, but please don't take it to heart.

"In three days, it's her birthday. Maybe a simple, heartfelt gift could turn things around."

A glimmer of hope sparked in Wood's eyes.

"Alright."