The old madam trembled with rage, her finger pointing at him.“Are you insane?Do you want a woman,or the entire Campbell Family?”
Nathan looked at her,his expression calm yet unwavering.“The Campbell Family is my responsibility.However,Laurissa Smith…she’s my life.”
As the words fell,he straightened his kneeling posture. The blood on his temple had dried,but his eyes burned with renewed unshakable resolution.
The old lady stared at him,speechless.
Nathan remained kneeling in the center of the grand hall. Silence wrapped around him like a shroud. The only sound was the ticking of the clock,like counting down to death.
When the family law torture device was set up,the servants looked at each other in dismay,no
one dared to move.
It was the harshest punishment in the Campbell Family legacy,the ancestral paddle. A form of punishment reserved only for those who had violated the family code. Elders or the heir.It was rarely used. Now,because of me,it was being used on Nathan,the head of the Campbell Family. The old madam sat pale in her grand chair,her hand trembled as she pointed at the servants.“Strike him.”
No one moved.
‘I said,strike him!“she roared, followed by a harsh cough and her cane slammed at him.
The servant no longer dared to hesitate. He walked behind Nathan with the paddle in his hand. His face pale and his eyes flashed with fear,” Mr.Campbell.”
‘Do it.“Nathan’s voice was so cold that it almost condensed into frost.“Don’t hold back.”
The moment he gave the command,the first blow landed hard on his back.
Smack!
The sound of flesh and skin tearing beneath the cloth was accompanied by blood seeping through his shirt.
Nathan’s body shook,but he clenched his teeth without saying a word.
The old madam sat at her seat and watched as Nathan’s back trembled slightly from the sharp pain. Although her heart trembled and her eyes twitched,she did not say anything.
Smack!
The second blow landed even harder.Sweat beaded on Nathan’s forehead,but his face only grew more grim.
He didn’t dodge or scream. He deserved every one of those blows.
He mentally mumbled my name over and over again.
Laurissa Smith.
He hated himself for his cowardice, for his stupidity,for the mistakes he made that night.
Smack!
1/2
51.7%
4:26 pm DDDD
Another slam fell and this time, Nathan coughed up a mouthful of blood. His body lurched forward, only to stiffen and straighten.
Alicia stood to the side,clutching the child,her body trembling with fear.
She had assumed the old lady was only trying to scare Nathan.She never thought she’d actually carry out the punishment. She wanted to say something,to plead–but in the end,she stayed silent.
Smack!
Blood began dripping down Nathan’s back onto the floor tiles. The bright red looked dazling.
The old lady’s gaze began to blur.Her jaw clenched as she stared at the blood,lips pale,fingers clenched white around her cane.”Are you mad… Do you even understand what it means to be the head of this family? How could you commit such a disgraceful act?!”
Nathan lowered his eyes,his voice hoarse and dry,“I’m not crazy.It’s me who’s wrong.”
Smack!
Another strike. His whole body trembled.
“I shouldn’t have…shouldn’t have hurt her…”
Smack!
“She must’ve been so disappointed…that she walked away in the rain,all alone…“Nathan lamented.
Smack!
“I realize now…I should have protected her…not pushed her away…”
The board hit Nathan’s body every time he spoke. Soon, blood gathered like a pool on the floor.Nathan’s face had gone as white as paper and his lips trembled. However,his eyes were becoming clearer with each strike.
While she was leaning on his cane,the old madam stared at him with reddened eyes. Then they dimmed a while,her breathing began to shorten and she almost lost her grip on the cane.She covered her chest with her hands.“You bastard,bastard!”
Smack!
The last blow landed heavily,Nathan’s body lurched and fell to the ground,blood spilled from the corner of his mouth,but he was still keeping his eyes open,while murmuring,“Laurisa…I’m sorry.” He could not take it anymore and passed out.
4:26 pm D
Chapter 17
