Ethan Gray slowly opened his eyes and met Damien Gray's gaze, impatience in his voice as he said, "This should've ended long ago!"
A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and suddenly the air shifted. Just as Shuyang Ye was about to raise his guard, Yuna Ye was abruptly yanked away from behind him, leaving him no time to react.
A streak of silver light flickered through the air, and Yuna Ye was seen sprawled on the ground, a loop of silver thread wrapped around her neck. The thread shimmered faintly, exuding a chilling aura, as if any movement from Yuna Ye would tighten it instantly and sever her head.
Shuyang Ye anxiously followed the silver thread with his gaze, only to see the little child sitting on the chair, eyes half-closed, staring at Yuna Ye as if she were a lifeless object. It seemed that whether Yuna Ye lived or died, it wouldn't stir any emotion in him.
Shuyang Ye never expected such speed and coldness from a mere child. The icy glint in those eyes reminded him of Damien Gray himself—at this moment, no one would doubt the connection between the child and Damien Gray!
Ethan Gray's fingertip moved slightly, and the silver thread instantly tightened around Yuna Ye's neck, embedding into her skin. Beads of blood dripped to the floor, blooming into a vivid red.
With cold indifference, Ethan Gray raised his eyes to Shuyang Ye and spat out a single word, "Speak!"
This silver thread had been found by those little ghosts earlier when things were calm. Now that his body was so weak, having this tool saved him a lot of effort!
"Yuna..." Shuyang Ye's eyes reddened as he watched Yuna Ye in pain. When had he ever been so powerless? Now, the one being restrained was his precious daughter. He couldn't let anything happen to her, but he also couldn't selfishly disregard the safety of Damien Gray—that would be nothing short of ingratitude!
At this moment, even if Yuna Ye wanted to tell Shuyang Ye about Damien Gray's identity, she couldn't utter a word. Any slight movement might mean instant death.
Seeing Shuyang Ye still struggling, Ethan Gray didn't say another word. With a flick of his small hand, another wound appeared on Yuna Ye's back, drawn by the silver thread.
"You..." Shuyang Ye's eyes blazed with fury, wishing he could tear Ethan Gray apart. But as soon as he spoke, another wound appeared on Yuna Ye's back—this one longer and deeper than the last.
Shuyang Ye dared not speak again, but in the moment he hesitated, yet another wound appeared on Yuna Ye's back—longer and deeper than the previous ones. Shuyang Ye could no longer hesitate. "I'll talk!" he cried.
He had no choice but to speak. If this continued, it wouldn't be long before Ethan Gray's silver thread sliced Yuna Ye in two. He couldn't understand how such a young child could be so cruel, but now wasn't the time to ponder that!
Watching Shuyang Ye's defeated expression, Maxwell Jing glanced at Ethan Gray, who hadn't shown the slightest mercy throughout. He reached a conclusion: the son is even harsher than the father!
Yuna Ye's face was pale, cold sweat beading at her brow. The silver thread around her neck hadn't loosened, and she dared not move at all.
Shuyang Ye glanced at Damien Gray, who was teasing Roxy Shangguan as if completely unaware of the situation. He spoke, "Consort Bella once saved my wife." That was fate. Ever since Consort Bella entered the palace as a consort, she rarely left, but that one time she did, she happened to save Shuyang Ye's wife. Although it didn't extend her life by much, Shuyang Ye was still grateful; without her, Yuna Ye would never have been born.
Roxy Shangguan was nestled in Morgan Shangguan's arms, quietly listening. Morgan Shangguan looked up at Shuyang Ye and asked, "So you looked after Damien Gray for her?"
Shuyang Ye was startled, not expecting anyone to have discovered this. But thinking it over, it wasn't surprising; there was little the Ghost Guild couldn't uncover. Still, since Damien Gray already knew, why insist on hearing it from his own lips?
Meeting Damien Gray's gaze, Shuyang Ye looked at Yuna Ye, not daring to hide anything, and continued, "Consort Bella seemed to know she would meet trouble, so the condition for saving my wife was that I must protect her child for life, never letting any harm come to him."
Morgan Shangguan's eyes flashed with understanding. So Consort Bella had known her fate all along? But judging by her personality, if she'd truly foreseen such an outcome, why would she have leapt into the fire so willingly? Or perhaps she only knew her destiny, not the details—maybe she was simply someone who would risk everything for love, and in the end, it was Damien Gray who made her take such a resolute step.
Whatever the case, it's impossible to know now. But one thing is certain: she loved Damien Gray deeply!
There was a hint of complex emotion in Damien Gray's eyes. He had never met Consort Bella; to claim any deep feelings would be nonsense. But he was certain Consort Bella was a good mother!
During the silence, Ethan Gray couldn't help but glance at Damien Gray. Roxy Shangguan looked from one to the other, blinked at Ethan Gray, then reached out to hug Damien Gray and kissed his cheek. Damien Gray smiled, pinched her little face, and looked at Morgan Shangguan.
Noticing his gaze, Morgan Shangguan turned to meet it. Catching the meaningful look in his eyes, she raised her brows and said, "What? I'm not as petty as you!" Not to the point of being jealous over this!
Damien Gray sighed, "That just means you don't love me enough!" His eyes held a trace of dissatisfaction, along with a hint of grievance and accusation, as if Morgan Shangguan had done something terribly wrong.
Morgan Shangguan shook her head with a laugh. "Have you been infected by the baby?" she teased, but then lifted her head and kissed the corner of his mouth, comforting his unreasonable sulking.
Shuyang Ye ignored their family exchanges and continued, "I've always sent people to secretly protect Damien Gray, but although he's sickly, nothing serious has ever happened to him. So, in truth, I haven't been much help. Originally, I intended to support Damien Gray in ascending the throne, but he never seemed interested or capable." As he spoke, disappointment flickered in his eyes—whether at Damien Gray's incompetence or his own failure to repay the debt to Consort Bella, he couldn't tell.