chapter739

"Her ruined reputation is all your doing. I told you to leave it alone after Lydia took first place, but you just wouldn't listen. You had to go and stir things up with her, didn't you?" Jackson squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his forehead, his patience

clearly gone.

Jackson, we really didn't expect her to

"There's a lot you're clueless about." Jackson cut him off, his voice icy and commanding, the weight of his authority making Benjamin feel small.

"But your sister and Rosie..."

"If they love drama so much, they can stay put for a while and think about what they've done. We'll deal with the rest after my promotion." Jackson sat at the edge of the sofa, covering his eyes with his hand. He didn't need to say more. He was done talking.

His promotion was just around the corner and he knew everyone was watching him, waiting for a mistake. He'd warned them over and over not to make trouble, but no one ever listened.

Right then, his aide Harvey rushed in, looking tense. "Sir."

Jackson opened his eyes, looking at him. "What is it?"

Harvey glanced at Benjamin, his voice low. "There was a call from headquarters. The police unit has a case... and it's connected to you. They need your cooperation for the investigation."

The anger in Jackson snapped. He grabbed the teacup and slammed it onto the table right in front of Benjamin, shattering it loudly. "This is what you've done. Useless!"

At the Norwood house, dinner was over. It was getting late and Connor didn't linger. He stood to say goodbye, and Lydia walked him to the front door.

He held her hand, not wanting to let go. "You must be tired after those two weeks of training. Get some early rest tonight. Leave the Gibson situation to me."

Lydia smiled softly and nodded. "Alright."

She used to believe in handling everything herself, never relying on anyone. But Connor was gently teaching her what it meant to lean on someone else. "Drive safe."

Connor couldn't help himself. He leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to the corner of her lips, then headed to his car, looking much happier.

Watching from a distance, Aiden just shook his head. Connor was definitely getting bolder with Lydia.

Back inside, the mood was still heavy. As soon as Lydia walked in, Kylie came over. "Lydia, I'm sorry. Every time you're in danger, your dad and I aren't there for you."

The more Kylie thought about it, the worse she felt. Since the day Lydia returned, she'd been doing

everything for the family. They loved her, but hadnt really been able to help her much. It was a hard thing to admit.

"This isn't your fault. And I'm not as fragile as you think. You really don't need to worry."

Lydia, you're just so thoughtful. Rosie could never compare to you."

"That's right. Lydia is the best!" Kylie and Cameron kept praising Lydia, while

Lucinda's face grew darker by the second.

She'd also gotten first place in her military training. Why didn't her parents praise her, too? Why was it always Lydia? It wasn't fair at all.

Grace finally spoke up, unable to just watch. "It's true, sir, madam. At the start of the semester, Lydia got first place at Capital Med School, and Lucinda got first place at Capital College. Having two top students in ope family is something most people can only dream about."