"Archie, you can’t do this to me! We have Rory! Archie..."

Archie Summers didn’t spare Eleanor Bishop another glance. In the past, every time he’d gone soft on her, it had only ended with him or his family getting hurt. ’How could I possibly let my guard down and take a woman like that back into my life?’

The servants started dragging Eleanor Bishop toward the main gate. Just then, Jason Lockwood returned. He shot Eleanor a cold glance and ordered, "Let her go!"

"Sir, it was the Master who ordered us to remove Miss Bishop. Please, don’t interfere."

"Let her go!" Jason Lockwood cracked a sinister smile and rolled his wrist, repeating the command in an icy voice.

Hearing the exchange at the entrance, Archie Summers’s face darkened as he walked toward the main gate. Upon seeing Jason Lockwood, he sneered, "Jason Lockwood, are you so keen to pick up my leftovers?"

"I’ve said it before. Eleanor Bishop is my fiancée. My woman," Jason said. He didn’t seem angered by Archie’s words. Instead, he adjusted his collar, a sinister glint in his eye as he sneered, "If you hadn’t gotten in the way, Eleanor and I would be married by now."

Julius Lockwood waved for the servants to take Eleanor Bishop away. His voice was grave as he said, "Jason, the Lockwood family has wealth and standing. You’ll have no trouble finding a wife. A woman like Eleanor Bishop is not worthy of you. From this day forward, you will give up on her."

"Dad..." Jason was clearly stunned that his father would say such a thing.

"This matter is not to be mentioned again. Furthermore, you will no longer see anyone from the Bishop family. If I hear that you have defied my orders... Jason, you know the consequences."

"Yes, Dad. I understand," Jason Lockwood replied tersely, his gaze dropping to the floor.

Leaning on his cane, Julius Lockwood walked up to Jason. "Archie will be returning soon, and he will be the one to take over my position. Jason, I expect you, as his older brother, to set a good example."

A flicker of shock crossed Jason’s eyes. He quickly bowed his head to hide his resentment. "Yes, I understand," he said in a low, cold voice. "I will do my own job well, and I will give Archie my full support in the future."

"Good." Julius Lockwood nodded, then turned to Archie. "I’m giving you one month, Archie. Within one month, you must move back into the Lockwood estate."

"Alright." Archie nodded.

After leaving the Lockwood estate, Aiden Avery let out a sigh of relief. "Archie," he couldn’t help but ask, "what did you think of Jason Lockwood now that you’ve met him?"

"Mr. Lockwood just said he’s only giving me a month," Archie said with a self-deprecating shrug. ’He probably has no idea he’s putting me in grave danger during that time.’

"So, what you’re saying is...?"

"Within this month, he’ll definitely find a way to get rid of me." After a moment’s thought, Archie’s voice grew hoarse. "I just hope Mika’s disappearance has nothing to do with Jason Lockwood. If she’s fallen into his hands..."

"No, that’s not it. It can’t be," Aiden insisted. "Mika will be fine."

...

In the Lockwood family study, Jason Lockwood had smashed nearly everything in sight.

Seeing her son’s fury, Yuna Sullivan shot a panicked glance toward the door and hissed, "Jason, calm down! Don’t let your father hear you."

Jason Lockwood sneered. "Dad? You call that a father? Mom, you saw it. In his eyes, I don’t even exist."

"Jason, don’t be angry. I’ll go talk to your father again later. He can’t possibly be planning to give the entire family fortune to that Archie Summers. At the end of the day, you’re his real son."