"Hah... You’ve got some nerve! I’ll beat you to death, you little son of a bitch!"

Bowman Golding was hot-tempered and stepped forward to hit Adrian Hawthorne. Although he was taller and stronger than Adrian, he relied solely on brute force and wasn’t agile. After Adrian dodged, he tripped the guy with a leg sweep, sending him crashing to the ground.

"You little brat! How dare you hit my son? I’ll kill you!"

Mandy York charged forward like a madwoman. Neither mother nor son could gain the upper hand; they were no match for Adrian Hawthorne. But Adrian was holding back. He didn’t want to seriously hurt them, so he pulled his punches.

But the mother and son were ruthless with every blow, showing no restraint despite their opponent being just a child. Bowman Golding even picked up a hoe, his eyes bloodshot with rage.

Old Master Tate said to Rosalind Green, "I’m going to find Byron Thorne. You watch them."

At this point, only the Thorne family could stop the fight. The old master ran down the mountain. He had to hurry, or something terrible was going to happen.

Rosalind Green watched in terror as the vicious family ganged up on her son. Sherman Golding and Wade Golding had joined the fray, and now all four of them were attacking Adrian. Even though Adrian was a capable fighter, he was still just a twelve-year-old boy. Moreover, he was holding back, so it wasn’t long before he was at a disadvantage, and he’d already taken several blows.

"Your son is getting beaten, and all you can do is cry. If that were my mom, she’d have grabbed a knife and started hacking away at them by now!"

Jim Thorne’s scornful voice rang in Rosalind Green’s ear. She summoned her courage and grabbed the hoe from the ground. ’For the past four years, my son has always been the one protecting me. I’m such a failure as a mother. Today, just for once, I will be brave for him.’

Rosalind Green clutched the hoe, her hands trembling uncontrollably and tears welling in her eyes. She was terrified, but she had to save her son. Just then, Adrian was slapped across the face again—this time by Mandy York. The sharp SMACK felt like a blow to Rosalind’s own heart, a piercing pain.

Gritting her teeth, Rosalind Green broke into a run and charged, swinging the hoe down at Mandy York. But she was naturally weak and timid as a mouse. Just as the hoe was about to connect, she flinched and pulled back. In the end, it only tapped Mandy lightly and did no real damage.

However, this act ignited Mandy York’s fury. She glared savagely at Rosalind Green. "You damn slut! I’ll tear you to pieces!"

Terrified, Rosalind Green dropped the hoe and stumbled backward, tears streaming down her face. Sherman Golding glanced over and, surprisingly, felt a pang of pity. Any man would feel pity for a woman like her.

"What are you messing with her for? Get over here and teach this little beast a lesson!" Sherman Golding roared.

But this only made Mandy York more resentful. Not a single woman on Millstone Peak wasn’t jealous of Rosalind Green, and now her own husband was defending the vixen. ’Hmph! I swear I’ll rip that slut’s foxy hide right off!’

"Let go of my mom!" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Adrian Hawthorne roared, breaking free from the Goldings. His face and body were covered in injuries, and his crimson eyes glinted with a savage, bestial light. He charged toward Mandy York, who had already seized his mother.

"Oho! The little beast dares to fight back? I’ll beat you to death, you undisciplined bastard!"

Sherman Golding took a punch to the stomach from Adrian, the pain nearly knocking the wind out of him. Burning with rage, he snatched up a carrying pole and brought it crashing down on the boy.

"Stop!"

Tanya Thorne shrieked. She had just been on her way to give her homework to Old Master Tate when she saw him running, completely out of breath. Realizing something was wrong, she’d sent Amanda Chapman to the fields to get Felix Thorne while she ran on ahead.

Sherman Golding’s carrying pole froze in mid-air. Seeing it was Tanya Thorne, he bellowed, "Get out of the way, little girl! This has nothing to do with you!"

"Mr. Hawthorne and Aunt Green are our relatives! If you bully them, you’re disrespecting the Thorne family! Go on, hit him again and see what happens. I’ll have my dad chop you all to pieces!"

Tanya Thorne ran in front of Adrian Hawthorne, spreading her arms to shield him as she glared furiously at Sherman Golding. ’A whole family bullying one child,’ she thought. ’They’re truly despicable!’