The man understood Karen's urgency but still shook his head helplessly.

If she were to go to Luke without any other evidence, would he really admit it? Even if Luke did do it, he probably would not foolishly confess without sufficient proof pointing to him, right?

After all, admitting it would affect the relationship between the Mallory and Crawford families...

Moreover, Luke must have sharp tactics and a top-notch level of mental toughness to be able to hold his ground at T Corporation.

However, Karen could not wait, and she was not interested in what others had to say.

The man turned to his two subordinates and said, "Keep an eye on him. Don't let him escape or drop dead."

He was such a weak man. A small touch and he would hit the ground. They were genuinely afraid he might suddenly kick the bucket.

They usually avoided vital areas during a beating to make the victims more resilient. That way, they were less likely to get into trouble when dealing with such people.

"Got it," said the two men who brought Silas here.

As Silas watched Karen leave the villa, he screamed in pain. "Ouch! It hurts so much. I'm gonna die!

Hurry and take me to the hospital..."

The two men paid no attention to Silas's exaggerated acting.

Silas noticed their lack of response and rolled on the ground in pain. "I can't take it anymore! If I die, Madam Mallory will be a murderer."

"Quit pretending, you wimp. How could Madam Mallory beat you to death? You're annoying as hell," said one of the men as he pulled him up with one hand.

Silas wanted to lie down again but was forcibly lifted. "Ah, it hurts..."

Ignoring his cries, the man dragged Silas to the sofa and warned him, "Shut up. Sit here quietly. Don't blame me if I have to break your hands and legs later."

Silas listened to him and timidly asked while enduring the pain, "Um, I'm really in pain. Can you give me some painkillers..." Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

"You really act like a sissy, yet you have the nerve to mess with Madam Mallory? You must be crazy." Annoyed by his words, the man tied him up again and shoved a piece of cloth into his mouth.

"Make another sound, and I'll tie up your feet too. You won't be able to move at all."

Silas shivered. The rag in his mouth tasted awful. He felt helpless.

He wondered if those people noticed that he had been taken away.

Would they come to save him?

Silas' hope was destined to be shattered. Rain let Karen's men take Silas away and went to sleep soundly in bed.

Meanwhile, Karen's arrival disrupted the tranquillity of Crawford Manor.

Mr. Griffin brewed a pot of tea and respectfully said to Karen, "Madam Mallory, please wait for a while. The old master just went to rest, and he needs some time to freshen up before coming out."

"Fine." Karen, with a cold face, lifted the teacup and took a sip of it. Normally, she would not visit at this time since most people were on lunch break. Disturbing someone during their break was impolite.

However, she could not wait to confront Luke. She was eager to ask Old Master Mallory about his way of educating his grandchildren.

The old master claimed that the Mallory family did not know how to educate their kids, and that was why they allowed Pierre to cause so much trouble.

In that case, how did the Crawford family educate their children? A respectable successor of the Crawford family was making such a mess of things.

The old master walked slowly into the living room, displeased by Karen's visit during his nap.

He used to think that the daughter-in-law of the Mallory family had a way of dealing with people and things. She was polite, and she never gave others a chance to nitpick at her.

"Karen, why are you free to visit today?" Even though Old Master Mallory was displeased, he understood that guests were to be treated with courtesy, especially when the visitor was an old friend's daughter-in-law.

He could not afford to put on a stern face in such a situation.

"Old Master Mallory, I'm sorry for dropping by unannounced, but there's an urgent matter that I can't delay any longer. I was hoping to get your thoughts on it." Karen noticed the old master's displeasure, but she was not afraid or worried.

After all, the Crawford family was in the wrong in this matter.

"What's the matter?" Old Master Mallory took the refreshing tea offered by Mr. Griffin and took a sip of it.

Karen tilted her head slightly and shot a glance at the man standing behind her.

The man stepped forward respectfully and said, "Old Master Mallory, please listen to this recorded conversation."

He played Silas' recording.

After playing a short conversation that lasted only a few minutes, Old Master Mallory finished listening and asked, "Who is this?"

"Old Master Mallory, I assume you must have come across the news circulating online in recent days." Karen felt embarrassed to mention that article directly in front of him, so she spoke vaguely.

Old Master Mallory looked at her with a questioning gaze, "What article?" Karen felt a flush creeping up her face, unsure whether the old man was genuinely unaware or simply pretending. Either way, she decided to be straightforward about it. "It's about a man from the countryside who falsely claimed to have had an affair with me.

"In this recording, he admitted that he was instigated by your grandson, Luke Crawford, to say these things to the reporters. I never expected it. I have no grudges against Luke. Why would he use him to tarnish my reputation?

"Old Master Mallory, I hope you can bring Luke back and have him explain this to me on the spot."

Old Master Mallory slightly raised an eyebrow. He did not follow her lead and asked, "So, did you have a romantic relationship with this man before?"

Karen wanted to deny it and say it was not true.

However, she suddenly remembered the old photos of them that were in the article...

In that generation, if they were not in a romantic relationship, they would not have taken such photos...

"I did have a romantic relationship with him before I met Daryl Mallory. But he wasn't a good person. I ended the relationship with him early on and had no contact with him afterward. I got together with Daryl later. Nothing was like what that man mentioned!" admitted Karen.

"I've seen the article you mentioned. You did have a romantic relationship with him at that time, and in that era, having a romantic partner was considered a big deal. There's nothing wrong with what he said, right?

"As for him claiming that Luke instructed him to do so, besides what he admitted, is there any other evidence?" asked Old Master Mallory. He had no intention of bringing Luke back for such a trivial matter.

Even if Luke did it, as his grandfather, he would take the blame.

Besides, he believed in Luke's cautious approach in handling matters.

Judging from the relationship between the two families, Luke would handle things meticulously and would not have given Karen any leverage to question him.

Luke was not like Pierre, making mistakes all over the place.

"I do have evidence. The man said there's a transaction record. We can just check it at the bank. To be honest, I haven't checked the transaction record yet. I'm giving face to the Crawford family.

"Regardless of whose account the money was from, as long as it's related to Luke, it must be him who did this," Karen said confidently.

"Oh, then please show me the transaction record. If it really was Luke who did such a thing, I, as his grandfather, will definitely punish him.

"But if the transaction record has nothing to do with Luke, by doing this, you're affecting the relationship between the Crawford and Mallory families." Old Master Mallory took another sip of tea and cleared his throat.