Chapter 282: What Secrets Does the Thomas Family Really Have?

Caspian couldn't help but speak up as well:

"Michael, Elysia knows she was wrong. Just forgive her this once. She'll never do anything like this again. Michael, no matter what, the reason Elysia hates Evelyn so much is that she loves you too much. For the sake of your relationship, help her out this time. Are you really going to stand by and watch Elysia kneel to Evelyn in front of all these people?"

Michael remained silent, his calm face revealing no emotion whatsoever.

Elysia grew anxious. She tugged hard at Michael's sleeve:

"Michael, have you forgotten your promise to me? You said you'd protect me for the rest of my life. Michael, you have to keep your word."

Michael looked at Elysia—at this woman who had become a stranger to him:

"Elysia, I was wrong. You've made so many mistakes before, and not only did I fail to punish you, I kept enabling you over and over. That constant enabling led to this—you can't tell right from wrong anymore. You even wanted to take your own sister's life. Elysia, I haven't forgotten my promise to you, but I absolutely cannot keep enabling you. Otherwise, the day you actually kill someone, I won't be able to live with myself."

Elysia stared at Michael in disbelief. "So, Michael, you mean..."

"Evelyn has already made a concession. If it were anyone else facing an enemy like you, they'd be merciful, just not taking your life directly. Who would personally operate on you to save you? Evelyn compromised out of her duty as a doctor and gave you her terms. Just agree to them."

"You want me to kneel to Evelyn?" Elysia's voice turned shrill.

Michael's silence was his answer.

Elysia stumbled back two steps.

Scarlett immediately rushed forward to support her, glaring at Michael with displeasure. "Michael, you're Elysia's boyfriend. How can you side with Evelyn and bully her like this?"

"This is what you call bullying Elysia?" Michael looked at Scarlett with a cold laugh. "You're Evelyn's birth mother. You're conspiring with an outsider to kill your own daughter. What does that make you?"

Scarlett was left speechless.

Evelyn raised her hand to check the time. "Elysia, my time is valuable. Have you made up your mind? Are you going to kneel or not? If you won't, I'm leaving."

Isadora looked coldly at Elysia. "Evelyn already said this is a one-time offer. If you don't take this chance, don't blame Evelyn for not giving you an opportunity when you want to kneel later."

Elysia's already pale face turned even whiter.

Evelyn frowned. "Looks like you haven't decided yet. In that case, I'm leaving."

Evelyn and Isadora turned to go.

"I'll kneel!"

Elysia cried out and dropped directly to her knees.

She lowered her head, sobbing. "Evelyn, I was wrong before. I'm begging you—save me."

The sight before them broke Scarlett's heart for Elysia while fueling her hatred for Evelyn to the extreme.

Caspian pounded his cane in fury. "This is outrageous! How can you force us like this!"

Caspian nearly fainted from rage.

He had devoted his entire life's energy to raising Elysia and Seraphina.

Yet today, Elysia and Seraphina—who should have been his pride—had both knelt before Evelyn.

This was a slap in the face to the Thomas family. A slap in his face.

Evelyn looked down at the kneeling Elysia and curved her lips into a smile. "I've thought it over. Saving someone like you would be too dangerous for society. So, I'm not going to save you."

"Evelyn, you played me?" Elysia shot up from the ground.

"How did I play you? What I promised from the start was that if you knelt, I'd give it serious consideration. Now I've considered it, and I'm not saving you." Evelyn smiled as she spoke.

Scarlett was livid. "Evelyn, don't go too far."

Evelyn stared coldly at Scarlett:

"How exactly did Eldon die? Did he discover some secret about the Thomas family? I want answers to all of this. I'm giving you one week to think it over carefully. When you've figured it out, come find me and tell me the whole truth. Then turn yourselves in to the police."

Everyone in the Thomas family's faces changed.

Evelyn looked around at them all. "Everything you owe me, I'm going to take back piece by piece."

Evelyn and Isadora quickly left.

The mood among the Thomas and York families grew heavy.

Everyone knew clearly that from now on, Evelyn was going to start settling scores with them.

As for when she'd be finished settling those scores—that depended entirely on Evelyn's mood.

The people gathered at the Ortiz Villa dispersed. Michael walked out as well.

Caspian, Scarlett, and Elysia all approached Michael:

"Michael, are you really going to just stand by and watch Evelyn take revenge on the Thomas family?"

Elysia looked at Michael with grievance. "Michael, you really don't plan to help us?"

Michael stopped walking and looked at the Thomas family members. "Who is this Eldon that Evelyn mentioned? How exactly did he die? And what secret does the Thomas family have?"

Both Caspian and Scarlett fell silent.

Seeing their attitude, Michael said nothing more and turned to leave.

The Thomas Mansion.

All the Thomas family members sat in the living room. The floor was littered with debris—broken objects everywhere.

The atmosphere in the entire living room was oppressively heavy, making even breathing feel labored.

Caspian sat on the sofa, looking at Elysia, then at Seraphina, fury written across his face:

"Every single one of you is useless! I poured so much money into you, all so you could make something of yourselves. And what's the result? None of you can compare to Evelyn. You were even forced to kneel to her! You've completely disgraced the Thomas family!"

No one dared speak, letting Caspian vent his anger.

After a while, Caspian spoke again:

"Evelyn already suspects that Eldon's death is connected to us. She insists on investigating the truth and wants to know the Thomas family's secret. She's demanding we hand over whoever killed Eldon and turn ourselves in. So tell me—what do we do next?"

Seraphina asked in confusion, "Did the Thomas family really kill Eldon? Why would we kill him? Wasn't he just a servant for the Thomas family? And what secret does our family even have?"

Neither Elysia nor Seraphina knew about this matter.

Caspian lowered his eyes. After thinking for a long moment, he finally revealed everything:

"Eldon's death... At the time, he wanted to go against the Thomas family. After discussing it, we decided to poison him. Scarlett was the one who brought him the poison. But Eldon got suspicious when Scarlett suddenly showed him concern, so he spilled all the poison on the ground. When I realized something was wrong, I grabbed a shovel and smashed it into the back of his head, knocking him unconscious. Worried he'd wake up, Scarlett, Hayden, and I pried open his mouth together and forced all the poison down his throat."