"That first slap was because you insulted Robert and my mother. That second slap was for insulting me. Since you lack proper etiquette, Miss Powell, I can punish you in the place of the old man and show you what that means. You can try insulting me again, and I guarantee your face is going to swell to a balloon today!"
"Bi-"
Sally glared with bloodred eyes at Georgia and started swearing.
Georgia didn't hesitate this time and coldly slapped her twice again. Casey spoke up at the side.
"She's just a nutter. No need to pay attention to her."
"What are the two of you playacting for? Your mother was a whore, do you think you've ascended somewhere special having married Aidan Simpson? I'm telling you, Aidan's dead, and there's nobody supporting you now. And you, Georgia, Robert's missing, and you think you'll be able to hear that he's coming back alive? You two are destined to be a pair of widows!"
"You really just don't know when to quit, do you..."
Georgia didn't show mercy this time.
She used an exceptional amount of force, and Sally couldn't break free. Georgia slapped her a dozen times, and while Sally wanted to speak and insult her some more, she didn't have an opportunity to open her mouth.
"Enough! What are you doing?"
She hadn't taught Sally enough of a lesson yet when the old man's voice rang out from the side.
Georgia tossed Sally to the ground. Seeing the old man's furious look, Sally sprinted over and started squealing.
"I told you, Dad, that Casey's daughter had no class. Look at my face! Georgia did this! I'm her aunt, and she did all that to me! Are you still going to treat this kind of person well, Dad? Robert's had his incident already and the Simpson family is finished! They'll just break apart from now on. You don't need to give them face at all!"
"Shut up!"
The old man barked coldly at Sally, who looked hatefully at Georgia.
Georgia thought that if the old man hadn't been here, Sally would have rushed over and tangled with her already.
This wasn't the type of woman who'd keep it in. The way she'd insulted her, she'd definitely try for revenge.
"When did you wake up?"
The old man asked Georgia.
"I just woke up so I wanted to come and meet my children. But what do I see? Miss Powell here yelling at my children. In the few days I wasn't here, Miss Powell had to have done worse things than I saw. If you're going to treat me as family, Grandpa, is this how you protect the kids?"
Georgia accused angrily. She'd relaxed completely thinking the kids were safe here.
But seeing Sally's attitude, she couldn't imagine the fear and worry the children had been through, and how much they'd been bullied.
At that, Annie spoke up straight away.
"Mommy, she slapped Wesley and pushed me to the ground. My hands are hurt, and Wesley still has a mark on his face. She's a bad person!"
Annie pointed at Sally furiously.
Slapping children of all things. Georgia couldn't hold back her rage and wanted to teach this woman another lesson.
But she still held it in. She turned to the old man coldly.
"Grandpa, I respect you enough to still call you Grandpa right now, but if you're unwilling to be responsible for the daily life of these two children, I'll take them away right now. You kept them safe these past few days, and I thank you for that. I owe the Powell family for this. But since I feel like the children would only be mocked and bullied here, I'm taking them away."
"That Wesley isn't even your son. Don't you find it disgusting how you're pretending to be a kind mother?"
Sally started jeering at the side. Georgia could see Wesley's face going white. She hadn't met a woman more repulsive than Sally.
"Wesley is my son. I love him. Even without blood relations, I'll treat him as my own son."
At that, Georgia looked to him.
"If you want to from now on, Wesley, you don't need to keep calling me Auntie Georgia. You can call me Mommy like Annie does. I really do love you, Wesley, and I really am willing to be your Mommy. Whoever your birth mother is, I'm willing to raise you like my own son."
At what Georgia said, Wesley's eyes reddened, and finally, he rushed at Georgia and hugged her tight.
"Yes, Mommy, I want to..."
Sally sneered and was about to say something when the old man shot her a warning glance.
"I'm old and didn't stay with the children at every moment. I didn't know Sally had done all that to them. I apologize."
Linus had spoken. Georgia was processing it when she saw the old man turn to Sally, giving her his ultimatum.
"Hurry up and apologize to the two children, or you can leave the Powell family from today forth, never to return!"
"Are you crazy, Dad? I'm your youngest daughter. Casey's just a bastard daughter, and her own daughter isn't a savory character. Don't you hate bastard daughters the most?"
"Silence!"
The old man roared.
"If you don't apologize, I'll notify the Wilkes family that the Powell family no longer cares for this one daughter. I'll exile you from the family. Want to try me?"
At that, Sally's face finally changed. She looked resentfully at Georgia, but remained tight-lipped, with the grudge in her eyes curdling. The old man slapped the table in his wrath.
"I'll give you to the count of three to apologize before I call the Wilkes."
At that moment, Sally looked unwillingly at Georgia and the two children, then lowered her head.
"Annie, Wesley, I'm sorry."
That was a stiff apology, and Georgia only sneered.
"Since she apologized, Grandpa, I won't count this against the Powell family, and I'll take the children with me and leave. Thank you for protecting the children these two days."
At that, Georgia took her children's hands and nodded to her mother, signally it was time to leave.
Linus suddenly spoke again, though.
"What about Robert? Has no news of him come out yet?"
Georgia nodded sorrowfully.
"Still nothing. But I have some clues. He'll be fine. I'll bring him home."
With that, Georgia turned and took the children with her as she left.
Her mother was by her side.
The two sat in a car and left the Powell family just like that.
"Can I really call you Mommy from now on?"
In the car, Wesley looked timidly at Georgia and asked.
Georgia showed a gentle smile.
"Of course you can. I said it. I'll raise you as my own son. We're family. You and Annie are my children. Is that okay, Wesley?"
At that, Wesley hugged Georgia tight.
"It's okay, Mommy. No matter who my birth Mommy is, I'll treat you as my own Mommy. I love you. I really really love you."
Georgia smiled, while Annie hugged her too.
"Why hasn't there been any news of Daddy, Mommy? What's happened to Daddy?"
Annie asked, eyes red.
"Daddy's gone to fight bad guys. When he's beat the bad guys, he'll come back to us. The two of you just be good and wait at home for Daddy, okay?"
The two children said yes, looking very sad.
They missed their father very much, but were well-behaved enough not to throw tantrums at a time like this.
After leaving the Powell family, Georgia drove to the airport.
She'd agreed with Ivan to take the children there, then send them off to a far-away kingdom with the best security. Ivan had operated on the king's mother, and it should be safe to have the children stay there for the moment.
Then she could safely go with Ivan and Wilson and track down Robert's whereabouts. It took an hour or two for them to arrive at the private airport.
Georgia had already explained patiently to the children in the car about how they were going to be switching homes.
And she finally met up with Ivan here.
"How long do we have to stay there, Mommy? When are you going to pick us up with Daddy? Is Daddy really going to be okay?"
Before boarding, Annie turned to Georgia and asked nervously.
"It won't take much longer. Daddy loves us, and he'll come back to us, and take us home."
Georgia didn't lie, but couldn't tell the truth either.
The children hugged Georgia and cried for a long time before finally parting longingly.
Seeing the children get on the plane and leave, Georgia covered her mouth and wept.
She didn't want the children to leave her side either.
But right now, having them stay, she'd just worry if something happened to her.
She could only relax with the children in a safe place.
"There won't be an issue with my friend, Georgia. He's got tens of thousands of men protecting the castle, and their nation is very safe. These years, be it encroaching enemies or airstrike threats, none of them of succeeded. The children will be safe there."
"I know. I trust your friend. I just can't bear to part from them."
Georgia said, eyes red, and asked sadly.
"Didn't you say you found some clues? Where is Robert right now?"
"We found that the Wimbledon family heir's come down with a strange disease. This person can't go out into the sun and his blood data is under strict protection. I hear it's an immune system issue. He's being kept alive by an expensive medical team, and their family's always had strange diseases, but this heir is especially severe."
"What does that mean?"
Georgia asked dubiously.
"Didn't we say that Robert's body data was expensive and that his condition was rare? That might be what they're thinking, which is why they're taking Robert away to investigate his immune anti-cancer substances and cure themselves. The Wimbledon family's been investing madly in all sorts of biopharmaceutical enterprises and labs, partly for money, partly to continue their bloodline. And I found a few underground labs in what they've invested in. Adolf's been captured by Wilson already. We'll go see him now. He might know more."
"Then we should hurry up and see Adolf."
Georgia got in the car with Ivan and set off right away.