CHAPTER 172: CHAPTER 172: I AM YOUR BACKER

"Brother! Why are you pulling me!" Shelley Lynch complained, "What did I say wrong again!"

"What do you want to do?" Ian Lynch threw her into a corner.

Shelley adjusted her emotions and straightened her disheveled clothes.

Their emotions dropped to freezing point.

Ian had never bothered with Shelley’s matters before, nor did he care to.

"I didn’t want to do anything, I’m just stating facts, what? Sophia can climb up and no one can talk about it?" Shelley still had that arrogant and rude attitude.

"How can someone so young say such things?" Ian frowned.

The Lynch Family’s reputation was completely ruined by her.

"Isn’t it true?"

"No, it’s not!" Ian was so angry he put his hands on his hips.

The parents at home couldn’t control her, and if he didn’t do anything, she’d be out of control.

Shelley was scared by Ian’s tone; he rarely involved himself in her matters since childhood, unless it was something that affected his reputation, he generally wouldn’t step in.

It was just that when he did step in, it usually wasn’t for something good.

"Shelley, do you even think before you act?" Ian couldn’t help but scold, "So much money was spent on your education, only for it to go down the drain! Even the ideas of our great-grandmother from her grave are more advanced than yours!"

"Brother! You’re scolding me over someone who’s not even blood-related? Maybe you’re the one with the problem!" Shelley didn’t listen to Ian at all, instead, she got even angrier.

"I’m just stating the facts, supporting reason over family, plus, The Sterling family is also my family, you’d better show some respect, or don’t blame me for dealing with you when we get home!"

"Brother! I’m your real sister!"

"It’s exactly because you’re my real sister that I’m stepping in, or else I would’ve slapped you a long time ago!"

"..."

Ian had never spoken to her so harshly before.

He almost never intervened in family matters, his parents trusted him.

Whenever Ian spoke up at home, Shelley had no room to speak.

The Lynch Family was indulgent towards Shelley, but Ian held a crucial position at home, he was smart and steady, a reasonable person, his words carried weight.

Shelley’s eyes reddened.

Her parents had never scolded her like this, and Ian surprisingly scolded her to tears.

Ian wasn’t going to indulge her, his tone didn’t soften, he continued, "Don’t even think about Grandpa’s will, or I’ll have mom and dad send you abroad!"

"Why! Why does Sophia get everything without doing anything!" Shelley’s tears came down before she could finish talking.

"Because her last name is Lowell!" Ian’s eyes gave a warning.

"Her mom was someone’s mistress, she’s just an illegitimate child! She only got the position because Sawyer wasn’t around, how is that different from a mistress!"

Slap!

Ian suddenly slapped her.

The slap was quite strong, Shelley, caught off guard, staggered and nearly fell.

She covered her suddenly reddened cheek, looking at Ian in disbelief.

"Brother! You hit me?" She trembled, tears streaming down uncontrollably.

"I’m hitting you!" Ian gritted his teeth, she was truly spoiled!

He said, "You believe the words of someone like Tim Sawyer? Where was he when Zane was lying in the hospital? Don’t you know these things?"

Shelley was afraid after being hit, she didn’t dare to make a sound.

She was just jealous that Sophia got everything effortlessly, so most of the time, even when she knew something, she couldn’t help but use it to disgust her.

"It’s not your place to judge my sister-in-law, Grandpa is already in the hospital because of you, if something else happens at home, Shelley, this slap will be just an appetizer!"

"Brother, how can you talk to me like that? Mom and Dad never treated me like this..." Shelley cried, her tone softening.

"I have even harsher words I haven’t said." Ian snorted, giving her a sudden glare.

Shelley didn’t dare to speak anymore.

Ian would follow through on his words.

He left angrily, leaving Shelley with lingering fear.

Shelley felt sad inside, her brother protecting others was one thing, but now he even hit her, showing no leniency.

What on earth was so good about Sophia?

*

After Ian walked out from the side, he saw Willow Sterling approaching from not far away.

She was wearing a light blue loose dress, with a smile on her face, "Ian."

Ian retracted his expression from before, walked over to her, hugged her waist with a smile, and asked softly, "Why didn’t you sleep a bit longer?"

"I woke up hungry, couldn’t sleep, heard Zane is back," Willow rubbed her belly.

"Yes, Zane sent some desserts, the ones you said you liked last time." Ian’s gaze landed on Zane and Sophia under the kapok tree.

They were chatting happily, the spring breeze blowing, making their scene appear warm and beautiful.

"When are you planning to tell them?" Ian looked at her belly and asked.

"Let’s wait until after three months, it doesn’t seem very stable now." Willow snuggled into his embrace.

"Alright, that’s good." Ian smiled, holding her tighter.

*

Zane sat next to Sophia, one leg stretched behind her, acting as her backrest.

"Have a bite," Sophia picked up a spoonful and brought it to his mouth.

Zane smiled and ate it all.

They were in the same place during the New Year, back then he didn’t have this treatment, now he finally ate the food she fed.

"You look so sneaky, what are you thinking?" Sophia couldn’t help but tease.

"Sneaky? That’s a bit excessive." Zane pursed his lips and smiled.

"What should I call you then?" Sophia, not giving him a chance to speak, stuffed his mouth with dessert, "Call you schemer? Straight guy?"

Zane reached out and touched her cheek, "You could say awesome..."

Sophia quickly stuffed another dessert into his mouth, stopping him from talking.

"..." Words like that shouldn’t be said.

Zane continued to eat the desserts she kept feeding him with a smirk.

"Do you want me to help with the Lowell Family’s matters?" Zane asked.

"What’s your good idea?"

"Of course I have one, just afraid my wife won’t use me, making me seem useless as a husband."

Sophia got interested, "What’s your plan?"

"I’ll tell you later, this matter needs to be discussed with your grandpa, I hope this time you can use me, trust me, don’t take everything on yourself, you already have a husband, I’m your support, solid, as you know."

Solid...

The buildup before was quite touching, but the last few words had some underlying meaning.

Sophia was stunned for a moment, then nodded slightly.

Last time during Beau Morgan’s issue, he had said similar words, he always acted fast, accurately, and decisively.

"You two are really spreading dog food non-stop," Ian and Willow came over.

He bent down, took off Willow’s shoes, and she stepped onto the picnic mat barefoot.

This was quite a show for Zane, this old man Ian still had some tricks up his sleeve.

"Who’s spreading dog food isn’t certain," Zane scoffed, looking at the humble man.

"Willow," Sophia greeted.

"Sophia," Willow sat down, opposite them.

Ian sat next to her, handing her a dessert, planning to feed her.

Zane and Sophia watched them like it was a show.

These two were clearly here to spread dog food, while stopping others from doing the same.

Willow didn’t let him feed her, she picked up a spoon and ate.

The four sat on the lawn for nearly an hour, talking about many topics, but never mentioning the Lowell Family matter.

Ian and Sophia didn’t feel awkward at all.