Richard looked at Keaton, clearly skeptical. "Who gave you the whiskey then?"

    "I got it myself," Keaton replied, trying to sound casual.

    "Oh,e on! You can barely stand! Be straight with me-which one of the guys outside helped you?"

    Richard was eyeing the security guards by the door.

    Keaton, not wanting to get them in trouble, dug in his heels. "I told you, I got it myself!"

    "Oh, really? Then get up and grab another bottle. Go on, let''s see it!"

    "I... well, Grandpa''s cab is empty, isn''t it?" Keaton stalled.

    "There''s still plenty in your great-grandad''s stash! Get up! Go fetch it!"

    Keaton shook his head stubbornly, "I''m not getting up!"

    He couldn''t get up, of course. If he did, Winona would be exposed.

    Richard''s face turned an angry shade of red. "You''re not getting up? Fine! You think I can''t deal with you? If you don''t, I''ll bring every one of those guards in here and sort it out the old-fashioned way! I want to see which of them thinks my rules don''t matter!"

    Keaton clenched his jaw-he was caught.

    The Huber family had a reputation for being tight-knit. The heads cared for their staff, and the staff, in turn, cared for them. Keaton knew if he took the me, the guards wouldn''t get punished. He couldn''t let them take the fall for him.

    And the Huber family''s "old-fashioned way" wasn''t just a phrase. When they said "family discipline," it meant getting smacked with a wooden paddle until someone fessed up or couldn''t sit down for a week.

    With no other option, Keaton gritted his teeth and turned to Mr. and Mrs. Windham.

    "Would you two quit gawking at my misery and go find Gale already? He''s been bewitched by some gold-digging vixentely, and don''t step in, your future

    daughter-inw''s going to

    vetone

    bolt!

    Forget about that Christmas

    wedding-she''ll be long gone, maybe

    in seven or eight years if you''re lucky."

    Mr. Windham blinked in confusion. "What did you just say?"

    Keaton pronounced every word clearly. "Some woman''s got her ws in Gate, and he''s falling for it If you hurry, you''ll find them together right now. Trust me, the minute she

    starts a catfight with your future daughter-inw, that''s

    им

    it-rtionship over! That perfect daughter-inw you wanted? Gone."

    Mr. and Mrs. Windham''s faces darkened. Without another word, they spun on their heels and hurried out, not even bothering with a goodbye.

    Keaton then turned to Mr. and Mrs. Murphy. "And you two? You''d better go check on Booker. Wait too long, and he''s going to turn up with someone else''s kid and

    call it your grandchild. That''s right—a grandkid with no Murphy blood!"

    Mr. and Mrs. Murphy froze, eyes wide, then rushed out just as fast as the Windhams.

    The family hall fell silent for a moment.

    Richard, barely sparing a nce at the departing families, snapped back to Keaton. "Don''t think you can distract me with the Murphys'' and Windhams'' drama! You''re not getting off the hook this easy."

    "Unless you tell me right now who brought you that whiskey, I''m not letting this go. If you keep your

    mouth shut, I''ll drag every one omet

    those guards in here and keep going until someone cracks! I want to

    know who dared to ignore my orders and sneak you my father''s best

    whiskey!"

    Winona, hidden under a nket, was already panicking. Then suddenly, the

    nket was whipped away. She was exposedpletely!

    Keaton sighed, resigned, and admitted, "She brought it."

    Winona: "_"

    Richard and Janelle both froze, staring. "Wait-what?!"

    That''s when they finally noticed the young woman lying next to their son.

    The two elders'' eyes nearly popped out of their heads.