CHAPTER 36: CHAPTER 36: HER BROTHER, ORION CRAWFORD

Howard Jennings originally thought that as long as they caused enough trouble, those without shoes have nothing to fear compared to those with shoes. Moreover, there’s safety in numbers, and they could make Iris Crawford suffer. He didn’t expect Lachlan Wyatt to emerge halfway through and approach him without even acknowledging the Jennings Family’s posse nearby.

Howard recognized Lachlan, but others didn’t, and they started gesturing aggressively, "Who the hell are you?"

"Bringing people over, the rich bullying the common folk!"

Those in the room, including Hector Sutton, also didn’t expect Lachlan to come. They looked on in surprise as he appeared, even accompanied by a group that encircled the troublemaking Jennings Family. Jeremy Carter folded his arms meaningfully and said, "We’ve got a show."

Hector felt irritated, "Why is Wyatt here?"

This woman is already with Dane Rivers, so how could she still attract Lachlan?

Jeremy lowered his gaze. He was the iciest among the group, now staring at Iris’ back and slowly smiling, "Maybe this woman really isn’t simple."

In the crowd, Iris was keeping Dane behind her, and the bottle in her hand was still dripping blood. She pointed the bottle at Howard and said, "What else do you have in mind?"

"You homewrecker!"

Howard’s mother was terrified to see Iris daring to hurt people, her face turned pale, hugging her beloved son, constantly crying injustice. Yet she didn’t dare approach because Iris’ expression was too chilling, like that of a demon.

She didn’t resemble someone who loses their mind in hysteria; instead, she was more like someone who is deeply calm, hysterically so, which is far scarier than being out of control emotionally, because at this point, no one could shake her.

"Tell Howard and Yvonne to get out here."

Iris raised the bottle and blew off the blood on it, wielding it like a sword, swiftly flipping her wrist to perform a flourish, the blood splattering all over the ground.

Iris laughed; this was just the start, not even a tenth of what once flowed from her.

She stepped forward and said to Howard’s mother, "Move aside."

Howard’s mother was petrified, as were the surrounding people; they weren’t even thinking about filming. They merely wanted her to be overwhelmed by public opinion and disgraced, believing that language could be a weapon. Yet they hadn’t thought—this woman was not afraid of disgrace!

Howard covered the wound on his forehead, which Iris had struck. Panting, he said, "You... You vile woman, do you know, if I were to die—"

"If you died, I’d kill your sister too to accompany you."

Unexpectedly, Iris laughed, her strikingly beautiful face now demonic, seductive and dangerous. She softly clicked her tongue twice, "How about letting you siblings reunite underground?"

Howard gasped; they said the barefoot feared nothing, but it turned out Iris was the fearless one!

"You lunatic!"

Iris chuckled, "Yes, I’m a lunatic. It was your dear sister who cornered me into this situation. Now you’re turning on me, calling me the homewrecker? She’s been dreaming too long, she should wake up!"

"Mad woman, stay away from Howard!"

The Jennings Family crowded around again, and this time Lachlan approached Iris.

A group watched him warily; this man’s aura was ambiguously neutral yet cold, and who knows what he might do?

Dane looked at Wyatt and uttered softly, "Lachlan Wyatt..."

Help Iris, please...

She was all alone, trembling...

Lachlan moved forward, reached out, and held Iris’ hand, feeling her fingertips stiffen and spasm.

What kind of hatred was this frail body carrying?

Lachlan leaned closer to Iris’ ear and asked, "Is the hatred that deep?"

Iris tasted blood in her mouth, "If you were to become me that day, you would be harsher than I am."

Lachlan chuckled.

Iris, do you know? Normally bearing your dazzling face and charming demeanor is not even a tenth as impressive as your Valkyrie-like presence with murderous intent right now.

"Are you here to tell me not to do this?"

Iris’ words rushed with emotion, "It’s them. They claimed I split Jordan Jacobs and Yvonne. They’re the ones who cornered me, the ones who stirred me up and tried to blackmail me with videos—"

All the foul schemes Iris exposed, how could Howard’s mother endure this shameless act? To silence Iris, she suddenly lunged from behind Lachlan, "You vile woman, stop spreading lies here! You’re the homewrecker! How could Young Master Jacobs ever love you!"

Howard exclaimed, "Mom!"

If she were to hurt Lachlan, it would be catastrophic!

But his mother had already charged fearlessly at Lachlan, likely believing that since Lachlan stood before Iris, he was on her side, transferring her resentment onto him. She thought, being fifty to sixty years old, a middle-aged woman, who would dare lay a hand on her?

She fell right to the ground, intending to exploit her age to demand compensation!

But Howard’s mother never expected, when Lachlan heard the rush from behind, he would extend his elbow backward without even looking, savagely striking her face!

Instantly, her nose exploded with blood into the air!

Lachlan turned around, as if enshrouded by a dark aura, watched Howard’s mother roll backward, eyes whites flipping from the blow. The man grinned, "Sorry, just a little self-defense."

"Oh my god! A man hitting a fifty to sixty-year-old mother, have you no shame!"

"Real men don’t fight with women."

"Real men don’t fight with women?"

Hearing the Jennings Family’s voices around him, Lachlan’s lips curled cynically. Almost as if responding to the statement, he approached and glanced down at Howard’s mother on the ground.

The disrespectful middle-aged woman intended to play victim, now having her nose bled and tears flowed profusely. She shrieked, pointing at Lachlan, "You brute, how dare you lay a hand on me—"

"Well said."

Lachlan laughed sharply, raised his foot, and stomped harshly on her face!

In that instant, his gaze tightened, staring down at the middle-aged woman on the ground as remorselessly as a demon, "You’ve really overestimated me, aunty, I’m worse than a brute."

"Rivers, call Chiara Larkin, it seems her family needs to step in. Hector, contact James Chesterton immediately, Jeremy, make the police report and reach the hospital. The rest of you, keep the Jennings Family controlled. What’s the point of keeping such witless people alive? Have them drop dead."

With the command, the surrounding bodyguards immediately seized the Jennings Family and pressed them against the walls. Howard was left unsupported, clutching his forehead wound, stepping back, and sat against the wall painting heavily, "You... President Wyatt, how... how could you lay hands on my mother."

Lachlan withdrew his foot cleanly and gracefully, as if conveying favor to others rather than striking someone, completely ignoring Howard.

He turned to Iris and said, "I don’t have the leisure to stop you, but you alone can’t take on so many, it’s embarrassing."

Iris stilled.

"Put away the bottle," Lachlan nodded at Iris, "someone’s coming shortly, your appearance might ruin their impression of you as a gentle person."

Iris’ expression suddenly shifted.

Sideway Hector and Jeremy were also puzzled.

"Who else is coming?"

Terrified beyond belief, the Jennings Family was now desperate, "How can you act above the law! Is this what the wealthy do?"

"Do you notice the snot’s dripping into your mouth?"

Lachlan sneered, rolling his eyes, "Your Yvonne and Jordan are more above the law, aren’t they? Howard, the mess at the bubble tea shop needs cleaning up; are you that eager for revenge on Iris? Are you brain-damaged?"

Lachlan Wyatt spoke with utter disregard for decorum, completely unreflective of his high social status. Yet, this was the man before whom the Jennings Family showed fear. "The tea shop?"

"The tea shop got investigated. Was it also that woman?"

"Just to give you a pack of mutts some lessons."

Lachlan Wyatt brushed off some non-existent dust from his clothes, and with a smile, he dialed a number on his phone right in front of everyone and said, "Hello, Orion Crawford? Do you want to come over? Your sister got beaten up."

Hector Sutton and Jeremy Carter froze in shock!

What’s going on?

Wait a minute, who did he just call on the phone? Orion Crawford?

So this woman really is Iris Crawford, Orion Crawford’s sister?

The Jennings Family, ignorant and foolish, thought they could afford to be flippant since they had some money. Little did they know they were ganging up on Iris Crawford from the past? They always believed Iris Crawford had died, only Jordan Jacobs and Yvonne Jennings knew the truth. Now, hearing that Orion Crawford might be coming over, Howard Jennings was trembling without control, "Wait, wait..."

They had already posted the video online; perhaps they could renegotiate. After all, their ultimate support was still Jordan Jacobs. No matter what, they needed to give some face to the Young Master Jacobs.

But if Orion Crawford found out, involving Jordan Jacobs, there’s no way Jordan Jacobs would choose to protect them!

Even someone as foolish as Howard Jennings finally realized they had messed with the wrong person. Iris Crawford was someone they couldn’t afford to offend!

The more afraid he became, the more hatred filled his heart. If it weren’t for this woman, he could still be comfortably holding a position at Jacobs Corporation, running a popular tea shop, with no worries. But now, everything had been ruined by this woman!

It was all her, all her incessant haunting!

Lachlan Wyatt stepped forward and took the wine bottle from Iris Crawford’s hand, chuckling lightly. This woman was truly fearless, daring enough to do something like this, and had even smashed Howard Jennings causing his head to bleed.

Most people would probably be scared stiff by now.

Recalling the video from online posted by Howard Jennings, Lachlan Wyatt frowned, unsure how to suppress it. But for now, the entanglement with the Jennings Family members had to be resolved.

They were nothing but a pack of mangy dogs, clustering together to beat people up to protect their interests, thinking they could escape unscathed by the law through their sheer number!

When Lachlan Wyatt touched Iris Crawford, her gaze softened slightly. She turned her head away, "Why are you here?"

After taking the wine bottle in his hand, Lachlan Wyatt weighed it in his hand, smiling, "Someone took a picture of you and sent it to me."

Iris Crawford quickly turned to look at Hector Sutton and Jeremy Carter behind her.

Jeremy Carter raised his hand, smiling helplessly, "It was me."

Iris Crawford sneered, "Mind your own business."

Jeremy Carter was taken aback by Iris Crawford’s retort, having never thought she wouldn’t give face to anyone.

Lachlan Wyatt turned Iris Crawford’s face towards him gently, unconcerned about the others present. He wasn’t surprised by Iris Crawford’s attitude; after all, this was her true nature.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t be Iris Crawford.

A person who has survived death wouldn’t care about many things anymore.

He said, "What, you didn’t want me to come?"

"I didn’t ask you to come."

Iris Crawford, possibly finding Lachlan Wyatt in the way, pulled him aside. Then, she squatted in front of Howard Jennings, looking at him as one would a stray dog, patting his face, seeing him grimace in pain and unable to stand, she suddenly laughed, "Ah, between people, the gap is as vast as between different species."

Howard Jennings’ expression changed, "You lowly woman..."

"Go on, curse all you want. At this point, that’s all you can do."

In front of him, Iris Crawford moved both her hands, "First, you tried to slut-shame the victim, thinking this could lead to her social death, then filmed it to use public opinion to bind and oppress her, causing psychological pressure. Finally, you ganged up on her, sure she wouldn’t dare fight back, wanting her to cry and apologize in pain, to claim victory for the Jennings Family."

Grabbing Howard Jennings’ hair, pulling his head closer, Iris Crawford said, "How could you think so beautifully? How can this sequence of cannibalistic procedures be so familiar to you, huh!"

Slamming his head hard against the wall, Howard Jennings reached to grab Iris Crawford’s collar, his nails scratching her face, yet she didn’t even blink. "Yvonne Jennings being a homewrecker is no surprise; your entire family’s upbringing is dog-taught. I can’t even think of words to describe your viciousness, damn it!"

Lachlan Wyatt laughed behind her, this was indeed Iris Crawford.

She alone was like an army of thousands.

This pain couldn’t compare to even a fraction of the torment she had endured internally back then.

Seeing Howard Jennings too frightened to speak, Iris Crawford released him, standing up with a cold sneer. At that moment, the sound of police sirens could be heard downstairs, followed by a group of footsteps approaching, and then James Chesterton and Peach appeared in Iris Crawford’s sight.

"Birdie!"

James Chesterton was the first to approach; he didn’t even glance at Lachlan Wyatt, passed by everyone, and went straight to Iris Crawford in the crowd, pulling her closely into his embrace.

Dane Rivers sensed Lachlan Wyatt beside him seemed momentarily stunned.

James Chesterton held Iris Crawford tightly, fearing she might emotionally break down. The usually gentle big brother now showed rarely seen fierce eyes, sweeping over the Jennings Family members who were being controlled. The store manager and executives were coming down to maintain order, only then did James Chesterton breathe a sigh of relief and loosen his hold on Iris Crawford, "Did you want to scare us to death?!"

"Huh..." Iris Crawford was somewhat confused, "What happened?"

"Lachlan said there was blood!" Peach called from over there, "On the way here, James and I were thinking about how to divide them into pieces! Where are you hurt?"

There was indeed a lot of blood on the ground.

Iris Crawford scratched her head, "Uh... Not my blood."

Pointing at Howard Jennings, she said, "His."

Peach and James Chesterton felt as though a draft blew through the entire club hall.

Peach glanced at Howard Jennings, bending down, "Looks familiar... Ah, he’s Yvonne Jennings’ brother, right? Probably Yvonne Jennings orchestrated this. I think we need to get Jordan Jacobs and Yvonne Jennings over here; this pair of adulterers must be linked to this!"

Upon hearing so many people could be involved, Howard Jennings turned pale; today, there was no escaping, just a desperate struggle, "You can’t just slander us! With your numbers..."

James Chesterton went over, pinched his cheeks, grabbing his face, lowering his voice, "They have more people than us, or do we have more?"

Howard Jennings shut his mouth.

At that moment, footsteps were heard again from a distance in the corridor, followed by a voice arriving before the person—

The familiar voice made Iris Crawford’s nose sting immediately.

Someone called out loudly, "Lachlan! Where’s my sister! I’m telling you, if you dare joke around, I’ll skin you alive— Iris!"

With the final call, he appeared before everyone.

The high and mighty, striking Orion Crawford.

Orion Crawford rushed to Iris Crawford, the sibling pair with reddened eyes.

Hector Sutton and Jeremy Carter showed shocked expressions. It was true, unbelievably so! The brothers exchanged glances, witnessing disbelief in each other’s faces.

They had mocked her so back then, and now...

She was Iris Crawford!

Her brother was Orion Crawford!