Chapter 940

Gwyneth's tone left no room for argument. Victoria understood, and while she didn't agree, she respected the boundary.

Her daughter had truly grown up. In the past, whenever disaster struck, Gwyneth would bury her head in the sand. When it came to McNeil's coma, she had acted like a frightened ostrich, running away from reality.

For years, she had never seemed truly happy, nor did she seem to care deeply for anyone around her. But since marrying Hawthorne, everything had changed. She was fiercely protective and invested in her circle.

Even Chris and Celia had mentioned to Victoria that their older sister was constantly checking in on them in the family group chat. Their dynamic was vastly different than it used to be.

Before, Gwyneth's interactions with her younger siblings had been rigid, authoritative, and laced with paranoia. Terrified they would trust the wrong people and get the family destroyed, she had micromanaged their lives with an iron fist. The moment they brought home a questionable friend, Gwyneth would ruthlessly sever the tie, leaving Celia and Chris somewhat terrified of her.

But now, Gwyneth's affection was genuine and warm. She spoke to them like a loving older sister, her words soft and encouraging.

"Alright, fine. Have it your way," Victoria finally conceded. "I'll back off, but you better take care of yourself. You know I'm watching everything from here."

"If you get so much as a scratch on you in that city, I will send a team to drag you back to Starfall City by force."

Victoria respected her daughter's autonomy, but she was still a ruthless matriarch making it crystal clear that she would use extreme measures if Gwyneth's safety was compromised.

Gwyneth knew she wasn't bluffing. Both her parents were utterly cutthroat in the business world. While Gwyneth had grown up sheltered from the bloodiest corporate wars, she had seen enough to know Victoria's threats were guarantees.

But Gwyneth refused to leave Greenvale. Leonie was in absolute agony. Before this nightmare, Leonie had been a pampered princess, fiercely protected and spoiled by her parents.

Having them ripped away so violently was the equivalent of a catastrophic earthquake shattering her reality.

And then there was Dorian. He might have been a flawed man, but according to Leonie, he had treated her like gold.

His brutal death was just another crushing blow. Gwyneth had no idea how long it would take the girl to crawl out of this triple-layered hell.

She couldn't abandon Greenvale right now. Leonie called her by her first name with such trust; she had a moral obligation to protect her.

"I know, Mom. I promise I'll be careful. And don't worry, I'm going to deliver these babies perfectly safe. I'll give you two perfectly healthy, chubby grandsons."

The heavy tension broke as Gwyneth injected a little humor, making Victoria laugh.

At the very least, her daughter sounded mentally strong.

As long as Gwyneth was safe, Victoria could breathe. Besides, she had enough operatives embedded in Greenvale watching the Everhart estate. Her daughter wouldn't be any immediate danger.

Victoria considered the logistics. "Once Leonie stabilizes, have her give me every single detail about this Felicia woman. I'll put my

network

on it. Whoever murdered

the Everharts is not going to walk away from this."

They were her in-laws now, and Victoria was going to bring the hammer, down. Since Hawthorne wasn't around to protect his wife, Victoria was more than ready to step in and handle things herself.