Ex Cried as I Wed a Tycoon

Chapter 196

"Fidelia is young, easily swayed by others. She was clearly in the wrong this time, and I'll make sure to have a serious word with her."

Before Fidelia could even react, Fowler was already reaching for her arm, ready to whisk her away.

"Stop right there."

Suddenly, Bancroft appeared, leaning heavily on his cane as he approached them.

The moment Bancroft showed up, the entire Fowler family felt as if the sky had fallen.

He might have been old, but in the Etheridge family, Bancroft's word was absolute.

And everyone knew-whether they admitted it or not-that for years now, Bancroft had favored Lyman. It was understandable, really. In all these generations, Lyman was the first true genius to emerge from the Etheridge line, and Bancroft naturally paid him special attention.

"I know exactly what happened. And you think you can just brush it off by saying you were misled?"

Bancroft let out a cold huff and tapped his cane sharply against the floor.

Whenever Bancroft tapped his cane, the whole Etheridge family seemed to tremble.

clear-Bancroft

piercing gaze, all the words died on his lips and

shrank back, barely daring to breathe, looking as fragile as a blade

Bancroft said, his tone leaving

in humiliation. She bit her lip and

are you still being stubborn now of all

tugged discreetly at Fidelia's sleeve and whispered,

didn't matter who was right or wrong—when the old man gave an order, you didn't

her jaw clenched so tightly it seemed her teeth might crack. Forcing the words out, she muttered,

truly held power in this household. Since Bancroft had already made his position clear, what reason

adding, "You just believed the wrong person, that's all. Still, you're

it at that everyone here was clever enough to understand her

but there was nothing she could do except swallow

his stern features softening noticeably. If not for his recent outburst, you'd almost think he was just

keep it to yourself. Come straight to me.

naive enough to truly believe Bancroft would always take her side. As the head of the family, his real job was

was offering her a way out of this awkward situation,