Chapter 276

Justin and Shirley were stunned. Justin turned to Jonathan and asked, "What did you say?"

Jonathan repeated, "Such a terrible act as drugging someone cannot be let go so easily. Otherwise, how would this world maintain any clarity or order?"

Justin's expression shifted several times. He hesitated and said, "Jon, we're family. Can't we handle this within the family? No need to involve the police, right?"

A hint of disappointment flickered in Cynthia's eyes, then vanished. She no longer had any expectations of Justin. He might be her father, but he was also heartless and selfish. He only cared about his reputation and the family's interests, never her feelings or whether she was hurt.

Before Jonathan could respond, Sam walked over and said, "Mr. Jones, have you always been this biased? You gave the pendant to your biological daughter to exploit our Xenos family. Your adopted daughter was bullied, drugged, and slandered, but you won't stand up for her? Instead, you even want to downplay Shirley's actions? You claimed to treat both daughters equally—is this your idea of fairness? I can't agree. I don't know or care about your past dealings, but from this dinner alone, I can see what kind of person you are, Mr. Jones.

"I want to make it clear that I only consider Cynthia family, and have no desire to associate with the rest of the Jones family. Since Mr. Jones, my goddaughter's foster father, refuses to stand up for her, I, as her godfather, cannot sit back and let others bully her. Today, Ms. Shirley Jones is going to the police station. If anyone interferes or tries to bail her out, they're opposing the Xenos family. What happens after is up to the police investigation. If Ms. Shirley Jones is innocent, we won't wrong her. But if she's guilty…"

Sam paused. His expression was grim; his lips were pursed. In a cold, harsh voice, he said, "Then Ms. Shirley Jones will have a lifetime in prison to clean up her act."

Everyone understood the seriousness of this. Sam meant that if Shirley was guilty, she'd spend the rest of her life in jail. Furthermore, Sam had distanced himself from the Jones family, stating he only accepted Cynthia. This effectively cut off Justin's lifeline to the Xenos family.

Justin's heart throbbed painfully. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Soon, the police arrived. The butler had already explained everything and identified Shirley. They went straight to Shirley and said, "Shirley Jones, you've been reported for poisoning. Please come with us to the station."

Shirley was stunned. She thought, 'How did this happen? Just three hours ago, I was dreaming of connecting with the Xenos family and achieving success. How did everything change? I'm about to be taken away by the police? No, I can't go to jail! I don't want to go to jail!'

She grabbed Justin's clothes, almost tearing his jacket. "Dad, help me! I don't want to go to jail! I'm your daughter! You can't do this to me! Are you abandoning me for Cynthia? You've already abandoned me once. Are you going to do it again? I hate you all! I hate you…"

Shirley was forcibly dragged outside, struggling and shouting, "Cynthia, I won't let you go, not even if I'm dead!"

Shirley was taken away. Selena cried, knowing she could no longer protect Shirley. Shirley's actions were a result of Selena's favoritism and indulgence. Selena felt guilty toward Cynthia.

Seeing Justin's pale state, Selena turned to Sam and Ruby. "Mr. Xenos, Mrs. Xenos, our daughter's actions are her responsibility, and we won't shield her. But as her parents, we must accompany her to the police station. Please excuse us."

Sam nodded. "Mrs. Jones, take care. Warren, see our guests out." His voice was gentle. He felt Selena had a conscience.

Selena glanced at Cynthia, whose expression was calm. "We neglected Cynthia. Now that she has your love, I'm happy. Please continue to care for her and help her heal."

Sam said, "Don't worry. She's our goddaughter. With my wife and me, and her four godbrothers, no one will dare bully her."

Selena, embarrassed, pulled Justin out of the room.

After Shirley left, Naomi said, "The show's over. You can go home." This was directed at the young people from Roncrity who had come to watch. They were reluctant to leave, as the Xenos family was rarely seen.

While not as famous as the Bennetts domestically, the Xenos family's international fame was far greater. Ruby was a UN ambassador. Their four sons had successful careers in politics, business, and entertainment. They were a first-rate family, unmatched in the country. The women present were reluctant to leave.

Chapter 270 (Note: There's a significant jump in chapter numbers. This may be an error in the original text.)

Seeing no one was moving, Naomi began ushering them away, "Move! Move! Time to leave! Let them have a family reunion. If you don't leave now, I'll start kicking people out!" She roughly pushed everyone out, even kicking some young women.

Hector said to Ruby, "Mom, now that Mr. Gunter has finished your check-up, let me give him a ride home."

George's medicine had worked, and Ruby's rash had faded. She thanked him. Hector insisted on walking Dr. Huston out, saying their yard was under construction. George refused, saying he lived next door. Hector insisted again.

The text was cleaned up for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors. Sentence structure was improved for clarity and flow. Inconsistencies and repetitions were removed. The jump in chapter numbers remains as it appeared in the original.