Chapter 567

He tried to get up, but the pain from Bowen’s earlier blows was already drilling into his bones. After what Josephine just did, it was a miracle he was even conscious, and one had to give it to him for still being awake.

He was about to call out, but the second Bowen shot him a look, he instantly clammed up, not daring to make a sound.

He had no idea if his dad could actually save him once he got inside, but one thing was crystal clear—if these three wanted, they could totally take him out before his old man even set foot in the room.

“Should we open the door?” Aubree glanced at Bowen and murmured.

They had nothing to be afraid of, and the only one who really had to worry was Josephine.

Josephine had already steeled herself before she made her move, fully prepared for the village chief’s family to come after her. She just hadn’t expected them to show up this fast.

“Open the door. It’s fine. Just say I did everything,” she said firmly.

She gave Samuel a cold stare and reiterated, “He knows he can’t mess with you, and he wouldn’t dare try anything against you.”

Aubree smiled, having already decided to see this through with Josephine. “Don’t worry. I’ve got your back,” she reassured.

In the worst-case scenario, she could get Josephine and her son settled in Rithol City. By then, even if the Frager family wanted to cause trouble, they wouldn’t be able to do it.

Josephine looked at Aubree, who was so young, and figured Aubree must be completely dependent on that man.

Assuming that Aubree was just a sheltered girl who’d never known real hardship, Josephine glanced at Bowen and smiled, “Don’t worry about it.”

It was rare for anyone to tell her not to be afraid or to offer help. A warmth blossomed in her heart, melting away the chill that had haunted her for years.

The door swung open, and a crafty, slick-looking face appeared.

The village chief wasn’t very tall; in fact, he was even a bit shorter than Samuel. His eyes were full of scheming calculation, and he was always sizing people up.

Next to him stood a blond guy with a cocky, streetwise vibe.

Once the two of them stepped inside, the door was shut behind them.

Even though they’d heard the village chief’s name plenty of times, this was the first time they were actually meeting him. Aubree’s face grew a little tense.

The village chief’s gaze paused briefly on Aubree and Bowen, his intentions unreadable.

He glanced at Samuel, who was still sprawled on the ground. When he noticed Samuel’s pained movements, a flash of anger crossed his eyes, but he just looked away, clearly not planning to help his son at all.

The chief said, “Josephine, I’m really sorry about this. I noticed my useless son didn’t show up for work today, so I asked around and found out he came over here. I honestly didn’t expect this to happen…

“This whole mess is my son’s doing. Our family owes you an apology.

“Your boy is about the right age to start school, isn’t he? How about this? I will do you a favor and get him into the primary school in town, and we’ll cover all the tuition fees. Let’s just pretend none of this ever happened. How does that sound?

“This youngest son of mine is the most worthless out of all three. I’m getting old, and my older two sons are never home. Only this one sticks around to look after me. I’m still counting on him to take care of me in my old age. Josephine, just do me this favor, alright?”

Josephine wanted to say, “No thanks, I can get my son into school just fine without your family’s help.”

She nervously picked at her fingers, feeling torn inside.

She shot a glance at the blond guy behind the village chief. She had no clue who Aubree and Bowen really were, but she knew all too well what the village chief could do. With Aubree’s encouraging look, she managed to squeeze out a smile uglier than crying. She responded, “Sir, what are you talking about? Nothing happened at all.”

“Now that you’re here, why don’t you take Samuel back with you? And make sure you teach him a proper lesson."

The village chief grinned in response, “Of course, of course. I always knew you were a sensible girl.”

He told the blond guy to carry Samuel on his back and chided, “What a good-for-nothing!”