The Larson family stood frozen, their minds struggling to process what they were witnessing.
To them, Graham Larson had always been nothing more than an incompetent son-in-law who'd gotten lucky once. And Holly? She was the rebellious child who'd run from the family name—the one they'd planned to expel today.
But now they were being told that Holly was essentially the boss of the very clients who controlled their future.
Reality had flipped upside down.
The younger Larsons knelt in the corner, on the verge of fainting. Minutes ago, they'd thought Jason was just some cocky pretty boy. Now they knew he could destroy the entire family with a single phone call.
Graham and Evelyn exchanged a glance—shock, disbelief, and relief all tangled together. Their daughter had mentioned having a boyfriend, but they'd never imagined he owned all five major US rare earth separation plants.
Jason Carter set down the teapot and looked directly at the assembled Larsons.
"Alright," he said, his voice calm and measured. "Let's talk about what actually happened today."
The calm tone made his words more terrifying.
"These younger family members illegally trespassed and threatened my girlfriend in her own home. So I restrained them." He paused, his gaze sweeping coldly toward the kneeling group. "But I heard them brag about the great Larson family, and how once their elders arrived, they'd have me arrested. I also heard that some Larson elders wanted to 'properly settle accounts' with Holly."
He leaned forward slightly, his eyes sharp. "So let's settle accounts. Do we do this privately, or do we involve the authorities?"
Silence.
Cold sweat poured down Edward Larson's back. Legal procedures would mean their rare-earth deals would collapse instantly. A private settlement might be worse. Their entire future rested in Jason Carter's hands.
Edward forced what might have been the most grotesquely polite smile in human history. "Our family is just a small business, barely scraping by..." His laugh was brittle, desperate. "These kids were spoiled, lacked discipline. If they upset Holly, then punishment is absolutely deserved!"
He turned toward the kneeling youths, pointing with trembling fingers. "They never even celebrated her birthday before! Coming here today—they must have had bad intentions! So tying them up? Correct! Making them kneel for a few hours? Too lenient! We should be thanking Mr. Carter for educating them on our behalf!"
The shift was immediate and complete. Moments ago, Edward had wanted to throw Jason in jail. Now he was practically begging Jason to punish his children even harder.
That was the difference true power made.
Holly watched it all, feeling years of grievance slowly unravel. She leaned slightly closer to Jason, and for the first time in her life, she didn't feel inferior or alone. She felt protected.
Jason tapped the table with his fingertip—tok... tok... tok—a cold warning wrapped in a soft sound.
"So you all knew Caleb and the others came here to cause trouble," he said calmly.
Edward's breath caught in his throat.
Jason's eyes narrowed. "And yet you still rushed over here, thinking your children are allowed to bully Holly forever while she should just endure it because she's a girl?"
No one dared speak, because it was true. They'd always known, but they'd never cared. They were only upset when their own children got hurt.
Now, under the gaze of the man who controlled the rare-earth industry's lifeline, they couldn't even form a lie.
Suddenly, Edward strode to the kneeling group, grabbed Caleb by the collar, and dragged him across the floor before throwing him at Holly's feet.
"Kneel."
Caleb knelt, his knees already bruised and trembling.
Edward raised his hand and slapped him hard. "What are you staring at? Apologize to your cousin! Your sister! She should have been protected—cherished—not bullied!" His voice shook with fear, not righteousness. "If you think kneeling for a few hours is too much, fine! Kneel for three days and three nights!"
Edward was no fool. If he tried to argue now, the Larson family would be erased from the business world by tomorrow morning. The only chance for survival was to submit, grovel, and beg.
Caleb quickly bowed his head. "I'm... I'm sorry, Holly. I went too far. I—"
SLAP! Edward struck him again. "No excuses! Bullying isn't a joke!"
"Yes! Yes, I was wrong!" Caleb's voice cracked. "Holly, hit me, kick me—I deserve it."
One by one, the other Larson cousins were dragged over and forced to kneel before Holly. Some resisted. Two slaps later, they apologized even faster.
Graham and Evelyn stood frozen, their eyes filling with tears. In twenty years, this was the first time someone had defended Holly so fiercely. Evelyn's heart ached as she finally saw the truth: it was never Holly's fault, never Graham's fault. It was the Larson family that had never accepted them.
Holly looked at her kneeling tormentors—the people who had laughed when she cried. Did she feel satisfied? Yes. Would she forgive them? No. They weren't apologizing because they regretted anything. They apologized because Jason Carter demanded it.
Then Jason raised his phone and pressed a button. A recording played aloud—the Larsons conspiring to expel Holly, mocking her, plotting today's bullying. Every word was evidence.
Edward nearly fainted. The forced smile on his face twisted so painfully it looked like a grimace.
"Those were angry words!" he stuttered. "I spoke without thinking!" He hurriedly bowed his head to Holly, then to Graham and Evelyn. "Holly is my sister's daughter! She is family! How could she ever be expelled? I was wrong! Completely wrong!"
His voice trembled as he begged, "I apologize. Please, this is the first and last time. Let me make amends. I beg you."
Holly didn't even blink. Graham and Evelyn remained silent. They didn't owe Edward a response—not anymore.
The Larson family was no longer in a position to dictate who stayed or who left. Jason Carter held their future in the palm of his hand, and he had no intention of letting go easily.
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