Chapter 164: Mia: Don’t Tell Me Grandma Isn’t Daddy’s Real Mom?

Chapter 164: Chapter 164: Mia: Don’t Tell Me Grandma Isn’t Daddy’s Real Mom?

Seeing that he had someone backing him up, Keith bawled even louder. "Grandma! These two bastards are picking on me! They hit me! My hands are red from their beating!

"I just wanted Mia to say hello to me earlier, but they attacked me instead! Do they really hate me that much?"

Laura Jennings’s heart almost broke with pity. Her face twisted into a fierce scowl as she gritted her teeth. "You little animals! Truly a bunch of wild bastards! Apologize right now!"

Zachery stepped in front to shield Mia. Mia couldn’t even be bothered to speak. After all, whether playing cute or playing the victim, the audience had to at least be human—a standard Laura clearly didn’t meet. Laura hadn’t expected Mia Lockwood to stay silent, and she felt her authority was being aggressively challenged.

In the Sloan Family, there was Old Mr. Sloan at the top, Iris Sloan below him, and her own husband, Ethan Sloan. These people’s words were absolute law in the household, meaning hardly anyone ever listened to her. And now, some little bastard dared to ignore her too?!

Furious, Laura plopped down on the floor, shrieking and throwing a tantrum. "There’s no justice! No justice at all! What did I do in my past life to deserve two animal grandchildren like you?! You’re trying to kill me! You classless little bastards, how did your mother raise you?!"

Zachery looked confused. "What does this have to do with Mommy? According to you, we’re bastards. Everyone knows bastards don’t need class."

That remark nearly sent Laura straight to her grave. Her finger trembled as she pointed at him. "You—you! I called you a bastard and you dare deny it? Who do you think you are? If I say you’re a bastard, then you’re a bastard! Let me tell you two, without my permission, neither of you will ever step foot into the Sloan Family’s home..."

"Bastards? Has Ms. Jennings not spent enough time in prison? Is that why you’re here spouting nonsense, spreading rumors, and bullying two children?!"

A sharp, icy female voice suddenly cut Laura off. Estelle Lockwood walked in with a frosty expression, accompanied by Iris and Ethan Sloan.

"Mommy!" Zachery called out immediately.

Seeing the newcomers, Mia’s eyes darted around. With absolute calmness in her heart, she nodded to herself; the perfect audience for her victim act had arrived. Instantly, two streams of tears rolled down her cheeks. She pressed her lips together and cried pitifully, "Mommy... Grandma Iris..."

Estelle met Mia’s gaze and was about to pull her into a hug when she noticed the little girl subtly winking and signaling at her. Estelle immediately realized Mia hadn’t been hurt at all.

Iris’s heart ached for the girl. "Oh, Mia, sweetheart, what’s wrong? Tell Grandma Iris who wronged you."

Unable to hold back her anger, Laura interjected, "How could she be wronged?! She’s so young yet has no respect for her elders, and she even hit someone! Keith is the one who was wronged!"

"Grandma Iris, it’s nothing," Mia said, not waiting for Laura to finish her sentence or for Keith to resume his crying. She spoke up with incredible understanding and grace. "I know Keith definitely didn’t mean to snatch my jade pendant, nor did he fall down on purpose to frame me.

"It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have hung the jade pendant in such an obvious place. I’m sorry, Grandma Iris. Zachery and I have caused trouble for the Sloan Family."

Iris immediately flared up. "Why are you apologizing, Mia? Keith tried to rob you just because he fancied your jade pendant, and somehow he’s the one in the right?!"

Laura’s eyes went wide. "That’s absolute nonsense! What do you mean ’robbed’? Our Keith is such a good and obedient boy. He’d never steal anything! He merely wanted to say hello to Mia Lockwood, but who knew she would just start hitting him for no reason!

"If you ask me, it’s because she grew up in a terrible environment! A certain country bumpkin didn’t know how to raise a child, and this is how she turned out. She’s nothing like our Keith, who has been well-behaved and clever since he was a baby!"

Iris sneered. Before she could retort, Estelle lightly raised an eyebrow, her gaze filled with profound meaning. "Mia hit someone?"

Laura instantly raised her voice. "Of course she did! I saw it with my own two eyes! If you ask me, a little bastard like her shouldn’t even..."

"How could a five-year-old girl like Mia beat up a seven-year-old boy who is taller and much heavier than her?" Estelle scoffed, dragging out her words leisurely.

Iris let out a cold laugh of agreement. "Exactly. Even though Keith is only seven, his height and weight far exceed a normal seven-year-old’s. With all that fat, he could crush Mia just by sitting on her. Yet you expect us to believe she beat him until he cried? What a joke!"

Laura clearly hadn’t considered this angle. Dumbfounded, she stammered, "Our Keith... Keith is naturally kind-hearted and wouldn’t fight back! Besides, who can prove that Mia Lockwood didn’t hit him?!"

"Grandma Jennings, why don’t you check Keith’s hands to see if there are any marks?" Zachery offered faintly.

Though he wasn’t great with social nuances, he had recently picked up some top-tier passive-aggressive victim-playing skills from the young master.

"Keith is crying so hard, so the beating must have been severe," Zachery added. "If it was severe, there would definitely be bruises. Or maybe we should have a doctor check him? I remember the Sloan Family has a family doctor, right?"

Iris nodded and instructed a servant, "Go fetch Dr. White."

Keith’s eyes filled with obvious panic as he shrieked, "No! No!! I don’t want to see a doctor!" He flailed his arms wildly, completely exposing his hands for everyone to see.

There wasn’t a single scratch on Keith’s hands! Conversely, there was a distinct red welt on Mia’s palm—clear evidence that she was the one who had been struck!

Mia quietly pulled her hand back. She had used a clever technique when striking him earlier, ensuring no marks were left on his body, but because she had swung so hard, her own palm had turned red in the process.

Laura panicked as well. Knowing her grand-nephew’s personality, she was certain he hadn’t actually been beaten by Mia Lockwood. Wouldn’t calling a doctor expose their lie?

"F-Forget it! Our Keith is magnanimous and won’t hold it against you. Just apologize and we’ll call it even!"

Iris laughed out of sheer fury. Anyone with eyes could see exactly what Laura was afraid of, yet the woman still had the audacity to demand an apology from Mia? She wanted an innocent daughter of the Sloan Family to apologize to a guilty child of the Jennings Family? If word got out, Mia would be utterly looked down upon!

Ethan frowned. He also felt this was highly inappropriate and didn’t want the matter to blow out of proportion. "Laura..."

"Mommy, let’s leave," Mia suddenly interrupted, her voice laced with deep disappointment.

"Mommy, they both said Zachery and I are bastards, and that Keith is the true young master of the Sloan Family. They even demanded we greet him properly. They said we’d only be allowed to enter the Sloan Family’s home if he agreed to it."

Her voice was soft, but it tugged so painfully at everyone’s heartstrings that it was almost unbearable to listen to. It wasn’t just Iris—even the surrounding servants felt that Laura was completely out of line for targeting two children like this.

Laura suddenly realized things were going south and hastily retorted, "Stop spouting nonsense..."

"But Mommy, I’m a little confused." Not giving Laura a chance to interject, Mia feigned innocent bewilderment.

"We’re clearly Daddy’s biological daughter and son, so why does Grandma insist on calling us bastards?

"Could it be that Daddy isn’t actually Grandma’s biological son? In that case, Daddy’s children would indeed be bastards in Grandma’s eyes, wouldn’t they?"