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Chapter 170: Chapter 170: Sending You Mother and Daughter to a Mental Hospital

In the courtyard, Sienna Powell was kneeling before Mr. Powell, crying and shouting, on the verge of throwing a full-blown tantrum.

”Dad, I know you don’t like me and you’re not happy with me, but can’t you please have some pity on Mia?”

Lynn Winslow stood at the doorway, frowning when she heard the name.

She had been so preoccupied with Ian Sterling lately, and with Elder Winslow’s illness on top of that, she had completely forgotten about Mia Rhodes.

When the butler saw them come out, he walked over to the pair and whispered to Lynn, ”Miss Mia got a marriage license with the Yates family’s young master, and he beat her.”

Lynn’s expression instantly soured. Ian Sterling took her hand, gave it a squeeze, and said in a low voice, ”I’m here.”

Sienna Powell shuffled forward on her knees and grabbed Mr. Powell’s pant leg, a crying mess of tears and snot.

”For the sake of the many years Mia has spent by your side, please, save her.”

Mr. Powell felt terrible, but Mia Rhodes had brought her current predicament on herself. Even if he went to the Yates family to demand her return, what then? ’Would Mia just go back to her old ways once she was home?’

But he couldn’t bear the thought of not saving her.

Just as he was wrestling with his dilemma, Lynn Winslow suddenly spoke up. ”Grandpa, let me go with you to the Yates family. No matter what, Mia Rhodes is still a cousin of the Powell family. For the Yates family to dare do this means they have no respect for the Powells.”

”Alright.” Mr. Powell turned to look at her and nodded. But Ian Sterling interjected, ”Let me go with Lynn. Mr. Powell, you’re getting on in years. You shouldn’t tire yourself out.”

Given the Sterling family’s power and status, if he really went to the Yates residence, the family would probably be so scared they’d lock their doors and windows and refuse to see anyone.

Mr. Powell hesitated. Elder Winslow, who had been enjoying the show for a while, said, ”Let Finn go. If you go, you’ll just get worked up and make yourself sick. Then after Lynn’s done taking care of me, she’ll have to take care of you.”

Mr. Powell was speechless.

Fine. Mr. Powell had no choice but to agree.

Forgetting about dinner, Lynn Winslow and Ian Sterling started to walk out. As they passed Sienna Powell, Lynn paused. She looked down at Sienna, who was now sitting slumped on the ground, and noticed the venomous look in her eyes that she hadn’t managed to hide in time.

Lynn sneered and said flatly, ”Aunt, I’m helping you save your daughter, yet you’re looking at me like that.”

Sienna Powell’s eyes widened, shocked that Lynn would call her out so directly. She quickly shook her head and explained, ”I wasn’t! Lynn, you saw wrong, I really wasn’t.”

”Is that so?” Lynn chuckled lightly. ”Then what was that look in your eyes just now, if not hatred for me?”

”I—I was just thinking about the Yates family. I’m just so angry, it wasn’t directed at you.” Sienna Powell shook her head vehemently.

Lynn Winslow nodded slowly. ’She was only going to save Mia Rhodes because she knew her grandfather was in a difficult position and didn’t want him to feel bad. She wasn’t doing this for Mia herself, and certainly not for this ungrateful aunt.’

Lynn huffed and was the first to walk toward the car, where the driver was parked not far away. Ian Sterling, however, remained where he was, staring coldly at Sienna Powell.

”Ms. Powell, cut the petty schemes. Lynn is considerate of Mr. Powell and doesn’t want to squabble with you and your daughter, but I’m not. You all know what I’m like. If you really insist on crossing me, I wouldn’t mind sending both of you to a mental hospital to clear your heads.”

Sienna Powell’s eyes widened in terror. Mr. Powell and Elder Winslow, who both overheard the threat, sighed.

”Oh, and if you don’t want to go to a mental hospital, that’s fine too. I keep a number of wolves at my country estate. You’re welcome to go keep them company instead.”

Sienna Powell trembled uncontrollably, not daring to say another word. She avoided Ian Sterling’s blade-like gaze, her heart pounding in her throat.

Ian Sterling narrowed his eyes at her. Just as Sienna Powell looked like she was about to collapse in fear, Lynn lowered the car window from a short distance away and called out, ”Hurry up! What are you doing?”

Ian Sterling replied in a warm voice, ”Just exchanging a few words with Ms. Powell. I’m coming now.”

As he walked toward the car, he added, ”What’s the rush? It’s not like you don’t know I’m injured. You really don’t feel sorry for me at all.”

His voice was just loud enough for Sienna Powell to hear.

The man’s demeanor changed so quickly. A moment ago, his tone had been so condescending and menacing it felt like he could end her life at any second. Now, he was acting coquettish. The vast difference in his attitude made Sienna Powell’s heart race in panic, and she felt as if she might faint from breathlessness at any moment.

Fortunately, the butler had a maid help her up. He offered a few words of comfort before having the maid escort Sienna Powell to the room Mia Rhodes used to live in.

The room hadn’t been cleaned in a long time, and a light layer of dust hung in the air. The butler looked at Sienna Powell’s expression and explained, ”My apologies, Miss Powell. I’ll have someone clean it right away.”

With that, he turned and left the room, leaving behind a fuming Sienna Powell, who had intended to throw her weight around as the ”eldest miss” but was now just angry at being ignored by the butler.

Lynn Winslow and Ian Sterling headed to the Yates family residence together. Along the way, Ian casually told Lynn about some of the stupid things the Yates’ young master had done.

”Back when the Yates family was just starting to make a name for themselves, their young master went and caused trouble on Jasper Jennings’s turf. He thought Jasper would let him off easy, but Jasper just had his men beat him up. The next day, his father brought him to the Jennings family home to apologize, but Jasper threw them out. Mr. Jennings, however, felt that a beating was enough and there was no need to dwell on it, so the matter was dropped.”

Lynn was dumbfounded. ”Does he have no self-awareness?” she asked. ”What’s the Yates family’s status compared to Jasper Jennings? How dare he try to challenge him?”

Ian Sterling also wanted to laugh. ”I know, right? That’s why we all got a good laugh out of it for a long time. We joked that the Yates’ young master must think Jasper Jennings is a pushover. Why else would he only pick a fight with him and not anyone else?”

Lynn thought men could be so childish. She didn’t respond, simply tilting her chin to signal for Ian Sterling to continue.

It was a long drive, and without a little entertainment, Lynn would have been truly bored.

”Hmm, let me think.” Ian Sterling pretended to be recalling something, but the crinkle in his eyes showed he was clearly just teasing Lynn.

Lynn raised a hand and slapped him. It wasn’t hard, but Ian still let out a yelp.

”Ow, that hurt.”

”Stop faking. You think I don’t know how much force I used?” Lynn shot him a look. ”Keep talking.”

Ian Sterling rubbed the back of his hand where Lynn had hit him, looking aggrieved. ”He also once had the gall to pursue my older sister,” he continued. ”He told her he’d had a master read their fortunes and was told they were a match made in heaven, destined to bring each other prosperity. At the time, Nigel Abbott was struggling to make his relationship with my sister official. When he heard about this, he was so furious he took a group of men straight to the Yates residence and smashed all the antiques they had just bought at auction. The Yates family went to tattle to Mr. Abbott, but Mr. Abbott is fiercely protective of his own. He just sent more men over to the Yates residence and had them smash all the hidden antiques too.”

Lynn let out a snort of laughter. ’The entire Yates family is just so dense.’

But then it occurred to her. ’Given all the stupid things the Yates family had done in the past, tricking Mia Rhodes into marriage only to hold her captive seems out of character. It’s too calculated for them.’