Chapter 5 Embarrassing

Kenneth ran his tongue over his teeth as he pondered.

Was Hannah upset that he had personally come over to escalate the issue?

Hannah was rumored to have come from the slums with a poor education. Kenneth's first meeting with her was truly an eye-opening experience.

Kenneth chuckled in response. "So, according to what you've said, I'm the one who's making a big fuss now?"

He leaned forward and smiled. "Then again, if a gorgeous babe like you claims that I'm the one at fault, then I'll accept it."

His words were slightly flippant.

Hannah frowned instantly.

Kenneth truly lived up to his reputation as a wolf in sheep's clothing in the business world. His smile might seem warm and friendly, but he could be ruthless when dealing with people.

"You seem to be in a good mood, Mr. Sorsby," a cold voice rang out at that moment.

Darren glanced at Kenneth disdainfully from his wheelchair at the stairway. He mocked, "Why don't you argue with Andrew instead?"

Was it necessary for Kenneth to argue with a youngster?

Kenneth was left speechless. Clearly, Darren was mocking him for making things difficult for a lady.

But the thing was, he did no such thing!

Those newlyweds were certainly a match made in heaven, huh?

Kenneth couldn't help but chuckle. He leaned his back on the couch and beckoned to Malcolm. "Come here."

Malcolm approached Kenneth uneasily while looking very timid.

Then, Kenneth shoved Malcolm away, causing him to stagger.

He said while shrugging, "Since it's my fault, you can punish Malcolm however you want, Mr. Winchester."

Malcolm turned around and looked at Kenneth in disbelief.

He couldn't believe that Kenneth was making him shoulder the blame when Kenneth was the one who misspoke.

Was this something a decent person would do?

Kenneth was unapologetic. In fact, he felt that he did nothing wrong.

As a pleasant scent of pine wood wafted from the side, Hannah turned her head to look.

Darren rolled his wheelchair to her side. He calmly said, "Then, I'll let you vent your anger."

Hannah chuckled. Was she angry?

With just a few words, Darren had turned the tables on Kenneth.

It was clear that he was very protective.

Hannah's tinkling chuckles filled the room. For a moment, everyone was captivated by the melodious laughter.

Kenneth pressed his tongue against the back of his front teeth as he inhaled sharply.

Hannah was extremely gorgeous, to say the least. To think that even a playboy like Kenneth had the urge to settle down and marry someone as beautiful as her …

"Alas, Mr. Malcolm is a family member of the Sorsbys," Hannah said calmly. "It'd be inappropriate for an outsider like me to punish him."

Kenneth was forced to take responsibility for Malcolm's actions.

With his hands spread, he said, "Malcolm has been disobedient since he was a little boy. There's no need to hold back because of me, Mrs. Winchester."

Malcolm widened his eyes.

He had requested his older brother to back him up, not just sit there and enjoy the show!

"In that case, I have a suggestion, Mr. Sorsby." Hannah sat up straight while smiling at Kenneth. "Since Mr. Malcolm has been disobedient, the only way to straighten him out is with a proper beating. What do you say?"

She pulled a thick and long wooden stick out of nowhere.

Her hand looked so slender and fragile.

Kenneth drew in a deep breath. It seemed that Hannah had come prepared.

"What's wrong, Mr. Sorsby? Are you having second thoughts already?"

Kenneth didn't respond.

Hannah continued smiling. "Or perhaps you can't bear to watch Mr. Malcolm getting punished?"

No matter how shameless Kenneth was, he found it difficult to keep up the act in front of the barrage of questions. Especially since a beautiful young woman was the one asking them.

With a reluctant expression, he took the stick and glared at Malcolm. "Come here."

"Kenneth!" Malcolm exclaimed. He couldn't believe what was happening. "I'm your little brother!"

"Stop talking nonsense." Kenneth grew impatient. He had a fierce look in his eyes.

He chased after Malcolm and started beating him up with the stick in hand.

Hell, he didn't hold back at all.

Malcolm scurried around the room while screaming in pain. He was on the verge of tearing up.

"Stop! Stop hitting me!"

No one in this world wanted to get beaten up, that was for sure.

Pain flared continuously with each strike. At the same time, Malcolm could feel his dignity getting shredded. "Kenneth, take it easy! I'm your only brother!"

"Hmph! I'd rather not have a brother then!"

Kenneth might be a playboy, but he had a commanding presence when he was beating people up.

Andrew's hairs stood on their ends when he witnessed the scene. He couldn't help but glance at the couch.

Did Hannah come from the slums?

She was gorgeous, that was for sure. But she also possessed genuine elegance.

Most importantly, she was ruthless!

The living room was in a state of chaos for quite some time. Hannah finally put an end to the chaos when she noticed Malcolm looking very exhausted.

Nevertheless, she was still smiling. "Have you finally learned some manners, Mr. Malcolm?"

"I—" Malcolm's mind went blank.

He continued in an aggrieved tone, "Was that punishment really necessary? All I did was make an off-handed comment!"

"It seems that one round of beating wasn't enough," Hannah commented with a chuckle. "Mr. Sorbys—"

"No, please! One round is more than enough!" Malcolm exclaimed while clutching his sore butt. "I've learned my lesson! I'll be nice and polite from now on!"

"Say something then, Mr. Malcolm," Hannah said with satisfaction.

She looked at him with sparkling eyes. "You should prove to us that you've learned your lesson."

Malcolm shot a reluctant glare in Kenneth's direction, his eyes already reddened.

Kenneth looked like an enforcer since he was still wielding the stick.

Malcolm couldn't help but feel bitter after comparing Kenneth to Hannah.

"Life won't always give you lemons, Mr. Winchester. I know that you'll overcome your hardship in no time," Malcolm muttered begrudgingly.

Then, he raised his voice at Andrew. "Dude, I was talking nonsense. Don't take my words to heart."

"What makes you think you can call him 'dude'?"

Kenneth gritted his teeth while giving Malcolm a knock on the head.

"It's normal for young people to fight. Please don't mind them, Mr. Sorsby," Hannah said gently with her chin tilted. "You're free to leave now that the matter has been resolved. The door's that way."

It seemed that Hannah intended to kick the Sorsbys out of the house now that the matter was settled.

What a rude hostess.

Kenneth stroked his chin resentfully, not knowing how to respond to the gorgeous woman. Then again, her sweet voice still lingered in his mind.

How did Darren get so lucky?

Kenneth shot a sour glance at Darren, who appeared sullen. He then grabbed Malcolm and left.

Darren looked gloomy the whole time. He started to wheel himself away without saying a word.

"Mr. Winchester," Hannah gently said as she grabbed the handles of Darren's wheelchair. "Our guests have already left, but we have yet to issue an appropriate punishment to a certain someone in this family."

"Are you thinking of beating me up?" Andrew's eyebrows shot up. His unrestrained gaze was filled with disbelief.

Did Hannah seriously think she could lay a finger on Andrew?

Everyone knew that Andrew had a fiery temper. He wouldn't spare anyone's feelings when he was mad.

How on earth did she muster enough courage just to confront him?

"She's your sister-in-law," Darren said coldly as he lowered his gaze, thus hiding his emotions. "Go ahead."

Then, he left the room.

Hannah tilted her head as she watched the cold-looking man leave, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Alright, are you going to cooperate with me and stick your hand out? Or are we doing this the hard way?" She turned to look at Andrew while speaking.

What was the difference?

Andrew's expression was twisted into a furious snarl. There was a chance that he might pick a fight with Hannah soon.

Did Hannah seriously treat him like a kid who deserved to be punished?

Mrs. Tate watched the exchange fearfully from her spot.

Andrew was known for his temper and stubbornness. He would never take a beating lying down.

He approached Hannah while looking very grim. Then, he picked up the stick and proceeded to whack himself several times in a row. "I'll do it myself!"

Hannah was slightly surprised.

"Is this not enough?"

Andrew kept up the ferocious act despite the flaring pain. He raised the stick again in an attempt to strike himself.

Hannah was amused by the turn of events. She raised her hand to stop him.

"That's not it. I was thinking that I can let you off with a slap on the wrist. Say, three strikes on your palm should be enough."

"Only three strikes?" Andrew widened his eyes in confusion. "But Mr. Sorsby had struck Malcolm more than 30 times."

After all, Malcolm did look like he was in a world of pain by the time Kenneth was done.

Andrew wondered if he had gone crazy after striking himself with the stick. To think that he was actually jealous that Malcolm had received a heavier punishment.

"The reason why I had Mr. Sorsby beat Mr. Malcolm out was to appease you. Naturally, his punishment has to be a lot more severe in order to satisfy you."

Hannah continued while nodding, "Besides, I think it's unnecessary to administer my own family members harsh punishment."

Then, she frowned while taking in Andrew's appearance.

"Not only are your clothes unconventional, but your appearance is unkempt as well. To make things worse, you're the type who doesn't respect your own family, much less others. You'd better reflect on your behavior."

Andrew didn't hold back when he had whacked himself earlier, so all he could feel was pain. At the same time, he felt quite weird on the inside.

For some reason, he didn't mind that feeling at all.

"Madam …" Mrs. Tate felt that she had just witnessed a surreal incident.

It was rare to see Andrew, who had an explosive temper, being submissive when getting scolded. Not to mention, Malcolm was on the verge of tears when Kenneth took him away.

"Mr. Winchester had ordered a boutique to send a lineup of their latest fashionwear to you. Please take your pick, Madam. Also, the chef is preparing dinner now. Do you have any special requests?"

"I'm not picky. Just prepare Andrew's favorite dishes," Hannah responded.

In a way, she seemed like a mother who was trying to appease her son after punishing him.

"Yes, Madam," Mrs. Tate replied.

Hannah left Andrew standing alone in the living room as she moved to another room just to browse the fashionwear.

Andrew bit the insides of his cheeks silently. Surprisingly enough, he felt warm on the inside.

…

Bryan was in the midst of reporting the day's events to Darren. "Madam ignored Mr. Moore. Instead, she brought Mr. Andrew and Mr. Malcolm home."

Darren tapped his finger lightly while remaining silent. He fixed his gaze on the curtains which Hannah had pulled back earlier.

The curtains were left open. However, the room seemed to have become dull again after Hannah left.

The fragrance she left behind became fainter with time. Darren could feel a strong sense of darkness and solitude enveloping him once again.

He closed his eyes, his complexion turning pale.

Seeing this, Bryan hurriedly opened a drawer. "Sir, are your legs hurting again? Let me get your medication."

"Get out! Get! Out!"

Unable to control his anger, Darren grabbed a glass and hurled it onto the floor.

The room returned to silence. Darren's face contorted heavily as he suffered great pain in his legs.

He would've looked like a corpse had his chest not been heaving up and down the whole time.

Darren sat there for quite some time. Then, he could hear someone knocking on the door.

Hannah opened the door despite no response from Darren. She smiled as she gently said, "Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Winchester."

Darren opened his bloodshot eyes and stared at her coldly.

Hannah acted as if she saw nothing. She walked over to his side and crouched down.

"Thank you very much for the fashionwear and accessories. I really like them."

Darren was a good man. Although he was going through a tough time and was unable to keep his emotions under control, he was still considerate toward Hannah.

In contrast, Nigel had never noticed her lack of appropriate clothes in her previous life. To think that they were even married for such a long time …

Hannah's long curls swayed behind her. She tucked a stray lock behind her left ear, revealing her flawless side profile as well as her beautiful ear.

The curves of her body were clear for Darren to see thanks to her crouching position. At that moment, Hannah looked extremely captivating.

Darren shifted his gaze away. He murmured hoarsely, "It's nothing."

Now, Hannah resembled the true lady of the Winchester family.

"I've asked Mrs. Tate to prepare your favorite food," Hannah said with a smile. "I'll wheel you to the dining room for dinner."

As Hannah was about to get up, Darren grabbed her wrist.

His cold palm sent a chill down her spine. His brow now furrowed, Darren said, "I'm not going. Don't mind me. I'm not hungry."

Hannah might seem delicate, but in actuality, she was a stubborn woman.

She smiled as she withdrew her hand.

"No. Having meals together as a family is important. You should at least have a bowl of soup, even if you're not hungry."

Hannah added, "During the day, everyone is busy with their schedules. We can only gather as a family during meals. It's a rare chance to bond as a family. I like having meals together, Mr. Winchester, and I hope you will get used to it soon."