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But even as conflicting emotions swirled within her, Mrs. Evans couldn’t deny the relief that settled in her heart. Regardless of the twists and turns that fate had thrown their way, her real daughter had still ended up with her intended fiancé—without any influence from family ties.

Before Duke could respond, a movement from behind caught everyone’s attention.

Mr. and Mrs. Winters stepped forward, gently pushing past Vulture and Tristan. They were followed closely by the Patriarch, his piercing gaze fixed on the unfolding scene.

"What’s the matter? Can’t my grandson choose his own wife? What era are we living in? Do we still have to control a man’s life choices, especially now that the world has changed so drastically?"

The patriarch’s firm and unwavering voice echoed through the open space, leaving no room for argument.

His stance was clear—he was standing by his grandson, ready to confront the Evans family if they dared to bring up the long-standing engagement between their families in an attempt to force Duke and his wife apart.

He was more than satisfied with his granddaughter-in-law. Not only was she capable and kind, but she also took great care of her people. More importantly, she made his grandson truly happy, and that was something he would not allow anyone to take away.

If the Evans wished to challenge this, so be it. Even if it meant going head-to-head with them, he would not back down. As the patriarch of the Winters family, he would use every ounce of his authority to make his stance known.

Realizing the Winters patriarch’s stance, Mr. Evans took a step forward, his expression calm as he offered a slight smile.

"Why don’t we continue this conversation somewhere more private?

After all, this matter concerns not just two—" He paused briefly, his gaze shifting toward the Aldens before continuing, "—but three families.

This situation requires further explanation, and perhaps, once everything is laid out, we can clarify the misunderstandings and discuss the best course of action together. "

Mr. Evans was subtly hinting at the need to involve the Aldens and Winters in a deeper conversation—one where he and his wife could finally reveal the truth about Kisha’s origins. She was, in fact, the Evans’ long-lost daughter, missing for decades.

However, his words were misinterpreted by everyone who heard it, leading to an entirely different assumption.

The Winters assumed that Mr. Evans was trying to dissuade them from the union, possibly using the long-standing engagement agreement between the two families as leverage.

Meanwhile, the Aldens believed there was some undisclosed arrangement between the Winters and Evans, with Kisha caught in the middle, which immediately put them on edge.

Unlike Grandpa Alden, who remained wary of Duke, Grandma Alden had already taken a liking to him. She had observed their interactions before Kisha and Duke left for City B and wholeheartedly supported her granddaughter’s choice.

As for Grandpa Alden, though he had been furious with Duke earlier, his anger was more about the rapid changes in Kisha’s life than any real resentment toward the young man.

However, when Mr. Evans spoke and suggested relocating the discussion, his serious demeanor put Grandpa Alden further on guard. He wouldn’t allow anyone to pressure Kisha or take Duke away from her.

The happiest among them all was Melody, convinced that her father would fight for her and use their long-standing family alliance to force Duke to separate from Kisha.

She was certain that the Winters wouldn’t risk breaking their deep-rooted friendship over an unfamiliar woman they had only known for a month.

After all, she had grown up close to the Winters—they had witnessed her childhood, knew her character, and had always been part of her life.

In her mind, the favor should be in her hands, especially with so many people supporting her relationship with Duke.

Although Mrs. Evans remained calm, knowing exactly what her husband intended, the Evans brothers couldn’t help but feel a bit concerned for Kisha.

They loved Melody, but they didn’t want to make things difficult for their long-lost sister.

Kisha had already endured countless injustices and had spent years suffering outside their protection.

Now, her happiness was their priority above all else.

In their determination to stand by her, they momentarily forgot about Melody and how she might feel if they supported Kisha’s relationship with Duke.

While everyone was lost in their own thoughts, Duke’s grip on Kisha’s waist tightened. No matter what anyone said, no one would interfere with his decision.

If push came to shove, he wouldn’t hesitate to use force against anyone who tried to take Kisha away from him.

A cold, menacing aura radiated from him as he locked eyes with the Evans, his stance unwavering.

Sensing the tension, Keith and Grandpa Aldens instinctively positioned themselves protectively in front of Kisha, making it clear that they wouldn’t let anyone threaten her.

Mr. and Mrs. Evans misinterpreted the protective stance of the Aldens and Winters toward Kisha. They began to suspect that the families had caught on to something and were deliberately reluctant to acknowledge Kisha as the Evans’ long-lost daughter.

This realization made the Evans couple exchange nervous glances, while the Winters couple’s expressions hardened as they observed them.

Sensing the tension, Mrs. Winters stepped forward and gently took Grandma Aldens’ hands in hers.

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"Aunty, don’t worry. We’ll handle this—we won’t let you be at a disadvantage," she reassured her.

However, her words were once again misinterpreted by the Evans couple, who mistakenly believed that Mrs. Winters was siding with the Aldens to keep Kisha from returning to them.

The situation grew more complicated by the second as misunderstandings piled up on all sides. Each person had their own assumptions, fueling the tension in the air.

Unaware of the growing misconceptions, Kisha remained focused on what she did know—Melody was supposedly Duke’s fiancée in name only, a title he had never acknowledged. But that didn’t matter to Kisha. It wasn’t in her nature to surrender what was rightfully hers.

’Over her dead body.’ If anyone tried to take what belonged to her, she would crush them without hesitation.

Her bottom line had always been her family. Now, the Winters and Duke were part of that, and she would never allow anyone to harm them.

Just as the friction between the two families seemed ready to escalate, a new voice suddenly cut through the tense atmosphere from somewhere behind the crowd.

"Eh?! Master! Young Madam! You actually came?!"

The familiar voice made Kisha, Duke, Vulture, Tristan, and everyone from the Winters freeze in place. Their heads snapped toward the source of the voice, eyes wide with shock.

"W-What’s wrong? Why are you all looking at me like that?

" The man shifted uncomfortably under their intense stares.

"Uh… is it because I didn’t report back?

" He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, deliberately avoiding their piercing gazes, which felt like they could burn a hole through him.

’Did I really make them that mad?’ he wondered, trying his best not to meet their eyes.

Before anyone could respond, more people emerged from behind him, their expressions a mix of shock and curiosity at seeing Duke, Kisha, and their entourage.

Among them were unfamiliar faces—new survivors who had clearly been taken in by the hidden base. It was evident that they were people from the surrounding area who had somehow managed to make it inside.

"Ah! A ghost!" Vulture exclaimed, pointing at the new arrival. The others followed suit, all eyes fixated on the newcomer without blinking. However, the newcomer was just as confused about what was happening and why Vulture and the others were acting that way.

He could only stare at Vulture and the rest, opening his mouth and then closing it, overwhelmed with questions he didn’t know how to ask.

Vulture felt uncertain about his emotions upon seeing the person in front of him, but more than anything, he felt angry.

Why was he angry? It was because he felt cheated and that his emotions were played with all this time when he grieved and cried for his lost brother, but what happened?

Who was the person making Vulture angry? And why was he acting so strongly right now? Was he alone in feeling this way? No, he wasn’t alone; there were more people feeling the same thing. Confusion and more confusion washed over them as they stared at the person.

"Why the hell are you alive, Sparrow!" Vulture roared as he lunged at Sparrow, who remained clueless.

"What the hell do you mean, ’Why am I alive’?

Do you really want me to die that badly, you asshole?

" Sparrow shouted angrily as Vulture kicked him in the ass. Since he didn’t expect it, he was sent to the ground, and no one helped him up.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Sparrow added, looking at everyone who stared at him as if they were seeing a ghost.

Sparrow was happy to see everyone after he thought he wouldn’t make it, he thought that everyone would be glad to see him and know that he had survived, but what was this reaction?

How are they greeting him like he wasn’t supposed to be alive and yet he was?

He felt wronged and angry, especially at Vulture who reacted the strongest.