The Unbroken Warlord

Chapter 7

"Mother-in-law," Callen called out.

"Don't call me that! I don't want to hear it!" Camila snapped, her face twisted in disgust.

Five years ago, she had welcomed Callen with open arms. Back then, the Carter family was just a small clan, and marrying Ivy off to a soldier was seen as a good fortune.

But with all the nasty rumors surrounding him now, accepting Callen back would only make them the laughingstock of the city. Camila couldn't afford to let their reputation fall any lower.

"Ivy, what do you think you're doing? Get him out of here right now!"

"I'm letting him stay here for a while, Mom," Ivy replied calmly.

"What?" Camila shouted. "Didn't you say you'd already moved on from him?!"

"I have. But he has nowhere else to go. No matter what happened, he's still Lily's father. I can't let him sleep out on the streets."

"You've got to be kidding! I won't accept this. Get him out!" Camila roared.

"Please, Mom. Just let him stay for a bit," Ivy pleaded.

"No way!" Camila barked back. But then, a thought crossed her mind. A sly smile slowly appeared on her lips.

This is the perfect chance, she thought. If she handed Lily over to Callen, nothing would stop Ivy from marrying a wealthy man later.

"Fine. You can stay here for a while," Camila finally said.

Ivy frowned at her mother's sudden change of tone. She could sense Camila was planning something, but chose not to push it further.

"Thank you, Mother-in-law," Callen said with a broad smile.

"But starting today, you'll be doing all the housework," Camila added.

Callen nodded eagerly.

Meanwhile, at the Collins estate.

"What happened to my son?!" Liam Collins thundered.

He had just received news that his son had lost his mind. At first, he thought it was a mistake. But now, seeing it with his own eyes, there was no doubt. His son was not only mentally unstable but also covered in bruises.

Jade stared blankly at the wall. When Liam reached out to touch him, he screamed and curled up in fear. "No! Don't touch me! Get away! You're evil!"

Liam's face darkened. Jade was his only son. If he went insane, who would inherit the business?

"How did this happen?" he growled.

The butler stepped forward. "I'm not sure of the details, Sir. But it may have something to do with last night. Young Master was humiliated in public."

"Humiliated? Who in Avenfall City would dare humiliate my son?"

"It was Ivy Carter, Sir."

"That wretched woman everyone's been gossiping about?"

"Yes, Sir. She didn't just reject him. She humiliated him in front of a crowd. Today he went to get revenge, and when he came back… he was like this."

Liam's rage exploded. "Ivy Carter! How dare you turn my son into a lunatic?!"

"Cut all business ties with the Carter family! Let the city know Ivy has made an enemy of me! If they still want to work with us, that woman must crawl to me and beg for forgiveness!"

He glanced at Jade. "Charlie, find the best psychiatrist in the capital. Fix him!" he ordered the butler.

"Yes, Sir," Charlie replied quietly.

Soon after, a doctor arrived and examined Jade.

"Well? Can my son be cured?" Liam demanded.

"T-This…" The doctor's face went pale. His voice trembled. "His condition is severe, Sir. He must have suffered a traumatic experience. Cases like this usually happen to soldiers who've been through war. Recovery will be extremely difficult."

"Don't give me riddles! Can you cure him or not?"

The doctor wrung his hands. "To be honest, Sir… I don't think there's any hope."

"What did you just say? Are you telling me my son will be insane for the rest of his life?!" Liam shouted, his face red with fury.

"Please, calm down, Mr. Collins," the doctor begged, wiping sweat from his forehead. He was terrified of offending Liam. If he did, his career could be over.

"There's still a chance I'm wrong. I have contacts with a top psychiatrist in the capital. I can bring him here to examine your son."

Liam snorted. "Hmph! You should've said that from the start. Stop wasting my time! Bring him here immediately."

"Yes, Sir."

"Have you done what I ordered?" Liam turned to Charlie again.

"Your words have been delivered clearly."

At the Carter mansion, the gentle scent of tea floated through the lavish Western-style living room. A crystal chandelier glowed overhead, casting soft light across the glossy white marble floor.

In the center sat an elderly woman, her posture graceful in a velvet-covered armchair. She was Florence, the current head of the Carter family.

Her face was lined with age, but her gaze was sharp and steady. She sipped her tea, while her daughter-in-law, Ava, stood behind her, giving her a light shoulder massage.

The quiet atmosphere was suddenly broken.

"Mother! Something terrible has happened!" a loud voice echoed from the hallway.

Noah, Florence's eldest son, rushed into the room, panting heavily. Panic spread across his face.

Florence frowned, annoyed by the interruption. She calmly set her teacup down on the table.

Ava stopped massaging and turned to her husband with a scolding glare. "Why are you shouting like that, dear? What if you gave Mother a heart attack?" she whispered, though still trying to maintain decorum.

Florence raised a hand, signaling Ava to be quiet. Her sharp gaze locked on Noah.

"Speak clearly, Noah. What happened?" she said in a low voice.

Noah quickly sat beside her. "Mother, it's Ivy! That cursed girl just brought a disaster down on us!"

Florence's wrinkles deepened. "What did you say? Explain."

"She… she made Jade go insane!" Noah said, voice rising. "Now the Collins family has cut all ties with us! All our major projects have been canceled. Our stocks are plummeting. We've lost billions!"

A heavy silence fell over the room.

"Jade Collins?" Ava asked, stunned.

Even though the Carters had recently risen to become one of the city's elite families, they were still no match for the Collins. Offending them could ruin everything.

"That witch Ivy! She's already been cast out of this family, and she's still bringing trouble!" Ava hissed.

"I told you, Mother! We should've kicked her out of the city, not just the house! You insisted on being soft-hearted and giving her a job at our company. Look at what's happened now!" Noah added, frustrated.

Florence struck her cane against the marble floor. "Enough. Our focus should be on repairing our relationship with the Collins family. Did they say anything else?"

"Yes! They said, if we want to continue doing business, Ivy must crawl to Liam Collins and beg for forgiveness."

Florence's eyes turned cold. She barked, "Then what are you waiting for? Bring that woman here right now!"