Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 173: Chapter 173
You are reading Their Mistake, Her Rise, Chapter 173: Chapter 173. Read more chapters of Their Mistake, Her Rise.
Shawn was caught off guard for a split second by Zoe's bold move, but as soon as she finished her dramatic act and tried to pull away, she suddenly felt his arm tighten around her, pulling her soft waist firmly into his embrace.
Pressed tightly together, Shawn took control and deepened the kiss, dragging it out—twenty seconds, thirty seconds... A whole minute passed and he still wouldn't let her go. The crowd erupted again.
Joseph and Shawn's uncles were completely stunned. They never could have imagined the two of them would be so brazen—doing something so outrageous in public, right in front of their eyes.
Meanwhile, Zoe hadn't expected Shawn to flip the script and take charge, turning their kiss into a tug-of-war for dominance, refusing to let her go.
"You...you all... Shawn, you!" Joseph was so furious he started to stutter. Maybe they could afford to lose face, but the Ludwig family absolutely couldn't. In a fit of rage, he grabbed his cane and swung it at them.
Shawn reacted instantly, letting go of Zoe and spinning her out of the way, dodging Joseph's sneak attack with ease.
Joseph's swing hit nothing but air. He tried to go at it again, but no one at his age could possibly take on Shawn. He didn't even get close, and ended up panting and out of breath.
Joseph's legs were shaking with anger, and the faces of Shawn's uncles all looked pretty grim.
Someone hurried over to steady Joseph, taking the chance to scold, "Shawn, you've really crossed the line. All this just for a woman? Aren't you afraid the whole world will call you an unfilial son who puts a woman before his own family?"
"That's right, unfilial son!"
"Love-brained idiot!"
The elders were really getting creative with their insults—even "love-brained idiot" made the list. That was a new one.
"I just don't want to be your pawn. You all know exactly why you're pushing for this marriage alliance. And since ancient times, you can't have both loyalty to your country and to your family. My loyalty is enough," said Shawn.
Shawn thought, 'These so-called members of the Ludwig family are willing to use my marriage and my life as bargaining chips for the family's benefit, treating me like a chess piece. So why should I bother talking about filial piety with people like that?
'They simply don't deserve it. They aren't worthy of their positions.'
Shawn's words, proud and unyielding, left the Ludwig elders completely speechless.
That's right, they'd forgotten that Shawn belonged to Clusia. He was the legendary warrior, not just Ludwig. If the family tried to force hand in his marriage, even the higher-ups wouldn't stand for it.
The Ludwigs might try to guilt Shawn with morality, but the people at the top wouldn't buy it. If they pushed too hard and angered those above, even as one of the two great families in Jelonsburg, the Ludwig family would suffer.
As the real power, the higher-ups could crush them with a flick of a finger.
Going against Shawn would only bring disaster to the Ludwig family. Besides, with his status as the legendary warrior, even the top brass had to show him respect.
What's more, the family might need to rely on Shawn's status in the future just to keep their footing. After weighing the pros and cons, everyone in the Ludwig family knew exactly what they had to do.
Even a few of Shawn's uncles started trying to talk Grandpa Ludwig out of it.
"Alright, Mr. Joseph Ludwig, you do what you think is best," one of them said.
"If we keep arguing like this, it'll never end," another chimed in.
"Joseph, we uncles can't really step in anymore, and we won't," added another.
Seeing all these men back off, Joseph knew he couldn't keep pushing. But the idea of someone like Zoe joining the Ludwig family was something he just couldn't accept.
After weighing his options, Joseph calmed himself, his sharp, calculating eyes landing on Zoe. On the surface, he seemed to give in, but in reality, he was already setting up a new scheme.
Joseph said, "Fine. Since you're so determined to marry into the Ludwig family, I won't let anyone say I only care about power. I'll give you a chance—but you'll have to make a bet with me," he said, looking straight at Zoe.
"I'd like to ask the reporters here to be our witnesses, so no one can back out later," he added.
Joseph said, "The terms of this bet are pretty straightforward."
As he spoke, Joseph fixed Zoe with a piercing stare and said, word for word, "I want you to help me find a miracle doctor.
"I don't know his real name. All I know is that people call him Mr. Lewind. He's a priest with incredible medical skills. He can bring the dead back to life and heal the gravest injuries.
"If you can track him down and have him cure my wife, then I'll agree to let you marry into the Ludwig family."
Pressed tightly together, Shawn took control and deepened the kiss, dragging it out—twenty seconds, thirty seconds... A whole minute passed and he still wouldn't let her go. The crowd erupted again.
Joseph and Shawn's uncles were completely stunned. They never could have imagined the two of them would be so brazen—doing something so outrageous in public, right in front of their eyes.
Meanwhile, Zoe hadn't expected Shawn to flip the script and take charge, turning their kiss into a tug-of-war for dominance, refusing to let her go.
"You...you all... Shawn, you!" Joseph was so furious he started to stutter. Maybe they could afford to lose face, but the Ludwig family absolutely couldn't. In a fit of rage, he grabbed his cane and swung it at them.
Shawn reacted instantly, letting go of Zoe and spinning her out of the way, dodging Joseph's sneak attack with ease.
Joseph's swing hit nothing but air. He tried to go at it again, but no one at his age could possibly take on Shawn. He didn't even get close, and ended up panting and out of breath.
Joseph's legs were shaking with anger, and the faces of Shawn's uncles all looked pretty grim.
Someone hurried over to steady Joseph, taking the chance to scold, "Shawn, you've really crossed the line. All this just for a woman? Aren't you afraid the whole world will call you an unfilial son who puts a woman before his own family?"
"That's right, unfilial son!"
"Love-brained idiot!"
The elders were really getting creative with their insults—even "love-brained idiot" made the list. That was a new one.
"I just don't want to be your pawn. You all know exactly why you're pushing for this marriage alliance. And since ancient times, you can't have both loyalty to your country and to your family. My loyalty is enough," said Shawn.
Shawn thought, 'These so-called members of the Ludwig family are willing to use my marriage and my life as bargaining chips for the family's benefit, treating me like a chess piece. So why should I bother talking about filial piety with people like that?
'They simply don't deserve it. They aren't worthy of their positions.'
Shawn's words, proud and unyielding, left the Ludwig elders completely speechless.
That's right, they'd forgotten that Shawn belonged to Clusia. He was the legendary warrior, not just Ludwig. If the family tried to force hand in his marriage, even the higher-ups wouldn't stand for it.
The Ludwigs might try to guilt Shawn with morality, but the people at the top wouldn't buy it. If they pushed too hard and angered those above, even as one of the two great families in Jelonsburg, the Ludwig family would suffer.
As the real power, the higher-ups could crush them with a flick of a finger.
Going against Shawn would only bring disaster to the Ludwig family. Besides, with his status as the legendary warrior, even the top brass had to show him respect.
What's more, the family might need to rely on Shawn's status in the future just to keep their footing. After weighing the pros and cons, everyone in the Ludwig family knew exactly what they had to do.
Even a few of Shawn's uncles started trying to talk Grandpa Ludwig out of it.
"Alright, Mr. Joseph Ludwig, you do what you think is best," one of them said.
"If we keep arguing like this, it'll never end," another chimed in.
"Joseph, we uncles can't really step in anymore, and we won't," added another.
Seeing all these men back off, Joseph knew he couldn't keep pushing. But the idea of someone like Zoe joining the Ludwig family was something he just couldn't accept.
After weighing his options, Joseph calmed himself, his sharp, calculating eyes landing on Zoe. On the surface, he seemed to give in, but in reality, he was already setting up a new scheme.
Joseph said, "Fine. Since you're so determined to marry into the Ludwig family, I won't let anyone say I only care about power. I'll give you a chance—but you'll have to make a bet with me," he said, looking straight at Zoe.
"I'd like to ask the reporters here to be our witnesses, so no one can back out later," he added.
Joseph said, "The terms of this bet are pretty straightforward."
As he spoke, Joseph fixed Zoe with a piercing stare and said, word for word, "I want you to help me find a miracle doctor.
"I don't know his real name. All I know is that people call him Mr. Lewind. He's a priest with incredible medical skills. He can bring the dead back to life and heal the gravest injuries.
"If you can track him down and have him cure my wife, then I'll agree to let you marry into the Ludwig family."
End of Their Mistake, Her Rise Chapter 173. Continue reading Chapter 174 or return to Their Mistake, Her Rise book page.