Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 381: Chapter 381

Sophia's tearful complaints ignited outrage among the self-proclaimed justice warriors. They branded Shawn as a scumbag and Zoe as a homewrecker, immediately launching into verbal attacks against her.
"Get the hell out of here!"
"Homewreckers like you deserve to rot in hell!"
"Can't believe what I'm seeing. Kick this slut out!"
Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted, "Hit her!" And, shockingly, someone actually raised a fist at Zoe.
Sophia sneered inwardly, 'Zoe, let's see how you handle this mess in public.'
Zoe sneered—she knew trouble like this was coming. But before she could even react, Shawn lost his patience and struck first.
Shawn's punches left a trail of battered men with swollen, bruised faces in their wake.
With Shawn striking out, the scene plunged into even deeper chaos.
Rick led the other Elders to surround Shawn. He thundered, "Shawn, have you forgotten who you are? Acting out in public like this—you've disgraced every soldier of Clusia!"
"Rick, stop pretending," Shawn said coldly. "If your White family hadn't been pushing me to the edge, I wouldn't have been forced into this."
Even now, he was still holding back from openly breaking with the White family. That alone was already showing them more than enough respect.
But if the White family kept pushing him like this, he wouldn't hold back anymore. He'd face whatever consequences came his way.
'Even someone as composed as Shawn is being pushed to his limit. There must be more to this than I know. What exactly has the White family done?' Zoe thought.
Sophia pleaded, "Shawn, please, don't keep making the same mistake. We—"
"Shut up," Zoe snapped.
Sophia, fearing another blow, immediately shielded her face with both hands in panic—a pitiful sight.
Zoe turned to Rick, her gaze sharp. "If you have a problem, come at me. Leave him out of this." Her voice turned icy. "Or do you actually enjoy being the outsiders' laughingstock?"
A public fallout between Clusia's Elders and the legendary warrior? That would be an international laughingstock.
Rick and the other Elders wore grim expressions, but their plan was already in motion. There was no turning back now. The only option left was to force Shawn to publicly cut ties with Zoe himself.
"Shawn, this is your last chance. Cut all ties with her and return to the White family immediately. Or you'll face the consequences," said Rick.
Shawn stared coldly at Rick, torn between choices. He couldn't deny his true feelings, yet abandoning Zoe's family was equally unthinkable.
In Rick's eyes, Shawn's silence and inaction amounted to outright defiance.
"Shawn, come here, now." His voice was an iron command, leaving no room for refusal.
Zoe couldn't take it anymore. Just as she was about to step in, someone suddenly stepped forward.
"Wait, make way! What's going on here?" A man pushed through the crowd, his voice cutting through the chaos.
His eyes shot wide open in stunned disbelief when he spotted Zoe. "You..."
Sophia, thinking this was yet another of Zoe's old flames, immediately challenged her. "Looks like another one of your old flames has shown up, Zoe. You're so filthy. How do you even have the nerve to stay by Shawn's side?"
Before Zoe could react, a few more people pushed their way through the crowd. All of them were still in the dark about what was happening.
But the moment their eyes landed on Zoe, their faces mirrored the first man's expression—shock, excitement, and a tangle of other unreadable emotions flickering across their features.
Seeing this, Sophia sneered with even more disdain, "Wow, Zoe, I never realized you had so many exes. Just how many favors have you traded your body for?
"No wonder you're always throwing money around. That's where it all comes from, huh? You're absolutely revolting."
Rick also snapped, "Shawn, look at this shameless creature! Are you really going to forget your status and abandon your honor for such trash?"