Ella tightly gripped his hand, her eyes gradually reddening from the disdain she saw in James’s gaze.
"You don’t even live here anymore, so what’s the point of keeping the room? Didn’t you say you don’t recognize me as your father? Whether you stay or not makes no difference," James sneered, not backing down as he stared at Eric.
Ella pursed her lips, then let out a small, mocking laugh.
"You’re using such shameless and domineering tactics just to claim a room," Ella said coolly, her eyes full of scorn as she looked at Henry.
"Shut up! You have no right to speak, you outsider!" James snapped coldly.
Ella chuckled softly, "Old Mr. Nelson, as the former CEO of Nelson Group, don’t you think forcing Mr. Nelson out of his home with these underhanded tactics is both childish and vile? If you want to drive him out, at least use some real skills."
Ella’s voice was light, but it struck hard. Henry’s face darkened, and Grace quickly stepped forward, "Henry, stop talking. Hurry and move everything back out!"
"Oh, Mrs. Miller, you’re quite amusing. First, you have someone’s belongings thrown out without Mr. Nelson’s consent, and now you pretend to be all concerned, telling your son to move them back. You’re quite the actress. If you were truly worried about causing a conflict, you would have stopped your son from the beginning, wouldn’t you?"
Ella’s words were as cold as the bitter chill of winter, yet they warmed Eric’s heart. No matter what he was facing, he was truly grateful to have Ella by his side.
"Miss Davis, how could you say such things!" Grace’s face turned pale, her expression full of feigned hurt.
James’s eyes blazed with anger, as if trying to crush Ella with his sheer willpower. But she wasn’t afraid; she remained cool and indifferent, standing firmly by Eric’s side.
Eric gently wrapped an arm around her waist, "Sweetheart, talking to beasts—they’ll never understand."
"You ungrateful brat! Do you even know what you’re saying?" James roared, his face flushed with rage, veins bulging on his forehead.
Eric narrowed his eyes, "See? Like I said, beasts can’t understand human words."
James was instantly enraged, raising his fist to strike Eric.
Ella was quickly shielded by Eric, while Grace hurriedly grabbed James’s arm, trying to calm him down. "James, don’t get angry. I told you not to move his things, but you insisted. Now you’ve gone and upset Eric..."
"Grace, spare us your disgusting act. If it weren’t for you seducing this beast, my mother would never have jumped to her death," Eric sneered, his eyes full of contempt as he looked at Henry. "What’s wrong, angry now? If you’re so tough, come at me!"
Henry responded coldly, "Fighting someone like you would only dirty my hands."
This high-and-mighty son of a mistress actually thought he was in the right. "You’ve made so many mistakes, yet Mom and Dad still defend you. It’s pathetic."
"The second young master’s logic is truly twisted. You scheme to force Eric out and then call it ’defending’ him? Tsk, tsk. I think you should see a psychiatrist!" Ella was so angry that she laughed. What kind of family is this?
Their skin is so thick, they must have forgotten the meaning of shame!
They would stoop so low, all over the right to a room. Truly, they are a perfect match—no wonder they’re all in the same family!
Eric, holding her close, walked further into the room, the sarcasm in his voice deepening. "Sky blue bed sheets, purple curtains, pink ceiling... Tsk, this is hideous! I can’t believe they turned my room into such an eyesore so quickly!"
James stood outside, trembling with rage. If Grace hadn’t been holding him back, he might have jumped in to throw a punch.
"You ungrateful son! You’re not welcome here—get out!" James roared, and for a fleeting moment, a glint of satisfaction flashed in Grace’s eyes before it quickly disappeared.
"And what exactly is my crime that justifies you throwing me out ?" Eric asked, surprisingly calm, turning his head slightly. His smile was faint, but his entire presence exuded a dark, menacing aura, with his eyes filled with a bloodthirsty gleam.
"In my eyes, you are the mistake—your very existence is wrong!" James shouted in fury. Ella was stunned; how deep did the rift between father and son go for James to speak to Eric ?
Her heart ached, but Eric gently patted her shoulder. "It’ll be over soon."
Ella had no idea what Eric was planning until he pulled a lighter out of his pocket. With a swift flick, he ignited the flame and set it to the bedsheet.
"Ah!" Grace screamed in horror, her face turning ghostly pale.
Eric grabbed Ella’s hand and quickly led her out of the room as the bedsheet caught fire and began to burn rapidly. This act only fueled James’s madness. With a roar, he broke free from Grace’s grip and swung a fist at Eric.
Eric smirked, dodging the punch effortlessly. He grabbed James’s hand and yanked it hard, causing James to cry out in pain.
James’s arm had been dislocated! Eric had secretly been training in Taekwondo ever since he left the country.
Ella’s heart was pounding in her chest, cold sweat dripping down her back as she anxiously feared that Eric might get hurt.
Henry’s face turned pale as he rushed forward, shouting, "Let go of my father!"
Eric glanced at the now pale, sweat-soaked James and sneered, "Weren’t you just so full of yourself? Telling me to get out—why don’t you try and knock me down? James, from the day you exiled me, from the moment you cut off all my living expenses, from the day you sent someone to assassinate me, you ceased to be my father."
With a powerful shove, Eric threw James towards Henry.
Henry barely managed to catch his father, who was on the verge of collapsing, utterly shocked by what he had just heard from his older brother.
He knew James disliked Eric, but he had no idea that Eric’s past had been so harrowing!
"What nonsense are you spouting?" James yelled, his voice trembling with rage. "How dare you spew such lies? You ungrateful son, you’re going to be the death of me!"
"Sorry, but I think you’ll live a long time yet! Ella, let’s go. If we stay here any longer, we’ll just get dirty," Eric said with a cold smile, while Grace’s legs buckled beneath her, and she began shouting.
"Someone help... there’s a fire! A fire!"
Inside the room was a painting worth millions, one that Grace had specially hung up for Henry out of love for her son. But now...
"I’m telling you, if you take my room again, I’ll burn it again! If you have the guts, don’t ever let me in, or better yet, declare publicly that we are no longer father and son!" Eric’s smile was laced with malice. He had long harbored deep hatred for James, the man who had not only ruined his mother’s life but had also forced him to leave home at a young age, to fend for himself in a foreign land.
Eric held Ella close as they left, while upstairs, chaos erupted. The fire had already spread to the headboard, consuming the multimillion-dollar painting.
"Ah! James... that was Henry’s favorite painting...!" Grace wailed, her eyes rolling back as she fainted on the spot.
With thick smoke billowing, James had no choice but to grit his teeth through the pain and help Henry drag Grace out of the room.