Realizing her own family’s identity documents were missing, meaning they couldn’t process the transfer anytime soon, Gavin’s wife made a bold move. She grabbed Joel’s identity documents and tore them up, sneering,
"You took our identity documents? I’ll tear up yours! There’s no way you’re taking our house!"
Seeing their plans crumble, Joel and Isla lost all sense of control.
"You bitch! You accuse me of stealing your identity documents and you even rip ours to shreds. Are you insane?"
Furious, Joel pushed past the security guards holding him back, stormed over, knocked Gavin’s wife to the ground, and kicked her twice with all his strength.
The security guard rushed over, twisted Joel’s hands behind his back, and forced him to his knees, shouting, "Assaulting someone in public is illegal! Anyone else causing a disturbance will be escorted to the police station."
Joel continued hurling insults, his mouth full of crude words that were impossible to ignore.
Gavin’s wife sat on the floor and sobbed. She pointed at him, exclaiming, "Everyone, please listen to me.
"My husband is the eldest, while he’s the second son. My husband has always supported his parents and grandparents. The agreement was that the relocation house would go to him, and Joel had no objection. But then he stole our identity documents to block our transfer."
Seeing her husband blamed and now restrained, while they smeared his reputation, Isla’s anger and resentment reached a boiling point.
She suddenly grabbed the property deed from the floor and tore it into pieces. She screamed hysterically, "If we can’t get the house because of you, you won’t get it either! If we’re going down, you’re coming with us!"
Hiding in the back of the crowd with a mask on, Maria almost wanted to applaud. She exclaimed silently, Well done!
The two brothers tore each other apart over a relocation house with an uncertain date. They probably would not be a family again afterward.
But this outcome was hardly a surprise to Maria.
From all she’d seen and heard of human nature, it wasn’t just a house in a first-tier city. Even several thousand dollars or a broken-down farmhouse in the countryside could drive families or relatives into bitter, physical fights. Avery knew exactly how to exploit these human weaknesses. Reflecting on this, Maria continued to enjoy the spectacle.
Just after being publicly beaten by Joel, Gavin’s wife now watched in horror as the property deed she’d worked so hard to retrieve was torn to shreds by Isla. With her pride and hopes shattered, she lost control entirely.
She launched herself at Isla, clawing and striking wildly. "You bitch, you stole our deed and tore it up! I’ll kill you!"
Ronan and Quentin saw the women brawling and rushed in to separate them.
When women resorted to physical fights, it meant they had reached the breaking point, their reason gone.
The result of two elderly men trying to intervene was that the enraged women pushed them aside.
Ronan, in his seventies, wasn’t gravely ill but had his share of ailments. He had rheumatism, calcium deficiency, and the like. Being suddenly shoved, he staggered back and fell to the ground, clutching his knee and groaning, "It hurts! My leg’s broken..."
At that moment, security guards finally managed to pull the two frenzied women apart and restrained them securely.
The women continued to shout at each other, prompting one of the officials to shake his head and say, "Take them all to the police station and let them sort this out."
Maria finally stepped forward, helping the guards lift Ronan and turning to Quentin. "Uncle Quentin, I’ll take Grandpa to the hospital. You go with them to the station and keep an eye on things."
Quentin, eager to avoid any medical bills, seized the opportunity to leave. "Thanks for that. I’ll head to the station."
As the Stevens family departed, the property office finally found some peace as closing time approached.
Meanwhile, Avery, who orchestrated this entire disaster for the Stevens family, was sitting comfortably in a movie theater, watching The King of Military Dogs with Alexander.
Just like any other week, Alexander had quietly come down to Rosemont City to meet her. They didn’t do much—usually just had a meal together and talked about what they’d been up to or any amusing stories they’d encountered recently.
Unlike their usual meetups, Zayn’s movie, The King of Military Dogs, had just premiered yesterday with strong reviews and a solid box office start. So, after meeting up, Avery and Alexander decided to watch it together.
At the end of last year, the production had switched directors and replaced the explosive scenes involving the military dogs with special effects. Only then did Zayn agree to return and finish shooting. However, the production team had been uncertain about the film’s release date and its profitability, delaying the premiere.
But just last weekend, Zayn’s TV series, Lockwood’s Detective Diary, had an explosive debut, catapulting him to one of the most talked-about stars of the summer. His popularity skyrocketed, drawing massive attention.
The production team sensed the opportunity, and with no major blockbusters scheduled, they decided to fast-track The King of Military Dogs to theaters.
The result was surprisingly good. The first day raked in over ten million dollars at the box office, and today it even surged upward, showing potential to become this summer’s dark horse in ticket sales.
"Zayn’s performance was impressive," Alexander said thoughtfully after watching the film. "Even though he plays to his strengths, the depth he brings to the role is natural and genuine. It moved me."
He made a mental note to discreetly suggest to Louis and Harold to organize company screenings to bolster Zayn’s box office numbers.
Objectively, Alexander also felt Zayn deserved a nomination for a reputable film award in the Best Newcomer category. He’d leave the task to Louis.
Avery nodded proudly. "I think so too."
The two of them, masked, continued their conversation as they walked into the upscale restaurant they’d reserved in advance. Seated in a discreet corner, they ordered a spread of delicious dishes. While waiting, Avery kept glancing at her phone, chuckling to herself.
Alexander raised an eyebrow. "Miss Carter, did something good happen? You look especially pleased."