Chapter 595

Jason and Nydia stared at Ivan with a mix of shock and deep emotion etching their faces.

Pressured by the mounting difficulties that seemed to suffocate their young love, the couple was moved beyond words to find an ally in the Dempsey family, willing to extend a helping hand in their time of need. This act of kindness, a beacon in the storm, held more value and poignancy than ever.

"Ivan! How dare you speak to your mother like that?"

Dave couldn't hold back his fury any longer. He rose abruptly, pointing an accusatory finger at Ivan's stern face. "Your mother has slaved away her whole life, working her fingers to the bone to raise you three boys into men. And this is how you repay her? Disappointment? Are you and Jason trying to drive us to death?"

Cedric, seizing the opportunity, played the victim to absolve himself, his words dripping with exaggerated pathos. "Mom! Dad! Look at this. Do they even care about us anymore? We always say 'Save for a rainy day'. I'm the only one who truly has your backs. These two have always turned away from us!"

Remembering how Jason and Ivan had teamed up against him in court, Cedric was enraged. "Ivan! If you have a problem, come at me! Both of you, just come at me! Mom's health can't withstand this barrage of attacks!"

Ivan couldn't help but let out a cold laugh, his gaze filled with contempt and disgust as he stared at his older brother. "You think I'm not here for you?

You think you can get away with it?"

Cedric shuddered violently!

"For years, under my very nose, you've done unspeakable things. You think I'm unaware? Your constant belittling and bullying of Jason—do you think I'm blind to it?"

Ivan took a deep breath, his heart aching, as regret filled his reddened eyes. "I regret not exposing your venomous and deceitful nature sooner, not reporting your misdeeds over the years. You should have known there's always a higher power, that there's still such a thing as 'justice' in this world!"

"Ivan!" Cedric's face turned the color of fresh liver.

Ivan, usually so quiet and detached, now unrelentingly pinned him to the pillar of shame with his words.

Mrs. Dempsey was equally stunned by her normally calm son's outburst, her mouth hanging open in shock as she looked at Cedric.

"What report? What misdeeds?"

Dave stepped forward, his eyes wide with shock. "Cedric, is what Ivan saying true? What the hell is going on here?"

Ivan coldly regarded Cedric. "Oh, so even now, you've told our parents nothing. You, the so-called dutiful son, still deceiving them. No wonder you can stand there so self-righteously, spinning your lies! You probably don't even realize that just half an hour ago, you were denounced by a group of lawyers from your own firm. You're suspected of embezzling company funds, bribery, and even money laundering. Your firm has been sealed off!"

"Sealed off? Denounced? Who— who dares?" Cedric's panic broke through his defenses, his outburst revealing his true colors.

Just then, his phone vibrated.

With trembling hands, he read the message, and his mind reeled with fresh agony.

Ivan wasn't bluffing. His firm had indeed been shut down. The photo sent by his assistant showed the office doors sealed with official notices, a stark and public humiliation.

To add insult to injury, the assistant's message was a final blow.

[Mr. Cedric, consider this my official resignation. I've had enough of your tyranny. You've brought this upon yourself with your arrogance. I refuse to be your lackey any longer. If it weren't for the law, I'd have dealt with you myself! Farewell, and good riddance!]

Clenching his phone, Cedric's hand shook uncontrollably with rage.

The world had turned on him, and he felt like a fallen king mocked by his subjects.

"I haven't wronged you with a single word. You brought this upon yourself!" Ivan's voice was thick with disgust.

"But even now, you show no remorse. You can't stand to see our youngest brother happy, so you manipulate our parents, who don't know the full story, to sabotage Jason and ruin the happiness he has worked so hard for! Cedric, when did you become such a monster? Or have you never considered me and Jason as family, just pawns in your game? Jealous of anyone who outshines you, you crush them just to satisfy your dark ego. Do you really need us to fail to feel good about yourself?"

"What nonsense are you spouting? I've never thought that way!" Cedric still tried to deny everything.

"You're envious of Jason finding such a wonderful girl like Ms. Nydia, who comes from a distinguished family and has the support of Ms. Evadne and Mr. Thaddeus. So you spread lies to our parents and slander her, trying to tear them apart!"

Ivan then turned, his gaze intense, to Dave, "Dad, regarding the incident with Byron, I've already clarified everything with the prosecutors and the police. Byron was never close to Ms. Nydia as Cedric claimed. They were strangers, and Byron, after failing to secure a union with the Ashbourne family, conspired with his sister Bertha to drug Ms. Nydia at a social event, with the vile intent of taking advantage of her and forcing Chairman Emeric to give him his daughter's hand in marriage!"

The wave of humiliation tore through Nydia's heart once again. She closed her eyes to hold back tears.

Even though Byron was gone, the scars remained, etched into her soul. She had fought so hard to heal, yet Cedric cruelly reopened those wounds, using her past as a weapon against her.

Her body trembled like a leaf in the wind, and Jason, with reflexes as quick as his concern, wrapped her in his arms. His large hand gently patted her quivering back. His eyes, reddened with a mix of anger and compassion, sought to offer comfort, but the words jammed in his throat, leaving him choked up, unable to utter a single syllable.

His heartache for her shimmered like tears unshed in his eyes.

"The Byron case was handled by our court. I was originally the judge assigned to his sexual assault trial, so I knew the details inside and out.

Unfortunately, that bastard died before the trial began, and I was robbed of the chance to judge him as I had judged Elspeth!"

Mr. and Mrs. Dempsey were flabbergasted. Ivan's words were a seismic jolt to their worldview.

Cedric had always portrayed the image of a protective elder brother, a pillar of strength and piety to their parents. Out in the world, he was the undefeated superstar attorney, their pride and joy.

Even though he defended the unforgivable Elspeth, they believed it was merely his duty as a lawyer. They dismissed the people slandering him as ignorant fools, even suspecting that Evadne and Thaddeus were behind it all.

But Ivans' revelation had them staring at Cedric's guilty gaze, their eyes swirling with confusion and hesitation.

Could it be they truly misjudged Nydia?

Was Cedric's conduct solely aimed at hurting Jason?

"Dad! Mom! Don't listen to his nonsense, it's not like he says!"

Cedric, desperate to clear his name, interjected, "In court, Ivan was just as complicit as Jason in trying to trip me up. Now he's defending Jason and slandering me! I bet they've both been bought by Evadne and Thaddeus! They're nothing but lapdogs for the Ashbourne family, birds of a feather! Uh —!"

Before he could finish, Ivan, who was typically the epitome of grace, lost his patience and landed a punch right on Cedric's nose. It was even more ferocious than Jason's might have been, sending Cedric staggering backward, blood spurting from his nose!

"You'll never change," Ivan muttered, shaking out his sore hand, fury blazing in his eyes. "If you say I've conspired with Jason, then so be it. We've conspired to take down a scoundrel like you. What of it?"

Cedric, clutching his bleeding and aching nose, trembled as he pointed at Ivan's stern face, "You!"

With a meaningful glance at the grateful couple in each other's arms, Ivan bent down to retrieve a fallen briefcase. He pulled out a stack of envelopes and solemnly approached Dave, handing them over.

"These are?" Dave accepted them, puzzled.

"These are the letters of complaint I've received from the public during my three years as the presiding judge. This stack is all about the cases Cedric has defended. These ordinary folks, without the power or wealth to influence justice, couldn't afford a lawyer like Cedric. Despite their clear innocence and suffering, they had no choice but to endure in silence, powerless to seek true justice for themselves. So they resorted to this simple method, sending their pleas to the court, reporting Cedric's misdeeds. I've read every letter, every word, not just once. There were so many nights when the stories in these letters kept me tossing and turning, unable to sleep."

His voice breaking, Ivan continued, "These three years, I've been a judge with a guilty conscience. I knew full well what Cedric was up to behind the scenes, but I chose to keep quiet for the sake of what we call family, to preserve the feelings of you, my parents, to protect his image as the eldest brother. I kept those letters locked away, out of sight. Now, I regret it deeply, and I blame myself. I was complicit in tyranny, and I have failed the very robe I wear. So, once this is all over, I will resign."

Dave's pupils dilated with shock, the room spun, and he faltered.

"Resign? My boy! Have you lost your mind? What are you talking about?"

Mrs. Dempsey's heart ached unbearably, and she burst into tears again, "How hard you've worked to get where you are today. You're the only one in the Dempsey family who's followed in your father's footsteps, don't you realize how proud he is of you? How could you resign?"

Nydia, ever perceptive, noticed Dave's distress and quickly moved to support him, "Sir, please sit down!"

She carefully helped Dave to a seat, then softly instructed Jason, "Jason, get Uncle Dave a glass of warm water, would you?"

"Right away!" Jason, ever obedient to his wife, hurried off to fetch the water.

Dave glanced at Nydia with a barely perceptible nod, catching his breath.

Somehow, at this moment, hearing the young woman call him "Uncle Dave," he felt an unexpected lack of resentment, perhaps even a touch of pleasure.

His Ex-Wife Is A Billionaire (Evadne and Thaddeus)

Chapter 594 A Dish Best Served Cold (The Man In Rage)

Chapter 2371 Predatory Nature Awake for Love: My Coma Bridegroom Chapter 664