Chapter 1229

Stella clenched her teeth and exclaimed, “You’re making baseless accusations! You’re defaming me without any evidence!”

“Defaming me?” Shane sneered. “Don’t jump to conclusions so quickly. Why don’t you take a look at who these people are?”

With those words, his companions immediately brought a few individuals to the center of the square.

These people were battered and bruised, clearly having endured a great deal of hardship.

As soon as they saw Stella, they seemed to have found their lifeline and began pleading for her help.

“Ms. Jennings, please, you have to save us! We… We can’t endure this any longer!”

“At this rate, we’re afraid we’ll be tortured to death!”

“Ms. Jennings, please, take us away…”

Stella’s expression changed drastically upon seeing these people.

“You…” She opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say.

She had thought that all of these people were dead, yet the Gordon family had kept them alive.

Shane observed her changing expression, and a sardonic smile crept onto his face.

“What’s the matter? Do you doubt our ability to capture people, or do you doubt that we spared these lives? With witnesses right here, what else do you have to argue about?”

He then turned to Matthew and said firmly, “It was the Jennings family who, in alliance with other Bartitsu Guild families, initiated the ambush against the Gordon family. We only defended ourselves.

Are we supposed to surrender and await our demise without a fight? I don’t think that’s a rule, is it? As for the accusation of colluding with the Lordsworth Estate, that’s an entirely baseless claim. Mr.

Lozano, I believe the news has already spread. Neera previously saved the life of the Lord of Phison from the Lordsworth Estate. Then, due to a series of coincidences, she met Mr. Caleb. Later, our two families crossed paths in the mountains, and they helped the Gordon family in various ways. That’s the extent of it.”

Matthew glanced at The Medicina family and asked, “Is this how it is?”

Caleb nonchalantly put his hands in his pockets and nodded.

“Yes. Our Medicina family ventured into the mountains just to go through the motions, not with any intent to compete for anything. I happened to get along with Ms. Garcia, so we decided to travel together for the sake of passing the time. We never expected the Jennings family to be so malicious, launching night attacks repeatedly, each time aiming to take our lives. They nearly cost our Medicina family dearly in Mount Cloud.”

Stella’s face flushed with anger, and she retorted defiantly, “That’s not the truth! These people are lying!

It must be the Gordon family members who used physical force and coercion to manipulate these individuals into making false accusations against us! I don’t even know these people! The Gordon family orchestrated this deliberately; they want to shift the blame onto us!”

At this point, Neera stepped forward, looking at Stella with an icy demeanor.

“Who’s lying is quite clear, and I believe everyone here has an idea. The Gordon family has always been known for our peaceful disposition, not involving ourselves in conflicts and never intentionally harming others. But sometimes, intentions can be misunderstood, and when one is threatened, one must defend themselves. If not for the assistance of the Medicina family, we might have lost our lives in Mount Cloud. Stella, you keep claiming that we’re smearing your reputation. If that’s the case, provide evidence. You say these individuals aren’t affiliated with your group; then prove that they were coerced and falsely accused by us, the Gordon family.”

“You-” Stella’s vision turned red upon seeing Neera, itching to retaliate. “You’re just being unreasonable!”

Neera coldly chuckled. “Who’s the one being unreasonable here, Stella? As the head of the Jennings family, don’t you think you’re tarnishing your reputation by acting like this? If the elders of the Jennings family were aware that you’ve turned the Jennings family into a laughingstock, they would likely regret their past decisions.”

“Neera Garcia!” Stella was fuming, her anger radiating like a lit, firecracker. “It’s you who conspired with the Lordsworth Estate, you…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Colin calmly interjected. “Impressive, a mere Jennings family dares to slander Lordsworth Estate. Mr. Lozano, it seems like some of the families under your Bartitsu Guild don’t hold Lordsworth Estate in high regard. Quite audacious.”

Though a faint smile played on Colin’s lips, his tone was chilling, sending shivers down one’s spine.

Matthew’s face soured, and he was momentarily at a loss for words.

Seizing the opportunity, Caleb added fuel to the fire. “Mr. Wiley, there’s something I’ve been holding back. I thought we could resolve this amicably, maybe even admit some faults on both sides. However, it appears the Jennings family has no intention of repenting. Thus, I see no need to cover for them. The evidence of Stella conspiring with other factions to plot against us during our mountain expedition is irrefutable. Moreover, they violated Phison’s laws by using firearms and setting explosives that led to a mountain collapse. This matter requires thorough investigation.”