Chapter 1231

Upon witnessing this turn of events, Neera felt somewhat surprised.

“Wasn’t Howard on Stella’s side? Why is he turning against her now?”

Upon hearing this, Darcel quietly explained, “The Logan family and the Jennings family may appear friendly, but they each have their own agendas. It’s just a facade of harmony. When it comes to their own interests, they prioritize those. In times of trouble, they will each fend for themselves. Stella is now trapped in a situation she cannot escape from, and for Howard, this is the only way to prevent the Logan family from getting involved.”

Charles chuckled. “Well, watching them turn on each other is quite satisfying. Howard is indeed a cunning person. Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, he turned against his own people without any mercy.”

Meanwhile, Howard coldly glanced at Stella, completely ignoring her, and continued accusing her of her crimes.

“Who would have thought that Stella didn’t want to stop the Gordon family at all, but intended to completely wipe them out? She harbored resentment against the Gordon family’s leader. She used my people and exploited many of Bartitsu Guild’s comrades to attack the Gordon family. During the night raid in the valley, we were acting under the orders of the Jennings family, deceived by them. Stella said we only needed to capture the Gordon family’s people, but once our people charged in, we realized that the Jennings family intended to take the lives of the Gordon family’s people. As for the mountain explosion, we were also caught off guard. We, the Logan family, were very angry about this matter, feeling that the Jennings family had gone too far.”

Stella stared at him in disbelief. “Howard, how dare you betray me to clear your own name?”

Howard gave her an impatient side-glance. “I’ve told you before, don’t be so reckless. You didn’t listen, and now that the truth is out, do you want to drag over a dozen guild families down with you? You made the mistake, why should we bear the consequences with you?”

“You… You’re just a lowlife!” Stella seethed with anger, hurling insults.

Neera observed all of this, not finding any satisfaction in it, just a sense of pity.

“Everybody kicks a man when he’s down. It’s been this way forever.”

Avery gave her a reassuring glance. “Don’t waste your energy on someone like her. Rest assured, I’ll make sure you get justice.”

Darcel overheard and cast a disapproving look at him, his eyes full of disdain.

Avery seemed to sense something, following his gaze and locking eyes with him. He furrowed his brow, puzzled by the apparent animosity from this man he had never met before.

They had no previous history or conflicts, so this felt odd.

Nevertheless, with the pressing matter at hand, he couldn’t dwell on this. Turning his attention back to the urgent matter, Avery, with the authority befitting the third elder of the Bartitsu Guild, stepped forward and raised his voice to consult with Matthew.

“Mr. Lozano, it’s an undeniable fact that the Jennings family has repeatedly harmed the Gordon family, attempting to plot their demise. This is supported by concrete evidence. Their actions not only disrespect the Gordon family but also show a lack of regard for our Cox family. Everyone knows that the Gordon family and the Cox family have been close allies, even with marital ties. The Jennings family’s false accusations against the Gordon family, alleging betrayal of the Bartitsu Guild, are equivalent to slandering us, the Cox family, and turning against the Bartitsu Guild. We won’t let this slide. Mr. Lozano, I hope you can hand over Stella to me for handling.”

Matthew glanced at Avery, his expression grave, weighing the gravity of the situation.

The Jennings family held some respect within the Bartitsu Guild, but compared to the Cox family, they were significantly less influential.

Their survival or downfall wasn’t a critical concern. Given the circumstances, Matthew decided to give the Cox family some face.

He nodded in agreement, saying, “Very well, Mr. Cox, the Jennings family is now under your jurisdiction. However, for the other families who were deceived by the Jennings family, they are innocent in this matter. Let’s not pursue the grudges within the guild to maintain harmony.”

Avery’s primary focus was the Jennings family, and he wasn’t too concerned about the other families that had followed them. Hence, he allowed Matthew to save face.

“Since Mr. Lozano has spoken in this manner, I will hold no grudges regarding the grievances between the other families and the Gordon family. As long as they refrain from causing trouble for the Gordon family in the future, we can coexist peacefully.”

Upon hearing that their fate had been sealed with just a few words, Stella was filled with despair.

With her life on the line, she could no longer maintain her stubbornness and began to plead tearfully.

“…I was wrong. I know I made a mistake. Mr. Lozano, please, considering the unwavering loyalty of the Jennings. family to the Bartitsu Guild, spare me. Don’t hand me over to the Cox family. They are close to the Gordon family, and they will surely not show me mercy. I beg you, I beg you…..

Matthew furrowed his brow, showing impatience.

“Stella, if you knew this day would come, why did you act as you did before? If you’ve done something wrong, you must accept the consequences. There’s no point in begging for mercy now.”

a far cry from Stella broke down in tears, collapsing to the ground, trembling, and continuously pleading. She was a far her previous demeanor of arrogance and sharp-tongued.

“I confess my guilt. You can do anything you want with me, take me back to the guild, but I’m begging you, please don’t hand me over to the Cox family!”

She was well aware of Avery’s ruthless methods.

If she were to be dealt with by the guild later, there might be a glimmer of hope, but if she fell into Avery’s hands, there would be only one way to go, and that was a dead end.