third person's POV
"I..."
Mirabel was like a mouse seeing a cat right now, and couldn't say a word.
Aldrich noticed something was off. He turned to Mirabel and asked, "You were dodging my question just now! Now explain it to me—why did you beg me so hard to let your brother join the family dinner? What are you two really planning?!"
"Hubby... let me explain! It's not what you think..."
Mirabel wanted to explain, but Aldrich shook off her hand and said sharply, "Are you trying to hurt Vanya again? Say it!"
"Honey... this had nothing to do with me! I really didn't know!"
Mirabel got scared and waved her hands.
Dominic, who was lying on the ground, heard Mirabel say that and hurriedly said, "Sis! Please beg Aldrich! Save me! I don't want to be taken away! Save me!"
"You shut up! It was you who got all pervy, what's it got to do with me!"
As soon as Mirabel said that, Aldrich instantly understood what had happened.
"You guys! How did you dare?!"
Aldrich got really mad, and Mirabel quickly said, "Honey! Let me explain!"
At this point, Vanya and Grace also went into the Daltons' house.
They saw the house was a mess, and Theodore's men were still searching for stuff.
Mirabel saw Vanya, and her face looked even worse.
Aldrich saw Vanya coming, walked up to her, and said to Mirabel, "Explain it to me clearly in front of Vanya! Give me an explanation!"
Mirabel got scared. She hurriedly pointed at Dominic, who was kneeling on the ground, and said, "You know, my little brother has already been divorced twice. It's already hard for him to find someone. Besides, I thought Vanya and Cliff were getting divorced too. If those two could get together, wouldn't that make us even closer?"
Mirabel went on timidly, "And... and Vanya has been divorced once, and the one she was divorcing was Cliff. I'm afraid no one would want her after that, so she kind of matches my brother..."
"I spit!"
Grace snapped, "A good match? I can't believe you said that! Aren't you ashamed?"
Mirabel's face turned bright red, but she still shamelessly argued, "I-I was just thinking about Vanya's marriage. This was something you both wanted... Vanya, why bring people here to embarrass your own family?"
"You think I wanted it?" Vanya sneered. "I'd like to know, when did you drug me, and after that, it somehow became something I wanted!"
"What?"
Aldrich looked shocked: "Vanya, are you serious?"
"Aldrich, I wouldn't wrong her. She took my phone and locked me in the room. If I hadn't threatened to kill myself, Mirabel and Dominic's plan would've worked by now."
Mirabel snapped, "You're talking nonsense! What proof do you have? Obviously, you felt embarrassed after getting caught and tried to blame it on us!"
At that moment, a bodyguard's voice suddenly came from not far away: "Sir! Found it!"
The bodyguard handed Vanya's phone and a small pill bottle to Theodore.
Mirabel's face changed instantly.
She clearly already had someone throw this thing away! How could it show up again?
Right after that, the maid who had taken Vanya upstairs before was brought in.
Mirabel's face totally lost the confidence she had just now.
Theodore threw the medicine bottle on the ground and said coldly, "You want proof? I'll give you proof right now!"
The veins on Aldrich's forehead popped out: "Was it really you?"
"Honey! This, this was all my brother's idea, it had nothing to do with me at all!"
"How could you just turn your back on me! You were the one who said Miss Dalton was pretty and wanted to set us up! Now you're throwing dirt on me? Are you trying to get me killed?"
Who in this circle didn't know what happened if you pissed off Theodore?
He hadn't lived enough yet, there's no way he'd be the scapegoat!
"Honey... you gotta believe me, this really had nothing to do with me!"
Mirabel's voice sounded like she was about to cry, and the scent of submission pheromones filled the air, trying to soften Aldrich's attitude.
No matter how Mirabel tried to argue, the red in Aldrich's eyes hadn't faded this time, and he clearly didn't plan to show any mercy.
He raised his hand and slapped Mirabel hard across the face, with all the force of an angry Alpha. There was even a faint popping sound in the air.
Mirabel was slapped to the ground, her cheek instantly swollen and red, a bit of blood coming from the corner of her mouth, her eyes wide with shock: "You—you hit me?!"
All these years of marriage, Aldrich always listened to her. Even when they argued sometimes, he never used his werewolf strength on her!
Aldrich had already argued with her several times just because of Vanya, and now he even hit her!
She could feel the lingering scent of the wolf tribe on her face, hot and stinging.
"You did something that shamed the family and hurt others, and you still expected me to treat you any differently?"
Aldrich's chest heaved, and the Alpha pressure around him swept out like a storm. "Mirabelle, I really misjudged you! Vanya is family. I could let your usual sarcasm slide, but you actually set her up!"