Chapter 5 Escaping Family Grip

Right after Christina stepped into the Steele residence, Gideon's castigation rained down on her. "You've finally decided to come, huh?"

"Didn't you ask me to come?" Christina retorted.

As a father, Gideon had never felt Christina's respect or admiration for him. Infuriated by her words, Gideon hurled a cup at her viciously.

The cup did not hit her but shattered into pieces right by her feet.

A small shard flew out, leaving a cut on Christina's tender and fair hand, with crimson blood flowing out.

As though she couldn't feel anything, Christina didn't even furrow her brows. Her tone was still impassive as ever as she said, "Did you call me back home just to throw this tantrum? Now that you've vented your anger, I'm going to leave."

Then she turned around to leave without a hint of hesitation.

"Enough, Gideon. Don't get all worked up and forget the main thing," Miranda interjected, having enjoyed the spectacle for long enough.

"Stand right there!" Gideon suppressed his fury, having been reminded of their main purpose of summoning Christina back home.

Christina stopped in her tracks.

"I heard that Nathaniel has divorced you?"

Christina turned around and replied, "Yes."

Her determined tone made Gideon's blood pressure soar. "You insolent girl! Go right back to the Hadley residence right now! I don't care how you do it, but you're not leaving the Hadley family!"

The Hadley family was a cash cow that the Steele family had to hold the reins of, for they knew they would be wiped out in Hallsbay if it weren't for the Hadley family.

"Do you think I'm that dumb to agree to step into a hellhole twice?" Christina found Gideon's orders amusing.

"Christina, you know that our family cannot survive without the Hadleys," Miranda said, almost in a pleading tone. She had never liked Christina, but in the face of their interests, she knew her pride came second.

"What does that have to do with me? I'm not a Steele," Christina stated plainly. Ever since Gideon betrayed her mother, she had decided to cut all ties with the Steele family.

Seeing that Christina was unrelenting and seemed as if she couldn't care less about the Steele family, Miranda tugged at Gideon's sleeves and hinted at him with a look.

"Okay, then I'm going to call and terminate the financial support for your mother's medical treatment," Gideon said, finally resorting to attacking Christina's weakest point.

Sharon had fallen ill a few years ago and required a large sum of money every day for her treatment. Gideon had repeatedly used her as leverage to coerce Christina into doing what he wanted.

They knew for a fact that Christina could never afford Sharon's costly medical treatment, so the coercion had always worked like a charm.

However, this time, Christina shrugged and raised a brow as she said, "Who do you think Nathaniel is? A gullible nobody? Someone you guys can toy with repeatedly?"

Gideon's and Miranda's faces fell.

The Hadleys had wanted Emilia as their daughter-in-law. However, Miranda couldn't bear to marry her daughter to an ugly and allegedly gay man. She had drugged Christina and sent her over to the Hadleys instead.

"I don't care. Figure it out yourself," Gideon insisted.

Christina rolled her eyes inwardly. "No can do. Nathaniel chased me out of the Hadley residence, so I can't ever go back there unless he personally comes over to take me."

Her heart leaped with joy as she said that, for she knew that Nathaniel would never show up at the Steele residence.

However, her happiness was short-lived.

The next moment, a housekeeper scurried into the living room, looking oddly nervous.

"Mr. Steele, Mrs. Steele, someone from the Hadley family is here."