Chapter 638

Sharon absorbed Arthur's and Fred's unapologetic and even resentful excuses, breath coming in ragged pulls as emotion swelled beneath her ribs. Slowly,with deliberate care, she rose from her seat.

Hannah, alarmed by the change in Sharon's countenance, stepped forward without hesitation and moved to steady her.

Sharon crossed the small space to Arthur, fixing him with a look that cut through pretense-eyes heavy with disappointment. Her voice, tight and edged,broke the quiet. "Arthur, I feel profoundly let down.What you said just now sits very wrong with me."

Arthur, shrinking beneath that stern regard, fumbled for a defense even as the shame in his chest tried to surface. "What exactly is so wrong? Rodney didn't make it-nothing terrible happened to that woman,"he protested and pointed at Hannah.

.

"Enough!" Sharon snapped, fury igniting at his cold reasoning. She lifted her cane and struck out at Arthur, the motion quick and fierce. "Your refusal to acknowledge your grandson's error is unforgivable."

Despite the weight of years, Arthur moved with surprising nimbleness and dodged the cane by instinct, his body betraying a reflex that belied his age. Outraged, he barked, "Sharon, why would you strike me?"

"I'm attacking you because you've proved yourself stubborn and unable to tell right from wrong, and you've failed utterly in teaching your grandson better," Sharon answered, her words trembling with rage as she readied herself for another strike.

Vincent watched from the edge of the room with a chill composure. Seeing his grandmother rise to Hannah's defense so vehemently stirred in him a blend of astonishment and dawning clarity.

It became clear why, before memory had deserted him, he had chosen to marry Hannah-in his grandmother's estimation, she was exactly the kind

.

of partner she approved of.

Hannah, seeing Sharon on the verge of losing control, moved in swiftly and took Sharon's hand with a gentle but firm hold. "Sharon, chill out," she urged softly. "He's not worth putting yourself at risk."

But Sharon's ire lingered like a hot brand. "Anna don't stop me now! I must release this anger foryou today," she insisted.

Hannah tightened her grip on Sharon's hand."Vincent has already stood up for me-he did it properly. You don't have to soil your hands for my sake."

At Hannah's reassurance, Sharon's grip on the cane slackened. Her arm dropped slowly, the weapon lowering as her tempest cooled just a measure. She turned then and pressed a gentle hand to Hannah's cheek, affection and worry mingling on her face."Anna, you have endured so much; it pains me to see you suffer."

Arthur watched the exchange unraveling before him,

and somethinginside him-a bitterness long kept under wraps-surged forward. The collapse of his family's fortunes, the sense of being cornered by ruin, and resentments old and new swelled until restraint snapped. The harshness he had buried rose up unfiltered.

With Sharon's back turned and Hannah standing between them, Arthur-driven by a desperate,vindictive impulse-let malice loose. He raised his walking stick high and brought it down with a violent arc toward Sharon's unguarded back. "Sharon, you refused to help me and even struck me. I'm not going to take this lying down!" he cried, voice thick with fury.

"Sharon, watch out!" Hannah screamed, moving on instinct to throw herself between them and extend an arm to shield Sharon.

There was a dull, sickening thud as Arthur's stick connected with Hannah's arm.

A sharp gasp escaped Hannah; pain flared and quickly bloomed into a dark bruise beneath the skin. Everything collapsed into a thicket of action and noise.

Vincent, whose thoughts had been steadily circling his grandmother's fierce defense toward Hannah,was jolted into the present by the abrupt assault. He surged forward, hauling Hannah behind him like a shield. His eyes fell on the angry welt on her arm, and an unfamiliar, terrible rage flooded him.

Sharon reacted, panic and sorrow knitting together in her chest. Seeing Hannah struck while protecting her, she felt her heart clench with a tenderness laced with fear. She reached out to support Hannah. "Anna!Are you hurt? Are you in pain?" she asked,voice breaking.

Hannah, trying to steady herself andfight through the shock, forced a pale, stubborn shake of the head."Sharon, I'm fine."

Vincent's brow knitted into a hard line; his posture shifted into something imposing. How could she claim to be fine when her injury was this severe?Vincent turned to Derek with a sharp command."Derek, call the police! Arthur committed assault."

Derek snapped to attention and replied without delay, "Yes, Mr. Jones!"

Derek pulled his phone free and began dialing the authorities.

Arthur, driven past reason, laughed, a jagged,hysterical sound. "Call them if you must! Ha! What else do the Griffin family have to lose? Your grandmother struck me first! If anyone is to be punished, we'll all go down together. Do your worst!"