"It doesn't matter if you refuse to admit it. Metagross, he's all yours."
Julian's gaze toward Oliver turned cold. Deceiving someone's feelings was one thing, but targeting his own family was crossing the line.
Moreover, the issue surrounding his second cousin's relationship had obviously changed the entire Turner family's atmosphere.
As Metagross approached Oliver, the latter was immediately restrained, rendered completely immobile, his eyes filled with fear.
He could only look pleadingly at Paige—she was the only one who could save him now.
Paige was half-convinced by Julian's words, but when she saw that Julian actually wanted Metagross to search Oscar's memories, she panicked.
"Don't worry, Cousin. After the memory search, he won't suffer any harm. Don't you also want to know if he truly loves you?"
"How about this—if the memory search reveals no issues, I will support the two of you being together. How does that sound?"
Julian said calmly.
After Metagross reached the Champion tier, its mastery over its psychic abilities had become incredibly refined.
In the past, searching memories would inevitably cause some degree of brain damage to the subject. In the worst cases, it could even leave them vegetative or with speech impairments.
But now, such problems would no longer occur.
Hearing Julian's words, especially the last part, Paige was tempted. If she could truly gain Julian's support, even her grandparents would have to take his words seriously.
Looking at Oscar, Paige said with utmost seriousness, "Oscar, did you hear that? As long as you pass this test, we can be together."
No woman could remain indifferent to whether the man she loved truly loved her back, and Paige was no exception.
When Oliver heard this, the fear in his eyes intensified, but unfortunately, he was already restrained by Metagross and could not make a single sound.
Julian gave Metagross a look, signaling it could begin.
Then, Oscar personally recounted everything he had orchestrated—how he made Paige fall in love with him to spite the Turner family, and how, if Paige eventually married him, he would transfer all his hatred for the Turner family onto her.
Watching his second cousin collapse to the ground in disbelief and despair, Julian showed no pity and said calmly, "Cousin, are you satisfied with this outcome?"
Bang!
Harold slammed the table violently. "The Hall family sure has some nerve, daring to bully my granddaughter!"
The entire Turner family glared furiously at Oscar—or rather, Oliver.
Paige didn't even dare look at her family. With the truth laid bare, it was just as Julian had said: she had truly been a love-struck fool.
She had actually been willing to turn against her family for this man.
Thea walked over and helped Paige up from the ground, saying softly, "I'll find you someone better in the future. Your taste in men is just too poor."
Julian couldn't help but glance at Thea and said in surprise, "Cousin, aren't you also single yourself?"
She had been single all this time, yet she had the nerve to criticize Paige's taste in men.
"That's because my standards are high! Do you have a problem with that?" Thea retorted sharply.
Among all the siblings present, she had the closest relationship with Julian. And during their time at Imperial University, they had often interacted.
Aside from their grandparents and uncles, she was the only one among the younger generation who dared to speak to Julian so bluntly.
"No problem, no problem at all."
Julian immediately shook his head, signaling that he knew better than to provoke her.
"Grandpa, how do you plan to deal with this guy?" Julian asked.
"Previously, I didn't push things to the extreme because the Hall family had a peak Pseudo-Champion Pokémon guarding them. But now, they actually dared to bully my granddaughter?"
Harold then turned to Paige and asked, "You didn't… share a room with this kid, did you?"
"Grandpa, how could you say that?!"
Before Paige could even answer, Thea beside her immediately expressed her dissatisfaction.
Couldn't he be a little more tactful? Asking such a question in public—if there really had been something, wouldn't Paige lose all face?
Paige shook her head. She still had her principles.
As a member of a noble family, especially as a woman, she had been taught since childhood to abide by certain rules.
If something like that really happened before marriage—if she married an ordinary person or someone from a family weaker than their own, it would not be a big deal.
But if she were to marry into a family stronger than her own, it would be a slap in the face to that family.
"At least you still had some sense."
Seeing Paige shake her head, Harold's expression softened considerably. At least she had not made that mistake.
"Take this guy to the Hall family. It's time to settle accounts," Harold declared, his face filled with murderous intent.
The cousins nearby were also seething with anger.
Theo said furiously, "Now that my cousin is here, the Hall family might as well disappear today!"
One of Hall family's ancestors had once trained a peak Pseudo-Champion Pokémon. After he died, that Pokémon had been kept by the Hall family, and ten years ago there were even rumors that this Pokémon had already broken through to the Champion tier.
Although the Turner family was connected to the Walkers by marriage, they couldn't bother John over such matters.
Thus, while the Turners continued to suppress the Hall family, they had never pushed things to the extreme.
Otherwise, if the Hall family was driven into a corner—even if their guardian Pokémon hadn't reached the Champion tier and remained at the peak of Pseudo-Champion tier, it could still inflict devastating losses on the Turners if it were to attack, resulting in countless casualties.
If it had truly broken through to the Champion tier, the Turner family might even cease to exist. Of course, afterward, the Hall family would also be annihilated by John.
In a situation of mutual destruction, the one who would suffer the greatest loss would actually be the Turners.
After all, compared to the Turners, the Hall family was nothing but a minor clan.
John was an in-law, but Julian was his own grandson.
He was Harold's greatest confidence in settling accounts with the Hall family.
---
In the eastern part of Luminara City, within the Hall family's estate—though they were a minor clan and had long been suppressed by the Turners—the Hall family's overall strength still ranked among the top of the minor clans.
Thanks to the Pokémon left behind by their ancestor, aside from the Turners, no other family dared to go too far against them. Many smaller clans even regarded them as their leader.
In the main hall of the residence, the head of the Hall family, Martin Hall, asked a servant nearby, "Has the young master not returned yet?"
At this, Oliver's mother chimed in, "He must have gone to find that foolish woman."
"Heh, Harold is such a shrewd man, yet he has such a foolish granddaughter. I wonder if he'll drop dead from anger when his granddaughter gives birth to a child of our Hall family," Martin sneered, his tone dripping with smugness.
"I would never allow that woman to marry into our family. Once she gives birth, she can get lost."
"Master, Madam, won't this anger the Walker family?" The butler, who was quite sharp, asked with concern.
"From what I know of Harold, he would try to hide such a shameful matter rather than reveal it. How would he ever dare to tell the Walkers?" Martin said.
*****
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