The next day, while Sophia was still asleep, she was vaguely aware of the noisy chatter coming from outside the house.

In the yard, Jackson’s oldest sister-in-law Cara was busy serving sweetened water to the workers, adding a generous amount of white sugar to the boiled water, offering it to everyone working hard.

Sugar was a rare commodity at that time, and most families were reluctant to buy it for themselves.

Flora, who had come over to join the commotion, finished her bowl of sugary water and leaned in close to Cara, whispering, “Cara, why did it sound like your sister-in-law was yelling yesterday?”

Cara set down the water jug and glanced at the gossiping Flora with a raised eyebrow, responding, “Oh, your house is two miles from Jackson’s, and you heard all that? What, were you hanging around their window, eavesdropping in the middle of the night?”

Flora smiled without responding. She was thinking about the previous night when she heard Jackson had nearly beaten Tommy to death and broken his leg. And now with the newcomer wife causing trouble, it seemed likely she had been sneaking around behind Jackson’s back.

Flora couldn’t help but feel the urge to gossip about it.

Cara didn’t have the energy to entertain her. Flora was Jackson’s uncle’s second daughter-in-law, and though she was quite pretty, her nature was insufferable—always stirring the pot, saying whatever came to her mind.

Cara handed out more water, and when she got close to Jackson, she signaled him with a look and softly said, “Go check on Sophia. She’s usually up by now. Don’t let her get sick from the shock.”

Jackson, who had been moving bricks, paused. When he woke up this morning, she was still asleep. Now, it was already ten o’clock.

After a brief hesitation, he washed his hands, then walked toward the main house.

Opening the door and stepping inside, he closed it behind him and gently lifted the curtain to peek into the bedroom, walking toward the bed with long strides.

He saw her lying there, her fair, graceful body wearing a revealing outfit. Her shorts were so short that they barely concealed her smooth, pale thighs, exposing the soft curve of her buttocks.

Sophia had woken up the moment he entered, the sound of the door opening having stirred her.

Jackson instinctively pulled her into his arms, one hand resting on her waist, the other supporting her backside. His breath was warm and fragrant, and he softly spoke to her, his voice tinged with hoarseness.

“Get dressed when you wake up, and I’ll bring you breakfast.”

Noticing the curtains were still drawn and the noise outside was unbearable, Sophia couldn’t help but ask, “What’s going on outside? It’s so noisy.”

Jackson swallowed hard, trying to ignore the softness pressed against his chest, and smiled as he replied, “They’re repairing the courtyard wall. It’s a mess. Honey, stay inside for now. There’s still work to be done out there.”

“Well, then why don’t you let go of me?” she asked.

Instead of loosening his grip, Jackson tightened it, and teasingly said, “Give me a kiss, and I’ll let you go.”

“Stop messing around, let go! There are people outside,” she protested.

“I’m not messing around. You’re my honey, and if you won’t even kiss me when I ask, does that mean you don’t like me anymore?” His tone had a hint of injured aggressiveness.

Sophia opened her mouth to explain, but in the end, said nothing. She leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

“Okay, now let me go.”

After receiving the kiss, Jackson’s eyes lit up. Grinning, he cupped her face and kissed her deeply.

In the next moment, Sophia felt the heat of his breath, the closeness of his body tightening against hers. Jackson’s dark eyes flickered as his lips brushed hers. He pulled her even closer, his grip tightening around her slender waist, and his body unconsciously stiffened.

“What’s wrong with the wall? Why tear it down like that?” he muttered in a neutral tone.

“It wasn’t sturdy anymore,” she answered.

Sophia raised her brows, thinking, Could it be…?

“I’m bored staying inside. I want to go help out.”

Without even thinking, Jackson immediately refused, “If you’re bored, I’ll have our sister-in-law come and keep you company.”

Sophia knew then that going outside to help was out of the question.

Watching him open the door and leave, she returned to the bedroom, feeling a little restless, and went to play with their daughter.

Since there were so many people helping, by 4 PM that day, the courtyard wall was finished. The two-meter-high wall was even covered with shards of glass.

Without a ladder, it would be nearly impossible to scale a wall that high, especially with glass shards on top.

The walls were built first, and it was the first time such a thing had been done.

At the back of Jackson’s house, Flora chuckled, “Last night, I went out to use the bathroom and saw Tommy sneaking out of Sophia’s room. I think something’s going on between them…”

Marlowe gasped, “No way! If that’s true, Sophia is shameless!”

The two sisters-in-law whispered and exchanged glances, their eyes filled with an air of scandal as they looked at Sophia.

Jackson had been watching them the whole time, and every word they said was clearly heard.

Damn, these two women are really asking for it!

His uncle’s two daughters-in-law—what a disgrace. They claimed they came to help, but it was clear they were just there for food and drink. He even saw Flora brought a tea jar and her pockets were bulging. It looked like she had packed snacks for the workers.

Jackson was already planning how to deal with Flora and Marlowe. He had to deal with them thoroughly, once and for all, to avoid future trouble.

After dinner, Jackson casually went to his uncle Seven Wades’ house.

Seven and his two sons hadn’t split up and still lived together.

When Jackson arrived, the Wades family was having dinner. Everyone looked surprised to see him.

“Jackson, have you eaten?” Uncle Seven asked.

Jackson nodded, and Aunt Shay shoveled some rice into her mouth, not thinking much of it when she saw him heading towards their table.

He walked straight over to Flora, grabbed a fistful of her hair, and yanked her head back.

The whole room went silent in shock as Flora screamed. Only then did the others realize what was happening.

Calum Wades jumped up, “Jackson, what the hell are you doing?”

Jackson sneered, “What’s wrong with me? Ask your wife.”

Flora hadn’t expected the news to reach Jackson’s ears so quickly. She had no idea he would show up so fast.

Jackson scolded Flora, and Seven and Shay’s faces turned dark as they listened.

This was no daughter-in-law; this was a disaster.

They had warned their son countless times not to associate too much with Jackson, but here she was, actively causing trouble.

Flora cursed Jackson inwardly but couldn’t find a way to defend herself.

Marlowe stood up, “Is there some misunderstanding here? Jackson, let go of Flora, she’s your cousin-in-law…”

Jackson shot her a cold look, “You’re not any better. Shut up and sit down.”

Marlowe, awkward and looking at her husband Terry, who remained silent, quickly realized this wasn’t something she wanted to get involved in.

Jackson raised his hand and slapped Flora across the face. “I told you to stop talking. If I don’t shut that mouth of yours, it’ll never be quiet.”

Flora was stunned by the slap, unable to believe he would actually dare do this.

The rest of the Wades family didn’t stop Jackson. He slapped Flora six times before finally letting go.

Flora, dazed and swaying, was pushed away by her husband Calum, who angrily shoved her aside.

Seven sighed, “You were asking for it. Serves you right.”

Shay glared at Flora, deeply disappointed. “Flora, what’s wrong with you? Can’t you just leave Jackson and his wife alone? How dare you spread rumors?”

No one pitied her for being slapped. Everyone could see through the obvious attempt to sow discord.

“I didn’t say those things,” Flora said, but her denial was weak.

Jackson scoffed, “You didn’t? Then swear it on your life. If you’re lying, may your whole family die, may your parents and children never have peace…”

Flora couldn’t compete with Jackson’s cold, calculating words. She hesitated, and her shaky voice was no match for his.

At that moment, everyone understood exactly what had happened.

Jackson’s gaze swept over everyone in the room. “I’ll say it clearly right now: if I hear anyone spreading gossip in the village, trying to stir up trouble between me and my wife, don’t blame me for being ruthless. If it comes to it, I won’t hesitate to hurt you—don’t expect any mercy.”

As his words fell, Jackson kicked Flora twice more. Calum, seeing this, stepped forward and began to punch and kick his own wife, Flora, without a second thought.

Flora’s face was swollen from the beating, and she begged for mercy, but no one dared intervene.

Jackson didn’t leave, clearly still angry. Anyone who tried to stop him would be the next target.

After a long while, Shay sighed, “Enough, that’s enough. You’re going to injure her, and then we’ll have to spend money to treat her.”

Calum raised his hand again, and the slap that landed on Flora’s face made her mouth bleed.

Jackson snorted, “I warned you about running your mouth. If you’re still so disrespectful, next time I’ll sew your mouth shut.”

With that final word, Jackson turned and walked away, leaving only the sound of Flora’s cries echoing in the room.

Once Jackson had dealt with Flora, he was in a good mood. With a satisfied smile, he headed home to find his wife.

Seeing him leave, Seven exchanged a look with Shay and signaled for her to take the two daughters-in-law to the kitchen to clean up.

In the center of the room, Seven silently smoked his pipe, tapping it against the table as he addressed Calum and Terry. “Calum, Terry, you two better control your wives. If there’s any gossip about Jackson’s family in the village, don’t expect me to step in and protect you.”

“Jackson was a troublemaker in the past, and I’ve heard he’s changed. But honestly, I think he’s just gotten worse…”

Calum and Terry both lowered their heads, not daring to speak.

The old wooden door creaked open with a sharp sound, and Flora hurriedly closed her eyes, unsure of what to do next.

It had been several months since her marriage, and there was still no sign of pregnancy. Her in-laws and even her husband had watched her being beaten earlier without intervening. What kind of man was Jackson?

Calum came in without a word.

He sat down at the edge of the bed, deep in thought. His mind was in turmoil. His younger cousin was no ordinary person. Their father had warned them not to provoke him, but the thing was, his “honey” was so beautiful. If Jackson truly wanted to send her back to her family, he wouldn’t be able to let go.

Their eyes met, but neither of them spoke.

After a while, Flora struggled to sit up, her voice small, “I was wrong.”

Calum was surprised, not expecting her to ever admit her mistakes.

Flora, seeing that he remained silent, added, “From now on, I’ll be a good wife and stay at home, never causing trouble. I’ll stay inside and keep my head down.”

Calum glanced at her for a moment before turning and walking out without saying anything.

Flora stared at his retreating back, biting her lip, unsure of what to do.

Should she take the initiative? After all, today’s beating definitely shouldn’t go unpunished.