Substitute Wife, Genius CEO novel Chapter 509

Xavier knew he lacked any real father-son bond with Leo.

His relationship with Hunter was actually much deeper than with Leo.

But he had never expected it to be quite this hollow.

Leo actually wanted him banished from the Sterling family.

Lowering his eyes, Xavier laughed softly. It was a self-deprecating, bitter sound.

Zelda sighed heavily, poking his shoulder in sheer frustration. "You know perfectly well that Leo is your grandfather's absolute treasure, the sole heir of this family, and yet you still had to provoke Summer! All for that shameless tramp, Lilith!"

Just mentioning Lilith's name made Zelda grit her teeth in hatred.

Looking at Xavier now—such an outstanding son who had degenerated into a miserable drunk just for that wretched woman...

Just the thought made Zelda want to flay Lilith alive.

"All you do is drink! Is your head full of water? How else could you possibly justify helping that snake? Haven't you been humiliated enough by her cheating? You actually want to crawl back for more?"

"Mom, I only helped her because she took a knife for me," Xavier explained. "I was just paying off a debt."

Zelda scoffed. "Your brother said that in that situation, even if that bitch hadn't thrown herself forward, you wouldn't have gotten hurt anyway!"

"But she just had to play the martyr, pretending to save you while dragging Summer down with her, nearly getting Summer killed in the process! Killing two birds with one stone—there is no one more toxic than her."

"And you're too blind to see it! You saw her get hurt and suddenly felt sorry for her, didn't you? Wake up! She calculated every single step of that!"

Arthur glared at him. "Do you understand why you're on your knees now? Do you think you deserve this?"

Xavier nodded. "I do."

A servant brought over a rattan cane, and Arthur grabbed it with a dark scowl. "Our relationship with Leo was fragile enough as it was. It only improved slightly because of your brother. And what do you do? You dump gasoline on the fire and ruin everything!"

*Smack!*

The cane lashed viciously against Xavier's back as Arthur desperately tried to beat some sense into his son.

"I'm sorry, Dad."

"I'm sorry, Xander."

"I'm sorry, Mom."

*Smack! Smack! Smack!*

Arthur struck him mercilessly. Zelda instinctively wanted to intervene, but remembering the magnitude of Xavier's screw-up, she gritted her teeth and held back.

Sparing the rod would only spoil the child.

If they didn't discipline him properly now, he would be utterly ruined.

On the twentieth strike, Xander spoke up. "Dad, that's enough."

"Xander," Xavier looked up, his voice trembling. "I deserve this. Let him hit me."

Xander stared coldly at his brother's deathly pale, sweat-drenched face. "Are you trying to get beaten to death so you can watch me work myself into an early grave at the office?"

At those words, Arthur finally stopped.

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