The Enigmatic Return (Neera and Jean) novel Chapter 1271

"You—" Albert had never been challenged like this before. His face instantly turned pale.

"Neera! When I address you as Ms. Garcia, it's out of courtesy. Don't take it for granted! Without the Cox family, let alone being a district president or the ninth elder, you wouldn't even be able to hold the position of the head of the Gordon family! Dreaming of putting on airs in front of the Cox family? Not a chance!"

No sooner had his words fallen than the sound of footsteps echoed from the staircase.

Immediately after, a stern and harsh voice rang out.

"Are my words as the head of the Cox family no longer effective?"

Albert's face instantly stiffened. He looked up to see Avery striding over with a cold expression.

Clearly, the earlier commotion had disturbed him.

At this moment, his handsome face was stern, and a thin layer of frost formed in his amber eyes.

He was quite upset. Suppressing his anger, he asked coldly, "Mr. Albert, are you implying that you have objections to my leadership? I've made it clear that no one in the Cox family is allowed to question or disrespect the head of the Gordon family under any circumstances. Are you disregarding my words simply because you are older? If you're so opinionated, perhaps I should let you take over as the head of the family. What do you think?"

These words were spoken quite harshly, almost without any consideration for feelings. He was clearly showing strong support for Neera.

Albert and the others present were first taken aback, and then their expressions quickly changed.

Phoebe, in particular, was consumed by jealousy to the point of insanity.

Why is he taking the side of a stranger?

He has only known this woman for a short while. How could he have fallen for her to such an extent?

Just who the hell is she?

Jealousy and resentment intertwined in her heart. She gritted her teeth, walked over to Avery, and explained, "Avery, we're indignant on your behalf. This woman doesn't respect you at all. She's promiscuous and shameless, flirting with other men. You helped her secure her position in the Gordon family by arranging a marriage alliance, making it known to everyone. But now that her status has changed and she has gained power, she no longer cares about you or the Cox family. How do you think people outside will view you? The Cox family might even become a laughingstock because of her! How is someone like that deserving of you?"

Listening to her rant, Neera felt somewhat frustrated.

"Ms. Cox, words should not be spoken recklessly. Firstly, Mr. Cox and I are not officially married. Secondly, the other man you mentioned is my legitimate fiancé. Lastly, if I didn't care about the affairs of the Cox family, I wouldn't be here today, listening to your incessant chatter."

"You—"

"Shut up!" Avery, enduring the pain in his heart, shouted.

"When did I ever ask for your sympathy? Who gave you the right to speak here? Apologize to Ms. Garcia right now, then get out of here. Don't embarrass yourself any further!"

Seeing him defend Neera and even ask Phoebe to apologize, Phoebe was completely stunned.

"Avery..."

"Apologize!"

Phoebe realized he was truly angry. Fear welled up in her heart, and she dared not retort any further.

In the end, she gritted her teeth, swallowed her pride, and apologized to Neera, "I'm sorry." Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's.

With a slight raise of her eyebrows, Neera reluctantly replied, "There's no need for that. Ms. Cox, please think carefully before you speak in the future."

Feeling extreme hatred in her heart, Phoebe turned her head and stormed off.

Having dismissed her, Avery turned to look at the remaining few.

"Mr. Albert, when you have the time, please educate your daughter more. She's a woman in her early twenties, yet she's so uncultured. The Cox family can't afford such disgrace."

With a mere offhand comment, he caused Albert's face to cycle through shades of red and pale, then red again. The latter was at a loss for where to conceal his embarrassment.

In the end, he didn't say a word, leaving with a rigid expression on his face.

As soon as he left, it became awkward for the others to remain. So, they too started to leave one after another.

Soon, only Neera, Avery, and Zephyr were left in the vast living room.

Avery thought about what the woman had just said, and no matter what, he couldn't lift his spirits. He felt utterly miserable.

But when he faced her, he couldn't bear to show a cold face and treated her with tenderness almost instinctively.

"What are you doing here? You should have told me in advance so I could have welcomed you properly. I was just dealing with some business in the study, and I didn't expect you to be targeted. Don't take it to heart. Come and take a seat."

Neera nodded slightly, following him to sit down next to the couch.

"I'm fine. I'm just worried about you. I heard that the Bartitsu Guild has sent the Cox family alone to reclaim the Jagger family. Why didn't you tell me? I only found out when others mentioned it. I came over today specifically to discuss this with you, to see if there's any way I can help."

Avery had been so busy these past few days that he hadn't even left his house, so he was unaware of the rumors that had spread outside.

Seeing that she came for this matter, he was slightly taken aback.