The Strongest Curse Master-Chapter 97: Cleared Of All Charges

Reminded by his brother, Alwin snapped out of his shock and approached his wife to console her and help her see reason. However, she swatted his hand away, her eyes blazing with anger. Pointing at Mandy, she yelled, "Don’t touch me! I warned you over and over that this little witch had her eyes on our son, but you didn’t listen! You said I was overthinking it, that there was nothing to worry about. Now look at what’s happened. This is all your fault! My baby, my baby!"

"Mandy! Didn’t I warn you to stay away from Ace? What’s wrong with you? He’s family, and he’s underage. Have you completely lost your mind?" Pam snapped, her voice sharp. Piecing together Mary’s accusations and Mandy’s panicked demeanor, Pam realized the seriousness of the situation. With things spiraling out of control, she could no longer tolerate her sister’s reckless behavior.

"Will somebody just tell me what the heck is going on here?" Dan demanded, his voice tense. Though not the most perceptive, the implications of Mary and Pam’s words were clear enough. Still, he clung to the hope that he had misunderstood, as Mandy was like the daughter he never had.

Seeing Dan’s expression—a mix of confusion and dawning realization—Mandy finally found the courage to explain, hurriedly, "I came downstairs to get some water, but I heard Ace talking to a girl. So, I went to check on him. That’s all! I didn’t mean anything else by it."

"What? Is that it?" Pam repeated, her voice filled with anticipation. She desperately hoped her sister was telling the truth, knowing a misunderstanding could fracture the two families.

"Yes, that’s it. You can ask Ace," Mandy said calmly, nodding. Her voice was steady, though a flicker of unease passed through her eyes. Mary, now somewhat calmed, turned to her son, waiting for his explanation.

With all eyes on him, Ace hesitated, unsure how to respond. Mandy’s explanation was a half-truth, and he couldn’t fully corroborate it. Yet, her subtle smug grin made it clear she was getting back at him for earlier, she could have said any other story but she chose this one, and fate seemed to be on her side.

Gathering his thoughts, he blurted out, "I was talking to an online friend. She couldn’t sleep, so she video-called me when she saw I was online. When Mandy came in, I hung up. After checking on me, Mandy left immediately, but you saw her, and now we’re here. If you don’t believe me, check my phone. The timestamp on the video call history will prove I’m not lying."

Ace confidently handed his unlocked phone to his mother, hoping she would verify his story by checking the call log. Mandy, however, panicked. If Mary checked the call history and found no such call, their entire cover story would collapse. But Ace wasn’t worried—Dame Wasp had already set everything up to support his story.

"Is the boy telling the truth?" Dan asked Mary, who was intently scrolling through Ace’s call logs. A moment later, she nodded. "It appears so," she confirmed.

Mary then turned to Mandy and sincerely apologized. "Mandy, honey, I’m so sorry. I misread the situation and said things I shouldn’t have. As your elder, I’m truly ashamed. Pam, Dan, I apologize for my behavior. Please know I didn’t mean any harm. I hope you can forgive me."

"Mary, you don’t have to apologize. I know you wouldn’t have said those things under normal circumstances," Pam replied, her tone understanding. While she had checked Ace’s call log along with Mary, a nagging feeling persisted that Ace and Mandy were still hiding something. As such, she was more than willing to forgive Mary’s outburst.

"Mary, don’t apologize. I should have explained sooner, and we could have avoided all this," Mandy said, knowing she bore some responsibility for wandering into Ace’s room late at night.

"It’s okay, Mary. Anyone could have misread the situation. But next time, try to understand the full picture. Now, let’s all go back to sleep," Dan said gently. After all, she was his brother’s wife, and he knew her occasional outbursts came from a place of care. Besides, he understood Mandy well enough to suspect she had played a role in the misunderstanding. After all, where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

"Thank you for being so forgiving. Or, since we’re already up, why don’t we go crabbing? The rain seems to have stopped," Alwin suggested, stepping forward taking over for his wife and defusing the tension. He gestured toward the window, encouraging his brother to check the weather.

"Now that’s a plan! Fifteen minutes—you two have fifteen minutes to freshen up and meet me and Danny on the boat," Dan announced as he headed toward his son’s room to wake him. He was surprised the boy could sleep through all the commotion.

"Alright, Uncle Dan," Ace chimed in, only to have his ear tugged by his mother. "Now, who’s this online friend of yours? What business does she have video calling you this late at night? Until you give me a proper explanation, you’re grounded," Mary warned.

"It’s just an online friend. If you want, I can call her now so you can talk to her. We’re just friends—there’s nothing more to it," Ace replied confidently. He needed to explore the lake to find a good spot to fulfill his promise to Rose.

"Is that all?" Mary asked, her voice skeptical. However, seeing how confident her son was, and not wanting to be proven wrong again, she relented. "Fine, you’re free to go crabbing with your uncle," she conceded.

"Since I’m awake, I might as well give crabbing a shot," Mandy announced, only to be met with a stern glare from her sister.

"Since I’m awake, I might as well give you a lecture on family and underage boundaries," Mary warned, her voice laced with authority. In her guilt, Mary may not have noticed the subtle exchange between Mandy and Ace, Pam wasn’t so oblivious. She would not allow their family to become fodder for a daytime TV scandal. She wanted to appear on TV—but not like that.

...

AN: The book is going premium in next eight hours. Your support is crucial to help it gain the momentum it needs for promotion. The next four months are especially critical. Good Power Stone rankings, Golden Tickets, and Gift rankings will boost the book’s visibility in the WebNovel algorithm, leading to extra promotions. This will help attract more readers and build momentum. Your support now can make all the difference! Every bit of support counts!

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.