Benjamin's voice trembled with rage as he shouted into the phone. "Elise Scott! You're actually pressing charges against your own grandmother for assault? The police just informed me you're pursuing legal action instead of settling this privately! Forget about the production plant incident—this is your grandmother! What will people think?"

She had truly crossed the line this time.

"Grandmother?" Elise let out a bitter laugh. "Didn't she tell you? She explicitly stated I'm no longer part of her family. That I'm forbidden from ever stepping foot in her house again."

"She was just angry—"

"Well, I'm angry too."

"She's your grandmother! Your elder! How can you hold a grudge against her?"

"So she gets to strike me without facing any consequences?"

"Elise Scott!!! You're being completely unreasonable!" Benjamin screamed.

Elise laughed coldly.

Unreasonable? Nothing he said made any sense.

Had he ever acknowledged that Margaret was at fault?

Did he bother to ask what actually happened or listen to her side of the story?

It didn't matter.

Elise never had high expectations from the Scotts to begin with.

"I'm ending this call," she stated coolly.

"Elise Scott!" Benjamin was practically stomping in frustration. "Are you trying to humiliate our family?! Do you honestly think charges against your grandmother would hold up in court?! Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you staged that press conference and gained some temporary popularity with Stellar Group! I've been a prominent figure in Crestwood for decades! Our family has reputation! If you think I'm actually afraid of you, I'll make sure you regret—"

"But what if I choose to get involved?"

Elise's fingers froze around her phone. Her heart hammered in her chest as William took the device from her hand. "This is William Levine. If I get involved, do you still believe the charges against your mother wouldn't stick?"

Benjamin clearly faltered—he never anticipated William would be right beside Elise!

Though William's tone remained flat, it carried an icy chill that seeped into one's bones.

In fact, Benjamin's heart raced as he processed William's implication.

If William truly intervened, the Scotts would be crushed instantly.

This realization infuriated Benjamin—Elise had been walking all over him for some time now!

Even so, he had to swallow his pride. His tone became noticeably calmer when he spoke again. "Oh, Mr. Levine... What an honor. This is all just a misunderstanding, really. Just a typical father-daughter disagreement, nothing more. You needn't concern yourself..."

"What concerns me is irrelevant," William replied, completely ignoring Benjamin's attempts to flatter. "I will always stand with Elise—whatever she wants, I will ensure she gets."

"Oh, it's Elise's greatest fortune to have you as her partner," Benjamin said, forcing syrupy sweetness while feeling threatened. "Well, since you're with Elise, I won't impose further. Please do visit us for dinner when you have time, sir..."

William offered no response. Benjamin wisely ended the call, his face contorting with fury.

So Elise thought she could strut around because William backed her? Was that it?!