Chapter 17
Clara White hunched her shoulders, not daring to speak another word. How could she? These people could actually send her to jail.
Mayor George Clark beamed, his heart swelling with pride. Officers from the military academy coming to the village for development work? This was a monumental political achievement. He eagerly led Andrew Smith toward the village, chatting animatedly along the way.
Jack White kept his head down, his expression dark.
A village woman supported Luna White, sighing in pity. "Poor child. Those without parents always have the hardest lives."
Liupan Village wasn’t far from the reservoir—just a ten-minute walk.
Mayor Clark brought the group to Luna’s old family home. Unoccupied for four years, only Ethan White had bothered to tidy it up during his rare visits. The interior was barely livable, but the exterior walls were crumbling.
The mud-brick house couldn’t withstand the elements. It needed a fresh layer of mud plaster every year, but with no one to care for it, the place looked especially dilapidated. The house stood alone at the foot of the mountain, the nearest neighbor over a dozen meters away.
Andrew frowned at the heavy padlock on the door. The door itself was intact—Ethan had made repairs whenever he returned.
"Where’s the key?" Andrew demanded coldly.
Jack jerked his head up, meeting Andrew’s sharp gaze. Panic flashed across his face. "I—I’ll go find it!" He turned and bolted.
Clara had already vanished. Not a single member of the White family remained.
Mayor Clark rubbed his hands awkwardly. Dealing with such troublesome relatives was exhausting. The group stood idly outside Luna’s house.
Half an hour passed, and Jack was nowhere to be seen. The mayor’s expression grew increasingly grim.
Luna glanced at Andrew’s stern profile and knew the Whites had thoroughly humiliated themselves.
She tugged lightly on the mayor’s sleeve. "Uncle, maybe we should break the lock? We can’t keep everyone waiting forever."
The mayor hesitated. "That… doesn’t seem right. Breaking into private property is—"
"This is my home!" Luna’s voice was clear. "How is returning to my own house trespassing?"
The group finally realized—of course, this was her home!
Andrew raised a brow. The girl was sharp. How had she been bullied so badly?
"Alright!" The mayor slapped his thigh. "It’s your house—you decide!"
Jack came panting back, empty-handed.
"Mayor, I can’t find the key…" He forced a smile. "Maybe we should call it a day. Once I find it, I’ll clean up—"
Before he could finish, he noticed the odd looks everyone was giving him.
"Break it," Luna said firmly.
Jack flailed. "Luna, the lock is perfectly fine—"
Andrew waved a hand, and two cadets stepped forward with tools.
"Uncle, since you can’t find the key, breaking it is simpler." Luna moved closer to the mayor. "Next time, Grandma might not 'accidentally' hurt me—she might actually kill me." She deliberately revealed the wounds on her arm.
Andrew remembered her injuries and immediately ordered, "Get the medic. An infected wound can be fatal."
Patrick Lewis hurried off.
The mayor waved impatiently. "Enough! This was Luna’s parents’ house. If she says break it, we break it. How dare you talk about being wronged? If not for the soldiers, this child would be dead today!"
Jack retreated, his face ashen. He knew—once that door opened, the house would never be his again.
With a loud clang, the padlock fell to the ground.