Chapter 461: Adrian Stone's Voice Was Icy

"When Elena and I fought side by side on the front lines, this 'weak woman' carried me out of piles of corpses three times," Adrian Stone's voice was icy. "Bullets whizzed past her ears, and she didn't even blink. And you dare call her immoral?"

His fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"Last warning—insult my wife again, even if you're my own brother, and you'll regret it." He grabbed Elena's hand with enough force to make her wince slightly. "The day she took a bullet for me, I swore I'd kill anyone who harms her."

Adrian's younger brother paled. He'd never seen his brother like this—the murderous rage in his eyes made his legs tremble.

"B-Brother..." he stammered, reaching out weakly. "I was wrong, okay?"

"Wrong?" Adrian scoffed before suddenly snatching a glass from the coffee table and smashing it to the ground. Shards flew everywhere, making his brother jump back.

"Apologize to my wife! Now!"

Owen Stone bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle. "Sister-in-law, I'm sorry! I was a complete idiot!"

Elena gave a quiet hum, her gaze flickering to where Sylvia Stone lurked at the stairwell, gripping the banister so hard her nails nearly dug into the wood.

"Little brothers are easily manipulated at this age," Elena said pointedly, her fingers lightly tracing Adrian's palm. "Let's go. I'm tired."

Immediately, Adrian bent to drape her coat over her shoulders, his earlier fury replaced with startling gentleness.

Sylvia forced a smile as she directed the servants to escort them, but her mind reeled. She'd thought Valerie Mercer might at least put up a fight against Elena—how laughable. That fool wasn't even fit to polish Elena's shoes, let alone be her rival.

A door slammed upstairs hard enough to make the chandelier sway. Staring at the shattered glass, Sylvia realized with dawning horror—the balance of power in The Stone family had just shifted irrevocably.