The massive LED screen blazed to life instantly.
Inside the Shaw ancestral hall, a lone figure knelt rigidly in a crisp black suit.
It was Jasper.
Cindy's breath caught in her throat.
'What is he doing there?'
A man stood behind Jasper, gripping a wooden staff as thick as a wrist.
"Jasper, are you certain you wish to endure this punishment on Cindy's behalf? Under Shaw family law, a proxy must endure five times the penalty."
Jasper's face remained blank, still carrying that cold, detached composure he had always worn.
"I wronged Cindy throughout this marriage. I accept this punishment."
The staff splintered the air as it crashed into his back. His body lurched forward before he forced himself upright again.
Fresh blood slowly seeped through his black suit, staining the fabric an
