Chapter 324
Chapter 324
Sadly, Eloise had gravely underestimated Athens. She was now a far cry from the woma
Athena delivered a stinging slap across Willow’s face, Willow screamed in pairs agains
But this time, it wasn’t just screams. Willow began desperately pleading with Elise. “Mother, sine me. I don’t want to eye worked on hard to become the Marchioness of Somers, Please, sme mel
A mother would feel her child’s pain as her own.
Seeing Willow so broken truly shattered Eloise’theart.
Willow was her precious daughter Eloise cherished and protected Willow since the day she was bom
But if Eloise bold the truth, she knew that Willow would surely die too
Elone clenched her teeth, her heart tom by the impossible choice
Athena raised her dagger once more, pressing closer to Willow. She threatened coldly, “If you don’t talk, I’ll start cutting off her fingers one by one. I won’t stop until you start speaking”
“Save me, Mom! Athena is a psycho” Willow cowered in bemor while curling into a ball. Just as Athena was about to strike, Eloise finally broke down and
blurted out the truth.
“I’ll talk. I’ll talk!” Eloise sobbed, the words tumbling out in a rush, “Nicolas is a remnant of the fallen country before ours.”
With those words, Eloise completely broke down.
Eloise stumped to her knees, sobbing as she looked at Athena. It was all Nicolas’s doing. He wants to overthrew Petanion and restore the country of Drachian, He’s the 13th prince of the fallen Drachian
“Hack when the Drachian fell, Nicolas was the sole survivor, Blinded by greed and with compromising evidence in Nicolas’s hands, Henry had no choice
but to obey his every command.
Athena’s brows knitted tightly. “Nicolas is a remnant of the fallen Drachian, then who are his accomplices?”
She thought, “A mere boy like him couldn’t possibly have forced Henry to submit on his own!
Eloise sniffled and said, “The only accomplice I know of is Loretta Holmes, who was your foster mother. I sent you to her because I thought you’d be easier to control that way. But when your true identity was revealed, Margaret insisted on bringing you back to the duke’s estate
“I had to frame you to secure Willow’s rightful status as the legitimate daughter of the Monson family. Only by having could Willow manty into the Osborne family
“But back then, I honestly didn’t know any of this. I only learned the truth much later”
Athena’s eyes blazed with fury. “So you were willing to ruin me just for your own selfish gain, is that it?”
i banished to the military camp
Eloise kept her eyes down, unable to meet Athena’s gaze. “I guess you can only blame your bad luck. If you hadn’t been born, none of this would have happened to you”
Athena was undeniably the victim, yet Eloise insisted it was simply her fate. Faced with the sheer absurdity of it all, Athena didn’t know whether to ligh
“Who dares to say Athena is ill–fated?” Xander’s chilling voice put through the air.
Xander emerged from the shadows, his chiseled features standing out sharply against the ink–black night.
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Xander swept his game over lose. Hepressionless eyes pierced into her very borin
cas if she were suddenly encased in ice, the chill seeping
Eloise shuddered involuntarily. Her lips parted to speak, but the words died in her sot, choked by sheer terror
She thought, “Prince Kander is notoriously ruthless, if he finds out, the entire duke’s estate will pay with their lives.
I don’t care if I de, but what about my three children?
Matthew and Joseph know nothing about any of this
El crawled two steps toward Kander’s feet, sobbing desperately as she pleaded, “Your Highness, have mercy Matthew and Joseph know nothing of this. These are all Henry’s sins. I beg you. Please, spare their frang
Kander’s gaze briefly flickered to Eloise, his eyes glinting with lethal intent
Under the weight of Kander’s intimidating aura, Eloise was too terrified to say a single word
Athena stared blankly at Xander, only to find his eyes brimming with bender concern
Noticing her face reddened and chilled by the biting wind, ander swiftly unfastened?
cloak and gently draped in around her shoulders. “Don’t conce yourself with what happened down the mountain. It’s all been taken care of for you. The assassins sent by t ● Monson family have all beer
Eloise shot Xander a startled glance, then lowered her head with a bitter, self–mocking smil
She had long known Henry would try to kill her, but when the truth finally struck, the pain still cut deep.
and dragging over a hundred members of the Perkins
She said, “For Henry, sacrificed my sister, I even framed my father by sending him to prison and into ruin. I gave him everything I never thought he would treat me like this. How could ha
Eloise burst into hysterical laughter, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.
Yet Athena remained utterly unmoved. Close was only mourning her own wasted efforts
Athena knew that it was nothing but crocodile tears.
The fate of the Perkins family meant absolutely nothing to Eloise
Athena falt it was such a waste that Kurtis had doted on Eloise so much, yet she was the one who personally sent him to his ruin.
“This is your retribution. People like you deserve to burn in hell!” Athena snarled, her words dripping with venom
Eliseo momentarily, then gave a self–mocking smile. “I’m sorry, Father,” she murmured.
Athena said, “You don’t deserve to call Grandfather Father, if he were still alive, he would disown a treacherous, ungrateful wretch like you.”
Athena glared at Eloise with icy eyes, her murderous intent barely contained. She wanted nothing more than to kill her right then and there
She thought, still need to keep Eloise alive
alive for now,
“She’s the key witness. If we want to expose Nicola’s true identity, v
y, we’ll need har testimony
Eloise shook her head wildly, as if provoked by Athena’s words. She suddenly shouted in defiance, “I did nothing wrong. It was Father’s fault. He always preferred my sister over me. We’re both his daughters, so why did she get to marry into the duke’s estate while I was shoved into a second–rate family!
“I’m his daughter, too. I was just looking out for myself what’s wrong with that? That family fortune was rightfully mine!
Hearing Elona’s words, Athena was utterly stunned
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Athena thought to herself, “Grandfather never played tavontes between his tan daughters. He treated them with absolute favness in every wing
When did he ever show any favoritism?
Even their wedding gifts were prepared identically
When I was inle, I’d hear Grandfather speak of his daughters, his eyes always brimming with pride and affection
In fact, he dated even more on Eloise
The only difference was that Eloise was mischievous, so Grandfather disciplined her more strictly. But that was for her own good
“Yet, in Llone’s eyes, all that fatherly care was warped into proof of his disfavor
Athena strode forward and landed two resounding slaps across Eloise’s face.
She said, “Just because you folt unloved, you framed Grandfather for embezzlement? You’re not even fit to be called human
Eloise’s nose and mouth pushed blood from the blows. With a pained scream, she clutched her face.
Eloise stared at Athena, her eyes wide with terror,
Athena’s fury still burned white–hot, “You’re the one who deserves to die the most!” she spat venomously.
Athena was about to lunge forward again when Xander stopped her. “Steady now, Athena,” he said firmly, “Eloise can’t de yet. Only by bringing se before the Emperor can we clear your grandfather’s name.
Athena lunged viciously at Eloise, but at Xander’s words, all the fight drained from her.
Athena let her hands fall imply and collapsed into Xander’s embrace, her body shaking with uncontrollable obs
These past three years, she had endured far too much,
With Margaret also gone now, Athena felt utterly abandoned, like a child with no one left
She had nothing left.
watched Athena sobbing her heart out, his own heart aching for her. Gently patting her back, he whispered with tender reassurance.“ou still have me. Athena. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll always be here for you.”
AD
