Chapter 171

The prison echoed with incessant screams of agony. After fifty lashes, Nona was left a bloody wreck. Willow was so terrified she couldn’t even open her eyes, her entire body shaking like a leaf.

Luckily, Nona kept her mouth shut. Even after enduring fifty lashes, she refused to betray Willow.

“Your Honor, Miss Monson is innocent…” Nona sobbed, “It was all Blake’s doing, it had nothing to do with Miss Monson, I swear!”

Osbert stroked his beard in contemplation. It was clear this whole mess had started with Blake. Osbert dared not offend either the Monson family or Xander.

Osbert thought to himself, ‘Detaining Willow in prison should be enough to account to Prince Xander. Perhaps it’s best to stop here and pin this whole mess on Blake as the scapegoat.’

Osbert suddenly whirled and jabbed a finger at Blake, bellowing, “You peasant! How dare you frame Miss Monson?”

Blake, battered and bloodied from the beating, thought the worst was finally over and that he was in the clear. Caught off guard by Osbert’s words, Blake’s eyes widened in panic. He stammered, “Your Honor, I would never dare to frame anyone! Willow was truly the mastermind behind this. If she hadn’t told me the Viscountess’s place was filled with treasures, I would never have dared to target her!”

Willow shook her head tearfully, putting on a heartbroken act. “Brother, how could you slander me just to save yourself? I know you’re hopelessly addicted to gambling. I’ve warned you time and again to quit, but you never listen! Just like this time, I was terrified you’d cause trouble for Athena. I begged you over and over not to go, but you wouldn’t listen, and then you turned around and stabbed me in the back!”

At this point, Willow broke down, tears streaming as she sobbed uncontrollably.

Nona, wincing in pain, spoke up for her mistress. “Your Honor, please judge fairly. Every word Miss Monson said is true. Every time Blake lost money gambling, he’d come demanding money from my lady. She’s a victim too!”

The airtight testimonies from Willow and her maid left Blake panicked. “No! That’s not how it was!” he blurted out, “Willow, I’m your brother, how could you use me like this?”

With tears welling in her red-rimmed eyes, Willow looked at Nicolas pitifully and sobbed, “Nicolas, please stop being so stubborn. Just confess, please…”

Nicolas let out a defeated sigh. He thought bitterly, ‘I finally understand now. It was all Willow’s scheme. She set me up from the very beginning! Damn my stupidity for falling into Willow’s trap!’

“I’m your brother! How can you bear to see me thrown in jail?” Blake thrashed wildly, only to receive two more lashes from the jailers.

At this point, the truth of the case was crystal clear. Osbert, who had already intended to curry favor with the Monson family, decided to halt the trial.

Just then, a jailer leaned in and whispered in Osbert’s ear, “Your Honor, Mr. Monson just sent you something.”

The official slipped a wad of banknotes into Osbert’s hand. Osbert’s heart leaped with joy as he discreetly tucked the banknotes into his wide sleeve.

With that, Osbert hastily wrapped up the case. He said, “I have determined that Blake acted alone in this case, and that Miss Monson is entirely uninvolved. Guards, have him sign the confession!”

The official forced Blake’s finger down and pressed it hard onto the confession.

Blake howled in despair, “I’ve been wrongfully accused! Your Honor!”

But no amount of his wailing could change the facts. Osbert turned to Willow with an ingratiating smile. “Miss Monson, I have determined you’re completely innocent in this case. You’re free to go.”

“Thank you, Your Honor,” Willow said with red-rimmed eyes, then supported the injured Nona as they left the prison. Willow fixed Nicolas with a pointed look before leaving. “Don’t worry, Blake,” she said, her words laced with a subtle warning. “I’ll make sure to take good care of Mother.”

Though Blake was a scoundrel, he was exceptionally loyal to his mother. This was his Achilles’ heel. Willow knew full well.

Suddenly, Nicolas let out a hollow, mocking laugh. All this time, he had truly believed Willow was weak and harmless. Now he finally saw that she was the real viper. She schemed to send him after Athena, only for Athena to have him thrown in jail instead.

Blake thought bitterly, ‘Willow got rid of me without even lifting a finger. I was nothing but a minor obstacle for her to sweep aside. If I’d been lucky enough to kill Athena, it would’ve been killing two birds with one stone. How tragic the world can’t see the viper she truly is! The people at the Monson family still treat her like a treasured jewel, never realizing they’ve been nurturing a venomous viper all these years.’

Without so much as a backward glance at Nicolas, Willow stepped through the prison gates. As expected, Blake had no choice but to plead guilty.

Outside the prison gates stood a tall figure. Willow hurried forward, her face lighting up with excitement, only to freeze when she saw it was Nicolas standing there, not Michael.

The light faded from her eyes as she called out with evident disappointment, “Nicolas… It’s just you.”

Nicolas took one look at her dejected expression and immediately knew what she was thinking about. Nicolas took two steps forward and said gently, “I am here to take you home, Willow.”

“Why isn’t Michael here?” Willow’s eyes were red-rimmed, her throat tight with unshed tears. She could never forget the way Michael looked at her.

Nicolas looked at her disapprovingly. “At a time like this, you’re still pining after your precious Michael, you…”

Nicolas was tempted to scold Willow, but when he saw the tears welling in her eyes, he bit back his harsh words. With a dismissive flick of his sleeve and a cold snort, Nicolas declared, “Enough. Let’s go home.”

The siblings walked out in single file, Nicolas leading the way with Willow trailing behind.

Suddenly, Nicolas stopped in his tracks. Athena was standing ahead of them. Her eyes were indifferent, but beneath them lurked a sharp, icy coldness.

Seeing Athena, Nicolas’s face flushed with rage. He pointed an accusing finger at her and shouted, “Athena, you vicious schemer! This was all your doing, wasn’t it? You wanted to make Willow a laughing stock, ruin her reputation, and sabotage her marriage to Michael, isn’t that right?”

Athena gave a cold chuckle. “Nicolas, you’re still as clueless as ever.”

“What did you just say?” Nicolas’s face turned livid with rage. As both the duke’s heir and Athena’s older brother, Nicolas held considerable status. But she actually dared to talk back to him.

Athena stood tall and looked at Nicolas with icy disdain. “When you get home, you’d better get your facts straight. It’s a shame you have eyes but still can’t see the truth. She got lucky this time, but next time, she won’t be so fortunate.”

With that, she turned on her heel and walked away.

Behind her, Nicolas’s furious but impotent roars mingled with Willow’s pitiful sobs. Athena didn’t even glance back.

Trina followed Athena out of the police station, looking disappointed. “Miss, are you really just going to let them off like this?”

Athena sighed. “Even as the Viscountess, I’m still no match for the Monson family. Getting Osbert to convict Willow is easier said than done. Besides, I never caught her red-handed this time, so this is as far as I can go. Having her spend a night in prison should serve as a clear warning.”

Trina nodded. “As long as the Monson family backs her, Miss, there’s nothing you can do about Willow.”

Athena gave a slight shake of her head and let out a soft chuckle. Still, it wasn’t a total loss. At the very least, Athena had managed to drive a wedge between Willow and the Holmes family.

Blake was Loretta’s only son. If Loretta ever found out that Willow was the one who landed her son in prison, she’d raise hell and never let it go.