Chapter 222
Athena arrived at the Duke’s Estate, accompanied by her entourage, only to be stopped at the gate by the hesitant gatekeeper.
“Viscountess,” the gatekeeper said hesitantly, a troubled look on his face, “your attendants cannot enter. Nicolas had given strict orders that if Athena came, she must enter alone without her servants."
As Athena’s status had changed, the gatekeeper dared not offend her outright. As such, he had deliberately softened his tone when he spoke.
Gwen’s face darkened as she snapped. “How dare you block the Viscountess? Do you have a death wish? Lady Margaret is critically ill, and the Viscountess is here to save her life. If anything happens to Lady Margaret because of your obstruction, can you bear the consequences?”
Gwen had always avoided arguments and never flaunted her seniority, even as one of the estate’s elders, but with Margaret’s grave condition, she revealed her formidable side. After all, as Margaret’s longtime attendant, she still commanded respect.
The gatekeeper was of lowly status and couldn’t afford to offend anyone, yet Nicolas had issued strict orders, leaving him caught between a rock and a hard place.
Just then, Matthew emerged from the courtyard. With his hands clasped behind his back, Matthew smirked slyly. “Well, look who we have here? My dear sister, whom the family had disowned.”
He sized Athena up and down, clicking his tongue in disdain as he added, “Well, well, if it isn’t the disowned wretch. What are you doing back here?”
Athena shot Matthew a cold, piercing stare. “Grandma’s illness is suspicious,” she said, her voice icy. “If I find out anyone’s been meddling, they’ll pay dearly.”
Under Athena’s glacial stare, Matthew felt a chill run down his spine, but what burned hotter was the rage he felt.
“Who the hell does she think she is, looking at me like that? If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be rotting at home, jobless! It was Athena who wrecked my future, and this was all her fault,” he inwardly fumed.
Matthew sneered, “Stop throwing your weight around. Do you really think the Duke’s Estate is some place you can just waltz in and out of as you please!”
He stood atop the stone steps, looking down his nose with haughty disdain. “You may enter, but your entourage stays outside. Cross me on this, and I’ll see to it you don’t set one foot past this gate today.”
Matthew’s utterly shameless antics made Athena’s blood boil as her chest tightened with fury.
With tears in her eyes, Gwen pleaded, “Lord Matthew, please, have mercy and let Miss Monson in. Lady Margaret’s illness can’t wait any longer!”
Matthew scoffed, entirely unmoved, “Who the hell does she think she is? Don’t think your political connections scare me.”
Just as the two were arguing, a gentle voice called out, “Athena? Is that you, Athena? Have you come home?”
Supported by her maid, Eloise emerged from the courtyard. She marched forward and gave Matthew a couple of firm pats, scolding, “You little brat! Athena is your sister. How could you make things so difficult for her? Step aside this instant!”
Matthew still refused to budge. He jabbed his finger right in Athena’s face and sneered, “As long as I’m here today, even if others beg, it won’t help you. You have two choices: either enter the estate alone, or get down on your knees and beg me. What’s it going to be?"
Fed up with Matthew’s harassment, Athena wasted no more words on him. With a swift motion, she whipped out a silver needle and jabbed it straight into Matthew’s knee. His legs buckled instantly, sending him crashing to his knees.
Matthew’s eyes bulged in terror. He opened his mouth to curse, but Athena, repeating her trick, struck an acupoint, silencing him.
From behind, Eloise cried out in panic, “Matthew! What’s wrong, Matthew?”
Without even batting an eye, Athena marched straight in with her entourage, making a beeline for Margaret’s courtyard.
At the courtyard gate, Nicolas stood waiting with his men. When Athena entered, he was not surprised, as he’d expected it all along.
Nicolas regarded Athena with unnerving calm. “My ‘good sister,’” he said, his voice dripping with false admiration, “you’re so capable now. You can even barge into the Duke’s Estate as you please. It seems I’ve sorely underestimated you.”
Athena scoffed, “You’re quite the schemer yourself, Lord Nicolas. All this trouble you’ve created, wasn’t it all just to target me?”
Nicolas' face stiffened at her words. Through gritted teeth, he hissed, “What a sharp tongue.”
“Did you gather all these men to arrest me?” Athena asked as she swept her gaze around the courtyard, noting that it was swarming with guards.
Nicolas demanded, “You’ve crippled Willow. Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?”
Athena fixed Nicolas with an icy glare and spat, “You’re the one who owes me an explanation, Lord Nicolas. Grandma was perfectly fine. So, how did she suddenly become critically ill?”
With Matthew blocking her path ahead and Nicolas standing guard behind, Athena had no way of knowing how Margaret was truly faring.
Gwen, who was frantic with worry, stepped forward and pleaded with Nicolas, “Lord Nicolas, can’t we put this aside for now? Please, just let Miss Monson go in and see Lady Margaret first. The old lady can’t afford to wait any longer!”
Nicolas stared icily at Athena, clearly waiting for her to yield. He had made it clear he wouldn’t move unless she gave in.
“But would Athena ever fear me?” he wondered.
Any meager shred of sibling affection they once shared had long since been ground to dust after their endless conflicts. To Athena now, he might as well have been a complete stranger.
“If anything happens to Grandma, I’ll make the entire Duke’s Estate pay with their lives.” Athena enunciated each word with deadly precision, her tone icy and unwavering. The murderous aura she radiated was no less intense than Nicolas’s. If anything, it completely eclipsed his. She loathed the Duke’s Estate to the core.
When Nicolas saw the fury on Athena’s face, he roared, “Athena, don’t you dare overstep!”
“I just don’t understand,” Nicolas fumed inwardly. “She’s the one who caused harm, yet she has the audacity to play the victim here. It wasn’t her leg that was broken. So, what right does she have to talk so big here! And now she wants to drag the entire Duke’s Estate down with her. Just who does she think she is?”
“Get out of my way,” Athena snapped coldly.
Nicolas continued to block her way as he stated, “This is our Duke’s Estate’s business. An outsider like you has no standing here.” As far as he was concerned, from the day Athena was cast out, she ceased to be a Monson family member.
Eloise had just caught up when she heard those soul-piercing words. Eloise took two steps forward, fixing Nicolas with a pained look as she uttered, “You’ve always wanted Athena to come home. Why must you say such cruel things to her?”
When Eloise first learned Athena was returning, she had been overjoyed for days. Yet now, face-to-face again, they clashed like oil and water. Eloise’s hopes were completely dashed. She looked at Athena with pleading eyes. “Athena, please don’t be so stubborn. Just give in to Nicolas this once, won’t you?”
Her voice trembled with longing as she added, “Every single day you were away, I’ve thought of you. Please, come home, my dear.”
Athena sneered coldly. “What exactly have I done wrong? Why should I be the one to apologize?”
Eloise murmured in a small, hesitant voice, “But… didn’t Willow’s injury happen because of you?”
“Willow’s broken leg was entirely her own doing, and she tried to hurt me first! What does that have to do with me?” Athena snapped as she felt her rage boiling over. She refused to take the blame for this.
Facing the crowd, Athena declared in a loud, clear voice, her gaze sweeping over them: “It was Willow who tried to stab my horse with a hairpin, and that’s why the horse kicked hers! As for who’s been slandering me, they know exactly who they are.”
Eloise’s eyes widened in surprise and uttered, “But Matthew said it was you.”
“Can his word be trusted?” Athena raised her voice defiantly, fixing Eloise with a sharp look, “Why not bring Matthew here for a confrontation? If Lady Eloise still has doubts, she’s welcome to ask the Beckham family herself. Even though things were chaotic, I’m sure there were plenty of witnesses who saw what really happened.”
Athena swept her gaze over every single person present, her voice ringing out with icy clarity as she spat, “All of you were so quick to jump to conclusions and never bothered to find out the truth. You slap labels on people without any investigation, and now you’re using Grandma’s illness to lure me back under false pretenses just to force a confession. How pathetic, and absolutely disgusting.”