Chapter 288

Flames roared skyward, casting an eerie glow that nearly lit up the entire town. The deafening blast left Athena’s ears ringing violently. She could only see Michael’s lips moving frantically, but no sound reached her.

For what felt like an eternity, her hearing gradually returned.

“Athena, are you okay?” Michael asked anxiously, gripping her shoulders.

Athena’s dazed eyes gradually regained focus. She shook her head, steadying herself.

Seeing the agony on Michael’s face, she asked, “What happened?”

Michael’s expression altered, as if he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

“What the hell is going on?” Athena demanded, her grip tightening painfully on Michael’s arm.

Ever since Michael stopped her from leaving, she knew something was off. She kept wondering how he found her so precisely, and why he was so insistent on taking her away from the inn.

As the pieces began to fall into place, a cold realization crept over her. Her hands clenched Michael’s arm so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

“Tell me, Michael. Tell me why,” Athena demanded, her voice shaking.

Seeing how agitated she was, Michael coaxed gently, his voice laced with concern. “Athena, please calm down.”

Tears streamed down Athena’s face as she gazed at the towering inferno. Pointing frantically toward the blaze, she asked furiously, “That inn was full of people! Now they’re dead, and you tell me to calm down?!”

Michael was struck dumb by her questioning, instinctively retreating a few steps. His gaze darted away, unable to meet Athena’s eyes, betraying his deep guilt.

Athena screamed at him, her voice raw with desperation, but Michael couldn’t bring himself to answer.

Then, a sharp, stinging sound echoed as Athena slapped Michael across the face with all her strength.

“I don’t need your help!” she spat, her voice trembling with rage. “I’d rather die than be saved by you!”

Even though she still hadn’t figured out what was going on, Athena was dead certain these assassins were connected to Michael. His appearance was just too much of a coincidence. She really didn’t want to suspect him of anything so sordid.

However, after witnessing the ruthless ways of the powerful elite, she simply couldn’t convince herself that Michael was innocent.

Athena turned and stormed off. This time, Michael didn’t stop her. She stumbled blindly toward the blazing inn, where townsfolk were already desperately battling the raging flames.

Michael watched her figure fade into the distance, his heart clenching painfully. His eyes held guilt and helplessness, but most of all, a deep, aching sorrow. If only he had married Athena from the very beginning, maybe their paths would never have diverged like this.

Michael had no one to blame but himself. He was the…

“My Lord.” Several black-clad operatives materialized silently behind Michael.

His gaze turned murderous as he drew the saber from his waist, pressing the blade to the assassin’s throat. Michael’s eyes burned crimson, veins bulging menacingly along his neck.

Through gritted teeth, he demanded, each word heavy with controlled rage, “I gave explicit orders, no one was to harm her. Did you all turn a deaf ear to my command?"

The man dropped to his knees with a thud, panic in his eyes. “My Lord, I swear, it wasn’t me! The order came from Her Majesty herself. We didn’t dare question it.”

There was only one person it could be: the Queen. Michael had only caught up to Athena because he had spotted the Queen’s operatives tailing her.

Terrified Athena might get hurt, he made desperate attempts to intervene, but despite everything, she was still injured.

Now that Athena suspected these people were connected to Michael, he found himself utterly unable to defend himself. Even if he tried to explain, she wouldn’t believe a word he said.

In fact, by the time Michael found Athena, the Queen’s operatives had already struck. With time running out, he had no choice but to whisk her away immediately.

The more he thought of the look in Athena’s eyes, full of hurt and disappointment, the more Michael’s heart ached with unbearable pain, as if stabbed by a knife.

Athena used to treat him with nothing but cold indifference. At least then, he could still speak to her as a stranger.

But now, she must despise him with every fiber of her being.

Michael slowly closed his eyes, forcing back the tears that threatened to fall. It had been three years since he and Athena went their separate ways.

“Get out of my sight. If you ever dare show your face before Athena again, I swear I’ll show no mercy,” he said.

The assassin hesitated: “But we are commanded that the Viscountess must not return to Pidence City. If that old case from years ago were to be reopened, both His Highness and the Osborne family would face grave consequences. My Lord, please reconsider!”

Those words struck a raw nerve with Michael. In a flash of fury, he lashed out with a vicious kick to the man’s chest.

The assassin was sent flying, crashing hard to the ground and coughing up a mouthful of blood.

Michael leveled his saber at them, his eyes blazing with murderous intent. “I don’t care about anyone else, but Athena is mine to protect. Go back and tell the Queen if she still expects the Osborne family’s loyalty, then don’t push me to the brink.”

Despite his injuries, the assassin pleaded urgently, “My Lord, the Queen is your aunt, and the Osborne family’s fate is intertwined with hers. How can you jeopardize our grand plans for a mere woman?”

“She’s not just some woman.” Michael’s gaze turned dangerously dark.

As if proving it to others and reminding himself, he said, “Athena, she’s the one I care about. She is my life.”

Michael leveled his saber at the assassin, his eyes blazing with murderous intent. “If any of you dare harm her, you’ll be making an enemy of me, and that includes your Queen.”

Chapter 289

Apart from a…

[Unrelated and incomplete phrases removed]