Chapter 306
Willow settled Janice in a side chamber before returning to her quarters. To outsiders, her thoughtfulness would only be seen as pure kindness. However, those closest to her would feel chills running down their spines. When the incident occurred, Willow was hiding nearby and coldly watching as Janice was violated. Additionally, Willow was the one who had arranged for those beggars to be there. Willow basked in the virtuous reputation while making sure to smear Athena’s name. Her heart was truly venomous.
Once back in her room, Willow’s face hardened. She commanded coldly, “Keep her under strict watch. Report any movement to me immediately.”
The maid’s face turned pale as she answered in a trembling voice, “Yes, my lady.” Their indentures were in Willow’s hands; if they dared to speak out of turn, it would mean certain death.
Willow snorted in satisfaction, unfastening her cloak as she casually inquired, “Where is Lord Osborne?”
The maid was too terrified to speak. With panic in her eyes, she instantly dropped to her knees.
Seeing this, Willow’s expression darkened even further. Willow slowly settled onto the stool and barked at the maid, “Get your ass over here now!”
Trembling, the maid stepped forward, her eyes wide with terror, and kept pleading, “My lady, please have mercy on m–”
“Cut the crap.” Willow shot her a venomous glance. “If you don’t obey, I’ll sell you off to a pimp.” Willow drew a silver needle from the box and barked, “Hands out now!”
The terrified maid thrust her hand forward. Willow clamped down on her finger and brutally drove the needle deep beneath her fingernail. A shriek of agony burst from the maid’s lips, but she immediately bit down hard on her tongue, desperate not to utter another sound. Willow was vicious at heart, yet she always maintained a docile facade in public. If word got out about her abusing maids, it would ruin her carefully crafted reputation as a virtuous lady. The maid dared not resist Willow. She was forced to endure Willow’s abuse in silence.
It wasn’t until all ten of the maid’s fingers had been brutally pierced, and she had collapsed into unconsciousness from the excruciating pain, that Willow Enally felt a twisted sense of relief wash over her.
“Guards, drag her out.” Willow picked up a handkerchief to wipe her hands. Then, putting on a show of benevolence, she added, “Have a physician examine her. Don’t let anyone accuse me of being rude.”
The servants’ faces were deathly pale. They scrambled in panicked disarray to drag the maid out. The vast chamber was now empty, leaving Willow completely alone. Lying in bed, Willow thought about how coldly Michal had treated her. She couldn’t help but feel like crying.
Chapter 306
After a restless night, Willow was summoned by Kelsey at first light. The moment Willow stepped through the door, before she could even pay her respects, Kelsey blurted out anxiously, “Did you hear that Leonard’s home was raided last night? Do you know anything about this?”
Willow was taken aback. “I haven’t heard any news about it, Mother,” Willow wondered to herself, “What on earth does the raid on Leonard’s house have to do with the Osborne family? Was it really necessary to summon me at the crack of dawn?”
After she finished speaking, Willow suddenly thought of Janice. She thought, “Now it all makes sense. No wonder Janice was wandering alone last night. The Beckham family must have fallen from grace.”
Willow sensed something was amiss, so she pressed cautiously, “Mother, why are you asking about this?”
Kelsey’s brow furrowed, her expression anxious as she said, “I’m afraid they’re going to reopen General Perkins’s case.”
Hearing this, a chill ran down Willow’s spine. “But wasn’t General Perkins’s case closed long ago? Why would they reopen it now?”
Kelsey, with a grave expression, said, “The reason I called you here is precisely because of this. Go back to your family at once and get a clear understanding from Lady Eloise.” She pressed urgently. “Tell her to make inquiries right away. You don’t need to say anything else. She’ll know exactly what to do.”
Willow knitted her brows in confusion. “What does this case have to do with my mother?”
Kelsey shot Willow an odd, evasive look. “Don’t ask unnecessary questions. Just go do it.”
Willow got no answer, but suspicion took root in her heart. Willow couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to this case than met the eye. She thought, “What could possibly make Kelsey so worked up? Just what exactly did she know?”
After bidding farewell to Kelsey, Willow hurriedly boarded her carriage and set off for the duke’s estate. Willow’s unexpected return delighted Eloise Monson. She hurried out to greet her, “Willow, what brings you back so suddenly?”
“Mother, let’s talk inside,” Willow said urgently. Emerging alongside Eloise was Nicolas Monson. Nicolas gazed at Willow with doting affection, his eyes brimming with tender amusement. Willow’s expression turned grim as she urgently said to Nicolas, “Nicolas, you too.”
The smiles on Eloise and Nicolas’s faces froze as they exchanged a quick, easy glance, then followed Willow into the house. Once inside the room, Willow immediately cleared out all the servants.
“Willow, what’s wrong? What happened?” Eloise asked, her voice tinged with confusion.
Willow glanced at Eloise, then at Nicolas. She said, “Mother, Nicolas, haven’t you heard? Leonard has been thrown into prison. I’ve received confirmed Information that someone intends to reopen General Perkins’s case.”
Hearing this, Eloise’s smile instantly froze, her expression betraying a flicker of panic. “That can’t be true, can it?”
“Kelsey told me this. How could it be false?” Willow said anxiously. “It must have been the Queen who informed her. Otherwise, we’d never have known.”
“When was Leonard arrested?” Nicolas asked, his voice trembling with panic.
Chapter 305
Willow thought for a moment before replying, “It should have been yesterday afternoon. I heard the Arges Guards stormed the residence and arrested Leonard and his wife. They were both imprisoned, and the Beckham family estate was sealed off. Their daughter, Janice, was rescued by me yesterday and is now at the Osborne family. I’m quite certain of these details.”
Eloise’s breath caught in her throat as she shot a panicked, helpless glance at Nicolas. Eloise tried desperately to compose herself, but her panic betrayed her. She blurted out, “It’s Atheria, isn’t it? She must be behind this.”
Nicolas snorted coldly, his eyes filled with disdain. “Who else could it be but her?”
Noticing their strange expressions, Willow couldn’t help but ask, “Mother, Kelsey said you needed to make a decision about this matter. What exactly did she mean by that?” Willow asked while subtly studying Eloise’s expression.
Willow thought, “After all, Kurtis is Eloise’s father. Shouldn’t she be happy about the reopening of the case? But why isn’t there a hint of joy on her face? Instead, she looks deeply troubled.” Even Nicolas looked equally troubled.
Eloise’s brow furrowed into a tight knot. She opened her mouth several times, as if struggling to speak, but ultimately, not a word left her lips.
“Mother, what on earth is going on? If you don’t tell me, how can I possibly help you?” Willow pressed anxiously.
Nicolas cleared his throat, then said solemnly to Willow, “Willow, it’s time for you to know this. The one who reported General Perkins back then was me.”
Willow’s eyes snapped wide in shock. She gasped, “What? How can this be?”
Nicolas looked at Willow and said, “Mother did all this for you. Back then, Grandmother was dead set against transferring Athena’s engagement to you. She even threatened to erase you from the Monson family records if Mother didn’t comply. Mother couldn’t bear to see you suffer, so she had no choice but to go through with it.”
Nicolas saw absolutely nothing wrong with this. In fact, he believed it was precisely as it should be.
Nicolas thought, “Athena isn’t fit to be the rightful member of the Monson family. Only someone as graceful and virtuous as Willow truly deserves to be the rightful daughter of the Manson family. Eloise truly wore her heart out for Willow.”