Chapter 315
Nicolas stared at Xander in stunned silence, utterly speechless. Only now did Nicolas truly realize what Athena had endured these past three years. Every single scar on Athena’s body had come from her years in the military camp, Nicolas thought. When Athena came home, all he had done was stare at her with cold indifference. He hadn’t lifted a finger to help her. Worse yet, he had even blamed her for the ill-fitting clothes. He had never once considered what horrors Athena might have endured in the military camp, let alone thought about rescuing her.
All they ever did was blame and despise her. They ignored her sufferings and only focused on pampering Willow. Nicolas realized that this was so wrong. He thought, it wasn’t that he didn’t care about Athena. But with Willow’s frail health, he simply couldn’t treat them equally. But only now that he was pushed to the brink of despair, he finally realized that this agony was what Athena had to endure day after day.
“Athena, she…” Nicolas suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his chest. He tried desperately to call out Athena’s name, but before he could finish, Ansel roughly shoved a filthy rag into his mouth, cutting him off.
Cloaked in icy fury, Xander said coldly, “You don’t even deserve to speak her name.” Xander gave a dismissive wave, his expression unyielding, “Get out.”
Nicolas’s eyes widened in sheer terror as he shook his head frantically. He tried to speak, but with the rag still in his mouth, only muffled protests escaped.
“I can’t leave. How could I just stand by and watch Mother suffer in my place?” Nicolas thought desperately, his heart wrenching with guilt.
But whether to stay or go wasn’t Nicolas’s decision to make. Nicolas was unceremoniously tossed out of the dungeon by the guards. With a heavy thud, Nicolas crashed to the ground.
A voice cried out in panic. “Nicolas, are you all right?”
Nicolas looked up to see Henry’s face etched with concern. He clutched Henry’s arm desperately, his voice raw with urgency as he demanded, “Father, why did you let Mother take my place?” Nicolas had just come back from the brink of death. He knew all too well the torment of that dungeon. Eloise was his mother. He could not possibly let her suffer this. His eyes were bloodshot from crying, his heart filled with nothing but rage and despair. As the heir to the dukedom, Nicolas was powerless to save his mother.
Henry hung his head in silence. After a long, heavy sigh, he finally said, “Let’s return to the duke’s estates. We’ll talk about this there.”
Nicolas shouted hysterically. “No, I’m not leaving. Father, you must save Mother. She’ll die in that hellhole!” Nicolas had always been too proud. He had never groveled before anyone like this.
Henry averted his gaze uncomfortably from Nicolas’s face and declared coldly, “From the moment she stepped through the gates of the duke’s estate, she ceased to be the Duchess of Suffield. Your mother and I are already divorced.”
“What?” Nicolas’s eyes flew open in shock, his voice barely above a whisper. “Mother actually divorced you?”
Henry nodded slowly. “Only by severing her ties with the duke’s estate could we avoid being implicated. This was all her own choice. She did it—” Henry placed a firm hand on Nicolas’s shoulder, gave it a heavy pat, and said gravely, “Your mother was an extraordinary woman.”
Nicolas felt as if his very backbone had been ripped out. He collapsed to the ground in utter defeat, his face twisted into a grotesque grimace even as tears streamed down uncontrollably.
He said, “To save me, you threw Mother into that dungeon, and yet you have the audacity to call her extraordinary? Father, how could you be so—”
Henry’s eyes darted nervously as he explained, “Son, this wasn’t my doing. Your mother couldn’t bear to see you in distress. Besides, if she hadn’t gone to the dungeon, Athena would never have let her off the hook… Better one survives than both perish.”
Nicolas suddenly bellowed, “But she’s my mother, the one who bore and raised me. How could you be so heartless? How could you?” Nicolas broke down in sobs, whimpering like a caged beast.
“Even if I escaped, I could never live with myself for the rest of my life,” Nicolas thought bitterly.
Henry sighed heavily and patted Nicolas on the shoulder. “Only by keeping you safe can I preserve the duke’s estate, Nicolas. Don’t blame me for being heartless. The truth is, this pains me more than it does you.”
Nicolas’s eyes widened with sudden realization as he stared blankly ahead. “There’s still a way. I’ll go beg Athena. I’ll get on my knees and apologize. If she just says the word, Mother will be safer.”
Nicolas bolted toward Athena’s residence like a man possessed. Henry called after him repeatedly, but Nicolas never once glanced back.
Storm clouds swallowed the sun as a sudden downpour crashed down. Soaked to the bone and utterly wretched, Nicolas fell to his knees in the pouring rain outside Athena’s door. His voice was raw with desperation as he cried out, “Athena, I was wrong! Please, I’m begging you! Show some mercy and spare Mother!”
With every word he uttered, he slammed his forehead to the ground. Rain and tears streamed down his face, leaving him a pitiful, drenched mess.
Inside, Trina clenched her teeth in fury, “How disgusting these people are! They’re the ones who did wrong, yet they still have the gall to come here and trouble you, Lady Athena. Let me go chase him away!”
A steely glint flashed in Athena’s eyes as she gazed anxiously toward Margaret’s courtyard, her brow knitting with concern. Margaret was well aware of everything that had happened these past few days. However, unwilling to let Athena down, she deliberately kept out of sight. But Athena knew Margaret still couldn’t let go of the duke’s estate. If Athena didn’t go out, Nicolas would never leave.
Chapter 315
Athena sighed in resignation. Trina quickly unfurled an umbrella and followed closely behind as she headed outside.
Under the eaves, Margaret watched worriedly from inside. She heard Nicolas’s agonizing cries. Each cry pierced Margaret’s heart like a dagger. Knowing that Margaret couldn’t let go of the duke’s estate, Gwen Denison gravely advised her, “Your Ladyship, please forgive me, but Lady Athena has only just begun to enjoy a few days of peace. You mustn’t let sentiment cloud your judgment again and put her in a difficult position.”
Margaret nodded wearily. “It’s precisely for Athena’s sake that I’ve kept myself hidden. I’ve already—”
“I know they’re reaping what they’ve sown, but my heart just can’t let go. Must our family’s century–old legacy truly—”
Gwen fell silent. She knew Margaret still ached for the duke’s estate, which she had built with her own hands. But now Athena and the duke’s estate were locked in bitter conflict. Athena was determined to avenge. It was an impossible situation. There was no way to solve it.
Margaret gazed at the relentless rain, heaved a long weary sigh, and slowly retreated inside. She had done her utmost for the Manson family. She would leave the rest to fate.
At the doorstep, Athena stood atop the steps, her frosty gaze fixed on Nicolas below. She asked, “What is this spectacle, Your Lordship? The duke’s estate ruined my maternal grandfather’s entire family, yet there you are wailing and pleading for forgiveness. Never have I seen the guilty play the victim so brazenly.”
Athena remained utterly unmoved. Her gaze held Nicolas, burning with seething hatred and icy contempt.
Nicolas burned with shame. He knew full well he had no right to beg Athena for anything. But for Eloise, Nicolas had no choice but to humble himself and beg.
Nicolas shuffled forward on his knees, his voice breaking as he pleaded, “Athena, I know I have no right to face you, but she’s our mother. No matter what she’s done, she still brought you into this world. How can you just stand by and watch her die?”