Nicolas brought Michael to a thatched hut. He stopped at the door, his expression troubled, and said to Michael, “Michael, it’s better if you don’t look. Your parents died horribly. I’m afraid you won’t be able to bear it.”

Michael paused, pain surfacing on his face. He clenched his fists tightly and said, “But they were my father and mother. No matter how cruel, I can take it.”

Seeing how stubborn he was, Nicolas no longer stopped him. He silently stepped aside, allowing Michael to enter the room.

Two corpses lay inside, both covered with white cloth. Michael slowly walked up to them, but his outstretched hand froze mid-air. He hadn’t even seen their faces yet, and he was already sobbing uncontrollably. Finally, he forced himself to calm down and lifted the cloth.

Fletcher’s face had been hacked beyond recognition, unidentifiable. Kelsey’s entire face had been skinned. The corpses had severely decayed, exposing white bones beneath. The heavy stench of rot filled his nostrils, making his stomach churn. Michael let out a strange cry, eyes wide in horror as he looked at his parents. Then he collapsed into loud, heart-wrenching sobs.

“Father! Mother…” His wails reached outside, and everyone nearby wore sorrowful expressions.

Willow exchanged a glance with Nicolas and whispered, “These two bodies you found… are you sure he won’t notice?”

“Don’t worry. Absolutely not,” Nicolas replied in a low voice. The real corpses had already been cremated by officials. Nicolas couldn’t possibly have gone to the trouble of retrieving them. These two were just random corpses his men found. They had even purposely disfigured the faces so Michael wouldn’t recognize them. And as expected, Michael was devastated. His heart was now full of hatred.

Willow nodded, then walked into the room. “Michael, please don’t cry anymore. The dead cannot return. Your parents wouldn’t want to see you this heartbroken.” She cried bitterly, as if deeply concerned for Michael.

Michael was nearly faint from grief. He kept pounding his chest, guilt written all over his face, “It’s all my fault. All my fault.”

“It’s not your fault, Michael,” Willow said, hugging him tightly. “It was Athena. She destroyed our family.”

“Athena… Athena… I’ll kill you!” Michael roared, turning and rushing out the door.

Sun, zu Jul

Chapter 360

His eyes were bloodshot, and he howled with all his might, “I’ll kill you and avenge my parents!”

Nicolas grabbed him and frowned. “Michael, calm down. She’s in Pidence City now, protected by others. How could you possibly kill her alone?"

Michael thrashed like a mad beast. “Even if it costs me my life, I must kill her.”

Michael’s heart burned with an unquenchable thirst for vengeance. The murder of his parents was a debt that could only be repaid in blood. At that moment, all he could think about was killing.

Nicolas was satisfied with his state. ‘Yes, let him burn in hatred.’ Only with hate in his heart could he be used.

Nicolas said, “Michael, I have a plan that will make sure she dies with no grave to bury her in. Want to hear it?” Nicolas restrained him, giving him a purpose in his weakest moment.

Michael looked at him in despair, his hair falling messily over his forehead. The murderous intent in his eyes didn’t fade, but Nicolas’s words gave him a sliver of hope. “Tell me. How do I kill her?”

Seeing that hatred had blinded him, Nicolas relaxed slightly and said, “Xander is marrying Athena this very month, mid-month.”

Michael’s eyes widened. Then he let out a bitter laugh. “She destroyed my family, and now she dares to marry Xander with peace of mind? I won’t allow it. Never!”

Nicolas explained, “After their wedding, Xander will take Athena to the Cavendish Family Cemetery to pay respects. They’ll leave the city. It’s the perfect time to strike.”

He patted Michael on the shoulder heavily and said with gritted teeth, “We’ll use the cannon she gifted us to test its power. See if it can blow open the Cavendish Family Cemetery’s gates.” He added, “There’s endless treasure in there. What our forces need most now is silver.”

Michael didn’t hesitate. He said, “My family was loyal to the King, yet we were destroyed. That dog of an emperor bears responsibility too. Since they are unjust, I’ll be unrighteous. I’ll overthrow this empire and change the dynasty!”

“Good! I knew you’d come around.” Nicolas hugged him tightly and painted a glorious future. “Help me take this empire, and I’ll make you a king or minister. Your choice.”

But Michael only sneered coldly. “I don’t care about being a king or minister. I just want them both dead.”

Nicolas said, “Your parents died so tragically. They will bless us from the heavens. For now, we should give them a proper burial.” To avoid complications, Nicolas urged Michael to bury the fake corpses.

Michael nodded painfully. “It’s my fault for letting my parents go unburied.” Nicolas had long prepared coffins, which his men now carried over. He said, “We’ve been planning this for a long time. All that’s left is this final gamble. When the time comes, we’ll be lying in wait around the imperial tombs to create chaos.” He added, “You’ll seize Athena and use her to threaten Xander. To save her, he’ll definitely sacrifice his life.”

Michael gritted his teeth. “I’ll take her head to honor my parents’ spirits.”

At the side, Willow revealed a triumphant smile. Willow smirked triumphantly to herself, thinking, ‘If this fool ever realizes how we’ve played him, wouldn’t he be absolutely gutted?’

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Chapter 360

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On the fifteenth of August, a perfect day for weddings. These days, Athena’s residence has been swarmed with well-wishers, so many guests coming to congratulate her that they nearly wore out the threshold. Luckily, Kurtis and the three uncles were there to help. What Athena was most grateful for was Claudia. She managed the household so flawlessly that Athena had nothing to worry about. That gave her the time to go shopping for wedding items.

She took Trina with her to Treasure Grove. The shopkeeper recognized her and personally came out to greet her. “Congratulations, Your Highness.”

“Thank you.” Athena nodded slightly. “I’d like to see some jewelry.”

The shopkeeper beamed and said warmly, “A wedding like yours deserves only the best. If I may, please allow me to show you to the second floor. We just crafted some new hairpins and ornaments. I’m sure you’ll like them.”

“Alright, let’s take a look,” Athena said, leading Trina upstairs. But at the door, the shopkeeper stopped Trina and said apologetically, “Please forgive me, Your Highness. These ornaments are quite valuable. May I ask the young lady to wait outside?”

His words made Athena suspicious. What kind of hairpin was so valuable it couldn’t even be touched? She hesitated, but the shopkeeper quickly added with a smile, “No need to worry, Your Highness. I wouldn’t dare harbor ill intentions. We are a century-old store, after all.”

Outside, Jessa was also waiting. Athena let go of her doubts and stepped inside. The moment she was fully inside, the door slammed shut behind her.