Henry’s gaze toward Eloise grew even colder. He had thought it was Athena who failed to discipline her servants, but now realized it was Eloise’s negligence.

He thought, “To think she has given Athena such an impudent wretch who knew no bounds!” He waved his hand impatiently and commanded sternly, “Drag her out and have her beaten to death.”

Henry had spoken, so Aliza was doomed. The servants moved in to seize her. Aliza shrieked in terror, desperately, “No! Please have mercy on me!”

She dropped to her knees, kowtowing frantically and stammering incoherently, “I’m carrying Matthew’s child! You can’t kill me, you can’t…”

As soon as those words were spoken, the entire hall fell so silent you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was frozen in shock, staring in utter disbelief, utterly stunned by the sudden revelation. Even Athena couldn’t help but look at Aliza.

‘Impressive!’ Athena thought to herself.

In utter horror, Matthew stared at Aliza, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets. Matthew’s lips trembled as he stared at her, stammering in disbelief, “How… how is this possible?”

‘It was only a few times… How could she possibly be pregnant?’ he thought in shock. Matthew felt a chill run through his entire body. He thought, ‘I haven’t even married a proper wife yet, but I’ve already had an affair with a maid, and now there’s a child! What high-born lady in Pidence City would ever consent to marry me now? My promising future… it’s all going to be utterly ruined by this bastard child.’

Henry and Eloise looked as if they’d just been struck by lightning, frozen in place, unable to recover from the shock for what felt like ages. Even Nicolas, typically calm and composed, had finally reached his breaking point.

Nicolas strode over to Matthew, grabbed him by the collar, and punched him hard in the face. “You utter fool!” he roared. “Are you trying to be the death of us all?”

The punch landed with full force, snapping Matthew’s head to the side. Instantly, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but he didn’t dare resist at all. Instead, he clutched desperately at Nicolas’s robe, sobbing, “Nicolas, I didn’t mean to! Please, you have to save me!”

Nicolas slapped him across the face, his eyes bloodshot with rage. “You fool!” he snarled. “This isn’t just your future you’ve ruined, you’ve brought shame upon the entire Monson family! And mark my words, I’ll be dragged down with you!”

Before he could finish, Nicolas jabbed a finger toward Willow’s chamber, his face twisted in anguish. He cried, “How utterly hopeless Willow is! Because of you, she’s been dragged into this and become the laughingstock of Pidence City. How will she ever live this down?”

Matthew slumped to the ground, silently weeping, his head bowed to his chest like a defeated rooster. Suddenly, a murderous look flashed in his eyes. Losing all control, he roared, “No! This child must not be born, it will ruin me!”

With that, Matthew suddenly lunged at Aliza, his hands locking around her throat like iron vises. His face twisted with madness as he snarled, “If she dies, all my problems will be solved! Die! Just die already!”

No one could have predicted Matthew would snap like that. Matthew’s hands clamped down on Aliza’s throat like iron vises. Her face instantly flushed crimson as she gasped for air, mouth open in a silent plea, but his unrelenting grip cut off every breath. Within moments, her eyes rolled back in their sockets as consciousness began to fade.

Eloise snapped out of her horror and commanded urgently, “Pull him away! Get him off her now!”

Aliza deserved to die, but not by Matthew’s hands. The Monson family’s teachings, which were passed down through generations, were strict and solemn. Among these cardinal rules was the sacred decree, which stated that the bloodline was supreme. This inviolable law, set by their forebears, forbade any harm to a Monson heir. Violators shall suffer divine retribution.

For generations, the Monson family struggled to maintain their lineage, with only a single heir in each of the past three generations, making the continuation of the family line precarious. Only with Nicolas’s generation did the family finally see a modest resurgence.

Though Aliza might well deserve to die, she was carrying the Monson bloodline, so Eloise had no choice but to step in. The servants rushed forward and pried Matthew off. Having narrowly escaped death, Aliza clutched her throat and coughed violently, tears streaming down her face as she struggled to breathe.

Chaos reigned in the hall, yet Athena sat calmly on her stool, watching the drama unfold. Henry’s face darkened like a thundercloud. He clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white, glaring at Matthew with gritted teeth.

He couldn’t kill her, nor could he let her live. This left Henry truly caught between a rock and a hard place. At a loss, Eloise could only sigh in resignation and order the servants to lock Aliza in the woodshed and keep her under close watch.

The few who remained continued their deliberation in the main hall. Yet Athena remained.

Eloise’s gaze at Athena darkened with disapproval as she thought, ‘How could she stay so calm at a time like this? Even if this mess has nothing to do with her, that icy indifference is truly chilling. She could at least put in a good word for Matthew. He’s her own brother, after all.’

“Athena, you must be tired. Go rest in your room now,” Eloise said wearily, intending to dismiss her.

For once, Athena spoke up. “Since things have come to this, perhaps it’s best to quietly make her a concubine to silence the wagging tongues. Secrets have wings. Sooner or later, word will get out.”

Those noble families appeared closely connected on the surface, but in truth, they were all secretly scheming to bring each other down. Matthew’s scandal was a spark. Those powerful families would seize this chance to forever brand the Monson family with disgrace.

Henry shot Athena a displeased glare. “You sure know how to make glib remarks,” he snapped. “If we take that wretched maid as a concubine, wouldn’t that mean acknowledging her status?”

Athena spread her hands and retorted, “What else can we do now?”

Henry was left speechless. He truly had no other option.

Eloise turned to Nicolas, her eyes filled with helplessness, only to find him deep in thought, clearly weighing Athena’s words with utmost seriousness. Nicolas’s eyes met Eloise’s, and in that silent moment, an unspoken understanding passed between them.

Eloise turned to Trina, her voice hardening with command. “Escort your mistress back to her quarters.” Her tone brooked no argument.

Athena had no desire to listen further. With Trina in tow, she rose and left.

The moment Athena left, Eloise turned urgently to Nicolas and demanded, “What were you about to say?”

Nicolas leaned back with an air of absolute confidence. “Let that despicable maid bear the child, why not? When the time comes, we’ll just say the child is from my concubine. Don’t we need an heir anyway?”

His words carried a hidden meaning. Both Eloise and Henry were instantly jolted, their eyes widening as they suddenly realized what he meant. Given Ferris’s frail health, it was unlikely Athena would be able to give the McGee family an heir. It would be perfect to have this child adopted as Athena’s own when the time came. That way, they could kill two birds with one stone.

Eloise let out a sigh of relief, only to immediately furrow her brows again. “But what if it’s a girl?”

Nicolas said dismissively, “There are plenty of unused manors on the estate, just send them off to one of them. That wretched maid must not be allowed to live. We will find some pretext to dispose of her. As for the child…”

Nicolas turned to Matthew, as if waiting for his response.

Matthew snorted dismissively. “What good is the child anyway? Still, she’s got Monson blood in her veins. Let her rot away on the estate.”

With the three of them now in agreement, Eloise felt a weight lift from her shoulders. She looked at Nicolas, her eyes filled with guilt. “This has been unfair to you,” she said.

“As long as it’s for the Monson family, a little hardship for your son is nothing,” Nicolas declared with solemn dignity. “First, keep that maid under strict watch. We’ll decide what to do after she gives birth.”