Chapter 180: I’ve Come for Your Life

Priscilla’s face drained of color as she gasped, “What did you say? You saw Braden?”

Prudence quickly grasped Priscilla’s arm and sighed, trying to contain her emotions. Looking at Natasha with a shaky voice, she said, “You must have mistaken someone else. Braden is dead, burned beyond recognition. The body was examined by the authorities, and there’s no doubt about it.”

Priscilla’s mind raced. This was Natasha’s game—she was trying to provoke them. A coldness stirred within her. Natasha must suspect something and was testing them. But Prudence remained composed. Priscilla would play along.

Natasha paused before standing, bowing slightly with an apologetic smile. “Oh, is that so? I’m so sorry to hear that. I’ve been unwell these past few days, and with all the worry about Isolde, I hadn’t heard this news. It seems I must have mistaken someone else for Braden. When that man was captured, he was introduced as Braden. I didn’t know him personally, so I assumed it was him. I even brought him here today… he’s still outside.”

Priscilla’s eyes narrowed, seeing through Natasha’s feigned remorse. This was deliberate.

Taking the bait, Priscilla sneered sharply. “If it’s just a thief, shouldn’t you send him straight to the authorities? A burglar daring to break into a house right under the King’s nose? The punishment for that is severe—first, a few dozen lashes, then to the magistrates.”

Natasha nodded solemnly. “You’re right. Thieves and lowlifes like that deserve nothing but punishment.” She turned to one of her maids and ordered, “Take him outside, give him thirty lashes, then deliver him to the authorities.”

“Understood,” the maid replied, hurrying to obey.

The sound of whips cracking and agonizing screams echoed from outside. Vance, who had been standing silently, quietly slipped out to investigate. He returned pale-faced and whispered urgently to Prudence. Her complexion drained as her lips trembled. Eyes wide with horror, she glared at Natasha.

Natasha, on the other hand, closed her eyes slowly, listening to the screams with a faint, eerie smile, as if savoring each sound. The moment was almost serene for her, but beneath that calm, her eyes seethed with quiet fury.

Priscilla, sensing something was terribly wrong, felt a chill of realization. Those screams… they were Braden’s. That was Braden out there!

With a scream of disbelief, she ran outside. There, Braden was pinned to the ground, his body beaten raw, his lips and teeth bloody. The sight of Priscilla caused him to scream, “Mother, help me!”

Clark and Nicole, who had been nearby, rushed over, freezing in shock. Braden—wasn’t he dead?

Priscilla fell to her knees beside Braden, her voice shaking with fury. “Get off him, you bastards! Who gave you the right to beat a Duke’s family member?”

Among the assailants was Steven, who looked down at her with icy eyes. “Step aside, Priscilla. We’re just following Natasha’s orders.”

Priscilla, seeing Clark and Nicole approaching, hissed, “Why aren’t you helping him? Are you just going to stand there and watch him die?”

Clark and Nicole exchanged puzzled glances but slowly approached, their faces full of confusion.

At that moment, Natasha appeared at the courtyard entrance, standing tall with a cold, unflinching expression. The warmth that had once graced her features was gone, replaced by a chilling emptiness in her eyes as she said, “Priscilla, didn’t you just say Braden was dead? Could it be he’s come back from the dead?”

Priscilla’s face twisted with panic as she frantically searched for Prudence.

Prudence, looking as if she’d been expecting this, stepped out slowly. She bowed slightly to Natasha, her voice tight with restraint. “Natasha, please. For old times’ sake, let’s not discuss this matter any further.”

Natasha turned to face her, her face cold as stone. “Why should I show you any mercy? You killed my daughter.”

Prudence’s face darkened, her voice barely a whisper of fury. “Natasha, you’d better watch your tongue. Words can be thrown around carelessly, but the consequences aren’t something you can simply brush aside.”

“Do you honestly think I came here today for the dowry?” Natasha’s eyes locked with Prudence’s, the hatred clear and unmasked. “I came to destroy you.”

Prudence’s face went ashen. “You… you came to destroy us?” She stood rigid, her fury simmering. “It seems we have nothing more to discuss. Leave.”

“Leave? Not so fast. There are some old acquaintances you should meet first,” Natasha sneered, her voice laced with venom. “Bring them out.”

With a sharp command, Natasha stormed back inside and took a seat in the same chair as before.

Though Prudence tried desperately to maintain her composure, her body trembled with barely contained rage.

The first to be brought forward were Marley and Samara—two women who had once served Prunella. Marley, in particular, had been one of Prunella’s closest attendants, accompanying her as a companion when she married into the Langley family.

The courtyard was suddenly crowded with dozens of people, all standing in tense silence. Vance, visibly shaken, quickly backed away into the house.

Prudence, now visibly unnerved, demanded, “What do you want with them? What’s all this about?”

Natasha’s voice was as sharp as a blade. “Can’t you see? I came here for one thing—to take your life in exchange for my daughter’s death.”

Prudence’s voice shook, a touch of desperation creeping in. “Is there no law left in this land?”

“No law? There is something far more powerful than laws—heaven’s justice,” Natasha replied coldly. She turned to Marley and demanded, “Tell me, what happened when Prunella was pregnant all those years ago?”

Marley’s eyes, once filled with madness, now burned with unmistakable hatred. She took a deep breath, then began speaking with quiet rage. “When Prunella first married into the Langley family, she couldn’t get pregnant for years. It was her cold constitution, and only with the help of a doctor introduced by Rosemary did she manage to conceive. She was overjoyed when she finally found out. We were all instructed to be extra careful with her care, and she even hired a doctor to ensure her pregnancy was safe. Prudence and Matilda closely monitored her food, even going so far as to secretly taste every dish to make sure no poison was in it. But even then, she still had problems—she had bleeding during her second month. Dr. Sean continued giving her medicine to help the pregnancy, and Prudence was even more cautious. Every meal was scrutinized, and nothing that had been left over was allowed to be served to her.”

Marley paused to catch her breath, then turned to glare at Prudence with pure contempt. “But what you did was far worse. You deliberately made sure her food was laced with things that would chill her body and destabilize the pregnancy. If it weren’t for Prunella’s strong health, the child would have died in her sixth month. Geoffrey, seeing Prunella’s condition worsen, decided to take her to the estate to rest. A month passed there without any signs of pain or complications. If Prunella had stayed there, Isolde would have been born safely. But then…”

Marley stepped closer, her eyes burning with fury. “That’s when you sent a letter, telling Geoffrey to bring her back, that you were worried she’d get sick. And Geoffrey, trusting you, brought her back—the child was born, just when she was stable enough. But you, Prudence, you poisoned her! When Geoffrey had to leave for the military, no one suspected that it would be you who would kill Prunella. We were all focused on Matilda, but it was you.”