Chapter 71

Yenik was dragged away without mercy, his protests swallowed by the hall as the guards hauled him out. He didn’t even get the chance to struggle. Any pride he once had was stripped clean the moment his feet left the floor.

Lincy ran after them at first. I couldn’t tell if it was leftover attachment or simple refusal to accept what had happened. She shouted his name once, then stopped short.

The sting on her cheek must have finally done its job.

Reality hit her all at once.

This wasn’t the Ashbourne home. This wasn’t a place where tears worked or tantrums were indulged. And Lewis was nothing like Grant. He didn’t soften his stance. He didn’t hesitate. If anything, it felt like he had been watching, waiting, allowing the situation to ripen until it was impossible to ignore.

And now, he moved.

Even Grant stayed silent. Not wanting to step on any more toes

That alone said everything.

He needed Lewis. His plans here depended on the Hales opening doors for him. And Lewis stood higher than anyone else in the room. Grant knew better than to challenge that kind of authority, especially when Lincy was clearly in the wrong. He was willing to sacrifice his preciouse daughter just to get through to the Hales

More importantly… I hadn’t done anything wrong.

I was the one who had been targeted. Used. Set up.

Even Grant couldn’t twist the truth that far.

Lewis finally spoke, his voice calm but leaving no room for argument. “It’s cold, and this has gone far enough. The Morrigan family is involved now. Let’s move inside and settle this properly p>

No one argued. We all shuffled inside the house

Inside the estate, the air felt heavier.

The family doctor had already arrived. Camilla lay pale and shaking, her body weak, her mind still fogged. Tubes, blankets, quiet orders being given. The scene was tense and fragile. He looked like she had aged 10 years ahead.

Then the doors flew open.

Malcom stormed in.

His face was red, veins standing out as he shouted, “My daughter is carrying a child! She was drugged and humiliated under your roof! Is this how the Hales protect their territory p>

The words hit hard.

Vivian followed him, her eyes swollen, hands trembling. Playing the role of a supportive mother “She’s always been sensitive,” she cried. “If she wakes up and realizes what happened… what if she can’t take it? You owe us answers. Real ones p>

The room tightened.

Everyone felt it.

This wasn’t just gossip anymore. This wasn’t a scandal to whisper about and move past. This was blood, reputation, and long-standing grudges colliding head-on and if not handled properly,it might cause a war.

Camilla had not known what she drank. That much was clear.

But the responsibility still landed here.

Even though Jeffrey had once tried to smooth things over with money and contracts, the resentment between the families had never truly faded. It had only been buried.

Tonight ripped it back open.

And now, with the Morrigans standing in our hall, grief turning into anger, I knew one thing for certain

This night wasn’t over yet.

I stood there without speaking, the noise around me fading into the background. For a moment, my thoughts drifted back to the night I died.

It had been cold. Empty. Quiet in the worst way.

I remembered lying there alone, breath slipping away, with no one calling my name. No one reaching for me. No one fighting to keep me alive.

No one cared.

Now, watching the Morrigans crowd around Camilla, shielding her, demanding justice with red eyes and shaking voices, a bitter smile pulled at my lips.

So this was what protection looked like.

Back then, they had been the ones who turned away. The ones who chose silence. The ones who let me disappear.

If Camilla’s flawless image was cracking now, that wasn’t my doing. That was the result of years of choices they had made themselves.

The room shifted as Jeffrey was helped inside by the butler. His face was hard, lines carved deep with anger and authority. The moment he spoke, the air tightened.

“This has gone far enough,” he said slowly. “We will find out exactly what happened tonight. I want the truth. Who planned this. Who played a role p>

His gaze moved across the room, sharp and searching.

When his eyes landed on me, my heart stuttered.

Even though I knew I had only defended myself, guilt flickered in my chest. Jeffrey wasn’t a fool. He was observant, calculating. Of course he suspected I wasn’t entirely innocent.

And that hurt more than I expected.

He cared about me. I could feel it. And the thought that I might disappoint him made my stomach twist. Still, I couldn’t afford to hesitate.

This wasn’t cruelty.

This was balance.

Vivian’s voice cut through the tension, sharp and furious. “Good. Then uncover everything. I want my daughter cleared. We deserve to know who did this to her p>

Her words were aimed at the room.

Her eyes were aimed at me.

The message was clear.

I took a breath and stepped forward.

“Mrs. Morrigan,” I said evenly, meeting her stare, “are you saying this is my fault? That I planned this p>

The room went quiet.

I knew her well enough. Push just a little, and the truth would spill out.

Lewis shifted beside me, ready to speak, but I raised my hand. This was mine. I needed to handle this myself so it will send a clear message that no one could come to my house and bully me and also, I coukld defend myself without my husband helping.

I looked straight at the woman who had raised me for nearly thirty years. The woman I had once called mother.

My voice stayed calm. Almost gentle.

“So tell me,” I said, “are you saying I forced your daughter and Julian into that room? That I made them touch each other? That I controlled their choices p>

The silence stretched.

And for the first time, the blame she wanted to throw didn’t land so easily.