Chapter 347

“Kill her, and I’ll let you walk out of here,” Mr. Howard purred, his voice like a devil’s whisper. “And I know you don’t want your precious fiancé to get hurt. So you kill her, and I can let my grudge against Soren go. After all, this whole feud started because of her, didn’t it p>

He guided Poppy’s hand, tightening her grip on the dagger.

Poppy’s eyes hardened. She clutched the weapon and slowly advanced on Evangeline.

Evangeline’s heart hammered against her ribs. It was just as she had suspected. Mr. Howard had brought them both here to turn them against each other.

As Poppy drew closer, Evangeline forced herself to remain outwardly calm, trying to keep the panic from her voice.

“Poppy, don’t fall for his trap. We’re in the same position. If you kill me, he won’t let you go either. Don’t forget, you’re a witness to this kidnapping. Do you really think he’d feel safe letting you walk free p>

Her words seemed to have an effect; Poppy hesitated.

Mr. Howard sneered. “If you kill her, we’ll both have dirt on each other. That makes you perfectly safe in my book. Miss Yates, I have no desire to make an enemy of a man as powerful as Soren. I’m just angry about my leg. You’ll be getting revenge for me, and I’ll not only be able to move on, but I’ll promise to never trouble you or Mr. Fawkes again. You hate her too, don’t you? This is a mutually beneficial arrangement p>

Evangeline recognized the calculated tone at once.

He had never intended to let either of them walk out alive from the moment he brought them here. If he’d simply wanted her dead, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths.

Realizing this, she spoke again, her voice urgent. “He’s lying to you, Poppy p>

But Poppy wasn’t listening. She closed the distance between them, stopping directly in front of Evangeline. The tip of the dagger pressed against her chest.

Through the fabric of her dress, Evangeline could feel the tremor in Poppy’s hand. Poppy’s eyes, already red from crying, were now bloodshot.

“Evangeline, I have no choice,” she whispered, closing her eyes as she prepared to plunge the knife into her heart.

“Aren’t you afraid Soren will hate you for this?” Evangeline cried out.

Poppy’s hand faltered.

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“You can’t keep a secret like this forever,” Evangeline pressed on. “This kidnapping was a major operation. I guarantee the Fawkes family and Finn’s people are looking for us. If you kill me now, even if Howard helps you cover it up, they will find out we were taken together. Do you really think no one will find it suspicious that I ended up dead while Soren’s fiancée walked away unharmed p>

Poppy bit her lip, the dagger wavering.

“And even if you get away with it, even if Soren doesn’t suspect you, do you really think he could ever forget me if he knew I died because of him? Do you think he’d ever be able to let me go for the rest of his life p>

With those final words, Poppy’s grip on the dagger slackened completely. The bitterness and rage that had consumed her moments ago were now replaced by a chilling realization. She had to admit, everything Evangeline said was true.

As much as she wanted Evangeline dead, she knew that with Evangeline alive, she at least had a chance to push her out of Soren’s heart. But if Evangeline died, she would lose to her forever. No one could compete with a ghost.

Poppy stumbled back, and the dagger clattered to the floor. Evangeline let out a shaky breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Her fists, clenched tightly behind her back, slowly uncurled, her palms stinging from where her nails had dug in. She had appeared calm, but she had been terrified. She hadn’t been sure her words would be enough.

Luckily, Poppy’s obsession with Soren was still rooted in her old understanding of him, before his feelings had begun to shift. She had never truly been in his heart, so the idea of him ‘letting her go was a moot point. Fortunately,

Howard’s earlier words had planted

a seed of fear in Poppy’s mind.

Seeing the dagger on the floor, Mr. Howard’s face hardened into a mask of cold fury.