451.Chapter 451
“No way! I’m not doing it!” Sophie snapped, her voice firm with resistance.
She rejected the idea without hesitation. Her father was already planning to strip her of her status as an adopted daughter. If she agreed to meet suitors now, that would mean she’d have to marry as an illegitimate child.
“Father, please don’t do this! I know I was wrong! Punish me however you want, hit me, scold me, I’ll take it all! I promise! won’t cause any more trouble, and I’ll listen to everything you say Just don’t send me away, I’m begging your Sophie cried, her voice trembling with desperation.
“Benedict! I’m begging you too! No matter how many mistakes I’ve made, I’ll accept any punishment you give me. Just don‘ t cast me out! Please, I don’t want to get married!” Her voice cracked as she pleaded, her eyes filled with tears. “So, is it that you don’t want to get married, or you can’t stand the idea of marrying as a bastard?” Dylan sneered.
Benedict spoke with a calm indifference. “Sophie, you know exactly where you stand. You were fortunate enough to return to the Duke’s estate and even gained the affection of Father, your brothers, and Eliza. But you were greedy, always wanting more, dreaming of things that were never yours to begin with. What doesn’t belong to you will never be yours.
“If you had just stayed in your place, you wouldn’t have ended up like this. But now, the Duke’s estate can no longer keep you
“You have two choices, leave and sever all ties with the Duke’s estate, or marry as the Duke’s illegitimate daughter. Behave yourself, and for Father’s sake, you might still be allowed to keep the Stonor name.”
After all, by the family rules, illegitimate children weren’t allowed in the family tree, nor were they entitled to carry the family
name.
If Sophie lost the name, she would be completely cut off from the Duke’s estate.
She had already forced Eliza out and was so close to becoming the Duke’s legitimate daughter. There was no way she could lose everything now.
Sophie never imagined that Benedict, who had survived her Poisonous Flower scheme, would turn around and corner her like this. She glared at him, her teeth clenched, then turned to her father with a look of panic and desperation. “Father, you promised Mother! You said that once you brought me home, you’d take care of me!”
Under the watchful gaze of Benedict, Gabriel couldn’t offer her much comfort. He could only hint, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure everything is handled properly.”
Even if Gabriel tried to plead for Sophie now, it wouldn’t make a difference. It might even fuel Benedict and the others‘ anger. So instead of speaking up now, Gabriel felt that it was better to wait and figure things out later in private.
But Sophie was already consumed by her emotions, completely missing the subtle hints her father was trying to convey. She only understood that Gabriel was truly determined to marry her off.
Sophie scrambled to her feet, her bloodied face twisted in fury. She shot Gabriel and Benedict a seething glare before storming out of the courtyard. “I hate you! I hate all of you!“.
“Sophie! Where are you going?” Matthew shouted, his voice filled with panic, as he chased after her.
Dylan suddenly remembered something and yelled after her, “Wait! What about my money?”
Soon, only Gabriel, Benedict, and Dylan were left in the courtyard.
At some point, the butler had quietly dismissed the servants.
With everyone else gone, Gabriel turned to Benedict and Dylan, ready to have a serious conversation. “You might not understand, but this is my way of repaying the debt I owe to her and her mother.”
Dylan opened his mouth, to speak, but Benedict raised a hand to stop him.
Benedict shook his head at Dylan, signaling that he would take care of it himself.
“Father, your decisions have always been hard for us to comprehend. Just like when Eliza became a nun. You could’ve left her some dignity, but instead, you erased her name from the family tree.” Benedict’s calm mention of Eliza left Gabriel speechless.
Gabriel fell silent.
He couldn’t deny it. Back then, his excessive favoritism toward Sophie had led him to believe some of her words, which resulted in his overly harsh treatment of Eliza.
He had never regretted it before.
But he could not have predicted that the tables would turn, and today it would be Sophie facing the consequences. Now, with Benedict bringing up the past, Gabriel found himself unable to argue further.
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451 Chapter 451
Benedict said, “Father, there’s no need to worry so much. I’ve already said I’ll let Sophie keep the Stonor name out of respect for you.
“But in return, I expect Eliza’s ceremony to change her surname and honor her mother’s family to proceed without any issues.”
Benedict’s words carried a subtle yet unmistakable threat.
Even though he looked weaker than before, there was something about him today, a commanding presence that felt almost suffocating.
It even felt strangely familiar.
Dylan stared at Benedict for a long moment before it hit him, This presence and this aura was just like their father’s.
He thought, ‘Who would’ve thought? Benedict is becoming more and more like our father.
‘Truly, the perfect heir groomed by our father, isn’t he?‘
Even after hearing Benedict’s words, Gabriel left without giving a clear answer, neither agreeing nor refusing.
Once Gabriel was gone, Dylan turned to Benedict, his face filled with disbelief. “Benedict, is Eliza really planning to change her surname and leave us?“.
Benedict nodded solemnly. “It’s true.
“And I think Eliza has been planning this for a long time. It started when she took back the dowry our mother brought into the Stonor family from father. Then she reclaimed Solacecrest Manor and Oriphoenix Building, which were rightfully hers. Even the estates our grandfather gifted to us, except for the one Anthony holds, are now under her control.
“Not long ago, she made another move. This time, striking a deal with father to get the Padilla family’s residence in Hasen City. She even said she’s going to change her surname.”
Benedict lowered his gaze, his voice heavy. “Once she changes her last name to Padilla, Eliza will be their daughter, just like mother was, their only heiress.”
When that day came, Eliza would finally be free from the Stonor family.
Unlike Eliza, Benedict would never be able to break free from this family, not in this lifetime.
A flicker of sadness crossed Benedict’s eyes.
“So that’s why you said those things to Father earlier? Are you worried he’ll try to sabotage Eliza’s ceremony to change her surname?” Dylan frowned, frustration evident in his voice.
As he spoke, a sudden reaElization struck him. “Wait, the ledger!”
Benedict paused, his expression puzzled. “What ledger?”
Dylan quickly explained the ledger he had discovered in Gabriel’s study, detailing the Padilla family’s assets.
Clenching his fists, Dylan said angrily, “Father would ruin her ceremony just for those assets. That’s outrageous!”
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