542.Chapter 542
542.Chapter 542
Matthew said, “Diana, I never thought you were the type to sell yourself out for wealth and status, such a vain woman
As soon as Matthew finished speaking, Diana slapped him hard,
She struck without mercy.
That slap shattered whatever was left of her feelings for Matthew.
Diana said, “Matthew, think about the opportunities I gave you. Out of all the choices, did you ever choose men
Diana looked at him, deeply disappointed, and said, “If you had chosen me when I came to find you, we wouldn’t be here
now.
“So the next time you try to hurt me with these words, remember–it was you who gave up on me, just like you abandoned Liza. You always chose Sophie. So if anyone deserves your anger, it should be her. As for us, we have nothing left to do with each other.”
Diana turned to leave, but Matthew wasn’t going to let her go that easily.
He immediately stepped in front of her, arms wide, and said, “Wait, Diana. Back then, I didn’t understand what you meant by choice. If I had known, I would’ve…”
“You would have still chosen Sophie.”
Diana coldly interrupted him, “I don’t know what kind of spell Sophie cast on you, but someone who could abandon his own sister, someone who could hurt family, would probably choose to let me suffer, right? Am I right?”
Matthew said, “No, that’s not true, Diana. You don’t understand. Sophie may be a bastard, but she saved my life, so I can’t just ignore her.”
Diana slapped him again, her face full of fury. “That slap was for Liza,” she said. “I’m glad Liza left the Stonor family before you pushed her out. Imagine how heartbroken she would’ve been if you’d forced her out of the Duke’s estate.”
Diana couldn’t even imagine how Liza, who had been pampered since childhood, would’ve felt if she had been cast out onto the streets.
In the entire Hasen City, with the Padilla family gone and even Liza’s mother absent, where could Liza go? Who could she turn to?
The more Diana thought about it, the angrier she became. She glared at Matthew and said, “You’re her brother, yet you chose to side with the bastard child your father had after betraying your mother. If Caroline were still alive, she’d be so disappointed in you. She carried you both for nine months, and this is how you repay her.”
Matthew opened his mouth to speak but hesitated. For the first time, he was unsure, not immediately arguing back.
After a moment of silence, he said, “Diana, you don’t understand. Sophie might be a bastard, but she saved my life, so I couldn’t turn my back on her.”
“Is that so? Maybe I just don’t get it,” Diana said coldly. “But Matthew, maybe she saved your life, but that’s no excuse to abandon and betray your own family.”
Diana sneered. “At the end of the day, you can’t blame Sophie entirely. After all, you’re the one making the choices.”
With that, she slapped away his hand, turned, and walked away without a second glance.
Matthew stood there, staring at her retreating back, frozen in place.
Matthew whispered, “I… was I wrong?”
He didn’t know where he went wrong. He had only been repaying Sophie for saving his life, so why was he the one at fault?
If anything, it was his father’s fault.
If Sophie hadn’t found him, he would’ve been dead at the hands of those assassins.
One year ago, Matthew was kidnapped.
The kidnappers were political enemies of Gabriel, specifically Romeo Harvey, the former Vice Minister of Public Works. Romeo was too upright, unlike the corrupt officials who served Gabriel. He always followed the rules, even when it came to royal relatives. His integrity got in the way of many people’s ambitions.
Not long after, Romeo was falsely accused of Successfully unlocked! tion, and imprisoned, eventua
own life.
ng his
The whole thing didn’t directly involve the Duke’s estate, but the one pulling the strings behind the scenes was one of Gabriel’s supporters.
That person, to fulfill Gabriel’s orders, took matters into his own hands and killed Romeo.
1/2
542 Chapter 542
The blame fell on Gabriel’s head.
Romeo’s wife, Hattie, sought revenge. She bribed assassins and originally planned to kill Gabriel, but he was too well- protected.
So the assassins set their sights on the Stonor family’s sons and daughters.
After following them for days, they finally seized their targets–Benedict and Matthew.
Hattie forced Gabriel to choose one of his sons to be taken away in exchange for her husband’s death.
The other son was left to die.
Matthew was the one left behind.
Standing still, Matthew recalled that day. He watched helplessly as his father took Benedict away without a second glance.
Meanwhile, he was dragged away by the assassins, tortured, and left hanging over a cliff to die.
Just when he was about to starve and die of thirst, almost losing consciousness, it was Sophie who found him. It was Sophie who saved him.
Matthew clenched his fists, his face contorted in fury.
He hadn’t made any wrong choices.
So what if Sophie was a bastard? That wasn’t her fault–it was Gabriel’s.
Everything that happened today was Gabriel’s fault.
If Gabriel hadn’t forced him to break his engagement, he could’ve chosen Sophie and Diana. He could’ve had both. The more Matthew thought about it, the more his hatred for Gabriel grew.
*****
“Caleb, come here quickly.”
Caleb had just stepped out of his house when he saw Adeline looking around suspiciously outside.
Caleb walked over in confusion. “Mother, what are you doing here so sneakily?”
“Sneakily? You little rascal, do you even know how to talk?”
Adeline smacked him on the head, then immediately patted it, realizing she might’ve hit him too hard.
“Oh, my silly son, you’re already so dim–witted. I can’t afford to make you dumber.”
After a few pats, Adeline remembered what she came here for. She quickly pulle
