Chapter 270

"No matter how reckless Duncan is," Thea said, "he wouldn't dare risk offending the Langstaff family by getting involved with Emmalie."

Even with Thea's reassurance, Teri's face remained dark. "Just thinking about how I once actually cared for that scumbag makes me sick to my stomach."

Thea felt the same. Suppressing the nausea rising in her throat, she gave a cold, mocking smile. "Ms. Langstaff, the reason I'm holding you back from releasing the video is purely selfish. In the public eye, Sparkle Rocks is still tied to the Rowland Group." If the video were released, the Rowland family's reputation and stock prices would plummet. Thea was fed up with those two disgusting men and had no intention of being dragged down by them.

"If we're going to release it," Thea said, "it has to be after the Langstaff Group and Sparkle Rocks finalize their partnership, and after you've regained control of the Langstaff Group. Otherwise, neither of us will get out unscathed."

Teri knew Thea was right. Both were too deeply entangled with Duncan, and society was especially harsh on women in their situation. Plus, Duncan and Emmalie were masters of manipulating public opinion. One wrong move, and they'd both be caught in the crossfire. As nauseating as it was, they had no choice but to suppress this repulsive matter for the time being.

After meeting with Teri, Thea didn't return to her small apartment. Nicolas, to better care for her, had bought a large unit next door. This allowed him to be close to Thea at all times and to respond instantly to any emergency. Many of his Hendrix Group responsibilities had shifted to remote management. At least during Thea's recovery, Nicolas wouldn't easily leave her side.

When Thea opened the door, a rich aroma greeted her. Nicolas, brow furrowed, was clumsily following a recipe on his phone in the kitchen. Thea hadn't expected to find Nicolas struggling in the kitchen. Her pent-up nausea vanished instantly. She threw herself into Nicolas's arms, her voice filled with deep affection. "Nicolas, let me hold you."

Thea's petite frame clung to him tightly. Sensing her emotional turmoil, Nicolas's brow creased slightly. "You can hold me as long as you need."

He remained still, letting Thea hold him. The warmth of her breath against his neck was both a comfort and a subtle torment.

Nicolas never pressured Thea to reveal everything. They were married, the closest of confidants. If Thea wanted to open up, he'd listen. But he wouldn't push her.

After an indeterminate silence, Thea finally said, lifting her head with a choked voice, "You know? Duncan used to be my protector, my dear brother."

Nicolas looked at her with infinite patience, but Thea couldn't accept her own vulnerability. She wasn't accustomed to displaying so much emotion. Just as she attempted to pull away, Nicolas held her tightly, pressing her head to his chest. "He didn't know what he had, Thea. Losing you is the Rowland family's biggest regret."

"Tell me," Nicolas said, his voice carrying a hint of danger, "what's Duncan done this time?"

Chapter 270 (continued)

Thea felt a deep sense of reassurance from his steady presence. With Nicolas, she didn't need to tiptoe around anything. However, she wondered, "But can I really rely on him?" After a moment's hesitation, she looked away. "I'd like to handle the Rowland family's issues on my own." If Nicolas got involved, things might take a very different turn.

Nicolas's gaze turned serious. "You still don't trust me? Darwin has already uncovered some leads. Emmalie's true background is close to being revealed."

This news was undeniably tempting, but Thea shook her head. "This feud is long-standing. What they owe me, I want to settle myself. I won't rely on a man for that." It was to avoid giving Emmalie any more ammunition. Thea had seen countless times how adept Emmalie was at twisting things around.

In the end, Nicolas didn't say much. Instead, he gave Thea's soft, unruly hair a firm, reassuring tousle. "Thea, you need to brace yourself. When Emmalie came to the Rowland family at such a young age, she couldn't have manipulated the doctors into falsifying her genetics on her own. There had to be someone backing her."

"Who could it be?" Thea wondered.

When Thea looked up, her eyes were alight with resolve. "All the better. I want to see the looks on my so-called family's faces when the truth finally hits them." She thought, Will they be kneeling before me, begging forgiveness? She doubted it. Everyone in the Rowland family held their heads high.

Meeting with Nicolas had significantly lightened her mood. Returning to the apartment she shared with Joyce, Thea carried a roasted chicken. "Joyce?" Thea called, finding the living room empty.

Joyce's door was slightly ajar. Through it, Thea heard Joyce's restrained but furious voice: "What do you want me to do? Are you only satisfied if you drive me to death? You chose to abandon me back then, so you should know that you have no right to act like my mother now."

Though firm, Joyce's voice trembled with grief. Thea decided not to intrude. Joyce's mother was also muddle-headed.

"No right to act like my mother now? I set you up with such a good match in the Rowland family, and you turned it down without a second thought. I didn't hold that against you"

Thea turned to leave when Kelly's shrill voice sounded from the phone. "But it was you, with the endless talk of your undying love for Corey, and now I've finally gotten you a chance to marry into the Xander family, and you're not even willing? Joyce, you shouldn't be so ungrateful."

Joyce let out a cold laugh. The bullet from the past finally hit its mark, but she knew Kelly's actions were never about letting Joyce be happy with Corey. Joyce didn't believe it for a second. "As far as I know, when the Xander family came knocking, they specifically asked for my younger sister. A mistress's daughter for a mistress's son—no one would object to such a match. And you're asking me to marry him in her place? What are you really after? Do I need to spell it out?"

Thea's eyes narrowed. Kelly was trying to marry Joyce off to Corey? This mess involved her, and she couldn't just sit back.

Kelly's relentless tirade continued over the phone, punctuated by Ethan's attempts to soothe her. His tender tone, though meant to be comforting, only deepened Joyce's pain.

07:46 Tue, Nov 19

Chapter 270 (continued)

"Joyce, I put everything into raising you to be respectful, obedient, and filial, and now you dare talk back to your mother?" Ethan's voice was cold. The father and daughter had relied on each other for years, but in his eyes, his daughter's stubbornness surpassed even his feelings for his sweetheart. "Your mother's right. Lily is still better than you in some ways."

Joyce's expression was one of sheer disbelief. Tears streamed down her face. "Dad? I'm your own daughter, and you'd stand by and let me walk into this disaster? You can't possibly be unaware that Corey and I only ran away together so I could escape an engagement and now you're forcing me to marry him? All for the Maddox family's partnership with the Xander family?"

Ethan bristled, clearly wounded. "You're a daughter of the Maddox family. I've put everything into raising you, and the one time I ask something of you, you hesitate? Joyce, you don't get a say in this marriage. Whether you want it or not, you'll be marrying him."