Chapter 179

Athena’s heart skipped a beat as she thought, ‘Eloise is my mother. How can she kneel before me? She’d go so far as to hurt herself just for Willow?’

Athena’s expression turned icy as she grabbed Eloise’s arm. With a firm tug, she hauled Eloise to her feet, meeting her astonished gaze.

She said, “Lady Eloise, do you realize that by kneeling to me, you’ll not only ruin my reputation but also bring me misfortune? For Willow’s sake, are you really willing to go this far against me?”

Athena’s words made Eloise freeze. Staring into those icy eyes, she stammered anxiously, “I didn’t, Athena. How could I ever hurt you? I just—”

Athena stared at Eloise, her voice trembling with hurt and anger. “You only ever cared about Willow, treating her like your real daughter. As for me? I was just the child you threw away.”

Athena’s words, slow and deliberate, pierced through Eloise’s ears like daggers.

Eloise gazed at Athena with red-rimmed eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. Brokenly, she murmured, “No, Athena, I never meant to abandon you. You’re my own flesh and blood, my child…”

Eloise was sobbing uncontrollably when Nicolas lashed out at Athena. “You’re utterly despicable! Mother has begged you on her knees, what more do you want?”

“So what?” Athena suddenly roared, her voice shaking with fury. “Thalia and Macy were brutally murdered by Willow, are we just going to let her get away with it?”

The sheer fury radiating from Athena made Eloise’s sobs die down to whimpers. Eloise and Nicolas stared at Athena in shock and fear, as if they couldn’t understand why she was so furious.

Everyone remembered how bright and cheerful Athena had been as a child. Even after three grueling years in the military camp had made her keep others at arm’s length, she would never have flown into such a rage or shouted like this.

Athena had changed beyond recognition.

“Willow deserves to die,” Athena spat through clenched teeth, her voice dripping with venom. “I killed her once, I’ll damn well do it again.”

Athena stared into Eloise’s terrified eyes, each word a dagger to the heart. “You’d better keep Willow under lock and key, or next time she won’t be so lucky.”

“Athena!” Nicolas’s face darkened with fury as he jabbed a finger at her nose. “You vicious viper! How could the Monson family produce such a heartless wretch like you?”

Athena gave a cold, mocking laugh. “Honestly, I’m ashamed to even share the Monson name.”

With that, Athena strode straight toward Starling House.

Athena snapped at Nicolas. “Try to stop me again, and you’ll regret it.”

Nicolas sneered, “What, you’d actually raise a hand against me?”

Athena retorted with a mocking smile, “Go ahead and try. See if I’ll hold back.”

Nicolas’s face twisted with shock and malice. Gritting his teeth, he glared at Athena with venomous eyes and spat, “So be it. Don’t blame me for what happens next. Guards, seize her!”

At his command, the guards immediately surrounded Athena, cutting off all escape routes.

Eloise turned pale with shock and flailed her hands weakly, pleading with Nicolas, “What are you doing? Athena is your sister, too. You can’t do this to her!”

“Mother, stop defending her! Willow is on the brink of death. She needs that elixir now!” Nicolas stopped reasoning with Eloise and fixed Athena with an icy glare. “This is your final chance, hand over the elixir now, or face the consequences.”

Athena glared at the hypocritical Eloise and the ruthless Nicolas, her fingers tightening around the throwing dagger hidden in her sleeve.

Without warning, she flicked her wrist, the blade whistling as it flew straight toward Nicolas.

The sibling bond had long been eroded by their endless quarrels. Now, they were nothing but enemies. Since he would raise his hand against his own sister for that outsider, Athena wouldn’t hold back any longer.

The throwing dagger flashed out without warning; Nicolas had no time to react.

All he heard was Eloise’s terrified scream before searing pain exploded in his shoulder, and warm blood instantly began to soak his robes. Staring in disbelief at the wound, he saw the blade buried three inches deep in his flesh.

The excruciating pain made his head spin.

“You… you poisoned me?” Nicolas swayed unsteadily before slumping to the ground.

Tears streaming down her face, Eloise supported her wounded son Nicolas and screamed in panic, “Get a doctor! Someone, fetch a physician now!”

Athena regarded him with icy calm. “I only wanted to visit Grandmother. You’re the one who kept blocking my way. Don’t blame me for this.”

Athena didn’t have the authority to take Nicolas’s life; the so-called “poison” was merely a sedative to render him unconscious.

With Nicolas out of the way, Athena, flanked by her guards, made her way straight to Starling House without anyone daring to stop her.

Gwen hurried forward when she spotted Athena. “Miss Monson, what brings you here?” she asked with concern.

Athena asked anxiously, “Where’s Grandmother? Is she all right?” At the mention of her, Athena’s heart ached with fierce love.

Grandmother is the one I love most in this world. I can’t let anything happen to her, she thought.

Gwen’s eyes were red-rimmed as she remained silent.

Athena’s heart clenched with dread, and she dashed inside.

The air inside the room was heavy with the scent of medicinal herbs. On the bed, Margaret lay peacefully asleep, her frail form barely stirring.

“Grandmother!” Athena rushed forward in quick strides, gently taking her grandmother’s frail hand.

At the sight of Margaret’s exhausted face, tears welled up in Athena’s eyes. Athena’s heart clenched. “How could this be? When I left, Grandmother was clearly getting so much better…”

The moment Athena checked on Margaret’s condition, alarm shot through her. Margaret’s pulse was frighteningly faint, a telltale sign of impending death.

With red-rimmed eyes, Gwen said to Athena, “Her Ladyship has been strong-willed all her life. Every decision she made was for the estate, all to uphold the Duke’s glory. But fate had other plans. Now that she’s old and has lost her authority, how could those people possibly heed her anymore?"

Though Gwen never said outright that the Monson family had been upsetting Margaret, her words dripped with discontent.

Even without Gwen spelling it out, Athena could read between the lines.

Eloise had always schemed to seize control of the family. As the heir, Nicolas was too arrogant to tolerate anything that didn’t center on himself. Each had their own agenda. No one cared about Margaret’s feelings?

“Her Ladyship’s illness stems from heartache,” Gwen said, her voice trembling. “She misses you terribly, Miss Monson, and is consumed by guilt for not protecting you. She keeps saying she should have kept you safe…”

As Gwen spoke, tears streamed down her cheeks.

Athena was already sobbing uncontrollably, her face streaked with tears. Suddenly, a thought struck her. She hastily swiped at her tear-streaked face with the back of her hand.

Athena choked back her tears and pleaded anxiously, “Grandmother, please take this medicine. You’ll get better, I promise.”

With trembling hands, Athena fumbled in her pouch, pulled out the life-preserving pill, and gently slipped it into Margaret’s mouth.

The elixir melted instantly on Margaret’s tongue. Moments later, she slowly opened her eyes.

Margaret stared blankly at Athena for a moment, then gave a weak, self-deprecating smile. “I must be delirious from illness… How could I be seeing my dear Athena back again?”

With a heavy sigh, Margaret said despondently, “She’s never coming back. This family chews people up and spits out their bones. My Athena is better off far away, gone where no one can ever find her…”

“Grandmother.” Athena finally broke down, her voice trembling as she called out.

Tears spilled from her eyes, splashing onto Margaret’s frail hand.

Margaret stared at Athena in astonishment, her hand instinctively reaching out to touch hers. As she felt Athena’s hand, the shock in her eyes melted into pure joy.

She asked, “Athena, is it really you? You, you’ve come back?”