Chapter 280
Lizzie turned to glare at the approaching figure, only to realize her wrist was still in Athena’s firm grip.
With calm composure, Athena spoke, “Your Highness, Lord McGee is your fiancé. Striking him in public is hardly fitting behavior for a future consort.”
Lizzie yanked her hand back with a furious glare and snapped at Athena, “Who asked you to meddle in my business?”
“Insolence!” Xander thundered, his voice slicing through the murmuring crowd like a crack of lightning.
His face darkened, eyes fixed coldly on Lizzie, “If you’re here to cause trouble, then return to your place. This is the Karider Manor.”
Lizzie could barely contain her anger. Someone like Athena had no right to stop her.
Then, as something devious took root, Lizzie’s expression shifted into a mocking smile.
She sneered. “Prince Xander, doesn’t it trouble you to see your consort defending another man? Everyone is talking, you know. They say she’s unfaithful, that she’s playing you for a fool. And now, you’ve seen it for yourself.”
Athena’s expression tensed. “I stepped in because I can’t tolerate the way Your Highness treats others with such cruelty. There’s no need to smear my name because of it.”
Then, Ferris finally snapped. His voice was like a growl. “Lizzie, you’ve made enough of a spectacle.”
“Everything I’m saying is true, isn’t it, Ferris? You and Athena still have lingering ties, am I wrong?” Lizzie’s outburst today was squarely aimed at Athena.
Lizzie had calculated that Athena wouldn’t just stand there and watch. That was precisely why she wanted to whip Ferris.
And, as Lizzie had hoped, Athena took the bait.
The garden was already teeming with guests, and at the first hint of commotion, they all flocked closer.
The crowd clearly caught every word of Lizzie’s accusations.
In an instant, a torrent of judgmental stares rained down on Athena.
“Already engaged, but still hung up on her ex? Some people just never learn…”
“Exactly! No wonder the princess is fuming. Who wouldn’t lose it seeing some outsider trying to steal her fiancé?”
“She’s already the Xander Consort, yet still not satisfied? Trying to have her cake and eat it too!”
Whispers laced with venom reached Athena’s ears, relentless and sharp.
Xander’s face was icy with rage as he stepped forward to defend Athena, only to feel her soft hand pulling him back.
Xander looked at Athena, puzzled, as she gave a slight shake of her head. “I’ve got this,” she said.
Seeing Athena so composed, Xander knew she had the situation under control. Trusting her completely, he stepped aside, feeling at ease.
Athena had long been aware of the rumors swirling over the past few days.
She had kept her distance from Ferris, fearing their closeness would only fuel speculation.
Yet, despite her caution, the whispers still took root and spread.
Lizzie’s smirk widened as she saw Athena become the target of everyone’s scorn. She taunted, “What’s the matter? Too scared to admit what you’ve done?”
Chapter 280
Athena strode forward to face Lizzie. “I’ve done nothing wrong, so what should I admit?” she retorted. “Is it truly wrong for a sister to defend her older brother?”
Her single sentence left the entire crowd frozen in their tracks.
Ferris’s eyes widened, disbelief flashing through them as he stared at Athena. “What did you just say?”
“Over a month ago, the former Duchess Gale McGee adopted me as her daughter,” Athena said, pulling a gold pendant engraved with the McGee family crest from her robes. “This is authentic proof.”
Everyone knew the McGee family emblem, it belonged exclusively to the members of that noble line.
In an instant, the tide turned.
The way everyone looked at Athena completely transformed. “Oh, so she’s his adopted sister. No wonder. Turns out those rumors were totally bogus.”
“Exactly! We were all fooled by those rumors, they really did a lot of harm.”
“And who’s sick enough to spread such outrageous rumors? That kind of person deserves to have their tongue ripped out and be damned to hell!”
Someone in the crowd scoffed. “Viscountess risked her life to save the whole city during the plague. Do you really think someone with her character would cheat on anyone? Some people are just so easily swayed by gossip, they don’t have a single brain cell.”
The words, now turned against her, landed like a series of slaps across Lizzie’s face.
Lizzie gaped at Athena, utterly dumbfounded. She had never imagined that her grand scheme to publicly disgrace Athena would backfire so spectacularly, and to her utter dismay, Athena had used the moment to turn the tables on her.
Not only were the rumors completely debunked, but Athena also gained a wave of goodwill from the crowd.
Xander finally let out a sigh of relief at this sight.
He gazed at Athena with tender admiration. No wonder she had remained so composed, she’d had an exit strategy all along.
Ferris stood there devastated, caught between joy and sorrow.
Then, he shoved through the crowd, staggering toward the exit. Lizzie immediately gave chase, shouting, “Ferris! Where do you think you’re going? Get back here now!”
The harder Lizzie chased, the faster Ferris sped away, until he vanished completely from sight.
Athena watched Ferris’s hurried departure, a sharp pang twisting in her heart.
In fact, Loretta had given this gold pendant to Athena just the day before.
Loretta had told Athena that she and Ferris were simply not meant to be together in this lifetime. To protect them both from gossip, she suggested they address each other as brother and sister from then on.
With rumors running rampant, Athena had no choice but to accept the arrangement, not only to clear her name, but also to put Loretta’s mind at ease.
“Who would’ve thought this gold pendant would actually come in handy,” Athena mused inwardly, a hint of irony in her thoughts.
Just then, Nelson approached Xander and said respectfully, “Sir, Her Highness Alexandra requests your presence, together with Lady Athena.”
There was no way the ruckus in the garden had gone unnoticed by Alexandra.
Summoning them both could only mean one thing: Athena was about to be reprimanded.
Xander nodded, turning to Athena. “Come, let’s go see my mother.”
Chapter 280
After all, Xander had intended to bring Athena to meet Alexandra from the very start. There was nothing to fear.
Even if Alexandra tried to give Athena a hard time, Xander wouldn’t allow it.
Athena quickly followed Xander to meet Alexandra.
The moment they stepped inside, every gaze in the room snapped toward them.
Alexandra, clad in opulent robes, sat regally in the seat of honor.
Beside her sat Kendra of the Porter family, engaged in conversation with her.
The moment Xander and Athena appeared, everyone in the room, except for Alexandra, rose to their feet in respect.
“Mother, your son pays his respects,” he said.
Athena followed with quiet composure. “Athena pays her respects to Your Majesty.”
In perfect unison, the two dropped to their knees and executed the full ceremonial bow.
With Xander present, Alexandra found it difficult to trouble Athena, so she reluctantly bade them both rise.
The room was filled with ladies. Alexandra turned to Xander and said, “You needn’t stay with us, Xander. Join the men’s table for a drink, some private matters to discuss among ourselves.”
Xander glanced at Athena, noticing her head slightly bowed with an inscrutable expression.
He declined Alexandra’s suggestion with a playful grin. “Mother, I’ve only just arrived and you’re already trying to send me away? Or are you hoarding that precious tea of yours?”
With that, Xander sat down. Noticing Athena was still on her feet, he said with a playful smile, “Mother, was so delighted to see you that she completely forgot herself; she didn’t even ask you to sit.”
His words provided Alexandra with the perfect face-saving exit.
Alexandra forced a strained smile at Athena and said, “Do sit. We’re all family here.”
With Xander refusing to leave, Alexandra, unable to directly pressure Athena, redirected the conversation to the garden. She demanded, “What exactly happened out there? And how did you end up clashing with Lizzie?”
Though Alexandra didn’t care much for Lizzie, she strategically bolstered Lizzie’s position, since her real target was Athena.
Xander placed his cup back on the table, a faint chuckle escaping him. “Mother, you know Lizzie’s temperament all too well. She’s been spoiled and stubborn as ever, always eager for the last word. Her words aren’t worth a grain of salt.”
Alexandra watched Athena sitting quietly in her seat, not uttering a single word.
Meanwhile, Xander deftly countered every word she said, leaving Alexandra visibly irritated.
“Athena, answer me,” Alexandra commanded, her tone leaving no room for evasion. In her domain, there would be no walking away without consequence.
Chapter 281