Chapter 59

Instead of addressing him as "Lord Osborne," Ferris shouted his name directly, a clear sign of just how furious he was.

The guards had been unable to reach Ferris earlier due to the crowd, but once Ferris stepped off the bridge, they quickly caught up with him. Detecting the fury in Ferris's voice, they immediately surrounded Michael.

Michael swept a cold, indifferent glance over the men and sneered, "Just a bunch of small fry. They're beneath my notice."

Michael's naked taunt made Lord Nicolas's expression darken. He snapped, "We'll see about that."

Ferris's personal guards were no pushovers. Even with Michael's renowned bravery, being outnumbered five to one meant he stood no chance. Today, Ferris would make Michael learn the consequences of provoking him.

As the tension between the two men reached a boiling point, Athena found herself at a complete loss.

Athena thought anxiously, "I'm not even worried about Michael getting hurt. What really scares me is that I'll probably be made the scapegoat for all of this again. No matter who ends up injured, I know I won't escape unscathed. They'll just assume the two of them are fighting over me again. My fingertips still ache from the Queen's earlier punishment, and the last thing I want is for her attention to turn back to me."

Just as Athena was about to step in and calm Ferris down, Nicolas and Willow came rushing over.

"There you are! You nearly gave me a heart attack," Nicolas said, his face etched with anxiety. Earlier, the crowd was too thick, so he had shielded Willow until things calmed down before coming over. That was when he heard about the bridge collapse and that several people had fallen into the water. When he finally found them, the two men looked ready to come to blows. Quickly bringing Athena along, Nicolas stepped in to diffuse the tension. He shot Athena a warning look.

Then, with a smile, Nicolas patted Michael on the shoulder and said, "There were so many people just now that you and Willow got separated. She was absolutely terrified. Matthew is handling the accident scene, so I'll go accost him. Why don't you escort Willow back to the manor?"

Clearly, he was deliberately trying to send Michael away to create some alone time for him and Willow.

But Michael was having none of it. He shot Ferris an icy glare, his anger clearly provoked.

"He just tried to lay hands on me, like I'd ever let that slide!" Michael thought, his fury barely contained.

Michael looked Ferris up and down with a sneer. "If you want to take me on, you'd better think twice about whether you're up to it."

He scoffed and thought, "Even eight of your men wouldn't make me give a damn."

Nicolas tightened his grip when Michael remained unmoved. "Michael, Willow's only just recovered. Don't let her catch a c—" His brows furrowed deeply, frustration simmering beneath the surface.

Nicolas wondered, "What's gotten into Michael? The wedding between the Moon and Osborne families is just around the corner, yet instead of focusing on Willow, he's picking fights with Ferris. Did Athena say something to him again?"

Nicolas glared at Athena with fury. "Athena, what's the matter with you? Every time you're around, those two end up fighting!"

Michael and Ferris had been at odds since childhood, though most of the time, it was Ferris who couldn't stand him. They'd gotten into countless fights as kids, and Athena was always there.

Michael said, "Nonsense!"

Ferris said, "What does this have to do with Athena?"

They spoke in perfect unison, their unexpected solidarity in defending Athena making Willow's eyes widen in disbelief.

Willow wondered in disbelief, "What's going on? Why is everyone suddenly defending Athena?"

A surge of unease twisted Willow's stomach into knots. Instinctively, she glanced at Athena, who stood by the riverbank with an indifferent look and a hint of helplessness between her brows.

Athena thought, exasperated, "Unbelievable. Nicolas just dumped this whole mess in my lap. I'm honestly speed—"

Athena let out a bitter laugh, her eyes glinting with sharp mockery. "So now, whenever those two fight, it's somehow my fault? What next, Lord Nicolas, are you going to blame the bridge collapse on me too, since I'm apparently such a jinx?"

Athena didn't bother to save Nicolas any face, leaving him completely humiliated. Once upon a time, Athena used to always listen to him. But now, in front of outsiders, she actually dared to talk back, which made Nicolas's face turn even darker.

With Ferris present, he didn't want things to get too tense between them. He had no choice but to chide Athena, "Athena, I was just asking. Why are you being so sarcastic? The older you get, the less sensible you become."

He was blaming her for not giving him a way to save face.

Athena let out a cold scoff. "How magnanimous of you, Lord Nicolas. Does Michael even know you used him like that?"

She was referring to how Nicolas had secretly executed those soldiers.

Nicolas's face darkened, his eyes flashing with fury. "Athena, how dare you spout such nonsense!"

Athena shot back with a mocking smile, "I was only making an offhand remark, Lord Nicolas. Why get so worked up?" She threw his own words right back at him. His face turned as dark as thunder.

Michael shot Nicolas a look of growing displeasure.

"My men are not yours to execute," he thought icily.

Noticing Michael's gaze, Nicolas' heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly explained, "Michael, don't let Athena turn you against me. We're as close as brothers. You have to believe I did this for your own good."

"Is this real concern, or just for show?" Michael thought sarcastically.

Michael was far from stupid; he saw right through Athena's scheming.

His eyes grew colder as he fixed Nicolas with a warning stare. "Lord Nicolas, you'd better keep your hands out of my business. It'd be a shame to ruin the bond between us, wouldn't you agree?"

Michael and Nicolas had grown up together. But because of Athena, a rift had begun to form between them.

Nicolas shot Athena a look so fierce, it was as if he wanted to tear her apart right then and there.

Athena's lips curled into a mocking smirk, her eyes brimming with even sharper sarcasm. "You're always so forgiving, Lord Nicolas. Surely such a trivial matter isn't worth your concern."

"That's right, Nicolas and Michael are as close as brothers. They even got punished together! Such brotherly devotion, I even find admirable," Ferris said. He never missed a chance to taunt Michael.

Athena and Ferris played off each other so well, it was like watching a tag team, or even a married couple.

Nicolas's eyes burned with fury, but with Ferris shielding Athena, he had no choice but to swallow his rage.

Willow had been quietly watching the group's expressions. Seeing Nicolas being wronged, she couldn't help but speak up for him, "Athena, Nicolas only has your best interests at heart. How could you misunderstand him like that?"

Her voice came out soft and fragile, laced with a barely detectable note of personal grievance.

Willow's words eased Nicolas' mood a little. He gave Athena a cold snort and snapped, "Ungrateful wretch!"

Before Athena could respond, Willow timidly stepped forward and gently took her arm, trying to smooth things over. "Athena, we're all family. Why act like strangers? Just go apologize to Nicolas, and this will all blow over."

Whether by accident or design, Willow grabbed Athena's injured hand.

A sharp pain shot through Athena, making her wince. Instinctively, she yanked her hand free, and with that slight tug, Willow lost her balance and fell backward uncontrollably.

Behind her lay the icy river.

If Willow fell in, Athena would be entirely to blame.

Athena instinctively reached out to grab Willow, but her fingers closed on nothing but air. With a splash, Willow plunged into the water.