Chapter 174: Investigate Immediately

“I don’t know,” Policy said. “I only asked Harlan to take her back to Windermount. How he got hurt, or how she fell off the cliff, I have no idea.”

Natasha’s tear-filled eyes slowly hardened into an icy glare. She straightened her back and said coldly, “Tell me everything. Why did you send her back to Windermount? What reckless things has she done? Everything. I want to hear it all.”

Garrett stepped forward, but Natasha raised her hand to stop him. A sharp, deadly glint shone in her eyes as she commanded, “You will tell me everything. All of it.”

Geoffrey’s face reddened with anger. “After returning to the estate, she behaved relatively well for two years. Then, by chance, she saved Pablo. Afterward, Pablo proposed, arranging a marriage with William, the heir of the Valen family. That’s when she started to change. Because William already had a favored consort, she demanded he marry her as a secondary wife. She became furious and killed Mary, the woman who had originally helped her. I didn’t blame her for that—Mary was terribly arrogant. But a woman in the inner chambers—how could she kill someone so easily? And then, she grew even more violent, trying to steal her late mother’s dowry from her stepmother. Things got worse at Montlins Manor—Eleanor had a miscarriage, and Michelle was disfigured and cast out. I don’t blame her entirely for that; after all, one hand can’t clap. But if it weren’t for her scheming, I would never believe it.”

Geoffrey paused, stunned. He had difficulty continuing, the weight of his own words sinking in. How much of it could truly be blamed on her?

Natasha’s voice was low but firm. “Keep going.”

Geoffrey’s lips trembled. “She doesn’t respect her stepmother, and she’s been disrespectful to her grandmother. And she—”

“She killed her mother, didn’t she?” Natasha interrupted, stepping closer, her eyes flashing with rage. Without warning, she slapped him hard across the face. The sound rang through the room. Her voice trembled with nearly exhausted fury. “Isn’t that true?”

Geoffrey recoiled, clutching his cheek, staring at her with wide eyes. He had never seen Natasha like this—her face twisted with an anger he never thought she could possess. She had always been so gentle, so composed.

The word “curse” lodged painfully in his throat, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

“Garrett,” Natasha said coldly, turning to him. “Since there’s so much to uncover, and it’s all tied to Pablo, it shouldn’t be hard to find out who harmed Snowy. Investigate immediately. I want her to be completely erased from this world.”

Her last words were said with chilling detachment, but in her eyes burned a furious, all-consuming rage.

“Alright, alright, don’t be so upset,” Garrett said, his anger replaced with calm. He took Natasha’s hand, guiding her to sit. “I’ll get to the bottom of it right away.”

Natasha leaned against him, trying to steady her breathing. She glanced at Geoffrey and spoke, her voice cold and final. “From the day she was born, you said Snowy was a curse. At first, I thought you were just grieving Prunella’s death, that you were lost in your grief. After all, Prunella could never have been wrong about you. I thought you would wake up in time. But that was sixteen years ago. You sent her back to that manor, thinking that was somehow better than having us endure the winds and sand in the frontier. She was just a little girl, so pure, so innocent, just like Snowy. You said ‘send her back’ without a second thought. When Garrett wanted to hold you accountable, I secretly sent people to watch over her at the estate. I thought you’d eventually come to your senses and take her to Windermount, but you didn’t. Geoffrey, I’ve made many decisions in my life, some good, some bad. But the biggest mistake I made was with my daughter and granddaughter. The first mistake was blindly supporting Prunella. When she wanted to marry you, and you were the best man in her eyes, I was moved by the light in her gaze. I knew Garrett disagreed, but I still let her marry you, giving her dowry as if to protect her. The second mistake was not taking Snowy away when we had the chance. I let her suffer for fourteen years in that estate, and then she came back to Argentum, still at the mercy of others.”

Geoffrey collapsed into his chair, his face pale and stricken with guilt.

Natasha’s tone grew harsher. “If something happens to Snowy this time, then you and Prunella are no longer connected. She was blind not to see the kind of man you are. You couldn’t even protect the daughter she fought so hard to give life to. If you die tomorrow, you won’t even be able to face her in the afterlife.”

The words hit Geoffrey like a physical blow. If Isolde died, then the last thread connecting him to Prunella would snap for good.

Natasha sank into a chair, pressing a hand to her chest, her face twisted in pain. Garrett gently hugged her and, with a frown, pulled a pill from his sleeve and placed it under her tongue. “Don’t get so upset. We’ll investigate everything. We’ll find the truth.”

Her head rested against Garrett’s chest as tears fell freely. “Garrett, if only we had taken Snowy with us back then. This is all my fault. I should have known.”

Garrett held her tightly, his face stern. He raised his hand and ordered, “Send word to Steven. Have him investigate overnight. First, go to Marquis Eldermere’s estate and find out everything…”

“Understood,” Steven responded, quickly exiting.

Less than half an hour later, Pablo arrived on horseback. He dismounted quickly, his face taut with worry as he rushed in. “What happened to Isolde?” he asked, his voice filled with anxiety.

Natasha, who had already cried her fill, looked at him, her sorrow deepening. Seeing Pablo’s concern—more than Isolde’s own father—triggered a fresh wave of grief. She spoke with bitterness in her voice, “Pablo, I regret everything. I should have made different choices.”

Pablo glanced at Geoffrey, then approached Garrett, bowing slightly. “Garrett arrived in Argentum late at night and asked me to come. What happened to Isolde? Steven couldn’t explain—he only asked about past events.”

“Tell me everything you know about Isolde,” Garrett said, gesturing for Pablo to sit. His voice was calm and firm.

Pablo was growing increasingly anxious. “What exactly happened to her?”

“She fell off a cliff in Wamond Vale,” Garrett replied.

Pablo’s face went pale with shock. “Wamond Vale? That’s a chasm! The Briswin River runs fast and furious beneath it. If she fell, there’s no way she could have survived. We must send people to search immediately!”

“Calm down, Pablo. I’ve already sent people out,” Garrett said, trying to reassure him. “But tell me what exactly happened with Isolde during her time in Argentum these past two to three years?”

Pablo turned and gave Geoffrey a cold glance. “Doesn’t he know? He can answer that.”

“I don’t trust a word he says,” Prudence snapped from behind.

Pablo’s mind began to connect the dots. Isolde’s fall from the cliff must have had something to do with him, and he suspected it was no coincidence. He turned to his attendants and ordered, “Go to the Princess’ estate, immediately. Ask her to come, and quickly.”

Garrett frowned. “What does the Princess have to do with this?”

Pablo’s voice was quiet but urgent. “The Princess knows everything about Isolde’s time in Argentum. Some of these events even involved her. Once you hear what the Princess has to say, you’ll understand.”

Although Pablo was bitter toward Geoffrey, as a fellow official and a former subordinate of Garrett’s, he didn’t want to voice his full suspicions—especially in front of him. Even though he was utterly disappointed in Isolde’s actions, he couldn’t bear to speak those words aloud.