Forced Marriage: My Wife, My Redemption novel Chapter 379

Chapter 379: This is the end

Lady Matilda’s voice carried through the grand hall, firm though tinged with weariness.

"With this, every official document in the Santiagos’ name is hereby revoked, as well as every position handled in the Santiagos’ name and group."

The silence that followed was suffocating. At the end of her speech, she turned away from the podium.

Her hands clasped behind her, her back slightly hunched, she walked with the heaviness of someone bearing the weight of decades.

Her steps were steady, but every stride whispered of pain and finality.

They had been family for long, but rather than destroy the Santiagos’ family’s peace, tradition, name, and belief, she better maintain this decision.

This moment pulled her back to the day she severed Nora’s ties with the Andersons.

She had cried and mourned, begged her daughter to reconsider, but Nora had turned a deaf ear.

Lady Matilda had been forced to wield the blade of family law then, as she was now.

Some decisions were unavoidable. Painful. But for the sake of the family, necessary.

Her shoulders sagged beneath the weight of it all.She had felt pain, she had felt hurt, but then it was for the better. Her shoulders sagged.

Pausing, she whispered with a sigh, "Donald, announce this decision at the banquet hall. Inform Davis the ladies have been relieved of the Santiagos’ name."

Donald frowned, his voice low and uncertain. "But Mother, what if he takes up the matter for prosecution?"

Her gaze softened for a moment before it hardened again. "If he does... let it be. They committed a crime, and they must pay the price."

"But..."

"But.."

Her raised hand silenced him mid-protest. "There is no but. It is decided. They are no longer Santiagos. Their life and death are no longer ours to worry about."

Her voice faltered briefly, betraying a flicker of sorrow. "I must rest. Davis is not unreasonable."

She left quietly, her figure retreating into the dim corridor, leaving Donald rooted to the spot, his heart sinking like a stone. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

The remaining members of the family slipped away one after the other, each weighed down by shock and grief.

None could deny the evidence: the recording, the video, the poolside confrontation.

No longer rumor. No longer hearsay. Yet the verdict still sat heavily in their chests.

This day was not in their expectations.

In the hall, soft music played from the speaker, creating a business atmosphere for the guests as they mingled, discussing the current trend of the business world.

Several persons mourned their loss of not receiving the invitation to the world business summit.

While others continually consoled themselves, hoping that by the next time they would meet the criteria set out by the organizers.

At a corner table, Davis sat with a glass of wine. He twirled the crimson liquid slowly, the dim light casting ripples across its surface.

His face was unreadable...blank, expressionless, cold, and distant.

Yet the air around him felt heavy, suffocating, as though charged with unspoken fury.

His other finger tapped on the table in steady rhythm. Ethan, seated opposite him, had his heart in his throat. A suffocating silence settled between them.

At intervals, he glanced at the steady rhythm of the finger. No doubt Davis was barely holding up his anger.

He wished it would be easy to break the silence, but it seemed more important to keep mute and avoid his anger.

When Ethan was at his wits’ end, the sound of the music dimmed, drawing the attention of the guests as they turned their gaze towards the stage.

Davis’ finger tapping on the table paused as he lifted his gaze towards the stage.

Then the music dimmed, and all attention shifted to the stage.

Donald stood beneath the spotlight, his composure outwardly calm, though his eyes searched the hall.

When they locked with Davis’s gaze, his breath caught. Just as his mother had predicted, Davis was waiting. Waiting for answers.

As his eyes locked with Davis, he took a deep breath...just as the old lady expected, there’s no doubt Davis was waiting for an explanation.

Donald drew himself up and spoke, his voice even, carrying authority.

"Our esteemed guests, we regret that you have had to witness such a sad occurrence this evening. And to anyone who may feel offended, we humbly ask your forgiveness."

The guests’ murmuring filled the air, he cleared his voice to continue. "Also, we are using this medium to express a very crucial decision just made by the family."

"Crucial decisions?" the guests murmured.

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify