The Scarred Queen's Rise (Athena) novel Chapter 252

Athena thought, ‘I really don’t want to deal with Michael, but he’s just so obsessive and arrogant. Once he sets his mind on something, he’ll go to the end of the earth. He’ll only let go if he completely gives up hope. That’s the only way he’ll finally stop being so self–righteous.”

Athena felt she had made herself clear.

But he didn’t listen. Instead, Michael flew into a rage. “You want to marry him? Not unless I say so,” he snapped.

From childhood, Michael had claimed Athena as his little sister, his childhood sweetheart, and above all, his future wife.

That conviction never faltered.

Relentlessly, he pursued this destiny from the very beginning.

But Athena told him she wouldn’t marry him.

Michael couldn’t accept it.

‘Athena was the only one I ever wanted, he thought desperately.

Just as Ferris was about to step forward and argue with Michael, Athena stopped him with a gentle touch. “Ferris, let’s go,” she said softly.

Her soothing gaze melted away the anger in Ferris’s eyes.

He shot Michael a warning glare before growling out a single word. “Fine.”

Ferris thought, ‘Athena’s still hurt. I’m not wasting another second on scum like Michael. He’s not worth it.’

Ferris carried Athena into the carriage. Michael tried to intervene, but was stopped by Willow’s choked sobs behind him. “Michael, are you casting me aside?”

Willow’s face was streaked with tears, her heart breaking.

‘How could he? How could he say he wanted Athena right in front of me?‘ she thought, devastated.

“Michael…” Willow’s pitiful sobs sent waves of agitation through Michael’s heart.

A sudden punch came swinging at Michael from behind.

He dodged with a swift tilt of his head, grabbed Nicolas’s arm in one fluid motion, and flipped him over his shoulder.

Nicolas crashed hard onto the ground.

He rolled on the spot to absorb the impact.

Before Michael could react, Nicolas lunged at him again.

The two men tangled together, exchanging blows in a furious, chaotic fight.

Michael unleashed all his fury on Nicolas. “She’s your sister! How dare you kick her out of the family?”

A solid punch landed squarely on Nicolas’s nose.

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“You’re no better than me,” Nicolas spat. “Athena turned out this way because you spoiled her rotten.”

On the surface, Michael seemed indifferent to Athena. But if anyone dared to wrong her, he’d make them pay dearly.

Simply put, he wouldn’t allow anyone to tease her but himself, not even the three Monson brothers.

When they were kids, Matthew pushed Athena over and laughed his head off.

When Michael found out, he dunked Matthew headfirst into the water.

He only pulled the boy out after he’d swallowed half the pond.

The two men were locked in a fierce brawl, neither willing to back down. Willow watched as more and more wounds appeared on Michael’s face.

She rushed forward to break them up.

But both men were so blinded by rage that they didn’t even notice her.

Just as Michael threw another heavy punch and Nicolas dodged, Willow’s face suddenly appeared right in front of him.

He tried to pull back, but it was too late.

With a piercing shriek, Willow collapsed to the ground, clutching her eye.

“Willow!” Both men immediately ceased fighting and rushed to check on her injury.

Willow’s brow was badly swollen.

The whole area was bruised a deep purple.

Seeing this, Nicolas drew a sharp breath. “Oh no! What are we going to do? The wedding’s the day after tomorrow, how can you show your face like this?”

At that, Willow wailed even louder. “I don’t want to be an ugly bride…”

No bride wanted to walk down the aisle with a black eye, especially when it was her own fiancé who did it.

If word got out, it’d be so humiliating.