The Scarred Queen's Rise (Athena) novel Chapter 305

All he heard was Eloise’s terrified scream before scaring pain exploded in his shoulder plate, and warm blood instantly began to soak his robes.

Staring in disbelief at the wound, he saw the blade buried three inches deep in his flesh.

The excruciating pain made his head spin.

“You… you poisoned me?” Nicolas swayed unsteadily before slumping to the ground.

Tears streaming down her face, Eloise supported her wounded son Nicolas and screamed in panic, “Get a doctor! Someone, fetch a physician now!”

Athena regarded him with icy calm. “I only wanted to visit Grandmother. You’re the one who kept blocking my way. Don’t blame me for this.”

Athena didn’t have the authority to take Nicolas’s life, the so–called “poison” was merely a sedative to render him unconscious.

With Nicolas out of the way, Athena, flanked by her guards, made her way straight to Starling House without anyone daring to stop her.

Gwen hurried forward when she spotted Athena. “Miss Monson, what brings you here?” she asked with concern.

Athena asked anxiously, “Where’s Grandmother? Is she all right?” At the mention of her, Athena’s heart ached with fierce love.

‘Grandmother is the one I love most in this world. I can’t let anything happen to her,‘ she thought.

Gwen’s eyes were red–rimmed as she remained silent.

Athena’s heart clenched with dread, and she dashed inside.

The air inside the room was heavy with the scent of medicinal herbs.

On the bed, Margaret lay peacefully asleep, her frail form barely stirring.

“Grandmother!” Athena rushed forward in quick strides, gently taking her grandmother’s frail hand.

At the sight of Margaret’s exhausted face, tears welled up in Athena’s eyes.

Athena’s heart clenched. “How could this be? When I left, Grandmother was clearly getting so much better…”

The moment Athena checked on Margaret’s condition, alarm shot through her.

Margaret’s pulse was frighteningly faint, a telltale sign of impending death.

With red–rimmed eyes, Gwen said to Athena, “Her Ladyship has been strong–willed all her life. Every decision she made was for the estate, all to uphold the Duke’s glory. But fate had other plans. Now that she’s old and has lost her authority, how could those people possibly heed her anymore?”

Though Gwen never said outright that the Monson family had been upsetting Margaret, her words dripped with discontent.

Even without Gwen spelling it out, Athena could read between the lines.

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Chapter 305

Eloise had always schemed to seize control of the family.

As the heir, Nicolas was too arrogant to tolerate anything that didn’t center on himself.

Each had their own agenda. No one cared about Margaret’s feelings?

“Her Ladyship’s illness stems from heartache,” Gwen said, her voice trembling. “She misses you terribly, Miss Monson, and is consumed by guilt for not protecting you. She keeps saying she should have kept you safe…

As Gwen spoke, tears streamed down her cheeks.

Athena was already sobbing uncontrollably, her face streaked with tears. Suddenly, a thought struck her. She hastily swiped at her tear–streaked face with the back of her hand.

Athena choked back her tears and pleaded anxiously, “Grandmother, please take this medicine. You’ll get better, I promise.”

With trembling hands, Athena fumbled in her pouch, pulled out the life–perserving pill, and gently slipped it into Margaret’s mouth.

The elixir melted instantly on Margaret’s tongue. Moments later, she slowly opened her eyes.

Margaret stared blankly at Athena for a moment, then gave a weak, self–deprecating smile. “I must be delirious from illness… How could I be seeing my dear Athena back again?”

With a heavy sigh, Margaret said despondently, “She’s never coming back. This family chews people up and spits out their bones. My Athena is better off far away, gone where no one can ever find her…”

“Grandmother.” Athena finally broke down, her voice trembling as she called out.

Tears spilled from her eyes, splashing onto Margaret’s frail hand.

Margaret stared at Athena in astonishment, her hand instinctively reaching out to touch hers. As she felt Athena’s hand, the shock in her eyes melted into pure joy.

She asked, “Athena, is it really you? You, you’ve come back?”

Chapter 306