The Scarred Queen's Rise (Athena) novel Chapter 390

Nicolas’s face stiffened at her words. Through gritted teeth, he hissed, “What a sharp tongue.”

“Did you gather all these men to arrest me?” Athena asked as she swept her gaze around the courtyard, noting that it was swarming with guards.

Nicolas demanded, “You’ve crippled Willow. Ddon’t you think you owe me an explanation?”

Athena fixed Nicolas with an icy glare and spat, “You’re the one who owes me an explanation, Lord Nicolas. Grandma was perfectly fine. So, how did she suddenly become critically ill?”

With Matthew blocking her path ahead and Nicolas standing guard behind, Athena had no way of knowing how Margaret was truly faring.

Gwen, who was frantic with worry, stepped forward and pleaded with Nicolas, “Lord Nicolas, can’t we put this aside for now? Please, just let Miss Monson go in and see Lady Margaret first. The old lady can’t afford to wait any longer!”

Nicolas stared icily at Athena, clearly waiting for her to yield.

He had made it clear he wouldn’t move unless she gave in.

‘But would Athena ever fear me?‘ he wondered.

Any meager shred of sibling affection they once shared had long since been ground to dust after their endless conflicts.

To Athena now, he might as well have been a complete stranger.

“If anything happens to Grandma, I’ll make the entire Duke’s Estate pay with their lives.” Athena enunciated each word with deadly precision, her tone icy and unwavering.

The murderous aura she radiated was no less intense than Nicolas’s. If anything, it completely eclipsed his.

She loathed the Duke’s Estate to the core.

When Nicolas saw the fury on Athena’s face, he roared, “Athena, don’t you dare overstep!”

‘I just don’t understand,’ Nicolas fumed inwardly. ‘She’s the one who caused harm, yet she has the audacity to play the victim here.

‘It wasn’t her leg that was broken. So, what right does she have to talk so big here?

‘And now she wants to drag the entire Duke’s Estate down with her. Just who does she think she is?‘

“Get out of my way,” Athena snapped coldly.

Nicolas continued to block her way as he stated, “This is our Duke’s Estate’s business. An outsider like you has no standing here.”

As far as he was concerned, from the day Athena was cast out, she ceased to be a Monson family member.

Eloise had just caught up when she heard those soul–piercing words.

Eloise took two steps forward, fixing Nicolas with a pained look as she uttered, “You’ve always wanted Athena to come home. So, why must you say such cruel things to her?”

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When Eloise first learned Athena was returning, she had been overjoyed for days.

Yet now, face–to–face again, they clashed like oil and water.

Eloise’s hopes were completely dashed. She looked at Athena with pleading eyes. “Athena, please don’t be so stubborn. Just give in to Nicolas this once, won’t you?”

Her voice trembled with longing as she added, “Every single day you were away, I’ve thought of you. Please, come home, my

dear.”

Athena sneered coldly, “What exactly have I done wrong? Why should I be the one to apologize?”

Eloise murmured in a small, hesitant voice, “But… didn’t Willow’s injury happen because of you?”

“Willow’s broken leg was entirely her own doing, and she tried to hurt me first! What does that have to do with me?” Athena snapped as she felt her rage boiling over. She refused to take the blame for this.

Facing the crowd, Athena declared in a loud, clear voice, her gaze sweeping over them: “It was Willow who tried to stab my horse with a hairpin and that’s why the horse kicked hers! As for who’s been slandering me, they know exactly who they are.”

Eloise’s eyes widened in surprise and uttered, “But… Matthew said it was you.”

“Can his word be trusted?” Athena raised her voice defiantly, fixing Eloise with a sharp look. “Why not bring Matthew here for a confrontation? If Lady Eloise still has doubts, she’s welcome to ask the Beckham family herself. Even though things were chaotic, I’m sure there were plenty of witnesses who saw what really happened.”

Athena swept her gaze over every single person present, her voice ringing out with icy clarity as she spat, “All of you were so quick to jump to conclusions, and never bothered to find out the truth. You slap labels on people without any investigation, and now you’re using Grandma’s illness to lure me back under false pretenses just to force a confession. How pathetic, and absolutely disgusting.”