The Scarred Queen's Rise (Athena) novel Chapter 552

Chapter 552

Chapter 552

Willow’s eyes were already red from crying. She collapsed to her knees and begged, “Mother, it was all my fault. I regret it with all my heart!”

Nicolas saw how pitifully Willow was crying, and most of his anger faded. “Enough of this for now. I’ll find a chance to have a proper talk with Michael

He had no mind to deal with Willow’s affairs since they had more urgent matter to attend to

Resolving the immediate crisis took priority.

Nicolas rushed out in a desperate hurry.

After much deliberation, Nicolas realized Fermin Cavendish was his only h

hope now.

Nicolas ordered his coachman straight to Fermin Manor, only to be informed by the gatekeeper upon arrival that Fermin was indisposed and not receiving any visitors Nicolas Monson

Nicolas, still oblivious to what was really going on, pleaded anxiously, “Please announce to His Highness that Nicolas Monson requests an audience. It’s a matter of great urgency

The gatekeeper shook his head. “His Highness has said that he’s not seeing anyone.”

“What?” Nicolas blurted out, his agitation flaring. Before he could

ld say more, the gatekeeper shut the door with a slam

He was left standing outside with the door slammed in his face. On

Only then did it dawn on Nicolas that Fermin wasn’t sick at all.

Fermin was clearly avoiding people from the duke’s estate, leaving Nicolas to clean up this mess on his own.

Nicolas racked his brains, but still couldn’t figure it out

Leonard knew too much. If he cracked under interrogation and spilled everything, the duke’s estate would go down with him.

After hitting a wall with Fermin, Nicolas slowly began to put the pieces together,

Nicolas thought, ‘The Queen told Kelsey, and then Kelsey had Willow pass the news to us. Of all people, why did the Queen have to tell Kelsey? Isn’t this just her way of getting the duke’s estate to clear the way for her?”

Having finally seen through the Queen’s scheme, Nicolas cursed furiously, “When we’re useful, we’re just pawns; when we’re not, we’re simply discarded. What a truly ruthless Queen!”

The Queen was clearly leveraging the duke’s estate to eliminate Leonard and protect her grand scheme.

Nicolas wearily pressed a hand to his forehead, then rapped on the carriage wall.

Almost immediately, his trusted confidant appeared. “Lord Nicolas.”

Nicolas ordered, his voice laced with chilling ruthlessness, “Go to the Federal Bureau and find a way to silence Leonard permanently.”

In this matter, he had no other choice.

Nicolas thought anxiously, ‘If Athena ever finds out that General Perkins was framed by Mother, she’ll never let anyone in the duke’s state off the hook.

With Prince Xander as her formidable patron, things will only get worse for us.”

His confidant acknowledged the order, then vanished.

21:05 Sun, 27 Jul G

Chapter 552

In the prison cell, Leonard was beaten black and blue, his face so bruised and swollen he was barely recognizable.

Yet he still gritted his teeth and refused to say a word.

The clanking of chains echoed from the doorway.

A prison guard walked over while carrying “rations.

He said, “It’s meal time!”

He set the wooden bucket on the floor. A plate of mashed potatoes and some boiled beans were inside. There was nothing more.

Dizzy with hunger, Leonard gritted his teeth against the pain and crawled toward the bowl of gruel, reaching out with a trembling hand.

He thought desperately, ‘I must survive. Only the living has hope.”

But before he could reach the plate, a rat scurried ahead and climbed onto it, ravenously devouring the gruel.

Seeing this, Leonard’s eyes bulged with fury. He roared, “Get lost!”

But the rat paid him no mind, still gorging itself shamelessly on the plate.

Leonard leaned against the wall and let out a bitter, self–mocking laugh. He thought, was once a man of noble status, but now I am reduced to sharing scraps with rats. What a cruel twist of fate!

Leonard burst out laughing.

But as he laughed, terror crept into his eyes,

He watched as the rat let out a few frantic squeaks, and then went limp.

He realized that the meal was poisoned.

Leonard let out a strangled cry, shrinking into the corner as if facing some unspeakable horror.

“Who wants to kill me?” he thought in panic.

s