The Scarred Queen's Rise (Athena) novel Chapter 589

Chapter 589

Athena’s heart clenched at the sight of Xander’s wounded, vulnerable expression That look sent a shiver of unease through her,

Athena hastily dropped her gare, not daring to look at Xander again.

Eloise and Willow were bound and sent down the mountain by the guards.

A force mountain gust made Athena stumble as she turned back, nearly sending her to the ground

But a warm hand clasped her waist, Xander’s deep voice whispered in her ear, “Careful.”

An inexplicable sense of calm washed over Athena, She lifted her gaze to Kander, her eyes shimmering with unspoken delight.

Athena thought to herself, “All this time beloved I was alone, but now I realize there’s someone quietly watching over me and protecting me.

A man like this is truly worth falling for.”

Athena slowly tightened her grip, gently wrapping her fingers around Xander’s hand.

Xander’s heart skipped a beat at the touch of her soft hand.

Though Athena said nothing, her eyes spoke volumes.

Xander gazed at Athena with pure delight, an irrepressible smile lighting up his face. He simply couldn’t help himself.

Athena and Xander gazed into each other’s eyes, the world around them fading away, in that moment, there was only the two of them.

Even the night sky seemed to yield, its clouds parting before the sweetness between them.

At the break of dawn, the Aegis Guards burst through the gates of the duke’s estate.

But they were too late. The duke’s estate stood completely deserted.

Immediately. Pidence City was placed under lockdown as the authorities launched a full–scale manhunt for Nicolas.

Athena’s heart raced at the news as she blurted out, “What about Fiona and Cedric?”

Jessa shook her head and said, “They must have been taken along with him.”

Cedric was Nicolas’s son. He would never abandon his son.

Athena’s brows furrowed in worry. She thought, ‘Nicolas is a remnant of the former country, and poor Cedric is innocently caught up in this, I fear the

worst for him.

“How could the King possibly tolerate the remnants of the previous country living right under his nose?

“It’s good they escaped. At least now Cedric have a chance to survive.

Meanwhile, news came from the military comp. Joseph had also fled.

Xander’s men searched for several days, but came up empty–handed

They’d vanished into thin air.

Arthur flew into a royalrage. Since the Osborne family had close ties with the Monson family, they were thrown into the imperial dungeons

A thorough investigation was conducted, leaving no stone unturned.

10:10 Mon, 28 Jul #GO

Chapter 589

Both the Osborne family and the Monson family found themselves embroiled in the case involving the ants of the former

In an instant, chaos swept through both court and country. Everyone, from officials to commoners, feared for their own safety, especially Qua and

Fermin

They wished they could crawl into a hole.

Although some issues did surface, they were all dismissed as trivial

Despite the evidence, Arthur still avored Fermin, sweeping all his land grabbing and assault cases under the reg

The emperor deliberately used the duke’s estate case to divert attention from Fermin’s misdeeds

Beyond Athena’s contributions in this case, there was another key figure who had been operating entirely behind the scenes.

It was Ferris Mcgee, the Chief Inspector of the Treasury Bureau,

Ferris uncovered that the Monson family and the Osborne family were engaged in illicit business dealings, secretly operating illegal iront mines to amass enormous profits.

Just the gold and silver alone filled over a dozen wagons.

The most shocking discovery was the Osborne family’s secret vault. Its walls were entirely lined with gold bricks, sending shockwaves throughout the

entire court.

Originally, the Osborne family could have claimed that they were associated with the Monson family due to poor judgement of their character, but with this additional felony charge, there was no way to whitewash their crimes anymale,

Michael was stripped of his noble tile and reduced to the status of a commoner.

Considering Michael’s outstanding military achievements and his proven innocence, Arthur showed leniency by sentencing him to military service, allowing him to atone through battlefield valor.

The remaining members of the Osborne family, however, were condemned to banishment.

Recognizing Ferris’s exceptional capabilities, Arthur brake protocol by bestowing upon him the title of Prince of Westmount.

Only then did it dawn on everyone. Arthur had been quietly building his own power behind the scenes.

Without so much as a ripple, Ferris dismantled both the Osborne and Monson families.

It seemed likely that Arthur had long planned to eliminate both families. This was merely a fortuitous opportunity.

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