The Scarred Queen's Rise (Athena) novel Chapter 97

Chapter 97

Chapter 97

Instead of addressing him as “Lord Osborne,” Ferris shouted his name directly, a clear sign of just how furious he was.

The guards had been unable to reach Ferris earlier due to the crowd, but once Ferris stepped off the bridge, they quickly caught up with him.

Detecting the fury in Ferris’s voice, they immediately surrounded Michael.

Michael swept a cold, indifferent glance over the men and sneered, “Just a bunch of small fry. They’re beneath my notice.”

Michael’s naked taunt made Lord Nicolas’s expression darken. He snapped, “We’ll see about that.”

Ferris’s personal guards were no pushovers.

Even with Michael’s renowned bravery, being outnumbered five to one meant he stood no chance.

Today, Ferris would make Michael learn the consequences of provoking him.

As the tension between the two men reached a boiling point, Athena found herself at a complete loss.

Athena thought anxiously, ‘I’m not even worried about Michael getting hurt. What really scares me is that I’ll probably be made the scapegoat for all of this again. No matter who ends up injured, I know I won’t escape unscathed.

‘They’ll just assume the two of them are fighting over me again. My fingertips still ache from the Queen’s earlier punishment, and the last thing I want is for her attention to turn back to me.‘

Just as Athena was about to step in and calm Ferris down, Nicolas and Willow came rushing over.

“There you are! You nearly gave me a heart attack,” Nicolas said, his face etched with anxiety.

Earlier, the crowd was too thick, so he had shielded Willow until things calmed down before coming over.

That was when he heard about the bridge collapse and that several people had fallen into the water.

When he finally found them, the two men looked ready to come to blows. Quickly bringing Athena along, Nicolas stepped in to diffuse the tension.

He shot Athena a warning look.

Then, with a smile, Nicolas patted Michael on the shoulder and said, “There were so many people just now,that you and Willow got separated. She was absolutely terrified. Matthew is handling the accident scene, so I’ll go assist him. Why don’t you escort Willow back to the manor?”

Clearly, he was deliberately trying to send Michael away to create some alone time for him and Willow.

But Michael was having none of it. He shot Ferris an icy glare, his anger clearly provoked.

‘He just tried to lay hands on me, like I’d ever let that slide?‘ Michael thought, his fury barely contained.

Michael looked Ferris up and down with a sneer. “If you want to take me on, you’d better think twice about whether you’re up to it.”

He scoffed and thought, ‘Even eight of your men wouldn’t make me give a damn.‘

Nicolas tightened his grip when Michael remained unmoved. “Michael, Willow’s only just recovered. Don’t let her catch a

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chill…

His brows furrowed deeply, frustration simmering beneath the surface.

Nicolas wondered. ‘What’s gotten into Michael? The wedding between the Monson and Osborne families is just around the corner, yet instead of focusing on Willow, he’s picking fights with Ferris. Did Athena say something to him again?”

Nicolas glared at Athena with fury. “Athena, what’s the matter with you? Every time you’re around, those two end up fighting!”

Michael and Ferris had been at odds since childhood, though most of the time, it was Ferris who couldn’t stand him.

They’d gotten into countless fights as kids, and Athena was always there.

Michael said, “Nonsense!”

Ferris said, “What does this have to do with Athena?”

They spoke in perfect unison, their unexpected solidarity in defending Athena making Willow’s eyes widen in disbelief.

Willow wondered in disbelief, ‘What’s going on? Why is everyone suddenly defending Athena?‘

A surge of unease twisted Willow’s stomach into knots. Instinctively, she glanced at Athena, who stood by the riverbank with an indifferent look and a hint of helplessness between her brows.