Eliza shot upright, fury zing in her eyes. She was about to leap off the carriage and confront her oh-so-beloved father
face to face
But before she could move. Mary extended an arm to block her.
"You don''t need to go. Mary said firmly, giving her a calm yet pointed look. “Stay here. Watch over your mother. Leave this
With that, Mary stepped down from the carriage.
Hearing themotion, Gabriel and his two sons turned their heads. They clearly expected Eliza. What they got instead....
Mary didn''t speak right away. Her eyes swept first over Benedict, thennded squarely on Matthew.
"So. Anthony didn''te, she remarked coolly. "Not surprising. That body of his can''t handle a horse"
Matthew bristled "Whether Anthonyes or not has nothing to do with you. Where''s Eliza? Tell her toe out and face
With Gabriel by his side, Matthew''s courage had clearly swelled. He sneered and called out Eliza''s name directly. "Since when is the Holy Lady too afraid to speak for herself?"
Mary''s eyes narrowed. She didn''t spare him even a second of grace.
She turned to Gabriel with a sharp smile, her toneced with scorn.
you forgotten how to raise your sons? This one here-no sense of respect, no
"What''s this, Gabriel? Since Caroline died, have you forgot manners. Just a brat running wild."
Gabriel''s face darkened "Mary, don''t forget your vows. You''re a woman of the cloth. Is this how a nun speaks?"
Mary shrugged. "You''ve known my temper for years. What, didn''t get the full lesson back then? Want me to remind you what a nun''s p feels like
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Even Benedict and Matthew were left blinking in stunned silence. Nn, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow with mild
amusemenL
Mary-fearless, legendary Mary. Likely the only person in all of Hasen City who had ever dared p Gabriel across the face... and lived to tell the tale.
Gabriel''s expression turned thunderous "Back then, I tolerated you out of respect for Caroline. But if you try to stop me now-if you dare to keep Caroline''s body from returning to my home-I won''t hold back"
Mary scoffed. "You? Hold back?" Her voice dripped with contempt. "Please. Don''t tter yourself."
The words hit like a p, right across his face.
Under Cabriel''s withering re, Mary didn''t so much as blink. She stepped forward, voice as sharp as a de.
"You hid the truth about your bastard daughter and let Caroline''s child suffer in silence. Then, out of guilt, you coddled that girl and let her poison your sons against each other. You let your children-Caroline''s children-tear themselves apart. Eliza driven into the nunnery. Dn, forced to leave home. Benedict, so muddled he can''t see straight. Matthew, blind to right and wrong. Anthony, lost in ck and white. And you-you watched it all happen. Encouraged it. Enabled it. You didn''t just
betray Caroline in life-you continue to disgrace her in death."
She jabbed a finger toward the carriage. "And now, even after your mistress''s daughter stole Caroline''s body, you still want to bring her home! Your home! Tell me, Gabriel-who does the Stonor family belong to! Caroline and her children, or you and your precious bastard?"
She paused, her voice suddenly quiet, deadly calm. "Stop calling her your wife. The moment you betrayed her, you lost the
right"
Her words were like knives, slicing Gabriel down one bitter truth at a time.
Everyone turned to look at him.
And Gabriel... was livid. His face, already pale from his earlier coughing of blood, had gone ghostly white with rage.
"I said, Gabriel hissed, breath heaving, "Caroline was-is-my wife. I never betrayed her."
His chest rose and fell in sharp, ragged bursts.
"She was mywfully wedded wife. And she should be buried in the ancestral grounds of the Stonor family-where she belongs
"Oh?" M
"Oh?" Mary arched an eyebrow, lips curling into a mocking smile.
"And what happens next? Next time your darling little bastard throws a tantrum.
she digs Caroline up and whips her corpse
"Lies!" Gabriel roared
"Outrageous!" Matthew added, face red with fury.
"You''ve gone too far! How dare you use my sister of such a thing?" he shouted.
Your sister? Mary turned eyes shing like twin daggers. "What-are you blind and stupid?"
Matthew''s face contorted with rage. "You-!"
"Enough" Benedict suddenly grabbed Matthew by the arm, yanking him back. "This isn''t your ce
Matthew turned to him in disbelief. "Benedict, how can you just stand there? You don''t trust Sophie anymore?"
"I used to, Benedict said coldly. "But now? I only trust what I see with my own eyes."
Matthew''s mouth fell open
His brothers-both of them-were turning against Sophie. It was like they''d been drugged, brainwashed by Eliza. They were actually doubting Sophie.
But Sophie had exined everything when they got home. She''d cried-cried, for heaven''s sake-and told them she wasn''t the one who defiled the grave. Someone else had done it.
If that wasn''t sincere, then what wast
And Eliza-Eliza was the real liar. After all, the body was in her possession, wasn''t
it?
No wonder she refused his kite. No wonder she hadn''te out to face them.
She was hiding. Ashamed. And instead of facing the consequences, she sent out
some o
old nun
hurl insults at their father.
11:46 Fri, 18 Apr
The more Matthew thought about it, the more furious he became.
86%
Without warning, he turned his horse and charged-straight at the carriage behind Mary. But Nn had been watching him
closely.
Nn moved faster.
The moment Manhew made his move. Nol
He raised one leg and kicked the side of Matthew''s horse with brutal force. The horse reared and copsed.
Matthew went flying. He hit the ground hard-his right leg taking the brunt of the
fall.
A sickening sound cut through the air.
"My leg-1 Matthew screamed, agony flooding his voice.
The sight jolted Benedict into motion. "Matthew!"
He scrambled off his own horse and knelt beside his brother. One look at the
twisted leg and his face drained of color. He turned to Gabriel, voice tight with
panic. "Father-Matthew''s leg is broken."