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    436 Chapter 436


    436.Chapter 436


    Sophie let out a startled scream, grabbing Matthew''s arm in panic before throwing herself into his embrace


    "Matthew, Diana''s going to hit me again! I''m scared she cried, her face streaked with tears, looking so pitiful it could tug at anyone''s heartstrings


    Matthew, feeling protective, quickly wrapped his arms around her "Don''t worry, Sophie I''m here Diana won''ty a hand on


    you again."


    Sophie had only said that to stir up trouble, but hearing Matthew''sforting words made her twitch the corner of her mouth involuntarily,


    She thought furiously. Are you blind? Didn''t you just see her whip me right in front of you?


    And you still have the nerve to say she won''t hit me again?


    Sophie clenched her teeth in silent rage


    She thought. Useless fool! If you weren''t even a little useful, do you think I''d bother keeping you around?


    Terrified that Diana might strike again, Sophie clung tightly to Matthew, burying herself in his arms and positioning him as a shield


    Sophie assumed Diana still had feelings for Matthew. She figured that while Diana might dare to whip her in front of him, if she used Matthew''s body as a shield, Diana would hesitate, worried about identally hitting him.


    But Sophie hadn''t anticipated what happened next. The whip cracked through the


    air with a sharp snap, cutting straight toward them.


    Dianashed out again, the whip striking Sophie mercilessly and catching Matthew in its path.


    The blow tore into Matthew''s back, leaving it raw and bleeding.


    Sophie, unable to dodge, took another hit on her shoulder, adding a fresh wound to her collection


    Sophie cried out in agony.


    This time, her tears were genuine.


    Diana''s whip brought unbearable pain, far worse than anything Sophie had endured before.


    It made the punishments she''d faced at the Duke''s estate feel like mere scratches.


    Sophie had been subjected to the family''s disciplinary whip twice before.


    Once by Benedict, and another time by Gabriel.


    Benedict had been the gentler of the two.


    Gabriel, however, had been furious, and his strikes were far heavier.


    Yet even those paled inparison to the force Diana wielded today.


    Diana''s blows were calcted, each one meant to break her rather than just teach a lesson.


    By the secondsh, Sophie waspletely overwhelmed, unable to endure any longer.


    She sobbed uncontrobly, her facadepletely shattered.


    "Keep pretending! Go on, keep it up! I am going to beat you to death today!"


    Diana''s voice was sharp and filled with fury as she red at Sophie.


    To say she felt nothing for Matthew would be a lie. After all, she had truly cared for him once.


    Otherwise, she would not have gone to him, even after the Empress Dowager had already sent word to the Baker family/


    She had thought, if Matthew had chosen her back then, maybe she hadn''t misjudged him.


    After all, she already knew the truth deep down. What she cared about was Matthew''s heart.


    The answer left her bitterly disappointed and heartbroken.


    So when Eliza offered to handle the annulment, she didn''t stop her.


    That day, Eliza returned to the Duke''s estate on her behalf. Diana knew exactly what Eliza intended to do, and in truth, that was thest chance she gave Matthew.


    Unfortunately, all she received in return was a cold, formal letter of annulment.


    When she saw that letter, she couldn''t even tell what she felt.


    They were now strangers walking separate paths


    She said, "Matthew, if you''ve got any sense, step aside. For the sake of our friendship since childhood, I might let you off


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    436 Chapter 430


    easy. But if you don''t, don''t me me for what happens next"