448.Chapter 448


    448.Chapter 448


    "Who stole your money?" Benedict frowned slightly at the question.


    Dn raised his hand and pointed toward Sophie. "Her! She''s the one who took the box of money I had hidden under my bed!"


    Sophie, her face streaked with blood, looked both hurt and indignant. "Father, Benedict, don''t listen to Dn''s nonsense!! didn''t steal his money! If you don''t believe me, ask Matthew. He can vouch for me!"


    "Where''s Matthew?" Gabriel asked, his tone calm but firm.


    "Here! I''m right here!" Matthew''s voice rang out as he stepped into the courtyard. Matthew arrived just in time. As soon as Gabriel called for him, he came rushing back from outside.


    He stood there catching his breath for a moment before saying, "I... I can vouch for Sophie. She didn''t steal it."


    "If Sophie didn''t take it, then Dn is lying?" Gabriel''s cold gaze shifted to Dn. Matthew quickly added, "No, Dn''s money was definitely stolen."


    Otherwise, Dn wouldn''t be this upset.


    Besides, Dn had already nned to let them stay and was even preparing to build two rooms for him and Sophie. They didn''t expect that something like this happened the very next day.


    Matthew didn''t believe Sophie would steal the money, but he also couldn''t imagine Dn making up such an usation without reason.


    So, Dn''s money must have been stolen.


    But as for who the thief was, that was still a mystery.


    Matthew turned to Dn. "Dn, take a deep breath and think about it. Could someone else have taken your money?" Dn let out a coldugh. "I''m perfectly calm. And as for your theory about someone else stealing it? That''s not even remotely possible.


    "My ce is in the middle of nowhere. Other than the Holy Cross Monastery and Saint Grace Nunnery up in the mountains, there''s not a single soul within a mile. So tell me, who could''ve stolen it?


    "Besides, my money was still there before you all came looking for me. But the moment I stepped out and came back, you were gone, and so was my money. If it wasn''t you, then who else could it be?"


    Dn eximed, "And this!"


    He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and unfolded it, revealing a string of copper coins,the very same ones Sophie had given him.


    "These are the coins you gave me, aren''t they?" Dn demanded, his gaze fixed on Sophie.


    Sophie bit her lip, nced at Matthew, and then nodded hesitantly. "Yes, I gave them to you... but they''re just leftover from buying flower seeds."


    Dn''s voice shot up, cutting her off. His eyes burned with anger as he shouted, "Liar! Leftover from buying flower seeds? Did you buy those seeds from a lumber yard?"


    He handed the string of coins to Benedict. "Benedict, take a look. These coins still have traces of wood pulp stuck to them. I earned these by chopping trees for the vigers. Only the coins they paid me with would have these marks."


    Out of the entire string, only several coins bore these wood pulp traces.


    The marks weren''t obvious at first because they had dried out, which was why Dn hadn''t noticed them until yesterday.


    It wasn''t untilst night that he realized these coins were his wages from chopping wood!


    "Alright, let me see." Benedict took the string of coins and inspected them. Sure enough, the marks were exactly as Dn had described.


    After examining the coins, Benedict''s gaze shifted back to Sophie. He studied her intently, and for a brief moment, a flicker of panic shed in her eyes.


    The panic in her eyes was fleeting, but Benedict caught it all the same.


    By this point, the answer was already clear.


    Benedict''s voice was calm as he asked, "Sophie, where''s the money?"


    Sophie''s eyes widened like a startled deer, and she shook her head frantically. "It wasn''t me, Benedict! I swear, I didn''t steal


    it!"


    Tears immediately welled up in her eyes as she wailed, "Father, Matthew, you have to believe me! I didn''t take Dn''s money!"


    448.Chapter 448


    Dn clenched his fists, his voice trembling with anger. "I must''ve been blind to ever treat you like family. And what did you do in return?


    "You bullied Eliza, lied to me, stole my money, and even had the audacity to dig up my mother''s grave! She was my mother, Sophie! How could you do something so heartless?"


    Matthew immediately stepped in to defend Sophie. "Dn, stop making things up! Sophie already exined this! It wasn''t her. It was her subordinates..."


    "I heard it myself! She admitted it with her own mouth!" Dn cut Matthew off sharply, his tone leaving no room for


    argument.


    Sophie stared at Dn, a sinking feeling of dread creeping into her heart.


    Sure enough, Dn''s next words came with a cold, mocking smile. "That day outside the Moonshade Pavilion, your men brought Mother''s remains to trade with Eliza. You thought only your people and Eliza''s were there, didn''t you?


    "Unfortunately for you, I happened to see Eliza that day and noticed something was off. So, I followed Eliza to the Moonshade Pavilion.


    "And there, I heard you with my own ears. You said you wanted to capture Eliza and torment her until she wished for death. You even talked about desecrating Mother''s remains to vent your anger. And as if that wasn''t enough, you said you''d kill Father and all of us to avenge your own mother!"


    "You''re lying! When did I ever say I wanted to kill Father and all of you?! I never said that..." Sophie''s frantic denial came to an abrupt halt when her eyes met Dn''s mocking gaze.


    Dn smirked. "So, you''re admitting it, then? Admitting that while you didn''t say you''d kill Father and us, you did say everything else?"


    With his half-truths and clever wordy, Dn had sessfully trapped Sophie in her own words.


    She was so flustered that her thoughts became a jumbled mess.


    Her mind was spinning. She couldn''t think straight. She couldn''t even remember what she said anymore.


    Seeing Dn''s unwavering confidence, she couldn''t help but doubt herself. She thought, ''Have I really said all of that at the Moonshade Pavilion?''


    As Sophie spiraled into confusion, her panicked gaze suddenly met Matthew''s, who was staring at her in disbelief. "Sophie, tell me it''s not true... You didn''t really do all that, did you?"


    Sophie''s heart skipped a beat.


    She thought, ''No, this isn''t right!


    ''Whether I have said it or not, I couldn''t admit to it now!''


    Her knees buckled, and she crumpled to the floor, sobbing uncontrobly. "No! I never said that! Dn, how could you nder me like this? Even if it''s for Eliza''s sake, you can''t treat me this way!


    "First, you use me of stealing your money. Now, you''re iming I said such horrible things about your mother w could I ever do something like that? Father and my brothers have always been so good to me. If I really did those gs, wouldn''t that make me aplete monster?"