<b>Chapter </b><b>169 </b>
In Norava, Landon received Edith’s boarding notification and let out a quiet sigh of relief.
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‘As expected, that kind–hearted girl still can’t let go of Daniel,’ he thought. ‘It’s a bit underhanded, but it gets the job done. She can get the antidote from Joanna, right?’
After much deliberation, Amelia gritted her teeth and said to Landon, “Honey, I’m going to Lunova.”
Landon smiled calmly. “No need for you to go.”
“Daniel has been isted and helpless in the Zuckerberg family all these years. I’ll go to the Hughes family and ask Grandfather to intervene,” Amelia
said.
‘Landon has already cornered the Meyers family financially, yet Joanna showed no sign of seeking reconciliation. So, economic pressure alone isn’t enough. I need the Hughes family’s help,‘ Amelia thought.
“There’s no need for you to go. The Hughes family will intervene. After all, Daniel is a member of their family, too,” Landon said and deleted the notification of Edith’s return.
‘What will the Hughes family do?‘ Amelia felt uncertain.
<b>‘</b>Now that I’ve reappeared and the police have officially initiated the investigation into Mom’s poisoning, there’s no way the Hughes family doesn’t know anything. Yet they still haven’t contacted me…‘ Amelia thought anxiously.
“Honey, I know you wouldn’t lie to me. But I can’t shake this uneasiness,” Amelia sighed.
She couldn’t help thinking, ‘What if the Hughes family just stands by and does nothing, or Joanna is plotting something even more sinister…
‘No matter what Joanna demands, I’ll have to yield as long as shees with the antidote. The residual poison in Daniel’s system is more than enough
to force our hand.
‘But what if Joanna is hell–bent on finishing off Daniel and refuses to y along?<b>‘ </b>
Adding to her hatred for the Edwards family, Amelia now had Joanna as her new target.
She and Daniel had grown up under their stepmothers‘ harsh care, sharing simr hardships, but Joanna was even more ruthless and cunning than
Melissa.
‘I can’t even imagine how Daniel survived all these years. What kind of pain has he been hiding in his heart?‘ Amelia wondered.
Landon said gently, “Don’t rush. Let’s wait a little longer. Daniel has lived with this residual poison for twenty years. A little more waiting won’t make a difference now.”
“Honey…” Amelia still looked worried.
Landon said gently, “Just give them some time to respond.”
Landon’s phone lit up again. This time, it was <b>a </b>message from Giovanna. <b>[</b>I’m going to <b>see </b>Porter.]
Seeing it, Landon thought, ‘Porter is Daniel’s biological father. He certainly won’t just stand by!
Landon felt the odds were in their favor. He gently reassured Amelia again.
Amelia finally took Landon’s advice.
‘Haste makes waste,‘ she thought. ‘Perhaps waiting will bring <b>a </b><b>turn </b>of fortune.’
<b>1/4 </b>
Several dayster, in Lunova.
Edith dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she pleaded, “Aunt Joanna, I’m begging you. Daniel is suffering so much. Please give me the antidote…”
“Edith, what nonsense are you saying?” Joanna’s expression darkened slightly as she reached out to pull Edith to her feet.
Through tears, Edith pleaded, “Aunt Joanna, I know everything now. I won’t interfere with your affairs, but Daniel is truly pitiful. Please, have mercy on
him…”
Joanna scoffed, “What’s so pitiful about him? Edith, don’t forget who used and dumped you.”
Edith trembled, biting her lip <b>as </b>silent tears rolled down her cheeks<b>. </b>
A long whileter, Edith gave a wry smile. “Maybe this is my karma…”
“Edith! I won’t allow you to belittle yourself!” Joanna snapped, her brow furrowing. “You’re the girl of the Meyers family<b>, </b><b>a </b>distinguished socialite…”
“Are you going to keep gaslighting me?” Edith asked.
‘Aunt Joanna’s like this, and so is Giovanna. They’ve both been ying me for a fool all along,‘ Edith thought bitterly.
Edith cried out, “You’ve already caused Catherine’s death, and now you want me to marry Daniel? We’re responsible for his mother’s death. Even if I marry him as you arranged, how could I be happy?
“Daniel has <b>a </b>conscience. That’s why he refused to marry me. And for that, you’d have him killed? He’s the Zuckerberg family’s only male heir. What could you possibly gain from his death?”
Edith blurted out all the ugly truths without restraint.
“What?” Somehow, Maisie had appeared on the stairs, now standing frozen as she stared in shock at the scene unfolding in the living room.
“Edith, what did you just say?” Maisie rushed downstairs and asked, her voice trembling.
Edith just looked at her and wept.
Maisie stared at her for a long moment, then slumped to the floor in despair. “So, it’s true…”
There had always been rumors in Lunova that her mother was the other woman who broke up <b>a </b>marriage. However, Maisie had always refused to believe them because Catherine had died young, and her father’s marital status before marrying her mother was marked as “widowed“.
‘Turned out the rumors weren’t just true. They were even more appalling than I’d imagined,‘ Maisie thought disappointedly.
“Edith!” Joanna roared in fury, then pped Edith across the face.
Edith copsed to the ground, a trickle of blood at the corner of her mouth. She pleaded, “Daniel is innocent. Aunt Joanna, you’ve used him for years. It’s time to let him go…”
The mere thought of her brother lying in the hospital, tormented by migraines, sent waves of guilt crashing through Maisie’s heart.
Maisie also fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face <b>as </b>she pleaded, “Mom, please spare Danjel.”
Joanna trembled with rage. <b>“</b><b>Are </b>you two trying to drive me to <b>an </b>early grave?” she snapped. “How many times do I have to say it? I didn’t poison Daniel.”
“If it weren’t for Daniel’s poisoning, do you think Catherine would have willingly left Porter?” Edith asked.
Joanna snapped, “Everything I did was for you. Without my painstaking scheming<b>, </b>would the Meyers family have ever made it into high society<b>? </b><b>And </b>
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Maisie, you’d have remained an illegitimate child your whole life.”
Joanna’s fury was a full confession.
Furious and heartbroken, Maisie shouted back at her mother, “Then why did you even give birth to me? Did I ever get a say in this? If hurting Daniel is the price for my existence, I’d rather not exist.”
Joanna was left speechless.
“Aunt Joanna…” Edith whispered weakly.
“Guards! Lock them both in their rooms. No one leaves without my permission!” Joanna barked, her head pounding from the confrontation. She couldn’t stand arguing with these stubborn girls any longer.
After all, one was her beloved niece, the other her daughter.
‘Surely I can’t just hit them into submission, can I?‘ Joanna thought. ‘I’ll confine them for now. They’lle <i>around </i>eventually!’
“Aunt Joanna, no!” Edith gasped in shock. She never imagined her trip to Lunova to beg for the antidote would end with Joanna putting her under house
arrest.
But her resistance was futile.
The Zuckerberg family’s bodyguards dragged Edith and Maisie into a room and locked the door behind them.
“It’s over… Daniel’s finished…” Edith clutched her chest in agony.
Through tear–filled eyes, Maisie looked at Edith and realized, for the first time in all these years, that Edith wasn’t so bad–looking after all.
Maisie hugged Edith tightly, and they broke down in each other’s arms.
“Mais, we can’t save him…” Edith sobbed, her voice breaking. “What can we do?”
Maisie gritted her teeth. “There’s still someone…”
“Who?” Edith asked urgently.
“Amelia.” With that, Maisie pulled out her phone, quickly found Amelia’s number, and dialed it.
Amelia picked up right away.
“Amelia,” Maisie asked, her voice choked with tears, “how’s Daniel?”
“Maisie?” Amelia answered, surprised to see Maisie’s name on the screen. “Daniel’s condition is stable for now, but honestly, I have no idea how much longer he’ll need to stay in the hospital.”
Maisie said, “Amelia, listen to me! Edith and I are under house arrest now. You’re the only one who can help Daniel…”
Amelia’s heart clenched. “Tell me what to do,” she said anxiously.
“Go capture Basile Twain. He’s my mother’s right–hand man and holds incriminating evidence against her. Use him as leverage against my <i>mother</i>,” said
Maisie.
In the first–floor living room, the butler served Joanna coffee, leaned in, and whispered, “Mrs. Zuckerberg, as expected, Maisie contacted Amelia…” “Perfect.” Joanna let out a heavy sigh of relief. “Make preparations. We’ll leave for Norava immediately. Cut off their phones and inte ess.”
08:14 Wed, <b>25 </b>Jun
“Got it,” the butler replied.