Chapter 136
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But if that day’s marriage arrangement were ruined, the Wallen family could not have borne the
consequences.
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Raul closed his eyes, finally compromising and swallowing his pride, gritting his teeth as he tried to persuade Margaery. “Margaery, Tessa’s matter has nothing to do with Dominic, and Dominic has made things clear. Take up the marriage contract again. If, in the end, the child is truly proven to be Dominic’s, we can still divorce then.
“For now, we cannot tear up the marriage contract so casually without evidence. After all, this marriage was arranged by parents and matchmakers, and agreed upon by both families…”
Margaery looked at him, seeing that although he hated her to the core, he still had to feign civility. A trace of mockery appeared at the corner of her mouth. “Who said there’s no evidence?”
She glanced at Raul and Joshua. “You two, together with Dominic, run to Sunbeam Court every day, and now you claim there’s absolutely no connection between them. Are you so certain that, apart from you few, no one else in the world has ever seen those two in an illicit affair?”
“You!” Raul glared in anger, a wave of guilt rising in his heart. Unable to hold back, he couldn’t help but level a serious accusation at Margaery. “Must you collude with outsiders to frame your own sister?”
He had thought that the person Margaery was looking for was Dashnell. Thus, he subconsciously glanced at Dashnell’s face.
Dashnell sat quietly behind Margaery, appearing to be merely a spectator. In reality, judging by his previous two interventions, if anyone present today tried to harm Margaery, he would not let it pass without
consequence.
Tessa finally found an opportunity and, following Raul’s words, began to cry. “Margaery, I know you don’t like me. I don’t even know how it happened, but I ended up with this child. But I truly haven’t been involved with any outsiders!”
Her body staggered, and she fell to the ground, crying in grief. “Perhaps when I fainted from stomach pain last time, someone took advantage of me.”
In her heart, she had truly wished Dominic were dead. The man who had once sworn eternal love and passion, now that he had obtained what he wanted, refused to acknowledge her. Now that she was pregnant, he accused her of being promiscuous and seducing others, flatly denying that the child was his.
She had thought that when Dominic abandoned Margaery for her, it was because of her own charm and that Dominic genuinely liked her. She had been proud for a long time, deliberately flaunting herself every time she saw Margaery. Yet unexpectedly, today the boomerang landed squarely on her own head.
Tessa’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. For the moment, she could only feign helplessness and muddle through. She would wait until Halle arrived with her people and then make further plans.
Seeing her like this, Joshua could not help but feel a pang of sympathy. He stepped forward and stared at Margaery, speaking with conviction.
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“Margaery, I can stake my life on it. Tessa truly has never done such a thing with Dominic. Although Dominic had been to Sunbeam Court before, you yourself said he went with us. With so many eyes watching, how could he possibly do such a thing with Tessa? You must not collude with outsiders and tarnish her name.”
Joshua glanced at Dashnell and Bernard, then said, “Matters of the Wallen family are not for men of other families to speak on.”
Margaery looked at him and laughed. “Collude with outsiders? Or men from other families?”
With a slight curl of her lips, Margaery glanced over at Phillipa and asked Joshua, “Then do you know why, when Phillipa came to our house a few days ago, she did not come to see you?” Yet, the person she brought to testify was neither Dashnell nor Bernard.
Joshua’s expression stiffened. “What do you mean?” Suddenly, a sense of foreboding welled up in his heart.
Unable to resist, Joshua turned his head to look at Phillipa standing not far away. She was watching him, a faint, cold smile on her face, her gaze as if she were looking at a clown. Joshua felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
He had liked Phillipa since he was sixteen. Seven or eight years had passed, and although Phillipa had never returned his feelings, their interactions had grown more cordial over the past two years. Moreover, Phillipa often visited Margaery, so he continued to hold out hope.
However, after Tessa arrived, he spoke up for Tessa, while Phillipa sided with Margaery, and the two gradually began to diverge. He kept thinking about arranging a time to talk openly with Phillipa, planning to propose after the New Year.
So, when the guard said Phillipa had visited last time, he was secretly delighted, thinking she had come to see him. Yet, he never expected…
Joshua was struck as if by a heavy blow, staring blankly at Phillipa. “Lady Phillipa, you…”
Although he was concerned about Tessa’s health and felt sympathy for her, in his heart, Tessa could only ever be his concubine, or kept outside as a mistress; she could never openly become the mistress of the Chancellor’s estate.
The women one entertained in bed and those one kept by one’s side in public were entirely different matters. He had enjoyed women like Tessa in private, but that did not mean he was willing to present such a woman to the world with him.
But Phillipa was different; she was the woman he had decided to marry in this lifetime. She possessed ability, family background, and reputation; she was the only female general of this dynasty and was a perfect match
for him.
Phillipa interrupted him, stepped forward with a sneer, and said, “Lord Joshua, do not sully my last name. I took leave from the palace today mainly to address one matter.
“A few days ago, I heard that Tessa was suffering from stomach pain, so I asked the abbot of Cloudveil Abbey for a bottle of stomach medicine, intending to deliver it to Tessa. Because the situation was urgent that day, I did not seek anyone else and went directly to Tessa’s Sunbeam Court.”
She continued, “I had not expected that, upon arrival. Dominic would be embracing Tessa They were like
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wild animals, not only kissing passionately, but Dominic’s hand was inside Tessa’s clothing, and she was barely dressed. I was so furious that I smashed the medicine bottle.”
Phillipa looked at Joshua. “Lord Joshua, do you need me to find a witness? I was not the only one who went to the Chancellor’s estate that day!”
“You!” Joshua was so choked with emotion that he could not speak, his heart aching and heavy.
He had never imagined that the ‘outsider colluding with Margaery‘ he had spoken of was actually Phillipa, the woman he longed for day and night. Moreover, not only had Phillipa witnessed Dominic and Tessa together, but she had even brought someone else along.
When everyone saw Joshua’s reaction, they understood everything. “What a spectacular drama this is,” someone sighed, “It seems that everyone in the Wallen family was well aware of the affair between Lord Dominic and Lady Tessa. Yet earlier, they even came forward to testify, wasn’t that blatantly bullying Lady Margaery?”
“Exactly, and there were even rumors before that Lady Margaery was jealous.”
“If you ask me, if I ever caught people like Lord Dominic and Lady Tessa, I’d have them thrown straight into the sea. What’s there to be jealous about? Isn’t it just filthy?”
“Isn’t it all because the family is biased? Didn’t the signs show at the last family’s party? Everyone favors Lady Tessa, so naturally Lady Margaery can’t defend herself.”
“So what is the truth?”
“When everyone treats the false as real, the false becomes real. For Lady Margaery to be born into such a family, she must have the worst luck imaginable.”
“Exactly, exactly!”
Raul listened to these words, feeling his face burning and his heart filled with anger.
AD
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
