Chapter 168
“Forget it.” Nolan waved them off.
Though he was clearly upset, he did not truly blame them. “I know you care. I appreciate that. But do not ever let this kind of thing happen again.”
Nolan would go see Serenity himself tomorrow and explain things. Sending these two might only make things worse.
Ross and Lawrence both let out a sigh of relief. Thank God Nolan had not completely blown up at them.
But then, Nolan narrowed his eyes at the two of them. “Tonight, you two are packing up the medicinal seedlings. You don’t sleep until every last one is bagged.”
Ross and Lawrence straightened up at once.“Yes, Your Highness.”
While they were scrambling to pack herbs as fast as humanly possible, the Duke’s estate in Hasen City was buzzing with life. “Did you find her?” a voice sounded.
No. Still no word, not a single clue,” someone reported.
“How is that even possible? How could she just vanish like that?” someone sounded anxious.
For the past two weeks, the Duke’s estate had been in utter chaos.
Half a month ago, Matthew had taken the antidote and recovered from the poisoning. As soon as he was back on his feet, he learned the bitter truth that the sister he loved and protected most had been the one to poison him. And not just a mild poison. It could have killed him.
If Sophie had not finally been forced to hand over the antidote, Eliza would have been falsely accused of attempting to murder her brother. And Matthew might not have survived.
The realization hit him hard. He had come that close to never waking up again. Furious and heartbroken, Matthew had dragged his weakened body to Sophie’s quarters, determined to confront her face–to–face.
He needed to know why she had poisoned the roast duck, why she had tricked him into eating it, and why she had tried to pin the blame on Eliza.
In his heart, Sophie had always been the kind, innocent sister. But now, the truth revealed a cold–blooded scheme, a plan to murder him.
Devastated and filled with disbelief, Matthew had shoved open the door to Sophie’s room only to find it empty.
From that moment on, the Duke’s estate had launched a full–blown search. They scoured every inch of the estate. They went to the Marquis’s estate. They swept through all of Hasen City.
But two weeks had passed. Sophie was still missing. No one had seen her. No one had even heard a whisper of her whereabouts. Matthew had originally just wanted answers. Now all that anger had been overtaken by anxiety and fear.
“I thought you said she was locked in her room. Then how did she get out without anyone noticing?” he demanded, voice rising with panic. “She was still hurt from the beating you gave her, Benedict. With injuries like that, how far could she possibly have gone?”
Anthony, who had regained the ability to speak and move shortly after the incident, furrowed his brow tightly. “What if Sophie ran away because she felt wronged?”
At those words, Matthew’s head snapped around. He glared at Benedict, fury written all over his face. “Benedict, could you not have gone easier on her? You hit her so hard. Of course, she felt wronged. And you beat her in front of everyone. You humiliated her. How is she supposed to face anyone in Hasen City after that?”
Bang! A loud smack echoed through the room as Gabriel slammed his palm on the table, cutting Matthew off. “That’s enough.”
1/2
Chapter 168
His voice was cold and firm. “Benedict beat her because I ordered him to. And she deserved it. She committed a serious
crime.”
Matthew opened his mouth to argue, but Gabriel was not done. “And who’s to say she even left on her own?”
The room fell into stunned silence. Matthew’s expression darkened instantly.” Father, are you saying Sophie was kidnapped?”