605 Margaret shook her head, desperation in her voice. “Darwin, I’m not running. You have to trust me. Just… give me a little more time.” Darwin’s laugh was harsh and humorless, like a blade scraping against stone. “Time? You’ve had days. Weeks, even. And every time I ask you for answers, you give
606 “James shifted, clearly torn between his loyalty to Margaret and his own discomfort under Darwin’s intense gaze. He opened his mouth as though to speak but quickly closed it again, glancing toward the door Margaret had disappeared through moments before. Darwin’s eyes narrowed dangerously, his
607 James took a cautious step forward, his voice soft but earnest. “Sir, Lady Margaret asked for your trust because she cares about you. She wouldn’t do this if it weren’t important.” Darwin shot him a look. “Is that what she told you? That she cares about me?” James hesitated. “Yes.” Darwin la
608 James stood frozen in the middle of the grand hall, the silence pressing in on him like an unbearable weight. His mind raced, torn between his duty to Lady Margaret and his worry over Darwin’s spiraling frustration. The heavy slam of the estate’s front door echoed faintly through the corridors
609 “The first time Darwin asked about his father,” she began slowly, “it nearly broke me.” She paused, her voice softening further. “Back then, he still had his memories. He knew enough to ask the right questions… and I didn’t know how to answer.” James frowned, concern knitting his brows. He too
610 Margaret let out a bitter, humorless laugh, her voice carrying the weight of years she dared not speak of. “You’re so sure, aren’t you? That honesty is the answer to everything. Life isn’t that simple, James.” James, ever the calm presence, folded his hands behind his back as he regarded her.
611 Margaret shook her head violently. “You don’t understand,” she said, her voice trembling. “If Darwin knew what really happened—if he knew the truth—it could destroy him.” James’s expression softened, his voice quieter now. “But what if it doesn’t?” Margaret froze, staring at him as though the
612 James’s gaze softened further, his voice laced with quiet compassion. “Then tell him that, too. Tell him what it cost you. The truth isn’t just for him, Margaret—it’s for you, too.” She turned toward him sharply, her eyes wide and glassy with unshed tears. “And what if he doesn’t forgive me?”
Meanwhile, Dencia sat on the bed, her phone still clutched in her hand. She had just finished talking to Darwin, and her mind was reeling with emotions. She couldn't believe he was alive. She had thought she would never see him again, and yet, here he was, offering to help her. Mia, who had been wa
650 As soon as Darwin hung up the phone, his mother, Margaret, turned to him with a look of concern. "You can't be serious about going to her," she said, her voice firm but laced with worry. "I have to, Mother. Dencia needs me," Darwin replied, his eyes steady. "What if it's a trap, Darwin?" she
Darwin’s voice was calm, but there was a quiet intensity beneath his measured tone. “I can imagine,” he said. “But I need to know exactly what happened, Dencia. I need to know everything.” Dencia hesitated, the weight of his request pressing down on her. She glanced at Mia, who nodded, her hand re
649 Tears sprang to her eyes, spilling over before she could stop them. Her voice trembled as she gripped the blanket tightly, grounding herself against the storm of emotions surging through her. “Darwin,” she choked out. “You’re alive. I—oh my God, you’re alive.” The words were foreign on her to
648 “The Blackwoods?” he repeated, his voice hoarse. Margaret nodded grimly. “They were dangerous even back then. Ruthless. Powerful. William thought he could use their influence to protect us, to stand up to my father. But he was in over his head. The Blackwoods don’t do favors without a price.”
647 Lady Margaret turned to leave, her elegant figure moving with purpose toward the door. Her silk gown whispered against the floor with each step, the regal image of control and authority she so carefully cultivated. But before she could reach it, Darwin’s voice cut through the tense silence. “
646 Darwin slammed the door shut behind him, the force of it reverberating through his private quarters. The sound echoed in the silent space, amplifying the weight of his fury. He leaned against the closed door for a moment, dragging a hand down his face as if trying to wipe away the exhaustion th
Zoe nodded quickly, desperation flashing in her tear-streaked eyes. “I’ll help you,” she said, her words tumbling over each other in a rush. “I’ll give you everything I know about them. Their plans, their hideouts, their weaknesses—everything. I’ll do whatever it takes to bring them down.” Darwin’s
645 “Then why?” Darwin demanded, his voice like ice, slicing through the tension in the room. His arms were rigid at his sides, his fingers curled into fists. “Why do it? Why not come to me, tell me what was happening? You think I wouldn’t have protected your family? That I wouldn’t have done every