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Chapter 79
Zorȧ
I was afraid of the outcome of the confrontation.
How can everything switch suddenly?
The woman claimed I threatened her; I did not remember doing that. I just warned her that Abelardo shouldn’t be in my bad books.
From the look in Darius’s eyes, I knew I had overstepped, and I was worried because Nellie was his mother, and she was trying to make it seem as if I had instigated the arrest.
”
Where is the proof?” Nellie asked Darius sounding hysterical.
“So you arrest your brother based on what her ex–husband told you?” she said, pointing at me, and it hurt. Why did they always have to link anything that happened in the east to me?
#
Not based on what Casey told me, mother; head Enforcer Bryce said Abelardo sent him to the east to try and collect developmental tax. The same taxes that caused the Brighton attack.
Bryce claimed the order was given to him with my seal and signature, and he said it was Abelardo. He even called him Lord Abelardo, a title meant for me alone,” Darius said, and his mother searched his eyes for deception but couldn’t find any and then looked at me.
There was mistrust in her eyes, and slowly I began to suspect
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our friendship was over.
“If I find out that you set him up to help Darius as you threatened, then you will have me to contend with. You might have Darius in knots, but he is still my son. Two months is enough to prove you are unworthy,” she said, and I fought back my tears.
I was mad that she could turn on me so quickly.
“Why are you trying to blame Zora for this? How does she have a hand in this? What would she gain from this?” Darius asked her, and she shook her head.
“You promised to play dirty if he poses a threat to Darius. You promised to do anything to help Darius. You might not have used those words, Zora, but you implied it,” She said, and I was stunned by how her mind could twist my words.
Darius looked at me with disbelief but tried to hide it. I did not know what damage this woman’s rage and fear would cost me, but I needed to speak.
“I did not set him up, Nellie. I do not know Bryce,” I said, defending myself.
“Yet it is your ex–husband, who did not want to give you up, who has teamed up with Elbert, that pointed Bryce out as the culprit.” She said, and I knew what she was trying to imply.
“I suggest you speak plainly, Nellie. You are trying to say Casey and I set Abelardo up using Bryce so we can get whatever you feel we are after,” I said, and she was silent.
Darius gently touched my hand, a plea to ask me to calm down.
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“As much as all this hurts me, I will let it pass because you are hurting, and people say a lot of things they regret when they are hurting, but I will not accept your accusationS,” I said, and she growled at me and looked at Darius.
“Even if he was accused of such, you should have investigated instead of humiliating him like this. You have wounded his pride with your actions. Taking the lordship from him was a hard blow; you shouldn’t have done this, Darius. This is low,” she said in tears, and I felt Darius’s rage emerging.
“And let him force me into a war because his feelings are hurt?” he yelled at her.
“Do you know the implications of his action? I would have chosen to push back if Caseynardo had not reached out but revolted instead. There will be a war. People will die because of his hurt. Is your son’s feelings more important than people‘ s lives? Is it more important than the peace we are enjoying right now? Answer me, mother. You say Zora threatened you; why wouldn’t she? She saw him for what he was. A threat to me, a threat to the north and our world, so she did the only thing she knew she could by asking you to force him to remain so he won’t complicate things for me at the hearing as he and Larry had planned. Did she force him to get involved with Larry and actively work against me?” He said, his hands shaking.
“I would have lost the seat today. If they could prove that I committed those crimes, the Hand family would no longer be in charge. Are his feelings worth all that?” He asked her, and she began to weep and went to her knees.
“You know he didn’t do this. He is not smart enough to pull something like this. He will not do this, Darius; please, Let him
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go,” she pleaded on her knees, weeping.
“If the investigation proves he is innocent, then I will let him go, but his name has been mentioned as the main culprit, so he will remain in custody until proven otherwise,” Darius said, and she began to cry. She looked at me with anger.
“They had different views and did not see eye to eye on many things, but they were getting along before you, Zora. I know you did this. I know you think you are doing this for love. I know you think you are protecting Darius by removing Abelardo from the picture, but you will live to regret this.” She said in tears, and I could not believe why this woman wanted to drag me into this.
“All I can see is that you need to blame someone other than yourself for not raising your first son properly. So you picked the easy target, which is me. I did nothing to Abelardo; I won’t feel sorry, I won’t regret it, and I won’t hurt over it,” I said, a bit annoyed.
“I hope you will be a mother one day..” she said, and Darius shut her down.
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Chapter 80
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