Chapter 874: Chapter 873
"In the grimy basement, a man by the name of Hugh, unfortunate enough to be caged next to a hitman,was separated only by iron bars. Hugh made an offer to Serena. He could take out the hitman, but in return, Serena had to ensure that Martha would leverage the influence of Doom to free him. He couldn’t be left to rot as a disposable pawn of the Doom. After a brief exchange with Martha, she agreed. So,Hugh proceeded to strangle the life out of the hitman, who accepted his fate without a struggle,preferring a silent death over endangering his family and friends."
Kenneth and Louisa were stunned beyond belief, their minds reeling from the revelation. The truth was far more twisted than they could have ever imagined.
Eunice, too, was caught off guard. Serena hadn’t actually killed anyone, but to protect Martha, she had concealed the truth and played the innocent before them all.
If Hugh hadn’t grown impatient in that claustrophobic cellar, tired of waiting for Martha to rescue him,and hadn’t spilled the beans in a bid to save his own skin, they might still be in the dark.
Eunice took a sip of her coffee, setting down her mug with deliberate slowness. Her gaze drifted towards Kenneth and Louisa.
"Hugh mentioned that Serena said something at the time," Eunice recounted. "She asked Martha—didn’t you say your hitman was reliable? So how did Auntie’s people catch him and lock him up in her
basement?"
What did that imply?
It meant Serena knew Martha intended to hire a hitman to commit murder, to kill Rose.
Yet, not only did she not stop it, when things were about to be exposed, she sought to destroy the evidence, abandon the hitman, and save Martha.
"Martha might as well be her real mother!" Louisa was livid, her heart twisting in agony. She closed her eyes, took several deep breaths, and managed to find a semblance of calm.
Kenneth’s anger was palpable, a darkness edging his vision, nearly causing him to faint.
Their ’beloved daughter’ of eighteen years had conspired with an outsider to harm their long-lost blood!
"To say her conscience has been eaten by dogs would be an insult to dogs." Louisa seethed with rage.
How could she? How could she conspire with Martha to have Rose killed? What had that poor child done wrong? After suffering for eighteen years, she finally came home, only to have someone wish for her death.
"She doesn’t deserve to be part of the Collins family. Even the name Serena is ours to give, and she does not deserve it! Someone fetch that wretched girl."
Perhaps due to her anger, the veins on Louisa’s hand stood out starkly against her skin as she slapped the coffee table.
Edith was about to summon Serena.
"Hold on," Louisa suddenly added, "bring more people."
Just in case Serena tried any tricks, played dead, or attempted to flee.
They had to be cautious!
Meanwhile.
Images of Martha falling from the eighteenth floor flashed through Serena’s mind over and over. She couldn’t believe that the person who had loved her for eighteen years was gone.
From her initial anguished cries to her now subdued sobs, she had wept for what felt like an eternity.
Her tears flowed incessantly like a faucet that couldn’t be turned off, and she couldn’t accept that a living, breathing person was just gone.
It was Rosemary!
Rosemary was the cause of her death!
Even as Martha lay dying and bloodied, Rosemary showed no mercy!!
That vile girl was a murderer!
She had killed Martha!!
Martha’s death had been so cruel, so tragic.
Serena wept bitterly, her hands clutching her knees, her face buried in them, crying as though her heart was breaking.
She knew no one would ever love her like Martha did.
Nobody would ever be so considerate of her again.
Nobody would ever risk their life to protect her.
Just then, the door burst open.
Serena, startled, lifted her tear-stained face, taken aback to see a dozen uninvited guests before her.
Her cheeks glistened with the trails of fresh tears, eyes rimmed red, unable to comprehend why Edith had suddenly brought so many people.
"Ms. Serena." Betty began, noticing her tears and initially moved to comfort her. But remembering the things Serena had done, her voice trailed off, disappointment evident as she looked away, silent once
more.
Not only was the lady disheartened, but even the servants, having seen the evidence, found Serena to be malicious and terrifying.
They had been blind to trust in her supposed kindness and innocence.
"Madam requests your presence at the main house," Edith announced without any term of endearment,her face stern as if summoning a criminal.
A bad feeling washed over Serena as she eyed the group warily. "Did Mother say what she wants to see me for?"
"You’ll find out when you get there," Edith replied coldly. "Are you going to walk on your own, or shall these gentlemen behind me have to escort you?"
Serena’s heart raced with panic. Could her parents have already learned about Martha kidnapping
Rosemary??
It seemed impossible.
Rosemary’s phone had been tossed from the eighteenth floor by Martha.
Without a means to communicate, how could the news have spread so quickly.
Even though Martha had fallen from the eighteenth floor, with hundreds of underlings seeking revenge,Rosemary, no matter how tough, couldn’t have fought her way out so quickly.
Perhaps she died in there, and her parents got wind of it and came to question her.
After all, Martha was her nanny.
If that was the case, as long as she kept her mouth shut, this would all blow over soon.
She could return to being Ms. Collins, the darling daughter.
Her engagement to Romeo could continue.
With these thoughts, she wiped away the last of her tears and stood up, saying obediently, "I’ll come with you."
Perhaps she had sat crying for too long because, as she took a step, she felt dizzy. Her body swayed, and she nearly fell.
Edith glanced at her, suspecting that this wretched girl might have sensed something and was feigning illness to avoid punishment.
After all the despicable things she had done to Ms. Rose, did she think she could play the frail card to escape? Not on Edith’s watch.
Serena steadied herself, took a moment to gather her balance, and then followed Edith without further protest.
Edith’s demeanor today was unusually cold. In the past, no matter how much she disliked her, she would always greet her with a respectful "Ms. Serena".
But today, the chill was excessive. Serena racked her brain for Edith’s motives and eyed the crowd she had brought with her. They were just supposed to escort her to the main house, so why the need for so
many people?
It was as if they were afraid she might run.
What could her mother possibly want to talk about so urgently?
Could it be that Rosemary was dead, and that was why everyone’s attitude toward her was less warm than before?
The thought that Rosemary might be dead brought a twisted sense of relief to Serena’s heart.
That wretch deserved it.