CHAPTER 194: DESTROYED GIFTS

Jackie_Begley! This Chapter is also your’s babe. Enjoy (⁠/⁠^⁠-⁠^⁠(⁠^⁠ ⁠^⁠*⁠)⁠/

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"Come with me." Darlington said to the butler and Barnaby followed the old man excitedly. He was happy. Finally, the stars have finally decided to shine on him. He would finally get his voice again.

Enough of everyone messing with him and treating him like he was nothing.

Though he was a little used to being mute. There were a lot of things he had avoided because he was mute. But having his voice back, was way better.

Darlington stared at his grandson one more time before walking away calmly. Osvaldo was right, he had been too angry that night and had said something he wasn’t meant to. If everything he heard was correct, Osvaldo has really caused trouble between four huge family in Owlsgrave.

He had destroyed their most priced possession. Nothing on earth could replace what he has destroyed.

They could wage war, but they dare not because it would be a lost battle before it even starts. Osvaldo has gained far more power than he already is, all there was on his mind right now was revenge.

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"... So, I’m perfectly fine father. You have nothing to worry about." Penny said calmly after briefing her father for more than five minutes about how Osvaldo has been a good man to her.

Xavier studied her carefully, his grey eyes sharp. Then he leaned forward, his voice low but direct.

"Are you in love with him Penelope?"

Penny’s eyes widened. The words hit her harder than she expected, and for a moment she could only stare at her father. No one had ever asked her such a question before. No one had cared enough to. Slowly, her gaze dropped, her cheeks heating until they glowed pink and at that moment, Xavier knew he had lost his child.

Was she in love with Osvaldo?

The thought sent her stomach into a twist. She didn’t know what love was supposed to feel like... but...

The books she had read...

The movies she’s watched...

The words she’s heard...

Maybe her heart flutters every time his shadow passed near her.

Maybe her pulse always leapt when his golden eyes locked onto her, even when he said nothing at all.

Maybe her chest tightened strangely whenever his hand brushed against hers, even if it was by accident.

Maybe she couldn’t stop thinking about the way he kissed her or the numerous night she spends in his arms. Or how his deep voice dropped when he called her his "Penguin." Penny blushed harder at her thoughts.

Maybe she was addicted to the way his presence filled a room, chaotic yet protective, wild yet tethered to her alone.

Her lips parted slightly. She wanted to answer, but words tangled in her throat.

What if this dizzy feeling inside her chest really was love?

But she was too afraid to admit it. The last time she had let her heart love, it had broken her. She wanted to protect her heart from that dangerous thing called love, even though it was shattering her with each passing second.

Penny bit her lower lip softly, her lashes lowering. The corner of her mouth curved before she could stop it, a smile that was half-embarrassed, half-dreaming.

"I... I don’t know," she whispered, her voice shy.

"... If you love him or if it’s just a fling?" Xavier asked to see her lower her head even more. He was a sucker for love, he hated the idea of it, but he knew his child was gone.

His only regret was why he hadn’t arrived sooner to change her heart. It would find the highest sorcerer to destroy the spell of love from his child.

"If you do not love him, I have a better proposal for you." He sat on the bed spreading two hands to his side.

"What is it?" Penny finally looked up at him.

"I’ll take you fat away from this place and these people where you’ll love a better life and have more opportunities." Xavier said calmly.

Penny didn’t know what to say. She didn’t need the education, not when she was the country’s best scientist.

"But..."

"You shouldn’t rush into anything. I’m here for as long as you want. I’ll wait till you make your decision." Xavier said calmly to see her nod.

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Outside of the Adkins estate, Maybelline and the rest were still trying to catch their breath from the marathon they just had now with the madman. That man was truly a beast. Even after chasing them for so long he didn’t seem tired one bit.

The memory of him standing before the gate watching them with that demonic smile while the gates to the Adkins empire shuts down still sent shivers down their spine.

"What the hell was that?" Princess Josephine asked, still shaking from what they just went through as she tried to catch her breath.

Her heels were broken, dress dirty with patches of mud all over it. She had fallen and summersaulted many times while she ran from the madman.

Never in her life have she been embarrassed like this before. She was royalty. The crown princess, she will not accept this embarrassment. Never!

That mad heir had humiliated her more than anything tonight.

"This is unacceptable!" Elise barked. They had given the Adkins their priceless possession only for them to treat it like nothing and destroy it all. They will not accept it!

"What happens to our children now?" Gutter asked. He couldn’t sleep another night without his child by his side. He had seen her picture that day, he could only imagine what state she was in now.

"Shouldn’t we report this to the police. After all, they admitted to having our children.’ Berverly asked. She was tired of playing these games, not when her child’s life was involved.

"No!" Maybelline quickly said. Her Ariana’s life was in serious danger here. She knows Ariana was the mastermind behind everything. She had told her child Penny isn’t as powerless as before. She now has the Madman’s backing, which means they couldn’t hurt her anymore.

"Why no? Have you not seen the state of our children." Berverly asked with a frown. She was seated on the floor trying to catch her breath.

"Isn’t that girl your child too, how dare she treat you that way?" Evelyn asked from where she sat.

"She is. You know what they say about ungrateful children, once they have little money, they turn against their family." Abby spoke out for Maybelline.

"And to even think I wasted my life for her." Maybelline added trying to her usual fake sympathy.

"You should cut her off completely after today. Mr Willard is not her real father yet he had taken good care of her since she was a child. Hoa can she triest you this way?" Evelyn asked.

"What an ungrateful brat." Berverly was the one to speak this time.

"If she were my child, I would have dealt with her long ago." She added with a frown.

"There’s nothing we can do to an Adkins now. All we have to do is wait for what’s next. Maybe they would let us bring gifts again." Maybelline said.

"Nonsense! They have destroyed our families valuables. We will not let this slide." Josephine barked. The royal crest had been shattered and that was the original, what would happen if people found out about it?

"Gifts? After destroying the last two gifts?" Elise spat on the floor.

"Let us not forget our children hurt Penny. She must still be angry by what happened. But not to worry, I’ll find a way of making amends. Our children will be fine and maybe we’ll get compensation for the destroyed goods." Maybelline assured.

"That is not enough. I’ll make sure the Adkins family pay dearly for what they have done today." Josephine cried out, then she turned to her husband who was still on the floor trying to regain his strength.

"Honey, I can’t believe you would let that madman humiliate your wife like this." Josephine cried out. She was a soon to be queen for crying out loud. She doesn’t deserve any of these.

"I’m sorry my love. I’ll deal with that madman myself and bring our daughter back. Don’t worry."

The gates to the Adkins mansion yawned open again and everyone there rose to start running again, but paused when they all saw their cars coming out. The windows were broken, the body of the car scratched and most part hit.

They each couldn’t believe their eyes. The Adkins heir whom no eyes have seen for century now was really mad.

Osvaldo had not only disrespected them and destroyed their gifts, but he had destroyed their cars too.

"Oh my God." Maybelline’s hands covered her lips.

"What has he done?" Abby asked.

"This is crazy!"

"What do you expect from a madman?"

"This is only the beginning of we do nothing about it."

"What then shall we do?"