CHAPTER 34: CHAPTER 34: SHE BURNED DOWN COREGARDE

It was a little past eight in the evening when Stella Grant’s car arrived at the gate of The Sovereign Estate.

Vivi Sterling had already arrived, and upon seeing her car, she followed her in.

Stepping once more into this place that had briefly belonged to her, the air was filled with the rich scent of lilies.

But her heart, at this moment, was cold as ice.

The past excitement and nostalgia were gone forever!

Vivi Sterling said nothing, only gently patted her hand until they reached the front of the mansion.

The entire mansion was brilliantly lit, like a luminous pearl in the night sky.

The butler quickly came forward when he saw her.

"Madam, you are here, I’ll quickly notify the young master to come home."

Stella Grant coldly parted her lips, "Is there a servant named Melody Jewel here?"

"Yes, Madam, Melody Jewel came here three years ago." The butler quickly replied, and with a glance, he said, "Go, find her and bring her here."

Stella Grant and Vivi Sterling sat on the sofa, and a servant brought them hot coffee.

Before long, Melody Jewel was brought in front of them. Upon seeing Stella Grant, she lowered her head in fear.

Stella Grant walked up to her, grabbing her chin, forcing her to look her in the eyes.

Melody Jewel shrunk back in fright, suddenly dropping to her knees.

But Stella Grant squatted down, her eyes as sharp as blades, wishing she could tear her to pieces.

The oppressive atmosphere was terrifying.

"Were you the one who cooked the nourishing soups for me, year after year, for three years?"

Melody Jewel propped herself up with difficulty, replying haltingly, "Madam, this was... what we servants... are supposed to do!"

Vivi Sterling charged forward, kicking her over, her eyes burning with rage.

"You vile woman, how dare you defend yourself! Speak, who is behind this?"

Terrified, Melody Jewel scrambled up, desperately kowtowing to Stella Grant,

"Madam, I was wrong, I was wrong, I beg you, spare me, please spare me, I have an elderly mother and a sick child at home."

Vivi Sterling’s eyes were bloodshot, kicking her again while shouting, "Fool! Is this your excuse for harming others? You deserve to die!"

Melody Jewel kowtowed again, pleading for mercy, "I was wrong, Madam, truly I was wrong, please spare me."

"I didn’t do it on purpose, I truly didn’t."

Her cries carried a sense of despair.

The butler, seeing this, was at a loss, unaware of what had happened.

Why did Melody Jewel become entangled in a grudge with Madam?

He had no choice but to quietly retreat and call the young master.

Stella Grant walked up to her, looking down at her from above, her eyes dark.

"Melody Jewel, if you don’t say anything, I can promise that you will be in prison for the rest of your life, never to come out! Your elderly mother and sick child will not be cared for either."

"Speak, who instructed you to do this?"

A lifetime in prison? Melody Jewel was so frightened that tears began to flow.

"Madam, I’ll talk, I’ll talk!" She kept kowtowing, continuing to speak,

"It was Mrs. Kensington!"

"She told me to do it! She said if I did it, she would give me a large sum of money, ensuring my livelihood for the rest of my life!"

"She said you are not worthy of bearing Mr. Fordham’s child, her daughter is the only one fit to bear the... heir to the Fordham Family!"

Who would have thought... it was Helen Warren, Mrs. Kensington herself!

Corinne Kensington’s mother!

Stella Grant’s adoptive mother!

An uncontrollable fury erupted from her heart, almost consuming her sanity.

When Stella Grant got lost at six years old, she was taken in by an orphanage, and it was Helen Warren who brought her back to the Kensington Family, giving her four years of a privileged life.

She once thought this was her savior.

Later, when she reached 10, Helen Warren found her lost daughter and abandoned her.

If she had simply abandoned her, she wouldn’t mind.

But she was knocked unconscious, nailed into a wooden box, and the box was set adrift along the river into the ocean.

This was clearly an attempt to kill her!

That day, twelve-year-old Aiden Fordham was lying on a car and saw the drifting wooden box, having it fished from the river by the driver.

At that time, she was soaked and burning with fever, so he persuaded a nearby farmhouse to take her in, leaving money for medicine.

He promised he would return for her, to take her to Meritopia.

However, that same night, their car crashed on the highway, and Aiden Fordham’s father died that very night.

She waited for two years, but he never came... so, at 12 years old, she ran to Meritopia to find him!

...

The sad past surged in waves at her conscious thoughts.

Her heart felt as if it was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, hurting so much that she could hardly breathe.

A chilling sensation rose from the soles of her feet, quickly permeating her entire being.

She thought grace and enmity could cancel each other out.

But at this moment... they could no longer cancel out.

She wouldn’t be weak anymore.

The Kensington Family must pay for the life of the child!

Vivi Sterling was also furious, clenching her fists, "Such arrogance from a mere Kensington Family, tomorrow I’ll start dealing with her."

Just then, the butler came back in, cautiously asking, "Madam, do you need any help?"

"I’m taking this person with me, you handle what’s left." Stella Grant instructed the butler with an unperturbed tone.

"Yes, Madam." The butler responded, with a signal, two bodyguards instantly seized Melody Jewel.

Frightened, Melody Jewel cried out loudly, "Madam, I’m wrong, please spare me, I won’t dare do it again, I’m wrong! Wooooo..."

Vivi Sterling stepped forward, slapping her hard, "Shut up! You vile woman!"

A large rag was stuffed directly into her mouth.

Then the bodyguards were instructed to take her away, she would personally take her to the police station.

Stella Grant walked out the door, and as she passed by the fragrance-filled Coregarde, she stopped in her tracks.

The pure white lilies were pristinely white, exuding a rich fragrance.

But at this moment, within her, it was met with a burst of loathing and chill.

"Butler, is there gasoline here? Bring two barrels over."

The butler was stunned, quickly ordering, "Bring over two barrels of gasoline!"

In no time, four servants carried over two barrels of gasoline.

Without hesitation, she poured the gasoline onto the beautiful lilies.

The pungent smell instantly drowned out the fragrance of the flowers.

"Madam! This..."

The butler exclaimed, wasn’t Madam the one who loved this Lily Garden the most?

These were rare varieties of lilies collected from all over the world by the young master.

A match was struck, the small flame dancing as it landed on the pure white petals.

With a whoosh, flames shot up to the sky.

The delicate petals instantly curled, turning black and crackling.

Thick smoke billowed, suffocating those nearby.

Stella Grant stood in front of the blazing lily grove, faced with the scorching heat, the flames reflecting on her pale face, her eyes burning with a light more intense than the fire.

The flames grew fiercer, devouring The Lily Garden whole.

Thick smoke billowed, rising to the sky.

One by one, memories of moments shared with Aiden Fordham shattered and dispersed.

Drifting through this raging fire.

She smiled slightly, turned around, and left.

Others, they only saw her cold, departing silhouette! They didn’t know that she was already in tears...

For that young life extinguished.

For the marriage that would never reach its destination!

For her persistence over these 12 years!

Step by step, she walked out of this scarred manor, far from his life.

...