Chapter 710 The Poison Beneath

    “Dale’s saving everything for Manny. You, Dan–you’re nothing in his eyesb./bb” /b

    The word nothing dripped sharp from Derrick’s tongue.

    Dan’sugh was bitter. “Fine. I’m nothing. You’re everything, bis /bthat it?”

    “Mm. I’m still Marie’s husband.”

    Marie couldn’t say a word.

    Marie nearly choked. iChildish/ii, /ibimuch/i/bi? /i

    Dan’s fury boiled through the receiver. “Then take her and get the hell out of Noctarth. Get out and nevere back!”

    “You drugged her and now you tell me to leave? What does that make me–less than a man?” Derrick’s voice was like steel.

    “What’s that supposed to mean?”

    “It means if Tessa isn’t handed over, we’re not done with Ashen Pact. Dan, if you don’t want this ce ripped apart, then produce her.”

    Marie ming him was one thing–her mind had long since been poisoned against him. In her eyes, every crime wore his name.

    But Derrick too? Did he really have no brains left?

    Dan’s chest burned, his breath hot with rage. “Enough! I didn’t take her. Derrick, are you even a man? Thest shitstorm, I took the fall for you. And now with Tessa, you and Marie both dump it on me again?”

    The more he spoke, the hotter his blood surged.

    He remembered that humiliation–Marie leading her people to beat him and his brothers bloody.

    Over that.

    And even then, he had been beaten on Derrick’s ount.

    Now Derrick dared say he was the one with grudges unswallowed?

    Dan’s breaths came ragged and sharp. “I don’t have time for your nonsense. Get out!”

    bHarsh as /bhe had been with Dale, Ashen Pact bwas /bbstill /bhis mother’s dying bcharge/bb. /bbHe /bbcouldn’t /bbdestroy /bit. He couldn’t walk away from it.

    b“/bHand bTessa /bover,” Derrick said coldly, “and we’ll leave immediately.”

    Clearly, he too bwas /bconvinced someone in the Moory family had taken her–if not Dan, bthen /bbDale /bor Manny.

    bVictor /bwas not a man to provoke.

    “If you stole her, return her. Then we can still talk,” Derrick sneered.

    “I told you–I didn’t!” Dan roared.

    Where was justice? It was enough to drive him mad.

    “Then go ask your father and your brother,” Derrick snapped.

    Dan’s jaw locked. Dale had already denied it.

    Before he could retort, the line went dead.

    His temples pounded with rage.

    “Turn around. Back to ck Mountain.”

    If Tessa wasn’t handed over, Derrick and Marie would tear Ashen Pact apart piece by piece.

    Damn lunatics.

    For the first time, he regretted stepping into Marie’s sight so soon. He should have waited until Ashen Pact’s storm had passed. But instead… he had let himself hope.

    The thought only deepened his irritation.

    Twenty minutester.

    Dan returned to face Dale again. This time Artemis was there too.

    At the sight of him, Artemis faltered, then softly, “Dan.”

    He didn’t even nce her way.

    Her expression clouded with sadness as she turned to Dale. His re only grew darker.

    The crack of his fist on the desk echoed. “What’s that attitude?b” /b

    Dan arched a cold brow. “If you want to talk about attitude-”

    “Enough. Don’t quarrel with the boy,” Artemis cut in smoothly.

    She bwas /bpast fifty, yet her beauty glowed as though she were barely thirty.

    No wonder Dale had been enthralled all these years.

    “Let me go. You two should talk, not fight,” she coaxed, tugging gently at Dale’s sleeve.

    Her voice was soft, her face tender–yet Dan remembered all too well.

    He had seen her with his own eyes, tearing open his mother’s grave, circling it with white lime in some vile ritual, her face twisted with spite.

    She wore beauty like a mask, but beneath ity poison and superstition.

    His mother had suffered in life–and even in death Artemis had defiled her.

    Dan drew a deep breath, but the danger in his gaze only sharpened. His voice was like ia /ide.

    “No need to leave. I have questions for you.”

    The loathing in his tone was unmistakable.

    Dale surged with anger, ready to erupt, but Artemis stilled him with a single nce.

    And just like that, the raging lion swallowed his fury.