Your Regrets Won't Bring Me Back - Chapter 65: Chapter 65
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"It's useless. Without Grandpa's blessing, I'm not even Victor's fiancée! Mom, I can't bear this humiliation—I'd rather die!"
Annabelle lunged toward the wall as if to bash her head; Adaline yanked her back, only for the girl to shriek about jumping off the balcony.
"Annie, don't be foolish! If you die, everything ends. Do you really want to watch Elena marry Victor?"
Annabelle quieted, tear-stained face buried against her mother. "But what can I do? As long as Elena exists, Grandpa will never accept me. She's getting revenge—she thinks all the suffering she endured this past year was my fault. Yet I spent twenty years in hardship too. What about me?"
Adaline patted her back in comfort. "I understand, darling. Mother will fix this."
"Really? Mom, what can you do?"
Adaline frowned, momentarily at a loss.
Annabelle sniffled, then lifted her gaze. "If we want Grandpa to stop blocking me, we first have to make him loathe Elena. What do you think?"
Adaline pondered, then nodded. "You're right. Sir Whitmore prizes reputation above all. If Elena's name is tarnished, he'll turn her away."
"Besides Elena, you are Victor's best match. Once her image collapses, you can marry into the Whitmores without hindrance."
Annabelle's lashes fluttered. "So...what exactly do you propose, Mom?"
"We slip Elena a mild drug, then arrange for her to be found with a man—someone trustworthy who won't truly disgrace her. I'll bring Sir Whitmore to 'catch' them in the act. Her innocence stays intact, and your path to the Whitmore family opens."
Annabelle bit her lip. "But isn't that unfair to Elena?"
"Why worry about her now? We're not really ruining her virtue. It's settled."
"Thank you, Mom! You're the best!"
Elena nursed a flute of champagne while sitting alone on a sofa at the edge of the hall. Arm in arm, Annabelle and Adaline approached.
"Sis, why are you sitting here by yourself? Weren't you with Grandpa?"
Elena's face remained impassive. "What do you want?"
Adaline lowered herself onto the seat beside her daughter and, with practiced gentleness, said, "Elena, Mom knows you and Sir Whitmore are close. I came over so you'll say a few kind words for your sister whenever you're with him."
Adaline smiled, a hint of ingratiation tugging at the corners of her mouth.
She added softly, "Oh, and about the room change—Mom really didn't think that through."
Elena stared at her, unblinking.
Elena thought, 'How painfully familiar this act is. She wore the same loving mask when she tricked me into appearing at that press conference.'
Elena drew a thin smile. "Mom, what are you planning to do to me this time?"
Adaline's heart gave a violent thump—had the girl caught on to something?
"Elena, what is that supposed to mean?" Adaline asked.
Elena laughed softly. "Every apparent kindness toward me hides the intent to hurt. Isn't that exactly what happened at the last press conference?"
Adaline, guilty for the first time in her life, fidgeted. "Elena, you're my daughter—how could I ever harm you? You've misunderstood me."
Annabelle lunged toward the wall as if to bash her head; Adaline yanked her back, only for the girl to shriek about jumping off the balcony.
"Annie, don't be foolish! If you die, everything ends. Do you really want to watch Elena marry Victor?"
Annabelle quieted, tear-stained face buried against her mother. "But what can I do? As long as Elena exists, Grandpa will never accept me. She's getting revenge—she thinks all the suffering she endured this past year was my fault. Yet I spent twenty years in hardship too. What about me?"
Adaline patted her back in comfort. "I understand, darling. Mother will fix this."
"Really? Mom, what can you do?"
Adaline frowned, momentarily at a loss.
Annabelle sniffled, then lifted her gaze. "If we want Grandpa to stop blocking me, we first have to make him loathe Elena. What do you think?"
Adaline pondered, then nodded. "You're right. Sir Whitmore prizes reputation above all. If Elena's name is tarnished, he'll turn her away."
"Besides Elena, you are Victor's best match. Once her image collapses, you can marry into the Whitmores without hindrance."
Annabelle's lashes fluttered. "So...what exactly do you propose, Mom?"
"We slip Elena a mild drug, then arrange for her to be found with a man—someone trustworthy who won't truly disgrace her. I'll bring Sir Whitmore to 'catch' them in the act. Her innocence stays intact, and your path to the Whitmore family opens."
Annabelle bit her lip. "But isn't that unfair to Elena?"
"Why worry about her now? We're not really ruining her virtue. It's settled."
"Thank you, Mom! You're the best!"
Elena nursed a flute of champagne while sitting alone on a sofa at the edge of the hall. Arm in arm, Annabelle and Adaline approached.
"Sis, why are you sitting here by yourself? Weren't you with Grandpa?"
Elena's face remained impassive. "What do you want?"
Adaline lowered herself onto the seat beside her daughter and, with practiced gentleness, said, "Elena, Mom knows you and Sir Whitmore are close. I came over so you'll say a few kind words for your sister whenever you're with him."
Adaline smiled, a hint of ingratiation tugging at the corners of her mouth.
She added softly, "Oh, and about the room change—Mom really didn't think that through."
Elena stared at her, unblinking.
Elena thought, 'How painfully familiar this act is. She wore the same loving mask when she tricked me into appearing at that press conference.'
Elena drew a thin smile. "Mom, what are you planning to do to me this time?"
Adaline's heart gave a violent thump—had the girl caught on to something?
"Elena, what is that supposed to mean?" Adaline asked.
Elena laughed softly. "Every apparent kindness toward me hides the intent to hurt. Isn't that exactly what happened at the last press conference?"
Adaline, guilty for the first time in her life, fidgeted. "Elena, you're my daughter—how could I ever harm you? You've misunderstood me."
End of Your Regrets Won't Bring Me Back Chapter 65. Continue reading Chapter 66 or return to Your Regrets Won't Bring Me Back book page.