Became A Queen After divorce

Looking at Duke Austen’s hesitant expression, Declan coldly laughed and continued speaking:

“We all understand the situation, Duke Austen. There’s no need to beat around the bush. I assume this is about last night?”

Duke Austen’s body trembled slightly at his harsh tone. He nodded helplessly and said, “Yes, Mr. Gilliam, you must already know. My son was in the wrong.”

“I brought him here today to apologize to you.”

As he spoke, Lord Parker received a signal from his father. Reluctantly, he got up from the sofa and walked over to Declan.

He bent down and bowed.

“Mr. Gilliam, I’m sorry… I was confused last night and drank too much.”

“Besides, it was that woman who seduced me.”

He had been forced to take a lot of drugs and was not fully conscious. He only remembered a soft hand wrapping around his shoulder.

The rest happened naturally.

“Hmph!”

Declan’s face darkened as he coldly snorted and sarcastically said, “Duke Austen, do you really think an apology is enough for what happened? In all my years in Zheemond, I’ve never encountered such an insult!”

The issue was no longer just about Camilla; it was about his dignity.

Duke Austen’s face turned red with embarrassment. He smiled awkwardly and said, “Yes, I know you’re angry, Mr. Gilliam…”

Lord Parker looked displeased. He had already apologized; what more did this old man want?

So he brought up the events in the private room again to shift the blame.

“Although it was wrong for me to sleep with your woman, your subordinate also played a part. It was Sam who drugged me, which led to everything that happened.”

Hearing his son say that Sam orchestrated the whole thing, the duchess was the first to be surprised.

“Impossible! Crete, are you sure you didn’t mistake someone else?”

“Mr. Hurst just represented the Gilliam family in negotiations with us. Why would he turn around and target you?”

Her words implied more trust in Sam than in her own son, which made Lord Parker furious. He glared at her.

“I’m not lying! Why are you defending that outsider? I’m your son!”

Mrs. Crete’s face turned slightly red as she softly retorted, “I just don’t think Mr. Hurst is that kind of deceitful person.”

For some reason, Duke Austen believed Sam was an upright person who wouldn’t resort to such underhanded tactics.

Declan raised an eyebrow subtly. He guessed that Sam had acted against Lord Parker to save Pearl.

He quickly found a flaw in Lord Parker’s words and counterattacked successfully.

“Is that so? Then can Lord Parker explain why my daughter was also in the private room?”

“This…”

Lord Parker visibly panicked for a moment before lying to explain:

“To be honest, I fell in love with Miss Pearl at first sight and wanted to befriend her, so I invited her to the private room.”

“But my daughter is still missing. How do you explain that?”

Declan, who had fought his way up from the bottom, exuded a menacing aura meant to intimidate the father and son.

“Duke Austen might not know this, but my daughter is my only treasure. I swore to protect her for life.”

Undoubtedly, Pearl meant everything to him, even more than himself.

“What? Miss Pearl hasn’t returned yet?”

“No, she’s been missing for over 24 hours since yesterday.”

The seriousness of the situation dawned on Duke Austen’s family, and they fell silent.

If anything happened to Pearl, Declan would not let it go easily.

Lord Parker felt immense pressure and quickly said:

“No, it’s not my fault. That man took Pearl away!”

“Mr. Gilliam, I fell in love with Miss Pearl at first sight and would never harm her. Yesterday’s incident was an accident.”

Duke Austen chimed in, “Yes, an accident. It’s normal for young people to have conflicts… Besides, about the marriage proposal between our families, I’ve decided to agree!”

It wasn’t a decision made lightly; after breaking off the royal engagement, internal strife had erupted within the Crete family.

His younger brother had now allied with a powerful concubine faction and was gaining influence rapidly.

In contrast, he, the legitimate heir, was mediocre and had only maintained some respectability through the royal engagement.

Now, he was like a setting sun.

But even a sinking ship has some nails left; he had money and guns but lacked power!

Declan planned to leverage Duke Austen’s title.

“Let’s discuss the marriage proposal after confirming my daughter’s safety.”

With a light remark, Declan neither rejected nor accepted the marriage proposal outright but made Duke Austen feel pressured.

Now they could only hope Pearl would return safely.

“Yes, Mr. Gilliam… The duke will also send more people to help find Miss Pearl.”

“Hmm.”

Declan moved his eyelids indifferently as if agreeing.

In truth, he didn’t need to search; he knew his daughter must be with Sam.This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

Ten days later, at Red Maple Villa.

After nearly ten days of silence and no one cleaning up, red maple leaves piled up on the cobblestone path.

The early autumn weather was slightly cool, but the girl wore only a long white shirt and walked barefoot on the fallen leaves.

A ray of sunlight filtered through the layers of maple leaves and fell on her, casting a soft glow.

She looked like an angel accidentally descended from heaven.

Her smile, brighter and more vibrant than the maple leaves, entered the man’s deep-set eyes, adding a touch of tenderness he didn’t even notice himself.

Suddenly, a warm coat with a man’s cool scent gently draped over her shoulders.

Sam’s deliberately distant voice sounded in her ear: “You should go back. Mr. Gilliam must be looking for you.”

Hearing him tell her to leave made her smile fade gradually, replaced by reluctance and grievance.

“We… after everything… you’re still sending me away.”

Sam’s heart trembled as he recalled their intimate moments over the past ten days.

He thought he wouldn’t get attached but ultimately couldn’t resist falling for her.

But remembering their deep-seated enmity made Sam afraid to soften his heart.

He forced a sarcastic smile and said: “I only helped you detoxify the drug. Does Miss Pearl want to use this to force me into marriage?”

“You!”

“I won’t take responsibility for you!”