Forced Marriage: My Wife, My Redemption novel Chapter 378

Chapter 378: Verdict...

At that moment, the voices of the two women in quiet exchange boomed through the speakers.

The large LCD screen flickered, then lit up with a shaky, blurry video of a young lady whose expression was ferocious and twisted with malice.

The camera caught her face clearly, though the other woman was out of frame. From the angle, it was obvious that the recording had been made in secret by the other party. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"Of course. She may be comfortable with you returning to the Santiagos to reclaim what was never yours ...but I am definitely not."

"What if we did plan it?"

"What do you think you can do if by any chance you fall into this pool?"

"Do you think you can be found on time since all of the guests are just there in the banquet hall?"

"Do you think you can survive it with your pregnancy?"

"I heard pregnant women are prone to respiratory distress and dizziness in certain environmental conditions, what do you think?"

The dialogue rolled on, every venomous word playing over the speakers.

The hall fell into pin-drop silence. Guests stiffened in their seats, their gazes darting between the screen and one another, whispering with wide-eyed disbelief.

Davis, noting the ripple effect of the recording, rose without a word and left the hall. His face was unreadable, his eyes cold.

By the last sentence, the audience gasped as one, their murmurs swelling into a storm of shocked speculation.

"Is that not Bernice Santiago?"

"Isn’t that the Santiagos’ granddaughter under threat by a cousin?"

"Not just threatened but at the pool."

"Then...if they were at the pool...could it be she nearly drowned?"

"To think Lady Matilda, of all people, would be poisoned by a daughter she loves dearly..."

"She is wicked beyond words!"

"She deserves no mercy."

"Lady Matilda must seek justice for her granddaughter!"

"What a poor child! She only just returned home, only to be plotted against?"

"At least she was clever enough to record it!"

"Wait... did I hear that right? Pregnant?!"

"Pregnant? Then the Santiagos are expecting a great-grandchild?"

"Lady Matilda is blessed indeed..."

"But who is her husband? Surely not from a powerful family, otherwise why is he not present tonight?"

The speculation spread like wildfire.

Meanwhile, Lady Matilda’s hand trembled as she gripped the armrest of her chair. Her heart hammered violently against her ribs, her face pale with dread.

She could not sit idle. She dared not imagine the worst...not with Jessica, not again.

She rose abruptly and left the hall, her steps brisk despite her age.

She hoped to get to the pool faster and find out the situation.

She dared not let Jessica suffer anymore injustice and surely not from a second branch family.

Donald hurried after her. "What about Davis?" she asked quickly, her voice strained.

"I haven’t seen him for a while now," Donald replied, frowning.

Lady Matilda’s eyes darkened. "His wife suffers a mishap in the Santiago home, and his shadow is nowhere in sight. I am sure that display was his hand work and warning."

She sighed. "The Santiagos must give him a reasonable explanation." Lady Matilda said her tone was cold, but beneath it was raw pain.

Several guests noticed her sudden absence.

Their curiosity sharpened, hungry for scandal. Some beckoned a waiter to lead them to the pool.

Within moments, more than half the hall stirred into motion, buzzing like restless bees.

The waiters tried in vain to control them, but the tide of intrigue was unstoppable.

The MC stepped onto the stage, tapping the microphone softly. The echo carried across the restless hall, drawing reluctant attention.

"The family extends their sincerest apologies for this mishap," he announced, his tone steady but carefully measured. "We ask that you remain here while the matter is clarified. A full explanation will be given."

A fraction of the guests heeded the request, deciding instead to use the interval to secure business deals while awaiting the conclusion of the scandal.

But many others slipped away, chasing the drama at the poolside.

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Meanwhile Davis arrived at the pool, his gaze cold and unreadable.

Standing at the edge of the pool, his voice rang out "Cassandra, Bernice, how do you think we can solve this problem?" He smirked coldly.

As if her thoughts were read, the merciless hands pressed her deeper under. Her consciousness slipped, the world dimming.

"Davis, stop!" Lady Matilda’s voice trembled with urgency. "They don’t need to die in the pool. Let them out. I will give you an explanation...one that satisfies you...before the night is over."

For a moment, Davis was silent. Then, at last, he inclined his head.

"I promise," Lady Matilda swore.

"Take them out," he ordered. His gaze lifted to lock with hers. "I’ll be waiting."

With that, he turned and left, his men trailing behind.

The women were hauled from the pool like discarded refuse. Bernice’s skull struck the tiles with a crack, jolting her painfully back into consciousness.

Lady Matilda stared at her. The girl she had cherished, pampered and defended at every turn.

The betrayal cut deep. Jessica had saved her countless times with her antidotes had kept her alive.

And yet this child, this blood of hers, had schemed to end both their lives.

Her chest was constricted with grief and fury. But tonight, the scales would be balanced.

"Guards," she commanded coldly. "Take them to the Central Hall."

Bernice and Cassandra blanched.

In the Santiagos’ family, the Central Hall was both sacred and revered.

Matters taken to the Central Hall were usually without remedy and declarations made in this hall remain irrevocable.

They tried to plead, mouths opening and closing, but no words emerged. Only silent tears carved down their cheeks.

Lady Matilda did not spare them another glance as she strode ahead, her robes sweeping with finality.

In the grand, brightly lit Central Hall, the Santiago family gathered. The matriarch entered, her face a mask of iron, devoid of tenderness and emotion.

The disgraced women were shoved to their knees before the assembly.

Her voice rang out, clear and unyielding.

"It is forbidden in the Santiago family to kill or even to plot the death of one’s kin. Yet today, Cassandra and Bernice have allowed hatred to consume them, plotting not only against Jessica... but against me."

The hall quaked with unease. The verdict was obvious.

"From this moment forth," Lady Matilda declared, "they are stripped of their name. They cease to be members of the Santiago family. For their attempted murder, I reserve the right of prosecution to the Allen family...the very family they have offended."

The hall fell utterly silent.

Cassandra collapsed, trembling. Bernice shook her head in disbelief, her mouth forming desperate denials, but no one moved to help her.