The Rise Of The Unwanted Girl (Athena) novel Chapter 315

Chapter 315

Nicolas stared at Xander in stunned silence, utterly speechless.

Only now did Nicolas truly realize what Athena had endured these past three years.

Every single scar on Athena’s body had come from her years in the military camp.

Nicolas thought. When Athena came home, all I had done was stare at her with cold indifference. I didn’t lift a finger to help her

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Worse yet, I even blamed her for the ill–fitting clothes”

He had never once considered what horrors Athena might have endured in the military camp, let alone thought about rescuing her.

All they ever did was blame and despise her.

They ignroed her sufferings and only focused on pampering Willow.

Nicolas realized that this was

was so wrong.

He thought. ‘It wasn’t that I didn’t care about Athena. But with Willow’s frail health, I simply couldn’t treat them equally

But only now that he was pushed to the brink of despair, he finally realized that this agony was what Athena had to endure day after day.

“Athena, she..” Nicolas suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his chest. He tried desperately to call out Athena’s name, but before he could finish. Ansel roughly shoved a filthy rag into his mouth, cutting him off.

Cloaked in bey fury, Xander said coldly. “You don’t even deserve to speak her name.”

Xander gave a dismissive wave, his expression unyielding. “Get out.”

Nicolas’s eyes widened in sheer terror as he shook his head frantically. He tried to speak, but with the rag still in his mouth, only muffled protests escaped.

I can’t leave. How could I just stand by and watch Mother suffer in my place? Nicolas thought desperately, his heart wrenching with guilt.

But whether to stay or go wasn’t Nicolas’s decision to make.

Nicolas was unceremoniously tossed out of the dungeon by the guards.

With a heavy thud, Nicolas crashed to the ground.

A panicked cry rang out “Nicolas, are you all right?”

Nicolas looked up to see Henry’s face etched with concern.

He clutched Henry’s arm desperately, his voice raw with urgency as he demanded, “Father, why did you let Mother take my place?”

Nicolas had just come back from the brink of death. He knew all too well the torment of that dungeon

Eloise was his mother. He could not possibly let her suffer this.

His eyes were bloodshot from crying, his heart filled with nothing but rage and despair.

As the heir to the dukedom, Nicolas was powerless to save his mother.

Henry hung his head in silence. After a long heavy sigh, he finally said, “Let’s return to the duke’s estate first. We’ll talk about this there.”

Nicolas shouted hysterically. “No, I’m not leaving. Father, you must save Mother. She’ll die in that hellhole!”

Nicolas had always been too proud. He had never groveled before anyone like this.

Henry averted his gaze uncomfortably from Nicolas’s face. He declared coldly. “From the moment she stepped through the gates of the duke’s estate, she ceased to be the Duchess of Suffield. Your mother and I are already divorced.”

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Chapter 315

“What?” Nicolas’s eyes flew open in shock, his voice barely above a whisper. “Mother actually divorced you?”

Henry nodded slowly. “Only by severing her ties with the duke’s estate could we avoid being implicated. This was all her own choice. She did it willingly.”

Henry placed a firm hand on Nicolas’s shoulder, gave it a heavy pat, and said gravely, “Your mother was an extraordinary woman.”

Nicolas felt as if his very backbone had been ripped out. He collapsed to the ground in utter defeat, his face twisted into a grotesque smile even as tears streamed down uncontrollably

He said. To save me, you threw Mother into that dungeon, and yet you have the audacity to call her extraordinary? Father, how could you be so heartless!”

Henry’s eyes darted nervously as he explained, “Son, this wasn’t my doing. Your mother couldn’t bear to see you in distress. Besides, if she hadn’t gone to the dungeon, Athena would never have let her off the hook…

“Better one

survives t

both perish.”

Nicolas suddenly bellowed. “But she’s my mother, the one who bore and raised me. How could you be so heartless? How could you?”

Nicolas broke down in sobs, whimpering like a caged beast.

Even if I escaped, J’could never live with myself for the rest of my life, Nicolas thought bitterly.

Henry sighed heavily and patted Nicolas on the shoulder. “Only by keeping you safe can I preserve the duke’s estate, Nicolas. Don’t blame your father for being heartless. The truth is, this pains me more than it does you.”

Nicolas’s eyes widened with sudden realization as he stared blankly ahead. “There’s still a way. I’ll go beg Athena. I’ll get on my apologize. If she just says the word. Mother will be safe!”

knees and

Nicolas bolted toward Athena’s residence like a man possessed. Henry called after him repeatedly, but Nicolas never once glanced back.

Storm clouds swallowed the sun as a sudden downpour crashed down.

Soaked to the bone and utterly wretched, Nicolas fell to his knees in the pouring rain outside Athena’s

‘s door. His voice was raw with

desperation as he cried out, “Athena, I was wrong. Please, I’m begging you. Show some mercy and spare Mother!”

With every word he uttered, he slammed his forehead to the ground.

Rain and tears streamed down his face, leaving him a pitiful, drenched mess.

Inside, Trina clenched her teeth in fury. “How disgusting these people are! They’re the ones who did wrong, yet they still have the gall to come here and trouble you, Lady Athena. Let me go chase him away.”

A steely glint flashed in Athena’s eyes as she gazed anxiously toward Margaret’s courtyard, her brow knitting with concern.

Margaret was well aware of everything that had happened these past few days.

However, unwilling to let Athena down, she deliberately kept out of sight.

But Athena knew Margaret still couldn’t let go of the duke’s estate.

If Athena didn’t go out, Nicolas would never leave.

Athena sighed in resignation. “Fine, I’ll go see him.”

Trina quickly unfurled an umbrella and followed closely behind Athena as she headed outside.

Under the eaves, Margaret watched anxiously outside, her face etched with worry.

She heard Nicolas’s agonizing cries.

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