A Widow's Poison, A Wife's Rebellion novel Chapter 1000

Excuses. It was all just a mountain of excuses.

They constantly claimed everything they did was for her own good, but it was nothing more than a smokescreen to hide their true agendas. Whether it was Herbert or Yardley, Starla didn't believe a single word out of their mouths anymore.

"You don't believe me? That faction—"

"Herbert."

She cut him off with a voice as cold as absolute zero.

"As far as I'm concerned, you two are the biggest threats to my life."

She didn't care if there was some mysterious power lurking in the Cyrus Sea. Even if there was, they hadn't shown her any malice! Meanwhile, the moment she had returned to Yoran Country, Herbert and Yardley had done nothing but drag her into their endless, toxic games.

Herbert felt a suffocating tightness seize his chest. He was suddenly at a complete loss for words. She had stripped away every ounce of trust she ever had in them.

Starla ended the call.

Listening to the dial tone, the light vanished from Herbert's eyes. A massive, hollow void opened up in his chest.

"Sir, should we send men to track Ms. Lansbury down and bring her back?" Rudolf asked quietly.

"Bring her back? As if it's that easy," Herbert replied, a bitter, self-deprecating edge to his voice. Finding Starla now would be nearly impossible.

He had previously thought that with Fairfax dead, they had finally cleared the biggest obstacle out of their way. Now, he realized how disastrously wrong he was.

Fairfax was dead, yes. But his brothers hadn't forgotten him. Out of sight didn't mean out of mind.

Meanwhile, Yardley rushed back to Yoran Country at top speed.

Having failed to secure the item he needed from Licht, he was practically radiating lethal fury. He had spent years trying to get his hands on it. The old bastard had finally started to relent, and now the entire operation was dead in the water. It had been nearly impossible to pry it from him while he was alive; now that Licht was a corpse, finding it would be a nightmare.

Inside Hoggart Castle, the grand study had been completely obliterated.

Garret and Reba stood off to the side, too terrified to even breathe loudly.

After what felt like an eternity, Yardley finally stopped destroying the room. He stood amidst the wreckage and lit a cigar, his eyes dark with wrath.

"Go. Find her and drag her back here. At any cost!"

Right now, he wanted nothing more than to break Starla. Even if she was his own sister, her rebellion had gone too far. When he got his hands on her, there would be hell to pay.