A Widow's Poison, A Wife's Rebellion novel Chapter 1105

Seeing the grave look in Amos's eyes, Fairfax's heart plummeted. A blaring alarm went off in his head: *Something's wrong.*

But he and Susanna had been in Cyrus Sea this whole time. What could possibly have happened?

"Your mother, Xenia, and your father... they've all been taken by Yardley's men," Amos revealed quietly.

Fairfax froze, all color draining from his face. "What?"

Amos nodded slowly. "You know how he operates. When he wants something, he gets it."

His previous treatment of Starla had been remarkably gentle in comparison. Now, he was simply demanding Fairfax's signature on a piece of paper. But it wasn't just about the signature—he was forcing Fairfax to abandon the search for Herbert and completely let go of Starla. He was systematically erasing Fairfax's right to exist in her world.

"They... they took all of them?" Fairfax choked out, feeling as if the air had been sucked from the room. Why was this happening? What was Yardley trying to achieve?

Amos nodded again. "Yes."

"Then we need to go—"

"Don't even think about it," Amos cut him off sharply. "Right now, if any of our men step foot in Yoran Country, Yardley will tear them apart."

Did Fairfax really think they could pull off another stealth rescue mission? It was delusional. Romy and Seymour were still recovering from the last botched attempt. Who else would dare? Amos might butt heads with Yardley on a regular basis, but when the man was truly unhinged, Amos knew better than to poke the bear. Yardley was an absolute psycho when provoked. Staying far away from him was the only survival strategy.

"And what about your family?"

Fairfax might not care if Cyrus Sea burned, but Yardley had the Yelchins in his grasp. Was he truly going to sacrifice them over a piece of paper? Yardley wasn't just asking for a signature. Knowing Fairfax would resist, he had immediately deployed his most brutal leverage, forcing him to weigh the cost of his obsession.

"Think about it carefully," Amos advised. "His lawyer said you have exactly one day to decide."

One day. For someone as impatient as Yardley, giving him 24 hours regarding his sister's affairs was practically an act of profound grace.

Fairfax didn't immediately shoot back a refusal this time. The realization that his family was entirely at the mercy of Yardley Hoggart had finally clamped around his throat. He hadn't expected his desperate clinging to her memory to come with such a catastrophic price tag.