A Widow's Poison, A Wife's Rebellion novel Chapter 1232

Herbert closed the distance between them and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"If that's the case, the person Fairfax should truly be aiming his hatred at... is me."

Starla went entirely still.

Was he really the root of it all?

This time, she didn't fight his embrace. Her body didn't even stiffen. But her quiet acceptance only made Herbert's heart bleed faster.

"Go live your life. From now on, neither I nor Fairfax will ever track you down again."

She remained silent.

"I'll go face him," Herbert murmured into her hair. "Only one of us is walking away from this."

*Only one of us.*

The words sent a sudden jolt through Starla's chest. It was true. Whether she faced Fairfax or Herbert did, the bitter feud would only end in bloodshed.

But hearing Herbert openly declare a death match made her exhausted heart clench.

"There's no need," she whispered.

For a split second, when he first said he was letting her go, she had felt a surge of hope. But now? Hearing the price of her freedom, she rejected it instantly.

She pushed against his chest, freeing herself from his arms. She raised her hand, though even she wasn't entirely sure what she intended to do.

Her fingers hesitated in mid-air, inches from his face. She started to pull back, but Herbert moved faster. He caught her wrist and pressed her palm flat against his cheek.

Their eyes met again.

"Be good. Just listen to me this once, okay?" he coaxed, his voice dangerously soft.

She hadn't listened to a word he'd said in weeks. Between the trauma and the betrayal, she had done nothing but ice him out.

Now, feeling the warmth of her hand against his skin, he savored the fleeting moment of connection.

"Let me go—"

"Because I hate him."

Starla froze.

"He married you, and he treated you like garbage," Herbert said, his voice dropping into a dark, possessive register. "If he wasn't going to cherish you, then I was going to make sure you two became sworn enemies."

He stepped closer, caging her in. "I knew using your mother's death was the only thing that would make you cut ties with him for good."

"You..."

"If he couldn't appreciate what he had, he deserved to lose you forever. I'm the reason this all happened, Starla. I'm the one who caused it."

He didn't let her finish her sentence.

Starla's heart plummeted like a stone. She stared at him, utterly horrified.