Betrayed by Blood: My Second Life as a Queen novel Chapter 377

Hearing her sharp question, Lucian faltered for a second, instantly realizing how drastically she had misinterpreted the situation.

He let out a soft, helpless sigh. "Willow, I promise you, I never intended to drag you into this mess."

Willow frowned, deeply confused. "But if Finnegan was right outside, why didn't you just leave? Why would you subject yourself to the agony of that drug for absolutely no reason?"

Lucian lowered his gaze, a rare flicker of vulnerability trembling in his eyes. He hesitated, clearly warring with himself over whether to expose the truth.

After a long, agonizing pause, he gave a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. "Because I suspected my father was the one orchestrating all of this behind the scenes."

Willow froze, staring at him in complete shock.

Lucian had never wanted to burden her with this. When choosing a lifelong partner, the stability and warmth of their family dynamic was a crucial factor.

That was the root of his intense insecurity whenever he was with her. His family was a toxic, irredeemable nightmare.

But since she had already caught the scent, and the truth would have to come out eventually, he decided to lay his cards entirely on the table.

Relieved of the heavy burden, his voice dropped into a quiet murmur. "My father and I have hated each other for as long as I can remember. But Madam Margaret always favored me. She drafted her will years ago, naming me as the sole heir to the Jagger empire. Dominic was utterly disgusted by the decision. He spent years trying every underhanded trick in the book to rip the inheritance away from me."

"When he finally realized he couldn't strip the title from me legally, he shifted his tactics to controlling me. The worst incident was when he hired an underground psychiatrist to subject me to heavy hypnosis. He wanted to brainwash me into becoming his mindless, obedient lapdog."

"But as I grew older and consolidated my own power, his grip completely fractured. Now, his final gambit is this arranged engagement. He's incredibly close to King Alaric, and he desperately needs me to marry Daphne so he can chain me down with a royal alliance."

At that, everything clicked perfectly into place for Willow.

To put it bluntly, Dominic Jagger had committed too many sins in his youth. Between his cruel negligence toward Lucian's mother and the army of illegitimate children he had fathered, he had completely destroyed any shred of loyalty his legitimate son might have had.

And now, that son had grown into a terrifying powerhouse.

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