Betrayed by Blood: My Second Life as a Queen novel Chapter 71

York Lockwood felt completely backed into a corner, yet he couldn't just throw Willow Shaw under the bus. He had stepped in to have her back—there was no way he could abandon ship halfway through.

Lucian Jagger would absolutely kill him if he did!

But if he just came clean and admitted the truth now... York knew he would suffer an even worse fate.

For the first time in his life, he truly understood what it meant to be utterly speechless.

He stole a quick glance at Lucian. The man radiated a freezing aura, and even though his expression was unreadable, York found him terrifyingly predatory.

Goodbye, my sweet annual bonus, York mourned silently. I really couldn't save you this time.

York shot a frustrated look at Willow. But remembering how poorly her family had just treated her, his irritation melted into an overwhelming sense of pity. He couldn't bring himself to say a single harsh word to her.

Instead, York stiffly deflected the tension, turning his pressure back onto Xavier Shaw. "Are you going to apologize or not?"

In the eyes of the crowd, his refusal to deny Willow's claim was a silent admission of their relationship.

Elias Landon was instantly furious. Since when did Willow stop being obsessed with him?

In his mind, even though he had married someone else, Willow was supposed to remain hopelessly devoted to him!

How could she have possibly fallen for another man in just a matter of days?

A suffocating wave of anger clouded his judgment. Throwing caution to the wind, he scoffed coldly. "So what if you have connections with the Jagger family, York? I highly doubt they would go to war against both the Shaw Group and the Landon Group just for your sake!"

After all, the Landon Group was a top-tier corporate empire in The Federated States. While they might not match the global supremacy of the Jagger family, the Jaggers' primary operations were overseas and their local influence was currently limited.

Besides, it wasn't as if they were mortal enemies—they currently shared lucrative business partnerships.

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