Betrayed by the Father Reborn in His Rival's Arms novel Chapter 177

His expression remained entirely unreadable, and his voice carried no trace of anger, yet the quiet threat in his words was suffocating.

"What difference does knowing make? If the truth is dangerous, then the danger already exists. Being blind to it only gives a false sense of security, but I'd rather know exactly what I'm up against," Madeline said softly.

Her logic was flawless.

If knowing who she was brought danger, it meant she was already someone's prey; ignorance only kept her from feeling fear, but it wouldn't stop her enemies from hunting her down.

Outside, the wind howled louder, accompanied by violently crashing thunder.

Quentin stood up and closed the distance between them, leaning in until he was mere inches away, his dark eyes locking onto her bright ones.

"If you don't know what's yours, you won't be tempted to claim it. Once human greed is awakened, it cannot be stopped. A magnificent palace is often just a gilded trap designed specifically for you. Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and you need to ask yourself if your neck is strong enough to bear the weight."

Under his predatory, wolf-like gaze, Madeline felt incredibly small and fragile.

She hadn't even been able to protect her own legs, nor stop someone from stealing the medical treatment she desperately needed.

In front of Quentin, she felt weak, foolish, and entirely defenseless.

It all clicked into place—when she fought to reclaim Lightning Interactive, Cyrus Sterling had mentioned a foreign benefactor pulling strings for her.

At the tech summit, Thunderbolt Capital's top executive had bypassed everyone to invest directly in her project.

Even Dr. Silas Hayden had been sent to treat her legs through Cyrus's connections.

Quentin had been the one orchestrating it all from the shadows.

He seemed terrifying on the outside, radiating an icy hostility that warned people to keep their distance, and he held enough power to completely dictate her life; yet, to Madeline, he had never caused her any harm. He was like an omnipotent guardian, an elder, and the hero of her story.

She did have an extreme, paralyzing fear of thunderstorms, but she had never understood why.

Quentin provided the answer. "Your parents were killed in a massive collision with a semi-truck during a severe thunderstorm. You were in the car with them, and by some miracle, you survived. The people who wanted you dead never managed to track you down, and all these years passed..."

Madeline shivered violently, as if a terrifying monster had suddenly awakened deep inside her.

Forcing a calm tone, she asked, "Who were my parents? Why would anyone want to kill me?"

"Your mother was my aunt, Rosemary Monroe," Quentin replied. "You've probably heard the name. Although she was only my grandfather's adopted daughter, she was the orphaned heir to a prestigious lineage, the child of his old brother-in-arms. When she joined the Prescott family, she brought a massive inheritance with her. She eventually became the first female CEO of The Prescott Group and led the empire to its absolute peak. Tragically, she and her husband died in that crash sixteen years ago."

Madeline was paralyzed with shock.

Rosemary Monroe? Wasn't that the same woman Eleanor had just claimed was Liliana's mother back at the Whitman Estate?