Betrayed by the Father Reborn in His Rival's Arms novel Chapter 181

Madeline sat up straight in bed, her back rigid as she locked eyes with the profoundly intimidating man standing before her.

A wave of grievance washed over her.

Yet, her expression remained stubbornly defiant.

She simply didn't want to be shackled by marriage again. However, the man had just issued an ultimatum she couldn't refuse: if she didn't marry him, he would cut her loose entirely.

If he abandoned her, what would she do? She couldn't expose her true identity, nor could she safely claim her inheritance. No one would even believe who she really was. She would be left defenseless, trampled under Liliana Lansbury's heel just like before.

"In that case, I'll have you sent back."

Quentin Prescott stood up to leave. There was something intensely familiar in his expression.

It reminded her of the time she had rebelled against Margaret, determined to spread her wings and fly—her grandmother had worn that exact same look.

But there was also a dark, predatory edge to him that she couldn't quite decipher, a dangerous aura far removed from a protective elder.

"No... I accept!" Madeline called out quickly, stopping Quentin in his tracks.

For one, his threat to abandon her was a fatal blow to her current reality. She had grown accustomed to his protection, and right now, she was in no position to burn bridges with a man of his immense power and background.

For another, she had thought it through: if she married Quentin—or rather, forged an alliance with him—she could use her status as his wife to claim her inheritance. By doing so, Quentin's own financial interests would force him to wage war against anyone who tried to make her disappear.

Thirdly, she had to make those who wronged her pay. With her current standing, she didn't have the leverage to take on the Whitmans, the Prescotts, or Liliana.

Sure, splitting her inheritance with her new husband seemed like a loss on paper. But it also meant she was trading half of her wealth for a stake in Quentin's ever-growing empire.

"Will there be official paperwork?" she asked naively.

Quentin answered with endless patience, "Of course. You'll have the certificate."

A genuine smile broke across Madeline's face—her first moment of joy since her leg injury. The impossible nightmare that had suffocated her like an invisible cage was nothing but a minor inconvenience to Quentin.

Yet, a trace of fear lingered. "What if the Whitmans find out?"

Quentin replied, "When they find out, they will simply have to accept it."

Madeline finally understood. She had been worried about Arthur Whitman appealing the decision, but whatever strings Quentin was pulling were so absolute that even the elder Whitman would have no choice but to bow down.