Betrayed by the Father Reborn in His Rival's Arms novel Chapter 356

She wanted to make Madeline lose in the most humiliating way possible.

But she never expected Madeline to only get better with every swing.

Now, she was the one scrambling desperately on the defense.

Penelope couldn't believe it. She refused to accept that her own skills were lacking.

She merely convinced herself that Madeline was being devious—pretending to be a novice to make her lower her guard, which prevented her from playing at her true level.

In reality, while Penelope knew how to play, she was nowhere near as good as she thought she was. The private coaches she hired simply didn't dare to play against her seriously.

The York family had hired national champion coaches to train with her, but those coaches had enough social awareness to know they couldn't aggressively smash a billionaire's granddaughter.

When it came time for actual regional tournaments, the York family would pull strings behind the scenes.

She was essentially handed her trophies.

Penelope genuinely believed she was operating at a national championship level, completely oblivious to the fact that everyone was holding back against her.

Now, facing a genuinely skilled opponent like Madeline, she refused to believe she could actually lose. Her swings became increasingly frantic, and her defensive gaps grew wider.

Finally, in a fit of frustration, she smashed her racket against the ground and stormed off the court in a tantrum.

The staff had been keeping score, and the winner was incredibly obvious.

Madeline, looking completely unfazed, accepted a towel and a bottle of water from the staff. After wiping her brow, Quentin suggested she head to the showers to change.

They could grab lunch together right after.

After showering and changing into fresh clothes, Madeline stepped out.

She immediately ran into Penelope, who had clearly been waiting for her.

With a look of disdainful contempt in her eyes, Penelope waited until Madeline walked past before suddenly speaking up.

"Do you have any idea what people say about you behind your back?"

This wasn't a question meant to pique her curiosity.

Madeline already knew exactly what she was going to say.

It was a display of power, laced with Penelope's arrogant judgment and pre-packaged prejudice.

If Madeline had asked, 'What do they say?', it would have given Penelope the perfect opening to recite all of Madeline's fabricated dark history.

It was a calculated tactic designed to hurt her.

Penelope wanted to force her into a corner of judgment, pointing fingers at her past.

But Madeline had no intention of letting her win.

She simply smiled. "I don't need to know. What they say doesn't matter. And as for what you have to say, I don't need to hear it either. I never liked you to begin with. If my personality or my principles offend you, then allow me to ask you this from the bottom of my heart: What exactly are you going to do about it?"

Madeline stared directly into Penelope's eyes as she spoke.

In that split second, Penelope felt an overwhelming, suffocating pressure.

Lucius looked surprised. "What do you mean?"

Wyatt scrolled through his phone and pulled up an old photo, showing it to Lucius.

"When I was little, my family took me on a trip abroad, and we visited the Prescott estate. I took this photo with Quentin and the little princess. She didn't go by her current name back then, and she definitely looked a bit different."

Lucius stared at the photo.

He recognized Quentin immediately. Quentin's features were always striking, and even back then, he possessed a dominating presence. The girl beside him was adorable.

And that young girl genuinely looked like a sweet little angel who had fallen from the sky.

She looked nothing like Liliana did today.

Suddenly, Lucius pointed at a man playing the piano in the background of the photo. "Who is this guy?"

Wyatt glanced at the screen and replied effortlessly, "That's her dad."

Lucius was stunned. "Whose dad?"

Wyatt wasn't particularly surprised by Lucius's reaction, assuming Lucius had simply never met the man.

He explained, "Your father-in-law. The little princess's father."

What?

Lucius's mind went completely blank.