He Cheated I Rose Making Him Regret Everything (Chloe and Arthur) novel Chapter 379

A Promise Hidden in the Quiet Rain by Adrian Hale

**Chapter 379: A Voice From the Past**

“Monique, Mrs. Lewis is heading to the church this afternoon to pray. It’s an ideal chance for us,” the aide said, his voice laced with a tense excitement.

“Perfect. That woman will be a piece of cake to deal with once she hits that road. It’s so secluded—an accident would seem entirely plausible. And Scott? He won’t suspect a thing. Heh. Once she steps out of this house today, she won’t be returning,” Monique replied, her tone dripping with malice.

“Monique, Mrs. Lewis has always shown kindness. Please, have a heart. Let her go,” the aide implored, his voice faltering under the weight of her coldness.

“You stick to your duties. You’re merely a housemaid. You know what to say and what to keep to yourself. Take the money and do your job, or you’ll wish you had,” she snapped, her voice sharp as a knife.

The recording concluded abruptly, leaving Monique’s threatening words hanging in the air like a dark cloud.

As the chilling playback echoed in the room, Monique exploded. “This is a trap! A complete fabrication! Twenty years ago? This is nothing but slander! You bring me some random audio clip and think people will take it seriously? Sure, the voice might echo mine, but who can substantiate its authenticity? I don’t even recognize those people in the recording!”

Bruce’s gaze bore into her, his eyes narrowing with determination. “Don’t remember? Let me jog your memory.”

With a decisive snap of his fingers, an aide pushed forward a frail man in a wheelchair. The sight of him, gaunt and horrifyingly disfigured, sent ripples of shock through the assembled crowd at the gala.

The man was a mere shadow of his former self, draped in a tattered cloak that accentuated his skeletal frame. Beneath the fabric, his face was a grim tapestry of scars, each one telling a story of pain and survival.

He slowly raised his head, locking eyes with Monique. “Monique… do you recall me?” His voice, raspy and aged, echoed her name, instantly conjuring the younger man’s voice from the recording.

At the sight of him, Monique’s pupils dilated in sheer terror. She instinctively stumbled back a step, her heart racing.

“You… You… How are you…?” she stuttered, her composure crumbling.

“You used me back then,” the man croaked, his finger trembling as he pointed an accusing digit at her. “And then, to erase your sins, you tried to have me killed. You poisoned me. You attempted to burn me alive. Thanks to you, I lost half my life. But here I am, still breathing. And I can stand in a courtroom and name you for the murderer you truly are.”

Scott had never been able to reconcile the fact that Kristina had died while on a simple act of charity. He had blamed himself for years for not being there, and now, the painful truth was that it was all because of the venomous woman standing before him.

Not only was Chloe’s disappearance a result of her actions, but Kristina’s death was as well.

And now, to be told that Carolyn wasn’t even his child… Scott felt like the universe was playing a cruel joke on him. He was the punchline. Tonight, at his own gala, he had become the object of ridicule.

But even as a laughingstock, what could he do? He couldn’t bring back what had been lost.

“Monique, how could you be so heartless?” Scott’s voice trembled, laden with a lifetime of misplaced trust. “Haven’t I given you enough over the years? Was your greed truly worth all this evil?”

Looking at the shattered expression on his face, Monique finally broke. All her pent-up bitterness erupted like a volcano.

“Given me enough?” she let out a harsh, humorless laugh, her facade crumbling. “Scott, don’t play the innocent. If you hadn’t lost your self-control with me all those years ago, none of this would have come to pass!” She sneered openly, her contempt spilling forth. “Did you think I was ever truly charmed by you? My purpose in getting close to you was never about you. It was about…”