Her Gilded Revenge For Stolen Fate novel Chapter 69

Chapter 69

55 vouchers

Everyone in the Snyder family knew Beatrice was deeply attached to her brother, but nobody expected that just a single Emerald Orchid could move her to tears and sighs.

Flora gently wiped Beatrice’s tears and said, “Mom, if you’re missing the old lord, how about we visit Ironvale Manor today and bring this Emerald Orchid along? Would you like that?”

Beatrice nodded slowly. “The Emerald Orchid really is wonderful. Celia, you truly put your heart into this,” Beatrice said, taking a deep breath, her voice soft with emotion.

Celia didn’t take any credit, just smiled softly and stayed quiet. After Beatrice finished admiring the Emerald Orchid, she headed back the way she came. Dorothy and Nina immediately crowded around the wooden stand, showering Celia with praise.

Celia had heard this kind of over–the–top flattery countless times before. Celia felt so bored, but she kept her face perfectly calm. If she showed even a trace of impatience, they’d call her disrespectful, and that would be a disaster.

Out of the corner of her eye, Celia noticed Vivian and Sylvia drawing nearer, and her breath caught; she instinctively tensed up. “Today, I can’t afford to lose. I have to win,‘ Celia thought.

Vivian was determined to figure out what Celia was plotting, so she purposely slowed her steps, carefully watching everything around her. After snatching back two Golden Plumes in a row, Vivian’s senses were sharper than ever.

She glanced at the Emerald Orchid, and though its colors were dazzling, something about it just felt strange. Maybe the heart of the flower was too tender, or maybe the petals looked a bit undergrown.

No matter how she looked at it, it didn’t seem like a natural bloom; it was as if someone had forced it to blossom early. ‘There’s definitely something off about this flower,‘ Vivian thought.

As that thought flashed through her mind, Vivian halted, not wanting to go anywhere near the wooden stand. Sylvia looked at Vivian in surprise. She asked, “Vivian, what’s up?”

Vivian shook her head and replied, “The Emerald Orchid is so precious; I’m not getting any closer. I can see it perfectly well from here.”

“This is Celia’s hard work. You should at least take a closer look. If you just brush it off, how would that make Lady Celia feel?” Sylvia said in a low voice, trying to persuade her.

Vivian realized Sylvia was hell–bent on dragging her over to the stand. If she didn’t go along, Sylvia would just try some other trick to get her there. She’d do whatever it took to get what she wanted.

Vivian couldn’t help but shake her head inside, thinking they were way too impatient; they’d already crossed the line. “You have a point, Mom,” Vivian replied softly.

She linked arms with Sylvia, matching her pace as they walked together. Sylvia stiffened a little and then said, “Vivian, now that you’re officially Lady Flora’s daughter, you’re basically her legitimate daughter.

“I’m just a concubine. If we get too close, Lady Flora might get the wrong idea, thinking you’re too attached to me, and start keeping her distance from you. That could really mess up your future.”

“Mom, you

carried me and went through so much to bring me into this world. Even if I died and came back, I could never repay that debt. Why would you use my future to guilt–trip me?” Vivian said, her voice trembling with emotion.

She squeezed Sylvia’s arm a little tighter, as if she’d been deeply hurt. She made sure Sylvia couldn’t break free. Sylvia was sweating bullets, trying again and again to shake off Vivian’s grip, but no matter what she did, she just couldn’t break free.

In the end, she could only press her lips together and go along with Vivian. Celia couldn’t help but furrow her brows from a

12:01 Wed, Jan 14 M.

Chapter 69

distance.

55 vouchers

Just as Vivian and Sylvia reached the wooden stand, the palm–sized Emerald Orchid blossom dropped right off the stem and hit the ground with a thud, leaving the flower headless. That was a terrible omen.

Nina blurted out, “Wait, what? The Emerald Orchid was fine a second ago. How did it just snap off like that?” She rubbed her eyes, not believing what she was seeing.

Dorothy, quick on the uptake, gave Nina a sharp pinch and shot her a meaningful look. Nina got the message, shrank back like a scared kitten, and clammed up instantly.

Beatrice, standing a short distance away, saw it all unfold. The sight instantly made her think of her brother’s declining health. ‘Is this flower losing its head some kind of omen?‘ she thought, a chill running down her spine.

Her face turned white as a sheet, and she swayed on her feet, looking like she might faint any second. Flora was quick to steady Beatrice, keeping her from falling.

“What kind of bad luck is this?” Beatrice said, her voice shaking with disbelief.

Flora carefully helped Beatrice into a wooden chair, steadying her and soothing her nerves. “Mom, it was just an accident. Please don’t take it to heart,” she said softly.

Tears streamed down Beatrice’s face as she said, “Of course I’m anxious, Just yesterday, they sent a message saying my brother slept the entire day. No matter what they did, he wouldn’t wake up. He was so out of it, he didn’t even recognize

anyone.”

Mark was getting on in years, and with all those old wounds, reaching seventy was already considered a long life. Flora couldn’t just blurt that. No one else could, either.

It was just a pity; all the effort Celia put into raising that Emerald Orchid for Mark never even got the chance to help. Flora sighed inwardly.

She brought Beatrice a cup of warm coffee and said softly, “Mom, just drink some coffee.”

Beatrice took the cup and drank in tiny sips. Then, leaning on her cane, she slowly shuffled out of the flower room, her steps shaky and weak.

The others trailed after her. Celia watched Beatrice’s retreating figure, her eyes narrowing slightly.

That night, Quentin stayed in Emerald Garden. Sylvia took off her hairpins, her face bare as she sat quietly sobbing in front of the mirror.

Quentin walked over and asked, “Why are you crying all of a sudden?”

Sylvia just shook her head, not saying a word.

“Speak,” Quentin’s voice grew stern as he asked her for an answer.

Sylvia said, “This morning, I went with Lady Beatrice to Wisteria Attic to admire the flowers. But as soon as we got close to that Emerald Orchid, the blossom dropped right off. Lady Beatrice was so upset that she broke down in tears.

“Quentin, everyone says that when the Emerald Orchid loses its head, it’s a terrible omen. Does that mean I’m the one bringing all this bad luck?” Her tears were streaming down even harder.

Sylvia was soft and lovely. With just a few lamps lit, the room was bathed in a warm, golden glow. In that gentle light, she looked even more captivating, her beauty tinged with an irresistible charm that words couldn’t capture.

Quentin’s heart burned with emotion. He hugged Sylvia tight and said, “Don’t say that. You saved my life; how could you ever be bad luck?”

12:01 Wed, Jan 14 M.

D

Chapter 69

55 vouchers

Sylvia kept her head bowed, not daring to look up. She didn’t want Quentin to notice the satisfied smile hiding in her eyes.

“But if I’m not cursed, then why did the flower drop the second Vivian and I walked up to the stand? It wasn’t just a couple of petals; it was the whole flower head,” Sylvia said, her voice trembling with fake distress.

Quentin’s expression grew cold. He asked, “Vivian was there, too?”

Sylvia blinked nervously, her voice barely above a whisper. She replied, “She was right beside me.”

“Who knows, maybe she’s the real jinx here,” Quentin said, disgust clear in his tone.

Back when Celia and Vivian were just born, a wandering priest stayed at Aurea Manor and read the destinies of both children. He declared that Celia possessed the rare Phoenix Fate; her future would be nothing short of extraordinary.

But Vivian’s fate was like autumn frost and winter snow, chilling and forbidding. She wouldn’t bring ruin to her family, but her presence would hinder her elders‘ prospects. She was naturally distant from her kin, born with a cold bond to those

around her.

Vivian’s only relative with a position in the court was Quentin himself. Quentin had spent half his life scheming and striving, all to secure a place in the imperial court and finally escape the humiliation of being born to a concubine.

With a daughter who couldn’t continue the family line or advance his standing at court, Quentin never truly loved her. Not kicking Vivian out and letting her stay under his roof, giving her food to eat, he already counted as a kind father.

But as Vivian grew older, she became more and more unruly. Stirring up chaos at home was one thing, but her luck seemed to grow even more unyielding. Even the Emerald Orchid couldn’t keep her bad luck at bay.

12:01 Wed, Jan 14