Obedience No More He's the One I Deserved novel Chapter 357

**TITLE: Beseeched 357**
**Chapter 357: Toxic Roots**

“Don’t you think I’m aware of that?” Tara snapped, her voice sharp with irritation. “But he’s still my son. How am I supposed to simply turn my back on him?”

It was as if everyone around her possessed a heart as frigid as Will’s.

Busy, busy, busy—that was the mantra of his life.

He had barely graced their son’s wedding with his presence, and now, with his daughter-in-law gone and his son spiraling into despair, Will continued to act as if there was no urgency, no pressing need for action.

Will hesitated for a moment, the silence stretching between them like a chasm, before finally uttering, “Have his brothers spend more time with him.”

Tara fell silent, the weight of his words settling heavily in the air.

That was the unmistakable signal—he wasn’t planning on returning.

Without uttering another word, she ended the call, the click of the disconnect echoing in her ears.

After all these years, she had grown accustomed to Will’s cold demeanor.

She couldn’t even recall when it had all begun; he seemed so unchanged on the surface. Yet, somewhere along their journey together, he had drifted away from caring about their family. No matter what she voiced, he always found a way to sidestep it—cool, composed, and distant.

Was he avoiding something in the country? Or was it her and Ethan he couldn’t bear to confront?

Closing her eyes, she exhaled a long, weary breath, her tightly drawn features betraying a flicker of exhaustion and restraint.

She cast a glance at the study door, firmly shut, and finally turned to leave, feeling the familiar pang of solitude settle in her chest.

The next morning arrived, a Saturday that promised a break from the chaos.

Ethan was jolted awake by the sound of tires crunching over gravel in the driveway. He raised a hand to his temple, rubbing the spot between his brows, trying to shake off the remnants of last night’s drunken escapades that replayed like a bad film behind his eyes.

Before he could fully gather his scattered thoughts, a loud, insistent banging erupted at the door.

“It’s past time to get your ass out of bed! Let’s go! All your brothers are here, and we’re not leaving until we’ve had a proper talk.”

Ethan remained silent, his mind still foggy.

Outside, Alex felt the tension creep into the back of his neck.

They had visited countless times before, and each time, Ethan had chosen to ignore their presence. No door had opened for them. This time, however, perhaps the numbers were in their favor; maybe he couldn’t fend them off alone.

Alex exchanged glances with Brogan and Alice, then nodded, signaling for someone else to take a crack at the door.

Alice cleared her throat, pushing Alex aside with a determined shove.

Just as she lifted her hand to knock, the door swung open unexpectedly, catching her off guard.

She offered an awkward smile. “Ethan, um… we’re all free today, so… how about a drink?”

“Yeah, it’s the weekend, and wasting it without booze just feels wrong,” Alex chimed in eagerly.

He elbowed Brogan, urging him to join in.

“Say something!”

Brogan smirked and hefted the enormous bag of alcohol he was carrying. “We came all this way… might as well make it count.”

Ethan regarded the three of them with a look that suggested they had lost their minds.

His voice came out icy. “Do you even know what time it is?”

“Huh?”

“This is everything we’ve managed to dig up. Your girl Roxanne? She’s like a scorpion that crawled out of a drug pit. We can’t trace where the pit is, but one thing is certain—she’s toxic as hell.”

Back when she was overseas, Roxanne had been entangled in shady dealings—nothing outright provable, but certainly not above board.

And judging by the looks of things, the entire Stonewarden Group seemed to be tainted as well.

Still, they lacked hard evidence.

But come on—was every single incident just a coincidence?

Ethan picked up the documents, flipping through the pages, most of which contained information he was already aware of.

He tossed them back onto the table dismissively.

“I don’t care about this.”

“Then what do you care about?” Alice shot back, her eyes narrowing. “Dawn? Ethan, get your damn head on straight. If you truly want justice for Dawn, you need to take Roxanne down first. And yes… you were part of the problem too. Think of this as your shot at redemption,” she pressed, her tone unwavering.

In the kitchen, Alex clutched a stalk of celery, sneaking glances toward the living room.

“Hey,” he nudged Brogan, “what are they talking about?”

“Why don’t you scoot closer and find out for yourself?” Brogan replied flatly, his eyes fixed on the wall.

Alex fell silent, the urge to eavesdrop battling with his lack of courage.

He let out a heavy sigh, muttering, “I really liked Dawn, you know? She and Ethan were perfect opposites. They balanced each other out. Who would’ve thought it would end like this?”

Brogan remained silent, lost in his own thoughts.

Alex frowned, frustration bubbling up. “Are you even listening to me?”