The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In novel Chapter 1012

The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In

Chapter 1012 The Price of Hatred

88

Finished

He had lavished her children with exceptional favor, treating them with a preference that bordered on devotion.

Yet, who could have imagined that not one of those three children belonged to him? And that woman… at the moment the truth was stripped bare, she didn’t show even a flicker of remorse.

“Take them and go,” Dale said, his voice devoid of emotion.

He could see past Diana’s calm facade. Beneath that cold exterior, she had already unraveled, driven to the brink by Tessa’s disappearance. If he uttered a single word she didn’t like, the gun in her hand would surely find its mark.

Lenny returned once more, leaning in to whisper a few words into Dale’s ear with a grim expression.

In an instant, Dale’s face darkened with a terrifying intensity. “That rebellious wretch! That ungrateful bastard!”

“You’re mistaken. He isn’t a rebellious son,” Diana interjected with biting sarcasm. “After all, he isn’t your son at all.”

That sharp reminder caused Dale’s breathing to falter, his chest tightening with a fresh wave of agitation.

Ultimately, Diana took Artemis with her.

Left alone with Lenny, Dale looked at his butler and asked, “Tell me… am I truly infertile?”

“Sir, now is hardly the time for such questions,” Lenny replied gravely. “If anything happens to Miss Tessa while she is in Manny’s hands, the entire Morris family will be held accountable.”

The web of connections surrounding Diana was far too complex. Victor, Stella, Marie–they had already used Tessa as a pretext to bleed the Ashen Pact dry. If Tessa were to suffer under Manny’s watch, the consequences would be catastrophic.

Dale’s eyes narrowed. “If anything happens to Tessa, I will never forgive him.”

“We’ve received word,” Lenny added, “that Miss Tessa is pregnant.”

Dale froze.

The news of the pregnancy sent his heart leaping into his throat.

“Ask Manny what he wants. Negotiate. Whatever his terms are, agree to them–so long as he

1/3

9:48 Tue, Feb 3 d

…

Chapter 1012 The Price of Hatred

doesn’t harm Tessa.”

88

Finished

In a matter of moments, Dale’s stance shifted from threats to total compromise. A child… Tessa

was pregnant. He was going to be a grandfather. Now, more than ever, Tessa could not be allowed to come to any harm.

“Understood, sir,” Lenny replied.

The moment Diana brought Artemis back to her quarters, she radiated a lethal, predatory

energy.

Dale had been surprisingly thorough, allowing her to take Lana along as well. He had considered everything; if Artemis refused to cooperate, having Lana nearby would serve as a powerful tether to her conscience.

“Manny’s number,” Diana demanded, her voice like ice.

Artemis let out a bloodthirsty laugh. “Diana, so you finally have a reason to beg me? But is this really the attitude of someone asking for a favor?”

“Beg me. If you crawl and beg, maybe I’ll call Manny and tell him to release that pathetic daughter of yours. How does that sound?”

The thought that her entire world had been dismantled by this mother and daughter duo made Artemis’s smile sharpen with malice. There was a twisted sense of gratification in it. No one knew how desperately she had wanted to tear them both limb from limb during these past weeks. She truly wanted Diana dead.

Diana’s eyes narrowed. “Beg you?”

“Yes. Beg me. Grovel at my feet, and I’ll tell Manny to let her go.” Artemis’s voice grew increasingly frantic. “Damn you, Diana! If you had never come back, everything would have been fine. Why did you return to Noctarth? You left all those years ago–you should have just died out there!”

Diana stood up and walked over to Lana. Without a word, she ground her heel into Lana’s back.

Lana let out a piercing, hysterical scream that filled the room with a sense of dread.

Artemis’s breath hitched. “You–let her go!”

“Weren’t

you asking me to beg?” Diana asked coldly. “This is how I beg, Artemis. Do you want me to keep ‘begging‘ you?”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify