Two Reborn, One Throne novel Chapter 101

Xanthe had been there before; she understood this profound helplessness all too well.

Her ex-husband and his relatives were cut from the exact same cloth. On the surface, they seemed amicable enough, but the moment things went south, gratitude evaporated. Kicking you while you were down was the least of it—they went for the jugular, leaving you so thoroughly smeared that no amount of scrubbing could clear your name.

Xanthe shared Amber's mindset. She hoped Arthur would finally learn his lesson—Grace was not a good woman.

He could never warm her cold heart!

Arthur clenched his fists. On the drive back, the question had gnawed at him. On a small scale, he could just let the past go. But looking at the bigger picture—especially regarding Amber's college admissions—if his daughter actually secured that spot, would Grace really give her blessing?

Today's incident could have been resolved with a simple phone call, yet Grace had insisted on forcing his Amber to her knees to apologize. Thank god it was just a false accusation, but what if it had been real? If Lucian had spent that $3,000 on Joanne, would they have pinned it on him, or worse, sent his Amber to jail?

Was Grace's son the only one who mattered, while Arthur's own daughter was worthless?

"Alright, I'll think about it. Amber, it's getting late. You have class tomorrow, so go to bed. Your Xanthe and I need to prep a few things next door. Don't overthink this—just focus on your studies and get into a good college."

Arthur didn't say anything more. Talking behind someone's back just wasn't in his nature, especially when it came to a woman he had loved for so long.

He needed time. He needed space to cool off. Even if he had to cut ties, it would feel like tearing out his own veins. After twelve years, all he had ever wanted was to be with her.

Amber didn't push him further. Regardless of how long it took for her father to see the true colors of Lucian's mother, the day her acceptance letter arrived, he would have to cut ties. It was non-negotiable!

After Joanne and Grace reached their agreement, Lucian walked Joanne home.

As they held hands on the street, an underlying sense of unease plagued Lucian.

He stopped in his tracks, his gaze fixed deeply on Joanne—the girl who could steal his soul with a single smile.

"Joanne, you promised you wouldn't hide anything from me anymore. Look me in the eye and tell me, what exactly did you and my mom talk about?" Lucian couldn't shake the childish fear that Joanne might sacrifice herself for his sake, just like she had in his past life.

He had to know the truth.

"Lucian, why so serious? No matter what Grace and I discussed, our only priority is making sure you get top scores on your finals. Instead of standing here worrying about everything, you should be giving it your all. Focus on your fifth mock exams and the finals."

"Just remember, Lucian, acing those exams is the only way you won't let Grace and me down."

Joanne reached up, gently smoothing his slightly disheveled hair.

Her eyes fell onto the cheek Arthur had struck, tears welling in her eyes. "Does it hurt?" she asked softly, rising onto her tiptoes to press a tender kiss against his bruised skin.

Lucian wasn't entirely inexperienced, but a kiss from Joanne was completely different from anything Amber had ever given him.

She was his teenage crush, the desire that killing Amber in his past life hadn't even been enough to satisfy.

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