The Abandoned Luna's Journey to Power Chapter 312: A Vicious Mother and Daughter

Cindy's POV:

Maria continued, "A-and when the time comes, Princess Margaret will step forward. She'll pretend to punish her family for the sake of justice. She'll even offer a sum of money to ‘compensate' the victims. That way, they would keep all the gold they've made but also earn a good reputation for being ‘kind and responsible.' Meanwhile, all the blame and the ugly lawsuits will fall on Queen Isabella alone.

"They also told me that Queen Isabella is the mother of three princes. She's the queen. Even if something goes wrong, King Ryken will cover it up to save the reputation of the royal family. No one would truly punish her. At most, her reputation would be ruined."

Bang!

A loud crash came from behind us.

Isabella had snapped the fan in her hand clean in two.

Her face turned dark red. Her chest rose and fell hard. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Wicked witches! Both of them!" she screamed. "They're stepping on me to climb higher! They want to destroy me!"

I looked at the trembling Maria. Then I looked at Isabella, who seemed close to fainting from anger. A chill ran down my spine.

This plan was cruel.

They weren't just stealing money. They were ruining Isabella.

Margaret wasn't just running a business. She was playing politics.

She wanted to use this scandal to completely destroy Isabella's reputation. She might even drag Adam and his brothers down with her. If their reputations suffered, Margaret's standing among the nobles would rise. And maybe, this was only the first step toward some hidden ambition.

"Very clever," I said coldly.

I stood and looked at Maria. "Take her away. Guard her closely. She's an important witness."

When I returned to the salon, Isabella was still crying. But she had calmed down a little.

The innocence that usually filled her eyes was gone. In its place were fear and anger. The look of someone betrayed.

"Cindy..." She grabbed my hand as if I were the last rope keeping her from drowning. "What do we do? We can't keep that shop. Absolutely not."

"Of course not."

I took the final account report the treasurer had just prepared and handed it to her. "But before we shut it down, we settle the accounts."

"What is this?" Isabella asked, her hands shaking as she took the paper.

"This is the true total you should have received over the years," I said, pointing to the number. "Your original investment. The money you used to cover losses. And seventy percent of the profits."

Isabella stared at the number, her eyes wide.

"This... this can't be right. It's so much."

The amount was shocking. It was enough to buy half the main shopping district.

"This," I said coldly, "is the blood they drained from you. And tonight, they will return every dollar."

"But..." Isabella hesitated. "It's so much money. What if they refuse? What if they turn against us?"

"They won't."

I squeezed her hand so she could feel my steady warmth. "We have the contract. We have the real account books. We have Maria's testimony. And most important, we have proof about the toxic cosmetics. If they refuse to pay, I'll release everything to the public. When that happens, they'll be the ones ruined. Not you. As long as I'm here, I won't let anyone bully you again."

My voice was firm. But my eyes softened a little.

This mother-in-law of mine had once been arrogant and foolish. But now, she looked more pitiful than anything else.

Protecting her meant protecting Adam's honor.

"I guess I'll just have to spoil her," I thought, remembering what Diana once said.

Night fell.

The carriage was ready.

After informing Adam through our mindlink, I boarded the carriage with Isabella. Martha came with us, carrying the account books and Maria's signed statement.

The wheels rolled forward. We headed straight for the Crystal Palace.

"Diana," I called to my wolf spirit in my mind.

"I'm here," Diana said, stretching lazily. Her silver eyes shone with excitement. "Finally taking action? I can't wait to see that old witch cry."

"Then get ready," I said, staring out into the dark night. A cold smile touched my lips. "Tonight, we tear their house down."