The Abandoned Luna's Journey to Power Chapter 322: Isabella Is Fearless

Cindy's POV:

"Since the money has been paid in full, we'll be taking Ms. Tillman with us," I said, deliberately dragging out the last words. "She's still facing charges for falsifying the books. Even if the money is returned, we still have to follow procedure."

"Cindy! Don't push your luck!" Margaret rushed forward like an angry lioness. "You've got your money! Why won't you leave Maria alone? Are you trying to drive us to our graves?!"

If Maria was taken away, there was no telling what she might confess under pressure—and that would not end well for them.

I looked at Margaret's furious face and burst out laughing.

"Relax. I'm joking." I waved my hand and signaled the guards to release Maria. "Since you've covered the missing funds, you can handle this troublesome servant yourself. However …"

I stepped closer and lowered my voice so only she could hear. "I know everything about that cosmetics shop. If you don't want to see tomorrow's headline to read, ‘Allure Beauty Salon Sells Fake Products, Customers Disfigured,' you'd better clean up that mess tonight. Otherwise, the next ones knocking at your door won't be me. It'll be angry citizens and the Royal Guard."

Margaret trembled. Sweat soaked through her back.

She knew I had her cornered.

Margaret had no way out; her sharp eyes suddenly shifted to Isabella, who was wrapped in my cloak.

She knew I was too hard to deal with. So she shifted her aim to what she believed was the weakest link. She wanted to drive a wedge between Isabella and me, just to claw back even a little control.

"Isabella," Margaret said, her voice suddenly soft with fake concern. She walked over slowly, as if she truly cared. "Look at yourself. You are the queen of this nation. A queen of noble blood. How can you lower yourself like this?"

She lifted a hand and pointed at me, her tone turning sharp with mockery. "You're letting someone who was cast out of the Duskfang Pack boss you around. You follow her every word. Do you not think for yourself? Aren't you worried about what people will say when this spreads? The nobles will laugh. They'll say you're nothing but a puppet, controlled by your daughter-in-law."

I watched coldly and didn't step in.

I wanted to see if Isabella, who had always been pushed around by Margaret, had grown even a little backbone after tonight.

Isabella slowly poked her head out from my cloak.

Her face had been pale from the cold, but now there was something new there—something firm.

She stood up slowly and pulled the cloak tighter around herself.

"Laugh at me?" she said.

Her voice was stiff. It trembled slightly. But her answer was firm. "Whoever is capable, I listen to them. Cindy saw through your tricks. She protected me. What's wrong with me listening to her?"

She pointed at the large chests on the ground, filled with gold coins. Her voice suddenly rose, filled with pride.

"I don't know if those nobles will laugh at me. But even if they don't, can they give me 200,000 gold coins? Can they help me get back the money I was cheated out of? Margaret, stop trying to stir trouble. From today on, you and I go our separate ways!"

Margaret's plan failed. Worse, the woman she had always looked down on had talked back to her. Her face darkened like storm clouds.

She glared at us, hatred almost spilling out of her eyes.

"Fine. Very fine," she said through clenched teeth. "Every single gold coin you take today, I will make you pay back double in the future!"

"I'll be waiting," I said with a cold smile.

I turned to the guards. "Load the chests. We're leaving."