Natalie looked down at Anathea’s ashen face and waved a hand, signaling the people holding her to let go. Anathea collapsed to the ground, completely limp. She had no strength at all.
Or maybe she just didn’t want to fight anymore, The drug had numbed her body. But Natalie had gone for her heart.
Destroying Anathea’s heart wasn’t Natalie’s sole purpose.
Turning away, Natalie glanced toward the private chapel. By now, the succession ceremony was well underway.
Gregory had taken off his dark suit jacket and changed into a formal dark coat embroidered with golden patterns and elegant white cranes. He seemed even more unmatched and noble.
Natalie’s lips curled slightly. She loved Gregory the most when he looked like this. Once Anathea was out of the picture, Gregory would be hers.
She turned back to Anathea and flicked Anathea’s hand off the ground before prying her fingers apart.
She then pressed Anathea’s hand toward her own neck, measuring and calculating, as if she were setting a scene.
“Today’s the family head succession ceremony. Do you think the Sinclairs would ever forgive you if you, the one they all despise, pushed me down the stairs?” Natalie smiled.
She wouldn’t have dared to bring Anathea here without a foolproof plan.
Natalie didn’t just want to break Anathea’s heart–she wanted to dest
Anathea completely.
She was going to frame Anathea for assault and make her a criminal in the eyes of the Sinclairs. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have gone to all this trouble of dragging Anathea up to the attic.
The private chapel was right across from the attic. At that very moment, Gregory was kneeling before the ancestral plaques, listening to Lennox solemnly reciting the Sinclair family creed.
Once the recitation ended, Lennox would hand him the emerald signet ring–a symbol of power and legacy. And then Gregory would officially become the next head of the powerful family in Castenea, with a legacy stretching back over a century.
He would wield real power and influence beyond
Behind him stood the entire Sinclair family, creatin
a
sea of people.
“So many people are watching. I can’t wait for this little show to start,” Natalie said lazily, still clutching Anathea’s limp hand.
If she was going to banish Anathea from Gregory’s life for good, she needed to make it convincing, painfully so.
She yanked Anathea upright, dragging her toward the stairwell. Anathea couldn’t move on her own, so Natalie just motioned for her two assistants to haul Anathea with her.
None of them noticed the small dark patch left on the wooden floor where Anathea had been sitting. It was a faint stain, so it was easy to miss. But the air had a distinct trace of blood.
…Anathea’s eyes were lowered. She was like a helpless prey surrendering herself to the ruthless butcher.
“Your very existence is a mistake. The fact that I even found a use for you should be considered an honor.”
Anathea didn’t react. She just stood there like a broken puppet, leting Natalie do whatever she wanted.
Natalie curled her lips into a smirk and waved her assistants off. “The sedative hasn’t worn off yet. I’ve got it from here. Go, before someone sees you.”
The men nodded before slipping away down the stairs from the other side.
Chapter 427
+25 BONUS
At the same time, Lennox’s voice echoed solemnly through the chapel as he read the final line of the family creed. “Harmony within the family brings the blessings of Heaven!”
With that, he helped Gregory to his feet.
Peter stepped forward and presented the signet ring.
“From this day on, you’re the head of the family,” Lennox declared, handing the ring to Gregory with both hands.
“It’s time.” Natalie smiled and pulled the handkerchief wrapped around Anathea’s mouth before pressing Anathea’s limp hand against her own neck.
Then, she staggered toward the balcony railing, replacing her smile with a panicked expression. “Let me go! What do you think you’re doing? We’re at the Sinclair residence! How dare you lay a hand on me?”
Her cries instantly drew the attention of the people in the private chapel.
“Isn’t that Anathea and Natalie?” Isabel shouted.
Gregory instinctively looked up. The moment his eyes locked onto Anathea, his pupils contracted. His expression darkened on the spot.
N
Seeing this, Natalie immediately stumbled back toward the staircase, her voice laced with fear and desperation. “No! Please!” Natalie loosened her grip on Anathea, getting ready to fall backward to make it look as if Anathea pushed her down the stairs. But the moment she let go, Anathea suddenly grabbed her wrist, and with a burst of strength, she pulled Natalie back.
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