Part 3The Game of Atonement

Aria quickly covered his eyes, casting a careless glance at me.

"This is what he deserves."

What I deserved?

My lips twitched into a bitter laugh.

"Conrad, what are you laughing at?"

I calmly met Aria’s scrutinizing gaze, spitting out each word deliberately. "My greatest punishment was falling in love with you in the first place."

Because I fell in love with her, I lost my dad, my mom, and my child.

I was humiliated and trampled on by everyone. The once brightest star of Stepford was now worthless.

"What did you say?"

Aria’s face turned pale, utter disbelief flashing in her eyes. She knelt to reach out and pull me up, but Tom immediately held her back.

"Aria, you just found out you were pregnant today. Don't let his bad aura rub off on you."

Aria nodded, taking Tom's hand with a gratified smile. "You're the only one who truly cares about the baby. Unlike some people..."

Saying this, she glared at me with pure venom.

Seeing her like that, the memory of my own poor child flashed through my mind.

Before the baby could even fully form, it had been aborted by its own mother without a shred of hesitation.

Numbly, I dragged myself up to the attic.

I pulled out the medical kit and poured long-expired rubbing alcohol directly onto my wounds, using the searing pain as a twisted form of self-torture.

It felt as if only this blinding physical pain could mask the tearing agony deep inside my heart.

"Conrad, you really are tough."

…

The clicking of leather shoes approached from outside. Tom stood at the doorway, the mockery on his face entirely unconcealed.

"Who would have thought that the once high-and-mighty heir of the Walkers would sink to such a wretched state?"

Without even lifting my head, I let out a cold laugh. "It must be hard work pretending to be someone you're not, keeping your own child hidden in the shadows where it can't see the light of day."

"So you know?"

Tom smirked, casually twirling the ring on his finger.

"Conrad, if you had just agreed to let me be the groom back then, none of this mess would have happened. Your father is dead, your child is dead... I wonder how much longer that sickly mother of yours can even hold on?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Aria already promised me that my child with her will be the sole heir to the Carters."

A wave of desolation crashed over me. Gnashing my teeth, I forced myself up and spat a mouthful of blood right at him.

"You will get what's coming to you."

Tom carelessly raised an eyebrow. "Then I'd love to see who actually gets what's coming to them."

The sound of approaching footsteps echoed from the distance. Suddenly, Tom let out a piercing shriek.

"Ah!"

He threw himself backward just as Aria rushed into the room and caught him in her arms.

"Conrad, you actually dare to push him?!"

Looking at Aria, Tom’s eyes turned red with aggrieved tears.

"Aria, don't blame Mr. Walker. It was my own carelessness. I only came up here to check on Mr. Walker’s injuries. I never expected..."

Aria's face twisted with suppressed rage, her eyes filled with nothing but absolute disgust as she looked at me.

"Conrad, do you have nothing to say for yourself?"

Right. If this were the past, I would have desperately tried to explain myself, fighting to prove my innocence.

But now, I simply stared back at her with deadpan eyes.

"If I explain, would you even believe me?"

Aria let out a harsh, cold laugh. "A liar like you doesn't deserve to be believed."

She grabbed me by my collar and dragged me out to the stairwell.

"You hurt Tom. Prepare to pay the price."

The moment the words left her mouth, she delivered a brutal kick straight to my torso. I tumbled backward, crashing violently down the flight of stairs until I slammed hard onto the floor below.

An agonizing pain exploded in my chest. I curled up on the hardwood floor, coughing up several mouthfuls of fresh blood.

The servant standing closest to me couldn't help but scream.