Chapter 265 Protecting You
Upon hearing this, Claudia took a sharp intake of breath.
She had decided to break off her engagement with Horace, but she had never thought of doing it in this
way.
She struggled hard to break free, but the manâs hand around her waist was like iron, gripping her tightly
and preventing her from moving.
Horaceâs mother slightly parted her lips.
She hadnât expected things to turn out this way.
Horace was pale, anger simmering in his eyes.
This Magnus, repeatedly provoked him, it was clearly intentional!
âSeraphina, letâs discuss whatever it is when we get back.â
He walked up to Claudia and extended his hand towards her.
In the past few times, Claudia had always gone with him. This time? Horace had no idea.
Magnus was worthless in Claudiaâs eyes, but Edmond was different, he
was the father of her child, her ex-husband.
Would she still stand by his side when she found out that Magnus was Edmond?
In Claudiaâs silent gaze, Horaceâs heart sank heavily.
Claudia looked at him deeply, âIâm sorry, Horace, I canât keep hurting you.â
She had asked Horace to help her act out a scene to lure Edmond out, but she hadnât considered the
difficulties Horace might face.
If she really had gotten engaged, it would have been harmful to him.
Horace shook his head with a bitter smile, his voice h oa rse and low, âNo need to apologize, I was just
being too selfish.â
She had told him to make it clear to his family that this was just a collaboration.
And for his own selfish reasons, he did not tell his family the truth.
It was his excessive greed, wanting to turn pretense into reality, that led to his failure due to over-
cleverness.
Claudia pursed her lips, wanting to speak but stopping herself.
The burning hand on her waist loosened slightly, and Claudia quickly
broke free.
Edmondâs gaze was profound, under the dark mask, the corners of his lips uncontrollably lifted slightly.
Horaceâs mother remained silent, under such an atmosphere, she had already sensed something
unusual.
Could there be any hidden circumstances regarding my son marrying Seraphina?
She looked at Horace, asking in a low voice, âWhat on earth is going on?â
Horaceâs heart ski pped a beat, he turned to his mother and said, âMom, letâs go home. I will explain
everything about Seraphina and me to you.â
âAlright.â Horaceâs mother sighed, glancing at Magnus again, her expression somewhat awkward.
The Fleming family held a high status in Vencumfield, and if anyone truly crossed them, it wouldnât end
well for anyone.
After Horace and his group left, Claudia immediately distanced herself from Edmond.
However, it seemed as if Edmond was deliberately opposing her.
The subtlety between the two flowed in the air.
After a while, Edmond finally spoke, his tone gentle and indifferent: âMagnus.â
Edmond was already âdeadâ, a thing of the past, only the identity of Magnus was suitable.
Since she had already recognized herself, there was no need for him to wear a mask anymore.
Edmond raised an eyebrow, his hand lifting to touch the mask, which was incredibly hot.
He had always thought he hid himself well, but he didnât expect that Claudia had recognized him long
ago. Thinking back on his previous behavior, his cheeks grew somewhat hot.
âWhen did you recognize it?â His voice was low.
âVery early.â She had recognized him from the first time he appeared as Magnus, she just wasnât sure
yet.
âI didnât expect you to fake your death, let alone resurrect.â Thinking of him deceiving her with a feigned
death, a fire surged in Claudiaâs heart.
She suffered for him, cried for him with heart-wrenching so bs, even
starved herself for days and nearly died.
If it werenât for the child in her belly, she might have truly died from excessive grief.
He, on the other hand, actually faked his own death and watched her make a fool of herself behind her
back.
âEdmond, you must enjoy watching others suffer, donât you?â Claudiaâs voice was extremely cold, her
tone light and flippant, a beautiful sneer playing on her red lips.
Edmondâs eyes darkened, his thin lips pressed tightly together, a rare hint of appeasement in his tone,
âI didnât have a choice, I didnât mean to deceive you.â
âOhâ¦â Claudia nodded, the sarcasm at the corner of her lips not diminishing in the slightest.
It wasnât intentional, but he still wore a mask in front of her, flirted with her under the identity of Magnus,
and tarnished her reputation.
What a last resort it was.
âIâve said all that needs to be said. Even though I wonât marry Horace, I wonât marry you either.â
She had had enough of the bitterness of marriage. Having finally escaped from the cage, she didnât
want to enter into marriage again,
especially not with Edmond.
She turned around, only to find that Edmond, quick as lightning, had already blocked her way.
The manâs chest was like a wall of bronze and iron, she hit her forehead against it, soft yet with a hint
of toughness, she collided directly with his pectoral muscles.
Claudia froze.
Edmondâs gentle voice rang out, âI was wrong before.â
âWhere was my grandmother then?â
Claudia looked up, questioning directly, âDid you ever consider my feelings when you were protecting
Rosalie as she hurt me? My grandmother died, but you were still defending herâ¦â
Edmond pursed his lips, his eyes darkening, âOn one hand, I did indeed protect Rosalie out of respect
for Tristen. On the other hand, it was also to protect you. At that time, you had no backing, and
Dempsey already had murderous intentions towards you.â
âOn the surface, I could protect you, but behind the scenes, with Dempseyâs methods, it was hard to
guard against.â
Claudiaâs breath hitched as she thought about her kidnapping by Dempsey.
If it hadnât been for Rosalieâs impulsive decision to let her go back then, she might have really been
dead by now.
At that time, she indeed had no background, one could even say she was completely isolated. If she
had died, even her family wouldnât have sought justice from Dempsey.
âYou mean⦠you were trying to protect me?â Claudiaâs emotions were incredibly complex.
Dempsey was a snob. If it werenât for the Enigma organization and her status as the daughter of the
Friedan family, Dempsey wouldnât have even given her a second glance.
Dempsey originally came from the underworld, and his influence in that area was indeed not to be
underestimated.
How many lives Rosalie had taken using Dempsey showed that Dempsey could kill a person without
making a sound.
Edmond said it, and it was very likely true.
Although she was not afraid of Dempsey at all given her status, she was seen as a dangerous
extinction in Edmondâs eyes at that time.
âAt the time when our marriage was falling apart, my position at the Lamont Group was also hanging by
a thread. You told me you had someone you liked, and all I could do was let go, thinking I could protect
you for a lifetime in the name of family. Unfortunately, I
couldnât even see through my own feelings at the time.â His voice trailed off, carrying a hint of
casualness, his low and soft tone
wrapping around, causing a tingling sensation in the eardrums and a burning sensation at the tips of
the ears.
Claudiaâs heart was racing uncontrollably, no matter how hard she tried to suppress it.
âEven so⦠I will not forgive you.â She lowered her head, her voice choked with emotion, âGrandma is
already dead, she canât come back anymore.â
If it hadnât been for him, grandma wouldnât have died so soon.
âIâm sorry.â Edmond bent over in heartache, suppressing his voice, removed his mask, revealing that
familiar handsome face.
Upon seeing this face, Claudiaâs days of grievances and worries instantly turned into tears, falling
incessantly.
Feeling wronged, sadness surged, and tears, like merciless machines, slid down the cheeks.
Sad, how could she not be sad, she thought he was dead.
But he had survived, she was both happy and angry.
The joy was that he was still alive, the anger was that he had once again deceived her, treating her like
a fool.
âIâm sorry, Iâm sorry.â Seeing her crying so sadly, Edmondâs eyes, filled with bloodshot, were full of
panic, and his gentle hand brushed over her face.
Seeing her so upset, his heart ached as if it was being cut by a knife.
He was wrong, outrageously wrong.