Return of the Crowned Heiress Chapter 571

Imogen commanded coldly, “See him out!”

The nearby guards immediately stepped forward, and Kerry was promptly thrown out.

Once he was gone, silence returned to the surroundings.

At that moment, Johanna approached. From a distance, she saw someone being escorted out. Her gaze flickered, and she pushed open Imogen’s door.

“Imogen, who was that just now? Looks like he got kicked out. What was he here for?”

Since the rainforest incident, Johanna had changed. She was no longer as close to Imogen. While her demeanor seemed as warm as ever, there was a faint, indescribable sense of distance between them..

Imogen snapped out of her thoughts and replied casually

“Oh…” Johanna didn’t dwell on it. Imogen had always trusted her completely, sharing everything without reservation. It was unlikely she’d lie to her. Relieved, Johanna smiled. “Imogen, you should rest early. I’ll come by tomorrow to help look after the baby.”

Just as she turned to leave, Imogen suddenly remarked, “Johanna, you’ve been in quite a good mood since we returned from the rainforest.”

Johanna froze for a moment, her expression turning stiff for a moment. But since Imogen couldn’t see her, she quickly changed to a smile and replied, “I guess I am. It’s all because you safely delivered the baby.”

She then quickly added, “Why do you ask, Imogen?”

“No reason. Seeing you happy makes me happy too.” Imogen chuckled and teased, “Johanna, could it be that you’re seeing someone?”

Since returning from the rainforest, Imogen had noticed Johanna spending less and less time with her. Most days, she went out without saying where, but she always returned in high spirits. That behavior was typical of someone going on dates

Johanna initially intended to deny it, but something made her pause. She pursed her lips and gave a small, shy smile. “You could say that.”

“What do you mean by that? Either you are or you aren’t. Imogen raised an eyebrow. “Is he unwilling to take responsibility for you?”

“That’s not the case, Imogen. It’s just… not the right time yet….”

Feigning embarrassment, Johanna stomped her foot lightly, clearly unwilling to discuss the matter further. She smoothly shifted the conversation to a different topic. “By the way, about Stephan’s blindness and coma… I heard it was due to poisoning?”

The mention of this made Imogen fall silent.

On the day she gave birth, it was said that Felicia had suddenly disappeared. Stephan, in a near frenzy, practically turned the hospital upside down in search of her.

After piecing together footage from the surveillance cameras, he discovered where Felicia had gone, but then he collapsed. The doctors said it was due to poisoning.

The toxins that had caused Stephan’s blindness didn’t just damage his optic nerves. They were progressively destroying other parts of his nervous system as well. This eventually led to his coma.

Every time Imogen thought about this, she felt an overwhelming sense of guilt and heartbreak. If it hadn’t been for her relentless demands and threats, forcing Steplan to make an impossible choice, he wouldn’t have chosen to protect Felicia by harming himself.

One particular line still haunted her.

“Imogen, I’ll repay your sight with my eyes, alright?”

The memory of it made Imogen’s heart ache as though it were being wrung dry.

They were biological siblings, the closest family they had left after their parents passed. How had things escalated to such a point?

Now that Stephan had fallen, Imogen had tried to keep the news under wraps. But no matter how hard she tried, word seemed to spread of its own accord