Chapter 1071

I hold her accountable.”

The timbre of his voice was deceptively gentle, yet it sent shivers racing down one’s spine.

“Mr. Curtis, I implore your understanding. My daughter, in truth, conveyed to me the circumstances.

Extend your trust to us. Even in her peril at the hands of abductors, she preserved your secret. It’s an

unfortunate misunderstanding.”

“Merely a misunderstanding? Mr. Smith, are you shielding her?”

Harlan shifted his posture, his demeanor stern, as his eyes locked onto Holden’s.

A N G E L A ‘s L I B R A R Y

“Her confession holds truth, and we place our faith in her veracity.

She admitted her affection for you and her commitment to shielding your friend from harm even when

she teetered on the precipice of violation. The bodyguards dispatched under my command saved her.

Otherwise, unspeakable horrors awaited.”

Anticipating that Holden’s explanation might sway Harlan, the situation’s gravity warranted it, given

Mavis’ noble status.

Yet Harlan remained unyielding. Reclining slightly, he aimed the firearm at a servant, a mirthless smile

dancing upon his Lips.

“So, you shall not yield her? Very well, I shall end this servant’s existence as a token of my

dissatisfaction.”

The targeted servant quivered, collapsing to her knees, her pleas tinged with desperation.

“Spare me… I beg of you… Miss Smith has departed the Smith residence, never to return.”

Harlan retracted his finger from the trigger. Mavis had left.

The implications jolted Holden, his gaze a canvas of sorrow.

“To be frank, Mavis’ revelations today filled me with ire. My leniency toward her led to this calamitous

affront. I had not fathomed her audacity in crossing you. Overwhelmed by vexation, I disciplined her

rashness, administering a punishment previously unexperienced. Twenty lashes, an act committed in

anger, incited her to pen a missive of severance, forsaking the Smith lineage and embarking on a

solitary journey.”

Jimena’s restraint crumbled, her fist landing in a series of blows upon Holden’s form before she

retreated to the adjacent sofa, her visage concealed as her sobs reverberated.

“You lashed her so brutally that you brought her to the brink of death. How could you?” Jimena’s voice

quivered with anguish, her emotions unshackled.

“I was powerless to intervene. I’m shattered.

She’s our heart’s treasure. She’s never known such cruelty. She faced abduction, the threat of

violation, and you chose severity over solace. You declared her deserving of this torment, accusing her

of provoking Harlan. Now she’s vanished. What am I to do?”

Jimena’s cries resonated, her anguish rendering her body tremulous.

Holden’s visage was clouded, and his internal turmoil was evident.

“Why do you linger? Lead her to find respite.”

With Holden’s command, the two servants accompanied Jimena back to her quarters.