Chapter 392

392.Chapter 392 They had always been united, standing on the same side.

But this time, everything was different It was Dylan first, then Benedict, and now Matthew. Only Anthony hadn’t completely turned against Gabriel yet.

Eliza, of course, was happy to see it.

All this proved that everything she did after her journey back in time wasn’t in vain.

And she had no intention of stopping now.

Eliza had been desperate for her father and brothers‘ approval, willing to grovel for their affection in her previous life. But this time, things were different. She wanted more.

She wouldn’t beg for scraps of love or pity anymore. She would take what she wanted, no matter the cost.

“Eliza, I know what you’re after,” Gabriel said first.

Eliza replied indifferently, “Oh? Then why don’t you enlighten me, Duke of Mowbay? What do I want?”

Gabriel looked at her, a flicker of regret and melancholy flashing through his heart.

It was only recently that he realized, of all his children, the one who resembled him the most wasn’t his meticulously groomed eldest son but this estranged daughter who had become a nun and distanced herself from the family.

The resemblance became even more striking when he saw how merciless she was to her brothers.

Gabriel sighed inwardly, Too bad she’s just a girl. Otherwise, I would never have cut her out. But what choice did I have? I owed Zole back then, and I owed Sophie for years.”

When Zole passed away, her final letter to him contained just one wish.

She wanted Sophie to return to her rightful place and reclaim her identity.

Gabriel had understood the meaning behind Zole’s words the moment he read the letter, He knew Zoie was saying that if not for that political marriage, he would have married her, and together they would have raised Sophie as their cherished daughter.

But Gabriel never told Zoie that, given her status, even if he had married her, she would have been like a mistress and couldn’t be the Duchess because her position wasn’t high enough to qualify her as the future matriarch of the Duke’s estate. So, Sophie could never have been his legitimate daughter.

This was something Gabriel had kept from both Zole and Sophie.

As a result, Sophie, from the moment she stepped into the Duke’s estate, had always believed that Eliza had stolen her rightful place.

And Gabriel, fully aware of the truth, had indulged Sophie and her mother from the beginning, trying to make amends Who would have thought such indulgence would lead to the situation today? Gabriel sighed inwardly.

“You want Benedict’s estate, don’t you?” Gabriel turned his gaze back to Eliza and said calmly, “I’ll agree to that on Benedict‘ s behalf. Consider it a trade, his estate for his life.”

Unexpectedly, Eliza scoffed. “Who said the estate was all I wanted?

When acting as the Holy Lady, she naturally referred to herself as the “Holy Lady.”

With her task now complete, Eliza felt no lingering thirst for power, so she stopped calling herself that Her tone carried the hint of her detachment from the Duke’s estate.

“What else do you want?” Gabriel narrowed his eyes slightly. “The medicinal fields? Or money?”

Eliza smiled faintly. “No, I do not need medicinal fields, nor do I care for money I only want two things. Besides the estate you mentioned, I want the property that once belonged to the Padilla family, which is now in your possession. Gabriel’s expression darkened at her words He fixed his gaze on Eliza, his tone solemn. “You want the Padilla family’s property? Why, Eliza? After all the effort you put into severing ties with the Duke’s estate, are yo tname and become one of the Padilla family?”

Eliza met his dangerous gaze head–on and repi