Chapter 1556
When There Is Nothing Left But Love
Who could bear not to give in to an elderlyâs wishes when she was begging so pitifully?
However, Ashton was an exception. He merely snorted at her, then pushed her away with his leg. He
crossed the room toward Nicolas, who couldnât even open his eyes with the water dripping on him.
Simone, unwilling to give up, wanted to crawl over to him to beg again, but her attempt was halted by
the guards standing by. I quickly followed after Ashton once I was sure that the bodyguards had held
Simone down.
I feared Ashton wouldnât get any results since Nicolas had a strong mental fortitude. I thought he would
be able to hold out.
However, I had underestimated the fear of having water dripping onto oneâs face for a long time. That
fear would unconsciously destroy oneâs will.
As I neared Nicolas, with a slight bend of my body, the first thing I saw was his wide-open eyes filled
with terror.
My heart started to pound from fear. My hand instinctively settled over my chest, trying to keep myself
calm.
Not sure if it was from the endless water dripping onto his face, but Nicolas couldnât shut his eyes.
Having been soaked in the water for a long time, his face was starting to bloat. The water would drip
directly onto his eyeballs and that was the main cause of his fear. Even when Ashton and I came into
his line of sight, he had no response.
I couldnât bear to look at his twisted expression. I flinched and moved aside.
Ashtonâs face was still devoid of any emotion. He looked down at Nicolas and said indifferently, âYou
silently acknowledged when Nicolas abandoned me and left me to fend for myself. When he laid his
hands on me and my children, you feigned ignorance. He even killed off the last line of the Fullers who
had raised me, and yet, there was not a peep from you. Do you think youâre worthy of being called a
good wife and mother?â
His words were directed at Simone despite the sharp gaze he had fixed on the unresponsive Nicolas.
Ashton was right. Even the law would punish those with omission charges.
As Nicolasâ wife, Simone had countless opportunities to urge him to stop his bad deeds. Even if her
attempts proved futile, she could have at least reminded him of the consequences of his actions, and
that could have saved many lives. Yet, she never tried doing anything. She pretended not to know
about Nicolasâ merciless torture and allowed him to seize lives brutally, corrupting his own humanity.
She did nothing and everything.
Perhaps they had been a couple for so long that she had unconsciously considered him to be her God.
And that exact ugly, twisted perception of considering othersâ lives to be nothing had allowed her to
accept Nicolasâ actions naturally.
Simone opened her cracked lips and begged in a hoarse voice, âYouâre right. Iâm not worthy. I was
wrong. Iâll change. Iâll make sure to persuade your father. So please, let us go. Please let your father
go. Have mercy. Your father has always been an arrogant person, so it will be difficult for him to admit
his mistakes. Let me apologize on his behalf. Iâll apologize for all of his mistakes. Is that okay, son? He
hasnât said a word since last night. Heâll die if this goes on. You canât be so cruel, sonâ¦â
She hadnât had a single drop of water for the past few days, but despite her parched throat, she had
managed to croak out those words. While some of her words were indecipherable, she persisted,
hoping for mercy and forgiveness.
In the face of death, nobleness and decency meant nothing. The virtues Nicolas had upheld so
religiously couldnât even be used in exchange for a break. He had destroyed many lives, including
Ashtonâs, for those exact virtues.
A womanâs howling voice echoed throughout the dungeon; the dark environment became even more
depressing.
With both his hands tucked in his pockets, Ashton ordered his men to release them after a long silence.
âUntie them.â
Thinking she was finally free, Simone excitedly placed her palms together as if in prayer and bowed her
head to the ground. âThank you, son. Thank you. I knew you were not as cold-hearted as youââ
âThen you donât know me well enough,â Ashton cut her off before she could finish. âThrow them onto
the most bustling street. Have them kneel there and beg for food and water from those they look down
upon. Let all of them have a look at the noble decency of the Hall family.â