Chapter 1705: Self-Proof

Chapter 1705: Self-Proof

At this moment, the butler of the Ballard family knocked on the door

and entered.

Following Christian's previous instructions, he brought a fine Rain

before Dragon Well tea.

The butler placed the tea in front of Joyce and respectfully stepped

back.

Just as Joyce was about to pick up the tea, Darrin suddenly stopped

him, "General, please wait."

Before Joyce could speak, Darrin took a step forward, took out a thin

needle, and pierced it into the tea, testing it before saying, "General, it's

safe.”

Christian narrowed his long phoenix eyes, revealing dissatisfaction,

"Are you worried about being poisoned in my house? Joyce, do you

consider me an outsider?"

Before Joyce could respond, Darrin replied directly, "Mr. Ballard, it has

nothing to do with the General. It is my duty, please understand.”

Now, he wouldn't trust anyone, even if Christian had no ill intentions, he

couldn't guarantee that someone among Christian's subordinates

wouldn't cause trouble. Once bitten, twice shy, he couldn't allow himself

to make mistakes again.

Joyce glanced at Darrin and whispered, “You're being too nervous. Mr.

Ballard has been kind to me."

Darrin nodded and stepped back behind Joyce.

Christian didn't mind any further and said to Joyce, “Well, having

someone so attentive by your side ensures your safety.”

Joyce shrugged, picked up the tea in front of her, and took a gentle sip.

"To get back on track, you mentioned earlier that your sister was

Luther's first love. They fell in love with each other, and then what

happened?”

Christian glanced at Joyce, who remained calm. Her expression didn't

change, and she showed no reaction when the words "first love" were

mentioned.

He sat up straight and continued, "I, Luther, and Felix were good

friends. Both of them often came to my house to play. During the

summer vacation, they even stayed at my seaside villa for a while. It

was during that time that Luther met my sister. My sister is very

innocent and kind. She is polite to everyone she meets and quite shy.

She doesn't speak much and rarely smiles. In short, she is a pure and

flawless girl."

When Christian mentioned the past, his expression became nostalgic,

as if he was immersed in beautiful memories.

From his longing expression, Joyce sensed something unusual.

She exchanged a glance with Darrin, who also noticed that Christian

seemed to have a different kind of affection for his sister. But since they

weren't blood-related, there was no ethical issue.

Joyce understood in her heart. To be honest, although Christian often

spoke to her in a non-serious manner, half flirting and half ambiguous,

she never felt that Christian had any feelings for her. She always felt

that Christian's heart had another place to nest.

Now, Christian's demeanor and tone, along with the conflict between

Christian and Luther, confirmed her speculation.

Christian liked his sister.

"May I ask what your sister's name is?" Joyce asked softly.

"Her name is Athena. It's a beautiful name. Athena is the goddess of

Mount Olympus in mythology, the daughter of the supreme god,"

Christian explained.

Joyce nodded, understanding that their names were inspired by

mythology. Christian was named after the archer Yi, who shot down the

sun.

“I didn't pay much attention to it at first, but in the following years,

whenever Luther came to my house, Athena would always be present.

At first, I didn't notice anything unusual and thought it was just a normal

meeting. But one day, I found Luther's school jacket left in Athena's

room," Christian said, and his brow twitched.

"If I had realized it earlier, I would have put an end to Luther's

inappropriate thoughts. Unfortunately, by the time I found out, Athena

was already deeply in love with him. I discovered Luther's jacket in

Athena's room, and I got very angry. I threw away the jacket on the

spot and questioned Athena if they had done anything inappropriate,

after all, Athena was only sixteen at the time, she was still underage."

When Joyce heard this, she paused with the tea in her hand. Ripples

formed in the bright green liquid in the porcelain tea bowl.

She didn't want to judge; she just wanted to hear the whole story.

"And then?" she asked. "Did you object?"

Christian nodded, "Of course, I objected. Athena promised me that she

would no longer see Luther. Over the next two years, Luther's visits

became less frequent, only once or twice a year. And I always found

ways to keep Athena away from him, not letting her see him. That

continued until Athena turned eighteen."

Joyce felt that the story was finally reaching its climax. She held her

breath and listened attentively.

Christian took a deep breath and continued, "Although I prevented

them from meeting, I could tell that Athena was unhappy. She often

cried alone. Sometimes in the morning, when I called her to get up, I

could see traces of tears in her eyes. She even attempted self-harm by

cutting her wrists, but I discovered it in time and stopped her. I knew

she was deeply trapped, and I wanted to send her abroad to study.

However, Athena begged me tearfully for one request before going

overseas. She said she wanted to say a final goodbye to Luther. I

couldn't resist her, so I reluctantly agreed."

Pausing for a moment, Christian continued, "Coincidentally, that year,

Luther and Felix planned a camping trip in the mountains, and I joined

them. I agreed to take Athena along, meet Luther once, say goodbye,

and then send her back. Little did I know that this wrong decision, a

moment of weakness, would haunt me for the rest of my life. Luther, he

was simply... beyond despicable! He was worse than a beast!"

As he said this, Christian suddenly became agitated. He stood up

abruptly and walked to the window, with his back turned to Joyce. His

chest rose and fell continuously, as if harboring immense anger. By

then, the setting sun had fully descended, and the thick darkness

enveloped the surroundings, obscuring everything.

“That day happened to be Athena's eighteenth birthday. That beast

Luther, he violated her innocence forcefully in the camping tent. Not

only that, but he also refused to admit it. Poor Athena, played with,

abandoned, heartbroken... and then..." Christian clenched his fists

tightly and struck the window glass with a punch.

Joyce's nerves tensed along with Christian's outburst. As if unable to

continue, Christian finally closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and

said, "Athena accidentally fell off a cliff."

Joyce was taken aback by the revelation. She didn't expect such a turn

of events.

She cautiously asked, “So, your sister... she died?"

Christian's silhouette stiffened, "Yes."

Indeed, everyone at the time believed that Athena had died.

After the accident, he went mad and mobilized numerous people to

search for her. When she was finally found, she was barely alive. By

the time the ambulance arrived at the hospital, her heartbeat had

already stopped.

Everyone, including Luther and Felix, thought she was dead.