Echoes of Vengeance: The Sweet Wife's Perfect Revenge
Chapter 85: The Clean Exit

Chapter 85: The Clean Exit

Alaric stepped out of the bedroom to answer Edward’s call. He didn’t want to ignore it and deal with the aftermath later. Getting clarity would give him a better chance at defending himself.

"Did you know about it, Ric?" Edward’s deep voice was restrained.

"Yes." Alaric offered no additional words.

Edward probably realized why Alaric had been so determined to corner his mother, not just because of Aveline, but because Aveline was married.

"I have two questions for you. Are you breaking up their marriage for your own benefit? And is this an affair?" He already knew Alaric was working against Damien.

Alaric was surprised to hear his father so calm. If anything, Edward should have been planning to warn the Laurents to keep their daughter under control or inform the Ashfords to cause trouble for Aveline.

"I’m not breaking up their marriage." Aveline wanted out of the marriage herself. "This isn’t an affair."

He paused, realizing how their families must see them together. Everyone always questioned a woman’s character first. But he didn’t want them to think wrongly of Aveline.

So he added, "I’m protecting her through her fight."

Edward breathed a sigh and didn’t ask for details. "I’ll trust you. I’ll make sure Isabella doesn’t interfere." He paused and added, "Make sure Aveline gets out clean, not stained." Then the call ended.

It was a warning for Alaric to behave before it was too late, because no one would question his actions, but they would point fingers at Aveline.

Alaric realized how delicate the situation was. She was married, and he was single. And Damien? Damien could do anything to sway investors’ and businessmen’s opinions in his favor.

He turned around and commanded Ezra, "I want every piece of public security footage cleared wherever we’ve appeared together."

Ezra stood and nodded, accepting the command. They had been taking care of it so far because of Damien, but there might be a few places left. He rushed out to get to work.

Alaric paused at the bedroom entrance, torn between keeping her company until her brother arrived and leaving immediately.

How could he just watch from afar when she was hurting, when she was in trouble?

"Waiting for my invitation?" Her soft voice gave him reason to enter.

But he didn’t go near her. He sat in the armchair by the window and turned toward her.

Confusion flickered in her eyes, but she blinked it away and probed, "Nothing to ask?"

A few seconds passed before he asked, "How did you convince Damien’s grandmother?"

Even if Eleanor ended up hating Damien for his behavior, she would never agree to something like transferring her entire share.

Aveline shook her head at the word ’convince.’ Even she had thought she had convinced Eleanor until Eleanor asked why she should back her and risk her family.

"I blackmailed her." She said, "If she doesn’t agree and chooses to inform Damien, once I prove Damien poisoned me and married me for the land, I’ll demand everything that belongs to Ashford as alimony and compensation for the distress he has caused."

Not to mention the public humiliation and potential boycott of Ashford’s products if she were to reveal everything to the media.

Considering her worth and reputation, she could, if not completely, then almost, drain Ashford’s wealth.

She shrugged. "Madam Ashford is saving the Ashfords from me, not helping me."

Alaric realized Aveline was mastering the art of power:

Lying without flinching.

Waiting without losing patience.

Observing without being obvious.

Acting without revealing.

Scheming without slipping.

Forming alliances in silence.

Holding control even when it hurt.

Bearing pain with poise.

Blackmailing with logic, not emotion.

Outsmarting without ever raising her voice.

And perhaps most dangerous of all, enduring everything even when it broke her from the inside.

All he said was, "Clever." He crossed his legs. "When are you planning the divorce?" he asked casually.

"Why?" She wondered if she was delaying his work or causing him unnecessary trouble. "I can manage from here. You don’t need to accompany me."

That was the problem. It wasn’t about his need but about what she needed.

His voice dropped, his eyes darkening with something intense as he said flatly, "I don’t care what anybody thinks of me, but... YOU."

The weight of his words hung heavy in the air, pressing down on her chest and catching in her throat. She felt it, the sincerity behind his words.

She remained still for a long time before smiling faintly. She should have been more careful. Why was he taking all the blame?

She looked away from him and leaned her head back against the headrest. "I wanted to step out of this marriage clean, but I crossed boundaries again and again." Her voice held no regret, only disappointment in herself.

Alaric wanted to defend her, but chose to listen instead.

"Flirting, being around you when I’m physically attracted to you, gaslighting him for feeling suspicious, constantly comparing him to you... That’s cheating."

She scoffed at her hypocrisy. "And of course, that moment of physical intimacy, those ’harmless’ touches." She shook her head in resignation. "Just minutes ago, I prioritized you over him when I took your hand on the stairs. And this..." She gestured between them. "This connection that’s formed, letting me say all this to you, might top the list of infidelity."

His jaw clenched. He knew he wasn’t doing anything wrong, but he hadn’t realized how deeply she would be affected by these concerns.

He got up and walked to the door. He looked over his shoulder to remind her, "If he had been doing his duty as your husband, none of this would have happened."

He closed the door behind him.

Aveline chuckled when he defended her yet again.

Cheating on Damien because he cheated on her? How was that right?

Damien had slept with Vivienne, and she had crossed lines with Alaric. How were they different?

What right did she have to blame him for cheating just because she hadn’t slept with Alaric?

Well, the law still stood in her favor. Damien had committed adultery, and she hadn’t.

.....

It wasn’t long before Charles arrived, and Alaric was gone.

When Aveline tried to get up, Charles said, "You’ve suffered enough tonight. Relax." He reassured her.

He checked on her, even fed her dinner like caring for a patient, and coaxed her to sleep while giving her updates on her photos being taken down by Laurent Industries PR and the viral posts on the internet that had blurred her face.

Once she was asleep, he updated Henry that he was with her but didn’t mention her injury to avoid causing them panic.

-------

It wasn’t peaceful on Damien’s side. He had abandoned his event. As soon as he learned Aveline’s car had left the hotel, he rushed to Eleanor’s suite. He knocked, he shouted, but no one opened the door.

A room service worker who arrived there informed him, "Sir, the room was checked out ten minutes ago."

"Fuck," he cursed and rushed out of the hotel. He drove for an hour and a half to the Ashford mansion, constantly calling Eleanor, only to realize she hadn’t returned.

It was as if she had disappeared. He called his secretary and demanded that he find Eleanor at any cost.

Before he could catch his breath, he remembered Aveline. He dialed her number on his way back to the city.

He breathed slowly to stay calm and speak sweetly. As soon as the call was answered, "Nina..." his gentle voice began.

"Cut the crap, Damien." Charles hissed. "Was your event so important that you ignored your wife’s injured foot?" He didn’t let Damien respond. "Oh, let me guess... You went to find your grandmother."

He paused. "You know what? You’re the worst decision the Laurent family ever made." He ended the call, leaving Damien fuming.

Damien slammed his hand on the steering wheel and gritted his teeth. "Aveline Laurent, I’ll make you give up. That land, those shares, and your life."

But somewhere beneath the fury, a colder truth crept in. He was no longer chasing a wife for land. He was preparing for war after he lost it.

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