I transmigrated and got a husband and a son!
Chapter 1146: Five Secret Families

Chapter 1146: Five Secret Families

Three words.

"I’m sorry, child."

And everything suddenly fell apart.

Hera stared at Old Madam Zhu blankly as the latter whimpered, begging her to leave her family alone. She didn’t follow everything Old Madam Zhu said, as her mind was stuck in the first confession. It brought back all those painful memories in the past.

"I regret everything..." Old Madam Zhu sobbed, her hand that was squeezing Hera’s trembled. "... forgive me."

"You... you’re that person who called her," Hera blurted out as she automatically rose from her seat, facing the old madam in dismay. "You’re the one who lured her out and... killed her."

Old Madam Zhu sniffed as she gazed up at the pair of fiery eyes cast upon her. Despite her old age, she could feel the sense of dread creeping up her spine under Hera’s gaze.

"It was a long story, Hera —"

"Do not call me by my name." Hera hissed as she slammed her hands on the edge of the bed. "What did you do, Donnabella Zhu?"

Old Madam Zhu’s breath hitched as her heart skipped a beat. There was a slight pain in her chest at Hera’s building anger, but she held her heart still. She wanted to open her mouth and detail everything. However, she knew it was futile. Hera wouldn’t listen to her.

"My family was being threatened."

"And you sold out my mother to save your family?" Hera let out a malicious laugh, clasping the sheet slowly. "For your family... you took away my only family? You must be proud."

Old Madam Zhu lowered her gaze. "I’m sorry."

"Sorry?" Hera laughed through her gritted teeth, shaking her head mildly. "Do you think your sorry can cut it?"

"I had no choice."

"You had a choice, and you chose to betray your friend to save your own skin."

Old Madam Zhu wanted to argue, but she ended up not saying anything. Hera, on the other hand, hung her head low. Hera closed her eyes and took a deep breath until she was panting. She couldn’t help but laugh in ridicule at the thought.

She came all the way in here because she wanted to know any information that might give her a hint of Felice’s enemy. Who would have thought she would find out more than that?

When Hera usurped the position of head in the Reapers, it was a bloody massacre. She was young but never naive. She took down anyone who stood in her way and proved to everyone that a young lady like her could lead and handle such a huge organization. She did all of those not only to prove herself but also because she wanted to kill everyone who was involved in Felice’s death.

The moment she gained full control of the Reapers, Hera killed everyone whom she discovered that participated in Felice’s death. It didn’t matter how little their contribution was. They were all dead. Some tried to hide or derail her investigation, but all of them were now rotting in hell.

"Old Madam Zhu, I know exactly how to kill you," Hera hissed as she slowly lifted her eyes to meet Old Madam Zhu’s eyes. She took another deep breath until her neck turned taut. "But I won’t. Not because I don’t want to, but because you’re going to tell me everything from start to finish."

Old Madam Zhu pursed her lips and nodded.

"Tell me. What did you do exactly that night? Don’t you dare sugarcoat it because it takes a lifetime of self-control not to kill you right now," Hera warned. "Start talking."

*

*

*

Hera listened to Old Madam Zhu’s story from the chair beside the bed. Her sharp and fiery eyes didn’t disappear even when she found out that Felice knew it was a trap. Or rather, Felice wanted to come that night herself and even forced Old Madam Zhu to ’lure’ her out.

"I’m sorry." Old Madam Zhu lowered her gaze, still not relieved even when Hera listened to the whole story. Although she didn’t expect Hera to hear everything. She assumed Hera would outright kill her without hearing the whole story — just like how she sentenced everyone she found out connected to Felice’s death.

Hera remained quiet with her arms crossed underneath her chest and her legs resting on her other leg.

"That woman..." she hissed, in disbelief at how stubborn and stupid her mother’s death was. "... she always tells me not to get too confident, but look what she did to herself."

"They were a step ahead of her —"

"I know they were a step ahead of her," Hera stressed, cutting Old Madam Zhu mid-sentence. "I know because I was there. She’s already dead the second she agreed to meet you."

"I’m sorry."

"Sorry won’t cut it, Old Madam Zhu. She asked you to do something, but you had a choice. And you chose what you chose, even when you knew it might not end well for her." Hera scoffed and massaged her temples. "Who are they? Those people who were after her and are now after me. Who are they?"

"I can’t tell you."

Hera let out a loud laugh. "You can’t tell me?"

"If I told you who you are, then I cannot take it back."

"I don’t think you and I speak in the same language," Hera retorted in ridicule. "Those people had been after me, killing my people, and are out there to kill everyone I care for. If you are truly sorry for my mother, then tell me who they are."

"They’re powerful —" Old Madam Zhu stopped as her breath hitched once more upon seeing the menacing look swirling in Hera’s eyes. "Hera, I ask you one last time. Felice didn’t listen to me and I now carry the burden of her death. I can’t do this to her daughter too. Once you find out who they are, they will do everything to kill you."

A layer of frost coated Hera’s eyes as she asked, "Who are they?"

A moment of silence befell the two of them as they stared at each other. Reluctance was evident in Old Madam Zhu’s eyes. However, Hera’s determination was also shining in her eyes. It felt like that time when Old Madam Zhu was talking to Felice on the telephone all over again.

"Felicia Oxley," Old Madam Zhu forced out a breath. "That is your mother’s real name. Felicia Oxley, the youngest daughter of the Oxley Family which is also a part of the Five Secret Family. This secret family controls some governments and can also change a country’s economy with the flick of their fingers. They are also responsible for wars in some countries."

Old Madam Zhu summarized as she cast her eyes down, defeated. "I don’t know much about them, but from what I heard, the head of the Oxley Family fell ill and wanted to see your mother."

"They wanted to see her by killing her?"

"The killing is... orchestrated by someone who didn’t want that to happen." Old Madam Zhu lifted her head. "Florence Oxley. Felice’s sister. From what Felice told me, Florence is ambitious. She would do whatever it takes to ensure no one else gets to challenge her authority in the family."