The Male Lead isn't Following the Script!
Chapter 260: Sell Her Off

Chapter 260: Sell Her Off

The wedding reception was in full swing, laughter and music filling the grand backyard of the Kendrick mansion. Guess Adeline’s uncle did not start whatever his plan was immediately.

Carl and his father stood near the edge of the reception, their eyes scanning the crowd, searching for the man they had come to see—Alaric Kendrick, the Marquess.

Carl shifted uncomfortably in his fine but old suit. He had dressed well for the occasion, hoping to make a good impression, but even he knew that appearances could only go so far.

His father, an older man with greying hair and a face worn by years of bad decisions, stood beside him with a stiff posture, his lips pressed into a thin line.

"This is our chance," his father muttered under his breath. "Be respectful. Be convincing. We need him to listen."

Carl exhaled through his nose, adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves. "I know."

It was a long time coming. They had avoided this moment for years, but now, desperation left them with no choice.

When Alaric finally emerged from a conversation with an esteemed guest, Carl took the opportunity to step forward.

"Alaric," he greeted smoothly, forcing a smile. "It’s been too long."

The Marquess turned to them, his gaze cool and unreadable. Dressed in a fine black and silver suit, he carried himself with an air of effortless authority, a man who had long since mastered the art of controlling a room without speaking a word.

Alaric looked at them in silence, letting the weight of his presence settle before he finally responded.

"Carl," he acknowledged, then nodded to the older man beside him. "Robert."

Carl’s father—Robert—cleared his throat. "It’s good to see you again."

Alaric did not return the sentiment.

Carl’s grip tightened at his sides, but he forced himself to remain composed. "We were hoping to have a word with you in private. Just a brief conversation."

Alaric’s expression did not change. He knew exactly why they had come.

He sighed as if already exhausted. "Not here."

Carl felt a flicker of hope. If Alaric was willing to hear them out, then perhaps they still had a chance.

The Marquess led them away from the reception area, down a quieter path lined with trimmed hedges and lanterns. Once they were far enough from the crowd, he turned to face them.

"Speak," he said shortly. Whatever drama they had going on, he was not interested. Their father shielded Aaron and Adeline from much of the truth but he was no fool.

Carl hesitated, but his father wasted no time.

"We wouldn’t have come to you if we weren’t desperate," Robert admitted, his voice lower now. "You’re family, Alaric, and we were hoping—"

Alaric’s sharp gaze cut through the words. "Family?" He repeated, his voice carrying an unmistakable edge.

Carl swallowed. This was already going badly.

"Yes," Robert pressed on, ignoring the warning in Alaric’s tone. "And family helps each other in times of need."

Alaric’s lips curled into something that wasn’t quite a smile.

"Family helps each other?"

He let the words hang in the air, his expression unreadable.

Carl hurried to explain before things spiralled further. "We ran into some... financial troubles," he admitted, choosing his words carefully. "Debts we couldn’t manage. And as a result, the title was taken from me and given to someone else."

Alaric’s gaze remained unreadable, but there was something cold in his eyes.

"We wouldn’t have come to you unless we had no other choice," Carl added quickly. "We only need a little help—"

Alaric let out a quiet laugh, though there was no amusement in it.

"Help?" He repeated. "Tell me, Carl, where is the money my father gave you?"

Silence.

Carl stiffened, and his father’s face twitched slightly, the only sign of discomfort.

Alaric’s gaze sharpened. "That’s right. You had your chance. You had more than enough."

Carl’s stomach twisted.

Years ago, the former Marquess had paid them to stay away from Elizabeth— Alaric’s mother. He had given them a sum large enough to stay away from not only her but also the children.

And they had squandered it.

Carl clenched his fists, his mind racing for an explanation, an excuse—anything to regain control of the conversation.

"Things... didn’t go as planned," he admitted, choosing his words carefully. "We made a few bad investments—"Alaric’s voice was sharp as a blade when he interrupted.

"You wasted it."

Carl flinched.

Alaric’s eyes were locked onto them, his expression dark. "My father paid you to leave Mother alone. You took the money. You spent it carelessly. And now that you have nothing left, you come crawling back?"

These men were worthless, with what face did they come here to beg him for money? They had treated their mother like a cash cow, ready to sell her off to the highest bidder. If she hadn’t met their father he did not know what could have happened to her.

And to think he would help anyone who treated his mother that way was nothing but foolishness... Robert straightened, trying to salvage what little dignity he had left. "Alaric, we’re asking for your help, I am your grandfather! You have more than enough wealth to spare—"

Alaric stepped forward, and for the first time, his expression was truly menacing.

"You are no grandfather of mine. You will not get any money from me."

Carl’s breath hitched.

"I invited you here as a courtesy," Alaric continued, his voice dangerously low. "You are the last remaining relatives on my mother’s side, and for that, I allowed you to attend. But do not mistake that for kindness."

Robert opened his mouth, but Alaric cut him off with a sharp glare."If you try anything, if you so much as attempt to manipulate my family—" His voice darkened, his posture unyielding. "I will make sure you regret it." Before he left he added, "And stay away from my sister."

He had his eye on them, he did not miss the fact that his ’uncle’ approached Adeline first. Thinking that she was a girl, she would give in to emotions and such. But she was an intelligent young girl, she knew better.

Carl swallowed hard.

Alaric was not a man to make empty threats.

It brought about a myriad of emotions in Alaric, these men were the cause of much of the misery his mother went through, and they would not leave her alone after marriage. Thinking she would be an infinite source of money as the Marchioness, they kept bugging her.

She was a scholar in the academy, but she was a young woman who had been manipulated for most of her life... She did not believe that it was her money to give away either, she believed that it was her husband’s money and she should not touch it.

That was not Alistair’s mindset at all. After knowing she was suffering from this dilemma internally, he decided to fix it himself. She was with a child too, and this much amount of stress was not good for her, or the baby.

He decided to pay them off, that was what they were after anyway. He paid them a huge sum of money on the condition that they would never contact her or their future children. He was opposed to them attending his wedding ceremony but Alaric allowed it.

He was curious, what were they up to? Why are they contacting him now? He had a theory, he was going to let it play out.

Carl clenched his fists, barely restraining the urge to lash out. His father, Robert, stood beside him, face twisted in frustration.

The cold rejection from Alaric had been humiliating. No money. No help. No second chance. And it was all because of this senile old fool.

"What should we do now?" Carl hissed through gritted teeth. His voice was sharp, his anger barely contained. "This is all because of you!"

Robert turned to him, eyes narrowing. "Because of me?" His tone was incredulous, but beneath it was something defensive—guilt, perhaps. "You were just as eager as I was to sell off Elizabeth like a commodity! Don’t act self-righteous now!"

Carl’s jaw tightened. He didn’t deny it—because it was true. Back then, they had both agreed that Elizabeth was useful. A tool to be used for an alliance. And when the Marquess had paid them off to leave her alone, they had accepted the money with glee, never looking back.

And now? Now they had nothing. Carl’s face burned with rage.

"She could’ve been an asset to us, but you—you made her a burden. The way you treated her, the way you used her—"

"And you didn’t?" Robert shot back, voice rising. "You didn’t care about her at all! As soon as we got the money, you were delighted to leave her behind! And now that we’re out of money, you want to cry about how things could’ve been different?"

Carl’s hands trembled. He was not above punching his own father. He would sell off this old man to pay off the debts if he was even worth something.

But it didn’t change the fact that Robert had ruined everything."You were the one who made those stupid investments!" Carl spat, shifting the blame. "You wasted our money on one failed deal after another, throwing it away like a fool!"

Robert’s face darkened. "And you just sat there and let it happen!"They glared at each other, their resentment festering in the cold night air. There was no resolution to be found.Only blame. And a future that looked bleaker than ever.

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