I’ll Marry His Rival and Burn His Empire to Ash Chapter 18

I’ll Marry His Rival and Burn His Empire to Ash Chapter 18

“You never thought?” I repeated, a cold smile on my lips. “You never thought the Savannah-Claire you indulged would be vicious enough to attack a child? You never thought what might happen if you locked Chloe in a kennel with an out-of-control Doberman?”

My voice wasn’t loud, but everyone in the corridor heard it clearly.

“Jackson, what you never thought was that your privilege would fail you, that your violence would have consequences. You treat yourself like the king of Charleston, believing everyone should just endure your whims and your wrath.”

“I didn’t! The police released me. The law hasn’t found me guilty!” he grasped at the last straw.

“The law not finding you guilty doesn’t mean you are without guilt.” I stepped forward, my gaze piercing his, and declared each word. “You owe Chloe a healthy leg, Jackson. I will make you repay it with everything you hold dear.”

With that, I turned away from his bloodless face and took Ethan’s arm, walking toward the hospital room.

“Ava!” Jackson roared and tried to follow.

One of Ethan’s bodyguards silently stepped sideways, forming a human wall. Jackson shoved at him in vain; the man didn’t move an inch. His assistant had to pull him away from the public humiliation.

A beautifully wrapped fruit basket had been left at the door to Chloe’s room.

Without looking back, I told the bodyguard, “Throw it away.”

Inside the room, Chloe was looking out the window, her face pale. When she saw us, she forced a smile.

“The physical therapist came by just now,” she said softly. “But I don’t want to go… I’m afraid I’ll scare the children in the hallway with my limp.”

That one sentence was a poisoned blade, piercing through all my calm.

Tears surged without warning. I rushed over and hugged her tightly, my voice broken by sobs.

“I’m sorry, Chloe… I’m so sorry… It should have been me.”

Chloe just patted my back, comforting me as she had countless times before.

“Don’t be stupid, Ava. Seeing you like this now, with Ethan by your side, makes everything worth it.” She pushed me back a little and looked seriously into my eyes. “Congratulations, Mrs. Blackwood.”

When we left the hospital, night had fallen. The car was silent, with only the streetlights rushing past.

I broke the silence, my voice unusually calm.

“Ethan, when are you planning to move on the Devereaux family?”

His hand on the steering wheel paused. He glanced at me. “We can wait until after the wedding. Give you some time…”

“Now,” I interrupted, without the slightest hesitation. “I don’t want to wait another day.”

His deep gaze settled on my face, as if confirming my resolve.

Meeting his eyes, I revealed the secret that had haunted me.

“In that ‘dream’ I had, Jackson didn’t just destroy me. He destroyed my family, too. He dismantled the Monroe family, piece by piece.”

“So this isn’t just for Chloe. It’s for me. I want everything he built his life on to burn to ash.”