Melody of Strength novel

Serena covered her face, and threw herself into Rebecca’s arms. “Mom, Barrett hit me!”

Rebecca patted her back, comforting her, and looked at Barrett with disappointment.

“You hit her just because she said a few words? As her brother, how could you not see how that would hurt her? Even if her intentions weren’t purely for your sake, in the end, you still stood to benefit from her actions,” she said.

“Mom, I hit her because she spoke disrespectfully of her sister–in–law,” Barrett said angrily.

Viola’s heart swelled with emotion. Seeing how fiercely Barrett defended her made all her sacrifices feel worthwhile.

Rebecca glanced at Viola and said, “Enough. All of you leave for now. I’ll talk to her myself.”

Feeling suffocated by the toxic atmosphere, Barrett turned and strode out of the room, still fuming.

Viola noticed his frustration, and hurried after him. She took his arm and said, “Honey, after seeing how you defended me tonight, I swear I’ll do everything to protect your future.”

Barrett stiffened.

A wave of sorrow quietly rose within him.

The truth was, he hadn’t slapped Serena to protect Viola. He had lost control the moment his sister called Carissa trash. That one word had ignited a fire

in his mind, driving him to slap Serena without thinking.

When he had shouted, “How dare you talk about her like that?“, he had meant Carissa.

People often say a person only realized how much they cherished something once it was lost, but by then, it was too late.

He knew it was too late. He wasn’t even sure what he felt for Carissa

anymore–maybe guilt, maybe frustration. He had been wrong, but he also felt Carissa had never truly loved him. If she had, she wouldn’t have so ruthlessly gone to the palace to request a divorce edict.

“I don’t need anyone to secure my future for me. I’ll work for it myself.” He pulled his arm away from Viola. “If you say things like that again, I won’t be happy.”

Viola quickly held onto his arm again. “Okay, I won’t say it anymore. I know you’re ambitious, honey. It was my mistake.”

Barrett allowed her to hold his arm, but his heart felt cold and desolate.

He had once been the brightest hope for elevating the Warren family to new heights. Now, look at what he had become. His legitimate wife was a woman who had been married before. His other rightful wife, a former captive of Sandorian soldiers, was known for her cold and ruthless nature, which sent shivers down one’s spine.

Before he went to the battlefield at Victory Pass, his wife had been the legitimate daughter of the then–Marquis of Northwatch, the most favored apprentice of the Pathfinders Guild, admired by both the queen dowager and the king.

Barrett once had such a promising future. But through all his efforts, he lost so much and ended up in this mess.

Was it all because he had taken Aurora as his rightful wife?

All men took concubines, so why had he paid such a steep price?

The bitterness gnawed at him. He was utterly unwilling to accept it.

That night’s drama reached Amelia, even though she was “recovering” in her chambers. She didn’t say a word about it, nor did she inquire or comment. She knew Serena was an ungrateful woman. No matter who Serena married, she would never appreciate Amelia’s kindness, only her faults.

So, once the marriage was settled, Amelia decided she would only prepare a dowry for Serena and leave the rest alone.

The next morning, Rebecca made her way to Ironridge Estate.

Two hours later, she emerged. She was trembling and supported by her maid, Jade, as she climbed into the carriage.

The moment Rebecca entered the carriage, silent tears began to fall. Though she had gotten what she wanted, she had been humiliated in the process. The Marquis of Ironridge’s family had truly crossed the line with their arrogance.

As Rebecca’s carriage departed, Margaret returned to her chambers to change and ordered gifts to be prepared. She planned to visit Hell Monarch Estate to personally apologize. The previous night’s fiasco had nearly ruined Helen’s birthday celebration.NôvelDrama.Org owns © this.

Helen was still recovering from her hangover, so it was Carissa who received Margaret.