The Duke's Unwanted Second Wife

”Let me go!” Garrett shouted as he was dragged into the cottage, his head covered with a black cloth.

He struggled against the men holding him, but they paid no attention to his protests. His feet barely kept pace as they hauled him forward, making him stumble several times.

They handled him roughly, with little regard for his comfort, as though he were nothing more than a sack of goods that needed to be moved out of sight.

”Agh!”

Garrett groaned in pain when his knees struck the hard wooden floor. He tried to push himself up, but before he could steady himself, the cloth was pulled from his head.

He blinked repeatedly as his eyes adjusted to the dim light.

The room was empty.

There was nothing but bare walls, a few pieces of old furniture, and a single candle burning in one corner. Its weak flame cast just enough light for Garrett to make out his surroundings.

”What is this place?” he demanded, looking toward the doorway.

Before he could get to his feet, Maurice stepped outside and pulled the door shut. The lock clicked firmly into place from the other side.

Garrett turned around while struggling against the restraints on his wrists.

”Open this door! Do you hear me? Let me out!”

He continued shouting, demanding that someone answer him, but no sound was heard.

”It is definitely Damian. He got his hands on me,” Garrett muttered under his breath. ”Damn it.”

He lowered his head in frustration and ran a hand through his hair. Before he could think of another way out, the door behind him opened.

Garrett instinctively raised his hands, but Damian’s voice stopped him.

”You really thought you could send a threatening message to me and expect me to tremble in fear?”

The words echoed through the otherwise silent room.

Garrett froze.

He did not even have time to turn around before he felt the cold tip of a gun pressed firmly against the back of his head. His entire body stiffened.

”Who told you about Liliana?” Damian demanded.

His voice was calm, but there was a clear threat behind every word.

”Answer me. And do not waste my time with questions of your own. I will not hesitate to pull this trigger and kill you right here.”

Garrett swallowed and slowly lowered his hands.

”Damian, if you truly wanted to kill me, you would have done it by now,” he replied, trying to keep his voice steady.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then Damian abruptly raised the gun and fired.

The shot struck the wall directly in front of Garrett.

The loud crack echoed through the room, and Garrett flinched violently. His heart seemed to leap into his throat as he stared at the fresh mark on the wall, realizing how close the bullet had come.

Damian lowered the gun again and fixed his cold gaze on him as he finally faced him.

”Do not mistake my patience for mercy.” Damian raised the gun and pointed it directly at Garrett’s forehead.

”So, will you tell me the truth now?” he asked, arching an eyebrow.

Garrett swallowed hard. The cold barrel pressed against his skin as he forced himself to meet Damian’s gaze.

”Father did,” he finally replied. ”I met him for the last time.”

”Do not lie to me,” Damian said immediately. ”It was not Xavier who told you about Liliana. The King did not allow anyone to meet him after his arrest. No one was permitted to see him before he was taken to the guillotine.”

Garrett’s expression faltered.

The mention of his father brought back the image he had tried to bury, the last time he had seen Xavier, standing before the guillotine, knowing that there was nothing anyone could do to save him.

His eyes filled with tears, but he quickly blinked, refusing to let them fall.

”I am not lying,” he insisted, his voice strained.

”Then explain it to me.” Damian’s gaze remained fixed on him. ”Why would he suddenly tell you about Liliana?”

Garrett remained silent. Damian pressed the gun more firmly against his forehead.

”Answer me.”

Garrett closed his eyes for a moment, struggling to steady his breathing as the memory of his father’s final moments weighed heavily on him.

”Fine. I lied.”

Garrett’s voice broke as he lowered his gaze.

”I—I met my aunt, the fallen Queen.”

He knew there was no point in trying to escape now. Damian had already captured him, and with a gun still pointed at him, there was little chance of getting out of the cottage alive. If he wanted any hope of surviving, the only choice left was to tell the truth.

”I requested permission to meet the Queen a few days ago because she was my father’s sister. That was when she told me about Liliana and what she had done.”

His eyes hardened as he looked at Damian.

”You are the reason my family has been destroyed. My name has been disgraced along with it. My mother cannot live the way she once did. If you and your second wife had never brought that evidence against my father, everything would still be fine.”

Garrett’s voice trembled with anger.

”Damian, you tried to bury the truth about your first wife while presenting yourself as a righteous man. I swear that truth will come out. The entire kingdom will learn what really happened.”

Damian’s expression remained cold.

He closed the distance between them in a few swift steps, seized Garrett by the collar, and hauled him to his feet before forcefully shoving him against the wall.

Garrett’s back struck the hard surface, and he grimaced.

”I simply did what was right,” Damian said, his voice low and firm. ”Your father murdered an entire family, and your aunt was involved in it as well.”

He kept his grip on Garrett’s collar, refusing to let him pull away.

”Perhaps I can give you a chance to live a decent life if you answer my questions.”

Damian’s eyes narrowed.”How many people have you told about this?” He paused, his grip tightening slightly. ”And what was the Queen’s actual plan?”

Garrett let out a bitter laugh when he heard Damian’s question.

”You are actually afraid, Damian,” he said, his voice carrying a note of satisfaction. ”The fire will begin in Varos and slowly spread throughout the entire kingdom.”

His words were delivered with deliberate confidence, as though he took pleasure in knowing that Damian could not easily silence what was coming.

Maurice, who had been standing nearby, finally lost his patience. He marched toward Garrett, his expression hardening as he raised his hand to strike him.

Damian immediately lifted a hand, stopping Maurice before he could land the blow. Maurice halted, though his jaw remained tightly clenched with anger.

”Your Grace, he will not speak unless I knock some sense into him,” Maurice said through clenched teeth. ”He is standing here uttering nothing but rubbish about you. I cannot stand by and listen to him insult you.”

”That is why he will be tortured until he tells us the truth,” Damian said coldly. ”Send a message to the Crown Prince. Tell him to have Garrett’s mother officially arrested as well.”

Maurice immediately turned to carry out the order.

”Damian, don’t do anything to my mother!” Garrett protested. ”She knows nothing about this.”

Maurice stopped when Damian raised a hand, ordering him to wait.

Damian stepped closer to Garrett, his gaze fixed firmly upon him.

”Your own actions are the reason her arrest can no longer be overlooked,” he said. ”You listened to the Queen’s words without knowing the entire truth. Do you really believe that a woman who was willing to place the blame on her own brother would hesitate to sacrifice you?”

Garrett’s expression faltered.

”You are prepared to destroy everything I have left simply because the Queen told you something about a matter you do not even fully understand?” Damian questioned.

He held Garrett’s gaze, forcing him to confront the question rather than dismiss it.

Garrett lowered his eyes.

For the first time, doubt began to creep into his mind. He remembered the council proceedings held during his father’s trial. He had been there when the accusations were presented, and in the end, his aunt had placed the entire blame on her own brother.

The memory made him hesitate.

Perhaps Damian was right. Perhaps there was more to his aunt’s words than she had allowed him to understand.

”I am giving you one final chance,” Damian said. ”Tell me what her plan is and how many people you have told about the truth.”

”Only I know. I swear it on my mother’s life,” Garrett replied, his voice losing its earlier confidence. ”My aunt wanted me to threaten you and force the truth into the open. She wanted you to see your entire life coming to ruins. But I never expected you to come after me so quickly.”

Garrett lowered his gaze, finally sounding defeated rather than defiant.

Damian studied him for a moment before replying coldly.

”That is because your execution was poor.”