Chapter 253

Chapter 253 84%

At this moment, the quaint Silverstream, away from the town, shimmered with lights, standing out against the stillness of the night like a sparkling star in the sky.

Even though the dark sky stretched above, a few women sat beneath a tree, waiting with purpose.

As a shadow moved closer in the distance, the women’s faces turned serious; they murmured, “He’s here.”

They quickly shifted to the demeanor of villagers gossiping, their expressions and gestures fully engaging in their act, almost worthy of an Oscar.

“I heard that Elysia was attacked. Is there any truth to that?”

“Yes,” another replied, “as my son mentioned, it happened not far from that tree. If it weren’t for someone who protected Elysia from the blade, she might die.”

“I’ve also heard that; who could be so cruel as to target a young girl? They say the knife was poisoned and clearly meant to take Elysia’s life.”

“What happened to that person? Were they caught?”

At that moment, Ryan approached the group of women and stopped, his ears picking up on their heated discussion. The women, clearly aware of his presence, continued speaking without lowering their voices.

“Elysia is quite capable; she captured the attacker. Currently, the attacker is held in Elysia’s wooden cottage, receiving medication to be alive for another ten days or so. What happens after that is anyone’s guess.”

“Why would Elysia bother saving her life? If it were me, I wouldn’t care if she lived or died.”

“Elysia has her reasons. The assassination attempt was planned by someone else, and keeping that person alive might help her find out who the real mastermind is.”

Ryan listened closely, his brows furrowing. ‘Zoe is still alive?‘

He moved closer to the women, who seemed to notice him and quickly motioned for silence. Their behavior only strengthened Ryan’s belief that what he had just heard was real.

“Excuse me, could you help me find Elysia’s home?” Ryan asked, trying to remain calm.

“Are you looking for Elysia for some reason?” one woman asked, raising an eyebrow as if pretending not to know.

Ryan quickly replied, “I’m the butler for the Evans family, sent by my master to pick up three gentlemen. If it’s not too much trouble, could one of you show me the way?”

One of the women nodded and got up, saying, “Follow me.”

She walked ahead, and Ryan hurried after her, listening as she explained, “You’re lucky; they live not far away.”

When they reached a house, the woman paused. “Wait here; I’ll call them out.”

“Thank you,” Ryan said.

The woman stepped into the courtyard. Ryan stood outside, his eyes fixed on the wooden cottage. If he understood correctly, Zoe was being held inside.

Conflicted, he hesitated, debating whether to enter. He longed to check on her but knew there was a risk of being discovered.

1/3 Chapter 253 If he was found out, all the patience and disguises he had maintained over the years could unravel.

He felt doubts creeping in; today’s coincidences felt too extraordinary. ‘Why did I stumble upon this conversation among the village women, especially about Zoe?‘

Yet it also felt perfectly ordinary; gossip among village women was common, and in such a small village, it was hard not to overhear what was happening.

Ryan clenched his fists, staring at the wooden door. If he didn’t go inside today, the chance to see Zoe again might not come easily.

After carefully assessing his surroundings and noting the unusual lack of passersby, he concluded that entering now would likely pose little risk of being seen.

Determined, he stepped closer to the wooden door, glanced around one last time to make sure no one was watching, and quietly pushed the door open, stepping inside and closing it gently behind him.

Up in a tree, Phoebe had her phone aimed, capturing the entire moment as Ryan entered the wooden house.

Satisfied with her recording, she tucked her phone away, smirking at the footage, thinking about how Elysia might thank her for this.

She sent the video along with a message: [To perfect this act, I enlisted my aunts. Elysia, you know what I mean, right?]

Within a minute, Phoebe received a reply: [You’ll be rewarded well.]

Reading the message, a gleeful smile spread across Phoebe’s face; when Elysia mentioned a reward, it promised to be something significant. Her excitement grew.

Phoebe, comfortable in her tree, savored the moment. Soon, she knew she’d need to go inside and make her move.

Her gaze remained locked on the wooden house. After a few minutes of waiting, she decided it was time to descend from the tree.

She opened the door to the wooden house, careful to tread lightly to avoid making any noise that could alert those inside.

As she opened the inner door, she found herself in the storeroom and pressed her ear against the wooden door. Pulling out her phone, she turned on the recording feature, capturing Zoe’s slightly tense voice: “Why are you here?”

“If I hadn’t come, I wouldn’t know you were still alive,” Ryan replied coolly.

At his words, Zoe showed no signs of happiness.

Ryan could see her mood was heavy, and he let out a scoffing laugh, saying, “After your many failures, do you still have the nerve to be alive?”

Before Zoe could respond, he continued, “I wasted so many years teaching you. How could you turn out to be so useless? Do you remember what I told you before your mission?”

Zoe’s gaze fell, and without hesitation, she responded, “You said if I failed this time, I should just kill myself.”

“You remember that well, but why didn’t you act on it?” Ryan’s tone was harsh.

Zoe bowed her head in silence. In her moment of failure, she had indeed wished for death.

But over time, she realized that living brought a chance for hope, and only by staying alive could she seize the opportunity to kill Elysia and complete the task assigned by Ryan.

She didn’t want her death to mean nothing. However, Ryan wanted her dead. He was scolding her for not fulfilling that 2/3 07:41 Tue, 11 Mar Chapter 253 expectation.

སོ ི, 84%

+13 Ryan shot her a sidelong glance, his voice sharp, “Zoe, your life is something I’ve given you. If I want you to live, then you shall live. If I decide to take that away, then you should die.”

Zoe looked at Ryan. All her courage to survive faded away; the reality ahead was nothing but death. Orphaned young, Ryan had raised her; without him, she wouldn’t be who she was.

If Ryan truly wanted her life to end, she wouldn’t dare protest.

No unnecessary expressions marked her face; her lips parted slightly, and she uttered only a few words, “Do what you must.”