Chapter 298: Stabbed at Timothy Lancaster’s Chest

As the situation spiraled out of control, Chloe Dave deleted the post that implied Jane Lancaster had plagiarized.

The fans were in the middle of a heated tirade when they were suddenly told Chloe Dave had deleted his post. They were all dumbfounded.

"Bro, if you’re in the right, why delete the post?"

"Bro, don’t be afraid of causing trouble! We fans are your strongest supporters! We need to blow this up! We’re not scared!"

"Wait, is it possible he deleted it because he has a guilty conscience? Were we all played?"

"For real?"

"Bro, say something!"

The fans anxiously spammed @Chloe Dave in the group chat, but they soon discovered that he had left the group.

Chloe Dave’s palms were slick with cold sweat. ’Thankfully, this hasn’t blown up too much yet. Otherwise, as more and more people see the movie, I’d be flamed to death.’

’Most importantly, it would drag Luna Morgan down with me. People would think she put me up to it.’

But even though he had deleted the post, the incident’s impact wasn’t completely erased. Soon, several of the involved parties forwarded the story to gossip blogs.

Weren’t Chloe Dave’s fans being stubborn? Weren’t they calling them paid shills who’d do anything for dirty money? Fine. Let’s see who was really doing anything for dirty money.

The gossip blogs, loving the drama of such a large-scale public takedown, quickly published the story.

Whether Chloe Dave liked it or not, Luna Morgan, as the central figure of the controversy, was inevitably targeted by a wave of public mockery.

The public image she had just managed to turn around was now showing faint signs of crumbling again.

...

Luna Morgan’s face was pale as she read the comments online.

"I’m sorry, Luna. It’s all my fault..." Chloe Dave was so consumed by guilt he could barely face her.

It was all because of his misguided attempt to be clever that Luna Morgan was getting flamed again.

"I’ll issue a public apology right now. I was the one who got it wrong. It has nothing to do with you..."

"Don’t," Luna Morgan said softly.

"I have to! I’ll take responsibility for my mistake. I won’t let you get dragged into this." Chloe Dave insisted, hoping it would make him feel better.

Jane Lancaster was speechless. "She’s already in the thick of it. How could she not be involved?"

Pauline Shaw sneered, "Cut the fake kindness. If you hadn’t deliberately misled him, how could Chloe Dave have gotten it wrong?"

Jane Lancaster had said that she stole Luna Morgan’s chance at fame. Others might not have taken it seriously, but Pauline knew perfectly well that Jane Lancaster had precognitive abilities!

"Didn’t you already pull a stunt like this at the apprenticeship banquet, ruining Luna’s reputation? You must be getting good at it by now," Pauline Shaw said coldly.

Jane Lancaster turned her head to look at her. "Then why did you fall into the same trap twice?"

Pauline Shaw was choked speechless.

Julian Lancaster added, "Why don’t you ask Luna Morgan why she never clarifies things when people make assumptions? Or is it that she deliberately misleads them?"

Luna Morgan’s face grew even paler. "...I’m sorry. It’s true, I didn’t read the contract carefully. I thought I had bought out the attribution rights."

"So? Because you thought it was Jay, you were willing to sacrifice everything?" Julian Lancaster’s tone was mocking. "When Jay woke up, she said you were even and told you to leave. Why didn’t you?"

"Or is it that you just wanted to tie yourself to Jay, paint yourself as a selfless benefactor, and use that to steal everything around her—including her family, friends, and love?"

The question was too heart-piercing. Luna Morgan shook her head frantically. "I didn’t!"

"You didn’t, but Caleb Lowell fell in love with you. You didn’t, but Pauline Shaw became your best friend. You didn’t, but I, Alvin, and Chase all became your brothers. Some ’I didn’t’ that is!"

"I didn’t do it on purpose..." Luna Morgan’s tears fell again, splattering on the floor.

Julian Lancaster: "Were you really not doing it on purpose? As they say, a great debt can feel like a great grudge. You were afraid of being forever indebted to Jay, so you couldn’t wait for her to disappear, could you?"

Luna Morgan shook her head desperately. ’I’ve really never thought that!’

"You seem to have done a lot, but since Jay woke up, what have you done that has actually helped her?"

This question completely stumped Luna Morgan. ’That’s right... I thought I was doing so much, working so hard to repay my debt, but all I’ve done is cause Jane Lancaster more trouble over and over again.’

Julian Lancaster pressed on, "You caused her lover to become estranged, her sister-friend to turn against her, and her brothers to fight amongst themselves. You even ruined her reputation. And you still dare to say you aren’t repaying kindness with cruelty?"

Overwhelmed with shame, Luna Morgan broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Miss Lancaster, I’m sorry, I was wrong, I was so wrong..."

She suddenly understood the sigh Jane Lancaster had let out back when she first woke up—when she’d told Luna to leave, and Luna had refused.

Leo Grant sneered. "I don’t care who you’re putting on trial here. The fact is, Jane Lancaster hurt my boss and all of you."

He stood up. "She beat up Howard Lucas, and her admirer secretly poisoned Adrian Lancaster! These are the facts! If you think you can clear her name, dream on!"

Jasper Sterling and Caleb Lowell stood up as well.

Their height was quite intimidating to Leo Grant.

Leo Grant was furious. "President Lowell, are you abandoning your own girlfriend to protect that bitch?"

After a pause, a strange smile touched his lips. "Jane Lancaster has been a plaything for the rich since she was a child. You don’t actually think she’s still pure and innocent, do you? HAHAHA! Yara Yates saw it with her own eyes. Have you never been suspicious of that photo?"

Caleb Lowell’s heart sank. He had, of course, noticed that Yara Yates seemed to be hiding something. ’Could this be it?’

In the second or two that he hesitated, two figures shot past him and rushed toward Leo Grant.

Jasper Sterling grabbed Leo Grant by the collar and punched him right in the face.

Julian Lancaster was a step behind. He stood by and watched Jasper Sterling beat the man up, then stepped in to add two slaps of his own.

Just then, the door was thrown open and Timothy Lancaster strode in. "Julian Lancaster, what in the world do you think you’re doing?"

He strode forward and slapped Julian Lancaster twice across the face. "Insolent! Who gave you permission to bully your sister!"

—

In Aethelgard, the comments had erupted into chaos.

By this point in the ’trial,’ the plot had gone completely off the rails.

"Your Holiness, the people are demanding a full investigation into Jane Lancaster’s motives. They want to know if she intends to replace Luna Morgan."

The white-robed attendant prostrated on the floor. "If her intentions are sinister, I implore you to right this wrong and not allow such a treacherous person’s scheme to succeed!"

The Black-Haired Oracle lowered his gaze, his expression icy. "Silence. Withdraw!"

It wasn’t as if there hadn’t been ambitious agents before who tried to subvert the plot.

They had signed a Soul Contract; how could it not have binding power and punitive measures?

If Jane Lancaster wanted to use this opportunity to clear her name, she would undoubtedly have to pay a terrible price.

The Black-Haired Oracle stared at Jane Lancaster’s figure. He couldn’t shake the feeling that she was quietly plotting something.

But what could it be?

—

Timothy Lancaster’s slaps were incredibly forceful. Julian Lancaster’s head was knocked to the side, his ears ringing loudly.

He lowered his head and coughed twice, softly. When he opened his palm, a shocking smear of blood was revealed.

"Young Master, you’re coughing up blood again!" the driver exclaimed in shock.

Timothy Lancaster’s eyes were ice-cold. "Serves you right! You dare to feign obedience while secretly harming your sister. You deserve to die!"

Julian Lancaster turned his head to glance at Jane Lancaster. It seemed that ever since they were children, he had always been harshly criticized for not taking good care of his sister. Now, it had escalated to physical beatings.

A tearing pain shot through his chest.

He reached into his overcoat pocket for a handkerchief, but in the next second, he pulled out a gleaming knife and lunged, stabbing it toward Timothy Lancaster’s chest.