Chapter 165: Pushing Rose to Desperate Madness

Emma and Verity blocked Clio's way, stopping her from rushing in.

Clio struggled like a woman possessed. Verity shoved her to the ground with one hand.

"You filthy servant! How dare you lay hands on me?" Clio shrieked as Nanny hurried to help her up.

Just then, Cressida pushed aside the door curtain and stepped out. Her figure appeared in the corridor, bathed in the cold glow of lantern light.

Her expression was completely blank.

"Mother, what are you making a scene about now?"

Clio had grown haggard these past few days, as if she'd aged ten years overnight. Her eyes were sunken, her face sallow and drawn.

She spat the words at Cressida through gritted teeth, "How cruel you are! What kind of marriage have you arranged for Rose?"

"Alton Bridges is a well-known wealthy merchant. In Emerald City circles, his name carries real weight. Mother, what's there to complain about?"

"He's also a man whose two wives have died, he's already thirty years old, and he has two children. Rose is so young, and you want her to marry him and be a stepmother? How could you even consider such a thing?"

Cressida looked at her calmly. "Alton is extremely wealthy. After seeing Rose's portrait, he was very pleased and personally promised that once she marries him, he'll treat her well and let her manage all his assets."

Her voice remained steady. "Mother, what exactly do you find unsuitable about him? So what if his two wives died? That distant relative of yours, Wilder, who came to the estate last time—didn't he get divorced? You praised him as absolutely perfect back then."

Clio's eyes widened. "You!"

Only now did she realize that Cressida had kept that incident in her heart all along. She was actually this vindictive.

Cressida's expression remained distant. "This Alton, at least, won't be as disgusting as Wilder. He comes from a family with proper breeding, and he knows how to conduct himself. He's just sent a whole chest of gold through the matchmaker, and I've already made the decision for Rose."

"What right do you have to decide for her?" Clio's voice was hoarse and shrill. "I'm not dead yet, and you're already so eager to take control? What gives you the right?"

Cressida let out a soft, amused laugh. "Of course it's the standing Father gave her. Mother, you should be grateful he's still willing to let her marry under the title of his goddaughter. Otherwise, with no family behind her, she might not even find a place as a merchant's wife."

Clio's face turned deathly pale, as if all the blood had been drained from it. Consumed by rage, she lunged forward.

"You bastard child, I'll strangle you!"

Before she could reach Cressida, Verity kicked her in the ribs. She immediately fell to the side, her forehead slamming hard against the edge of a ceramic fish tank.

Clio collapsed on the ground, blood flowing from her forehead and sliding down her face drop by drop.

Nanny cried out in shock, "Madam!"

She rushed forward and helped the nearly unconscious Clio up from the ground.

At some point, the sky had darkened. The wind swayed the lanterns in the corridor, making the light flicker. Cressida's shadow stretched long across the floor, dark and unyielding.

Clio pressed a hand to her forehead and had to steady herself for a moment before she could speak, her breath coming in short gasps. "I'm going to tell the family elders. You have no respect at all for your own mother! You actually raised your hand against her—you deserve the harshest punishment for this!"

Cressida's tone was calm. "I raised my hand? Mother, you must be confused from your injury. I never moved from beginning to end. In this courtyard, who can prove that my people hurt you?"

She turned to look at Nanny. "Nanny, can you?"

Her gaze was cold, dark, and sharp, like a blade suddenly pointed at the woman's throat. Nanny was so frightened by that look that she took half a step back.

"Ms. Hamilton, I..." She didn't dare continue and quickly pulled at Clio. "Madam, let's go back quickly. You still need to take your medicine!"

Clio was still struggling. She wanted to keep cursing but had no strength left, and could only be half-dragged, half-carried away by Nanny.

Cressida never actually intended to make Rose marry that merchant. She'd brought up this merchant's proposal just to push Rose to the breaking point.

She knew Rose would lose control and try to force an immediate marriage into the Howard family.

Sure enough, Rose made a scene for two or three days, constantly threatening to kill herself. Cressida remained unmoved, and Clio fell ill again.

In the entire household, there was no one left who could speak up for Rose.

When word came that Alton was already on his way to Emerald City with the betrothal gifts and would arrive in a month at most, Rose finally panicked completely.

She made up some excuse, saying that a young lady from the Howard family had invited her on an autumn outing in the mountains, where they'd stay a few days to view the maple leaves—a way to relax before the wedding.

Cressida saw through it immediately. She understood what Rose was planning but didn't stop her, nor did she arrange a carriage to take her.

She knew Rose wouldn't dare truly run away. Rose still counted on her status as the Hamilton family's goddaughter to marry into the Howard family.

Leaving the Hamilton estate at this time was just Rose's way of buying time. Cressida sent Verity to investigate and soon learned that Rose had moved into a house in a remote alley.

Someone had rented a small courtyard for her and settled her there. Further inquiries revealed that this house had been paid for by Mr. Michael Hamilton from the Howard family.

When Rose left, she didn't take the maid who served her, probably worried that the maid would report her every move to Cressida.

Emma brought that maid before Cressida.

"Ms. Cressida Hamilton, this is Kassy, who used to serve Ms. Rose Hamilton. She says she has something to report."

Kassy raised her head, and Cressida immediately noticed that half her face was badly swollen.

"What happened to your face?"

"Before Ms. Rose Hamilton left, she slapped me over a dozen times and called me a bitch."

As Kassy spoke, her expression was full of grievance.

She had always served diligently, but just for complaining privately once that Rose wasn't a real young lady, she'd been marked.

She never expected that Rose, who usually seemed so gentle and meek, would show no restraint when actually striking someone, beating her with a ruler and hitting her viciously.

Emma looked at Kassy's split lip.

She couldn't help saying, "Why would Ms. Rose Hamilton do this? It's not like she's never coming back."

Cressida calmly judged that Rose probably felt certain of success this time and was too lazy to keep pretending.

"Emma, get the best ointment for Kassy."

Kassy immediately knelt and bowed her head. "Ms. Cressida Hamilton, I thank you for your kindness. Since I've been serving Ms. Rose Hamilton, I've always worked hard without complaint, but she was so vicious that I don't want to cover for her anymore."

She pulled out half a packet of medicinal powder from her sleeve and held it out.

"What is this?" Cressida didn't reach for it but had Verity take it.

Kassy explained, "The last two times Ms. Rose Hamilton went to see Mr. Michael Hamilton, before meeting him, I personally saw her put this packet of powder into the snacks she sent over."

Cressida raised her eyebrows slightly. "She was willing to let you see this?"

Kassy shook her head. "She kept avoiding me and made me stay outside the carriage on guard. That time, I just happened to glance back and saw her pouring the medicine in. After that, Mr. Michael Hamilton would come over and spend some time alone with her in the carriage before leaving. During that time, neither the coachman nor I were allowed anywhere near the carriage."

Emma covered her mouth with her hand. "How disgusting! Would they really do such things in broad daylight?"

But Cressida, based on her understanding of Rose, felt this didn't seem like a choice Rose would make. She didn't think Rose would easily give up her virtue.

She recalled past events. Back then, Rose had wanted to win over Michael and encouraged him to gamble.

This was Rose's usual method. If she wanted to control someone, she'd first lure them into breaking rules, then wait until that person was in too deep and too afraid of scandal to speak out—then she'd become the only person they could rely on and didn't dare offend.

Most likely, this Michael had also been dragged step by step into this situation by her.

Sure enough, after Verity examined the powder, she suddenly threw it on the ground.

Even the usually composed Verity couldn't help but exclaim, "How could it be this kind of medicine? How despicable!"