Chapter 874 No Tragedy Justifies Harming Others

Chapter 874 No Tragedy Justifies Harming Others

"William! Where on earth have you been? I couldn't reach you for days!"

Ashley and Ethan rushed forward upon seeing William's arrival. He was pushing a wheelchair carrying a barely conscious Dwayne, still disguised as Griffin. A woman stood beside William.

"Ashley, I've been busy with important matters," William explained with confidence.

"Let me introduce you to Molly Sullivan from Shadowvale. I searched far and wide to find her—she's here specifically to remove your Hex worm."

Ashley studied Molly with interest. Anyone William would go to such lengths to find must possess remarkable abilities.

"Hello, I'm Ashley," she said, extending her hand.

Molly smiled warmly. "Hello, I'm Molly."

As they shook hands, the Hex worm on Ashley's hand—dormant for days—suddenly became agitated. Ashley cried out, clutching her temple as her vision blurred.

"Darling, what's wrong?" Ethan's face drained of color as he scooped her into his arms. "Everyone move! I need to get her to the hospital!"

Molly's eyes fixed on the writhing Hex worm. "Stop! Put her down immediately!" she commanded.

Ethan glared at her. "Get out of my way!"

"Ethan," William blocked his path, "the Hex worm is active again. Let Ms. Sullivan handle this—she's the expert!"

Seeing William's determined expression, Ethan gently lowered Ashley, supporting her with obvious concern. Watching her suffer tore him apart.

"Ms. Sullivan, please hurry," Ethan pleaded. "She's in pain. If this doesn't work, I'm taking her to the hospital."

Molly found his anxiety irritating but understandable. She placed her index finger directly over the Hex worm, murmured an incantation, and instantly the creature stilled.

"There," Molly said. "The Hex worm is temporarily subdued."

Ashley looked up at Ethan with a weak smile. "Don't worry, love. I'm fine now."

"Are you sure?" Ethan asked, hardly daring to believe it.

"Absolutely!" To prove her point, Ashley hopped around playfully, nearly giving Ethan a heart attack.

"Darling, please!" He steadied her. "Remember the baby—you shouldn't be jumping around like that."

Ashley's cheeks flushed. "I'm not made of glass, you know."

"I don't care. After what just happened with the Hex worm and now this jumping—I'm not letting go of you." Ethan pulled her protectively against him, oblivious to everyone else.

"Stop it," she whispered, blushing deeper. "Everyone's watching."

Ethan couldn't care less. Ashley was his entire world.

William and Molly exchanged knowing glances. Shouldn't his first concern have been for the baby? Yet his immediate worry was for Ashley herself. This was true love, without question.

Molly cleared her throat, bringing the affectionate couple back to reality. Ashley's blush deepened as she turned to Molly.

"Thank you, Ms. Sullivan. I've been managing to suppress the Hex worm through therapy for a few days at a time. Was that a spell you used? How long will it last?"

"No need for thanks, Ms. White. Mr. Lynch brought me here specifically to eliminate your Hex worm," Molly replied. "Physical therapy can temporarily suppress it, but complete removal requires Shadowvale's proprietary methods. I'm afraid I can't share the details."

Ashley smiled. "I was just impressed by your abilities. I wasn't trying to steal trade secrets."

Molly returned her smile. "Of course not."

The women sized each other up, both forming favorable impressions.

Ashley's attention shifted to the wheelchair. "William, how did you find him?"

"I spotted him half-dead by the roadside on my way back," William explained. "Since we suspected he was trouble, I brought him along to prevent any further mischief."

Ashley nodded. "William, we discovered something while you were away—he's the one who planted the Hex worms in me and King Garrett."

"So it really was him?" William's gaze hardened as he addressed the man. "Griffin, why would you do this to people who never wronged you?"

Dwayne glared at Ashley and Ethan with murderous intent.

Ashley's rage boiled over. "He not only infected us with Hex worms, but during the shootout, he pushed Ethan into the line of fire! He deserves to rot in hell!"

She lunged forward, grabbing Dwayne's collar. "We never did anything to you! Why are you so determined to destroy us?"

Dwayne's lips curled into a cold smile. "Because I hate you. Especially you, Totti. I hate you to my core."

Ethan's brow furrowed. "What could I possibly have done to earn such hatred?"

"As a child, I was fed lies that fostered baseless resentment. I hated you for stealing my birthright, for taking my father from me," Dwayne spat. "Now that I know the truth, I hate you even more. My life was ruined because of my hatred for you. If you had never existed, I wouldn't have lived such a miserable life!"

Ethan approached with an imposing presence, his eyes cold. Despite Dwayne's rage-reddened eyes and contorted expression, he visibly cowered under Ethan's commanding aura.

"Your fake face disgusts me," Ethan said, reaching out to tear off the prosthetic mask, revealing Dwayne's true face beneath. The man howled in pain.

William and Molly exchanged shocked glances. "A face mask? Griffin is actually Dwayne?"

Ethan stared down at him coldly. "Dwayne, the person you should hate isn't me—it's yourself."

"You think my life was perfect before Gold Valley District? I've endured hardships you can't imagine," Ethan continued, remembering his childhood with the neglectful Yates family—James and Ivy had been terrible parents. Yet despite his suffering, had he ever harmed others?

"All of this stems from your own greed. Prepare to spend the rest of your life in the royal prison," Ethan said coldly, just as the wail of police sirens echoed in the distance and officers began to approach.