Dark Revenge Of An Unwanted Wife: The Twins Are Not Yours! - Chapter 167

Chapter 167: Visiting Mr. Thorne VI

The silence in the room had become unbearable for Athena, suffocating even, as she sat amidst the palpable tension.

Old Mr. Thorne and his wife, Florence, both seemed to stare into the depths of their own thoughts, looking down not just at the plush carpet beneath their feet but into the chasms of their grief.

They wore expressions that reflected a complex mix of emotions—downcast yet somehow angry. Athena couldn’t help but feel a surge of frustration directed at Victoria.

How could she be so insensitive as to bring up such an unreasonable question? Where had Cedric found such an oblivious woman?

She exchanged furtive glances with the kids, seated nearby and clearly as confused and uncomfortable as she was.

Inhaling deeply, she opened her mouth to suggest an exit for herself and her children, but before she could speak, Old Mr. Thorne’s voice cut her short.

“My Emily was poisoned. She and her husband. They were poisoned with my own poison, right in my own house. I have never stopped blaming myself.”

Athena furrowed her brows, grappling with the weight of his words and their shocking implications.

“Your own poison?” She echoed, her confusion evident. The phrase sent chill bumps across her skin, igniting an intense curiosity alongside a tinge of fear.

“You remember the poison that had been used on Fiona’s friends?” Old Mr. Thorne continued, and Athena nodded slowly, gripped by the grim narrative unfolding before her. She felt Florence tighten her grip on her hands, as if seeking her support amidst the turmoil.

“The same poison was used on my daughter and her husband. I kept the poison around as a keepsake, remnants from a trip to one of the middlebelt countries. After their death, I held onto it as a memorial—a reminder of my foolishness for not listening to my instincts, or to my wife.”

“Edward…” Florence whispered, her voice a soft echo of concern and heartache, but Old Mr. Thorne was on a roll now, lost in the torrent of his memories.

“That night, I told them to stay over. After months of being unavailable, burdened with work, they finally came for a visit. My daughter especially had been out of my sight for nearly a year, and I was desperate to spend time with her. They agreed to stay, even though they weren’t entirely comfortable with the presence of the entire Thorne family. My Emily was an introvert, and she married another introvert—they detested family gatherings.”

Old Mr. Thorne paused, the sorrow evident in his furrowed brow. “That night, I woke up suddenly with an instinctual nudge to check around the house, but I was too tired—having had too much to drink and feeling oddly euphoric—to act on it. The morning brought the horrifying shock of a maid’s scream, waking me from a peaceful slumber to a living nightmare. She found the couple dead in their room.”

Pain etched deeper into his features as he paused, allowing the words to sink in. “If I had listened to my instincts that night, I might have caught the person who did this. If I had heeded my wife, I wouldn’t have kept such a deadly poison around, even if it was supposedly secured in a safe. Twice it has been breached. Twice, two sets of people died before I finally learned my lesson. I am truly a stupid old man.”

“Please don’t say that,” Athena spoke up, her heart aching at the somber atmosphere that wrapped around them like a heavy blanket. “We all make mistakes sometimes; it’s what makes us human.”

“Worse still, I’ve never been able to uncover the identity of the perpetrators. One of the guards confessed being behind the murder, but later, it reeked of being a setup. The real culprits likely threatened him…”

“Do you think it’s one of your family members?” Athena asked, the question tinged with a dangerous curiosity.

“I don’t know, Athena. I don’t want to make baseless accusations. But since then, I’ve stopped entertaining family in my home. The only one I allow here is Cedric. His parents sent him to live with us while he was still young, hoping to keep us company…”

Athena held back a scoff. Parents sending their only son to live with a relative? Obviously, they wanted Old Mr. Thorne to groom him to take over the Thorne empire, but she kept that thought to herself.

“He’s dear to us now, which is why he can be here. As for his fiancée—that’s another matter. I honestly don’t know where he found such a materialistic woman…” Old Mr. Thorne shook his head tiredly, leaning against the plush cushion behind him, his eyes momentarily closing.

“If only Emily had been allowed to have children, I would have spoiled them rotten. But here I am…” He paused, and opened his eyes.

“Well, Kathleen and Nathaniel, with or without adoption papers, are my children.” He said with a gentle pat on their heads, for Kate was nestled at his right, and Nathaniel sat on his left. “And for that, I’ll be fine.”

Athena smiled thinly at the tenderness displayed, noting that there was obviously a power struggle in this family, and she couldn’t help but wonder why Old Mr. Thorne didn’t see it. Or perhaps he did?

She shook her head slightly; whatever the case may be, she wasn’t about to allow her children to be caught in the crossfire. There needed to be caution regarding their visits; perhaps she would assign a guard to them, even if they wouldn’t be entirely happy about it. The last thing she wanted was to lose her kids to power-hungry individuals.

“So, what about the shareholders meeting? Do you think Ewan will be around for it?” Old Mr. Thorne unexpectedly changed the topic, as though the previous subjects had never entered the conversation.

Athena felt the shift, expressions of grief melting into business like water washing away footprints on a beach.

She bit her lip, mentally calculating her response. “I’m not sure, but I will do my best. Whatever Alfonso plans, rest assured it will come to naught.”

“Are you a shareholder in the company?” She inquired further, her interest deepening.

Old Mr. Thorne nodded. “As I mentioned earlier, we were quite close to the Giacometti family. We held shares in each other’s companies. Even though Ewan distanced himself from us and hasn’t attended the meetings, he still owns a significant number of shares in my empire.”

Athena cocked her head slightly to the side. “Are you sure he’s aware of his status in your company?”

Old Mr. Thorne exchanged a confused look with his wife, their shared bewilderment evident. “We handed the documents to Alfonso, seeing as he was the closest to the family back then. Ewan was right there, but I assumed he was bright enough to grasp what we were discussing…”

“I’m sorry, my dear friend, but as Ewan’s doctor, I don’t think he is aware of the status he holds in your company. I think we need to question Alfonso.”