Chapter 18
He’d spent half a month carefully evading the Hall Family’s pursuit, dodging surveillance slipping through traps, finally shaking them off, just to find one chance to see Eliza.
But Eliza was already the Clark Family’s daughter–in–law now.
Every time she went out, she was accompanied by the Clark Family’s bodyguards. And wher there weren’t guards around, Jason was there personally by her side.
Even her art studio was tightly protected. There were designated patrols around it at all hours.
The area was blanketed with surveillance, leaving no blind spots. Every camera feed watched by someone, 24/7.
Edward had tried to get close to the studio once, hoping to test his luck.
But the moment he stepped into the surrounding area, the Clark Family’s surveillance cameras caught him.
Yet instead of confronting him directly, the Clark Family took a more calculated approach.
They alerted the Hall Family. And within three minutes, the Hall Family’s people were already rushing to the scene.
If they caught him now, he’d be facing at least three months of confinement.
Unable to do anything else, Edward had no choice but to retreat and hide once again.
After laying low for a while, he caught wind of the news. Eliza was going to hold an art
exhibition.
This was his only chance.
Before the exhibition, he had already made up his mind. If Eliza said yes, he would take her abroad immediately.
He still had assets overseas–enough for the two of them to live comfortably for the rest of their lives, never needing to worry about money again.
But what he didn’t expect was Eliza herself.
He never imagined she would reject him so decisively.
And when she looked at him, there wasn’t the slightest trace of love in her eyes. Only deep unyielding disgust.
They had known each other for eight years.
Eight years was long enough for Eliza’s love to rot into something unrecognizable.
Eight years was too long for her love to survive and yet too short for him to truly understand her.
Before he could grasp who she really was, it had already ended.
He was swiftly captured and dragged back to the Hall Family by the men his family had dispatched.
As punishment, he was forced to kneel in the ancestral hall for three days and three nights, while
Chapter 18
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the family whip once again lashed across his back.
Blood soaked his clothes, pain seared through every inch of his skin, yet his mother stood beside him, heartbroken but furious.
“Edward, how could you be so foolish?” she cried out. “Do you want to anger your father and me to death? What a sin!”
“Where are the principles I taught you? The sense of honor and shame? The family values? You’ve humiliated not only yourself but the entire Hall Family, how will we face our ancestors?”
“You were already tangled up with your own sister before. Now Eliza is married into the Clark Family and you’re still chasing after her, trying to stir up scandal with a married woman? Do you have any idea how destructive this could be to the Hall Family’s reputation if it gets out?”
Kneeling in the cold ancestral hall, blood dripping from his clenched fists, Edward gritted his teeth and growled.
“Mom, enough! I know all of it!”
After that, no matter what his father and mother said to him, he remained silent.
He endured the family punishment without a word, then went back to his room to lie down. Three days later, he barely managed to get out of bed. That very night, he repeated his old trick and escaped from the Hall Family once again.
His second escape caused a huge uproar.
The Hall Family mobilized all their resources to hunt him down.
But this time, Edward was well prepared.
No matter how powerful the Hall Family was, they couldn’t find a single trace of him.
Since trying soft meant failed, he decided to use force.
The thought of Eliza spending the rest of her life with Jason caused him unbearable pain. He couldn’t endure it any longer.
Eliza’s art exhibition lasted for half a month. Afterward, it would leave Northwyn and head to Burnham for a tour.
That was when his chance came.
4:41 pm
Edward’s POV
