Chapter 1213
“Elliana, I forced this battered body to make it this far only to speak with you one last time,” Maxine murmured, her voice weakening with every word.
Elliana’s voice remained steady as she asked, “What do you want?”
Elliana’s coldness didn’t seem to bother Maxine at all. Maxine’s gaze actually became softer, and a hint of something like affection showed in her eyes. She watched Elliana in silence for several seconds before finally speaking.
“How about we strike a new bargain?”
Elliana let out a short, dismissive laugh. “You’re dying. I could finish you off right here. What exactly do you have left to offer me? You should be getting down on your knees and pleading for me to let you live.”
Quietly but with a strange gentleness, Maxine replied, “I might not be dangerous to you anymore, but I still have something you need. You can take my life, but you can’t force my secrets out. If I decide not to talk, you will never discover what you’re looking for. Isn’t that the truth?”
Elliana’s silence was sharp enough to cut through the cold night air. Her gaze darkened, a dangerous glint flashing in her eyes. She didn’t need Maxine to elaborate; she already knew what the woman was hinting at. The truth about her mother’s origins.
The realization hit hard. “What exactly do you want from me?” Elliana asked, her voice cold and measured.
Maxine still had one last card to play—the truth about Rita’s origins. That truth was something Elliana couldn’t afford to ignore, and at that moment, the dying Maxine held the upper hand.
Knowing she was running out of time, Maxine decided not to waste another breath. She extended the box in her trembling hand, saying, “Elliana, if you agree to take this, I’ll tell you everything about your mother’s origins.”
Everyone had noticed the box the moment Maxine appeared. Judging from the strain in her grip, it was obviously heavy, and whatever lay inside had to be of great importance. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have clung to it so desperately while fleeing for her life.
Elliana made no move to accept it. Her focus stayed firmly on Maxine’s face. “What’s inside?” she asked.
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“It’s the Sovereign’s Orb of the Griffiths Dynasty,” Maxine replied, her tone steady but weak.
A wave of shocked murmurs went through the crowd. “The Sovereign’s Orb?”
Just hearing its name brought to mind an artifact worth a fortune, something so rare that it could spark wars or vanish into legend. And Maxine was just giving this incredibly valuable to Elliana?
Elliana still didn’t take it. She looked calmly at Maxine while her thoughts moved quickly. She had learned all about the Griffiths Dynasty’s past. The history books said that after the Campbells destroyed the Griffiths Dynasty, two priceless things had disappeared: the princess who survived and the Sovereign’s Orb of the Griffiths Dynasty.
Over the years, whispers of the exiled princess had surfaced—tales of how she had endured countless hardships to preserve her family’s bloodline, a lineage that eventually founded the Serpent Society. But the Sovereign’s Orb had simply disappeared.
It had vanished. No historian could have guessed that the princess had hidden it, passing it down through her descendants until this very day.
Maxine continued, her voice trembling with emotion, “During the reign of the Griffiths family, this Sovereign’s Orb stood as the mark of our royal lineage. When the dynasty fell, it became our family’s final symbol of power, passed from one leader to the next. The person who possesses the Sovereign’s Orb holds command over every living member of the Griffiths family bloodline.”
Her expression softened with grief as her gaze drifted to the infant in Elliana’s arms. “I was meant to train the next heiress and give her this Sovereign’s Orb before my time ended, but… she’s still too young.”
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Message from Noah: New chapters a bit early this time dear readers, I hope you like them. God loves you, and I wish you all the best. ( ? ? – ) ?
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