Damien Gray leaned in close to her lips and smiled, "Let me have a kiss first!"
Morgan Shangguan smiled helplessly and kissed him lightly on the lips. Only then did Damien Gray laugh and say, "There are countless ways to torment someone. Before she dies, she'll truly understand what it means to wish for death over life!"
Morgan Shangguan raised her eyebrows and looked at him, asking, "So you really plan to keep her ashes in the palace?"
Damien Gray reached out and gently stroked her lips, distracted as he said, "There's a small lake in the Ghost Residence, and I keep some fish in it."
Morgan Shangguan let out a soft laugh. He was planning to feed Claire Yi's ashes to the fish—which, in a sense, was still keeping them in the palace, so he hadn't broken his word! Gently moving his finger away from her lips, Morgan smiled and asked, "Do you have a deep hatred for her?" In truth, Morgan already understood the situation between Claire Yi and Damien Gray; there was no real deep-seated grudge, she was just making a casual remark.
Unexpectedly, Damien Gray suddenly hugged her tightly and said in a deep voice, "Morgan, anyone who tries to hurt you is my enemy!" There was not a hint of jest in his tone.
Morgan Shangguan gently rubbed her cheek against his, her eyes filled with laughter. He always found ways to move her, quietly taking root in her heart, growing deeper with each passing day. If she ever tried to pull him out, her heart would surely bleed. She sighed inwardly, yet made no effort to resist.
Damien Gray reached out and gently stroked her hair, sighing, "Morgan, don't leave me. Otherwise, I truly might throw the whole world into chaos!" He was born of darkness, with no mercy in his heart, never caring for the fate of the world. All he knew was that she was the only one he wanted, the only one he could not bear to let go.
If she ever left him, if she ever made him suffer, he truly had no idea what he might do.
Morgan Shangguan hugged him tightly in return and whispered, "As long as you never let go, I'll always stay by your side."
This time, they didn't bother to lower their voices. Claire Yi heard every word clearly, yet she pretended not to, keeping a wary eye on Maxwell Jing. Her face was pale with fear, as if Maxwell Jing were a wild beast ready to pounce at any moment.
But Maxwell Jing simply stood there quietly, as if he'd forgotten to act. He stared blankly at Damien Gray and Morgan Shangguan, or maybe he was seeing someone else through them. His gaze grew distant, and a hint of sorrow unconsciously crept over him. His eyes stung and his vision blurred.
"Anyone who tries to hurt you is my enemy!"
"As long as you never let go, I'll always stay by your side!"
Those words sounded so familiar, as if he'd heard them not long ago. But he couldn't remember who had said them—was it him, or someone else? He didn't want to forget, but he had to force himself to. Only by forgetting those feelings could he live like a normal person, laugh and talk like everyone else.
But had he truly forgotten?
Maxwell Jing gave a bitter smile. He'd thought that as long as they held tightly to each other's hands, they'd always be together. But fate always seemed to enjoy playing tricks.
"Claire..." The sudden voice snapped Maxwell Jing back to reality. In an instant, he returned to his usual self, and no one noticed his momentary lapse.
Master Ethan Yi gazed at the miserable Claire Yi on the ground, his eyes filled with shock and pain. He quickly took off his outer robe to cover her exposed body. Ethan Gu arrived right after, clearly having failed to stop him!
Morgan Shangguan gently pushed Damien Gray aside and watched as Master Ethan Yi, heartbroken, gathered Claire Yi into his arms. She couldn't help but frown. The moment Claire saw Master Ethan Yi, she burst into tears, all her grief and sorrow erupting at once.
Master Ethan Yi's face was full of pain. He had always treated Claire Yi as his own daughter. He'd hurried here only because he foresaw a life-threatening calamity for her, never expecting that the culprit would be Damien Gray!
Even as his heart ached, he couldn't help but feel relieved that he'd arrived in time. Although Claire Yi's limbs were shattered, as long as he took her back to the Valley of Destiny, he could slowly heal her until she regained full mobility.
Turning to Damien Gray, Master Ethan Yi asked sternly, "Damien, what are you doing?" His gaze flickered to Morgan Shangguan, clearly blaming her as the real instigator!
Damien Gray disliked the way Master Ethan Yi looked at Morgan Shangguan. He stepped aside to block his view and said coldly, "If you do wrong, you deserve punishment!"
Master Ethan Yi's face darkened. "What did Claire do wrong to deserve such humiliation and abuse from you?"
Damien Gray shot a look at Claire Yi, as if she'd found a protector. The murderous glint in his eyes sent a shiver through Claire, and she dared not meet his gaze again.
Damien Gray withdrew his gaze and sneered, "Humiliate her? She undressed herself! Abuse her? She brought it upon herself! She knew I couldn't take medicine lightly, yet she gave me an aphrodisiac. Did she want to climb into my bed, or take my life?"
Claire Yi's lips trembled. At the time, she only wanted to become his woman and hadn't considered the consequences; she never meant to hurt him.
Seeing Master Ethan Yi frown, Damien Gray continued, "Let that go." After all, he'd benefited plenty from it. "But she still refuses to repent, and now she's poisoned Morgan. Shouldn't she be held responsible for her actions?" He was only explaining this much because it was Master Ethan Yi, but clearly, he had no intention of letting Claire Yi off!
Master Ethan Yi frowned at Claire Yi and asked, "Claire, did you really do these things?" He knew she had always liked Damien Gray and had tried to bring them together, but had her obsession truly gone this far?
"I..." Claire Yi shot Morgan Shangguan a hateful glance, her eyes brimming with tears. "Master, I didn't poison anyone. That woman falsely accused me!"
Hearing this, Master Ethan Yi glanced at Morgan Shangguan, a trace of anger in his eyes. Clearly, he believed Claire Yi. Turning to Damien Gray, Master Ethan Yi asked sternly, "Damien, have you investigated thoroughly? You mustn't believe just one side of the story! Claire is your junior sister—even if she made a mistake, you shouldn't treat her like this!"
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