The Kiss that Sparked it All

Chapter 1883

Spotting Bertha emerging, McNeil approached her, asking, “What’s wrong with her? Is she ill?”

Bertha shot McNeil a resentful look, her voice icy, “She’s not ill. She’s injured.”

McNeil’s eyes narrowed abruptly. “Injured? How? Who hurt her?”

Bertha’s expression hardened. “You did!”

McNeil was taken aback, lost for words in his guilt.

Bertha continued, “All of this is because of you! If it weren’t for the Howards pushing Marlinie into a corner, she wouldn’t have had to leave her daughter in someone else’s care. Ellinor wouldn’t have had to suffer so much from a young age, and Marlinie wouldn’t have been injured by that unreasonable woman when she went to confront them! You’ve already hurt Marlinie enough. If you have any conscience left, stay away from her! You’ve seen how much she despises seeing you!”

McNeil felt shame, but also confusion. “I know I wronged her, but why did she avoid me to the point of leaving her daughter with someone else? I’ve been searching for her…”

have left her child with someone else? You didn’t believe in her innocence. You and your Howard family blamed her for tarnishing your reputation. You’ve chased her away from her family. She feared involving her family and had to run and hide with her daughter! And now

down? What

She thought he had shown remorse, but instead, he was playing innocent. No wonder Marlinie was so reluctant to

If you have any decency

and strode

stood there, dazed.

Hunting them down?

from a distance, approached

gesturing dismissively.

his dazed father

some bodyguards to protect the people in that room,

had overheard the conversation and could guess who the woman in

own feelings were complicated. As the son of his father,