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He struggled to open his eyes before he spoke. “Blackmore, that is my mother.”

Magnus nodded, his face just as grim as he felt.

“Are you saying that my mother is Wilbury’s lover?” Edwin asked.

He simply could not believe his ears.

“I know it is difficult, finding out that the man who may have ordered your death is your mother’s lover,” Magnus continued.

Edwin nodded and took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. “How could they possibly have met? Why are they together?”

“I assure you, I have asked myself these same questions. And aside from the obvious companionship they offer each other, I think something else had pushed them into each other’s arms.”

Edwin’s eyes narrowed. “What?”

“You,” Magnus replied.

“Well, my mother certainly does not hide the fact that she despises me, and Wilbury does not like me either, not after I took over the business…”

Realization suddenly dawned on Edwin, and his eyes widened.

What his mother and Wilbury had in common was their hatred of him.

“At first, when I had Wilbury followed, I thought he simply hated you because of business. But now that I know he is your mother’s lover, things might be more complicated.”

Edwin chuckled, not out of amusement but rather shock. “This is not the first time my mother has tried to kill me,” he said in a low voice.

It was Magnus’s turn to be shocked. “Tell me that is not true.”

Edwin shook his head. “I may have only mentioned my father’s cruelty to you, but my mother was more cruel. She has hated me from the moment I was born, and she finds great delight in torturing me. In fact, I would say her cruelty left me with more scars than the war did. She even revealed, upon my return to London, that she forced me into the military because she could not stand my presence. She moved out of the house soon after—she simply could not stand being under the same roof as me.”

“I cannot believe a mother could be so cruel.”

“Then you have not met my mother.”

“What if… What if she and Wilbury planned the attack together?” Magnus rubbed his chin.

Edwin nodded. “I already considered that possibility; it seems the most plausible one. My mother and her lover, who also happens to be my competitor, are trying to kill me.”

“What will you do, Gillingham?” Magnus asked. “What if they send another thug after you? What if the attack is deadly this time?”

Edwin pondered on his friend’s words.

He was not afraid of being attacked. Just like the last time, he was certain he could hold his ground. He may sustain someinjuries, but no scoundrel off the streets of London could take him out.

“I assure you, I will be ready this time.”

However, as the words left his mouth, he realized with a pang that it was not so easy.

Ava.

Just like the last time, what if he was attacked when she was with him? And unlike the last time, what if she got injured instead of him?

Edwin closed his eyes and attempted to shake off the thought. He simply would not forgive himself if Ava was harmed because of him.

The mere thought of her being attacked made his heart sink with dread.

“What if they attack Ava? I must protect her.”