CHAPTER 78

It was at this moment that Elizabeth shocked everyone in the room.

Elizabeth knelt in front of the young men, her eyes reflecting a mixture of deep sadness and remorse. Her voice trembling, she began to ask for forgiveness, her words carrying an unparalleled weight.

- I'm so sorry... I'm sorry that you almost lost your lives... because of me," she murmured, as tears began to run down her cheeks.

-"Even though I wasn't the one who pulled the trigger, I... I know that this all started because of me. Charles... he did it because of me, and I feel responsible for everything you've been through.

A heavy silence enveloped the room as Elizabeth tried to express the depth of her guilt. Her apology was heartfelt and filled with sincere sadness. She continued, her voice breaking:

- I didn't want any of this to happen.

The young people, even though they were weakened by the pain, were looking for the strength to try to get up and help that young woman to stand on her feet.

In a weak voice, one of the young men, with tears in his eyes, looked at Elizabeth sincerely and said:

- Please, Elizabeth, don't blame yourself for any of this. It wasn't your fault at all. Even knowing you now, we can see your goodness and we know that none of this was your fault. Another young man confirmed, adding:

- You are a light in our lives, and we never wanted anything bad to happen to you. No matter what happened, we are grateful to know you and to have the chance to be by your side.

Lek and Mack, began to tell everything... they were pinketons, mounties, and gangs involved in the rescue of Charles Kensigton III, and their leader was a man no one would ever doubt or question.

Elizabeth looked at them and, with her hands on her hips, her eyes half-closed and her face like a schoolteacher, she asked:

- I'll ask you just once... who was their boss?

The two young men looked like children when they were caught doing art. Wynn knew that face very well, she was a copy of her mother, and she was beautiful too. Wynn saw Jack's passionate gaze and was happy that her daughter had found true love. Wynn looked at the young mountie, he as their superior was about to question and demand the truth, when the boys looked at Elizabeth and spoke:

- It's the commander.

Elizabeth stared back. They rolled their eyes, showing everyone that they couldn't resist Elizabeth's orders and face, and together they spoke:

- Commander Hargraves.

To Elizabeth, Faith, Carson and Pastor Frank, that name meant nothing, but they knew there was a lot of dirt in there; where had you ever seen a commander helping a prisoner escape?

For Wynn and Jack, things were different. All of them cursed, they were astonished and horrified by this news. To know that a commander was doing something of this nature was revolting. Jack called Wynn over in a low voice and told him about some of the problems they'd had with Hargraves in the past, which Bill had been responsible for helping to resolve and getting him away from his family. Knowing that her father's former partner had done something like that was revolting.

Elizabeth said goodbye to Lek and Mack and left with her husband, arm in arm. Wynn stayed in the infirmary to take their statements. For the time being, he wouldn't let anyone know that those young mounties were alive and conscious, he didn't want to put their lives at risk.

He needed Bill and Frankison to get to the city quickly so that they could make plans together.

When Wynn came out of the infirmary, she saw Jack and Beth talking and laughing on the balcony of the police station, they were two people in love, and they were talking like they hadn't seen each other for a long time, laughed Wynn.

Meanwhile, in Hamilton, Willian showed Grace the newspaper, where there was a description with a photo of the death of Bille Hamilton in Hope Valle, after he attacked a young man in the town and tried to rape her. There was no name of the young woman, but both Grace and Willian knew who it was. Willian argued with Grace, if this man raped Elizabeth, hurting her or deforming her, how could they give the girl to Charles... they should be grateful that Charles was accepting her even though he knew she had already been used in bed by that little soldier. Grace, for her part, screamed and wailed and ended up saying:

- It's all your fault, Willian Thatcher, if you hadn't stolen that pest from your sister, we wouldn't have any problems today. It would have been better for our daughter to be dead than to have to put up with that freak for years and years and pretend to love her.

- I just wanted you to have a daughter, and besides, it avoided the comments of high society, we didn't need gossip with our name on it, because that could damage business.

- I look at Elizabeth, and all these years I've hated her with all my might. She should have died in childbirth, not my little girl; I'll never love that bitch, that thing...

- I'm like that too, Grace. So tell me something and be honest; why didn't you let me have fun with her back then, or even afterwards? I should at least have some recompense for all the money I spent on her.

- Never Willian. I'll never allow that, I won't have you with her. You're my husband and I won't allow it, not with her.

- Why not?

- She's always been pretty, always, and I'm not going to let you have someone who's prettier than I was when we first met. You ruined my youth, so you'll only get women I allow. Now Charles, yes, I want you to have her... He'll teach her to be a good girl. He'll tame her like an animal and I'll love to see it.

Will and Grace argued and ended up slapping each other, pieces of pottery were thrown all over the room, clothes were torn, leaving them both completely naked, and right there in that open-door office, William climbed on top of her and made her his wife, in every way he wanted... She screamed at first, and tried to run away, but she was just as boiling-blooded as he was, since he liked it that way, and it had been that way for over twenty years, she knew she should enjoy it, after all their marriage had lasted until today, because somehow they matched and that's how Grace spent the next hour with that man on top of her.

Julia, who was standing outside, covered her mouth with her hands. All her life, as she was growing up, she had watched her father having sex with her mother and even some of the maids, after all, he didn't care where he was, and Julia Thatcher, the most beautiful and richest, thought she had the right to enjoy watching those scenes, she even liked it, and that's how she learned a lot of the things she always did in bed with the men she chose with her fingers, but what surprised her and made her eyes catch fire with hatred was learning about Bile's death and about Elizabeth not being her sister;

An evil smile appeared on Julia's face, lighting her eyes with a spark of perversity. She knew she was about to set in motion a plan that would change the game, and the anticipation of what lay ahead filled her with satisfaction. With determination, she pushed forward, ready to face any challenge thrown her way. That smile was a promise of the power she possessed, and no one could stop her as she plotted her dark destiny.

"I will take my revenge. "

"Elizabeth, I'm going to get you. "