23: Strike first to gain the upper hand

At this moment, due to his critical illness, Barto's mind was no longer clear.

Therefore, in a fit of rage, he directly called for two attendants to push a wheelchair.

Then, without any regard, he aggressively headed towards Grace's room.

Of course, Barto wasn't completely muddled.

He actually recognized that the handwriting on the letter didn't match Poke's.

However, the content of the letter mentioned many detailed situations of the Barto Family's properties.

These things, besides Barto himself, only Poke, his personal butler, could know so clearly.

Therefore, Barto was certain that even if the letter wasn't written by Poke himself, he must have had someone write it on his behalf.

"Poke, you backstabbing bastard!"

"Fortunately, you're dead now, otherwise I would have flayed you alive and torn out your tendons."

"Then I'd chop you into minced meat to feed to dogs, send you to hell to suffer endless torment, never to find release!"

Barto gritted his teeth, roaring and cursing madly in his heart.

"And you, Grace, you shameless harlot."

"To think I've raised a bastard for so many years for nothing!"

"I will divorce you and send you back to your own family!"

Meanwhile, on the other side, in Grace's bedroom.

All the servants had left, and only two people remained in the room.

"Brother, what should we do now?" Grace asked the man in front of her, somewhat nervously.

At this moment, opposite Grace, stood a middle-aged man around forty years old, with a robust physique, wearing standard armor, and a long sword at his waist.

He was expressionless, exuding an aura of authority without anger, and his eyes were full of sharpness.

"Grace, don't worry," Gevas said in a low, calm voice.

"What you did last night was right; Poke truly deserved to die."

"The reason I allowed you to be with him in the first place was merely to borrow a seed."

"Later, I didn't kill him simply because I valued his identity as a butler, which could bring us more information and benefits."

A glint flashed in Gevas's eyes; Grace's affair with Poke back then wasn't just for personal desire.

More than twenty years ago, Barto was just a struggling merchant.

After settling in Hibo Town, he started from scratch and built his business.

Because he was good at calculations, cunning, and had a sharp eye, he made a lot of money in just a few years.

However, in this world of extraordinary abilities, a small merchant without power or backing was like a child carrying gold through a bustling market, quickly attracting the covetous eyes of many forces in Hibo Town.

And Gevas's family was one of them.

However, compared to those ruthless, brutal capitalists and gangsters who devoured people whole, Gevas's family was more strategic.

Although their family had few members and not much wealth, since his grandfather's generation, there had been knights in every generation.

After three generations of accumulation, Gevas, with his outstanding talent, broke through to become a formal knight, receiving fair recognition from the kingdom.

It just so happened that at that time, Barto's wife died of illness, and Gevas had a sudden inspiration.

Barto had money but no backing or power.

Gevas's family had power but no money or industry.

Thus, the two families formed an alliance through marriage, combining their strengths.

From then on, Grace became Barto's second wife.

However, after several years, Grace failed to conceive.

Out of caution, Gevas called his sister back and had someone examine her.

The unexpected result was that Grace's body had no problems.

And Barto had previously had a son, Nem, with his first wife.

The Gevas siblings were puzzled, and after a secret investigation, they finally discovered that Barto had overworked his body in his youth while striving for success.

Now, at forty, in his middle age, his physique was even worse, and he had lost his fertility.

Upon learning this, Grace was stunned.

What was the point of a young woman like her marrying an old man who could be her father?

Wasn't it to have a child and inherit the family fortune?

Now, Barto couldn't have children, but he had an eldest son. What about Grace? What was she supposed to do?

So, in a moment of desperation, after discussing it, the Gevas siblings came up with the idea of borrowing a seed.

At this moment, Gevas narrowed his eyes and continued, "Now, since your relationship has been discovered, whether Poke flees in fear or takes a desperate risk, he will bring us huge trouble."

"Therefore, Poke must die. Only if he is completely silenced and there's no one to testify against us can we conceal or flatly deny this matter."

Grace breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

Last night, although she also believed that killing Poke was the best option and had no hesitation when she acted, she was still just a pampered woman, and after killing someone, she felt some lingering fear and worry.

But now, after receiving her brother's approval, she could finally completely put her mind at ease.

"Brother, what should we do next?" Grace asked, reviewing the current situation.

"Poke is dead now, Barto is gravely ill, and Nem hasn't returned yet."

"If the person who wrote the blackmail letter hasn't told Barto the secret yet, we might still have a chance to argue."

"However, if Barto already knows about me and Poke... then, I'm afraid we really have to act and kill Barto!"

Gevas fell into deep thought upon hearing this.

Just as his sister said, if the blackmailer hadn't delivered the message to Barto yet, there would still be room for maneuver.

But if Barto already knew about it, then she would have no choice but to take a risk and strike first.

Just as Gevas was pondering how to proceed, his ears suddenly twitched, hearing the sound of rolling wheels outside.

Gevas's eyes flashed, he gave Grace a look, then his figure flickered, silently disappearing into the shadows of the corner.

Grace also reacted, quickly pretending that nothing had happened, sitting in front of her dressing table and primping in the mirror.

Bang!

The next moment, the door was suddenly pushed open.

"Grace, you bitch!" Barto said with a gloomy face, pushed in by an attendant in his wheelchair.

Hearing the curse, Grace's heart sank.

However, she still didn't give up, wanting to make one last desperate struggle.

So, Grace stood up, feigning surprise, and asked, "Barto, why are you cursing me?"

Seeing Grace feigning composure, Barto sneered, "Why am I cursing you? Don't you know in your heart?"

Grace looked utterly bewildered, as if greatly puzzled, and shook her head, saying, "I don't understand, but I think you should give me an explanation."