Betrayed By The Hero, Loved By The Lord-Chapter 52: Ruined (3)

Ruby was glad she was present so Trevor wouldn’t ruin her plans. "Selene doesn’t like to believe me that this has all been sorted out. I know it must sting that your father passed on his belongings to a man who could run this home instead of you but you must accept it."

"How would you have run this home? You’re twice married. It is evident you aren’t good at making decisions," said Ruby.

Ruby turned to Xavier who did not hide his anger. "Forgive me, Lord Blackthorn but as an outsider, it is easy to see Selene as the victim. I tried to help her when I first came but she lashed out at me."

"She lost her parents and at the time, must have had to face what was said by our kind alone with no one to offer her a shoulder. Imagine how excited she would have been to see her family rush to the home but then realise they had only come to see what they could get. Have you ever thought of that?" Xavier asked.

Ruby licked her lips, her small fangs almost cutting her. "The house was in ruin because of what they did. We came to help."

"You came and started to look through the rooms, pulling out what belonged to my mother to keep for yourself. At the time when I was grieving, I had to face all of you. None of you knew how tired I was then. How broken I was to be the one to bury my parents. Only my maids were by my side," Selene said, her anger starting to get the best of her.

Her relatives came at a weak point in her life when she didn’t have it in her to fight anyone. In the end, Selene spent that night sitting by her parents’ graves, trying to decide what to do with her life as the daughter of the people called traitors.

"We tried to help you as best as we could. We could have turned our backs on you but you didn’t. Trevor was kind to make the offer to let you stay here-"

"This home belongs to her," Xavier spoke over Ruby.

Ruby smiled. "I’m afraid it does not."

Xavier smiled as well. "I am wondering which fool in the court helped you to forge something to claim this house. It will be wonderful for me to track them down and kill them. It shouldn’t take long to find out who it is."

"I’ve been forced to be in the palace court far more than I wanted to but there was some good in it. I know the laws from top to bottom and it’s easy for people of this town to think the same laws for humans apply to vampires. It does not. A home such as this one does not need a male heir to inherit it," Xavier shared.

"That’s not true. I saw the paper myself," Trevor tried to argue.

Xavier looked to Ruby as the mastermind behind this. "You’re probably the one who found someone to use in the court. Since her parents were named traitors, you probably thought no one would come to Selene’s side to look into what you did. Once your scheme has been exposed, you will need to start gathering what you sold or kept for yourself. Start now."

Selene paid close attention to her aunt and cousin’s face. Her aunt didn’t react to what Xavier said but Trevor did. It had to be so since he had the most to lose. A house like this would attract a good bride. If he lost it, then his marriage might be affected.

"You can look all you want, Lord Blackthorn. You will not find anything to suggest there was foul play in inheriting this home. Your father didn’t care for you as much as you think, Selene. He couldn’t have since no father who loved his daughter would make her the daughter of a traitor," said Ruby.

"My father isn’t a traitor," Selene argued.

Xavier held Selene’s hand to keep her calm. "There must be something here belonging to her parents that you can offer her. Old portraits, journals, or old clothes."

’I wish there was something but we got rid of all of it. Why would we keep anything belonging to two people who sullied the family name?" Ruby asked.

"But you will rest your head in their old home? How smart of you," Xavier commented.

"It is a beautiful home. My son has been working hard to reclaim the status of the Harrisons. You should be thanking Trevor, Selene. We might be able to make the town forget what they did. Just a little," Ruby said in a taunting tone.

Xavier inspected the home. There weren’t any portraits on the wall of Selene or her parents which was expected. "Is it as you remember?" He asked Selene.

"No," Selene answered. Everything she saw so far was not here before. They ruined the beauty of her home.

"It is time we take our leave," Xavier said, his hold on Selene’s hand remaining to lead her to the door.

Seleene did not understand why Xavier wanted to leave so quickly. There was more she wanted to say to these people who called themselves her family.

"If you had only stayed, you wouldn’t be married twice by your age, Selene. You should have taken my offer to marry Mr. Fletcher. The man adores you," Ruby said as the couple made their way to the door.

"Mother," Trevor whined.

"Silence," Ruby hushed her son before he could say too much. "We are fine."

Outside the home, Xavier helped Selene to the carriage whilst still listening to what was said inside. It was evident from the visit that Ruby was the one pulling the strings here. She did what she needed to get her son to claim the home.

Nothing was said until the carriage was a good distance away from the home.

"Why did we just leave without getting a look?" Selene asked.

"Within the short moments of speaking to them, I know that they either sold, destroyed, or wore what was left behind by your parents. It will be hard to track down what was sold since so much time has passed but I will look into it for you. I don’t have faith that portraits of your family are around. That is why we left," Xavier explained.

There wasn’t anything for Selene there aside from the home.

"I know they would have tossed it away but I was hoping for even the smallest thing belonging to my mother and father. I cannot let them keep that home. None of them cared for my parents," Selene said.

"They will not keep it. I am taking your word that your father loved you to think ahead to prepare your safety for the future. It will be easy for me to prove what your aunt did but I will have to go to court myself," Xavier said, unable to hide how annoyed he was in his voice and facial expressions.

"I must warn you that even though I can place it back into your hands, your family will not move so willingly. Normally, I would have them dragged out of it or kill them where they stand but I was thinking of setting it all on fire," Xavier shared his plans.

Selene frowned. "You want to burn my family home to the ground?"

"Not to the ground. Just enough to chase the rats out and then I will repair it for you. Making just as you remember to the best my money can do," said Xavier.

It would be even better if her relatives were trapped inside.