Villains also get Second chance

"Cassius, you have to go to Vistertia town to see the condition there. The Drought has badly impacted us, I want you to be the head of the relief fund group, it will be a good experience for you.

And then I would hand over dukedom to you.'' His voice was sounding grave, there was something I could not understand from his voice.

"Father is there some problem, you are sounding worried?'' I asked him and he shook his head.

"I am just tired my son, when you come back I will tell you everything, first let me be sure about it," he said cryptically and I could only nod my head.

It had been 3 weeks since I was posted in the areas affected by the drought. One day I suddenly received a letter to come home urgently because there was an emergency.

I furrowed my brows, everyone was perfect, when I left what could have happened. The whole journey I was restless, Ian kept on saying that I was worrying too much, but there was something that was unnerving me. When I reached the palace there was a crowd gathered, my heart ached, as several thoughts started forming in my mind.

They were looking at us with pity in their eyes. And my thoughts started forming shapes.

"Cassius," I turned to see Isabella, Elizabeth and Marquees Wiltshire standing in a corner with Killian. The little boy came running to me and hugged my legs tightly. He was crying.

I took him in my arms, and wiped his tears, "what happened son, why are you crying? '' I asked, as tears started forming in my eyes too.

"Dada, grandma and grandpa are gone, mother said they left us forever. Even uncle Simon is gone," he replied in a soft innocent voice and I heard a thud, Ian was on the floor crying. 

Elizabeth walked towards me and hugged me, but I still could not believe what happened. Just how! How could they leave us like that, there was so much to be done, so much was left.

I shook my head, but she just hugged me tightly as tears started pouring out of our eyes,

After all the rituals were done, they told me some bandits attacked their carriage and killed everyone in case someone complained against them. My parents and Ian's parents and his younger sister were all killed brutally when they were coming to meet us to give a surprise to Ian on his birthday.

Soon I was announced as the new archduke, and Ian took his father's place as my counsellor and aide.

Killian and my bond gave me most of the strength to bear the losses.

************

I was taking rounds of the market, checking their working conditions and accounts when my eyes fell on an emerald ring in a jewellery shop. I could never forget this ring, it was my mother's ring that I had gifted her from my first earnings.

I went to the shop and as I had thought, his name was written inside the ring.

"Where did you get this ring from?'' I asked the jeweller and he thought I was there to buy it.

"Oh, it's a very fine ring, your highness. Barron Dylan had sold it. Their condition is not well these days so he is selling a few jewels of his mother to keep his business floating.'' My eyes narrowed at the name, Dylan, he was a friend of Elizabeth in the past.

"Had he sold other pieces of jewellery too?'' I asked and he nodded, he asked a salesman to bring a box filled with rare jewels and I did not need to see twice that all belonged to our family. Some are our ancestral jewels, my fist clenched as I realized all the things that belonged to my mother was sold here,

"There were a few more jewels, but they had already been sold," he replied and flinched. My bloodlust was that obvious.

"I want each and every piece of jewel that was sold from this box. I am ready to pay any amount you say," I said through gritted teeth. 

"Ian, check all the noble store and confirm what other things Dylan had sold, and bring all those things to me.'' I closed my eyes. I wanted to believe that Barron had stolen all those things from the palace, but even my foolish mind was not ready to believe it, that no one came to know that he took so much.

A few properties and land that were in a faraway town, which my father had given to Killian on his birth, all the jewels of my mother, antiques and much more were found in the market. 

I was amazed at their courage to steal so much and sold it in the market when I was the administrative head of all the area. What had they taken me as! Fool! I did feel like a fool at that time.

"Keep an eye on both Dylan and Elizabeth. I want to know every minor to minor detail related with them.'' I ordered Ian, and he nodded.

"Do you think.." I raised my hand before he could complete his sentence.

"I want to be sure, before taking any decision." I still wanted to give her a chance, a chance to prove her innocence which was never there.

Soon I found a lot of reports. They were meeting discreetly spending hours in lodges where she would go hiding her face and register herself with a fake name.

The proofs were evident. Whenever I left the place she would soon follow me afterwards.

I closed my eyes as the truth burnt me, I loved that woman so much. Never denied her to do anything, never asked a question. Her expenditures were never checked, she was allowed to go anywhere anytime. I did every possible thing to keep her happy and what she had done to me.

She had always behaved sweetly, whenever I said I love her she said she loved me too. Just then a letter came from the palace, I was not in the condition to take the letter so I asked Ian to take it. 

He opened it to read it for me, but just when he read it he fell on the floor as his knees went weak.

[hey readers, the book completed 100chapters today, sorry for the flashback know you didn't like it, but at this point, it was necessary to know why he kept an eye on her expenses and why he was so hyped when she met Damien discreetly or why he did not trust her, I am not taking his side, just telling the reasons. The bomb I was talking about, my friend said to remove it as such a big revelation should not be done this early, so sorry, but I have left subtle hints for you to guess. Happy reading, love you all]