Alpha's replacement bride is destined mate-Chapter 187 A Mad Woman

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The West, The Palace

In the morning Emily meant to take a walk in the garden after breakfast, and it would bore her to stay in her room. So she went out into the garden, accompanied by one of the maids.

The sky was still overcast, the roses in the garden had begun to wither, their withered petals fell one by one to the earth, and even the surrounding trees gave off an air of gloom.

Emily walked about the garden for some time, but she was not interested in continuing her stroll. She saw a swing hanging under a large tree, and sat down upon it to rest.

A cold wind blew, and Emily involuntarily shrank. When the maid saw this, she said, " The weather is getting cooler, you’ll catch a cold if you stay here too long. I think you should go back to the house?"

" No. I want to stay here." Emily said. Even though she felt cold, she did not want to go back.

The maid grimaced, " If you get sick, the king will be angry when he finds out."

Emily was tired of hearing the maids talk of their king all the time. They would always tell Emily that the king would be very angry if she were sick. The king would be angry if she did not eat.

They were like Elijah’s eyes watching Emily’s every move. This behaviour annoyed Emily.

" Then you go and get me a coat. " Emily said impatiently, "Now."

" Yes. "The maid said.

When the maid had gone, Emily sat down on the swing and slowly swayed, her eyes looking ahead. At that moment a shadowy figure suddenly came into her sight.

Slowly the silhouette moved in her direction, softly, but with an unaccountable heaviness of step. At first, it was only a vague silhouette swaying in the distance. As the distance increased, Emily soon saw plainly that it was a woman with gray hair.

The woman was dressed in a thin dress, the color of which had somewhat faded, and she looked old and forlorn. The woman’s cheeks were sunken, like valleys worn by age, and there was not a trace of colour in them. Her lips were white, she had a sickly look, and her languid form seemed as if at any moment it might be upset by a gust of wind.

Emily immediately got off the swing as the woman approached her. The strange woman stared at Emily with grey, empty eyes, as if they were two deep, bottomless caverns, without a trace of life or emotion. Emily could not help feeling a chill in her heart as she was gazed at by these eyes.

"Who are you?" Emily asked softly.

The white-haired woman did not say a word; she only looked at Emily in silence. The wind blew the woman’s white hair all over her head, and strands of it fluttered in the wind. Her lips curled as if she were about to say something, but no sound came.

Emily felt uncomfortable under the strange gaze of this woman. She tried to move away, but the woman suddenly reached out and grabbed Emily’s wrist. The hand was cold and strong, and it gripped Emily’s wrist like an iron vice, so that she could not free herself.

Emily looked at the woman in horror, filled with fear and confusion as to what this woman really wanted to do.

"Emily." The white haired woman’s low voice held a hint of uncertainty, " Are you Emily?"

Emily was surprised. This was the second person in the palace she had ever heard call her by her first name. " Do you recognize me?" Emily asked.

"Are you really Emily? "The white haired woman asked.

"Yes, I am. "Emily replied.

"Why are you here? " The white haired woman’s expression instantly became fierce, her eyes filled with hate, "Did you have Elijah lock me up?"

"I don’t know what you’re talking about. " Emily looked at the woman in front of her suspiciously, "I don’t even know you."

"It was you, you took Elijah away from me." The white-haired woman shouted at Emily as if she were mad. She had her hands around Emily’s neck, "I’m going to kill you!"

Emily tried to pull away from the woman’s hands, but the woman’s hands remained on Emily’s neck, her fingernails sinking deep into the skin. Emily could not catch her breath, and at the same moment she felt a sharp pain. The white-haired woman shrieked at Emily as if she were mad.

" Stop, Haley," came a snarling voice.

Elijah rushed forward and shoved the white-haired woman violently to the grass. The white-haired woman froze, her eyes filled with disbelief. She stared blankly at Elijah, as if she could not believe what was going on before her.

" I can’t believe you hit me for her." The white haired woman yelled at Elijah, " Elijah, how could you do this to me?"

" Shut up! Haley." Elijah looked angrily at the white haired woman on the floor, " If you say one more word I will kill you."

"Then kill me. " The white haired woman cried, "I gave everything to you. I am what I am because of you You have made me a sacrifice to the dark gods, you——"

Elijah tightened his hand around the white-haired woman’s neck, "I said shut up."

The white-haired woman was immediately unable to speak and her face turned purple from lack of oxygen. Her eyes widened, and terror and despair were in them. Her hands clawed at Elijah, and her nails left scratches on his hands, but her strength was no match for Elijah’s. Her struggle seemed so feeble. Presently she lost her power of resistance, and her body hung limp.

At that moment two guards came running up, and Elijah let go of the white-haired woman’s neck. The woman fell to the ground as if she had lost all strength, and her hair was strewn about the grass like wilted flowers.

"Lock her up in the Black Tower and don’t let her out without my permission. " Elijah ordered.

The two guards immediately dragged the dying woman away. The woman’s body trailed a shallow trail on the ground, her hair fluttering in the wind, as if to tell of her unwillingness and suffering.

Elijah turned to Emmeline, and for an instant his face regained its gentleness, as if the hard, heartless man of earlier days were not even he. " Are you ok?" Elijah asked.

Elijah’s eyes were fixed on Emily’s neck, where there was a faint red mark, evidently made by the woman’s earlier scratch. "Your neck hurts, let me see." He reached out and tried to touch Emily’s neck to check for injuries.

" No." Emily drew back repeatedly, her eyes full of fear and caution.

" Don’t come near me." Emily’s voice trembled with fierce resistance. Her body clung to the posts of the swing set.

" Emily, it’s me." Elijah said softly, " Don’t be afraid, that woman was crazy earlier. I promise she will never hurt you again."

" Is she telling the truth?" Emily looked at Elijah uneasily, " Is it true that the woman said that I took you away from her?"

" No." Elijah denied, "Don’t believe that crazy woman, she’s lying to you."

"But she knows me." Emily said, "She can even say my name."

"Just because she knows you doesn’t mean she’s telling the truth. " Elijah said, "Come here, I’ll tell you everything."

"Really?"

"Of course. " Elijah put his hand out, "Come here, Emily."

Emily hesitated, not sure whether she should go to him. At that moment Elijah stepped forward, and in one swift movement he wrapped Emily in his arms.

"Elijah, don’t." Emily struggled, a hint of alarm in her voice. Her hands pressed hard against Elijah’s chest, but he held her tight and would not let go. His embrace was like a strong cage from which she could not escape.

"Emily, don’t be afraid." Elijah coaxed her gently. His voice was soft and low, as if he were soothing a frightened bird. "Did that crazy woman scare you earlier?"

Emily nods. " You scared me too."

" Trust me, that woman from earlier will never be in your presence again. I promise. "Elijah said, "Emily, Come back to the palace with me. I’ll tell you anything you want to know."

"Really? "Emily asks, "You’ll tell me everything I want to know?"

Elijah nods, " Let’s go, your neck hurts and needs treatment."

Then Elijah released her, and he took Emily by the hand and went in the direction of the palace.