Divorcing the Duke to Buy the World

Chapter 83: I Don’t Keep Liabilities

The dark study was quiet, but inside Evelina’s mind, the gears were spinning at maximum speed.

Every hour her wagons sat outside the Capital gates, her business lost drive, and the hungry wolves of high society grew bolder.

Suddenly, a shadow slipped through the side door of the study.

It was Lila. The maid she had carefully placed as a mole around Isabella. freeweɓnøvel.com

Lila’s breathing was shallow as she closed the door behind her, blending into the darkness of the room.

"Your Grace," Lila whispered, rushing to the desk, "I have an urgent message. I took a massive risk coming here directly, but you need to know. Lady Isabella just met with her contacts from the underground docks. I overheard them planning an ambush."

Evelina kept her arms crossed, her eyes tracking Lila’s frantic movements in the dim light, "An ambush? Where?"

"At the northern transit route, just two miles outside the city gates!" Lila explained quickly, her words tumbling over one another, "She knows your wagons are stuck there. She has hired rogue mercenaries to raid the stalled cargo line tonight while the imperial guards look the other way.

She wants to destroy the linen before it ever touches the city markets. Your Grace, you must send all your private estate guards to the northern gate immediately to protect the cargo!"

Evelina rose to her feet, almost about to summon the guards and order them.

But the last moment, she paused.

If Isabella wants to destroy my business, why would she strike the wagons at the city gates where the imperial customs guards are actively stationed? Evelina thought. Even if the guards look the other way, a massive fight at the main entrance of the Capital would cause a public uproar. Elian wouldn’t want that kind of messy scandal right after passing a legal decree.

Isabella was ruthless, but she wasn’t stupid. The sole purpose of sending Lila here was to cause a distraction.

"Did someone notice you?"

Lila shook her head, froze, and then nodded once, "I think... I saw Lady Isabella’s right hand man behind when I was escaping but I took a secret route and later he disappeared so... I think I must be overthinking."

Evelina took out a pouch of gold.

"My Lady, what... did I do something wrong..."

"Take this and stay in hiding with the Alvarez guards for some time. If things get chaotic outside, take that moment to run. With this gold, you can live a secure life."

Lila cried, "My Lady, I only want to serve you... I don’t want to go..."

"You have been discovered and seen through long before, Lila. Isabella used you as a double sword to send me the wrong information," Evelina looked away, " The moment you were exposed, you became a liability. And I don’t keep liabilities around me.

Your distant family members have been rescued and settled in better place, you can go stay with them in the future."

Lila sobbed even harder by the time Evelina finished speaking. She realized the lady spoke so ruthlessly but if she meant it, she would have ensured her death.

Nobody gave gold to an exposed spy or let them leave. And to think that, this was the same woman she had once tried to poison, Lila felt like she must have been graced by god to encounter someone like Evelina in this life

After Lila thanked her profusely and left, Evelina was again alone in the study.

She remained silent for some time before her eyes narrowed suddenly.

The Capital docks, Evelina realized instantly. The central warehouses near the river ports.

That was where her massive, already-cleared distribution stock for the southern networks was stored. That was the true heart of her current supply line.

Evelina called for her head of security, ordering him to split the estate guards; not to the northern gate, but to reinforce the central docks immediately.

"Prepare the carriage," Evelina commanded, throwing a dark travelling cloak over her lavender gown, "We are going to the warehouses right now."

The carriage tore through the cobblestone streets of the Capital under the cover of the gathering storm clouds.

Thunder rumbled in the distance, mimicking the the frantic beating of Evelina’s heart.

She knew she had outsmarted Isabella’s fake tip, but knowing a trap didn’t mean she had beaten the clock.

Outside the carriage window, the city lights blurred into streaks of yellow and gray.

Evelina kept her eyes fixed forward. Isabella sure was moving fast, using her rogue military contacts and underground thugs to strike while Ace was away at the high military council.

As the carriage crossed the bridge entering the industrial shipping sector, a strange scent drifted through the air. It was the odor of sulfur.

Evelina’s grip tightened on the edge of her seat.

Suddenly, a blinding flash illuminated the night sky. It wasn’t lightning.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion shook the ground, rattling the wheels of the carriage. freewebnøvel.com

The horse shrieked in terror, the driver struggling to keep the vehicle from flipping over as they rounded the final corner leading into the central docks.

Evelina threw open the carriage door before it had even come to a complete stop, stepping out into the cold, windy night.

Her breath hitched.

Directly ahead of her, the true horror unfolded.

Isabella’s hired arsonists had already infiltrated the sector.

While Evelina had successfully sent her guards to defend the area, the thugs had moved minutes faster, using highly volatile chemical accelerants.

Right before her eyes, her three largest distribution warehouses exploded.

An unstoppable wall of green-tinted fire roared into the dark sky, fed by the fuels the thugs had poured over the flammable rolls of linen.

The heat was immediate and intense, blasting against Evelina’s face and forcing her to take a step back as the wind whipped her dark cloak around her.

"No... no! The entire southern inventory... everything we prepared for the spring season... it’s gone!" The servants dropped to their knees, not a single one dared to look at Evelina.