Reborn To Change My Fate-Chapter 328 - Three Hundred And Twenty Seven

The heavy silence in the snowy courtyard was broken only by the sound of the freezing wind. Prince Liam stared down at the Grand Duke. The crushed piece of paper in Liam’s fist was proof that Derek held his life, his wealth, and his future in that dark leather book.

"Fine," Liam said. His voice was tight with anger, but he had no other choice. "We will exchange simultaneously."

Liam turned his head slightly and looked at the woman cowering in the shadows behind him.

"Ashlyn!" Liam snapped, his voice sharp and commanding. "Get the ledger."

Ashlyn jumped at the sound of her name. She was terrified of the Prince, but she was also desperate to prove her worth to him. She slowly stepped forward, her ruined, bloody dress shivering in the cold wind.

The royal guard holding Marissa’s arms began to walk down the wide stone steps. Ashlyn followed closely behind them.

The three of them walked until they stood just a few feet away from Derek in the center of the courtyard.

Derek stood completely still. His face was a calm mask of stone, but his mind was racing. He was counting every single second. He knew his Elite Shadows were coming. Before he rode through the front gates, he had given them strict orders to scale the high back walls of the Prince’s estate and quietly eliminate the archers on the roof. But climbing icy stone walls in the dark took time. Derek knew he had to keep talking. He had to buy them just a few more minutes to get into position.

Derek looked at his wife, then looked up at Prince Liam on the steps.

"Let us leave first," Derek spoke, suddenly changing the terms of the deal.

Liam’s face twisted in pure fury. He took a threatening step forward on the stairs. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"You dare go back on your word?" Liam shouted, pointing an angry finger at Derek. "We agreed to a simultaneous trade!"

Derek kept his longsword resting calmly by his side. He looked at the angry Prince without a single drop of fear.

"You are unpredictable, deceitful, and cunning," Derek stated simply, his voice echoing in the cold air. "You kidnapped my wife from a holy temple and brought her here to assault her. How could I trust you easily? If I hand you this book right now, your guards will simply slaughter us before we reach the gate."

Derek raised the leather ledger slightly.

"Only by ensuring Marissa’s safety can I give you the ledger," Derek insisted. "Let her walk to the gates. Let us step out of your trap. Then, I will throw the book to you."

Liam hesitated. His bloodshot eyes darted between the dark book and Derek’s serious face. He hated losing control, but the thought of that ledger reaching the King terrified him more than anything else. He needed to destroy that book tonight.

"Fine," Liam growled, waving his hand in disgust. He glared at the guard holding Marissa. "Let them go."

The heavy royal guard immediately released Marissa’s arms and stepped back, leaving her standing alone in the snow.

Marissa did not run immediately. She turned her head and looked at Derek. Her dark eyes were filled with a deep, crushing sadness. She slowly shook her head silently.

She felt an overwhelming wave of guilt wash over her. She knew the truth about Derek’s past. She knew how many long, painful years Derek had spent investigating his brother’s murder and the betrayal of the Thompson army. This ledger was his entire life’s work. It was his only chance for justice. And now, he was throwing it all away just to save her. She felt like a burden. She felt like she was ruining his life.

Derek saw the tears forming in her eyes. He knew exactly what she was thinking.

Despite the forty swords pointing at him, Derek gave her a small, warm smile. It was a secret smile, meant only for her. It told her not to worry. It told her he had a plan.

"Go to the gates, Mari," Derek whispered softly.

One of Derek’s own guards, who had arrived just outside the main gate, quickly stepped forward. He took Marissa gently by the arm and guided her backward to a safe distance, right near the open iron gates of the courtyard.

Now, Marissa was finally free from immediate danger. She was out of the circle of swords.

Prince Liam watched her reach the gates. His patience was completely gone.

"Now give me the ledger!" Liam demanded, holding his empty hand out aggressively.

Derek did not hand it over gently. He took several slow, careful steps back, moving closer to the open gates and away from the surrounding royal guards. He made sure he was at a very safe distance.

Then, Derek raised his arm and threw the heavy leather ledger through the air.

The dark book spun over the falling snow and landed heavily at the bottom of the stone steps, right in front of Prince Liam.

The second the book left his hand, Derek turned around and ran. He sprinted across the snow toward Marissa and the open gates.

Liam rushed down the stairs. He eagerly dropped to his knees in the cold snow and quickly picked up the leather ledger. His hands shook with greedy excitement. He finally had it. He was safe.

He opened the thick leather cover to look at the damning evidence.

He flipped the first page. It was blank.

He frowned. He flipped the second page. It was blank.

He quickly flipped through the middle of the book, tearing the pages in his rush. Blank. Blank. Blank.

Liam stopped breathing. His red eyes widened in shock. Derek had only written on the middle page, the page he had ripped out to show as proof. The rest of the thick book was completely, utterly empty. It was a fake. A dummy.

Liam got furious. A blinding, explosive rage took over his entire body. His face turned a deep, unnatural purple. He threw the blank book hard against the stone steps.

"You dare to trick me!" Liam roared like a wounded beast. He pointed a shaking finger at Derek, who was running toward the gates. "After them! Kill them all!"