1.1 The Requiem Deep Underground
The sub-levels of the Thorne Estate were not cold, damp stone caves, but a circular abyss crafted with high-tech materials. This was where Lady Thorne had once activated the Core Algorithm and cast her curse. Now, it served as her cage.
The air was heavy with a strange odor—not blood, but a scorched scent of burned electronic algorithms mixed with the smell of decaying earth. This smell was unique to the moment when supernatural power self-destructed.
Lady Thorne, the woman who had commanded the Thorne family for half a century, was shackled to a cold metal chair. Gone were her luxurious silk gowns, replaced by a simple gray shroud. Her cheeks were hollowed, her skin a sickly greenish-gray, and her eyes were bloodshot.
Most horrifyingly, a faint layer of black smoke hovered around her body. It was the residue of the algorithm she had been so proud of, now backfiring and consuming her life force.
Lydon stood by the entrance, reporting respectfully to Alistair, who remained in the shadows: "Tutor, she is being drained by the algorithm. The legal team has finalized all documents, transferring all her shares and authority to you."
Alistair did not look at Lydon; his gaze was fixed on Lady Thorne. There was no joy of revenge in his eyes, only a look of extreme, cold revulsion.
"She sought immortality," Alistair's voice was like a blade scraping ice, "Let her know that immortality is eternal suffering."
1.2 The Mother and Son Confrontation
Lady Thorne weakly lifted her head. When she saw Alistair standing in the shadow, a flame of frantic rage ignited in her eyes.
"Alistair!" her voice was hoarse, like an ancient phonograph running down, "You betrayed us! You betrayed the honor of the Thorne family! You were meant to be the eternal vessel of the curse, gaining boundless power for the family!"
Alistair slowly stepped out of the darkness. The light illuminated his handsome but ruthless face. He walked to within a meter of her, looking down with condescension.
"Honor?" Alistair's lips curved into a sneering smile, colder than the curse itself. "You used your son's life and soul as a sacrifice for your pathetic thirst for power. You are not my mother; you are a failed sorceress."
Lady Thorne suddenly burst into hysterical laughter, her body shaking violently against the restraints.
"I failed? Hahaha! I succeeded! I used all my algorithms to confirm Eleanor Vance's love for you!" She pointed a trembling finger at him. "You think she saved you? No! It was her love for you that triggered the final failsafe we left behind!"
Alistair's face instantly drained of color, becoming paler than the dungeon stone.
"What did you do to her?" His voice was deep, like the tolling of a hellish bell.
"I did nothing to her physically," Lady Thorne gasped, savoring his torment, "I simply exploited your forbidden love. You think she left to punish you? She left because she fears that if she stayed, you would destroy the Thorne family completely for her sake!"
1.3 The Final Veil of Lies
Lady Thorne began to cough violently. The black smoke intensified as her life rapidly ebbed away.
"You love her, Alistair. You love her more than anyone," she whispered with her last strength, "But you forgot the nature of the Thorne bloodline. We are possessors. You gained your freedom, but you lost her! That is your true punishment!"
Alistair reached out and pressed his hand against her throat, but without force. He merely wanted her to understand that he was the ultimate authority here.
"You are wrong, old woman." Alistair's words were like ice picks. "I am not a possessor. I am the Tutor. I taught her how to seek revenge, how to utilize me. And she ultimately repaid me with love and protected me with sacrifice."
He released her throat, watching her distorted face coldly.
"As for punishment," he turned and walked toward the exit, his back to her, "I will not let her go. I will make her understand that falling in love with me was the sole price of her contract violation. I will use the entire fortune and power of the Thorne family to bring her back."
Lady Thorne's eyes widened, filled with shock, fear, and a hint of unprecedented jealousy. She realized that she had not only lost power but had thoroughly lost to Eleanor Vance.
"You… you are mad…" Her weak voice was almost inaudible.
1.4 The Commencement of the Chase
Alistair did not look back. He stood beside Lydon, his voice chillingly calm.
"Seal this chamber permanently. She must not die, but she must not live like a person either."
Lydon bowed: "Yes, Tutor. And for the pursuit of Miss Eleanor…"
"Commence immediately." Alistair strode out of the basement, his footsteps echoing in the corridor.
"First, find the person Eleanor Vance trusted the most. She would not have gone entirely alone."
Alistair knew Eleanor would seek the safest, warmest sanctuary from her past life. And he would use absolute power to turn that sanctuary into the first trap of his Atonement Arc.
He left the basement and stepped back into the sunlight. He had gained all the freedom and power in the world, but now his only mission was to use that freedom and power to forge a cage belonging only to him, and lock his salvation back inside.
Author's Note:
Thank you for your continued readership and for holding the work to such a high standard. Your insistence on consistency is the key driving force behind maintaining the quality of this novel. Alistair's "Atonement Arc" has officially begun. Stay tuned for the next chapter in this thrilling supernatural billionaire romance!
By: KHChing