Lahat ng Kabanata ng Replacing my Ex: The Matriarch’s Revenge: Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 40

Chapter 31The morning light broke through the high windows of the grand hall, casting long, pale shadows across the stone floor. Arthur stood near the heavy wooden doors, adjusting the straps of his leather armor. His hands were steady, but inside, his mind raced with a hundred different thoughts. Today was the day they would move forward with their plan. There was no room for error, and everyone knew the stakes.Elena walked up behind him, her boots clicking softly against the flagstones. She held a detailed map rolled tight under her arm."The scout returned an hour before dawn," she said, her voice quiet but firm. "The southern road is clear for now, but guards have doubled their patrols near the old stone bridge."Arthur turned to look at her. "Does Marcus know?""He does," Elena replied, unrolling the map onto a nearby oak table. "He is already down at the lower courtyard, gathering the advance team. We have less than two hours before the guard shift changes. If we do not leave

Chapter 34The sun went down behind the big gray mountains. The blue sky became dark, and cold air filled the valley. Small stars began to shine in the sky above the plain. Arthur sat under a pine tree in the dark grove, watching the distant fortress. The black and red banners on the high stone towers were hard to see now in the gloom.Marcus walked through the trees without making a sound. He sat down next to Arthur on the damp ground. He was holding a piece of dry bread in his hand."The horses are fed and tied to the trees," Marcus said softly. "The men are resting. No one has lit a fire, so there is no smoke for the guards to see.""Good," Arthur said. He did not take his eyes off the dark castle. "Have you seen any guards leave the main gate?""Only two riders," Marcus answered, eating a piece of his bread. "They rode fast toward the eastern road an hour ago. No one else has come out or gone in since then."Elena walked over to them from the edge of the trees. She stepped softly

Chapter 36The ancient drain pipe smelled of stagnant water, decaying moss, and the bitter reek of old iron. Cold slime coated the stone beneath Arthur’s boots as he pressed forward through the darkness, one hand on the damp wall and the other clutching the leather satchel filled with Commander Vane’s stolen ledgers. Behind him, the rhythmic, muffled splashing of Elena, Marcus, and the three scouts echoed in the narrow space. Overhead, the distant thud of heavy axes splintering oak doors faded slowly into the muffled depths of the earth.They crawled and stumbled through the twisting stone artery for what felt like an eternity before the damp air shifted. A faint breeze, sweet with the scent of wet pine and mountain soil, blew past Arthur’s cheek. Ahead, a dim crescent of grey moonlight marked the outlet where the pipe emptied into the overgrown ravine beneath the castle’s outer curtain wall."Almost there," Arthur whispered back into the gloom. "Watch your footing. The slope drops sha

CHAPTER 38"Drop your weapons, or you won't survive the night," a cold voice growled from the darkness.I froze. The sharp point of a steel blade pressed lightly against the back of my neck. My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. Slowly, I raised my hands into the air, letting my short knife fall onto the wet grass with a soft splash."Take it easy," I said, keeping my voice as steady as I could. "We're not looking for a fight."Beside me, Elena narrowed her eyes, her hand hovering mere inches from her bowstring. Thomas stood perfectly still on my left, his fingers twitching near his sword hilt. Up in the low pine branches above us, three shadowy figures watched us through the light fog."Who are you?" the leader asked, stepping out of the bushes. He was a broad-shouldered man wearing a tattered gray cloak over scratched leather armor. A dark scar ran from his left eyebrow straight down to his chin. "This path belongs to the Lost Vanguard now. Speak fast, kid.""My nam

Chapter 40The cold truth hit me harder than any physical blow ever could. Vance had set us up from the very beginning. He hadn't given us passage out of kindness; he had guided us down into this narrow, single-file trap so his men could catch us without a real fight."Vance sold us out," Thomas growled through clenched teeth, his fingers tightening on the hilt of his short sword. "I should have killed that scar-faced liar when I had the chance.""Save your strength, lad," the armored commander mocked, taking a slow step forward. His heavy iron boots made a sharp metallic clank on the cut stone floor. "Captain Vance is a practical man. The Iron King offered him fifty gold coins and a full pardon for his outpost deserters. What could your tiny, dying fortress offer him? A cold grave in the mud?"Elena didn't waste her breath on arguments. She shifted her weight subtly to her left foot, bringing her longbow up in a flash. But before she could even pull the string back half an inch, the