You Hit My Heart (Joyce and Luther)

Chapter 2080: Framed

At this moment, Reuben also heard the commotion outside. The sounds were faint but getting closer. He widened his eyes. How could this be? He had only told his confidant about coming here because he knew Grizela would never agree. So, he had to keep it from her.

"Those aren't your people outside?" Reuben glanced at Clint.NôvelDrama.Org holds © this.

Clint shrugged slightly. "Obviously not. My people wouldn't come up without my orders, and I haven't given any."

He gave Reuben a sidelong glance. "So, who else knows we're here tonight? Who did you tell? It couldn't have been Grizela. So, who was supposed to meet you?"

"Azuma." Reuben no longer concealed the truth as he sensed something was wrong. "Azuma originally served my father and later me. I..."

Clint sneered, interrupting him. "Idiot, he was bought off long ago."

Clint frowned deeply. "Useless fool."

He pressed his satellite system for an emergency call but didn't know how many people had come or if they had already controlled his men at the foot of the mountain. They needed to buy time for reinforcements.

Reuben was stunned and embarrassed but quickly grabbed his phone to call for help from the palace guards. But there was no signal.

"It's too late; communications have been cut off." Clint clenched his fists. "Thinking of calling now is useless."

At that moment, the door was suddenly forced open from the outside.

Reuben instinctively moved forward to grab the intruder but was shocked when a woman stumbled in, dirty and covered in bloodstains on her chest.

Her face was dirty and hair disheveled, but she looked familiar.

Upon recognizing her, Reuben gasped, "Chiyuki, is that you?"

He almost didn't recognize her. Chiyuki usually dressed fashionably with snow-white skin and a delicate appearance, always exuding arrogance. When had she ever been in such a miserable state? Chiyuki lay on the ground, weakly lifting her head. Seeing Clint, her eyes brightened.

"Prince Brother, run! My father wants to kill you! He sent many people after you. I escaped to warn you but was discovered. They're already here... at the mountainside... your people..." Out of breath, Chiyuki could barely continue.

Clint knelt down and noticed something wrong with Chiyuki; she kept clutching her abdomen and hadn't stood up since falling in. Blood began to seep from beneath her.

"You've been shot!" Reuben exclaimed in shock. "The Yoshikawa family dared to harm even you?"

Just because Clint refused to marry Chiyuki? Was she discarded like a pawn without value, even though she was his daughter?

"Don't... don't mind me... Prince Brother... run!" Chiyuki used all her strength to scream before collapsing completely, her arms limp on the ground.

Blood flowed faster now, gradually engulfing her body and arms.

She lay in a pool of blood, eyes closed, lifeless.

"We need to take her with us; she'll die from blood loss," Reuben said, trying to lift Chiyuki. Despite everything, he had watched her grow up; she was only twenty years old. Although arrogant and willful, Chiyuki wasn't inherently bad. Her life had just begun...

"She's beyond saving; hit in a vital

spot. Even if we took her to a hospital now, it would be too late," Clint said coldly. He hadn't expected Hirota to be so ruthless as to discard his daughter when forced into marriage.

"Let's go."

They couldn't stay any longer. Clint turned to leave through the back door of Ropponsho Shrine, where a path led to the back mountain.

Reuben knew Clint was right but couldn't accept watching a living girl die before him without being able to help.

Chiyuki truly loved Clint; even after repeated rejections, she sacrificed her life to warn him.

For now, Reuben could only follow Clint and set aside their differences temporarily.

But before Clint could step out the back door, a cold voice echoed behind them.

"Trying to leave? Too late. Prince Reuben and Prince Clint both here-how convenient! Saves me a lot of trouble." With sinister laughter, Hirota entered with a squad of guards, stepping over his daughter's body without a glance.

"A traitor trying to warn them," Hirota

sneered at Chiyuki's lifeless form without a hint of pity. "A useless daughter who wouldn't side with the Yoshikawa family even if married into the Tanaka family-better off dead."

Reuben confronted Hirota angrily. "Azuma betrayed us? He told you?"

"Prince Reuben, you're just realizing this? Too late! Azuma sided with me long before His Majesty passed away," Hirota revealed openly. "Hand over the Imperial Seal; I might consider giving you a quick death."

"You wish," Reuben retorted fiercely.

"Prince Clint's men are all subdued by me," Hirota boasted arrogantly. "It wasn't easy trapping you both; thanks to Prince Reuben dragging you into this trap."

Clint stepped out from behind the shrine with a cold smile.

He needed to stall for time; his backup wasn't arriving soon enough.

"Hirota, victory or defeat aside, I'd like to understand how you managed this," Clint said calmly as he adjusted his sleeves meticulously as if discussing the weather. Reuben glanced at Clint; he always remained composed even in dire situations.

This demeanor made Hirota uneasy; he instinctively stepped back but then advanced again forcefully.

"Tonight you'll all die," Hirota declared loudly.

Feeling victorious with his prey cornered, Hirota laughed maniacally like a ghostly specter.

"I've written tonight's script for you:

Prince Clint kills Prince Reuben for

the throne but is then killed by Pascaylia's General Joyce-an elaborate plot by Pascaylia's warlords to destroy Rohomes royal family. I'll take over the army and invade Pascaylia-a perfect plan!"

Reuben was utterly shocked. "What? You're framing Joyce?"