Chapter 31
He worked fast. Precise. There was no drama in it, no flashy spell or drawn-out diagnosis. Just years of
knowledge condensed into muscle memory.
Within minutes, the Elder’s breathing steadied. Simon checked his vitals again. Then again.
Elder Thorne stirred.
By the time his eyes opened, you could feel the shock ripple through the room like a sudden wind.
Gasps. Phones rising again.
And Richard was back. His gaze moved from Simon to Thorne to me.
“We need to rule out external toxins,” he said. “Specifically in the water.’
My blood went cold.
Simon turned to me. “You gave him the bottle yourself?”
I nodded, voice catching. “Yes. From a sealed crate. No one else touched it.”
He held out his hand. I passed him one of the untouched bottles.
He ran the test there in front of everyone. I watched each step like it was the blade of a guillotine.
Then: “No wolfsbane. No toxins.”
He said it clearly. Loud enough to echo.
The Elder groaned softly, his eyelids fluttering like it took every ounce of effort just to return to the surface. He blinked slowly, disoriented, then let out a breathy, rattled cough.
“What-” he rasped, voice rough with dryness. “Where…’
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Simon leaned over calmly. “You collapsed. Try not to move yet.
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The Elder’s gaze wandered the room, taking in the blur of people, then finally settled on Richard. “Again… this damn thing again.”
His voice cracked with irritation more than pain. He struggled to sit up, and Simon gently steadied him.
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Chapter 31
+25 BONUS
“Old injury,” Elder Thorne muttered, louder this time. “I told them. I told them. Nobody listens.”
Emma let out a long breath beside me. “That was… too close.”
I nodded.
She leaned closer. “The water never left your hands. If someone tried to frame you, they had to make sure you
were the one to hand it over.”
I stared at the sealed crate again, heart hammering.
When the crowd finally cleared, I found Richard at the edge of the field, arms folded, his back to the wind.
“Richard.”
He didn’t turn. Not right away. Then he spoke softly, “You don’t have to apologize.”
I stopped a few paces from him. “I was going to.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“Still. I should’ve noticed something. I should’ve been more careful.”
He turned then. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes held something tight, like a leash barely being
held.
“You followed the protocol. You checked the seals. You reported on time.”
“I also almost got one of the kingdom’s most influential Elders killed.”
“You didn’t.”
His voice softened just slightly.
“And if someone did try to set you up,” he added, “we’ll find out who.”
I met his gaze and it held. My breath caught before I could stop it. For a split second, I forgot the weight of the
room, forgot the audience, forgot the collapsing Elder and the water and the headlines. All I could feel was the
way he was looking at me like he’d memorized me in the dark and was surprised to see me in daylight.
Something heavy passed between us-yes-but it was laced with heat this time. And I wasn’t entirely sure
which one of us felt it more.
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CHOPTET JI
Then he said, “Get some rest. That’s an order.”
I left before my voice cracked.
That evening, I knocked on Simon’s door.
He answered almost immediately.
“Thanks again,” I said. “For saving me today.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I thought I saved Elder Thorne.”
“That too.”
He didn’t smile, exactly, but he didn’t shut the door either.
“Dinner? I owe you.”
He nodded. “I know a place.”
It was supposed to be normal. Quiet. A break from the chaos. Simon had told me about a restaurant he liked- nothing extravagant, just a tucked-away little place with warm lighting and velvet booths and a soup they made fresh every morning. I’d agreed before I really thought about it, needing something to anchor the day. We were both trying to act like this was a normal evening. Like I hadn’t almost been framed for poisoning someone. Like
he hadn’t just saved an Elder in front of a crowd full of cameras.
Finally something normal.
But as we stepped into the restaurant, the hostess frowned. “I’m so sorry-the reservation was accidentally given to another guest with a similar last name. They’re already seated.”
I blinked. “Seriously?”
She nodded, apologetic. “They insisted.”
I scanned the room-and froze.
A woman in a sharply cut blazer was settling into the table I’d booked. Already unwrapping silverware.
The hostess stepped forward. “Let me talk to them-”
The woman turned, smile tight. “My guest is far more important. We’re not giving up the table.”
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Then her face lit up.
“Richard, you’re here!”
I turned around.
And there he was.
