Chapter 32
Richard stood just inside the entrance of the restaurant, as composed as ever, his suit tailored to perfection, every gesture efficient and unreadable. The hostess blinked like someone had slapped her.
“King…?” she stammered.
The woman at his side didn’t even acknowledge the hostess-just slipped her arm through his, her laugh low and practiced. She leaned in close and whispered something that made Richard’s mouth twitch into a faint
smile, the kind that felt private and polished.
He looked in my direction-just for a second-but it was long enough to know he’d seen me. His eyes landed on
mine and slid past like I was nothing more than furniture. No recognition. No tension. No hesitation. Just the
blank, practiced gaze of someone who had no intention of making a scene.
Then he turned back toward the table, the woman still attached to his arm, like I had never been there in the
first place.
The hostess turned back to us, visibly flustered. “I’m so sorry, there’s been some confusion. We accidentally
gave your reservation to another party-”
She didn’t need to finish. Her eyes flicked toward the table—my table-then dropped to her tablet. There was no getting it back. Not with Richard sitting there. Not with the woman so perfectly settled beside him. Not with
the way Richard had just erased me with a blink.
They weren’t going to move. Not for me. Not for anyone.
“No worries,” I said, cutting her off, the words sharp enough to sting my own tongue.
Simon looked at me. “You sure?”
“Yeah,” I said, already rising. “We’ll try somewhere else.”
He nodded. Calm as ever. “Honestly, this place always felt a little too stiff. I know a better one nearby—no
reservations, just real food and quiet booths.”
We walked out without another word. I kept my gaze straight ahead.
But once we hit the curb, I turned.
The warm golden light inside spilled out like an invitation. Inside, people laughed, leaned into each other,
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unreadable. He didn’t look up.
It felt like a different world. And I was done pretending it could ever be mine.
I told myself I didn’t care. That it didn’t matter.
That resolve lasted exactly until the next morning.
The image of the Elder collapsing looped in my head. Even though Simon had cleared me, even though the crowd had moved on, I couldn’t. I kept replaying it-his body hitting the ground, the stunned silence, the way the press had turned toward me like they’d been waiting for someone to blame.
So I brought flowers-simple, respectful. I’d called ahead. I’d gotten approval.
But when I arrived at the hospital, a man I didn’t recognize stood at the door to the Elder’s room.
“You’re not welcome here,” he said, arms crossed.
“I-I’m sorry?” I blinked. “I had an appointment. I called yesterday.”
“Plans changed.” His tone didn’t shift. He didn’t move.
I waited, thinking maybe he’d blink. Acknowledge how ridiculous this was. He didn’t.
My fingers tightened around the bouquet as I slowly bent down and placed it on a small table nearby. I turned to leave, throat burning.
The door opened behind me.
Jason.
He stepped out like he had something important to say, shoulders relaxed, expression polished. A woman followed close behind him-plain in appearance but sharp in posture and expression. There was something commanding in the way she moved beside him.
Jason’s eyes landed on me and lit up like he’d been handed a gift.
“That’s her,” he said, turning to the woman. “She’s the one who poisoned the Elder.”
The woman’s eyes narrowed. She took a slow, deliberate step toward me.
“So you’re the one who tried to harm my father.”
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Chapter 32
+25 BONUS
The words knocked the air from my lungs. For a second, I thought maybe I’d misheard her-because there was
no way this was real, no way this was happening. I hadn’t even made it past the threshold, hadn’t said a word, hadn’t done anything. And now here I was, being accused-again-of trying to kill someone. It was like watching a nightmare on repeat, except this time it had a new cast, and the stakes were even worse.
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