Chapter 87
Zora
I could feel Darius’s uneasiness about my trip to the western village. I did not know how to tell him I could never leave him.
After our discussion, he insisted that we visit Larry.
He wanted to get to the bottom of the matter, and I needed to figure out how to stop him from wasting his time.
I was feeling nauseous, so I went to the bathroom to throw up my stomach’s content.
Darius rushed to the bathroom, a bit worried. He carried me to the shower and turned on the water while he took off my
clothes.
“I noticed you were slightly warm last night but didn’t think much of it. Now you are burning up. What is happening?” he asked me calmly, and I could see he was fighting every fibre of his being from acting out.
“It started after we had tea and biscuits yesterday afternoon. I threw it all up and felt better, but the nausea is back,” I
managed. The water was soothing, and I wanted to stay under
- it.
“Who served the snacks?” He asked, and I knew what he wanted to imply, so I shook my head.
“I doubt they did anything to the food, darling. I made the person that served it taste it,” I said, withholding the person’s
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name, and he was silent. Once I was calm, he carried me to the bed.
“You can’t go to Brighton tomorrow in this condition,” he said, and.I smiled because I was already feeling better.
“Nice try, Alpha,” I said and touched his nose. He did not smile.
”
Let me call the doctor?” he said, and I knew how important going to Brighton was, so I shook my head and sat up, pretending to be strong.
“I feel better. You will be wasting your time. I believe the stress caused it, and something might have irritated my stomach from breakfast. Come on. Let us visit Larry.” I said, and he frowned at me for a bit before finally accepting.
We got dressed and left the room. The moment we walked past Nellie’s room, I became nervous.
“Where do you think your mother went to?” I asked, and Darius shook his head.
“I do not know, and honestly, I can’t be bothered. No matter who she brings to plead with me to let Abelardo go, I won’t listen. Sadly, she does not understand the gravity of Abelardo‘ s offence,” he said, and I touched his hands.
“I do not think your brother did it, Darius. I believe him. He is too proud to beg like that. Someone wants him to take the fall. We need to question Bryce, not Larry, and you must ensure the council does not get their hands on Abelardo. If they do, he would be found guilty. I doubt they would go through the stress of finding the truth. See how they handled the matter that concerned you. They did not do any
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investigation to figure out what was going on. They tried to blame you for the crime. They are either a bunch of lazy idiots or against the Hand family and want you to step down by all means. Which is why you can’t let them lay their hands on him:” I said, and he pulled me close as we walked.
“If my mother only knew you meant well,” he said and stopped to kiss the top of my head. Then he looked into my eyes and caressed my chin.
“Do not get your hopes up, green eyes. Abelardo might disappoint you,” he said, and I smiled at him.
We left the mansion, and a Jeep was waiting at the entrance.
We drove to Wonderland silently, and Nellie’s trip did not sit well with me. I doubted she was going to get help. Whatever she planned on doing was extreme, and I knew it had to do with me.
I could not understand why the woman would blame me for this. I might have overstepped when I went to ask her to keep her son at home, and I might have said some things that scared her, but I have done nothing wrong.
I was troubled, and so was Monica. Nellie wasn’t a good enemy to have.
Even though Darius had sided with me against her, and I knew she couldn’t make him change his mind about me, I did not want their relationship to be damaged.
I remembered all the good times we had had with Nellie and wondered if she had been pretending all along. I doubted it, though, because she seemed genuine. She loses her mind whenever it has to do with Abelardo, and I needed to know
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why.
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We arrived at the Northern prisons, and to my surprise, Darius asked to see Bryce instead of Larry.
“You changed your mind?” I asked him, and he shook his head.
“I want us to see Bryce first, and then we can check on Larry,” he said, smiling, and I smiled back.
I could see he was stressed and worried, but he hid it well.
It wasn’t easy knowing that faceless and nameless people were plotting against him.
I just hope he handles the pressure well.
We were led to an interrogation room.
The smell of the disinfectant they used to clean the place filled my nose, and I felt sick but held it. I knew if I showed any sign of sickness, Darius won’t allow me to go to Brighton.
“May I have a glass of cold water?” I linked Darius, and he frowned at me. I smiled at him, so he won’t think anything was
wrong.
“Thirsty“, I whispered, and he nodded.
Four chairs were in the room, and one was welded to a desk. I figured that was for the prisoner. I sat on one of the free chairs while Darius paced.
The water came, and it was freezing. Drinking it made me feel better. Bryce was ushered in a few minutes later and kept his eyes bowed.
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“Look up,” I ordered him to look into his eyes.
He refused until Darius ordered him to.
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“You do whatever she tells you,” he warned the man, and he apologised to me.
“Explain how Abelardo sent you the order.” Darius said, and Bryce looked down.
“Look up!” I ordered the man I went to stand beside Darius.
I doubted the man would tell the truth, but I needed to see his
eyes.
“He called me to come to the estate. Then he handed the
document to me and told me that his eminence wanted me to carry out the task quickly. That the east is supposed to pay development tax, and if they refuse, I should use force.” he said, and Darius looked at him.
“Was he the one that asked you to request development tax from Brighton too?” Darius asked, but I doubted that was the right question because the council–owned up to it.
“That order came from the council“, he said, and I now understood what Darius was doing. He wanted to gauge his reaction. He wanted to understand how he behaved when he told the truth and compare it to his mannerisms when he spoke of his dealings with Abelardo. Darius was a master.
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