ra’s POV

    55 vouchers

    I raised an eyebrow, meeting his gaze with a defiant stare. “Huge trouble? Like what? Are you nning on locking me up in your study again?”

    Dorian’s grin spread, shing his teeth. “Not a bad idea,” he said, his tone dark. “But this time, when you beg me to stop… I won’t.”

    I exhaled sharply, forcing a smile. “Rx. I won’t run away from your side again. But you are the father of my child.”

    His expression hardened.

    The air between us thickened. We stood so close, inches apart, that anyone else might have thought there was some unspoken intimacy. But only we could see the cold fire in each other’s eyes.

    “Queen ra,” a voice cut through the tension, “why are you still standing there?”

    Elder Briar stood, raising his ss.

    “Come, sit! We have something to celebrate!”

    A chorus of voices echoed around the room. “To the hero who uncovered the truth!”

    I could feel Amara beside me, her posture stiff. She didn’t join the celebration. Her gaze remained downcast, hidden in the shadows.

    But I wasn’t in the mood for toasts.

    “Not yet, Elder Briar,” I interrupted, my voice sharp. “There’s one more thing to handle before we raise our sses.”

    I nodded at Dario. He moved quickly, his hands grabbing Amara by the wrist.

    “Out,” he growled, dragging her roughly from her seat.

    Gasps filled the room.

    “What’s happening?” one elder eximed, eyes wide.

    Before anyone could react, a tiny figure rushed at Dario, gripping his leg and sinking his teeth into his pant leg.

    It was Amara’s son, Bryan.

    “Let go of my mom!” The child screamed, his small fists pounding at Dario’s legs.

    Dario sneered, his hands gripping the boy by the cor and tossing him at a servant.

    11:13 Frib, /bbSep /b12

    “Take him out of here,” Dario ordered coldly.

    :

    Then he hauled Amara to the center of the room and shoved her onto the floor.

    She didn’t resist. Her face remained nk, emotionless.

    “You’ve lost your mind, Dario!” Elder Briar’s voice cracked with disbelief.

    b74 /b

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    Dario snapped back, his voice raw with anger. “No, Father. I’m not the one who’s lost their mind. You were blinded by this woman’s lies!”

    The room fell into stunned silence.

    His words hung in the air, echoing through the hall.

    “You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Elder Briar’s voice shook with fury. “She’s Nora’s mate, your sister–inw…”

    “She killed him!” Dario shouted, the words ripping from his throat.

    The room froze. Everyone stared at Dario as if he’d lost his sanity.

    Elder Briar’s jaw dropped in disbelief.

    A disbelievingugh escaped his lips. “Dario… you’ve lost it. You’re not thinking straight. The restaurant owner killed him by ident. You told us this yourself—”

    “That’s what Amara wants us to believe!” Dario’s voice wavered, but his conviction was unshakable. “We’ve all been fooled… by her!”

    “Shut your mouth!” Elder Briar shouted. His anger was palpable.

    But Dario wasn’t finished. “This isn’t about what she says. We have proof!”

    His words struck like a hammer.

    Dorian furrowed his brows, confusion creeping into his voice, “What proof? We haven’t even figured out who poisoned Elder Randy yet. What makes you think Amara did it?”

    “We have proof!” Dario repeated, pulling his phone from his pocket.

    The silence in the room deepened as he scrolled through the evidence, showing the surveinced footage, the phone records.

    I watched, my gaze cool. It was clear now that the web of lies was unraveling.

    “But that’s not enough,” I said, stepping forward. “We know Amara’s involvement, but we need something to really convince Elder Briar.”

    “Show them,” I ordered Dario.

    He passed around the phone, letting them all see for themselves.

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    The murmurs started, heads shaking in disbelief. Doubts filled the room, but Elder Briar stood firm. His eyes locked on me, the anger still boiling. “This proves nothing!” he barked. “Yes, she might’ve been in the restaurant, but does it prove she swapped thebels? No. She called for help, maybe to protect someone else!”

    Dario’s face contorted with rage. “You can’t be serious! You’re still defending her?” His voice broke. “She’s been lying to you all along.”

    “Enough!” Elder Briar yelled. “You’re blinded by your hatred. She’s family. I won’t believe this!”

    I stood there, calm, even as the tension reached its peak. I could feel the eyes on me, the disbelief in the

    room.

    But we weren’t finished yet.

    Just then, a servant hurried in, handing Dario a file. He opened it quickly, his eyes lighting up as he scanned its contents.

    “We have the proof!” Dario eximed, holding up the file triumphantly. “Amara sold the poison to the restaurant owner! We have chat logs, records, everything. And she even hired someone to kill the owner tonight!”

    Gasps rippled through the room. All eyes turned to Amara.

    Elder Briar’s face drained of color. He stared at her, disoriented.

    “Amara… tell them they’re wrong!” His voice cracked. “You can’t be involved in this!”

    She remained silent at first, her body trembling with silentughter.

    And then, sheughed. Not a soft chuckle, but an eerie, hystericalugh that echoed in the hall.

    “Stopughing!” Elder Briar snapped, shaking her. “Tell them they’re wrong! You have to exin this!”

    Amara onlyughed harder, her eyes cold, twisted by something far darker than madness.

    “I knew it… I knew I was losing,” she said between gasps. “The moment Dorian brought her back to our kingdom…”

    Her voice faltered, then twisted with venom. “This skank ruined everything.”

    Dorian’s fists clenched, his jaw set tight. “Amara…”

    “Oh, Dorian…” Her voice softened, almost tender. “The things I’ve done for you… You wouldn’t believe it.”

    She gazed at me, her eyes filled with twisted affection. “But why do you love her? Does she even love you back? But I do, Dorian… I do! I love you so much I would destroy the world to be with you.”

    Elder Briar gripped her by the cor, pulling her toward him. “You love the King? What about my son? He loved you–he gave you his heart and soul!”

    11:13 bFri/b, Sep 12

    …

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    Amara’s eyes gleamed with sadistic satisfaction. “He was nothing. Weak. Soft. Not half as strong as Dorian.”

    Her voice dropped to a savage growl. “me him. It’s his fault Nora died.”

    Dorian staggered back as though struck by her words. His face twisted in pain.

    I watched him, and I felt the weight of what he was enduring. In his eyes, I saw sorrow and regret. Not just for the past, but for the future, too.