Dominic tumed away, his shoulders tense, it means you’ll see soon enough,” he snapped at me before walking out of the kitchen, leaving me standing there,
His cryptic words stuck with me throughout the day, gnawing at the edges of my modemuldn’t focus on anything else, and by the time I sat at my desk, kurw I needed a distraction. My eyes landed on my laptop, and a thought struckme–the files Alex had sent me,
Thesitated, my fingers hovering over the trackquad. Part of me didn’t want to open them, didn’t want to give Alex the satisfaction of proving himself night. But uriosity woout Ichicked on the mall, opened the e, and pressed play.
words were
The slicked to life, and my heam sank as I saw Nathan sitting across from a woman in a dimly lit room. The sound was slightly muffled, but his won crystal clear
“Raina thinks I follow her around because i like her,” Nathan said, his tone cold and detached, “but that’s not the case. I’m bete for revenge.”
My momach ed. What?
–
“She’s just a means to an end, he continued, his voice emotionless. “The plan is simple: ukry her, pet access to the Graham wealth, and then-“He gestured dismissively. “well, she’s idlevant after that.”
Iclutched the edge of the desk, my vision blurring with unshed tears. No, this ‘t be real. This wasn’t the Nathan knew the Nathan trusted, but as the video played on, the cracks in my perception widened.
“It I marry Raina,” Natlun added, leaning forward, “it” be easier to control everything from the finale.”
My breach hitched, my chest tightening as though a vice had clamped around my heart. This couldn’t be happening. The man had fallen for, the man I thought cated about me, was using me? And for what? Revenge? Power? Wealth
The video ended abruptly, leaving a suffocating silence in lis wake. I sat frozen, able to process what had just seen. Was this why Nathan had been so insistent on being part of my life? Did he know about the abates? The estates? was this just acruel cuturilence?
Before I could spital further, a soft knock at the door stated me. My hand flew to the laptop, slaning it shut as I tumed to see She carried a small tray with a steaming cup on it.
brought you something to help with the stress,” she said with a gentle sile, setting the tray down on the table.
Ellinked at her, trying to ground myself “Thank you,” I munur, my voice barely above a whisper.
Adelaide tilted her head, studying me. “Are you okay, Miss Raina? You look troubled”
“I’m fine,” I lied, forcing a tight smile
She Godded, though her expression didn’t change. “You’ve been taking the tone regularly, right? it should be helping
Adelaide stepping into the room.
“tis,” I replied automatically, even as my mind aced. I reached for the cup, hoping the waith would steady my trembling hands. But as tapped, the bittemess of betrayal lingered das longer than the tonde’s calming effects.
ADELAIDE
Raina wouldn’t know what hit her. The thought circled in my mind like a mantra as watched her sip the tonic, completely unaware. Adelaide. That’s who they should’ve revered, not this naive, doe eyed woman sitting in front of me. How dare she walk in here like she was the place?
“Thankyou, Adelaide,” she said softly, offering a small, tired simile as she set the glass down.
I forced my lips into a smile, sweet and rehearsed, though every fiber of me itched with contempt. “Of course, Miss Raina,” I replied, my tone politeness. “Goodnight.”
dripping with fake
i nodded absentmindedly, already turning her attention to the papers scattered across her desk, I stepped back, careful not to show the malice lurking beneath mycomposed facade, and slipped out of the room.
The moment the door clicked shut, my expression darkened. My hands clenched into fists, nails digging into my palms as I stalked down the hallway. That woman.
That insufferable, clueless woman
How dare she show up here and act like shes the place? I had spent years in this house, bending over backward to ensure everything ran perfectly, taking care of the family, and enduring their condescension like some obedient dog. And now? Now they barely acknowledged my sacrifices.
“No, no,” I multered to myself as I descended the grand staircase, each step echoing my anger “She doesn’t deserve any of it. None of it.”
When I reached the kitchen, leaned against the counter, my mind buzzing with the venomous thoughts I could never say aloud. Five years of carefully hiding my disdain, my jealousy, my hatred. And now, Raina was back–alive, thriving, and completely oblivious to the storm brewing around her.
I smirked bitterly, the image of her sipping the tonic replaying in my head. She thought I cared about her. That was the best part. Each sip brought her closer to her Inevitable end, and she had no due.
“You should’ve stayed gone,” I whispered, my voice low and dripping with malice. “Better yet, you should’ve died years ago.”
My lips twisted into a grim smile as I stared out the window. Soon enough, the perfect little heiress would be gone. She wouldn’t know what hit her.
Nathan had been a means to an end at first–strictly professional. That’s all it was supposed to be the came to me with a plan, and I saw the opportunity for what it was. But those dan boyish charms of his 1 hadn’t been able to resist for long. The night we spent together had been electric, the kind of passion I hadn’t felt in
I closed my eyes for a moment, remembering the heat of his hands on my skin, the way he whispered sweet mothings into my ear. For a brief time after that, everything seemed perfect. We were in your shared goals aligning seamlessly. But then she had to come along.
That self–righteous little princess waltzed back into the Graham family and Nathan couldn’t keep his eyes off her. Now, every time I tried to reach him, he was busy
always too busy with her. And as much as I tried to shove the jealousy aside, it clawed its way up, leaving me seething.
The memory of our last time together resurfaced, and bile rose in my throat. I’d been completely at his merry, wrapped in him, feeling closer to him than anyone else in year. Then it happened his voice, deep and raw, calling out her name. Raina,
I ended my fists, nails digging into my palms as the humiliation washed over me again. How dare he? How dare she? Neither of them had any right
– She’s ruining everything,” hissed under my breath, pacing the kitchen where I had taken refuge kom my swirling thoughts. The rage was bubbling over now, spilling out into venomous mutters. “I’ll her. I swear I’ll kill her.”
The words felt right, natural, Jike a solution I’d been holding back for too long. I stopped pacing, glaring at the reflection of myself in the darkened window.
She and those little brats of hers.” My voice was barely a whisper now, tinged with madness. “Once they’re out of the picture, everything will be perfect again”
Rama had no idea the tonic she had been drinking was laced with poison. It was subtle, slow, and devastatingly effective. The same concoction I’d been slipping into her grandfather’s drinks for five years. Five years of waiting, pretending to be the dutiful housekeeper while that stubborn old man refused to just let go
I camed the empty tonic glass to the kitchen, setting it down with a little more force than necessary–Five years, I thought bittedly, the weight of the years pressing on me. Every day he woke up, subbomly alive, was another day I had to smile and serve like nothing was happening. Nathan’s plan was to take care of him slowly and methodically, but honestly, I was running out of patience.
H
Nathan had told me to up the dosage for the old man. “It’s time to move things along,” he had said with that calm, commanding tone of his, the one that made i impossible to say no. “Make sure it’s enough to finish the job soon. But don’t touch Raina’s dose. She needs to stay functional for now.”
That last part had made my blood boil. He always talked about Raina like she was the centerpiece of his grand plan, like she was more important than anyone else. He didn’t see her the way I did: a nuisance, a usurper She didn’t belong in this family, and she certainly didn’t belong in Nathan’s world.
Soignored that part of his instructions.
As I poured the tool for the next dose, my hand was steady, deliberate. Ladded an extra measure of the poison to Raina’s portion, watching it dissolve as 1 stined it In she didn’t deserve to come out of this unscathed. If Nathan thought I was going to let her take everything and walk away with him, he was wrong
The voice in my head whispered again, doubt creeping in What if Nathan finds out? What it be pares out you’re disobeying him?
I shook the thought away, gripping the edge of the counter “I don’t care,” Imuttered under my breath. “She’s crossing too many lines, and she needs to be punished.”
דון
+25 Bonus
Nathan wouldn’t know. And even if he did, what could he say? Raina had been inching closer and closer to him, and he’d let her. How could ignore the way he looked at her, the way he settened around her? He’d forgotten who was there for him before all of this started. Forgotten me.
Tried the glass and leaned against the counter, my thoughts swirling. The plan was simple: with the old man gone, Mathan would swoop into comforta Rain. He’d propose, they’d marry, and once he had access to the Gham wealth, he’d stage a tragic accident to eliminate the rest of the family. It was brillant
But Rama’s part in the plan gnawed at me. She wan’s supposed to matter this much. Nathan was supposed to marry her for commence, not affection Yet, ewry glance, every moment they shared, felt like a daggerin mechest.
theard his voice in my head again. “stickio the plan, Adelaide,”
But this was my plan now. And when it was over, Raina would be gone too. It would just take a little more time for her.
The house was quiet now, everyone tucked away for the night. I slipped outside, the cool air brushing against my skin as I pulled my phone from my pocket. Nathan. He was avoiding me, and I knew it, I clenched my jaw as I dialed his mumber, pressing the phone to my ear.
The line rang longer than usual before he picked up.
“What do you want, Adelaide?” His voice was clipped, Impatient, like I was an annoyance he had in deal with.
“need to talk to you,” * 1 replied, kreping my voice calm even though my fingers tightened around the phone. “It’s important.”
“I’m busy,” he said flatly, “call me tomorrow.”
Before I could say another word, the line went dead. My hand dropped to my side, the phone slipping from my grip onto the parch railing. Busy. He was always busy these days, especially when it came to me.
1 didn’t trust in. Not for a second.
Istomed back into the house, the anger bolling under my skin in my room, I tore through my wardrobe, pulling on something more presentable but still canal. Jeans, a fitted top, and a light jacket. If Nathan thought he could op brushing me off, he was wrong. He was the one who approached me, who bought me into his grand plan. He needed me as much as I needed him.
And yet, he acted like I was just another pawn. Like I was working
for him.
1grabbed my keys and headed for my car, the drive to his place passing in a haze of frustration. By the time I pulled up outside his house, my hands were trembling —not with fear, but with fury,
Tcalled him again, hitting redial with more force than necessary. This time, I didn’t give him a chance to avoid me. When he picked up, I snapped, “I’m outside. You
Silence. Then, “Adelaide, you’re out of your mind. Go home.”
“You have one minste now,” I hissed, cutting him off and hanging up before he could say another word
I crossed my ans, leaning against my car as I waited. The seconds dragged on, every passing moment stoking the fire inside me. He thought he could ignore me? Brush me off like I didn’t matter?
Finally, the door opened, and Nathan stepped out, his movements slow and deliberate as he approached me. Even now, he radiated that calm, infuriating cham that had pulled me from the start
“Why are you screaming like a dog in the middle of the night?” he asked, his tone las
laced with mockery as he stopped a few feet away,
I straightened, refusing to be intimidated. “Why do you think I’m here? We need to talk.”
His brow arched, his hands sliding into his pockets. “About what, Adelaide? You couldn’t have waited until moming
“No,” I snapped, stepping closer. “Because you keep avoiding me. What’s going on, Nathan? You act like I’m the one working for you when this was supposed to be
Nathan sighed, his gaze shitting away for a moment before landing back on me.
“Let’s talk inside,” he said, gesturing toward the house. “We don’t need the neighbors hearing this.”
opened the door and stepped aside, his expression sharp but controlled. “You shouldn’t come barging into my home like this,” he stated, histone clipped.
Nathan opened t
I brushed past him, Ignoring his scolding “I can because I’m your woman, I declared, turning to tace him as I crossed my arms. My voice carried the weight of my frustration, and I refused to back down before you put a ring on Raina’s finger, you’re putting one on mine. She can have the take one.”
Nathan rolled his eyes and shut the door, Iraning against it for a moment. “Adelaide, that’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard today. Do you think Bains wouldn’t notice
take ring? She’s not as clueless as you like to think”
Í glaced at húm, my temper flaring. “And you’re acting like I don’t matter anymore. What’s going on, Nathan? You’re pushing me to the side, making me feel like I’m just another plece in your game.”
He exhaled, his shoulders relaxing slightly as he crossed the room to face me. His voice softened, but his eyes were calculating. “Why are you acting like this? You kw how important this plan is. We’re so close.”
“So close!” I shot back, my voice rising. “It doesn’t feel like we’re in this together anymore. You’re always running off, spending time with her. It’s like you don’t
Nathan stepped claner, løs funds finding my shoulders. 110s grip Nós partners in this. You konw that but this don’t the time for jealousy.
“Jealousy!“” Barotted, shaking
Charsh. “Adelaide,” de cusutmured, histone laced will forced pariener.
(head: “Wou’ve bermaliteet, Nathan. And Purmat billet–erhow you look at her ”
His jaw clenched, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, he leaned in and pressed his lips cudne, silencing my protests. For a moment, Det myself melt into the kiu,
ing the connection fell wasslipping away, hid even as his lips moved against mine, I knew this wasn’t ringh to fix things
he sighed. “Teleradiorated,“he admitted,
or complicated than it needs tache ”
(frustrations. “Raina and her exate getting on dry serves. They’re making
I searched his face, trying to gange his sincerity. “What’s the next step, then?” i demanded, my tone tim
Nathanian
calumask slipping for just a moment. “We wall for the old man to die,” he said flatly. “Once he’s gone, I’ll make my move. “
His words sent a chill down my spine, but I didnch showli, Instead, I nodded, triguing agreement. My thoughts, however, and When the old man dies, I thought to myself, haina would follow soon after thuly, hers would take more time. The poison was doing its job, slowly but surely.
