Chapter 131
RAINA
I stared at the doctor, my heart pounding in my chest. His silence stretched on longer than I could bear, and I finally broke it. “Do you have anything to report from the results? Anything new?” I asked, my voice firm despite the anxiety bubbling beneath the surface. “And… is it possible the poison could have been a herb of some sort?”
Beside me, Dominic turned sharply, his brows furrowing. “What are you getting at, Raina? Why would you ask that?”
I met his questioning gaze. “If Alex is telling the truth–and I believe he is—then Adelaide poisoned Grandpa.” My voice wavered, but I pressed on. She’s been serving the family herbal tonics for years. It makes sense.”
Dominic opened his mouth, likely to argue, but I cut him off, turning back to the doctor. “If I bring you a sample of what she uses, can you test it? Narrow down what we’re dealing with?”
The doctor nodded, his expression serious. “That would definitely help. Bring me whatever you can, and I’ll test it immediately.”
Dominic didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t argue. “Fine,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair. “Let’s go.”
“(
The drive home was tense, the silence between us heavy. I could feel Dominic’s unease, but I didn’t have time to address it. My mind raced, trying to piece everything together. If Adelaide had been poisoning us, who else was at risk?
When we walked through the door, the first thing I saw was Faith holding a cup of tea, chatting with Adelaide in the living room. My blood ran cold.
“Where have you been?” Faith asked, her gaze flicking to Dominic as we entered.
Dominic didn’t answer. Instead, he strode across the room, took the tea from her hands, and placed it on the table with a force that made the cup Then, without a word, he grabbed Faith’s arm and gently but firmly pulled her away from Adelaide.
“Dominic, what the hell?” Faith exclaimed, looking between him and me. “What’s going on?”
Adelaide stood frozen, her face pale. Her eyes darted to the cup of tea before quickly meeting mine. “Is… is everything okay?” she asked, her voice trembling just slightly.
rattle.
I could feel the heat rising in my chest, my hands curling into fists as my gaze locked onto Adelaide, who was busy straightening the cups on the tray. Every fiber of my being screamed to confront her, to grab her by the shoulders and demand answers.
I took a step forward, ready to unleash my fury, but Alex’s arms wrapped around me before I could say anything. His grip was firm but gentle, and he leaned down, his breath warm against my ear. “Raina, don’t,” he whispered. “You can’t confront her yet. If she knows, Nathan knows.”
I swallowed hard, the anger threatening to spill over.
“Trust me,” he murmured. “We’ll handle this, but not here. Not now.
”
Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to nod. I wasn’t doing this for Alex. I was doing this for my family–for Grandpa. “Fine,” I said through gritted teeth. “Take me to the kitchen. I need to eat something.”
Adelaide immediately perked up, her ever–helpful facade in place. “Oh, let me get something for you, ma’am,” she offered, her tone syrupy sweet.
I turned to her, schooling my features into something that resembled calm, forcing a smile. I shook my head. “It’s fine, Adelaide. Alex knows what I like. I just want him to make what he used to for me.” The words sounded foreign and awkward coming out of my mouth, almost cringe–worthy. But I needed an excuse to get away from Adelaide and keep her off guard.
Her eyes flickered briefly–was that hesitation? Suspicion? I couldn’t tell–but she nodded and stepped back. Alex placed a hand on my back, guiding me out of the room and into the kitchen.
Alex played along seamlessly, a wide grin spreading across his face. “Of course. You haven’t had my cooking in a while.” His tone was casual, almost teasing, as if we were back to being a happy couple. For a fleeting moment, it felt real.
I followed Alex into the kitchen, I could feel the weight of Adelaide’s watchful eyes lingering on my back. As soon as the door closed behind us, I let out a shaky breath, my hands trembling. “She’s guilty,” I said, barely above a whisper. “I know it.”
Alex moved to the counter, pulling out pots and pans. “Let’s focus on what we need to do,” he said, his voice calm. “What do you want to eat?”
I blinked, momentarily thrown by the question. “Uh… ramen,” I muttered, my mind still racing.
“And boiled eggs.”
