Chapter 1223:
With a slow drag, Torin exhaled a cloud of smoke and studied her, his eyes giving nothing away. “You brought the Drakelyne to detoxify Wesley, didn’t you?”
Torin had gone as far as rigging the bullets with poison, determined to make sure Wesley never left alive. Yet, against all odds, Wesley had managed to escape by plunging into the sea. Now he had resurfaced in Yoswye, still breathing. Torin couldn’t help but wonder if Wesley was simply impossible to kill. His eyes flickered with frustration, a hint of regret at his failure to claim Wesley’s life.
Meanwhile, Elena kept her cool, her poker face flawless. “Drakelyne is a precious herb. Any decent doctor would go after it in a heartbeat.”
Torin saw right through her. He let out a short laugh, shaking his head at her boldness in lying so blatantly. Snuffing out his cigarette, he pinned her with a sharp stare. “You’d better make sure he stays hidden. The moment he’s exposed, he won’t last.”
Elena’s expression stayed cold and indifferent.
She’d meant to head straight back to the palace after leaving AstraMed Pharmacy to start work on the antidote, but fate intervened yet again.
A sleek car pulled up, blocking her path. The door opened, and a middle-aged man in a suit stepped out, offering her an envelope. “Miss Harper, I serve as the butler for the royal household. Her Royal Highness is hosting brunch and wishes for your company.”
Elena was taken aback for a moment, wondering which branch of royalty he represented. She glanced at the invitation and realized it was from Celeste. She and Celeste had no real ties, so the invitation struck her as suspicious. Without hesitation, Elena refused. “I appreciate the invitation, but I’m busy. Tell her I can’t make it.”
Still, the butler had no intention of letting her slip away so easily. He held the car door open and spoke with quiet authority. “Miss Harper, Her Royal Highness is waiting. You’re expected to join her.”
Elena let out a dry laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. Trying to force her now? Still, curiosity got the better of her. It didn’t hurt to see what kind of game Celeste was playing.
“Fine,” Elena agreed, stepping into the car.
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They drove across town and finally pulled up in front of a sprawling manor.
When the car stopped, the butler hopped out first and went to announce Elena’s arrival to Celeste. “Your Royal Highness, I’ve brought the woman you wanted to see.”
The manor was enormous, and Celeste stood at its heart, surrounded by a flock of Yoswye’s young socialites. She was showing off her newest prize, a stunning ruby necklace, fresh from an overseas trip, designed by Helena herself and hand-delivered by Celeste’s father.
When Elena remained inside the car, Celeste couldn’t resist adding a note of ridicule to her voice. “What’s the holdup? Is she too shy to show her face around here?”
A chorus of laughter bubbled up from the women around Celeste, hands flying to cover their smirks.
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