Audley slammed onto the ground, his mind completely blank. His face went ashen, the pain in his chest forgotten.

Benefactor? Was he hearing correctly? Did Queen Sally just say Freya was her benefactor?

Could it be... that Freya was the very benefactor the royal family had been searching for?

Working at the police department, Audley had seen the royal bounty notice the moment it was issued. He had even assigned a team to search for this person, hoping to win the title and reward for himself. After all, the notice promised not just a fortune, but a promotion into the ranks of nobility. Who could resist such a temptation?

But now, the person he had been desperately seeking, he himself had thrown into the darkest cell in the prison.

Oh, God! How could this have happened?

He was completely numb. Freya was just some girl from Eldermere. She wasn't even worthy of shining his shoes. How could she possibly be a benefactor to the House of Witting? If she was, then what did that make him? A clown? No, less than a clown.

It was over. Everything was over.

Panic seized him, and cold sweat poured down his forehead as he struggled to process the disaster.

At that moment, Zach, consumed by a towering rage, stormed over and clamped a hand around Audley's throat. His eyes were bloodshot. "I'm telling you, if anything happens to my master today, you and I are finished!"

The thought of his master being locked in that hellhole by this imbecile made Zach's blood boil. A regular dark room was terrifying enough, but this was the maximum-security cell-a place even a hardened man like him couldn't endure, let alone a young woman.

Master?

What was Zach talking about? His master?

Audley was completely lost.

Who was Zach's master?

He took a ragged breath, trying to compose himself. Wiping the blood from his lip,

he looked at Zach. "M-Mr. Zach, you must be mistaken. I don't even know who your master is..."

"Don't play dumb with me!" Zach roared, driving his fist into Audley's face. "My master is Freya!"

Wh-what?

Freya was Zach's master!

Zach was Prince Hollis's personal physician, and in some ways, his instructor in medicine. The prince treated him with immense respect. But if Freya was Zach's master, then what was she to Prince Hollis?

His... grand-master?

Audley's eyes widened in horror. It felt as if the sky was falling. He never imagined that this seemingly insignificant woman from Eldermere held so many powerful titles. She was the royal family's benefactor Zach's master, and Prince Hollis's grand-master.

What could he do now? What could he possibly do?

The weight of his regret was crushing. It was a regret so profound it felt physical.

Finding no relief in the first blow, Zach raised his fist again and slammed it into Audley's face. "Who the hell do you think you are? You dare to imprison my master? You dare to fabricate those baseless charges against her?"

Audley spat out a mouthful of blood, a molar coming loose with it.

The Chief of Police, watching from the side, felt his legs turn to jelly. He was terrified the fire would spread to him next. Surely they wouldn't beat him after dealing with Audley, right? That idiot Audley Arresting O Someone without doing a proper background check. Now he'd kicked a hornet's nest.

The Chief forced himself to remain

forced

calm, his voice trembling as he spoke. "Y-Your Majesty, Mr. Zach, please, try to calm down. The

Deputy Chief has already net

gone to

retrieve Miss Gonzales And please rest assured, I will ensure you receive a full accounting for what happened today!"

By the end of his speech, he was bowing so low his head nearly touched the floor, barely daring to breathe.

Audley finally snapped back to reality. He scrambled forward on his knees, crying hysterically. "Your Majesty, Mr. Zach! It wasn't my fault! I was set up by the Vances! It was the Vance family who told me to arrest Miss Gonzales!"

"The Vances?" Sally's brow furrowed, her eyes glinting with a dangerous light. So, the ones trying to harm Hollis were the Vances?

Audley nodded frantically. "Yes, that's right! It was the Vances! There's no way I would have touched Miss Gonzales if that old hag Diana Vance hadn't gotten to me first. You couldn't have paid me enough!"

Just then, footsteps echoed from the hallway, followed by the respectful voice of the Deputy Chief, Vincent. "Your Majesty, Mr. Zach, Miss Gonzales is here." Zach's head snapped up. He saw Caitlin, and his eyes instantly reddened. He ran to her, throwing his arms around her and crying like a child. "Oh, Master, I finally found you!"

He quickly pulled back, gripping her by the shoulders and anxiously looking her over from every angle. "Are you all right?"

Caitlin shook her head slightly. "I'm fine."

"How can you say you're fine!" Zach said, wiping tears from his face. "Look, your clothes are all dirty."

Until he mentioned it, neither the Chief nor Vincent had noticed the detail. Anyone else locked in the dark room would have been a wreck-disheveled and covered in filth. But Caitlin's clothes were only slightly smudged at the hem. Incredible. Truly incredible. She was the first person to emerge from the dark room with nothing more than a bit of dirt on her clothes.