Chapter 626
“If an apology isn’t enough, then take me too. I’ll give myself to you. From now on, whenever you want to hit me, you can. I’ll be your punching bag for the rest of my life.”
At that, Alicia broke into laughter through her tears. She laughed until it hurt, and then she wept again.
She had gambled her life on one wild bet–whether she could ever win Zeke’s love. And after all these years, after decades of waiting, she had finally won.
From childhood she had carried feelings for him, growing from innocent affection into relentless devotion. Loving him, waiting for him, had become as natural as breathing. And now that he had finally come to her, her heart swelled with both bitter ache and overwhelming relief. Tears streamed down her face, unstoppable.
“Enough crying, Alicia,” Zeke murmured.
He brushed her tears away with his thumb, then leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. It was a gentle kiss, trembling with emotion, but it was real. His confession, his vow. Their first true kiss as lovers.
“Come back with me.” Zeke whispered, holding her hands tightly. “From now on, wherever I go, you’ll be with me. We’ll never be separated again. Please?”
Alicia nodded through her tears, joy flashing in her eyes.
“Let’s go. I want you to meet Caitlin
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her back. Caitlin watched them approach, her lips curving into a smile, “Congratulations. Two souls who belong together, finally
“Thank you.” Zeke said quietly, glancing down at the woman in his arms.
Alicia stepped forward, clasping Caitlin’s hand. “Thank you”
The bitterness of their past had long since faded. Alicia no longer saw Caitlin as a rival, but as someone who had unknowingly helped her find her way back to Zeke. If not for Caitlin discovering her and calling Zeke, who knew how long she would have stayed hidden, lost in her own pride and pain.
“How did you even find me on Ebonreach Isle?” Alicia asked, curiosity mingling with wonder.
“I came here looking for my mother.” Caitlin explained. “I never expected to run into you. And now… my brother has been poisoned. Since you’re here, will you come take a look at him?”
Alicia’s expression sobered instantly. She nodded. “Take me to him”
They hurried back to the hospital. Sebastian, seeing Alicia walk in, quickly pieced together that she had never lost her memory at all.
Introductions were made–Alicia meeting Kelly, Sebastian, and the others–before she turned her focus to the bedside.
James lay unconscious, his body marked by bruised veins and faint discoloration around the wound. Alia knelt to examine him closely. From her pocket, she drew out a small kin: a sampler, reagents, a prirtalide toxin analyzer
She worked quickly, and when the tool displayed its results, her delicate brows knit tightly.
Caitlin’s stomach dropped. The heaviness in Alicia’s face was worse than words. The entire room seemed to still, everyone holding their breath.
“Alicia?” Caitlin finally asked. “How bad is it?”
Alicia put her tools away, then produced a single pill and slipped it gently into James’s mouth. Only then did
she answer.
“It’s a compound poisoning. Part of it was inhaled through the nose–he must have breathed in a toxic fragrance before he was wounded. The blade on his back carried the rest, pushing the poison into his system.
“Once mixed together inside the body, the toxins create a slow–acting effect. They paralyze the nervous system, forcing the victim into a deep, prolonged coma.
“I’ve just given him a detox pill. It will slow the spread, but the only real solution is to neutralize it completely. And you need to be prepared. Even if we succeed in purging it, there may be permanent aftereffects.”
Her words struck Caitlin like a blow. Her knees buckled, and Sebastian caught her before she fell
Tears stung her eyes. She stared at her brother’s pale, motionless face, her voice breaking. “What do we do? What do we do now?”
If even Alicia couldn’t identify the exact mixture, who could possibly save James?
Zeke spoke up. “What about Aurelius? Would he know how?”
Alicia nodded reluctantly. “It may come down to him. Either that, or finding the person who made this poison. If the one who prepared it is still alive, the antidote may exist.”
Tyler frowned. “The one who cut James was a man in black. But I put him down myself–he fell and died.”
Caitlin’s eyes widened. “No. There’s someone else. Doña Dolores. If we can find her, we might find the cure.”
“Doña Dolores?” Zeke asked sharply.
“She’s the one behind my mother’s abduction,” Caitlin explained. She turned to Kelly. “Mom. You must know something about her, right? You were held for years. You must have seen her.”
Kelly shook her head sadly. “I never met her. The only one I saw was Mr. Black. But even he didn’t come often. It’s been a long time since I last saw him.
“As for the poisoning- I think it came from those portraits.”
“Portraits?”
as vouchere
“The room they kept me in was full of paintings of me. Anyone who stared too long at them would get dizzy ill. I heard the paints were laced with a fragrant toxin, something meant to repel insects but dangerous to humans it inhaled. I never thought Harrison would be exposed…” Her voice cracked. “I never thought he’d be poisoned”
Caitlin’s heart sank. “Mr. Black is Black Hawk. Sebastian–contact Felix. Tell him to press Black Hawk for
answers.
“On it.” Sebastian hurried out to make the call..
“I’ll head back to that estate. Tyler volunteered. “I’ll take King, Vaughn, the others. Maybe there’s still evidence we can use.”
“Go.” Caitlin urged.
The room fell heavy again. Zeke placed a hand on Caitlin’s shoulder. “We’ll find a way. Don’t lose hope.”
Alicia added softly. “What I told you is only the worst–case scenario. Right now, the toxins are only numbing his nervous system. He’s stable. He won’t die. We still have time.”
Caitlin forced herself to breathe. “Then I need to plan for both outcomes. If we can’t find the antidote here, we’ll take James to S country. Aurelius will be our last hope.”
Sebastian returned, phone still in hand. “I reached Felix. He’ll interrogate Black Hawk as soon as possible and get back to us.”
Zeke’s jaw tightened. “Then Caitlin’s right. Searching here is a waste of time–we don’t know who’s pulling the strings. Black Hawk may not know either. We need to decide fast. Do we leave for S country now, and take James to Aurelius?”