The sweet venom Chapter 26: 25

Read chapter 26 of The sweet venom by aspa201 on NovelPedia.

The carriage rolled at a steady pace through the streets of the capital, but Helia's mind was elsewhere. The meeting had barely ended, yet the discussions she had just had kept replaying in her head. She thought of Cédric, his tense expression, and the way the Prince had put him in a difficult position before the entire assembly. He no longer seemed like himself these days, and despite their differences, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. But her thoughts soon drifted to something far more concerning. She would have to return to the military camp at the eastern borders. Granted, her last experience there had been incredibly enriching, but she couldn't erase the images seared into her memory. The knight's death before her eyes, the improvised mass grave where bodies piled up, the panic that had seized her when the camp was overrun by boars, the wounded crammed beneath the medical tent... Even those insistent stares she had caught on her. At the time, absorbed in her work, she had managed to shut it all out. But now that she knew she would have to return, she couldn't ignore the tight knot of anxiety forming in her stomach. Yet, she had no choice. She could have refused, leaving Cédric, Doctor Caisus, and Elyes to handle the field tests in her stead. But that was simply unthinkable. This was her project, her hard work. She had to see it through to the end. It was simply in her nature. Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted when the carriage slowed before coming to a halt. She immediately recognized the paved courtyard of her home. But one detail caught her attention at once: a foreign carriage was already stationed in front of the main entrance. Her heart skipped a beat. She knew that carriage. Without wasting a second, she hastily stepped down and entered the house. No sooner had she crossed the hall than an angry voice rang through the corridors. "How dare you?!" Helia froze on the spot. That voice... She would have recognized it anywhere. A sharp, instinctive jolt shot through her chest. "You think you can ruin my business without suffering the consequences?!" It was Adrian. She felt her breath hitch. Her former fiancé. The one who had publicly humiliated her by breaking off their engagement for Elysia. The one who, apparently, had now found a reason to cause a scene in her home. "I have no idea what you are talking about." Lucian replied with perfect mockery. "Do you have any proof of these accusations?" A chill ran down Helia's spine. "Do not play the fool with me!" Adrian roared, his anger reaching its peak. "Your underhanded schemes have destroyed my business and my reputation!" "You may be the second son of a duke, but that does not give you the right to storm into my house and hurl accusations in this manner," the marquis declared coldly. "Your behavior is utterly unacceptable. Rest assured, your father will hear of this, and you will face the consequences of your insolence." The marquis's calm yet implacable tone silenced Adrian for a moment. Helia, still rooted in place, tried to piece together what was happening. She had not been aware that her father and brother had orchestrated a vendetta against her former fiancé. The sound of a door slamming violently made her jump. Adrian was storming down the main staircase, his steps furious. He was about to leave, but then his gaze fell on her. His eyes, already dark with rage, grew even darker. The sight hit her like a physical blow. The way he descended toward her, each step heavy and deliberate, overlapped, for a terrifying heartbeat, with the image of him advancing in her nightmare, fury warping his features. She saw again the bottle shattering behind her, felt again phantom fingers tightening around her throat. She instinctively took a step back, panic rising through her limbs. Before he could take a step toward her, Sir Aldric immediately placed itself between them. He fixed Adrian with cold hostility, ready to intervene at the slightest threat. After a tense mom