Chapter 98

Selene's POV

No matter how hard I try to stay calm, restlessness clings to me like a shadow. It feels like one problem after another, each one piling on before I’ve even had a chance to breathe.

I still haven’t fully processed the fact that Maximus now knows I had his kids.

And now, someone tried to poison me.

On top of that, Mason and Neo can’t seem to be in the same room without turning it into a competition.

I swear, if we had told Maximus about my attempted murder, he would’ve stormed into this hospital and demanded that I take a break from work.

I have no idea how I ended up with three chaotic men in my life.

When I came back to New York City, all I wanted was peace, a quiet life. But apparently, the universe had other plans. I can barely keep up.

At least there’s one good thing about today; they caught the waiter who tried to poison me. He was caught before he could slip out of New York City by train.

That knowledge brings me some relief. But only some.

My leg bounces up and down as I sit in the interrogation room, nerves eating away at me. Neo is beside me, his grip on my hand firm, steady.

He hasn’t let go since we walked into the police station, and honestly, I’m grateful. If he wasn’t here, I might’ve passed out from how overwhelmed I feel.

The door finally swings open.

Detective Rivers steps inside, followed by the waiter—the man who served me my drink at the café. The man who poisoned me.

He looks rough. Black eye, busted lip. Good.

I told them to do whatever it took to catch him. I don’t care if they had to beat him senseless. Hell, I wouldn’t have cared if they killed him. One less problem for me. I have zero mercy for someone who tried to take my life without a shred of remorse.

And as if to prove my point, the bastard has the audacity to smirk when he sees me.

My hands clench into fists. I want to lunge across the table and strangle the living daylight out of him. How can he not even pretend to be sorry?

I almost died.

If Neo hadn’t been there, what would’ve happened to me? I don’t even want to imagine it. Just remembering the dizziness, the hallucinations—the sheer helplessness—makes me shudder.

What kind of monster is he?

And more importantly… why me?

"Miss Norman, just as you suspected, the sneaky bastard was trying to escape," Detective Rivers says, his voice steady but laced with satisfaction. "When we searched his apartment, we found pictures of you scattered all over his study table. He wouldn’t confess who sent him, even after we roughed him up a little. Take a good look at him—let us know if you’ve ever had any encounters with him before."

I stare at the man across the table. He looks young, maybe nineteen or twenty at most. His auburn-red hair is neatly combed, his skin flawless—almost too perfect for someone working in a café.

He looks more like an up-and-coming actor than a waiter.

Nothing about him screams dangerous.

And yet, he tried to kill me.

I search my memory, but he doesn’t stand out. If he worked at the café, I never noticed him. Then again, I barely pay attention to my surroundings—a mistake on my part. I’ve been going to that café since I returned to New York and started my job at the hospital.

I should’ve known some of the workers by now. If I had, maybe I could have spotted this bastard sooner.

"I’ve never seen this man before in my life," I blurt out, my voice sharp.

Then, the anger comes crashing down.

"Why did you try to poison me? What have I ever done to you?" My voice rises, frustration boiling over. "It doesn’t make any sense! Why would a total stranger try to kill me?" I slam my hands on the table, leaning forward.

"Who sent you?"

He doesn’t respond. Just stares at me as though I’m a mad woman.

My breath comes fast, my pulse pounding. "Say something, you freak!" I scream, my control snapping.

He still says nothing.

Then-

He smirks, before his gaze flickers to Neo, who hasn’t said a word since we walked in. Neo’s hands are clenched so tightly in his clothes that his knuckles have turned white.

I frown. Why is he staring at the waiter like he wants to rip him apart?

The bastard tilts his head slightly, his smirk widening. "Let’s just say I have a weird hobby—hurting pretty girls like you." His voice is casual, almost amused, like this is all a game to him. "If it were up to me, I wouldn’t want you dead just yet. I’d take you home, chain you up, make sure you never see daylight again. And then…" He leans in slightly. "I’d slit your throat. That’s how I like my victims to look."

The words send a chill down my spine, but before I can react, Detective Rivers shoves him back into his seat.

I don’t hesitate.

I lunge forward, grabbing his cuffed wrists and squeezing, pressing the cold metal into his skin. His smirk vanishes as he winces, his body jerking against the restraints.

A sharp cry of pain escapes him, but I don’t let go.

I tighten my grip, staring into those brown eyes. Liar.

Something about this isn’t adding up. He talks big, but the guy sitting in front of me doesn’t look like a killer. His words are meant to scare me, but I don’t buy it.

I press harder, my anger bubbling over. Let him feel just a fraction of what I felt—that helplessness, that terror—as the poison took over my body.

"How does it feel?" I whisper, my voice shaking with rage.

Detective Rivers' voice barely registers in my mind. His words are muffled by the pounding of my heart, the rage that consumes me.

All I can think about is the fact that someone out there wanted me dead—and now, I’m the one holding the power, the one in control of this situation, inflicting the smallest bit of pain in return.

But then, Neo’s hands are on me, pulling me back gently.

"That’s enough, Selene," he says, his grip firm but caring. "There’s no point. He’s going to get the punishment he deserves. He’s going to spend his miserable life in prison, so don’t waste your energy on him. You need to rest."

I let him guide me back, and I can’t help but feel the anger simmering, barely contained.

As I try to regain some semblance of control, the waiter leans forward slightly. I hear let outa dark and mocking chuckle. "It’s funny, isn’t it? How easily you trust people." His eyes gleam with something unsettling. "How well do you trust this boyfriend of yours? Would it shock you if I told you he’s the one who paid me off to poison you?"

The words hit me like a punch to the gut.

My throat goes dry. I blink, trying to process what he’s just said. What?

Is he out of his mind?

He must be lying.

Right?

"Isn’t that right?" The waiter’s voice cuts through the tension, and I can barely process his words. "I know you must find it hard to believe, but watching you trust your boyfriend is really saddening when he’s the one who approached me and paid me to spike your drink."

I’m frozen.

He pauses, smirking at my stunned silence. “You must be wondering why he wanted to do it. He ranted all the time about being jealous of you—how obsessed he is with you. He said something about you being stuck in a past relationship, and he paid a huge amount of money to get the job done. What I don’t understand is why he saved you when he was so adamant about killing you.”

The room goes deathly quiet. Everyone’s eyes shift to Neo, whose face has drained of color. His eyes are wide with disbelief, his hands shaking slightly.

He opens his mouth to say something, but I can’t bear to look at him right now.

I take a step back, my breath coming in short gasps. Neo tries to reach out to me, but I pull away.

No. This has to be a lie. There’s no way Neo could have done this.

"He’s lying, Selene, I would never..." Neo’s voice is full of desperation, but I can’t bring myself to listen.

Before I can process what’s happening, Detective Rivers speaks up, cutting through the chaos. “I’m sorry, sir, but as of now, you’re a suspect and must answer our questions. That’s protocol. Why don’t you take a seat and tell us why you wanted Miss Norman dead?”

“I never did such a thing..” Neo shakes his head, before turning to me. “Selene.. you know..”

“That’s enough, sir.” Detective Rivers shuts him up.

I part my lips to speak, but no word comes out.

My heart pounds.

With my head spinning, I turn and walk out of the room, ignoring Neo’s frantic calls of my name.

I can’t take it anymore.

I stumble into the hallway, leaning heavily against the cold wall as tears flood my eyes. This can’t be real.

This has to be some nightmare I’ll wake up from any minute now.