Chapter 110

Hadrian covered me in tender kisses, each one light and deliberate. He wasn’t trying to ignite passion but to make me feel cherished, and in that moment, I felt it deeply. We lay there, bare and intertwined, doing nothing more than softly caressing one another. Smiles lingered on our faces as if we were trapped in a magical bubble, untouched by reality. For those few hours, my heart found peace, and I drifted into one of the most restful sleeps I’d had in ages.

The faint rustling of movement woke me. I opened my eyes sluggishly, adjusting to the dim light, and saw Hadrian getting dressed. The window revealed that the night still lingered, with no signs of dawn.

“You’re leaving already...?” I murmured, my voice heavy with the ache of waking up. As soon as the words escaped, the pain of yesterday’s turmoil came flooding back.

Hadrian paused, glancing at me while buttoning his shirt. “I can’t leave Selene alone for too long...” His voice trailed off, but the damage had already been done.

“Wow...” I laughed bitterly, though there was no humor in it. “Now I really feel like the mistress.”

A sharp pain clenched my chest, making it hard to breathe.

Hadrian stopped and sat beside me on the bed. “You know I didn’t mean it like that.”

“No,” I said, exhaling heavily. “That’s the problem. I don’t know.” I searched his face, desperate for clarity. “How would you feel if I spent most of my time with Alpha Kenzo?”

“That’s not the same,” he said firmly.

“Isn’t it?” Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision. “I’m struggling, Hadrian. I can’t even go to your chambers without secrecy. I can’t reach out to you when I need to. You keep me in the dark...” My voice cracked, but I pushed through. “Do you even understand how lonely this feels?”

He pulled me into his arms, holding me close as if that alone could mend the fracture. His lips sought mine, soft and lingering, but the tears didn’t stop falling. When he pulled back, he brushed them away with gentle fingers.

“Do you think I enjoy putting you through this, Thalassa?” he asked, his expression now somber. “Selene is dangerous. For years, she’s been trying to win over the Royal Army’s loyalty. Now that they’ve acknowledged you, she’s pretending not to care, which only makes her more suspicious. I’m trying to uncover her network, figure out who’s still loyal to her. The only way I can do that is by staying close to her.”

“I hate the word ‘close’ in the same sentence as Selene,” I muttered, my frustration seeping through.

“Thalassa, it’s the only way to expose her. She’s arrogant, convinced I’d never choose you over her. That arrogance blinds her and gives me access. I have to use that.”

“But what if there’s another way?” I asked, meeting his gaze with desperation. “What if I could find evidence—real evidence—of her crimes?”

He frowned slightly, intrigued yet skeptical. “What are you talking about?”

I hesitated before explaining. “Someone brought me her diary. I don’t know who—maybe a young maid? I saw someone fleeing the east wing afterward...”

“Her diary?” He let out a disbelieving sigh.

“It could be fake,” I admitted, bracing for his reaction. “But Varen confirmed it’s authentic.”

He tilted his head slightly, still doubtful. “Do you really think Selene would document her crimes in a diary?”

“Not directly,” I said quickly. “But there are coded messages hidden inside it.”

“Can you read them?”

“Not yet,” I confessed. “But I’m working on it. Varen and I are decoding them. Please, just give me a little time. I don’t want you near her unless absolutely necessary.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, my voice softening to a whisper. “Please.”

His faint chuckle broke the tension. “I’ll avoid her as much as I can,” he said, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

I couldn’t tell if he believed me or if he thought this was a hopeless endeavor, but for now, it was enough. I forced a smile, swallowing the fear building inside me. He stroked my cheek one last time, then finished dressing and slipped out through the passage door.

As the silence settled, I exhaled deeply, trying to push away the anxiety threatening to overtake me. I headed to the bathroom, hoping cold water would jolt my scattered mind into focus.

Determined, I committed myself to cracking Selene’s code. I pulled out the encrypted notes, opened my laptop, and took a deep breath as though willing inspiration to strike. What I wouldn’t give for some supernatural gene to suddenly make me a genius codebreaker. Unfortunately, no such miracle occurred.

Instead, I grabbed an English dictionary and began the painstaking process of guessing potential keywords. Starting with the letter A, I prayed Selene hadn’t used multi-word phrases or complex quotes for her cipher. If she had, this would take more than patience—I’d need a miracle.

I didn’t touch the breakfast Freya brought. Instead, I drank coffee—endless cups of it. Five grueling hours later, I had only made it to the letter N. Exhausted, I stood to stretch, but my head spun so violently I had to sit back down immediately. As much as I wanted to push forward, I had to admit defeat, at least temporarily. My brain was fried, so overwhelmed that even the words I typed into the decoding program were starting to blur together.

I pulled on a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and a jacket, deciding a walk might clear my head.

Unconsciously, I found myself heading toward the maze garden by the west wing. When I realized where I was, I stopped in my tracks. The last thing I needed was to accidentally run into Kenzo. With that thought, I pivoted and began walking in the opposite direction.

“Thalassa! Wait up!”

I turned, recognizing the voice instantly. Varen was running toward me, his familiar grin brightening my mood despite everything.

“Just the person I needed to see,” I said, smiling back at him. If anyone could distract me from the chaos swirling in my mind, it was my partner-in-crime and trusted friend. For a brief moment, I felt lighter, almost hopeful that talking to him might help me forget about the whole Hadrian-Kenzo disaster. But, as usual, the moment didn’t last.

“I heard about that Alpha being your mate,” Varen said with a crooked smile. “That must’ve been a massive blow.”

“You have no idea,” I sighed, shaking my head. “But do me a favor and don’t bring it up again.”

“No problem,” he replied with a laugh. “Are you heading somewhere specific, or just wandering?”

“I’m looking for a quiet place where I can recover,” I said, giving him a hopeful look.

Varen caught on immediately. “Follow me,” he said with a smirk, motioning for me to come along as he led me toward a narrow passage between the central and west buildings.

“Where are we going?” I asked as we entered what looked like a claustrophobic tunnel.

“You’ll see,” he said, snorting with amusement before grabbing my hand and pulling me forward.

The moment we emerged from the tunnel, I was blinded by light, as though the sun had suddenly grown ten times brighter. When my eyes adjusted, I gasped.

“Wow...”

We stood before a breathtaking fountain, its cascading water sparkling like a mountain of sunlit crystals. The structure was crafted from white marble, with intricate gold and silver accents that evoked a romantic, regal elegance reminiscent of Louis XIV’s grandeur. The fountain stood at the heart of a lush field of green grass, surrounded by towering wild rose bushes. It was magnificent, and to my surprise, completely deserted except for us.

“Come on, Thalassa. Take a seat,” Varen said, gesturing to a wooden bench near the fountain.

“This is incredible,” I murmured, still in awe.

“Relaxing enough for you?” Varen grinned, clearly proud of himself.

“Exactly what I needed,” I chuckled, sinking onto the bench and letting out a deep breath.

“So, what’s got your brain so fried?” he asked, his curiosity evident.

“Decrypting,” I replied.

Varen groaned dramatically. “You too, huh? Let me guess—Selene’s notes?”

I nodded. “No luck so far. I’ve typed in half the dictionary, hoping to stumble onto the right keyword, but nothing works.”

“You’re not alone,” Varen muttered, running a hand through his hair. “I even tried using the names of Selene’s old servants. Hell, I used my mother’s name, Tori, and still got nowhere.”

I placed a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll figure it out, Varen. Selene wasn’t exactly collaborating with geniuses. I’m betting the keyword is something simple, but we’re overthinking it.”

“I hope you’re right,” he sighed. “This is exhausting.”

We spent the next hour on that bench, venting our frustrations and laughing at our own helplessness while staring at the fountain. Somehow, it worked. By the time we parted ways, I felt lighter, my energy restored. Back in my room, I flipped open my laptop, determined to keep going.

With a fresh cup of coffee in hand, I dove back into the dictionary, scrolling to the letter O. I typed word after word into the program, but after hundreds of attempts, nothing seemed to fit. I paused to sip my coffee, flipping through the dictionary pages in search of inspiration. That’s when a single word caught my eye.

I smirked. It couldn’t possibly be this easy... could it?

Still, I typed the word in as the keyword and hit enter.

“No way...” I whispered, my jaw dropping.

I stared at the screen in disbelief, then closed my eyes and reopened them to make sure I wasn’t imagining things. Slowly, I read the decoded message, again and again, to let it sink in.

“The poison will be delivered as Princess requested. It is deadly, even in small doses. Tori will be dead before she conceives.”

A shiver ran down my spine as the weight of what I’d uncovered hit me. I had finally cracked Selene’s first note. I didn’t yet know who had written it, but it was proof—proof of her malicious intent.

I burst out laughing, a mix of triumph and disbelief. How had I not tried this word sooner? It was so obvious, so fitting for someone like Selene.

The keyword was POWER.