Chapter 43 Chapter 43

Chapter 43 Chapter 43
_Leon's POV_

Talia walked toward me with the glass of water in her hand, a gentle smile resting on her face.

"Here," she said softly. "Take these first. You will feel better once the medicine starts working."

I stared at the glass for a moment. The clear liquid looked completely harmless. Anyone else would have seen nothing unusual. They would have trusted the woman standing in front of them. They would have believed that their fiancée was simply trying to take care of them after a serious accident.

But I had seen what happened. The image of the small packet in her hand refused to leave my mind. I could still picture the white powder dissolving into the water and the careful way she had looked around first, making sure no one noticed what she was doing.

But what troubled me even more was the fear that had crossed her face when I mentioned the name Anya. That reaction had been too strong, too sudden, and it told me that there was something she was hiding from me.

My thoughts became a tangled mess.

Why was Talia acting this way?

Why was she so desperate to stop me from asking questions?

If Anya was truly just a simple maid, why had Talia reacted like I had uncovered some dangerous secret?

And what exactly was that powder?

A cold feeling settled inside me. Something was definitely wrong. I swallowed hard as I looked at the glass.

Even though most of my memories were still missing, there were some things that seemed impossible to erase. The instincts I had developed while growing up as the son of an Alpha were still buried deep inside me. My mind might have forgotten many things but my instincts still recognized danger. They still warned me when something felt wrong.

And right now, every part of me was telling me not to drink that water...not until I knew what was inside it.

I forced myself to remain calm and slowly reached for the glass, pretending that I had no doubts at all. My fingers wrapped around it while I carefully watched Talia from the corner of my eye.

She was watching me too. Her gaze was fixed on the glass, almost as if she was waiting for something. That small detail made my suspicion grow stronger.

I needed a distraction. I needed time to think. I needed a way to keep this glass away from my lips without making her realize that I suspected her.

An idea suddenly came to me. I lowered my head and pressed a hand against my chest, forcing myself to look uncomfortable. The change was immediate.

Talia noticed. "Leon?"

Her voice instantly became concerned as she stepped closer.

I took a slow breath, trying to hide the panic building inside me. The tight feeling in my chest was not real but the tension of the moment was enough to make my body react naturally. I decided to use that fear to my advantage.

"I don't feel well," I said quietly.

"What happened?"

I looked at her while forcing myself to appear weak. "My head is hurting again."

Her eyes widened immediately. "Your head?"

I nodded slowly before placing a hand against my forehead and leaning back against the bed. "The pain came back suddenly."

The moment I said that, Talia placed the glass of water down on the table beside her and rushed toward me.

"What about your chest? Are you having trouble breathing?"

Her voice sounded worried but something about her reaction caught my attention. She was concerned but not only because I was in pain. Her eyes moved toward the glass for the briefest moment, almost as if she was checking whether it was still there. It lasted only a second but I noticed it.

My suspicion grew stronger. "I just feel strange," I murmured and closed my eyes slightly. "Like something is wrong."

Talia immediately placed a hand on my shoulder. "Leon, look at me."

I opened my eyes and looked at her.

"Where does it hurt?"

"My head and my chest feels uncomfortable."

Her expression became more nervous. "Should I call the doctor?"

"No."

The answer escaped from my mouth too fast. I immediately noticed her reaction and realized my mistake. I forced myself to relax and changed my tone.

"I mean... no. It is probably nothing serious. I am just tired. The doctors said my body still needs time to recover."

Talia continued staring at me. For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then she said quietly, "You seemed fine a moment ago."

Her words sounded innocent but there was something hidden beneath them. She was testing me.

I studied her face carefully before asking, "So you noticed?"

She froze for a moment. "What?"

"That I was fine before," I replied quietly.

For a few seconds, neither of us spoke. I watched her carefully, waiting to see if her expression would change again. Then, she smiled.

"I am just worried about you."

I nodded slowly, pretending to accept her explanation. Of course...that was what she wanted me to believe.

She moved closer and sat beside me on the bed. "You have been through a lot, Leon. Your body is still recovering and it is normal for you to feel weak sometimes."

Her fingers gently brushed against my arm as she spoke. I forced myself not to pull away. Before losing my memories, I might have welcomed that touch. I might have found comfort in knowing that the woman beside me cared about me.

But now...everything felt different.

It was not because I hated her. It was not because I believed that she did not care about me. It was because I no longer knew who she truly was.

The person sitting beside me was someone I was supposed to love. Someone I was supposed to trust. Yet a small voice inside me kept warning me that something was wrong.

After a few moments, I slowly sat upright again and took a deep breath. "I think I just need some rest."

Relief immediately appeared on Talia's face. "Maybe."

But even as she said it, her eyes moved toward the glass of water sitting on the table. Then she reached for it again.

"You should still take your medicine."

My stomach tightened. She was still insisting. Even after I said I felt sick.

"The doctor said you need to take it on time."

There was something strange about how desperate she sounded. It was almost as if getting me to drink that water was more important than whether I was actually feeling better.

I forced a small smile. "I know."

Then I placed a hand over my stomach. "But I think I should eat first."

Her expression changed immediately. "What?"

"My stomach feels strange," I explained. "I don't want to take medicine right now and make myself feel worse."

Talia immediately shook her head. "No, Leon. The medicine will help you feel better."

Her response came too quickly. I stared at her. She sounded less like someone giving advice and more like someone trying to convince me.

"I just don't think I can take it right now."

Her worried expression deepened. "You need to trust me."

Those words struck something inside me. Trust? That was exactly what I was struggling with. I looked at her for a moment before forcing a small smile.

"I do trust you."

The lie felt strange the moment it left my mouth. Talia seemed satisfied by my answer and her shoulders relaxed slightly.

Then, before she could say anything else, I suddenly bent forward and covered my mouth. The reaction was completely fake but I made sure it looked real. My breathing became uneven as I turned slightly away from her, pretending that my stomach had suddenly become worse.

"Leon?"

I did not answer immediately. Instead, I tightened my expression and acted as if I was fighting against the nausea.

Talia immediately stood up. "Oh Moon Goddess."

She rushed toward the table and grabbed a towel. "Are you going to vomit?"

I nodded weakly, keeping my head lowered. "I... I don't know."

Her entire attention was now on me. "Wait," she said quickly while moving closer. "Let me help you."

She gently wiped my mouth with the towel. "The medicine should not be taken when you feel this sick."

Her own words surprised me. I looked at her carefully. A few moments ago, she had been insisting that I take it immediately. She had been reminding me that the doctor said it needed to be taken on time. But now she was agreeing to wait.

Interesting.

"Maybe after dinner," I said quietly.

Talia hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. "Fine."

But her eyes remained fixed on the glass. She thought I did not notice...but I did. She picked it up again. There was something about the way she looked at it that made my suspicion grow stronger.

After a few seconds, she reached for the glass again. "You can at least drink some water," she said gently.

My heartbeat immediately increased.

"Just water," she added with a small smile.

I stared at the glass in her hand. The room suddenly felt unbearably quiet. The glass slowly moved closer to my lips.

I could see my own reflection on the surface of the clear water. I could see my tired face staring back at me.

And I could see Talia. She was watching me. There was something intense about her expression, something she was trying hard to hide.

Then suddenly...

Knock.....Knock.....