Chapter 142

Scarlet's POV

I woke up to the cold, hard floor beneath me.

My head ached, and my body felt heavy. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dim light of the small prison cell. The walls were gray, the air damp, and the only sound was the faint dripping of water from somewhere in the distance.

I slowly sat up, my hands trembling as I tried to recall what happened. Then it hit me.

The wedding night.

The poison.

Alex.

My heart pounded as I remembered how I had watched him struggle, how I had smiled while he begged for help. I thought I had won. I thought I had finally ended everything.

But I was wrong.

I was here. Locked away.

Which meant…

Alex was alive.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms.

How?

How did he survive? I clearly made sure that he took two different types of poison that he couldn't get away from. How is he so lucky to have escaped? I'm very sure he knocked me out before I could do more to him. If not, I'd have died already.

To be honest, I know I hesitated a little bit while I was doing it to you. When the tears came out of my eyes as I stabbed him, I should have just let him die like that. Where did I feel sorry for him at that moment? It's because of this that my plan failed.

I should have been furious that my plan failed, but instead, a strange feeling settled in my chest-relief.

I shook my head, pushing that feeling away. I had no reason to be relieved. He was my enemy. He took everything from me. I wanted him dead.

Didn't I?

Before I could think too much about it, I heard footsteps approaching.

The heavy iron door creaked open, and Alex stepped inside.

Even in prison, my heart betrayed me. The moment I saw him, I felt something I didn't want to feel. He looked… tired. His face was pale, his usual sharp gaze softer than before.

I forced myself to look away.

"Scarlet," he said, his voice quiet.

I refused to meet his eyes.

"Why did you do it?" he asked, stepping closer. "Why would you try to kill me after everything?"

I let out a small laugh, bitter and cold. "Why are you acting surprised? You knew this was going to happen one day."

He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "I gave you everything, Scarlet. I made you my wife. I would have given you the world if you just-"

"Just what?" I snapped, finally looking at him. "If I just forgave you? If I just accepted everything you did to my family?"

His jaw tightened. "I told you I would fix things."

"You should have never ruined them in the first place."

Silence filled the cell.

His hands clenched at his sides. "Even after all this… I still love you."

I scoffed. "Then you're a fool."

Pain flickered in his eyes, but he quickly masked it.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself. "I would rather die than be with you."

Alex flinched.

"No! You can't die, Scarlet. Don't ever talk about dying in front of me again! You will stay with me, even if you don't like it. That will be your punishment for doing this!"

I banged the cell bars. "You should just kill me as soon as possible, because I will never be with you. I hate you!"

His lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't. Instead, he turned on his heel and walked out.

The door slammed shut behind him.

I let out a shaky breath.

Why did my chest feel tight?

Why did it hurt to see that look on his face?

I shouldn't care.

I don't care.

I bit my lip and forced back the strange emotions swirling inside me.

A few minutes later, a guard came in with a tray of food. He placed it in front of me without a word before leaving.

I stared at the plate.

I wasn't hungry.

I couldn't eat anything.

I pushed the food away and lay back down on the cold floor, staring at the ceiling.

Alex couldn't keep me here forever.

I was pregnant.

He wouldn't let his children suffer in prison, no matter how much he hated me.

I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the exhaustion creeping over me.

Hours passed. Maybe even an entire day.

Then the door opened again.

I didn't have to look to know who it was.

Alex.

He walked in, standing over me. "You didn't eat."

"I don't need your food here in prison. If you want to kill me, you should do it as soon as possible, or you should let me out of here. Anyway, there are three of us now, so just finish us," I threatened him.

He looked at me, unable to say anything. From the way I was looking at him, he didn't seem to be in a good mood. Leader, of course, who would be in a good mood if his wife poisoned him on his wedding night? He barely survived it, but that doesn't mean I won't try again if he lets me out of here. The best way he can get out of this is to kill me as soon as possible, but I knew he won't be able to do that.

"You're pregnant with two children and you need food to be steady. How can you do this to them? Even if you hate me, you shouldn't hate your children!" He said, trying to blackmail me emotionally, but I'm better than that.

"I'm not going to let these stupid emotions sway me. I already told you I don't care what you think. I'm not going to marry you or have any children with you!" I fired at him again.

He stopped arguing with me for a while and sat down on the floor outside the cell. He kept looking at me, and I was looking at him back with so much hatred. Then he suddenly stood up, as if he wanted to say something to me.

I turned my head away.

He sighed, kneeling beside me. "Scarlet… how did you get that poison?"

I stiffened.

I knew this question would come. I remained silent. He needs to know where I got the poison from so that he can find the antidote. The only problem is that I don't even know where the poison is from, and I don't have the antidote either. So, if he hasn't been detoxified himself, then he's just going to die soon.

He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from my face. "Tell me."

I shoved his hand away. "What does it matter?"

"It matters," he said, his voice sharper now. "Because someone gave it to you."

I swallowed hard.

I wasn't stupid. I knew if I told him the truth, things would get worse.

So, I kept my mouth shut.

He studied me for a long moment, then let out a slow breath. "Fine. Don't tell me."

I expected him to leave, but he didn't. Instead, he reached for my wrist, his fingers gentle as they traced over my skin.

I yanked my hand away.

"Don't touch me, you bastard! I don't want you touching me at all!" I yelled.

His lips pressed into a thin line. "No matter what you think, I'm not going to let you die."

I laughed, the sound hollow. "You're only keeping me alive because of the babies."

He didn't deny it. Of course, it's always been about the babies from the start. He was always acting as if he cared about me, but it was just to protect those babies from me. Could it be that he's planning to take them away from me after they are born? That would be over my dead body.

I looked at him, searching his face. He looked like he had something else to say, but he held back.

Finally, he stood up. "Rest, Scarlet. You'll need your strength."

"For what?" I asked.

Instead of giving me a straight answer, he only smiled at me. What is he planning to do to me? Could it be that he's going to do something to my family for trying to poison him? He wouldn't dare, because I will make sure I don't miss killing him this time around.

His eyes darkened. "For whatever happens next."

Then he turned and left.

I stared at the door long after he was gone.

For the first time, I had no idea what was going to happen next. What the hell is going through his mind, and what is he thinking of doing?