143

143

Scarlet's POV

I sat in the corner of the cold, dark prison cell, my arms wrapped around my knees. Days had passed, but I still refused to eat. The guards kept bringing me food, but I didn’t even look at it. I had lost my appetite a long time ago.

I wasn’t supposed to be the one suffering like this.

Alex was supposed to be dead.

I should have been his widow by now, taking over everything he owned. That was the only way I could have saved my family. If I had succeeded, I would have had power, money, and a way to bring back what he took from us. But now…

Now, I was the one trapped.

And he was still alive.

I clenched my fists.

He wouldn’t let me go easily. I knew that. He was keeping me locked up like this because he wanted to break me. But I wasn’t going to let him win.

My head started to ache, and suddenly, I was pulled into a memory.

The poison.

I remembered how I got it.

That night, when I left the house to prepare my own plan, I hadn’t expected to meet those people.

I had planned to use my own method, something slower, something that would make Alex suffer before he died. But then, I got lucky.

Or so I thought.

I met them in a dark alley. They wore masks, and I couldn’t see their faces. Their leader stood slightly ahead of the rest, his voice deep and steady. He was older, judging by the way he carried himself.

He gave me the poison and the dagger.

At the time, I didn’t care why they wanted to help me. All I cared about was that they had given me something powerful enough to kill Alex.

Flashback....

“This is what you need,” the man said in a low, gruff voice. “The poison. It’ll do the job.”

I swallowed hard, my mouth dry. Poison. It felt wrong to be holding something like this, but at the same time, it felt like the only solution. I clenched the vial tightly, my mind swirling with thoughts of Alex and everything he had done.

Then, from another man, came a dagger. It gleamed in the light, its blade sharp and dangerous. He handed it to me with a grim look on his face. It was a simple, but deadly weapon. I could feel its weight in my palm, and I knew that if I used it, there would be no turning back.

I glanced at them, trying to keep my composure. My voice came out quieter than I intended. “Who are you? And why are you helping me?”

The man who had given me the poison took a step forward, his eyes cold and calculating. “We want the same thing,” he said, his voice flat. “Alex needs to be taken down. We know what he’s capable of. You want him gone, and we’re giving you the means to do it.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to read his intentions. My mind raced with questions, but I couldn’t afford to waste time. “Why are you helping me?” I asked again, my voice steady, though my insides were churning with doubt.

The leader of the group, an older man with graying hair, stepped forward. His eyes held no warmth. “Because we want him gone. That’s all you need to know. You give him the poison, and it’s over. You don’t need to worry about us.”

Their words didn’t reassure me. I could feel the weight of their silence, the hidden meaning behind their eyes. I didn’t trust them, not fully. But I didn’t have the luxury of trust anymore. I had already come too far to back out now.

I glanced down at the vial in my hand, then at the dagger. The plan was clear, but something in my gut told me that this wasn’t as simple as it seemed. My instincts screamed that these men were hiding something from me, but I ignored them. I had to ignore them. I had to do this. For my family. For myself.

I shoved my doubts aside and nodded. “Alright. I’ll do it.”

The older man gave me a small nod in return. “Good. Now go. He’ll be vulnerable when you give him the poison. Don’t wait too long.”

I didn’t say anything. I simply turned and walked away, the weight of the vial and dagger heavy in my hands. I didn’t look back. I didn’t want to see the way they were watching me, studying my every move. All I could focus on was the task ahead. It was the only thing that mattered now.

As I walked, my mind raced. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off about this whole thing. They had given me the poison, yes, but why? Why were they so eager to help me? What did they want in return? I had so many questions, but the answers didn’t matter. All that mattered was getting rid of Alex.

Flashback ended

I should have asked more questions.

I should have been more careful.

Now that I thought about it, it felt like a scam.

The poison didn’t work.

He was still alive.

Had they tricked me?

Or was there something else I was missing?

I sighed, leaning my head against the wall. My body felt weak, but I ignored it.

Then I heard footsteps.

The door creaked open, and I looked up to see my brother, Ryan.

His expression was cold, his eyes filled with disappointment.

“What were you thinking?” he snapped, stepping into the cell. “Do you know what you’ve done?”

I frowned. “I did what I had to do.”

“You tried to kill him!” he shouted.

I scoffed. “And? After everything he did to us, you expect me to just sit back and do nothing?”

Ryan clenched his fists. “You should have left with us when you had the chance. Mom and Dad begged you to come with us. You should have just walked away instead of getting yourself trapped like this!”

I laughed bitterly. “Walk away? And then what? Let Alex keep everything? Let him win?”

Ryan shook his head. “This isn’t winning, Scarlet. Look at you. You’re locked up like a criminal while he’s still out there.”

I felt something burn inside me.

He was right.

I had lost.

For now.

But I wouldn’t let this be the end.

Before I could say anything, the door opened again.

Alex stepped inside.

I stiffened as I looked at him.

Ryan turned, his anger shifting from me to him. “You!”

Before I could react, Ryan lunged at Alex, grabbing him by the collar.

Alex barely dodged the punch that followed.

Something was off.

He was slower than usual.

Weaker.

Ryan grabbed him again, shoving him against the wall. “You ruined our family! You stole everything from us! And now you lock up my sister like she’s some kind of animal?”

Alex didn’t fight back.

That’s when I noticed it.  His hands were shaking. His breathing was uneven and his skin was paler than before.

The poison…

Was it still in his body?

I felt my heart clench against my will.

No. I shouldn’t care.

I should be happy that he was suffering.

But for some reason, I wasn’t.

Ryan pulled back his fist, ready to punch him again, but Alex finally reacted. He grabbed Ryan’s wrist, pushing him away.

“Enough,” Alex muttered, his voice hoarse.

Ryan glared at him. “You don’t get to tell me what to do. Not after everything you’ve done.”

Alex took a deep breath and looked at me.

Even though he was weak, his eyes still held that same intensity.

“Eat something,” he said, ignoring Ryan completely.

I scoffed, "stop forcing me to eat I already told you I'm not interested in eating anything you give me so stay the hell away from me you bastard!"

He sighed, "I'm only doing this because I care about you you know you're not the only one who can get mad I'm the one who got poison but I'm still trying my best too protect you."

I narrowed my eyes. “Why do you care? I don't need your care for me at all why are you asking like the care about me you clearly don't!”

He didn’t answer.

He just turned and walked out.  My brother came towards me and pushed the food to me

"If you're mad at him you shouldn't starve yourself you don't deserve to be suffering because of him."

I sat there, staring at the closed door, my emotions in chaos.

What was I supposed to do now?