Chapter 15 15
Evelyn's POV:
I could feel my pulse quicken as Elsa’s voice cut through the tension. “And why don’t you want to eat?”
I pressed my lips together and forced a calm I didn’t feel. “Because… I don’t feel like it.” I muttered, hoping that would be enough.
Elsa’s eyes narrowed, sharp and incredulous. “The point of making her cook this food in the first place was to assess her. But now you don’t want to taste it? Your decisions are conflicting, Evelyn and it doesn't make any sense.”
I opened my mouth, but the words faltered. How could I explain without revealing too much? “I decided not to eat because I don't want to eat. Can’t you let it go?” I tried to sound firm, but inside, panic was gnawing at me.
Elsa’s voice rose, trembling with stubborn insistence. “No! You made this girl go through the stress of cooking when there are maids everywhere in this house. So, you’re going to eat it and assess it to know if it’s good.”
I could feel my eyes darting around, looking for a way out, any escape because I hadn’t accounted for Elsa’s tenacity. The food was already poisoned, so I couldn't consume it and now Elsa seemed like she wasn't ready to back down.
My heart thumped in my chest as I realized I had to act fast. “I… Well, seeing it is more than enough!” I stammered, trying to keep my voice steady. “I just wanted to see if Jenna was obedient. And she’s proven herself by cooking. And now, I just want to see how the food looks, and it looks fine. Elsa, you can taste it. I don’t need to.”
“No.” Elsa insisted, her eyes blazing. “You must assess it with your own tongue and know if it’s okay because you forced her to cook!”
I could feel my palms start to sweat as I looked at Jenna sitting there, awkward, and Caesar gazing at her with that soft, infuriating look of love.
My chest tightened and I immediately realized that I needed a diversion, something, anything to get out of this.
And then, suddenly, a bold, reckless, and desperate idea sparked in my mind as I slammed my hands onto the table, standing up abruptly.
“Elsa! You’re overreacting!” I snapped. “You’ve been so overbearing lately, what’s going on? Why are you so eager to step on my toes?!” I let the words tumble out, my tone harshly venomous, with a mixture of anger and frustration. “And what’s so good about this Jenna that no one can just leave her alone? Cesar’s always about her. You, Elsa, you’re obsessed with her. Even Roman, sitting quietly, is always about her. What the hell is going on?”
Roman’s voice cut through, calm but stern. “Evelyn, respect yourself and sit down. Jenna is still a guest here so you shouldn't behave like that.”
I threw my hands up, incredulous. “Wow, I can’t believe you’re saying this to me! Didn’t you hear what your wife just said?” I jabbed a finger at Elsa.
“I did, and I don't see anything wrong with it.” Roman replied, his voice steady. “Besides, you forced Jenna to prepare this lunch for everyone, but now you’re throwing a tantrum about tasting it. What’s wrong with tasting it? Any reason you can’t?”
I opened my mouth, flustered. “Maybe… because I don’t want to! Is it really so hard for anyone to accept that I just don’t want to taste it?”
Roman leaned back, arms crossed. “Then what is your reason for not taking just a spoonful? Why can’t you just know what it tastes like?”
I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. “I… I don’t have to have a special reason, I just don't want to. That’s all!”
Elsa’s voice rose again, sharp, and insistent. “So you made Jenna cook this food just for the stress?”
“Of course not!” I snapped, feeling the panic twist inside me. “I wanted to assess her!”
Elsa’s tone didn’t soften, as she leaned in and said. “Then finish the assessment by having a taste to know if it's good!”
That was it, that was the opening I needed to act, and I had to act now. My hands gripped the edge of the table, my heart hammering, and I yanked the tablecloth hard causing the plates, dishes, and trays to tumble over the edge, clattering to the floor, with food spilling in a wave across the floor. Chairs screeched as everyone jumped back, hands raised to shield themselves.
Before anyone could react further, I grabbed my bag from my chair and stormed toward the door, my heels clicking sharply on the floor. I needed to get out of there before suspicion could even form, before anyone could start asking questions. As I moved, I realized that plan hadn’t been as foolproof as I imagined. After all the risk I took in getting Nathan to distract Jenna and Caesar at the right moment, slipping in the poison and coordinating everything, yet here I was, improvising because Elsa wouldn’t relent, because my escape was now messy, visible, and reckless.
And still, I couldn’t help but think about Jenna.
What was it about her that had Roman, Elsa, and Caesar so captivated? That girl had a way of bending people around her, of making them protective, soft, and distracted. She saved Caesar when Jericho and Nathan tried to assassinate him, then she turned him into this man who was all about her, and now the entire family seemed caught in the same spell. It infuriated me but became clear to me that I needed to get Jenna out of the way. Once she was gone, taking Caesar out, or whoever else was under her spell, wouldn’t be difficult.
I tightened my grip on my bag and walked faster, as my heart pounded, and my mind raced. ‘Jenna needs to be removed, then everything else would follow. But first, I need to escape before anyone could stop me.’