Chapter 73 Retribution and Death
I held Celene closer, pressing a hand to her back. Her eyes fluttered open slightly, frightened, and I leaned down to whisper in her ear, low and steady. “I’ve got you, Kitten. Nobody’s touching you. Not tonight.”
Her grip tightened on me as i carried her. She was losing strength too quickly. It fucking scared me to death.
"We need to move her, Boss. We need to make her lay down so I can be more efficient and nip this toxin at the bud." The doctor said, looking at me like he was asking permission to hold her.
"I'll carry her. Just follow right behind me" I said as I searched her face for any source of strength or life.
My heart was beating wildly in my chest. I could not control the hundreds of fleeting emotions that ran across my heart. At this rate, I could lose her. I could really lose her right here, right from underneath my fucking nose.
As I carried her toward the hallway, past my frantic mother and Jeffery’s efficient, tense movements, I felt that dark, dangerous part of myself flare.
This wasn’t just a scare. Someone had dared to reach for her even right inside my house.
The sheer guts!! The morale!! Who the fuck were they working for?
I would find them, and I would not forgive.
Not tonight.
I carried Celene down the hallway, her small body trembling against mine. Her breaths were shallow, uneven, and panic shot through me with every gasp she made.
“Cole… I'm scared” Celene whispered as she drifted back from unconsciousness. Beside me, my mother cried, her voice cracking, reaching toward us as if she could magically take the fear away from Celene. “Don’t say that, Celene. Relax and let the good doctor save your life, ok?"
I laid Celene down on the large bed in our master bedroom, and the doctor joined us immediately. He began to hook up drips and IV's, set up different tablets and medications on the side table.
I could easily have let him treat her in the medical centre we had in my mansion, but I could not for the life of me let her out of my sight even for a second.
“Its a really strong, fast acting poison meant to finish her quickly. It's a mercy we caught the symptoms just in time before she slept off or something.” The doctor said calmly...
My eyes scanned his face for any lies or deception, and when i was sure they were none, I turned back towards Celene, kneeling beside her by the bed.
Her lips were pale, her fingers cold, and a faint sweat dotted her brow. Her eyes fluttered weakly, and I felt the first stirrings of real fear clawing through me.
“I will administer the drips and antidote now. And then I'll watch her all night to better follow up and track her progress"
I nodded andbthe doctor immediately went to work, immediately hooking her up and injecting her with the antidote.
Jeffery stood like a rock by the door. His face stoic and hard. I knew he was also beating himself up for letting this happen, even tbough we both knew it wasnt.
I brushed her thick afro with my hands, running my fingers through them. I wanted her to relax and feel me close to her instead of focusing on the fear and pain.
I whispered under my breath, “It’s okay, Kitten… you’re safe. Just stay with me.”
She coughed weakly, shivering, her eyes half-lidded. “C-Cole…” she gasped, her voice barely a whisper. “It… it hurts…”
I pressed my forehead to hers, letting my fingers stroke her hair away from her face again. “I know, Kitten. I know. It’s going to be okay. Breathe for me, just breathe.”
She nodded and drifted back into unconsciousness, making my heart beat wildly in my chest.
“You’re safe now,” I whispered, peppering kisses all over her face and lips. “Nobody touches you. Not tonight. Not ever.”
Celene’s fingers curled weakly around mine, and I held them tight. Her breathing steadied to a slow and shallow rhythm but it was still uneven. I pressed a gentle kiss to her temple again.
“That’s it, Kitten. You’re okay. Just rest.”
My mother sank into a chair nearby, hands clasped over her mouth, frozen mid-sentence, still silently praying and sobbing. “Oh God… oh God, please…” Her eyes flicked helplessly between us, every ounce of panic spilling out of her in waves.
I didn’t break my gaze from Celene for an entire hour. I watched every single drop of IV and medication enter her body. I needed to see her wake up, i needed to see her alive... i needed...
I was so mad, but i just couldspare the extra minutes to let that emotion loose just yet... I simply let the room hold its tension, letting the panic, the relief, and the protective fire inside me settle around us, while I made sure she stayed safe...every breath, every heartbeat needed to be under control...
"Her vitals are stable now, Boss. She's out of the red zone now. With enough rest and medications to flush out the rest of the toxins from her system, she will be fine." The doctor said, while checking her blood pressure with the BP machine.
Relief flooded my heart instantly... she was fine. She would live...Good... now I'm could let the best inside of me loose.
I didn’t even feel the ground beneath my feet as I stormed into the kitchen. The moment I saw the staff still working, my eyes burned red.
My hands clenched into fists, and the world around me blurred.
The head chef froze with the cooking knife in his hand, staring at me like he’d just seen death walk through the fucking doorway. “B...Bo...Boss…” he stammered, voice trembling.
“Boss, I… I swear on my mother’s grave.. I don’t know what—”
“Don’t fucking lie to me,” I snapped, my voice low and dangerous. “You want to fucking tell me that you prepped the food, cooked the food, served the fucking meal and you dont fucking know how my Kitten got poisoned right in my fucking house?"
"Please Boss... you need to believe me" he said, his voice steady but still frightened.
"Someone tried to poison Celene. Someone in my house. My bloodline. And you think you can act innocent, and I'll just let it go?? Do i look like dumb fuck to you?”
The man flinched, swallowing hard. “Boss… I swear. I would never… I would never harm you or anyone close to you. I’m not a fool. If I had poisoned anything, everyone would have tasted it, felt it. You know I'm telling the truth... please... please… you’re untouchable. I would never—”
He was right... I trusted him. I knew he would not dare hurt me or my family. But that did not excuse the fact that he was sloppy with the security of the kitchen perimeters. Someone else had slipped through the cracks and had almost cost me Celene’s life.
"Boss...I beg you..."
I cut him off with a growl, stepping closer until he flinched back against the wall. “Then tell me. Tell me the truth. Did anyone come into the kitchen after you left?”
The cook’s eyes widened as he fumbled to remember. “I… I left for two minutes, Boss, I swear. I locked it behind me. But… but maybe… maybe someone could’ve slipped in. I didn’t see anyone. I… I don’t know…”
I narrowed my eyes, the fury inside me coiling tighter, ready to fucking snap. I wanted to tear someone apart. Whoever dared cross the line, whoever had the audacity to poison Celene under my roof, would pay in blood.
“Find out,” I said, my voice deadly calm but soaked in pure menace. “Check every camera. Every entrance. Every guard. I want names. I want movement. I want proof.”
The cook nodded frantically, sweat beading on his forehead. “Yes, Boss. I’ll check. I… I’ll find out.”
I grabbed him by the collar, lifting him slightly off the ground. My eyes locked onto his. “If I find out you lied… you won’t even see it coming. Do you understand me?”
He nodded violently. “Yes, Boss! I swear!”
I shoved him back and turned out of the kitchen that was suddenly feeling smaller, tighter, like the walls themselves were closing in with the rage I carried.
Meanwhile, upstairs, I could hear Celene stirring. Her soft groan, her faint cough, as the antidote worked its way through her body...
It reminded me why I existed in this moment. Everything I did, every ounce of fury, was for her.
She was recovering, she was safe for now, but the world outside would pay for the audacity of daring to touch her.
I stepped back into the hallway, clenching my fists again, pacing. My red eyes scanned the estate grounds as I plotted my next moves. Every shadow, every servant, every corner, all were potential threats until I found the one who dared strike at Celene.
And when I did… they would regret it in ways they couldn’t imagine. Fuck whatever name i would be called after this, I have bore worse names and titles.
I was bloodthirsty. I was merciless. I was Cole Ryder. And anyone who thought they could touch her under my roof was about to learn just how dangerous that could be.