Chapter 164

Eliana’s POV.

I looked around lazily, “ I am getting tired, let me get out of this awful party,” I faked a yawn as I tried to act bratty in the eyes of partygoers. Some nodded their head in acknowledgment, some discreetly rolled their eyes. But I was focused only on one thing.

Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself for the task ahead. My bodyguards formed a protective circle around me, their presence a comforting reassurance of my safety. But as they moved to escort me out of the party, I discreetly slipped away from their grasp, my heart pounding with a mixture of determination and anxiety.

With each step I took, the weight of my mission pressed down upon me like a leaden burden. Douglas's room – my father's room – loomed before me like a specter from the past, a reminder of everything he had taken from me.

But I couldn't afford to dwell on the pain of the past, not when Graham's safety hung in the balance. With a silent prayer for strength, I pushed open the door to Douglas's room, steeling myself for what lay ahead.

The air was heavy with the scent of Douglas's cologne, a bitter reminder of the man who had once been my father. But I pushed aside the memories that threatened to overwhelm me, focusing instead on the task at hand.

With practiced ease, I began to weave a complex spell, drawing upon the magic that flowed through my veins to mask Graham's scent from Douglas's keen senses. Each incantation felt like a dagger to my heart, a painful reminder of the betrayal that had torn my family apart.

But as the spell took hold, I felt a sense of relief wash over me, the weight of responsibility lifting from my shoulders. Graham was safe – for now.

With one last glance around the room, I turned to leave, my heart heavy with the knowledge of the sacrifices I had made to protect the ones I loved.

As I was about to leave Douglas's room, a wave of unfamiliar scent assaulted my senses, causing me to pause in my tracks. Panic gripped me as I realized that I had missed a spot, leaving Graham's scent vulnerable to detection.

With a sense of urgency, I moved further into the room, casting another spell to ensure that every trace of Graham's presence was concealed. But before I could turn to leave, a sinister laughter echoed through the room, freezing me in place.

I whirled around to find Douglas standing before me, his eyes alight with malice and his smile dripping with contempt. My heart hammered in my chest as I struggled to maintain my composure in the face of his malevolent gaze.

"What are you doing here, your highness?" he sneered.

For a moment, I faltered, my mind racing for a plausible explanation to deflect his suspicions. But as the silence stretched between us, I knew that I had to act quickly.

"I... I was missing my father," I stammered. "I wanted to see what the room looked like."

Douglas chuckled darkly. "A touching sob story," he remarked. "But we both know that I am not one for fairy tales."

I squared my shoulders, steeling myself for whatever twisted game he had in store for me. "What do you want, Douglas?" I demanded.

His smirk widened into a malevolent grin as he took a step closer, his gaze boring into mine with an intensity that made my skin crawl. "I want you in prison," he declared, his words a chilling echo of the darkness that lurked within his soul.

My disbelief turned to disbelief as Douglas calmly asserted his authority, claiming that he had found me sneaking into his room and thus had every right to imprison me. The audacity of his accusations left me reeling, struggling to comprehend the depths of his depravity.

But as I looked into his eyes, I saw no hint of remorse, no flicker of doubt. He truly believed that he held all the power, that he could bend the rules to suit his own twisted desires.

I couldn't help but chuckle softly at his arrogance. "And how do you plan to prove that I was sneaking?" I asked, my tone dripping with sarcasm. "You have no evidence, Douglas. Everyone knows how much you despise me."

For a moment, his smile faltered, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his features. But then, to my horror, another voice rang out in the room, cutting through the tension like a knife.

I turned to find Lucien standing there, his expression smug as he revealed himself to be the witness Douglas needed to seal my fate. My heart sank like a stone as I realized the depth of his betrayal.

"What... what are you doing, Lucien?" I stammered.

He laughed, a cold, mocking sound that sent shivers down my spine. "Did you really think I would betray Douglas?" he taunted, his words a cruel reminder of the truth I had tried so desperately to deny.

Fury surged within me, hot and fierce, as I sneered at him through clenched teeth. "I'll kill you for this," I vowed, my voice laced with venom.

But before I could act on my words, shadow tendrils surged forth, ensnaring me in their inky embrace. I struggled against their grip, but it was futile. At that moment, I knew that I was powerless to stop the inevitable.

As a lone tear rolled down my cheek, I whispered a silent apology to my parents, knowing that I had failed them in the face of overwhelming darkness.