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As I cried, Sabastian held me tightly, his arms wrapped around me like a shield. I felt his warmth, his comfort, and his love. But I couldn't shake off the feeling of loss, of grief. I had been pregnant, and I had lost the baby. The thought was unbearable.

After what felt like an eternity, I pulled back, wiping my tears with the back of my hand. Sabastian's eyes were red, his face etched with worry and concern.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Sabastian shook his head. "Don't apologize, Alexis. This isn't your fault."

But I knew it was. I had been careless, reckless. I had let my guard down, and now I was paying the price.

"What about the poisonous substance?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

Sabastian's expression turned grim. "We're still investigating. But we think it was intentional."

My eyes widened in shock. "Who would do such a thing?"

Sabastian's jaw clenched. "We'll find out. And when we do, they'll pay."

I nodded, feeling a sense of determination. We would get to the bottom of this. We would find out who had done this to me, and we would make them pay.

But for now, I just wanted to rest. I wanted to process everything that had happened. I wanted to grieve for the loss of my baby.

Sabastian seemed to sense my emotions. He pulled me back into his chest, holding me tightly.

"Sleep, Alexis," he whispered. "I'll be here when you wake up."

And with that, I closed my eyes, letting the darkness consume me.

As I drifted off to sleep, I felt Sabastian's warmth and comfort surrounding me. I knew he would be there when I woke up, and that thought gave me a sense of peace.

But my sleep was short-lived. I was soon awoken by the sound of whispers outside my room. I recognized Audrey's voice, and she sounded worried.

I slowly got out of bed, my body still aching from the poisoning. Sabastian was nowhere to be found, but I knew he would be back soon.

I made my way to the door and opened it, finding Audrey pacing back and forth in the hallway.

"Alexis, I'm so glad you're awake," she said, rushing towards me. "I've been trying to find out what happened to you, but no one will tell me anything."

I took a deep breath, trying to process everything that had happened. "I was poisoned," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "And I was pregnant. I lost the baby."

Audrey's eyes widened in shock, and she pulled me into a tight hug. "Oh, Alexis, I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

I pulled back, wiping away tears. "It's not your fault, Aud. But we need to find out who did this to me."

Audrey nodded, determination in her eyes. "We will, Alexis. I promise."

Just then, Sabastian appeared beside us, his expression grim. "I've found something," he said, his voice low. "Something that could change everything."

I felt a sense of trepidation, but I knew I had to hear him out. "What is it?" I asked, my heart pounding in my chest.

Sabastian took a deep breath before speaking. "I think I know who poisoned you, Alexis. And it's someone close to us."

My eyes widened in shock as Sabastian's words hung in the air. "Who?" I demanded, my voice shaking with anger and fear.

Sabastian hesitated, his eyes darting back and forth between Audrey and me. "I'm not sure I should say," he said finally. "I need to investigate further."

I took a step closer to him, my heart racing. "Tell me," I insisted. "I have a right to know."

Sabastian sighed, his expression grim. "It's Emilia," he said finally. "I think she's the one who poisoned you."

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. Emilia, Sabastian's own sister? It couldn't be. But as I thought back to all the times Emilia had been acting strange, I realized that it was possible.

"Why?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Sabastian shook his head. "I don't know. But I'm going to find out."

Audrey stepped forward, her eyes blazing with anger. "We'll find out," she said. "And when we do, Emilia will pay."

I nodded, feeling a sense of determination. We would get to the bottom of this, no matter what it took.

But as we stood there, planning our next move, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were in grave danger. Emilia was not someone to be trifled with, and if she had poisoned me once, she would do it again.

I looked at Sabastian, my heart pounding in my chest. "We need to be careful," I said. "We don't know what Emilia is capable of."

Sabastian nodded, his expression grim. "I know," he said. "But we'll protect each other. We'll get through this together."

I nodded, feeling a sense of comfort. As long as we had each other, we could face anything.

As we stood there, trying to come up with a plan, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were running out of time. Emilia could strike again at any moment, and next time, I might not be so lucky.

"We need to tell someone," Audrey said, her voice firm. "We can't handle this on our own."

Sabastian nodded. "I agree. But who can we trust?"

I thought for a moment. "Derek," I said finally. "We can trust him."

Sabastian nodded. "Okay, let's go talk to him."

We made our way to Derek's room, our hearts heavy with worry. When we arrived, Derek listened intently as we told him everything.

His expression grew grimmer with each passing moment. "I had no idea," he said when we finished. "But we'll get to the bottom of this. I promise."

Together, the four of us came up with a plan. We would investigate Emilia's actions, gather evidence, and then confront her.

But as we were finalizing our plan, I heard a noise behind me. I turned to see Emilia standing in the doorway, a sly smile spreading across her face.

"Looks like you're onto me," she said, her voice dripping with malice. "But it's too late. My plan is already in motion."

I felt a chill run down my spine as Emilia's eyes locked onto mine. We were in grave danger, and I knew it.

"What do you mean?" Sabastian demanded, his voice firm. "What plan?"

Emilia chuckled, her eyes glinting with amusement. "You'll see," she said. "But for now, let's just say that Alexis here is in for a surprise."

I felt a surge of fear as Emilia's gaze locked onto mine. What did she have planned?

Suddenly, Emilia turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving us with more questions than answers.

"We need to act fast," Derek said, his voice urgent. "We don't know what she's capable of."

Sabastian nodded. "Let's split up and search for her. We need to find out what she's planning."

Audrey nodded, her eyes determined. "I'll search the east wing. Meet back here in an hour and compare notes."

I nodded, my heart racing with fear. What was Emilia planning? And how could we stop her?

As we split up to search for Emilia, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were running out of time. Emilia was a master manipulator, and I knew she would stop at nothing to get what she wanted.

I searched the west wing, my eyes scanning every nook and cranny for any sign of Emilia. But as the minutes ticked by, I began to realize that I was alone. And I was being watched.

I spun around, but there was no one there. Or so I thought.

Suddenly, I heard a faint whisper in my ear. "You'll never stop me, Alexis."

I spun around again, but Emilia was nowhere to be seen. I knew then that I was in grave danger. And I had to get out of there, fast.