Chapter 87 87
Denzel’s POV
I joined Venessa in her office to wait for the doctor.
It felt strange being there again. I hadn’t stepped into the Luna’s office since I married Jalisa. The last time I stood within those walls, I had no Luna at my side, only plans to renovate the space for a woman who never truly belonged there.
Seeing Venessa seated behind the desk now made my chest tighten and swell.
“Should we go to the lake after we’re done with the doctor?” I asked softly. “It’s a beautiful night.”
She looked up at me and smiled.
“Yes. I’d love that.”
I leaned back in the chair, tension easing from my shoulders. Despite everything demanding our attention, I didn’t want to lose a single moment with her. Knowing she wouldn’t be with me for long only sharpened the ache the desperate need to spend time, to build memories that might have to last me a lifetime.
It felt cruel, putting her on a clock while the rest of us were allowed to live out our days. If death truly came for us all, then we should all be bound by the same ticking hand. It made no sense. I wasn’t the one who shaped the rules of this world, but for once, I hoped the goddess would make an exception for me.
I watched my wife as she worked through the documents on her desk, calm and composed, and the truth hit me all over again. My stupidity. My blind loyalty. I had thrown her away with my own hands.
No matter how much I tried to rise above it, I knew I would never forgive Tyrell and Jalisa for what they did. They had destroyed my life in a way that could never truly be repaired. And if their scheme hadn’t unraveled, they would have killed me without hesitation then framed Venessa just so they could be together and bury their shame.
I would never forgive them.
If it were up to me, they would already be locked away. But I had to think beyond my anger, beyond my pain. There was a greater enemy at play, and catching them required restraint even when it tasted like poison in my mouth.
My thoughts drifted to the last time I saw Tyrell, to the audacity he had shown by begging Venessa and me to save his relationship. The memory still burned. He had been my friend once. And yet, he had betrayed me so easily, had been willing to kill me for nothing.
The door opened, and Doctor Dwayne entered, bowing respectfully to both Venessa and me. She gestured for him to take a seat while I moved to stand beside her.
“Get straight to the point,” I said curtly. I had no patience for pleasantries. All I wanted was to take Venessa to the lake and steal a few quiet moments together.
Doctor Dwayne didn’t hesitate.
“His blood contains a lethal concentration of Atropa belladonna, along with traces of silver. Whoever poisoned him intended for him to die. The drugs you submitted for testing are used to suppress symptoms of poisoning but one of them contains both silver and belladonna. Taken as prescribed, it would kill the patient within a week.”
My blood ran cold.
“If the victim is still alive,” he continued, “he must undergo immediate treatment. He would require the skill of an expert healer perhaps Luna Venessa could help. Medically speaking, however, he is beyond our reach. There are no drugs capable of flushing this combination from his system.”
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.
A part of me had hoped foolishly that the physician hadn’t been involved. But now, all doubt vanished. This was deliberate. Calculated.
My suspicions solidified around the Queen and the beta.
I prayed this wouldn’t mirror what had been done to me. I doubted the two of them were fated, but the Queen’s desperation made sense. She was childless, and the King was searching for his heir. If he died before naming one, any heir who surfaced afterward would have no claim no living King to confirm it.
It was a perfect plan. A cruel one.
“Thank you, Doctor Dwayne,” I said, taking the results and medications from him.
He excused himself immediately, leaving silence behind. I turned to Venessa, my heart heavy.
“The King is lucky we went to see him,” I said quietly. “Now I understand why Queen Rochelle insisted our visit be supervised. I’m grateful she doesn’t know you’re a healer she might have found a way to block us entirely. Do you think he’ll recover?”
Venessa smiled, though worry flickered in her eyes.
“We’ve already begun his treatment. I didn’t know silver was involved that complicates things. But we’ll take it one step at a time.”
She paused, then steadied herself.
“I believe we’ll find a way.”
I nodded, holding onto her certainty like a lifeline.
After a moment, her expression shifted.
“Thinking about it now… this could be why my mother was killed,” she said softly. “They may have hunted her down to stop her from helping him as a healer.”
It was another truth layered atop too many others. But she was right.
One step at a time.