Chapter 70 Chapter 70
CHAPTER SEVENTY
Dimitri's POV
"What?" I whispered. The word barely came out of my mouth.
My heart stopped beating. Everything around me froze.
"Alexei is... dead?" I repeated slowly.
The guard nodded frantically. "Yes, sir. He just went limp. We do not know what happened."
Without thinking, I pushed past the guard and ran.
I ran through the corridors. Down the stairs and towards the basement.
My feet pounded against the floor. My heart pounded in my chest.
Alexei could not be dead. He could not be. I had just left him not king ago.
We were fighting, yes. I hated him, yes. But he was still my brother.
My twin. My blood. A part of me.
I burst through the basement door.
And there he was.
Alexei was lying on the cold floor. His body was motionless.
Mikhail stood over him. His expression was grim and serious.
Guards surrounded them. Everyone looked shocked and confused.
"No," I whispered as walked closer slowly.
My legs felt weak. My whole body trembled.
I knelt beside Alexei's body. His eyes were closed. His face was pale.
"Alexei," I said. I shook his shoulder gently. "Alexei, wake up."
But he did not move.
My heart broke. Even after everything, even after all he did, he was still my brother. And I would never wish for him to die.
I looked up at Mikhail. "What happened?"
Mikhail shook his head. "I do not know. We were keeping watch on him. Then he just suddenly went limp."
"Just like that?" I asked. "He just... died?"
"We had to bring him down from the chains," Mikhail continued. "But he was already unconscious."
I looked back at Alexei. His chest was still. His was no longer breathing.
"Call the doctors!" I shouted. "Now!"
Guards scrambled immediately. Running to find the doctors.
Within minutes, three doctors rushed into the basement.
They knelt beside Alexei. Checking his pulse. Checking his breathing.
"He is alive," one doctor said. "He’s… barely alive."
Relief flooded through me, making my legs go weak. He was alive. Thank God.
"We need to move him," another doctor said. "And get him to a proper room."
Guards lifted Alexei carefullym and carried him upstairs.
We followed quickly. They took him to one of the guest rooms and laid him on the bed.
The doctors worked immediately. They set up equipment, started checking his vitals and injecting medicines.
I stood by the door. Watching and praying.
Mikhail stood beside me. His face was tense. He hasn't said a word since the basement.
Time passed slowly. The doctors worked in silence.
Then finally, one of them turned to us.
"We found something," he said seriously.
"What?" I asked immediately.
"There is a deadly substance in his bloodstream," the doctor explained. "Someone had injected poison into his veins."
"What?!" I exclaimed. Shock hit me like a punch
.
"Poison?" Mikhail repeated. "Are you certain?"
"Yes," the doctor confirmed. "This is not natural. Someone did this deliberately. Injecting him so that the poison stayed for a long while before attacking his heart."
The room went silent. Everyone stared at each other.
Then slowly, Mikhail's eyes turned to me.
He looked at me suspiciously. His gaze was hard and questioning.
I shook my head. "It was not me," I said immediately. "I swear it was not me."
"Then who?" Mikhail asked. His voice was quiet and unconvinced.
I stared at him. Anger started rising in my chest.
"Is that what you think of me?" I asked. My voice was low and dangerous.
"Dimitri…"
"You think I would send someone to poison my brother?" I continued. "You think I am that kind of man?"
"That is not what I meant," Mikhail said carefully.
"Then what did you mean?" I demanded. "You looked at me like I was a murderer."
"I am just trying to understand," Mikhail said. "Someone did this. Someone in this estate. Someone wgo clearly has a reason to poison Alexei."
"And you think it was me," I said bitterly.
I turned to the doctors. "Save him. Do whatever you need to do. I want my brother alive."
Then I walked out of the room. My footsteps were heavy and loud. I stomped mt feet angrily.
"Dimitri, wait!" Mikhail called behind me.
But I did not answer. I did not look back.
He followed me down the hallway. "Dimitri, please listen…"
I stopped and turned to him. "I will find who did this. I swear I will find them."
My voice was cold and final, leaving no room for argument.
"And when I do, they will pay," I added.
Then I walked away. Leaving Mikhail standing there.
That night, I gathered all the guards who were in charge of Alexei.
Every single one who had access to him after the wedding. Everyone who brought him down here. Who watched and guarded him.
They stood in the main hall. Twenty men, looking nervous.
I walked in front of them slowly. My eyes scanned each face.
"Someone here poisoned my brother," I said clearly. "Someone here committed treason."
The guards shifted uncomfortably. Some looked at each other.
"I want whoever did it to confess now," I continued. "Right now."
The room fell silent. Nobody spoke. Nobody moved.
My anger grew. "Confess now, and I will make your death quick."
No one said anything. They all stared at the floor.
"Very well," I said coldly. "If nobody confesses, then all of you will burn to death."
Gasps filled the room. Fear showed on their faces.
"I will lock all of you in this room," I continued. "And I will burn it down. With all of you inside."
"Boss, please…" one guard started.
"Who had the audacity to poison a pakhan!" I growled. My voice echoed through the hall.
The guards trembled. But nobody confessed.
Fine. They wanted to protect each other? Then they would all die together.
"Guards!" I shouted. "Bring the chains and hang all of them."
More guards rushed in. They carried chains and ropes.
They started grabbing the twenty guards. Chaining their hands.
"Boss, we did not do it!" One man shouted. "We are innocent!"
"Then tell me who did it!" I demanded.
"We do not know!" Another guard cried. "Please believe us!"
But I did not believe them. One of them was lying.
"Hang them," I ordered coldly. "All of them."
They started hanging the guards from the ceiling. One by one.
"And inject them," I added. "Inject the same deadly poison into their veins."
"Boss, no!" The guards screamed. "Please! We have families!"
But I felt nothing. No mercy. No pity.
One of them had poisoned my brother and they would all pay.
Suddenly the doors burst open.
Mikhail ba
rged in.
"Stop this!" He shouted. "Dimitri, stop this nonsense!"
I turned to him slowly. "This is my business."
"You are punishing innocent ones with the culprit!" Mikhail argued. "You cannot kill them all!"
"Watch me," I said coldly.
"This is madness!" Mikhail continued. "You have lost your mind!"
I walked towards him. My expression was cold and emotionless.
"My territory, my rules," I said clearly. "Your job here is done, Godfather. You are no longer needed."