Chapter 171: 171 - won’t fail
171
~Belinda’s POV
I slammed the door of my chambers shut so hard that the sound echoed through the walls. My chest rose and fell with heavy breaths, and before I could stop myself, I grabbed the nearest vase and hurled it against the wall. It shattered into a thousand sharp pieces, scattering across the floor like my patience.
"Damn it!" I screamed, snatching up the lamp on the table and throwing it next. It crashed, oil spilling across the floor. "Why won’t this work?!"
I raked my hands through my hair, pulling at the strands, fury burning in my veins.
"They actually looked... happy," I spat, pacing across the room like a caged animal. "All three of them. Rowan, Kael, Damon. As if her pregnancy was some kind of blessing! As if she wasn’t lying! As if she wasn’t scheming!"
I kicked over a chair, my heart hammering so hard I thought it would burst. "No. No! This isn’t fair! She should’ve been gone by now...gone!"
I clenched my fists so tight my nails dug into my palms, drawing blood, but I didn’t care. All I could see in my head was their faces when they heard she was pregnant. Damon’s cold fury, Kael’s disbelief, Rowan’s broken silence. And then, then they still defended her. Still looked at her like she mattered.
I laughed, but it came out sharp, bitter, ugly. "They don’t see it. They can’t. She’s manipulating them, playing weak, playing innocent. But me? I see through it. And I swear... I swear I’ll end it all. She won’t win. Not while I breathe."
I grabbed the mirror on my dresser and smashed it to the ground, shards reflecting my face back at me...wild eyes, flushed cheeks, trembling lips.
"She has to die," I whispered, my voice trembling with rage. "That’s the only way. Kill her, and it all ends. Kill her, and everything is mine again."
I stopped pacing, my thoughts darkening. "But then... Richard."
His name made bile rise in my throat. Richard, the coward. The weakling. The fool I had trusted to do one thing, one simple thing. And he had failed. Worse, he was still alive. Tied up. A liability.
"He knows too much," I muttered, my voice shaking. "If he opens his mouth, if he talks... everything crashes down on me. I can’t risk it. I won’t."
I marched to my wardrobe, yanking out a dark cloak and pulling it over my head. My hands were steady now, my mind sharp, focused.
"It’s simple," I told myself. "Two problems, one solution. Lisa dies, Richard dies, and then... peace."
I took a deep breath, forcing my fury into silence, and slipped out of my chambers. The hallways were quiet, dimly lit by torches. I moved fast, my cloak hiding my face, my heart pounding with each step.
When I reached the corridor leading to the torture chamber, I found two guards standing outside. Their eyes flicked up as I approached, suspicion flashing in their gaze.
One stepped forward. "My lady, you shouldn’t be here. This area is off li..."
I cut him off with a sharp look and pressed a heavy pouch into his hand. The clink of gold made his eyes widen.
"You saw nothing," I said coldly. "I was never here. Do you understand?"
The other guard shifted uneasily. "But, Lady Belinda, if anyone..."
I grabbed his collar, dragging him closer, my eyes blazing. "If either of you breathes a word about this, I will make sure you regret it. Do you understand me?"
They exchanged a nervous glance and finally nodded.
"Yes, my lady," the first muttered.
I released him with a shove and adjusted my cloak. "Good. Now step aside."
They obeyed, moving aside as I pushed the heavy door open.
The smell hit me first: damp stone, sweat, iron, and blood. My nose wrinkled, but I forced myself forward. The flickering torchlight cast shadows on the walls, and in the middle of the chamber, tied to a wooden chair with iron restraints, was Richard.
His head was slumped forward, his hair matted with sweat, his lips cracked and dry. At the sound of my footsteps, he weakly raised his head, his eyes squinting.
"Luna Belinda?" His voice was hoarse, weak, and trembling. "Is... is that you?"
I stepped closer, pulling back my hood so he could see me clearly. My face twisted with contempt.
"You pathetic fool," I hissed, and without hesitation, I slapped him hard across the face. His head snapped to the side.
"Luna Belinda, please..."
I slapped him again, harder this time. My palm stung, but the sound of the blow echoed in the chamber, feeding my rage.
"Do you ever do anything right?!" I shouted, striking him again. He groaned, blood trickling from his lip. "You couldn’t even finish one simple task!"
"I tried," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I tried, I swear... I just wanted to live. I didn’t want to die..."
My laugh was cold, cruel. I slapped him twice more, my chest heaving. "Wanted to live? You think you deserve to live after failing me? After making me look like a fool?"
"Please," he begged, tears mixing with blood. "I’ll do anything, Lady Belinda. Anything you want. Just... don’t kill me. Please."
I tilted my head, studying him with disgust. "You disgust me, Richard. Always whining, always begging. A coward through and through. You couldn’t even die with dignity if you tried."
I reached into my cloak, pulling out the small vial I had hidden there. The liquid inside shimmered faintly, dark and sinister. Poison. The same poison I had once tried to use on Lisa.
Richard’s eyes widened in horror when he saw it. He shook his head violently, straining against his restraints. "No! No, please! Don’t do this! I swear, I won’t talk. I’ll disappear, you’ll never see me again..."
"Shut up!" I screamed, grabbing his jaw and forcing his mouth open. He struggled weakly, but he was too weak, too broken.
I uncorked the vial with my teeth and poured the liquid down his throat. He gagged, choked, and coughed violently as I clamped his mouth shut with my hand, forcing him to swallow.
His eyes rolled back, his body convulsed, and foam bubbled at his lips. I watched coldly, my hand still holding his jaw. His breathing grew shallow, his limbs trembling violently, and then... silence.
I let go, and his lifeless head slumped forward, blood and foam dripping from his lips.
I stood there, breathing hard, my heart pounding in my chest. Then slowly, a smile spread across my face.
"It’s done," I whispered. "One problem gone. One more to go."
I pulled my cloak tighter and turned, walking calmly out of the chamber. The guards didn’t dare meet my eyes as I passed, their silence bought and sealed.
As I walked back through the halls, my mind was calm, sharp, deadly.
"Lisa," I murmured, my lips curling into a cruel smile. "You’re next. And this time... I won’t fail."