Elian’s POV
*****
"What in the na of everything unholy is your plastic ass doing here?" Elian sneered at Estella, eyeing her without holding back.
Not with everything he knew about her now.
"Elian!" Estella gasped with mock shock, placing her right hand on her chest. "No need to be so vulgar. I only ca here to collect what’s mine."
Lucian, who was silent, arched an eyebrow, turning his eyes to her. "I told you I have everything under control and you didn’t need to follow."
Elian frowned, looking at the two of them with confusion.
Sothing ain’t right.
"And I told you," she stepped closer to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I want to help Elian. Even though he’s playing gas I don’t understand."
[I sll foul play here and it’s not looking good.]
Elian’s mind reeled as he thought about what Estella was driving at.
The only thing that was "hers" was... The communication earring!
His blood ran cold while Lucian let out a sigh, shaking his head. "Whatever. Anyway, I had my spies look into your tip and you were right. The guards in front of Elian’s door were compromised. They weren’t listed among the soldiers."
Elian couldn’t take it anymore and snapped. "Can soone please tell what the heck is going on?!"
Lucian and Estella swerved their heads to him, the latter’s lips curling into a subtle smirk.
The scheming bitch!
"Why, of course, we’ll tell you, Elian," Estella remarked, tilting her head. "Right after you tell us why you have one of my communication earrings."
A cold shiver ran down Elian’s spine.
Shit, he knew it!
"W–What?" Elian stuttered, glancing first at Lucian, who was silent and then bringing his eyes back to her and her annoying smirk.
Oh, she wants to play dirty?
"Were you or were you not communicating with soone on how to get rid of ?" He asked, taking a step toward her. "Co on, Esty. Lie to my face. I’d love to see you try."
Estella sniggered, wrapping her arms in front of her chest. "Darling, I have no idea what you’re talking about. And this attitude doesn’t suit you at all."
"It’s not an attitude but refusing to be under your manipulation." Elian took another step, even though the look in her eyes was sharp enough to cut.
Suddenly, Lucian bood. "Enough of this! Elian, she’s telling the truth. You took her earring."
[Soone just got busted. I told you picking up that earring was a bad idea.]
Elian clenched his jaw, glaring at Lucian who seed... Disappointed?
"Okay, yes! I... Picked up her earring." He finally admitted, flinging his arms into the air. "But that’s only because she was talking with so guy, who I think is Baron Magnus to—"
"Baron Magnus? My sister’s mate?" Lucian scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. "The guy is one of the empire’s most trustworthy barons."
[The innocent-looking ones are usually the ones to suspect first. Everyone knows that, Prince Douchebag.]
"Just hand over the earring, Oga." Estella scowled, grabbing Elian’s arm like a vice.
The latter winced, a sharp pain spreading through his bones as she tightened her grip, glaring at him.
"Estella, let go of him!" Lucian growled, grabbing her wrist and shoving her aside. He ignored her gasp and continued. "We have no ti for this. The more ti we waste—"
"The deeper Estella’s manipulation is allowed to seep into your head." Elian let out a heavy breath, rubbing his arm at first before shoving his hand into his pocket.
He brought out two things—Estella’s earring and the recording chip he bought from the system.
Elian caught Estella’s face turning pale from the corner of his eyes, but ignored her, handing the recording to Lucian, who looked at it with furrowed brows.
"What’s this?"
Elian shrugged. "When I took the earring, I contacted the person she was communicating with. I managed to mimic her voice—not like there was anything special about it anyway—and got a recording of the conversation we had."
Lucian blinked. "But how did you get it?"
[Rember: No one should know about .]
’You think I want to get diced up in a lab?’ Elian snorted ntally, while physically he wore his most innocent smile.
If Estella thought she had HIS mate wrapped around her fingers, she’s got another thing coming.
"I have my ways. Just like you." Elian winked, handing Estella’s earring back to her by pressing it on her chest. "Here. Since you wanted it so much."
Estella blinked, shaking her head as her chest heaved. "N–No... No! You definitely frad with whatever you have recorded there. It has to be fake."
Lucian clicked a button on the chip just then, playing the conversation between Elian and Magnus.
With each thing Magnus revealed, the smirk on Elian’s face beca slightly wider.
From admitting that his "people" didn’t send the second assassin who attacked Elian at the crystal do restaurant, to talking about "stakes involved"... It was all deliciously ssy.
And Estella?
Her mask was twitching, her jaw tightening like she was trying to hold back a heart attack.
[Soone’s blood pressure is rising.]
Elian eyed Estelle only briefly before fixing his gaze on Lucian when the recording got to the part where Magnus said this:
"Like I said during our last conversation minutes ago, if you can’t get the oga secluded for the plan tonight, we’ll go to phase two..."
At that point, Lucian turned off the device.
The room was awkwardly quiet and Estella looked like she’d just seen a ghost.
[Could’ve been your ghost if she went on with whatever nefarious thing she had planned.]
"L–Lucian. My prince." Estella stuttered, plastering a smile faker than her eyelashes as she faced Lucian. "Surely you can’t believe that recording is real. It’s really easy for him to have—"
"Save it." Lucian raised a hand without looking at her, his gaze focused on Elian, who was calm and unmoving. "Is this so prank?"
Elian only smiled, tilting his head. "Dear, Lucian. Why would I make a prank concerning sothing as grave as this?"
Lucian’s eyes blazed with rage—but the source of that rage was unclear.
But Elian decided to push his buttons more. "You know, I planned to show that recording to Axel first. Because he would’ve believed and looked into it more."
Lucian’s eyes darkened but Elian pushed even more, bringing his lips dangerously close to his ear before whispering.
"I hope you don’t make regret changing my mind."
Lucian’s body stiffened, and while that happened, Elian flicked his eyes to Estella and mouthed: "You’re going down, bitch".
Before she could snap, Lucian cleared his throat, straightening his back. "I’ll look into the device. The palace tech experts should easily be able to determine its authenticity."
He stared at Elian for a few seconds before turning around and walking out of the room.
"Estella! Out of there."
Estella jolted, glaring at Elian who gave her a provocative wink.
"Whatever you think you’re doing—" She started but Elian wasn’t having it.
"Oh, I KNOW what I’m doing." He remarked, leaning closer and ignoring the threat of her attacking. "You’re about to learn, Estella. I’m not the sa weak Oga you could trample on anyti you please."
Her eyes twitched but he still wasn’t done, adding:
"Oh, and if you think you can erase ? I’ll show you just how quickly tables can turn. And it wouldn’t be pretty."
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