Damon looked down at her. His dark brown eyes were completely empty of any warmth, any rcy, or any family affection.
"Yes, Aunt Adeline," Damon spoke. His deep voice was smooth and calm. It was the calmness of a predator right before it strikes.
"It is ."
Adeline swallowed hard. She pushed herself back against the damp, moss-covered stone wall, trying to get as far away from him as possible. Elora was sitting next to her with her bandaged arm, her whole body shaking.
Damon took one slow step forward. His boot crunched against the dirt floor.
"You can do anything to ," Damon said softly, his voice dropping into a deadly whisper. "You can plot against . You can insult . And you might get away with it."
He paused, letting his dark eyes burn into Adeline’s terrified face.
"But not my wife," Damon stated. The words were absolute law.
Adeline’s breath hitched. She saw the seriousness in his eyes. He was not here to scold them. He was here to destroy them.
Damon did not wait for her to answer. He turned his head slightly toward the door behind him. He did not raise his voice. He simply gave a command.
"Bring him in," Damon ordered.
The bolt on the outside of the door scraped loudly. The door creaked open.
Kade stood in the hallway. Kade was holding a man by the back of his collar. It was one of the estate guards. The guard was wearing the standard Benson family armor, but he looked panicked.
Kade pushed the man forward. He threw the guard violently into the cell.
The guard stumbled forward, losing his balance, and fell heavily onto his hands and knees in the cold dirt right near Damon’s boots. Kade stepped back and pulled the iron door shut again, locking them all inside.
The guard gasped for air. He was sweating profusely. He looked up and saw Damon standing over him. Pure, unadulterated panic completely took over the man’s face.
The guard quickly scrambled on his knees. He turned away from Damon and looked directly at Elora, who was sitting on the wooden bench.
"Please, My Lady!" the guard cried out, holding his hands out toward the young girl. His voice was frantic and desperate. "Save ! Tell him the truth! I only acted on your order!"
Elora’s eyes widened in shock. The color completely drained from her face. She stared at the guard as if he were a ghost.
"What are you talking about?" Elora shouted loudly, her voice high and squeaky with panic. She quickly pulled her legs up onto the bench, trying to get away from him. "I don’t even know you! I have never spoken to you in my life!"
Elora thought to herself, her mind racing with sheer terror. "If Damon believes him, he will kill . I must deny everything. I must lie."
The guard saw that Elora was going to abandon him. He realized he had no protection.
The guard quickly spun around on his knees. He faced Damon. He placed his hands flat on the dirt floor and lowered his head. He started hitting his forehead against the hard ground, bowing in submission.
"Please, my lord!" the guard begged, sobbing loudly. "Please have rcy on ! Please have rcy!"
Damon did not move. He stood tall, crossing his strong arms over his broad chest. He looked down at the begging man with a face of cold, unfeeling stone. He waited for the truth.
The guard lifted his tear-stained face. He pointed a shaking finger at Elora.
"She lied to , My Lord!" the guard cried out, his voice echoing in the cell. "She told you had absolutely nothing to do with Lady Camilla! She said you hated your wife and wanted her gone. If I knew she was lying, if I knew you cared for her, I wouldn’t dare sche against your wife! I swear on my life!"
Elora opened her mouth to scream another denial, but the cold, murderous glare from Damon instantly forced her to snap her mouth shut. She trembled.
Damon remained completely silent. His arms stayed crossed.
"Start confessing," Damon’s silence demanded.
The guard understood. He swallowed his tears and began to speak rapidly, spilling every single detail to save his own life.
"Lady Elora approached during my patrol in the garden," the guard confessed, his words tumbling out fast. "She told to find her white cat, Lily. She told to kill the cat and fra it on Lady Camilla."
Adeline gasped softly. She looked at her daughter in shock. She knew Elora was spoiled, but killing a pet to fra soone was deeply cruel.
"She said if your grandfather, Duke Carson, sees the dead animal," the guard continued, "he wouldn’t tolerate such cruelty. He would kick Lady Camilla out of the house. That was her plan."
The guard looked down at his dirty hands. He sniffed loudly.
"I waited in the dark," the guard explained. "I noticed Lady Camilla coming out of the ball to take so air. But..."
The guard hesitated. He looked up at Damon with pleading eyes.
"But I couldn’t bring myself to kill the poor animal," the guard admitted, his voice breaking. "It was just a small cat. So, I didn’t kill it. I just kept the cat hidden in the thorny bush so it would cry and cause a scene."
The guard pressed his forehead back into the dirt.
"I am so sorry, My Lord," the guard wept. "I didn’t want to do it. But I just needed the money she promised . I needed it desperately for my father’s dical treatnt. He is dying. I was foolish."
Elora could not listen to the confession anymore. The fool didn’t do his job well and still exposed her plan.
"Be quiet!" Elora shouted at the top of her lungs, stomping her foot against the wooden bench.
She turned to Damon. She put on her best, innocent face. Fresh tears poured from her eyes.
"He is lying, Damon!" Elora cried, reaching her uninjured hand out toward him. "I never told him to do such a terrible thing! Why would I kill my own cat? He is just a greedy guard trying to steal money! Please believe !"
Damon did not even look at Elora. He completely ignored her.
Damon slowly turned his head. He looked directly at Lady Adeline.
Adeline stiffened. She saw the dark fire burning in his eyes.
"Your daughter was at fault," Damon spoke. His voice was low, slow, and heavy. "She created the trap. She started the conflict. And yet, you blad my wife. You insulted her, and you even resorted to brutal violence against her in the garden."
Adeline’s breathing beca very shallow. She could not find any words to defend herself.
Damon uncrossed his arms. He took a slow step closer to Adeline.
He bent his knees, crouching down so his face was level with hers. He was so close that Adeline could feel the coldness radiating from him.
Damon leaned forward. He brought his mouth right next to Lady Adeline’s ear.
"Do you think I am a fool, Aunt Adeline?" Damon whispered. His voice was so soft it sounded like a ghost, but the threat was massive.
Adeline’s eyes widened in terror.
Damon continued to whisper, revealing secrets she thought were completely hidden.
"Do you think I didn’t know who made Mrs. Ida turn against ?" Damon asked softly.
Adeline’s heart completely stopped beating. She gasped. He knew about the head maid. He knew about the traitor in his house.
"Do you think I don’t know who wants to kill ?" Damon whispered, his breath cold against her ear. "Do you think I don’t know about your assistant to my uncle for his plans to take our the Benson family?"
Adeline began to shake so violently her teeth rattled together. She thought she had been so careful. She thought she was a master manipulator. But he had known everything all along. He had just been watching her, waiting for an opening.
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