Chapter 137: One More Win
Alana;
"It is a stupid idea!" Igma yells the moment I’m done explaining King Wilhelm’s plan to her, and I stand frozen, surprised by her reaction.
"On the contrary, I think it’s a brilliant idea. It’s the only way we can stop Bram. Play his game and meet him in the middle." I try to explain to her why we need to do this, but she shakes her head in negation.
"You do not understand the cruelty of this kind of game, Alana! You will have to give a lot more than I think you’re ready to." She replies, and my brows furrow.
Give more than I’m ready to?
What does she mean by that?
"I... I don’t understand." I confess honestly, and she sighs.
She walks up to me and takes my hands as her gaze softens.
"To play a cunning person, you need to get lower than they are. You need to be just as cunning, if not more." She begins, and I nod.
"I know you, Alana. You’re not like that. You’re not cunning, or deceitful... or petty. Doing this might change you..." She adds, and I smile as I understand her worries.
I wrap my fingers around hers and step closer to her.
"I won’t change. It’s just a game. And it’s only for a little while." I reply, but the worry on her face doesn’t ease.
"Decite is not a game, Alana. It’s like a drug. Addictive. When you find that you can play with people’s minds, the power is intoxicating. You won’t know when you change." She complains, and her worry begins to get to me.
However, I can’t back out.
"You’ll be there to bring me back," I reply with a small, and she falls silent.
"King Wilhelm is a perfectionist. If you’re going to confess and get punished, he wouldn’t leave room for doubt. To make sure Bram buys the act, he’s going to truly punish you, Alana. There would be no faking it. And we can’t tell what punishment you’ll get." She whispers in worry, and I pause.
I slowly take my hand away from her and step back.
"So be it. If it’s the only way to stop that worm from getting into the Ashfang family... I’ll do it. I won’t have Master Elián contend with that pig. If I’m going to see the first Ashfang baby. It’s going to come from Master Elián. Not Bram." I reply defiantly, and Igma stares at me in silence.
I inhale sharply in shock when she closes the gap between us and suddenly pulls me into a hug.
"You’re so stubborn." She whispers, and I smile.
"You have no idea," I whisper back, and she chuckles. It’s a soft, bitter chuckle.
I’m about to hug her back when I see Bram through the crack of the slightly open door, and I freeze.
How long has he been standing there!?? Oh, no. Did he hear everything?
No! I have to do something!!
I immediately twist my expression to that of anger as I inwardly pray that Igma understands and forgives em for what I’m about to put her through.
*****
Bram;
"Ugh..." I groan as I continue my walk down the corridor. I don’t know exactly where I’m going, but if I stay in my room any longer, I’ll lose my fucking mind.
I was right.
I’m losing Rhydian. This afternoon would have been an excellent time for him to take the potion.
If only he had taken a bite. Just one bite!
I could tell that my grip on him was weakening. He doesn’t look at me the same, doesn’t check up on me as often, and he even had the nerve to question me today.
He was questioning me!!!
I added a drop of the mind warp potion to every meal I prepared for him this afternoon. After just a bite, he would have been totally under my control.
Heck, I could have ordered him to crown me king of Howleroot, and he would have. Of all the days for him to turn down my request, he chose today!!
He’s already turning away from me. I can sense it.
I have to fix this. And fast.
Without the potion, I wouldn’t fully have control over him. So, I have to use what always works on him. Pity. I need to get myself in a pitiable state.
But how? What do I do??
Do I rile Igma up again?
No. The last time, the bitch almost killed me.
I may be strong, but that girl is a monster. She fights like a beast.
I couldn’t block a single blow from her last time.
If I rile her up, she wouldn’t waste the opportunity to send me to the land of the dead.
I know! Alana.
It’s late at night. Hopefully, Igma wouldn’t be there.
I can say... I went to... apologise to Alana for attacking her as... I feel bad for hitting a lady.
But instead of accepting my apology, she attacked me!
Good! Rhydian would believe that. He seems to turn off his brain anytime he sees anyone cry.
Pathetic how he thinks with his heart and not his brain.
The poor fool.
Once I get close enough to him, I’ll find a way to get him to take the potion.
Then... I can get him to do whatever I want.
I can’t ask him to hurt Elián, because his other fucking brothers, especially that one who came here that time, will protect Elián.
But I can take everything from Elián if I get pregnant first.
I don’t need to give birth to a fucking baby or have to deal with any whiny piece of shit. I can always ’accidentally’ get rid of the little thing after the first few months.
I just need to use it to ruin Elián’s life.
To get there... first, I need to regain my hold on Rhydian.
To do that, I need to shed a few more miserable tears and get a little more hurt...
Oh, Alana, you have no idea what I have planned for you. You thought you were going to expose my real identity to Rhydian!?
I’ve been scheming and plotting my whole life.
I became Elián’s friend to use him for his money and make sure he never got any friends.
For five years, he never figured out that I was the reason no one liked him. He never figured out that he was just a walking ATM to me; he never figured out that I envied every single thing about him.
He never figured out that the weed strangling life out of his tree of existence was me. Growing right by his side.
If I could play him for five years, you thought you could usurp me in just a few days?? Lol.
You all really have no idea that the devil roams amongst you now.
Elian can’t have the best of all lives.
Rich parents, good looks, unending talents, and even my girlfriend, in the first life. And now, wealth, royalty, and doting partners in this life!?
Fuck, no! I’ll take it all from him. All of it!
I pause when I get to Alana’s room, and through the slightly opened door, I see Igma hugging her.
Igma’s here!? What the fuck is she doing in Alana’s room so late?
Why is she hugging her??
And wasn’t she saying I broke Alana’s neck?
The rabbit looks perfectly fine to me!
What are they discussing, though? I should stick around. They might be planning something against me.
Looks like I came at the right time.
"Don’t touch me!" Alana suddenly yells as she pushes Igma away from her, and I jerk at the sudden action.
Igma stumbles back, and although her back is turned to me, I can tell that she’s shocked too.
"What? What are you...?" Igma begins, but Alana cuts her off.
"This is all your fault, and you think hugging me and saying sorry will fix things!?" Alana screams, and I arch a brow.
Oh... looks like there’s trouble in paradise. Interesting.
"You are the cause of all this! You came to me! You were the one who told me that Bram posed a threat to Master Elián! I told you he was just a helpless omega who meant no harm, but you kept feeding me all this poison about him!" Alana continues, and my brows crease.
Huh? What in fucks name...
"Alana, have you lost it? What are you..."
"When I didn’t believe you, you went to dig up that poster from Light knows where, and you filled my mind with all sorts of nonsense, telling me Bram was a con artist. He wasn’t a con artist. Alpha Igma!" She screams, and I can’t help but fold my arms as I listen in.
Okay. This is interesting.
Has she forgotten that I almost killed her?? Why is she suddenly defending me??
Wait... could it be that she’s seen me??
Is she... trying to trick me?
"He was a helpless man buried under debt! Alpha Liandria changed his name to Bram and forced him to undergo the surgery! He’s not the villain you painted him to be!" She screams again, and I narrow my eyes as I watch them.
"Then how do you explain him almost killing you!? The things he said to you! How do you explain that, Alana!?" Igma yells, and I lean closer as I wait for an answer.
I also want to know. Cause at this point, none of this makes sense.
Does she think I’m dumb that I’ll fall for...
"He was scared. Scared and angry. He couldn’t understand why I hated him, and he said whatever he could to save himself. He even bluffed to kill me like he’s killed others! A simple weakling like him made such a threat. Can you see how desperate he was!? His attack on me was justified! I deserved it!" She replies, and my jaw drops.
"And I’m done. I’m done hating him and trying to pull him down with evidence that you can’t even back up. I will apologise to him, and confess to King Wilhelm and Alpha Rhydian. I have wronged an innocent man, and I need to make things right! He’s not a threat to Master Elián. He’s just a broken, young man who needs all the love and protection he can get!" She concludes, and it takes every ounce of willpower in me to stop from cackling.
Wow! I guess stupidity is an airborne disease here!!
She’s going to ask for my forgiveness??
Okay, then.
One more win for me!!
I guess I wasn’t running out of luck after all. I shouldn’t do anything yet.
Just sit back and enjoy the show.