Chapter 0033 – Seraphina’s POV
Althea’s sobs filled the room as she buried her face into Damon’s chest, her delicate shoulders trembling for effect.
“And Lucian is only eight years old… How could she be so cruel to a child?” she whimpered, her voice laced with false sorrow.
“So cruel!” an elder echoed, his voice booming with righteous indignation. “Perhaps the accusations Lucian made against you before were true! Maybe you really did abuse him!”
The elders glared at me, their eyes burning with condemnation as if I were some kind of monster. The crowd’s hostility churned in the air like a storm cloud, suffocating and relentless.
Anguish and fury churned within me, battling for dominance. My soul felt as though it was being torn apart, piece by piece.
“That’s it!” I shouted, my voice trembling but resolute. “I can prove the candles were poisoned!”
The courtroom fell silent, the tension palpable. Even Althea’s faux crying came to an abrupt halt.
“Prove it?” Damon said, narrowing his eyes. His tone was skeptical, almost dismissive. “What more proof could you possibly have? The candles were already tested—they’re harmless.”
“They were switched!” I declared, my voice ringing out clearly.
Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a crumpled tissue, holding it aloft like a lifeline.
“I found this in the trash,” I announced, my tone defiant. “A few days ago, I wiped candle wax with it. Smell it now, and you’ll notice the same sweet, sickly scent of poison that lingered in my room and nearly killed me!”
An elder descended from his seat, his expression cautious but intrigued. He took the tissue from my hand and brought it to his nose, inhaling deeply.
“There is indeed a strange smell,” he admitted, his brows furrowing in concern.
“That smell has lingered in my room for nearly a week!” I pressed on. “Send it to the lab, and you’ll find it’s poisonous.”
Althea shot to her feet, her voice sharp and shrill. “BULLSHIT!”
Her face was red with rage, but I noticed the faint tremor in her hands and the flicker of panic in her eyes.
“There’s no need for another test!” she screeched. “Don’t waste time on her lies! That tissue must be fake evidence she created! She’s just trying to cover up her affair!”
I cut her off, my voice cold and unyielding. “I’ve been in my room since you barged in yesterday, and the guards can testify to that. When could I have fabricated anything?”
Her chest heaved as she scrambled for a retort. “I—I don’t know! Maybe your loyal soldiers helped you!”
I had no intention of engaging further with her. Instead, I turned to Damon, locking eyes with him.
“Damon,” I said, my tone softening, “don’t you want to know who’s really lying? At the very least, don’t you want to know if I’ve ever betrayed you?”
My words struck a nerve. I saw the flicker of doubt in his eyes, the tightening of his jaw as he considered my plea.
After a moment of tense silence, he turned to one of the soldiers and ordered, “Take the wax on that tissue to the lab for testing.”
“Damon!!” Althea shrieked, her composure cracking. “Why? Do you believe her over me?”
“It’s just to be safe,” he replied curtly, avoiding her gaze.
Althea’s face contorted with rage. Her voice grew desperate as she cried out, “I can’t accept that you believe her lies! If you love me, don’t do the second test!”
Damon’s eyes narrowed, his expression hardening.
“Stop making a scene, Althea,” he said coldly. “If you keep this up, I’ll start to suspect you’re hiding something.”
Althea’s face turned ashen, her confidence draining away.
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt hope—a fragile glimmer, but hope nonetheless.
The soldier approached and carefully took the tissue from my hand. As he turned to leave the courtroom, I watched him like a hawk, my heart pounding with anticipation.
But as he passed the roaring fireplace, he stumbled.
The tissue slipped from his grasp and fluttered through the air, landing directly in the flames.
“No—!” I screamed, lunging forward, but it was too late.
The fire devoured the tissue in an instant, leaving nothing but blackened ash in its wake.
I stared at the fireplace, my heart sinking into the abyss. The only evidence that could have proven my innocence was gone.
The room fell silent, the air heavy with the weight of what had just happened.
Althea’s lips curled into a triumphant smirk as she stepped closer to Damon, her crocodile tears gone.
My legs felt weak, but I forced myself to stand tall, refusing to let her see my despair.
This wasn’t over. It couldn’t be over.
