Chapter b235 /b

    ra’s POV

    b78 /b

    55 vouchers

    The idea of telling Dario felt reckless. After all, he was loyal to Amara, and she still had him wrapped around her finger. But there was more at y here. ra knew this had to be done, no matter how dangerous.

    The first thing she needed was an insider. This wasn’t just any kingdom–it was the Lycan’s kingdom. She needed someone who could move within the ranks, someone with a direct line to the people involved. Dario fit the bill perfectly. He was a general. Strong, capable, and with ess to ces ra couldn’t get to alone.

    The second part? Dario’s loyalty was tied to Amara through histe brother, Nora. When the truth about Amara and Nora’s death came out, his loyalty would crumble. It was only a matter of time before he realized Amara had more to do with his brother’s death than anyone could have imagined.

    This conversation wasn’t just a gamble. It was the gamble.

    “…Amara?” Dario repeated, his voice thick with disbelief, like he couldn’t swallow the words.

    “Amarai?/ii” /iHe shook his head, incredulous. “No. ra, you’re out of your mind! She was my brother’s mate! Everyone saw it! They were perfect for each other. You have no idea how wrecked Amara was when she lost him!”

    “I didn’t,” ra shot back, her voice cold. “But fake sorrow is a thing, and Amara? She’s an expert at it.”

    Dario’s re could have burned through steel. “You’re saying this because of your grudge against her! Because she tried to kill you! But that’s a separate matter from Nora’s death!” His voice rose with fury, but ra didn’t flinch.

    “No,” she said, her tone sharp. “It’s all connected, Dario. Amara did it all because of Dorian. She wanted me gone, so she could be with him. And she wanted your brother out of the picture for the same reason.”

    “Goddamn it!” Dario’s fist mmed into a shelf, rattling files and sending a couple

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    tumbling to the floor. He stood there, chest heaving, his eyes red with rage and grief.

    “Don’t care if you’re the Queen, ra. If you say one more word of this nonsense, I’ll punch you in the fucking face.”

    But ra wasn’t afraid. She could see it in his eyes–his anger was raw, but he wouldn’t hurt her. He was too good for that.

    “It’s not nonsense,” ra said, biting off the words. “Amara framed me for Elder Randy’s death. Poisoned him. And if Nora died the same way, you need to see the connection.”

    Dario shook his head, rage pulsing in his veins. “Do you have proof? Can you prove Amara poisoned Elder Randy?”

    ra swallowed her frustration. “No. Not yet. I’m still looking. But if we can trace the connections… if we can find the maid, the one who helped me with the barrel

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    “So, you’ve got nothing,” Dario sneered. “It’s just your theories. This is all just guesswork.”

    She gritted her teeth. Maybe she had pushed too hard. Maybe he needed more time to process the truth.

    “Fine,” she said, stepping back. “Forget what I said about the poison. But you can’t deny Elder Randy and Nora had the same symptoms. That’s not a coincidence.”

    Dario didn’t speak for a long moment. His jaw worked, the gears in his mind turning slowly. Finally, he muttered, “Alright. Let’s look into it.”

    ra let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. She could feel the tension between them loosen, just a little.

    “Where do we start?” Dario asked, his voice weary.

    “Well, the restaurant,” ra replied. “The one where Nora ordered hisst meal. That’s where everything began.”

    “Right.” Dario nodded, and they both left the archive room.

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    i77 /i

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    The restaurant was tucked away in a small town just outside the royal pce, a cozy, upscale joint serving fusion cuisine. When they walked in, a waitress greeted them, her smile bright but stiff. “Table for two?”

    “No,” ra said, her voice clipped. “We need to speak ito /ithe manager.”

    “The manager’s out right now, but I can-”

    “Tell him General Dario is here,” Dario interrupted, his tone cutting through her attempt at politeness. “He’ll spare a few minutes for me.”

    The waitress’s eyes widened, and without a word, she hurried to the phone. Her face changed when she returned. “Of course, General. Right this way.”

    They were led to the manager’s office, where a chubby, middle–aged man stood waiting. He offered Dario a handshake, both hands trembling as he did so.

    “General Dario,” the manager said, his voice faltering. “I thought the case was closed… It’s been five years.”

    “It was closed. But I’m reopening it.” Dario’s tone was frigid. “Got a problem with that?”

    “No! No problem at all!” the manager blurted, wiping his brow nervously. “I—uh— thought the investigation was over. The chef’s been fired. We paid the fine, the restaurant was shut down for a year-”

    “And what about your wife?” Dario cut him off, nodding to the tall brte standing beside him.

    The manager’s face went pale. “Y–Yes, she’s my wife. Is that relevant?”

    ra’s gaze sharpened. “We need the full story, all the details. Nothing left out.”

    The manager licked his lips, eyes darting nervously between them. “Well, I received Nora’s order around six o’clock. Took me about half an hour to prepare it, then I drove it over. No traffic… it was clear skies when I left.”

    “Hold up.” Dario raised a hand. “Clear skies? That’s not right.”

    The manager’s face stiffened. “What? It was a clear night, I’m sure of it.”

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    “No,” Dario snapped. “It was raining. I remember. I got stuck in a traffic jam, saw a couple idents along the way. It was pouring.”

    The manager hesitated, then muttered, “I don’t know… maybe it was. It’s been so long…”

    ra frowned, sensing something off. “And then? What happened when you dropped off the food?”

    “I rang the bell, Nora answered, took his food. He tipped me. That was it.”

    “Not quite,” Dario said, whispering in ra’s ear. “Matches the police report, but it still doesn’t sit right.”

    ra narrowed her eyes. “Where did you go after the delivery?”

    The manager’s eyes darted away, his body stiff. “I… I don’t remember…”

    “Oh, I remember!” his wife piped up suddenly. “He went home to me! He brought me dinner!”

    ra’s instincts kicked in. The pieces were starting to fit. Two deliveries, one night. One to Nora, one to the wife.

    The wife’s eyes widened. “Just think about it–if he’d given me the food with Nora’s allergy, I could have been the one who died!”

    The manager’s face twisted, anger shing in his eyes. “What the hell are you saying? You don’t have that allergy!”

    The wife recoiled, startled by his outburst. “I’m just saying it’s possible. Nobody knows what Nora’s allergic to, right?”

    The manager ignored her, turning back to ra and Dario. “I’ve told you everything I know. Now, please, just leave us alone.”

    ra and Dario exchanged a look as they left the office.

    “What do you think?” Dario muttered.

    “Something’s off,” ra said tly.

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    9:52 Tue, Sep b9 /b

    “Yeah, I should have caught that sooner. But why didn’t I?”

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    “Because we’re too focused on Amara,” ra said, her voice low. “This is bigger than her.”

    She stopped a waiter before they left. “What’s the deal between the owner and his wife? Are they close?”

    “Close?” The waiterughed nervously. “Hell no. He’s always yelling at her. Called her terrible names. He’s even threatened to kill her. Rumour is he bought chemicals online to drug her.”

    ra’s heart sank. What had they walked into?

    It wasn’t Amara who was at the center of this–it was something much darker. The owner had secrets of his own. And now, they had another potential suspect.

    “I’m bringing him in for questioning,” Dario said urgently. “Right now.”

    ra nodded, her mind racing. The truth was just slipping further out of reach.

    田

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