Chapter 70
Our undivided attention shifted towards the youthful warrior who bravely confronted us. Anxiety painted his face, realizing he had to interrupt our heated argument.
Benjamin, striving to compose himself, inhaled deeply before questioning, “What is the matter?”
“Ah, we’ve stumbled upon someone,” came the report. “A young lady, fitting the description provided by the Beta successor. The same girl, Ava, was last seen accompanying.”
My breath caught in my throat, a rush of emotions flooding over me. “Isabella? Have you truly found Isabella?” I uttered, barely able to believe the words forming on my lips.
His gaze shifted towards me, and he responded, “Indeed, it appears so. One of our patrol teams sighted her at the fringes of the woodland.”
Overwhelmed by disbelief, I instinctively closed the gap between us, clutching his jacket in my trembling hands. My body acted of its own accord, seeking answers, “Where? Tell me, where can I find her?!”
His body tensed, a flicker of unease crossing his face as my hand closed around his arm. “Oh… uh… South. She’s down south of town. Not too far from the patrol tower,” he stammered, taken aback by my sudden grip.
Releasing him abruptly, I wasted no time and briskly headed
towards the car park, my determination palpable in each step
She was here, tantalizingly close, within our grasp. This time, I wouldn’t allow her to slip away. The audacity she possessed to appear on this particular day sent a surge of adrenaline coursing through my veins. It was as if she had deliberately chosen to face the consequences of her actions or perhaps, she was yearning for a swift demise. Either way, I welcomed it eagerly, ready for her to pay the price.
Sliding into the driver’s seat, I turned the key in the ignition, preparing to depart. Benjamin nonchalantly entered the passenger side, but I paid him little heed, my mind consumed by the impending encounter.
“I don’t think it’s wise to go,” he finally spoke up, breaking the silence after a few minutes of driving. “Not today, at least. We’ll have ample time to interrogate her in the coming days.”
I simply brushed off his concerns, a determined glint in my eyes. He would have to resort to extreme measures to prevent me from being there. Even then, I questioned whether that would be enough to keep me away for long, considering the unwavering determination that currently possessed me.
It didn’t take much longer for me to reach the scene, and there, in the midst of a bustling cluster of warriors, I caught a glimpse of a captivating sight. A small group encircled a figure, drawing all the attention. And who else could it be but Isabella?
She sat on the ground, tending to a severely wounded foot. To be honest, her entire appearance screamed distress. Her body bore the marks of numerous cuts and bruises, as if life had dealt her a cruel hand. Remarkably, she still wore the
same clothes as the last time we crossed paths.
Yet, none of that mattered to me. My concern ran deeper than her external wounds. In that moment, I felt a surge of determination coursing through me, thawing the icy numbness that had gripped my soul. A fiery resolve took its place, fueled by a personal connection. For there was only one person I blamed more than myself for Ava’s untimely demise, and now she gazed up at me with a pathetic expression, her eyes resembling pools of warm caramel.
‘End her life,’ my former self whispered cunningly in the recesses of my mind. ‘Put an end to her existence at once. Squeeze the very breath from her until her eyes surrender to darkness.
Miraculously, we found ourselves in perfect accord, and the command needed no repetition. Advancing towards her with resolute steps, I prepared to launch myself upon her, when suddenly Benjamin’s grip encircled my waist, forcibly pulling. me away from the crowd and back towards the awaiting car. In an instant, he must have comprehended the entirety of my intentions.
“Benjamin! Release me!” I howled, my body writhing within his firm grasp. “I swear, I’ll brutally end her life! I’ll damn well snuff out her existence!”
“Stop!” he bellowed, setting me down and urgently cradling my face in his hands. It was his final recourse to divert my gaze from Isabella, if only for a moment, and direct it towards him. “Compose yourself! You bear the weight of a Beta heir, for heaven’s sake. You cannot simply assault her in such a manner. Without concrete evidence of her malicious involvement, she may possess crucial information.”
“No… no, no, no,” I exclaimed, forcefully pushing him aside. “No way, I’m going to put an end to her. Screw you. Screw her. I should have taken care of this a long, long time ago.”
I was about to storm back towards her, but he grabbed hold of my arm, tugging me closer to him. He leaned in until his voice was a mere whisper in my ear, filled with intensity.
“If you can’t control yourself, then I’ll be left with no choice but to completely exclude you, Winona. You won’t be allowed to see her until the investigation is fully concluded.”
I looked up at him, utterly flabbergasted, my eyes popping out like a stunned owl. “No way! You’ve gotta be kidding. That’s just not achievable.”
“Yes, I damn well can,” he snarled back.
Our eyes locked in an intense battle of wills, a contest of defiance and determination. Neither of us willing to back down, we stood our ground, our gazes piercing like fiery arrows. Yet, in the end, surrender whispered its defeat into my ear, and I reluctantly exhaled a defeated sigh. With a forceful jerk, I wrestled my arm free from his iron grip, a burst of rebellion in my veins.
Deep down, I understood the value of connecting with her, even if it felt like a cruel torment to hold myself back. The ache of longing threatened to tear me apart, but I knew that even a slender thread of communication was worth grasping, however painful it might be.
“Damn it! Fine, fine. Whatever. We’ll hear her out. But the moment she starts spinning lies, I’m putting an end to her.”
…And so the intense interrogation commenced.
