Chapter 38: Ridiculous
"What?" I say, pausing mid-motion, unsure if I heard him correctly. My hand freezes over the weeds, and I look at Roman, waiting for him to repeat himself, hoping I misunderstood.
Roman sighs, avoiding my eyes, his voice heavy. "Victor was poking around your disappearance... pissed off the wrong people."
My heart stutters in my chest. "What for?" I ask, dumbfounded, my confusion quickly morphing into anger. The tension in my body coils tight, my thoughts racing to keep up with the implications of his words.
Roman looks down, his expression one of exhaustion. "Apparently, Victor is being accused of being responsible for the suspicious disappearance and suspected murder of war hero, the Crimson General—Thorne Alden." He scoffs, as if the absurdity of the accusation is too much to handle, even for him.
I blink, the sheer stupidity of it momentarily silencing me. Then the anger hits, slow at first, then rapidly building. "That’s ridiculous! Victor would never do anything like that, and even if he wanted to, the man doesn’t have enough brains to pull off a stunt like that," I snap, the absurdity of the claim grinding against my last nerve.
"I thought so too," Roman says quietly. "But everyone who could clear his name has either been bought off, fallen ill, or had suspicious accidents." His voice drops, sounding more defeated than I’ve ever heard him.
I close my eyes, breathing deeply to steady the rage rising in my chest. It wasn’t enough that they tried to kill me, now they’re dragging Victor into this mess. The man was nothing if not loyal—loyal to a fault, and now he’s paying for it.
I let out a long, frustrated sigh. "Give me some time." The words come out clipped, more a command than anything. Roman doesn’t push, just nods and silently leaves.
Once he’s gone, I sit down on the dirt ground, the weight of it all pressing me down. I thought I could leave all of this behind. But the past always has a way of creeping back, doesn’t it?