Chapter 22: Whispers Beneath the Moonlight

The next morning, Verbena woke up to the sound of soft rain tapping against the windows. Theodore's side of the bed was empty, but the lingering warmth on the pillow hinted he hadn't been gone long.

"Where did that villain sneak off to this time?" she muttered, pulling on her robe.

As she stepped into the hallway, the mansion was unusually quiet. Even the maids seemed to be avoiding her gaze. Suspicion prickled her skin.

She didn't have to wonder long. Lady Estella's work had already begun.

At the heart of the estate, in the grand hall, Verbena found Theodore standing before a line of noble ladies, their faces full of pity and scandalous delight.

"…What is going on?" Verbena's voice sliced through the air like a blade.

Theodore turned, his expression unreadable. "You have a visitor," he said, voice strangely flat.

A familiar figure stepped forward, her gown unnecessarily extravagant for a morning visit—Lady Estella, radiating false innocence like perfume.

"Duchess Hellgrave," Estella curtsied with the grace of a snake preparing to strike. "I came here out of… concern."

"Concern?" Verbena's brow arched. "Concern for what?"

Estella's eyes shimmered with fake tears. "I heard—through trusted sources—that you've been ill. The kind of illness that affects the mind."

Verbena's fingers curled into fists.

"Oh? And who told you that?"

Estella lowered her gaze dramatically. "The servants talk. I was so worried I couldn't sleep."

"Lies travel faster than carriages, I see." Verbena forced a smile. "Lady Estella, if my memory serves me correctly, we've never been close. Why such heartfelt concern?"

Estella blinked, pretending to look hurt. "Even if we're not friends, I can't bear to see poor Duke Hellgrave trapped in such an unfortunate marriage."

The room went silent. Even the air itself froze.

Theodore's gaze snapped to Estella like a whip. "Mind your tongue, Lady Estella."

But Verbena stepped forward, blocking his path, her voice sweet as poison. "Poor Duke Hellgrave? My husband is many things—ruthless, cunning, occasionally annoying—but he is not poor. And this marriage?" She leaned closer to Estella, voice dropping to a whisper. "It's none of your business."

Estella faltered for a second but recovered quickly. "I only meant—"

"You meant to humiliate me," Verbena cut her off. "In my own home. In front of my husband."

Theodore stepped closer, his hand resting lightly on Verbena's waist, a silent show of support.

"My wife speaks the truth," he said, voice calm but deadly. "Any insult toward her is an insult to me. I suggest you choose your next words very, very carefully."

Estella's face paled. This wasn't how her romance novel was supposed to go. Theodore was supposed to doubt Verbena, not stand beside her like a knight defending his queen.

"But I… I only came to—"

"Leave." Theodore's voice was ice-cold.

The noble ladies quickly curtsied and fled, leaving Estella alone under the weight of both Theodore's and Verbena's stares.

When the door finally closed behind her, Verbena exhaled sharply. "She's insane."

"She's harmless," Theodore said. "But if she tries this again, I'll make sure her family's fortune disappears overnight."

Verbena stared at him. "You'd go that far for me?"

He turned toward her, his gaze softer than usual. "You're my wife. No one humiliates you. Except me—and only in private."

She smacked his arm, but her face was flushed pink.

"I can handle petty nobles like her," Verbena said. "You don't need to act all… husband-like."

"Husband-like?" He smirked. "You married me, remember?"

"Because I was forced to!"

"And now look at you," he teased. "Standing beside me like a true duchess."

Before Verbena could think of a snappy comeback, Theodore's hand slid up to her chin, tilting her face toward his.

For a moment, the storm outside faded. All she could hear was the steady beat of her heart, thudding faster with each second.

"You've changed," he murmured, thumb brushing her lower lip. "You're not the trembling bride I married."

"I had to change," she whispered back. "To survive you."

"And now?"

She swallowed hard. "Now… I'm not sure if I'm surviving you or falling for you."

Theodore's smile was faint, but his eyes burned with something far more dangerous—a longing that had been locked away for too long.

He lowered his head, lips brushing her forehead instead of her lips. A tender, deliberate choice. One that spoke louder than any kiss.

"Don't fall too fast, wife," he whispered. "I still have plans to ruin."

Before she could ask what he meant, he was already walking away, leaving her heart spinning like a top.

Verbena touched her forehead, her skin burning where his lips had been.

"What's wrong with him… and why does it feel so nice?"

Outside the window, Lady Estella slipped on wet grass and face-planted into the mud—because karma works fast when you're stupid.

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End of Chapter 22