Chapter 49 - A Kiss Before Dawn

The night was unbearably silent, broken only by the rustle of sheets as Theodore shifted beside her. Verbena lay stiff as a board, staring at the ceiling, every nerve in her body on high alert. The dagger Estella forced into her hand was still hidden beneath her pillow — a deadly secret between husband and wife.

Theodore's hand drifted across the sheets, fingers brushing her wrist. Even that innocent touch made her pulse spike. Would the poison seep through fabric? Would a single graze be enough? She had no answers — and no room for error.

"Can't sleep?" his voice was low, husky from sleep.

"Mm." She forced herself to hum softly, hoping he wouldn't notice the tremor in her breath.

He shifted onto his side, facing her. Even in the dim candlelight, his silver eyes gleamed like frost beneath the moon. "Something's wrong."

The concern in his voice almost broke her. This was the same man she once plotted to leave — the same man she convinced herself she hated. But now, wrapped in the warmth of their shared bed, the weight of that dagger between them, all she wanted was to bury herself in his arms and confess everything.

"Nothing's wrong," she whispered, smiling weakly. "I'm just… thinking."

Theodore's brow furrowed, but instead of pressing her, he pulled her closer. His arm slid around her waist, his body fitting against hers with easy familiarity. The warmth of his skin seeped into her bones, thawing her fear — if only for a moment.

"Thinking about what?" he asked softly, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek.

About the woman who wants me to kill you.

About how I might lose you before I can even admit I'm falling for you.

About how terrifying love actually is.

"Just us," she said instead. "How strange this all feels. Us being like… this."

Theodore chuckled, a soft rumble in his chest. "Strange? You're my wife."

"For now," she teased, though her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

He caught her chin between his fingers, tilting her face toward him. "Not just for now. For always."

Her heart stuttered painfully. He said it so easily, like it was a fact carved into stone, like nothing could break them apart. If only he knew how fragile they were — how one wrong touch could shatter it all.

"I'm serious," Theodore murmured, his thumb tracing her lower lip. "You think I'd let you go now? After all this?"

Her breath caught. "Even if I'm not who you thought I was?"

His smile faded, replaced by something softer — something real. "You're Verbena. That's all I need to know."

For a heartbeat, the world shrank to just the two of them. The weight of the dagger, the threat of Estella, the tangled lies — all of it melted away under the warmth of his gaze.

And then, because her heart was too full and her mind too tired, she leaned up and kissed him.

It wasn't the wild, desperate kiss of a woman clinging to her last chance — no, it was softer. A gentle press of lips, a question asked without words. Do you really mean it? Would you still love me if you knew everything?

Theodore answered by deepening the kiss, his hand sliding up to cradle her face. He kissed her like a man who had no doubts, no regrets — only a desire to hold on tighter. His fingers threaded into her hair, tugging her closer until there was no space left between them.

Verbena sighed into his mouth, her hand clutching the fabric of his shirt. The kiss turned hungrier, a slow-burning fire that smoldered low in her stomach. If this was her last night with him — if fate truly meant to tear them apart — she wanted to memorize every second.

His hand slipped lower, tracing the curve of her waist beneath the sheets, but just as her heart started to race for entirely different reasons, her fingers brushed the hidden dagger.

Reality slammed back into her like ice water. She pulled back suddenly, breathless and shaken.

Theodore frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she lied. "I just… remembered something I have to do tomorrow."

He gave her a long, searching look — but thankfully, he didn't press. Instead, he tucked her into his side, his fingers lazily tracing circles on her back. "Go to sleep, then. Whatever it is, it can wait."

She closed her eyes, but sleep was impossible. Instead, she lay awake, listening to his steady heartbeat, feeling the weight of the dagger beneath her pillow, and wondering how long she could keep balancing between love and lies.

By the time dawn touched the windows, Verbena knew one thing for certain:

If Estella wanted to take Theodore from her, she would have to fight tooth and nail — because Verbena might not have planned to fall in love, but now that she had, she wasn't giving up without a war.

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End of chapter