Chapter 22
714 Words
A Poisoned Whisper
Noah was propped up in bed the next morning, pale but stronger, sipping water slowly as sunlight streamed through the tall windows. His eyes scanned the room, now familiar again, yet filled with pieces of a life he couldn’t fully remember.
The door opened with a gentle creak.
Juliet stepped in, dressed immaculately in ivory silk, not a hair out of place. Her presence carried the scent of expensive perfume and something colder—resentment, maybe.
“Mother,” Noah said, trying to smile.
“My darling boy.” She came to his side quickly, brushing his cheek with a hand too cold to be comforting. “You look better today.”
“I feel… better. Sort of,” he murmured, watching her closely. “Everything’s still blurry.”
Juliet smoothed his blanket, her smile tightening. “That’s okay. What matters is you’re alive. And safe. I’ll make sure of that.”
There was something heavy in her words.
Noah glanced toward the window. “Has Anna been around today?”
Juliet’s hand stilled.
“She left early,” she said with false ease. “Didn’t even stay for breakfast.”
His brow creased. “That’s not like her.”
Juliet sighed, moving to the chair beside his bed. “No, it isn’t. But then again… Anna hasn’t really been herself since your accident.”
Noah tilted his head. “What do you mean?”
She leaned in, lowering her voice. “I didn’t want to burden you, but maybe it’s time you knew. She’s been seeing someone else, Noah. That man, Daniel—he’s not just a friend.”
His throat tightened. “You’re sure?”
Juliet nodded solemnly. “She brought him here once. Held his hand in front of the staff. She’s not been loyal, even now.”
Noah’s heart pounded. A flash of memory—Anna’s laughter, her eyes lighting up when she looked at him—flickered and vanished like mist.
“Why would she stay, then?” he asked quietly.
Juliet stood, placing a cool kiss on his forehead. “Guilt, I suppose. Or maybe a performance. But don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll protect you from her.”
As she turned to leave, she paused at the door.
“Oh, and Isabella’s coming by later. She’s missed you terribly.”
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Downstairs, Anna stepped through the front door, eyes tired, holding a bag of Noah’s favorite snacks. She'd spent the morning at the office, trying to find pieces of herself in legal briefs and half-read files.
As she climbed the stairs, she passed Isabella—wearing tight jeans, a silk top, and a sly smirk.
“Back again?” Isabella quipped.
Anna didn’t stop. “He’s my husband.”
“Barely,” Isabella whispered behind her, loud enough for Anna to hear.
Anna paused but kept walking.
Inside the room, Noah’s expression was unreadable. Cold. Distant.
She set the bag on the table. “I got your favorite juice.”
He didn’t speak.
She turned. “What’s wrong?”
“Daniel,” he said, voice low. “How long have you been seeing him?”
Anna blinked, stunned. “What?”
“You heard me.”
She took a breath. “Noah, Daniel and I—he was there when you weren’t. But I never betrayed you. Not once.”
He looked away. “That’s not what I heard.”
She felt the slap of Juliet’s manipulation in every word.
“Of course it isn’t,” Anna said, her voice shaking. “Because your mother hates me. And she’s doing everything she can to erase me from your life.”
Noah’s jaw clenched. “Don’t drag her into this.”
“I’m not dragging her,” Anna snapped. “She walked into it with heels on.”
There was a silence so tense it could shatter.
Noah finally whispered, “I just… don’t know who to trust.”
Anna stepped closer, her voice tender now. “Then trust your heart, Noah. Because deep down, it still knows me.”
He looked at her then. Really looked. And for a moment, she thought she saw it—recognition, something unspoken burning behind his eyes.
But it vanished again, just as Juliet’s shadow passed silently down the hall.
- Writer
