He Used Me for Her, I Walked Away

Chapter 5

Rynell gazed at her in silence, uncertain how to reply.

That evening, upon returning to the riverside penthouse that stood in Rynell Aetheris's name, Zairine fell gravely ill.

A high fever seized her, her face burned crimson, and her senses drifted in a haze.

She knew well what it was, the toad venom mixture had begun its work.

This poison would manifest in three waves, and upon the third, all would be decided.

In her haze, she saw Rynell burst into the master suite.

At once, he commanded his personal assistant to summon the family physician without delay.

Then he knelt beside the bed and clasped her hand tight in his. "Zairine, how could you fall so suddenly?"

The prayer beads turned ceaselessly between his fingers as he murmured sacred verses over and over, beseeching the heavens to spare her and restore her health.

Listening to his prayers repeated again and again, Zairine tried to lift her lids and see his face clearly, yet they felt as heavy as lead.

'She strained to know, was this concern truly his, or was it yet another performance laid out for her to see?'

Before long, the physician arrived in haste to examine her.

This was a strange, slow-acting poison that lay beyond his knowledge. He could only observe its outward signs.

"She is suffering from severe chills and internal heat. There is no cause for alarm, Master Rynell. I shall prescribe a tonic to restore her strength, and with rest she will recover in a few days," the physician reported.

Rynell himself prepared the medicine in the kitchen. For a full day and night, he never left her side, sitting by the window through the dark hours to pray softly for her recovery.

"All merciful heavens, cast out this sickness and its pain. Spare the one I hold dear, and grant her peace within," Rynell whispered in prayer.

When dawn broke the next morning, Zairine opened her eyes to find Rynell's lined with red, dark circles etched deep beneath them. Her heart swelled with a tangle of feelings.

"Thank you," she said.

Those two simple words filled Rynell with unease. "Zairine, why speak as though we are strangers? You are the one I intend to walk every day of my life beside. To care for you is no more than I must do."

Zairine's lips lifted faintly at the corners, though her eyes held no warmth.

"As the Veridian family's eldest daughter, to have married you should have been the fulfillment of every hope."

Hearing this, the tightness in Rynell's chest finally eased.

*****

Word of Zairine's illness soon reached Seralyn's ears.

At noon the next day, she arrived at the riverside apartment bearing an elegant gift box of restorative tonics.

"Ever since returning from the family estate, my sister has lain bedridden. Whatever shall we do?"

Seralyn dismissed all the household staff. Then she approached the bedside, carrying a bowl of precious seafood broth.

"This broth was a wedding gift from Rynell to me. Now I bring it to you, to help restore your strength. I hope it brings you some relief," she said, her words hummed with undisguised triumph.

Zairine did not even bother to reply at length.

"If you have come only to say such things, there was no need to come at all," she answered coldly.

A mocking smile touched Seralyn's lips. She tipped the bowl and spilled its contents across the floor. "When we were small, and I was always frail, Rynell went away to the church and remained there long in devotion. Every day he offered prayers and celestial petitions on my behalf. When he learned I was to marry Cyprian, he feared you would resent it and turn against me. The very next day, he came to the Veridian estate and asked for your hand in marriage."

She laughed, bright and unashamed in her triumph. "Zairine, what does it matter that you are the rightful heiress? Whatever I desire, be it rare opportunities, or the heart of a man, you shall always stand second to me."

Dark clouds gathered beyond the windows. The air within the master suite felt heavy enough to crush the breath from her.

Zairine's hands knotted tight on the sheets. She drew breath to speak.

Then the whole building shuddered violently. Dishes and fruit crashed from the side table to the floor. A floor lamp toppled and shattered with a deafening crash.

A servant's shout rang out from the hallway, sharp with terror. "Earthquake! Everyone, make for the stairwell at once!"

Seralyn paled and turned to flee.

Glancing back, she saw Zairine struggling to rise. A cruel glint flashed across her eyes. "Sister, stay here and perish!"

With that, she shoved Zairine hard against the bed, and fled without a glance back.

In but a moment, the ceiling and walls began to collapse. Heavy beams crashed across the doorway, blocking every path of escape.

And then, when Zairine lay alone and helpless, Rynell burst through the wreckage. "Zairine!"

At the sound of his voice, Zairine pushed aside the splintered wood and plaster that pinned her, crying out weakly through the pain. "I am here…"

But another voice, shrill with terror, drowned her out. "Rynell! Save me!"

At the sound of Seralyn's cry, Rynell turned without hesitation and ran toward her. "Seralyn, why have you not left…"

He bent to lift her from where she had fallen, and hurried her toward the exit.

Stones and shards of cement rained down.

Then came a deafening crash!

A massive beam of concrete slammed full upon Zairine's back.

She watched as Rynell helped Seralyn away, his figure fading into the dust.

Dark blood welled at the corner of her mouth. Her eyes rolled back, and she slipped into silence.