Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Mate
Chapter 52: Connecting the Dots...

Chapter 52: Connecting the Dots...

The vision suddenly faded like a candle snuffed out, leaving Evelina gasping for air. She stumbled backwards, her grip on the pouch of coins so tight that her knuckles whitened.

She could not shake the vivid image of Selene that filled her mind like a brand.

"Evelina!" Zade’s voice was urgent, his strong hands steadying her before she could fall. He bent slightly to catch her gaze. "What is it? Are you okay?"

Evelina blinked, her breath shaky. "It’s her," she whispered to herself, replaying the vision over and over again. The whole thing settled heavily on her shoulders.

"What?" Zade pressed, concern etched into his features.

Jasper hovered nearby, his eyes darting between Evelina and Zade. "Lady Evelina, you don’t look fine. What’s going on?"

Shaking her head, Evelina straightened, swallowing down the turmoil in her chest. "I’m fine," she said, though her voice lacked conviction.

"You’re not fine," Zade said firmly, guiding her to sit on the edge of the bed. "You’ve been pushing yourself too hard. Maybe you should take a few days to rest, away from all this chaos."

Evelina’s mind was a storm, her thoughts tangled as she processed the implications of what she’d just seen. Selene. She’s behind this. But why?

Zade’s voice broke through her reverie. "Evelina? Are you even listening to me?"

"I said I’m fine," she replied more firmly, though her fingers trembled as she set the pouch down on the table. "Maybe I just need to eat something and get some rest."

She stood abruptly, smoothing down her tunic. "There’s nothing left to find here," she said in a clipped tone. "We should leave."

Zade exchanged a glance with Jasper, then shrugged and followed her out. The trio exited the modest quarters, the clear morning air refreshing after the musty confines of Brenick’s room.

Jasper caught up to Evelina as they walked. "What now, Lady Evelina? Do you want me to follow up on anything?"

Evelina let out a long breath. "I’m hungry. Get me some food, Jasper. After that, I need time to think."

Jasper gave a mock salute, his usual grin softening with concern. "Right away, my lady."

Evelina found a quiet bench under the shade of a large oak tree, the sunlight filtering through the leaves in patches of gold. She unwrapped the food Jasper brought her—a simple meal of bread, cheese, and fruit—and began eating in silence.

Relia’s voice broke the quiet. "Alright, Evie, time to play connect the dots."

Evelina exhaled sharply through her nose. "I already know Selene’s behind the aphrodisiac. She must have paid Brenick to get it for her. But did she also pay him to plant the poison vial in my room?"

"She so much wanted to root herself in Damian’s life," Relia added with a scoff. "Desperation, thy name is Selene."

"But why would she poison Damian?" Evelina muttered, taking a bite of bread as her thoughts churned. "It doesn’t make sense. She’s trying to marry him, not kill him."

Relia hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe it’s part of a bigger scheme. Revenge, perhaps?"

"Revenge for what?" Evelina countered with a frustrated tone. "If she wanted revenge, why go through all this trouble to marry him? Wouldn’t killing him outright serve her purpose better?"

"Unless," Relia mused, "she needed the marriage to make her revenge easier. Gain power first, then strike. At the end, she would still be queen and rule."

Evelina frowned, her appetite dwindling as the mystery pressed down on her. "I don’t know, Relia. None of this fits together."

"Yet," Relia added. "It doesn’t fit together yet."

Evelina finished her meal and wiped her hands, her mind still spinning as she stood and began walking aimlessly through the garden paths.

She didn’t even notice the sound of approaching footsteps until a familiar voice called out to her.

"Evelina."

Her head snapped up to see Damian standing a few feet away, his silver eyes intense as they locked onto hers. The air between them felt charged with tension.

"What do you want, Your Highness?" she asked, her tone more curt than she intended.

Damian stepped closer, his presence commanding as always. "I wanted to see if you were alright," he said softly. "After earlier... I know it’s been a lot."

"I’m fine," Evelina said quickly, her walls going up as she crossed her arms. "You don’t need to check on me."

Damian frowned, his gaze searching hers. "You don’t have to do this alone, Evelina. Whatever it is, we can figure it out together."

The sincerity in his voice chipped away at her defenses, and for a moment, she let her guard down. "I just need time to think," she said quietly.

Damian stepped even closer, the space between them shrinking until she could feel the warmth radiating from him. His scent—earthy and comforting—wrapped around her, making her heart race.

"Evelina," he murmured. "You don’t have to push me away."

Before she could respond, Relia and Storm kicked into action, and the mate bond flared between them, pulling them together like magnets. Their breaths mingled as Damian cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing gently against her skin.

Evelina’s willpower crumbled as her eyes fluttered shut. When his lips met hers, it was like the world fell away, leaving only the two of them in a cocoon of heat and longing.

But just as quickly as it began, Evelina pulled back, her hands pressing against Damian’s chest to create distance. "No," she said firmly, though her voice trembled. "This is wrong."

Damian’s brows furrowed, his eyes filled with confusion and hurt. "Evelina—"

"You need to stop coming to me," she interrupted. "You should be with your fiancée." She turned her head in a different direction.

Damian straightened and his expression hardened slightly. "I don’t have a fiancée."

Evelina whipped her head in his direction, blinking as though he had grown a second head. To say she was stunned was an understatement. How had he just thrown the king’s order on a whim?

"Selene shouldn’t hear you saying that."

"I called off the engagement," Damian said simply, like it wasn’t a big deal.

"Oh, hallelujah! Took you long enough mate," Relia jubilated internally as soon as he said that. "Good riddance to that two-faced..."

Eve stiffened for a moment, ignoring her wolf’s sarcastic cheer and focused on Damian.

Her mouth opened, but no words came out as his statement sank in. "You... you what?" she finally managed to whisper.