He exhaled, already tired of me. “Alessia.”
That was enough. I straightened and, without another word, I stormed out. Downstairs, I found Matvet pacing in the sitting room. A bandage covered his arm where he’d been shot earlier.
“What are you doing here?” he snapped. “Aren’t you supposed to be with the others?”
“I serve the boss,” I replied.
He grabbed my wrist, inspecting the faint bloodstain. “Are you hurt?”
“No,” I muttered, snatching my hand away. “The boss is.”
Matvet frowned. “How is he?”
“He’s taking care of his wound.” My voice was calm, but my head swirled with questions I needed answers to. “Is there something I need to know?”
Matvet’s brow furrowed. “Like what?”
My patience wore thin, and a scoff escaped me. “I know who you’re working for.” My words came out like venom, but his blank, baffled expression only fueled my irritation. “Come on, just tell me the truth.”
“What truth exactly?” His voice was calm, but his eyes were watching me more sharply than before. He was good at pretending, or maybe he didn’t know what I meant. But I knew better. I was sure he knew Salva. He had to. And he was the spy.
“You know,” I lowered my voice. “I think you’re using me. You have a connection with Marco, I know it.”
Rage flared in his eyes. “What?” He took a step closer. “Are you accusing me of working with a Gallo?” His voice rose, filled with fire. “And Marco, of all people?” He pointed a finger at me, his face tightening with fury. “Listen to me. I hate that family as much as the boss does. Mention their names in front of me again, and I won’t hold back. Remember that.”
The sheer force of his words sent a chill down my spine. He wasn’t lying; if he was, he deserved an award. Confusion and fear twisted in my gut.
“But you … you know Salva,” my voice trembled.
“Of course I do,” he spat. His tone was bitter. “And they attacked us because someone inside this house is working with them.” He leaned closer. “Listen—”
“Matvet!” A sharp voice cut through the tension, making us whip around. Renat walked in, his scowl as heavy as his footsteps. “What the hell is this? A little public display of affection?”
For once, I wanted to yell back at this human being.
“I’m sorry, sir,” Matvet said quickly, his voice turning polite.
“I was leaving,” I said, giving Renat one last look before brushing past him.
According to Mara and Clara, Renat said I was innocent. AndGod knows what that meant, because with him, even kindness came laced with poison.
As I walked back to the girls’ quarters, uneasiness settled in my gut. Something was wrong with Artur. He wasn’t dying in the usual sense, but there was a darkness in him, something eating away beneath the surface. His strength would flicker, then return as if nothing had happened. It wasn’t normal.
That feeling followed me into the night, curling around my thoughts like smoke.
I barely slept in the days that followed. Clara kept urging me to join the girls, but I always waved her off, needing to be alone. This morning was no different. After she left, I stayed where I was, pinned under the crushing weight of my conscience. The only way to end it was to tell Artur the truth. I had no choice.
After getting ready, I slipped the two pills into my pocket as evidence for the confession I had to make. As I left the dormitory, I almost collided with Clara. She was walking back with an urgency that caught my attention.
“They found the spy,” she said. “One of the kitchen helpers confessed. Renat didn’t hesitate to eliminate him.”
That wasn’t the truth. It couldn’t be. I brushed past Clara and hurried down the hallway, my heart pounding as I made my way to Artur. Renat was a psychopath. He killed before, claiming he was protecting me, but I knew better. He always needed something in return, and this felt like one of those moments.
On my way to Artur’s quarters, I ran straight into him. Speak of the devil. Renat’s eyes burned with fury.
“Follow me.”
His voice left no room for refusal. Without waiting for my reply, he strode toward his quarters. I hesitated for a moment before trailing after him.