Chapter 141
Orion strode into the hall, the first thing on his mind was to wash off the dried snake blood on his hands.
“Leonardoodle, there’s a snake’s nest in the backwoods, about half a mile from the first trail marker, at the base of the cliff. Get someone to clear it out.”
“Oh, alright!”
“Cedric, sprinkle some sulfur around the perimeter of the room where Ms. Nightshade will be staying tonight.”
Cedric nodded, “Right away, sir!”
Leonard, watching Orion issuing orders as if nothing had happened, couldn’t help but approach him. “Orion, sometimes I really don’t get you. If you care about Xanthea so much that you even think of laying sulfur around her room, why would you do ‘that thing‘ to her in the woods? It got me wronged.”
He hadn’t finished his sentence when Orion’s icy gaze silenced him, “What did you say?”
Leonard, intimidated by that look, muttered, “Maybe I’m reading too much into it? But Xanthea implied it, and if nothing had happened, why would she down that glass of wine to drown her sorrows?”
Orion’s eyes narrowed as he glanced at the bottle of strong red wine on the dining table.
She hadn’t eaten for over eight hours and had just been frightened.
“Where is she now?”
“She just, just ran out.”
“Cedric, prepare some sobering soup.”
“Got it!”
Leonard, startled by Orion’s suddenly grim demeanor, watched as he hurried away, murmuring to himself, “What on earth is going on?”
In the restroom.
Xanthea clutched the sink, retching, but nothing came out.
The strong alcohol swirled in her stomach, burning ever more fiercely, as if it wanted to set her entire. being on fire. It was so hot she felt like stripping, her head spinning dizzily. In her haze, a writhing, sinister snake suddenly appeared before her eyes, causing her to scream, the hallucination then disappearing completely.
She shook her head, trying to stay alert.
No, she couldn’t stay here any longer!
The mere thought of a snake slithering into her room while she slept sent chills down her spine.
Frantically, she pulled of her phone, scrolled through her contacts, her fingers becoming uncontrollable,
her vision blurring despite her efforts to stay clear–headed.
“Hey Siri, find, find Samuel’s number, have him, have him come pick me up.”
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Chapter 141
Before she could finish, a call came through.
“Huh? That was fast, I didn’t even finish!”
“That’s not Samuel’s name, who’s Matthew?”
Xanthea tilted her head, visibly confused and thoroughly intoxicated.
Oh!
It took her a moment, then it clicked, it was Matt, her honey!
She immediately answered the call, joyously shouting. “Matt.”
On the other end, Matthew, overwhelmed by the sweet, long–missed greeting, stood up excitedly. “Xan?”
How long had it been since Xanthea had called him like that? With such dependence and affection, as if he was her entire world!