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Hildebrand dips his head, his face a mask of emptiness that makes it hard to discern his feelings. "Let's hear what you have in mind."
"I propose that I will disgrace my wife as she has disgraced me. I will leave her with a permanent disfiguration for all to see."
"What sort of disfiguration?" He arches a brow at me.
"A tattoo on one side of her face to match my own."
There is a long stretch of silence as he studies me, considering. "You would not have your wife put to death for the attempt on your life?"
"No." The muscles in my shoulders go rigid as I consider that they are prepared to fight me on this.
"Explain," he commands. "Explain what deems her worthy of saving. How would you ever trust her again? Why should IVI trust her?"
"I take it upon myself to guarantee her unwavering loyalty to The Society," I assure them. "And if there were to be any sign of falsehood in that regard, I give you my word that I would end her life myself."
"The sentence is too light to satisfy the requirements of this court—"
"She is pregnant with my heir," I clip the words through gritted teeth. “And for that reason, she is still of value.”
Hildebrand frowns. "We need a moment to consider. Leave the room and we will summon you back once we have made a decision."
I reluctantly leave the room, jaw clenched and irritation stirring up a fury inside me that will be difficult to hide. Ivy has put me in this position. Lying to The Tribunal to save her life, and for what? So she can continue in her self-righteous hatred and disgust every time I am near her.
I don't know what the fuck I'm doing. But I know what I'm risking by covering for her. By offering this one thing I know they will not deny me. The Tribunal is aware of the importance and expectations for Sovereign families to bear heirs, and particularly mine, considering it will be my sole responsibility now that my father and brother are dead.
I pace the length of the corridor while I wait, using my phone to search the directory of Society doctors. Then it occurs to me that I cannot use a Society doctor to examine her at risk of the truth being revealed. I need her fucking pregnant, and I need it now.
Christ.
I swipe a trembling hand through my hair and consider my options. I'll have to bring someone else in. That's the only way.
I'm scrolling through names of specialists from other states when the door to the courtroom opens again, and a guard summons me back inside. The Councilors are waiting for me in silence, their faces empty. I want to believe I know what they will say, but nothing in life is ever certain.
"You are to bring your wife to her assigned court date with visible proof that you have fulfilled the punishment as laid out. We will see it in person," Hildebrand says.
"As you wish."
"We are only granting this request on one condition," he adds.
"Yes?" I reply hoarsely.
"We want the name of the accomplice who acquired the poison for her. Either you get it out of her by the time of her court date, or we will imprison her until she produces a viable name."
"She will have a name for you," I assure them.
"Then this session is adjourned for now. We will reconvene next week. You are dismissed."
* * *
I'm walking through the courtyard of the compound with only one intent in mind. I need to get home. Before Ivy's court date, some things must be in order, and I can no longer put them off.
Fury is a living, breathing animal inside me. I lied to The Tribunal to save her, and in doing so, I put my family at risk. It isn't just me I have to think about. If this goes badly, Mercedes will bear the brunt of the impact too.
Fucking poison.
That's what my wife is. She's poisoning my thoughts. My every waking moment. My hunger for her. This need that is turning me into someone I don't even recognize anymore. It has to stop. I have to fix this.
"Sir!" someone calls out as I breeze past them, but I ignore the voice, continuing to my car where Marco is waiting.
"Mr. De La Rosa, please!" The breathless voice follows me out of the courtyard, lingering behind me as Marco opens the door for me.
I turn to see a girl I recognize as Jackson Van der Smit’s wife. She’s a face I know well, considering how much Mercedes dislikes her. Young, innocent, and heavily pregnant. It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth as my eyes settle on her belly. They haven’t even been married that long. It looks as though Jackson doesn’t waste any time. I can’t help but wonder when I will see my own wife heavy with my child. A thought that only serves to irritate me further.
