The Betrayed Rose Rises Anew

Fae Ware POV:

A few minutes later, a soft knock came at my door. It was Glenn, holding a cup of chamomile tea. "I thought this might help you relax," he said, his voice a practiced whisper of tenderness. "I hate when we fight, Fae. Please, drink this. Let's not let this night be ruined."

He looked so sincere, his eyes filled with a familiar, pleading warmth. For a fleeting second, the old me wanted to believe him. I took the cup, my hand trembling slightly, and took a sip as he watched. The tea was warm, but a sharp, metallic aftertaste coated my tongue.

My head spun, the room blurring around me. My muscles stiffened, and my legs buckled. The teacup shattered on the floor. I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. Panic, cold and raw, gripped me as the realization hit with the force of a physical blow.

He drugged me.

Glenn stood over me, his face impassive, the mask of concern gone. "You made this difficult, Fae," he said, his voice flat and emotionless. "You should have just stayed put."

His phone rang, its shrill sound shattering the silence. He answered, his voice shifting to one of feigned panic. "What?! Karis? Kidnapped? By Darrion Anderson?!"

It was a performance. A signal. This was their plan all along.

Two burly men emerged from the shadows of the hallway. They were his security, men I’d seen a hundred times. Now, they looked at me with cold indifference.

"Take her," Glenn instructed. They hauled me to my feet, their rough hands bruising my arms.

As they dragged me towards the door, Glenn’s gaze fell to my neck. He snatched the silver locket, the one he had given me as a symbol of his "eternal loyalty." His brow furrowed in confusion. He had expected to see Karis's locket, a different design he had given her. In his haste, in his arrogance, he had forgotten which token belonged to which woman.

"This is Fae's locket," he muttered, a flicker of panic in his eyes. He had intended for me to be an anonymous body double, but the locket was proof of my identity.

For a moment, I thought he might stop. A sliver of hope that was brutally extinguished. His face hardened, his resolve returning. His reputation, his deal with his grandfather—that was all that mattered.

"It doesn't matter," he said, his voice strained. "She's still the body double. No one will know the difference."

He was still choosing her. Still sacrificing me. He was sending me to Darrion Anderson, a known monster, fully aware of who I was.

"This is for the best, Fae," Glenn whispered, his voice a chilling caress as the men pulled me away. "You'll understand someday."

He was still manipulating me, even as he sent me to my doom.

The men forced me into a waiting car. I saw Glenn one last time, standing at the entrance, my locket clutched in his hand. He was already erasing me. The car sped through the stormy night, carrying me towards a desolate dock and the monster who waited there.