Chapter 21: The Maid

Olivia’s POV

Poison? Did he just say I poisoned myself? My mind was a mess, clouded with exhaustion and confusion. My body felt weak, as if drained of every ounce of strength. I tried to recall, to think of any moment when I could have done such a thing, but my memories were foggy, fragmented.

I lifted my gaze to Lennox, his furious glare sending a shiver down my spine. His jaw was tight, his grip firm on each side of my arms, and his green eyes burned with anger, fear, and desperation.

“You’re hurting me, Lennox,” I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.

His grip on my arms was firm, almost bruising, but at my words, he let go—too suddenly. I lost my balance, falling back onto the bed with a soft thud. Pain shot through my limbs, and I winced, my body too fragile to handle even the smallest impact.

I looked up at them—Lennox, Levi, and Louis—their faces twisted in anger, their sharp glares cutting into me like daggers.

“Speak, Olivia,” Lennox demanded again, his voice sharp and furious. “Why did you poison yourself?”

“I didn’t,” I whispered, my breath shaky.

Levi let out a harsh scoff, running a frustrated hand through his hair. “Don’t lie to us, Olivia! The healer said it himself. You consumed poison. Are you really going to stand there and act like you don’t know?”

My heart pounded in my chest. “I don’t know,” I said. My voice was weak, but my words held firm. “I don’t remember taking any poison. I wouldn’t…”

Would I? A sliver of doubt crept into my mind. I had been feeling empty lately, lost in my own pain, but…would I have gone so far as to take my own life? No. That wasn’t me.

“I swear,” I whispered, shaking my head, my fingers curling into the sheets. “I didn’t do this.” Louis narrowed his eyes. “Explain how the poison got into your system.”

I couldn’t. I didn’t have an answer. I pressed a hand to my forehead, frustration building inside me. My mind was too hazy, my memories too scattered. Something didn’t feel right.

“Speak, Olivia. Why did you poison yourself?”

I frowned, my mind hazy, but as I struggled to recall what happened, a memory surfaced—one I hadn’t even realized was there. A maid. A glass of juice.

My breath hitched as the realization hit me. I hadn’t poisoned myself. Someone had done this to me.

“I…” My voice came out weak, barely above a whisper, but the triplets were staring at me, their eyes blazing with anger and impatience.

“Speak, Olivia!” Lennox growled.

I flinched at the sharpness of his tone, but I forced myself to meet his gaze. “I didn’t poison myself. The last thing I remember was drinking juice served to me by one of the maids.”

The triplets narrowed their eyes at me and frowned.

“You are lying, Olivia. You poisoned yourself. The healer told us the poison you used is mostly used for suicide. Olivia, you did it yourself—you poisoned yourself,” Louis said in anger, and my frown deepened.

“Why would I want to kill myself?” I spat, my frustration growing. “I am telling the truth. A maid served me a glass of juice with a tray of snacks, and after that, I became sleepy and lay on the bed. That was all I remember.” I spoke in anger but also in pain. If I had truly been poisoned, it meant someone wanted me dead.

Lennox scoffed angrily. “I don’t believe you. You are lying.”

I glared at the triplets and slowly left the bed. My body was so weak that I could barely stand, but I forced myself to.

“Listen, I’m not a coward who would want to kill myself. If I did, I would own up to it, but I didn’t do it. Someone tried to kill me, and instead of you all finding out who that person is, you are here accusing me of trying to kill myself. Fine!” I spat in anger and sat back on the bed. My body was still weak, and the room was spinning around me.

Silence filled the air as none of the triplets said a word. After a moment, they left the room without saying anything.

Even after they left, I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that settled deep in my gut. Someone had tried to kill me. I wasn’t safe.

My fingers trembled as I pulled the blanket tighter around me. My body still felt weak, my throat dry, but my mind was racing. Who would do this? Who hated me enough to want me dead?

The answer should have been simple—the triplets or perhaps Anita herself. For years, they had been cruel, treating me like I was nothing. But if they had wanted me dead, they wouldn’t have wasted their time accusing me of poisoning myself. Their anger earlier had been real. Their guilt—especially Lennox’s—had been real. So if not them…then who?

A knock on the door startled me, and my breath caught. The door opened a second later, and my mother stepped inside.

“Olivia,” she whispered, her eyes red and swollen from crying. “Oh, my sweet girl.”

She rushed to my bedside, gently cupping my face. Her hands were warm, shaking slightly as she brushed a strand of hair away from my forehead.

“I thought I lost you,” she sobbed, pressing a kiss to my temple.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I’m okay, Mother,” I whispered.

She shook her head. “No, you’re not. You were poisoned, Olivia. Someone tried to take you from me.” Her voice cracked at the end.

I closed my eyes, feeling a fresh wave of exhaustion wash over me. “I know.” Mother exhaled sharply, gripping my hands tightly. “The alphas have called for all the maids to line up in the sitting room. They have asked me to bring you downstairs.”

I took a slow, steady breath, forcing my trembling limbs to move as I pushed the blanket off me. My body protested, weak and sore, but I ignored it. Mother reached out to help me stand, her hands gripping mine tightly as if she feared I would collapse at any moment. I appreciated her concern, but I straightened my spine and forced myself to walk on my own. I wasn’t weak. I wasn’t broken. And I sure as hell wasn’t a liar.

As we stepped into the hallway, the weight of what was about to happen settled heavily in my chest. The triplets had called for all the maids to line up. They wanted me to point out the one who had given me the juice. But deep down, I already felt a gnawing sense of dread. What if she wasn’t there?

I swallowed hard as we entered the sitting room, where a line of maids stood, their heads bowed, their hands clasped in front of them. I recognized every single one of them—faces I had once worked alongside, women who had seen me scrub floors and serve meals. Lennox, Levi, and Louis stood at the far end of the room, their arms crossed, their expressions unreadable.

The moment I stepped inside, Lennox’s sharp green eyes locked onto mine. “Which one?” His voice was cold, impatient.

I scanned the line, my heart pounding in my chest. My gaze moved from one face to another, searching—waiting—for a flicker of recognition. But she wasn’t there. My breath caught. I looked again, this time more carefully, but no matter how much I searched, the maid who had served me the juice was missing.