Chapter 53 Weighing The Odds
She rose and sorted her small trove of coins and trinkets, vowing to squirrel away far more during the nex two years.
If Zephyr triumphed, all would be well. If he fell, she would have the means to escape.
His fate meant little to her, but Talulla and Alexander had treated her kindly, and she intended to whisk them away when the day came.
So she decided to save until there was enough for the three of them to live comfortably for the rest of their lives.
That night, Sadie lay in a drowsy haze, arms wrapped around the wooden cash box she used as a pillow, when someone gave her a gentle shove. She blinked awake. The candle in the corner sputtered, throwing a weak amber halo across the room.
A snow–robed youth sat poised at the edge of her bed, straight as a pine. The vermilion mark between his brows glimmered in the dim light, and when he smiled, he looked virtuous.
“Sadie, wake up,” Madison murmured.
She stared at him, speechless for a heartbeat.
“Why are you in my room?” she burst out, clutching the quilt to her chest.
“I heard from Zephyr that you pulled me from the flames,” Madison said, eyes crinkling with quiet amusement. “I have spent the whole day preparing a gift to thank you.”
Sadie’s almond eyes widened. He never plays by any rules. What if his so–called gift is a jar of eyeballs… or a lantern stitched from human skin?
Sadie shook her head without hesitation. “I don’t want it.”
Madison froze, clearly shocked by her refusal.
Under the pale golden glow of the candle, disappointment spread across his features; a mist veiled his clear eyes so delicately it seemed he might break into tears at any moment.
He clenched the quilt beneath him and choked out, “You don’t like me.”
Sadie fell silent.
Wasn’t this man supposed to be the mysterious, untouchable rogue everyone feared? What on earth is he doing playing the wounded kitten in front of me?
“I never said that!” Sadie shot back.
“Then why won’t you take my gift? Madison asked.
“I…” The word snagged in her throat.
“You only care about Alexander. You never spare a thought for me, the overlooked second son. Perhaps it’s because I’m a bastard. Father abandoned me in that lonely manor where even festivals pass without a single visitor,” Madison lamented.
› Fri, 15 Aug
Chapter 53 Weighing The Odds
His grievances poured out like the laments of an abandoned soul.
“Enough! I’ll accept your gift. All right?” Sadie raised a hand to stop him.
Madison brightened at once, wiping imaginary tears as he bounded to his feet. “Come along. The road a little long, and I’ll guide you there myself.”
Sadie could only stare at him.
She glanced toward the window; darkness pressed against the panes.
What sort of gift demanded she venture out at midnight?
The whole arrangement felt ominous.
Still, a promise was a promise. She washed, changed, and, cloaked by the night, slipped out of the Gates Estate at his side.
The streets lay under strict curfew.
Yet, no guard dared challenge the carriage emblazoned with the Gates crest, so Madison carried her across half of Dwarven City and into a narrow, silent lane.
Guiding her through the gate of a secluded courtyard, Madison said, “This is my private house. I stay here now and then.”
He pushed the door open.
Inside, Adonis, Oliver, Neville, and Daisy lay sprawled on the floor, utterly unconscious.
“Why did you bring them here?” Sadie asked, horrified.
Madison set a dagger in her palm. “They have wronged you. You should kill them. I’ll keep watch, and when they’re dead, I’ll sever their heads and have them fashioned into goblets for your pleasure.”
Sadie was dumbstruck.
So this is Madison’s idea of a gift? Extraordinary, in the most dreadful sense.
She lowered her gaze to the four motionless bodies.
They deserve to die. Yet, a swift death would be far too kind. I would strip away their every stroke of fortune, let them discover that without me, they’re nothing at all. I would drag them through every agony I once endured and force them to taste the bitterness and torment of my previous life. Only then would death claim them.
Sadie pressed the dagger back into Madison’s palm. “Thank you, Madison, but this is a private affair. I will handle it myself.”
Madison’s expression soured. Jealousy flickered when his gaze slid to the three Francis brothers. “Tell me, Sadie. Do you actually lack the heart to kill them?”
He continued, “Are these three fools more important to you than your brothers in the Gates family? Blood is thicker than water, after all, and we are only outsiders to you. Am I right?”
Sadie fell silent.
21:55 Fri, 15 Aug
Chapter 53 Weighing The Odds
Why does he twist every word into something barbed?
She outlined her plan in calm detail, then added, “I may despise them, but I refuse to stain my hands with murder. They are simply not worth it.”
blood and end up in court for?
Madison studied her hands. They were slender, pale, almost luminous. He chuckled. “Exactly. A pair of hands like that should stay perfectly clean.”
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