Chapter 108

NADIA'S POV.

My fingers tightened around the bottle in my hand as I moved, my steps quick but measured.

As soon as I was out of sight, I picked up my pace, my heels clicking softly against the tiled floor. My mind raced with a mix of relief and urgency.

I’ve got the antidote. Now, I just need to get it to Max before it’s too late.

RICHARD POV.

I watched Tammie, as she sat quietly in the Johnsons’ sitting room, her gaze subtly fixed on Nadia.

While everyone else seemed engrossed in their conversations, Tammie couldn’t help but notice the unease in Nadia’s demeanor.

I know Tammie too well. She was good at reading people and it made me also notice the unease in Nadia's behavior.

It wasn’t so obvious…at least not to the untrained eye…but Tammie had spent enough time observing people to pick up on the smallest details.

Nadia was restless.

Her movements were slightly too quick, her smile too forced. She had excused herself twice already, and the way she carried herself told Tammie that something was off.

While others might have dismissed it as Nadia simply being distracted, Tammie saw through it, which also called to my attention.

TAMMIE POV.

As I leaned back slightly, letting my mind wander as I continued to watch Nadia. I had a knack for reading people, and right now, Nadia was practically screaming that something was wrong.

What’s bothering her?

My thoughts shifted, and I found herself recalling a painful memory from years ago. The night I had gone on a date with Richard.

It had been a beautiful evening. Richard had planned everything to perfection, taking her to an elegant restaurant with candlelit tables and soft music playing in the background.

I could still remember the way he had looked at her that night, his eyes filled with hope and love as he slid a small velvet box across the table.

But I had hesitated. I had rejected his proposal, gently but firmly the reason was I still love Max and still want to be loyal to Max.

She hadn’t been ready for marriage, and though she cared for Richard, she couldn’t say yes.

And then, as if fate wanted to twist the knife a little deeper, she had seen Max and Nadia.

They had been seated across the room, laughing and smiling as if they were the happiest couple in the world.

I had watched,as I became frozen as Max…my ex-husband and the man she had once loved deeply…pulled out a ring and proposed to Nadia.

The memory was as vivid as if it had happened yesterday.

I remembered the way Nadia had gasped in surprise, her hands flying to her mouth, and the way Max had looked at her with such adoration that I haven't seen Max look at me that way in a long time.

I felt my heart shatter at that moment.

The people we want don’t want us, I thought bitterly.

It was a lesson I had learned the hard way. Max hadn’t wanted her anymore, just as I hadn’t wanted Richard at the time. It was a cruel cycle, one that I had tried to move past, but the scars were still there.

My gaze returned to Nadia, who was now sitting stiffly on the couch. I could see it clearly now…the tension in her shoulders, the way her fingers tapped nervously against her lap.

Nadia’s troubled. Even if no one else sees it, I do.

I kept wondering what could be bothering her. Was it something to do with Max? I wouldn’t be surprised. Max had always been a complicated man, and his relationship with Nadia was far from ordinary.

As I continued to watch, I saw Nadia glance around the room, her eyes darting briefly to Mr. Jacob before she stood up.

“Excuse me,” Nadia said softly, her voice steady but her movements betraying her unease.

And so my eyes followed her as she walked toward the hallway, her steps quick and purposeful.

What’s going on with her?

My thoughts raced as she tried to piece together what she had observed. Nadia’s behavior was unusual, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something significant was happening…something that Nadia was desperately trying to keep hidden.

The rest of the room seemed sudden once again, their attention focused on Mr. Kenneth’s stories, my supposed father and Richard’s occasional interjections. But I still couldn’t bring myself to care about the conversation.

My mind was elsewhere, tangled in memories of the past and the strange tension in the present.

As Nadia disappeared down the hallway, I felt a knot of curiosity tighten in my chest.

She didn’t know what Nadia was dealing with, but one thing was so sure: it wasn’t something good, because she was tense.

MR JACOB POV.

I sat in the living room, my brother Kenneth droning on about Richard’s virtues yet again. The others seemed enraptured, nodding along as if they hadn’t heard the same praises a dozen times before.

I couldn’t focus. My thoughts were elsewhere, swirling with suspicion and unease.

Max.

He had been gone for too long, and Nadia’s odd behavior hadn’t escaped me.

Her restless movements, her frequent excuses to leave the room…it all pointed to something more than just a casual discomfort.

I glanced at Kenneth, who was bothered by everything except his glowing admiration for his future son-in-law.

“I need to use the restroom,” I announced suddenly, cutting through his words.

Kenneth raised an eyebrow but nodded, waving me off as he continued his story. I stood, smoothing my shirt, and headed toward the hallway.

As I walked, I strained my ears, listening for any sound that might clue me in on what was happening. Then, faintly, I heard it…a muffled noise, like coughing or gagging, coming from the restroom.

I quickened my pace, my shoes barely making a sound on the polished floor. The closer I got, the more distinct the noise became. It wasn’t just coughing…it was labored, pained, desperate.