Alpha's Rejected becomes the Lycan's Obsession

Chapter 149: Bring her out

The living room was quiet save for the soft sounds that came from the television. The light from the chandelier above cast a soft golden hue over the room, but it did little to warm the heavy atmosphere that loomed like a dark cloud over everyone seated.

Tessy sat on one end of the plush sofa, her hands folded tightly in her lap, a distant look in her eyes that refused to settle. Though she had washed her hands thoroughly, exactly as Dera had insisted due to how deadly the substance was, scrubbing until her palms were red and her fingers tingled, she still couldn’t shake the thought of how close she’d come to unknowingly ingesting a deadly poison.

Beside her, Dera was quiet. She sat upright, her back straight, her hands resting elegantly in her lap as her sharp eyes observed everyone and everything. That kind of poison wasn’t something you stumbled upon by accident. Someone had meant harm, and it chilled her. She had heard a little about Tessy from Williams and how she had been targeted a few times. It seemed the people who wanted to end her life were not ready to relent yet.

Daniel sat close to Dexter, and while he appeared calm, there was a restless edge to his posture. His fingers tapped against his thigh, eyes flickering now and then to Cody’s direction, waiting for the moment when Roman would return. There was no telling what would happen next, and Daniel knew Roman well enough to understand that things could spiral very quickly if emotions weren’t kept in check.

Dexter, sweet and unsuspecting, was the only calm in the storm. Perhaps sensing the thick tension in the room, he chose to stay silent, chewing on the snack his mother had given him—a small bowl of diced fruits and puffed cakes. He nestled closer to Daniel, eyes glued to the TV screen now playing a bright, colorful children’s program. The cheerful jingles and cartoon voices added a strange contrast to the heavy silence among the adults.

Tessy would have returned to her room to rest and gather her thoughts, but tonight was different. The situation at hand was too delicate, too volatile, for her to excuse herself now. She knew she needed to stay. She needed to be present when Roman returned. Not out of curiosity, but out of necessity.

With everything she had heard about Roman, she already knew Roman’s reaction wouldn’t be mild or measured. She knew the moment he found out a maid had possibly tried to poison her, his fury would erupt like wildfire, scorching anything in its path. And so she remained in the living room, pacing internally, mentally preparing herself. If anyone could calm Roman down, it had to be her. She had to talk to him before he acted on impulse. She had to stop a calamity before it happened.

It took longer than anyone anticipated, but finally, the sound of boots at the entrance echoed into the house.

Roman, Williams, and Trevor stepped in, the door closing behind them with a heavy thud.

The moment they entered, all three instantly picked up on the atmosphere. It was too quiet, too frozen. Williams narrowed his eyes slightly. Roman’s shoulders tensed. Trevor’s gaze swept the room cautiously. None of them had even asked a question yet when a voice pierced the tension.

"Daddy!" Dexter’s voice rang out in glee as he leapt off the sofa and ran straight toward Williams.

The tension broke for a second.

A genuine smile broke across Williams’ face as he crouched slightly and lifted Dexter high into his arms, hugging him close. "Hey there, champ," he said warmly, planting a kiss on the boy’s head.

Tessy, who had been sitting frozen all this while, finally stood and walked toward Roman. Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

Roman, startled at first, blinked down at her. That was new. She’d never hugged him like this before. His hand automatically came up to hold her against him, and slowly, a satisfied smile curled on his lips. But behind that smile was a flicker of something else. Suspicion.

Something had definitely happened.

While that interaction was playing out, Dera silently rose from her seat and moved toward the corner of the room where the bowl of salad had been kept. Without a word, just like she, Tessy, and Daniel had planned, she picked it up and walked calmly across the room, stopping a few feet away from where Williams now stood with Dexter still in his arms.

Her movement didn’t go unnoticed. Roman was now watching her. So was Williams.

Still saying nothing, Dera opened the bowl right there in front of them.

Williams’ nostrils flared before his expression contorted instantly. He pulled his head back with a grimace. "Gavalon?" he blurted. "Where the hell did you get that and what are you doing with it?" His voice carried a sharp edge. More than shock, there was alarm.

Dera didn’t answer. Instead, she calmly closed the bowl again and turned slightly to look at Tessy and Daniel, shooting them both a pointed "I told you so" look.

Tessy’s heart sank. Her stomach felt like it had just dropped to her feet.

She had secretly hoped that Dera had made a mistake. That maybe her senses had been wrong, that perhaps the smell had come from something else.

But now, with Williams confirming it... the weight of reality hit her fully.

Dera walked back to where she had taken the bowl from, placing it down as though it were nothing more than a serving dish.

Williams, frowning deeply now, looked over to Daniel for answers. Roman’s eyes did the same, his face growing harder by the second.

"What is going on?" Williams asked, his voice low but demanding.

Daniel didn’t waste time. He started explaining everything from the beginning—how Tessy had almost eaten the salad, how the bowl had looked fine until it shattered with milk poured into it, how Dera’s nose had caught the scent of poison, and the confrontation with Ruby that followed.

As he spoke, Roman’s face transformed. It was like watching a storm roll in. The calm in his expression slowly gave way to pure, unfiltered rage. Tessy didn’t need to be told. She could feel it. It wasn’t just the way his jaw clenched, or how his hands curled into fists. It was a pressure, invisible yet suffocating, that filled the air around them.

Her heart began to beat faster, and suddenly she understood.

All those times before when she’d felt breathless around him, her skin prickling and her chest tightening, it hadn’t been random. It had been this. His power. His emotions. His rage.

"What?!" Roman suddenly roared, his voice booming through the entire room like a blast of thunder. "Ruby tried to poison my wife?!"

The silence that followed was deafening.

Roman was livid. His chest was heaving slightly as his eyes flicked between every face in the room. He took a step forward, and Tessy moved quickly, standing in front of him and holding out her hands.

"No, no! We are not sure it was her who did it yet," Tessy said quickly, her voice shaky but firm.

Roman’s eyes burned into her. "What do you mean we are not sure it was her?" he asked, voice rising again. "Was she or was she not the one who prepared the salad?!"

"She was the one who prepared the salad," Tessy admitted, her voice faltering slightly under his heated gaze. "But I don’t think Ruby would do something like that."

Roman looked at her in disbelief, as if she’d just said something absurd. "Don’t trust people so easily," he warned. "You’ve only known her for a few days. What makes you think she isn’t capable of doing it?"

Then, without waiting for an answer, he turned toward Daniel. "Where is she?" he asked, his tone now cold and commanding.

"In her room," Daniel replied. "Madam said I should lock her up there instead of the dungeon since she is not yet proven guilty."

The air shifted again. Roman’s rage was simmering dangerously.

Tessy knew she had to act fast.

She reached out and gently grabbed Roman’s hand, her fingers curling around his. Her voice dropped into a soft, pleading tone. "Please, my love. Please don’t hurt her unless and until we are sure that she did it. Please, I’m begging you."

Roman looked at her. Really looked. And the glassiness in her eyes, her soft voice calling him my love for the first time, hit him in a place that nothing else could.

His anger deflated like a pierced balloon.

It wasn’t gone. But it had been caged. Temporarily. noveldrama

"Fine," he said slowly, his voice low but thick with promise. "I will not do anything to her until I am certain that she tried to hurt you. But if she’s guilty..." he paused, his eyes dark and dangerous, "...I will not spare her."

He turned again, this time back to Daniel. "Bring her out."

Daniel nodded once and moved instantly to carry out the order.

Tessy’s hand dropped slowly from Roman’s, and she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.