Page 76 of Goldsin

Her family just informed her of the man they’ve arranged for her to marry. A young man or an old man, we have no idea what age he could be. I don’t know if she’s intentionally keeping the details of her soon-to-be spouse close to her chest or if she seriously has no intention of knowing more about him.

Swirling my wine around the glass, I sneak a peek over her shoulder to where Marcus is now ordering dessert. Time is ticking by. I need to put the plan into action.

Each second is a hammer against my skull. I can feel my blood boiling relentlessly as it flows through me.

“Isn’t this place just perfect?” she gushes, patting her lips with the satin napkin. “I could eat here every day!”

Mumbling my response, I make a mental note of my next steps.

“Oh, did you hear what happened to that couple down the street from where I live?” Eleanora starts. “Apparently?—”

“Evening, ladies.” A soothing voice lands in the middle of our conversation, and I spot Emeric sauntering up to our table wearing a playful smirk reserved just for Eleanora. “Mind if I join you?”

Thank you, Emeric.

“Absolutely—”

“Not!” Eleanora spits out, dark brows looming over her venomous eyes as she glares at Emeric. “This is a girls-only night out. You can find yourself another table. Or better yet, anotherrestaurant.”

Seeming unbothered by her, Emeric takes a chair from the table next to ours, giving the old lady dining by herself one of his signature smiles, then sits.

I swear, the lady blushes. Or maybe she’s suffering from a severe allergic reaction, because her skin is furiously reddening.

“Are you not listening to me?”

He shrugs at her. “I’ve been told I have selective hearing.”

“Oh, I’m sure you do,” she mumbles, taking a generous sip from her glass of Sauvignon. “Why are you here, Emeric?”

He takes his time, glancing around the restaurant before a smile plays on his lips. He looks back at a fuming Eleanora. “Just thought I’d grace you ladies with my charming presence. Plus, I couldn’t resist the chance to see the lovely Aurelia.”

I try to contain my laughter as Eleanora lets out a derisive snort.

“You aren’t welcome here. So leave.” She narrows her eyes and pushes her body forward, locking her gaze with his on the other side of the table.

“Ah, come on, love. Don’t be like this.” He gives her a lopsided smile. “I promise to behave,” he whispers.

I watch them as everything outside of themselves seems to fade away. This may be the best chance I’ll get to steal away without worrying Eleanora.

Julian was right: Emeric knows how to distract her well.

I slip down the corridor, quickening my steps as their loud voices fade. My breath catches in my throat when Ispot the waiter carrying Marcus’s dessert. I know it’s his, because Julian was kind enough to inform me this is Marcus’s favorite restaurant, and he always asks them to make a specific off-the-menu dessert.

I clench the vial in my hand, skillfully opening it as I pass by the waiter. With one step to my left, I bump shoulders with him, careful enough not to make him drop the food, but hard enough to blur the action of me pouring the contents of the vial into the dessert.

“Oh, I am so sorry!” I quickly grab for his arm, forcing eye contact with him as the white powder mixes with the meringue topping.

Three seconds.

That’s how long it takes to change the course of a life. That’s how long it takes me to set Marcus’s demise into motion.

The waiter apologizes too, then he delivers my gift to Marcus on a silver platter. Literally.

I wait in the shadows, watching carefully for him to take a spoonful of his beloved dessert: Key lime pie.Pathetic.But before he can, one of his bodyguards steps forward. He leans over and takes a spoonful in his place, his lips sealing the dessert in his mouth as a bullet of panic rises in my throat.

He’s testing the food before Marcus eats it. How did I not notice this during the dinner?He has a food tester.

I draw in a sharp breath, my stomach churning. This could fuck up the whole plan.

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