Elsewhere - In the Garden, Colonnade Grove
Between rows of arched stone columns, where tall trees stood in solemn lines like silent guards, Mr. Bruce and Mr. Julian were standing far closer than was appropriate for two men who claimed to be calm.
In Bruce's hand was a neatly folded sheet of paper, crammed with numbers, arrows, distance and diameter calculations-like a treasure map… or a math assignment that had gone completely off the rails.
Bruce said quietly, scanning the place with his eyes:
"Here. Exactly here. If the calculations are correct."
Julian replied impatiently:
"The calculations are always correct. The problem is usually the location."
Without hesitation, he took off his jacket, rolled up his shirt sleeves, and drove the shovel into the green grass with the enthusiasm of a man who had suddenly declared war on nature. Dirt flew. The grass was ruined. And the historic garden looked like it had entered a brief depressive episode.
Bruce muttered in warning:
"Calm down a little. That reckless behavior of yours is exactly why disasters happen to us… or, honestly, to anyone."
Julian laughed sarcastically while digging:
"We're digging for a time machine, Bruce. The idea of being careful left the building a long time ago."
Bruce leaned closer, lowering his voice:
"The plan has to stay clean. The Crown Prince… and his sisters… the timing of their deaths matters. Especially these days."
Julian wiped sweat off his forehead and replied:
"Don't worry. History loves order… even when it comes to murder."
At that moment, behind a cluster of trees, a shadow stood with unsettling stillness.
A tall man, holding an overly shiny smartphone. He raised it steadily and began recording.
Perfect angle. Natural lighting. A scandal ready to be posted.
After several minutes of digging, Julian suddenly stopped.
He looked into the hole. Nothing. No metal. No glow. No future. No past.
He said sharply:
"Bruce… there's nothing here."
Bruce rushed over, stared into the hole, then at the paper.
"Impossible."
He flipped the paper, recalculated with his eyes, muttering numbers as if they might apologize if he repeated them.
"The distance is correct. The diameter is correct. Even the column angle-"
Julian climbed out of the hole, annoyed, clothes dirty, mood worse.
"Great. No time machine, and my suit is ruined."
Their argument started rising in volume-angry whispers, each subtly accusing the other of being an idiot-when slow clapping interrupted them.
"Excellent. Truly excellent content."
They both turned at once.
The man stood in front of them, phone still raised, a wide and infuriating smile on his face.
"Good evening, gentlemen of illegal excavation."
They froze. The fear was obvious-no explanation needed.
The man chuckled lightly.
"My name is Mr. Smith. I left the opera looking for a cigarette… but honestly?"
He lifted the phone slightly.
"This is much better."
He stepped closer, his tone confidently irritating.
"A time machine, calculations, killing the Crown Prince and his sisters, precise timing… what a rich program."
He smiled sideways.
"And now the real question… how much is this night worth to you, for it to stay… out of history?"
The place fell silent.
The columns remained quiet.
And for the first time, the garden seemed to be enjoying the show.
The garden stayed quiet for a moment, except for Bruce and Julian's rapid breathing.
Both stood by the hole, faces flushed with tension and shock.
Mr. Smith, with his usual provocative smile, began stepping forward confidently and laughed lightly:
"Really… is that all you've got? That's how you plan to hide a secret?"
Bruce tried to speak first, his voice shaking:
"M-Mr. Smith, don't misunderstand us… this… this is something huge… we can't reveal it!"
Julian added quickly, trying to calm things down:
"Yes, it's a secret… and we're committed to keeping it! Just leave-"
Smith laughed sharply, his voice filling the space:
"A secret? I see nothing but failure, and here's the proof!"
He pointed to the phone recording everything.
"Everything is documented, from the digging to the planning… and I wonder, will you tell me what this machine is before I expose you?"
Bruce and Julian felt completely powerless, exchanging looks of fear and despair.
They had no choice left but direct confrontation.
Suddenly, in an instinctive reaction, Bruce pulled out his gun. His hand trembled slightly, but he focused.
He fired a single shot.
The sound echoed through the empty colonnade.
Smith fell to the ground, silent, without a chance to scream or move.
For a moment, ice ran through Bruce and Julian, shock and grim control mixing in their eyes.
"D-Did we… did we kill him?!" Julian whispered, his voice full of terror.
"Yes… we did it… now… hurry!" Bruce said as he rushed to the phone.
He grabbed Smith's phone and immediately deleted all the videos.
Then, quickly, they covered the hole again and hid the body behind the dense trees, as if the earth itself had swallowed him.
Then, without a word, they both ran away from the site, every step heavy with fear and tension.
The night in Colonnade Grove swallowed their silence, while the wind moved the trees in a quiet imitation of the tension they left behind.
Before the Gunshot…
Nearby, Bella was walking with little Jax. They were talking-well, more like Bella was teasing him unintentionally, laughing sincerely while he got annoyed and tried to act like he was "totally not interested at all."
She leaned her head toward him as they walked and said lightly:
"I have three kids at university…"
Jax immediately turned to her, a little shocked.
She continued casually, as if listing groceries:
"The first is Valentina… and she hates her name, no one knows why.
The second is Yuki, quiet, sleeps a lot-if sleeping were a major, he'd graduate with honors.
The third is Henry… a walking disaster, wherever he goes, something goes wrong.
And now the fourth will join them. His name is Lucien."
Her eyes were shining as she spoke, a proud smile on her face-the smile of someone who loves the chaos she calls "family."
Jax, who had been listening silently, slowed his steps a little.
He looked at her… then at her stomach…
Then looked back at her again and asked with honest hesitation:
"Uh… the fourth child… is he in your stomach right now?"
Bella stopped for one step, then looked at him.
In the next moment, she laughed softly-a short laugh, but enough to make Jax's face turn red.
"Why are you laughing?" he asked, clearly annoyed, trying to save what was left of his dignity.
Bella wiped a small tear from the corner of her eye and said calmly:
"Because they're not my biological children."
Then she added clearly:
"I adopted them."
Jax froze slightly.
She continued, looking ahead, as if it were simpler than he imagined:
"I mean… they didn't come from my body. I just gave them papers to sign saying they're adopted children."
Then she murmured to herself, in a barely audible sarcastic tone:
"Even though they already have families."
Jax looked at her with even more confusion and asked without thinking:
"Why? Why did you do that?"
She opened her mouth to answer, her tone this time confident, calm-
But the sound cut the sentence off before it was born.
A gunshot.
A sharp, dry sound cut through the air of the garden.
Bella fell silent instantly.
Her smile vanished, the warmth drained from her face in a single moment, as if someone had switched off the light.
She slowly turned her head toward where the sound had come from, her eyes steady, her body stiff in a way that didn't match someone who had been laughing seconds ago.
Jax swallowed and looked in the same direction, this time without any sarcasm or fake bravery.
The garden, which only a moment ago had felt wide and calm…
suddenly felt narrow, heavy, and full of questions.
Jax hesitated, his mouth slightly open, as if he was about to ask,
"Did you hear what I heard?"
But the question died before it was born.
When he looked at Bella's face… he stopped.
This wasn't the Bella who had been laughing minutes ago or teasing him mercilessly.
Her expression was serious, focused, and her gaze was unsettlingly steady for a seven-year-old to look at.
She suddenly turned to him and said in a tone that allowed no argument:
"You need to go back to the palace. Now. And don't tell anyone what you heard."
Jax blinked twice, then asked with honest confusion:
"And you?"
Bella sighed, as if she had expected the question, then bent down until she was at his level, looked him straight in the eyes, and said:
"I'll take you back, then I'll come back here… there's something I need to check."
Jax immediately frowned.
"No."
He said it with the confidence of a kid who had suddenly decided he was the hero of the story.
"I want to see what that sound was too."
Bella slowly raised an eyebrow.
"No. That's not suitable for a child."
And that's when… real Jax appeared.
Talking fast, protesting, justifying, mild drama, and the classic "I'm not little" tone that never works.
"I'm brave."
"I'm not scared."
"If you're going, I'm going."
"And besides, you were sleeping at the opera, so you're not exactly a role model."
Bella closed her eyes for a moment.
And honestly asked herself: why did I tell him?
She sighed in defeat - the kind of sigh that means: fine… I give up.
She opened her eyes and said:
"Fine. You're coming."
Jax's face immediately lit up.
But she quickly raised a finger before he could celebrate:
"On one condition. No rushing. Don't touch anything. And don't try to act too smart."
He nodded way too fast.
"I promise."
His eyes were shining like it was a golden promise that would never be broken…
and would probably be broken in five minutes.
Bella smiled lightly, ran her hand through his hair, stood up straight, then turned calmly.
And started walking…
toward where the sound had come from.
They walked between the trees, and with every step closer to the source of the sound, Jax's shoulders rose higher with tension.
The ground was strangely quiet, and even the air seemed to be holding its breath.
Jax, despite his repeated attempts to act brave, clearly felt uneasy.
He glanced carefully at Bella… hoping to see fear, confusion, anything that would reassure him that he wasn't the only one who felt something was wrong.
But there was nothing.
Bella was walking with complete calm.
Steady steps, straight back, and still features… as if she were strolling in her own garden, not following the echo of a gunshot.
Jax swallowed.
Okay… if she's not scared, then I'm not scared either.
That's what he told himself, barely convinced.
He said, trying to sound strong:
"Does that mean you're not scared?"
No answer.
He looked at her again and noticed that her eyes weren't really with him at all.
They were distant… focused on something inside her, as if she were having a silent conversation with herself, in a completely separate world, unaware of the place or even of him.
That worried Jax more than any sound he had heard.
He couldn't take it.
So he raised his voice:
"Bella!"
Bella jumped slightly, as if she had been suddenly woken from a deep dream.
She turned to him immediately, her look sharp and alert, her voice low but tense:
"What's wrong with you? Why are you shouting? Do you want to give away our position?"
Jax stepped back half a step, then crossed his arms, pretending to be calm, and said in an annoyed tone:
"You were talking to me a second ago, and then suddenly… you looked like you were on another planet."
Bella sighed, and exhaustion crossed her face for a brief moment, then she said more calmly:
"I'm sorry… but this is not the time for shouting. Ever."
Then she turned and kept walking.
Jax stopped where he was.
He looked at her back, his heart beating fast.
The thought of her leaving him alone here hit him hard.
He didn't want that… and he didn't want her to be mad at him.
He rushed after her in small quick steps, got closer, reached out hesitantly…
then grabbed the edge of her dress.
Bella felt the movement, looked down, then at him.
She gave a soft, warm smile, said nothing…
and didn't ask him to let go of the dress.
They kept walking together,
his small hand still holding onto the edge of her dress,
as if silently saying:
I'm brave… just not brave enough to be alone.
Bella and Jax were walking in a specific direction between the trees, and every step closer to the sound made Jax's heart beat faster.
Suddenly, they heard two men talking, and from their tone, it sounded like they were arguing.
Jax stopped, surprised, but before he could say anything, Bella moved incredibly fast.
She carefully lifted him into her arms and hid herself between the large rocks beside the path.
Jax stayed frozen in shock, looking around, and noticed Bella's focused, secretive gaze toward the source of the voices.
He also started watching silently.
That's when he managed to see the two men:
one tall, blond, his clothes dirty and covered in soil,
and the other shorter and broader, holding a folded paper in his hand.
The two men were Mr. Bruce and Mr. Julian.
Jax didn't know who they were, but Bella looked like she knew them very well - yet she didn't leave their hiding place.
Jax tried to ask her who they were, but he suddenly stopped when he caught Bella's expression.
She was wearing a strange sideways smile, as if she knew something, while her eyes never left the two men.
He dropped the question and relaxed in her arms, trusting her presence.
After the two men had gone far enough away, Bella gently set Jax down and told him quietly:
"They're gone. We can move now."
Jax nodded silently, and the two of them started walking carefully toward the direction the men had come from, their hearts still tense from what they had witnessed.
Bella and Jax began walking cautiously between the trees, every step feeling like they were in a spy movie.
Jax, despite his nerves, tried to act brave, puffed out his chest, and said:
"So, obviously there's nothing… just two guys arguing, not killers, right?"
Bella gave him a sideways look, her eyes sparkling with sarcasm:
"Oh yes… just two guys arguing. Definitely without guns, or evil plans, or supernatural beings… just a normal argument."
Jax muttered, "I'm not sure… but when they're that dirty with soil… maybe they were playing golf?"
Bella laughed lightly, then shook her head:
"Golf at this time? Jax, if they were playing golf, bullets would be coming out of their clubs instead of balls."
They kept walking, trees surrounding them on every side, shadows moving strangely with the wind, as if trying to scare them even more.
Jax looked around, then whispered:
"Bella… do you feel like we're in a horror movie?"
Bella smiled naturally and answered teasingly:
"Of course… and you're the brave little star who's not scared of anything… not even the gunshot sounds we heard a minute ago."
Jax tensed slightly, then said:
"I am brave… but… maybe just a little… I mean… a little nervous…"
Bella raised an eyebrow and said:
"A little? Jax, if 'a little' means your heart is jumping out of your chest, then congratulations - you're the team leader."
Jax muttered in embarrassment and frustration:
"Oh yeah… team leader… of the team with no plan… the team that might get taken out at any moment… yep, that's me."
Bella smiled softly, then whispered:
"Alright… since you're the leader, keep your eyes open, and try not to let the shadows scare you… or my weird moves."
Jax decided to focus and started walking carefully.
As they got closer to the place where they had heard the sound, it felt like the trees were whispering: their creaking sounded like secrets, and the wind twisted in a way that made Jax want to scream - from fear… and from laughter at the same time.
Bella noticed his tension and gave his hand a gentle squeeze:
"Don't worry, Jax… if someone comes chasing us, we laugh at them first, and think later."
Jax nodded silently and gave a shy smile, as the two of them got closer to the corner where the men had been standing, the air thick with mystery…
but softened by moments of sarcasm that eased the tension.
---
Bella and Jax reached Colonnade Grove, walking carefully between the tall trees. Bella began searching more intensely, her sharp eyes scanning the area while her hands moved gracefully, as if trying to catch the smallest detail. Jax, on the other hand, couldn't stop watching her, and whenever she wandered too far, he would lightly run after her, like a little duckling following its mother, his heart pounding from fear… and curiosity.
As they walked, Jax suddenly noticed a bright red stain among the grass. He slowly turned and approached it cautiously.
At the same time, Bella noticed a patch of disturbed earth that looked different from the rest of the ground. She moved closer to it, staring with suspicion, trying to understand what she was seeing.
Then Jax called out to her loudly. She turned toward him and saw the boy standing between the bushes, eyes wide, pointing at something in front of him. She walked toward him carefully-
and then she saw it.
Bloodstains were clearly visible, and as she stepped closer, she discovered a dead man hidden among the trees.
Shock hit Bella like lightning, yet she couldn't hide her surprise at how calm Jax was. He showed no sign of fear.
She asked him, "Why aren't you scared?"
He answered simply,
"I watch horror movies and crime documentaries… this is normal for me."
Bella's shock only grew. She looked toward us, breaking the fourth wall, and said in disbelief,
"This is the boy you were all going to scold me for… bringing with me."
Jax looked confused about who she was talking to and asked,
"Who are you talking to?"
Bella quickly denied it, then said seriously,
"We need to leave here immediately."
Jax objected,
"We can't leave him here. The killer might come back and hide him somewhere else!"
Bella smiled faintly, impressed by his sharp thinking, but then said firmly,
"how the? Huh- Don't worry. I'll inform the King about this, and now we need to go. I'll call the guards immediately if needed."
Jax took one last look at the dead man, sighed slowly, then followed Bella as she led him away from the scene, every step filled with tension and shock, but with full awareness of how dangerous the situation was.
---
At Colonnade Grove, the scene was completely different from how it had been just minutes earlier.
A large number of guards had spread out among the trees and stone columns, forming a tight perimeter around the area-especially around the location of the body, which was no longer just a secret buried among branches.
Orders were given in low but firm voices, footsteps were calculated, and eyes missed no detail.
Near the body stood Sebastian, Bella's personal guard.
He stood perfectly still, posture straight, his tone calm but unquestionable as he directed the guards with clear precision-who should watch, who should search, and who should block the paths leading to the site.
Then he fell silent for a moment.
He looked at the body without shock… the look of someone who had seen far worse.
No sympathy, no surprise-just a mind working and recording.
---
Elsewhere in the palace, the atmosphere was completely different…
more like elegant chaos.
The news of Mr. Smith's death spread like wildfire.
Whispers filled the halls, glances became sharp, and every smile looked far more fake than usual.
Everyone was talking…
But no one trusted anyone.
Nobles approached each other cautiously, then pulled away even faster.
Some began suspecting the people they had never liked to begin with,
while others saw the chaos as a chance to accuse entire groups at once.
One thought dominated everyone's mind:
There is a killer among us.
And that thought alone was enough to turn the palace into a field of suspicion,
where every word was measured,
every movement watched,
and every silence… meant more than it should.
Jax stood between his parents, surrounded by other nobles and their children.
The conversations were quiet, but the words were heavy… heavy enough that he could hear them clearly despite his young age.
Soft whispers passed between the guests, carrying worry and suspicion about Bella:
"Bella… she was the one who found the body."
"Yes, I saw her leave the hall and not return."
"And stranger still? She's the one who personally brought the King and Queen there."
No one said it outright, but suspicion was thick in the air, like an unwanted guest forcing its way into every conversation.
What hurt Jax even more was that his parents didn't object.
They didn't accuse her directly, but their silence… was an unspoken agreement.
Jax lowered his gaze slightly.
He knew the truth.
He knew Bella was innocent. She had done nothing except be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
He felt a strong urge to speak, even to shout,
but the memory of his promise to her stopped him.
A promise not to say anything… not to interfere, even if she was blamed unfairly.
He clenched his small fists silently.
Then lifted his head and looked at the other children.
They were laughing, whispering, playing without a care.
For them, the world was still simple…
While for him, in that moment, it felt like he had grown up several years all at once.
Elsewhere in the palace, inside the office of King Philip I, the atmosphere was far heavier.
The King and Queen stood surrounded by several of the most important noble figures, each representing their family.
And Bella was there, standing firm, representing the Leclair family.
Voices rose from every side, questions colliding without hesitation:
"Why did you leave the hall?"
"And why didn't you return immediately?"
"Don't you find it strange that you were the first to find the body?"
Bella lifted her chin slightly, her voice steady with not a hint of hesitation:
"I left because I needed to use the restroom. It's a simple reason, not a conspiracy. Being late is not a crime, and leaving the hall does not mean I left to kill someone."
She paused, then added more firmly,
"I don't truly know Mr. Smith. There was no cooperation between us, not even meaningful conversations. In fact… until tonight, I didn't even know a man named Smith existed."
A heavy silence followed.
Some looks softened, others grew more irritated.
Because logic… doesn't satisfy those who are looking for a scapegoat.
The King stepped forward and slightly raised his hand. His voice was calm… but it ended everything.
"Enough. No one will be accused without solid evidence. What happened here will remain completely confidential, away from the public and the media, and Mr. Smith will be buried in Versailles after the official procedures are completed."
A voice came from the back:
"Will the police be involved, Your Majesty?"
The King answered without hesitation:
"Yes. The police, intelligence, and medical services."
Another asked anxiously,
"But… how will they enter without raising suspicion?"
Queen Elaine intervened in a calm, calculated tone:
"They will come in disguise. If anyone asks about their presence, it will be said that they are guests or individuals invited by some of the nobles."
An elegant elderly lady lifted her head and said after a moment of thought,
"I suggest searching everyone's rooms. The killer may have left something behind."
Murmurs of agreement followed.
The King nodded in approval, then said in a tone that allowed no argument:
"The search will be carried out, but under one condition: no one tells anyone-
not even their own family members."
Everyone understood…
or at least pretended to.
As everyone filed out of the office one by one, the noise gradually faded.
Bella walked with them, but her gaze was distant, slightly unfocused.
She murmured under her breath, barely audible:
"I would've suspected even them… but I saw the killers with my own eyes. There's no need to worry now. All I need… is proof."
She knew the truth.
But she also knew that truth without evidence… was worthless.
Before she reached the end of the corridor, the king's voice called out:
"Miss Bella."
She stopped, turned, and bowed respectfully.
"Yes, Your Majesty? Do you need something?"
He said calmly and deliberately:
"When the inspector arrives, I want you to meet him immediately. You were the first to find the body, and the first to hear the gunshot."
She replied without hesitation:
"Of course, Your Majesty. I'll change my clothes while we wait."
The king nodded.
"Very well."
Bella left with steady steps, leaving the corridor silent behind her.
The king watched her as she walked away.
The queen stepped closer to him, following Bella with her eyes as well, and asked softly:
"You don't suspect her, do you?"
The king smiled slightly, reassuringly.
"No. Bella is kind… and pure. Everyone knows that. There's no reason to doubt her."
The queen exhaled in relief.
Like her husband…
she knew Bella hadn't done anything.
One of the palace's empty corridors echoed with hurried footsteps, mixed with uneven breathing - someone was clearly running.
The sound came closer… and closer… until it suddenly stopped in front of a specific door.
The door flew open.
It was Amory.
He looked exhausted - his jacket slightly messy, his breathing unsteady, and in his eyes was that raw, unmistakable worry no one could fake.
A long search… and now he had finally found her.
Inside the room, Bella stood in front of her vanity mirror, calmly applying lip gloss as if the world outside hadn't just turned upside down.
She was wearing an elegant black suit with black leather shoes, and her hair was tied back in a practical ponytail - like someone getting ready for serious business, not a party.
She turned toward him with mild surprise.
"What happened to you?"
He shut the door quickly and stepped forward, his voice coming out tense before he fully caught his breath:
"Where were you? I've been looking for you everywhere… like a madman. I came to this room twice - twice - and you weren't here."
His tone was a mix of worry, relief, and suppressed anger.
Bella understood immediately.
She smiled - a small, warm smile.
The smile of someone who just realized that someone truly feared for her.
"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to worry you."
She stepped closer and placed her hands on his waist without hesitation,
as if the gesture were natural, familiar, done without thinking.
He didn't hesitate either.
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her with gentle force, his hands resting around her neck as if making sure she was here… real… and hadn't disappeared again.
They stayed like that for a few silent seconds.
His breathing slowly steadied.
After pulling back slightly, he looked at her seriously.
"Alright… tell me. What happened?"
Bella sighed, turned slightly toward the mirror, then looked back at him and said in a calm but cautious tone:
"I'll explain everything… but what I'm about to say isn't simple."
And it was clear from her eyes that this was no joke.
Minutes later…
They were sitting side by side on the edge of the bed, close enough to feel the weight of what had been said without needing more words.
Bella had finished explaining everything - from the moment she heard the gunshot, to the body, to what she had seen with her own eyes.
Amory stayed silent for a long time.
The chaos filling the palace, the whispers, the accusations… he had heard all of it before, but in a distorted, shallow version - a terrifying version that made him run like a madman searching for her.
Now, finally, the full picture made sense.
He said at last, rubbing his face:
"So that's why the palace is in chaos… I was hearing things, but none of it made sense."
Then he looked at her seriously.
"Who do you suspect?"
Bella hesitated.
She looked at the floor, then at him, as if weighing the words on a scale of life and death.
Finally, she decided.
She leaned closer and lowered her voice.
"I saw the killers with my own eyes… I know who they are."
Amory's eyes widened slightly, but he didn't interrupt.
She continued calmly and firmly, telling him the entire truth - who they were and what they had done - then ended with absolute
seriousness:
"But no one knows except you. And you will not tell anyone. Not because I'm afraid… but because I don't want you to get hurt."
He grabbed her hand without thinking.
"I understand. I'll be careful. I promise."
And just as the tension finally eased…
Amory's phone rang.
A cheerful, cute ringtone… completely inappropriate for the moment.
He froze.
He stared at the phone like it had betrayed him.
As for Bella-
she burst out laughing.
"No way! That's your ringtone? At a time like this?!"
Amory groaned and lightly hit her shoulder.
"Not now, Bella!"
He picked up the phone… and froze again.
The name on the screen: My Mother-in-Law (My Wife's Mom)
Bella immediately raised her eyebrows and waved her hand at him.
"Answer… but don't tell her I'm here. Ever."
He swallowed and answered in a low voice:
"Hel-"
"Where is Bella?!"
the voice snapped angrily from the other end.
Amory jumped.
"I… I don't know where she is."
"How can you not know?!"
she shouted louder.
"Do you think I'm stupid? You're her husband! Of course you know where she is and you're hiding it!"
Amory looked at Bella.
She was clasping her hands in a pleading gesture, her eyes begging:
Lie… please.
He tried to steady his voice.
"Believe me, I don't know. The palace is in chaos. Everyone's looking for everyone."
From the background, Bella's father's voice was heard trying to calm his wife:
"Calm down… maybe he really-"
"No!" she cut him off angrily.
Then she turned back to Amory:
"If you see Bella, you call me immediately. Immediately! Do you understand?"
"Yes… yes, I understand."
She ended the call harshly.
The line went dead.
A brief silence followed…
Then both of them exhaled at the same time.
Bella wiped her face.
"We survived."
Amory leaned his head back.
"Barely… barely survived."
He looked at her, then said half-joking, half-serious:
"Your mother… is more dangerous than any killer in this palace."
Bella laughed softly, resting her head against him.
"That's exactly why I didn't tell her I'm fine."
Then…
Bella suddenly remembered the inspector - and the room searches that would come with him.
She lifted her head and said seriously:
"The inspector could arrive at any moment. The chaos in the palace is huge, and I wouldn't be surprised if someone tries to frame us."
Then she added firmly:
"Before I go meet him, we need to search this room carefully. Anything strange… any tiny detail… could be a trap."
Amory understood immediately.
They stood up and began searching with intense focus.
They opened the wardrobe piece by piece, behind it and underneath it.
They checked the drawers one by one.
When they reached the top of the wardrobe, Amory stood steady while Bella stood on his shoulders, stretching to inspect the surface with sharp eyes.
"Nothing," she said after a moment.
They moved to the vanity mirror, then the regular mirror.
Under the bed, on both sides, inside the mattress, near the pillows.
They checked the balcony, the window ledge, and behind the heavy curtains…
Nothing.
No foreign object.
No evidence.
No trap.
They finally breathed in relief.
Amory said:
"At least… our room is clean."
Bella nodded, then turned to get ready to leave.
She stood in front of him and said:
"I'm going now to meet the inspector."
Then she added firmly:
"You stay here. I don't want anyone suspicious near the room while I'm gone."
Amory hesitated for a moment, then said:
"Then… keep your phone volume on. I want you to hear any call or message from me immediately."
Bella smiled lightly, took out her phone, and turned the volume all the way up in front of him.
"Like this?"
Relief clearly appeared on his face.
"Exactly like that."
She stepped closer, gave him a reassuring look, and just before opening the door, she stopped and said:
"Tell my family to search their rooms too. Anything that doesn't belong to them should be removed immediately… I don't want anyone to be accused later."
Amory nodded seriously.
"I will."
Bella opened the door, gave him one last look, then stepped out…
while he remained in the room, standing still, watching the space as if it had become the first line of defense.
Bella paused for a moment outside the door, a faint smile warming her face as she recalled Amory's dramatic behavior in a way that made her laugh quietly to herself.
But then she turned-and suddenly the warmth and smile vanished, replaced by calm and mystery, as if she were slipping back into her usual official demeanor. She began walking with confident steps, heading toward the outside of the palace.
A few minutes later…
She reached the long corridor leading to the back exit, and there she stopped for a moment to take in the place… when suddenly two people caught her attention.
Amélie was standing there, wearing an elegant black suit with gray patterns, her hands in her pockets, speaking seriously with the person beside her: Sebastian, Bella's personal guard.
Sebastian stood firmly, his hands behind his back, leaning slightly forward to look at Amélie because of the height difference between them, while Amélie seemed fully focused on the conversation, her eyes fixed on his face as if they were exchanging extremely important information.
Suddenly, they noticed Bella approaching with calm steps, her sly smile never leaving her face.
The seriousness on both their faces paused for a brief moment when they realized she was there.
The moment carried a gentle tension and a hint of playful mystery. Each of them knew that Bella's presence meant things were about to change… but she didn't say anything yet. She only smiled lightly and kept walking toward them.
As Bella reached them, a quiet, secret conversation began among the three. Their words were short and low, almost like coded language only they could understand. No one dared to approach-or even try to listen.
After a few minutes of walking, Bella was now in the middle between Sebastian and Amélie, as if she were the center of the discussion, while the three of them descended the stone stairs leading out of the palace.
It was clear their conversation was about something important. Their voices stayed low, and the exchanged glances reflected how intensely focused they were on what was being discussed.
Suddenly, the conversation stopped when Bella's name was called from ahead of them.
Their steps halted for a moment, and the three of them lifted their eyes toward the source of the voice, surprise and curiosity hitting them at the same time.
To be continued…❤️🔥