The basement was dim, damp, and deadly quiet.
Viremont was pinned against the wall, Gina's knife pressed to her throat. Her eyes were wide, her breath shallow. The maid who'd stumbled upon the scene screamed — a piercing cry that echoed through the palace.
Marco and Colden rushed in.
They froze at the sight.
Gina's plan was unraveling. Her face twisted with desperation. "One step closer," she hissed, "and she dies."
Everyone held their breath.
Elaine, though she'd despised Viremont's cruelty, felt her heart thud painfully. No one had ever imagined her death — not like this.
Then, in a blur of motion, Gina's arm was yanked back.
The knife clattered to the floor.
It was Carmine.
Awake.
Alive.
And faster than anyone remembered.
Spy training had its perks.
Before Gina could react, she was bound — tied with curtain cords and a velvet sash, her wrists secured behind her back. She thrashed once, then gave up.
Colden stepped forward. "Talk."
Gina exhaled. "I was sent by King Charles. To kill the royal family."
Gasps filled the room.
"To send someone for a kill?" Marco whispered. "That's outrageous."
Gina nodded. "He wants control. No heirs. No resistance."
"And the potion?" Colden asked.
Gina smirked. "That was me too. The old woman? Just an alias."
Marco blinked. "But it was a love potion."
"It was supposed to be a spell to change attire," Gina explained. "But the more you consume, the more it changes you — emotionally, mentally, even physically."
Everyone turned to Viremont.
She looked… different. Softer. Sweeter. Still confused.
"How did she get affected?" Colden asked.
Gina blushed.
Carmine cleared her throat. "Well… I may have told her to like it from her thighs down."
Elaine turned slowly. "How do you know that?"
Carmine was already sweating. "I… overheard it. Maybe. Possibly."
The room burst into a mix of gasps and awkward laughter.
Even Viremont cracked a smile.
Elaine shook her head. "You're all insane."
Colden asked, "So what's the cure?"
Gina shrugged. "It wears off. Based on how much you drank."
Two weeks passed.
The palace returned to its rhythm.
Elaine had enjoyed Viremont's temporary sweetness — the quiet smiles, the gentle gestures. But it didn't last.
At dinner, the two idiot sisters began their usual nonsense — throwing bread, giggling, and knocking over goblets.
Viremont slammed her hand on the table.
"Enough!"
The room went silent.
Carmine smirked.
She's back.
Francis returned from his trip, completely clueless.
He walked into the palace, saw Gina locked in the tower, Viremont shouting at maids, and Marco and Colden sharing pie in the garden.
He blinked.
"What did I miss?"
Everyone laughed.
But no one answered.
The End of REVERSED
Returns to the main novel on March 11th, 2026
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