I stood frozen, the hum of conversation dulling around as I processed what I'd just heard. That arrogant voice claiming to have stolen my pill echoed in my mind, striking a nerve I thought I'd buried.
"Liam, don't," Anthony whispered urgently beside . "That's Miles Thornton, the Younger Lord of the Thornton Family. His father controls half the city's shipping industry."
I barely registered Anthony's warning. My gaze remained fixed on Miles—his smug expression, the way he gesticulated wildly to his captive audience, the expensive watch glinting on his wrist as he waved his hands.
"You should see how everyone treats him like so genius," Miles continued loudly, clearly enjoying being the center of attention. "But when I took that Hundred-year Ginseng right from under his nose, did the great Liam Knight do anything? Nothing! Not a damn thing!"
My blood ran cold. Hundred-year Ginseng? What was he talking about? I hadn't lost any such valuable ingredient. I glanced at Anthony, whose face had gone pale.
"What's he talking about?" I asked quietly.
Before Anthony could answer, Alistair Northwood appeared at my side, anxiety etched across his weathered face.
"Let's step outside for so air, Liam," Alistair suggested, his voice unnaturally high. "These parties can be suffocating."
The way Alistair avoided my eyes told everything. He knew sothing.
"No," I said firmly. "I want to hear what this is about."
Across the room, William Vance was making his way toward us, his usually composed deanor replaced by obvious concern. He reached our small group and imdiately took my arm.
"Liam, there's soone I'd like you to et by the gardens," William said with forced casualness. "An important investor who's very interested in your work."
"Later," I replied, shaking off his grip. "I need to address sothing first."
William exchanged a nervous glance with Alistair. "This isn't the place—"
"Why not?" I cut him off. "If soone's spreading lies about stealing from , shouldn't I confront them?"
I stepped away from the protective circle forming around and walked deliberately toward Miles Thornton. The crowd parted like water around a stone, creating a clear path between us. Miles noticed my approach, and his drunken smile widened.
"Well, well! The man himself!" Miles announced. "Co to thank for testing your security?"
I stopped a few feet from him, keeping my voice steady. "I don't believe we've t. I'm Liam Knight."
"Miles Thornton," he replied with an exaggerated bow. "The man who walked right out with your precious herb while that old fool you call a teacher was supposed to be guarding it."
His words hit like a physical blow. I kept my expression neutral, but inside, my mind was racing. Elder Harding had never ntioned any theft. If sothing so valuable had been stolen, why keep it from ?
"I don't know what you're talking about," I said evenly.
Miles laughed, the sound grating on my nerves. "Of course you don't! Because your precious Elder Harding never told you! He was too embarrassed to admit he lost a Hundred-year Ginseng that was ant for you."
I clenched my jaw as pieces started falling into place. The way Elder Harding had sotis avoided certain topics. The strange hints Alistair had dropped about resources I should have had access to.
"Is this true?" I asked, turning to find Elder Harding standing nearby, his expression pained.
The silence that followed was answer enough. The whispers around us grew louder as the elite of Veridia City witnessed this unfolding drama with barely concealed fascination.
Miles stepped closer, his breath reeking of expensive liquor. "Tell him, old man. Tell your precious student how you failed him."
Elder Harding's shoulders slumped. "Liam, I—"
"See?" Miles interrupted triumphantly. "He can't even deny it! The great Elder Harding, outsmarted by after three glasses of wine. And you," he jabbed a finger at , "the supposed rising star, didn't even know what you were missing."
My mind flashed back to Seraphina's betrayal—the lies, the secrets kept from , the humiliation when I finally learned the truth. That familiar feeling of being deliberately kept in the dark burned in my chest.
"Why wasn't I told?" I asked Elder Harding directly.
Elder Harding looked like he'd aged ten years in the last few minutes. "The ginseng... it was ant to be a gift for your advancent. When it was taken, I thought I could replace it before—"
"Before I found out I was being lied to?" I finished for him.
Miles clapped his hands together gleefully. "Oh, this is delicious! Teacher and student at odds! What are you going to do, Knight? Punish the old man for his failure?" Alwa#ys re&a-d at the sourc&e.—M&V@%LE*MP@-YR.%
I ignored Miles, focusing on Elder Harding. "How long ago?"
"Three months," Elder Harding admitted quietly.
Three months. For three months, I'd been kept ignorant while everyone—Alistair, William, Elder Harding—all knew and said nothing. The betrayal stung, reopening old wounds I thought had healed.
Miles sidled closer, enjoying the spectacle. "What will you do now, the great Liam Knight? Will you make an example of your teacher? Show everyone how you deal with those who fail you?"
"Shut up," I said quietly.
"What's that?" Miles cupped his ear mockingly. "I can't hear your great decision! Maybe you should just let it go... again. Pretend nothing happened... again. That's what you're good at, right? Letting people walk all over you while you smile and bow?"
Each word dug deeper, not because of who was saying them, but because of the mories they evoked. Years of being the Sterling family's doormat. Years of swallowing my pride while they laughed behind my back.
Miles leaned in, his voice dropping to a stage whisper. "Maybe that's why they didn't tell you. They knew you wouldn't do anything anyway. Poor little Liam, always the last to know, never the one to act."
My vision tunneled, focusing solely on Miles' smug face as he continued his taunting.
"The old man stole from you just as much as I did. He took your rightful property and hid the truth. What kind of teacher does that?" Miles laughed. "But you won't do anything. You'll forgive him, won't you? Because you're weak. You've always been—"
The crack of my palm against his cheek silenced the entire room. Miles staggered back, his hand flying to his reddening face, eyes wide with shock.
"Shut up, you nuisance!" I shouted, my patience finally snapping. "Do you think I'm a fool?"
The collective gasp that swept through the crowd seed to suck all the oxygen from the room. Miles looked at with stunned disbelief, his mouth opening and closing without sound.
I stood my ground, chest heaving, the sting of the slap still burning in my palm. In that mont, I knew I'd crossed a line—one that would have serious consequences. But as I looked at Miles Thornton's shocked expression, I couldn't bring myself to regret it.
The silence stretched, taut as a bowstring, as everyone waited to see what would happen next.
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