Chapter 340: Making me sick!
Maria.
I remained in the room for a very long time afterward, sitting in silence as an uneasy restlessness settled deep within me.
The stillness should have been comforting, but instead it only made everything worse.
My thoughts refused to quiet down.
Noah kept coming back to my mind again and again.
I couldn’t stop wondering if he was alright.
Was he safe?
Was he injured?
Or had something worse happened to him after everything we had seen?
I exhaled slowly, pressing a hand against my chest as though it could calm the tightness building there.
Eventually, I realized staying inside the room was doing nothing to help me.
So I made a decision.
I stood up.
Without fully thinking it through, I stepped out of the room and began walking.
At first, I had no direction at all. I simply wandered through the corridors and open paths, moving wherever my feet carried me. I wasn’t trying to reach anywhere specific. I just needed space. I needed air. I needed something to distract my mind from the chaos inside it.
But no matter how far I walked, my thoughts followed me.
Every step only made me think more.
Then, suddenly, I stopped, because right in front of me, I bumped into someone.
I looked up quickly, and my eyes widened slightly in recognition.
Daniel.
Oh.
Right.
I almost forgot he was here.
"What are you doing here, Daniel?" I asked immediately, my tone sharper than I intended.
He was just standing there, as if he had been waiting, staring at me with a faint, almost awkward smile on his face.
For a moment, he didn’t answer.
Then he finally spoke, his voice filled with visible relief.
"Thank the goddess you are alright, Maria," Daniel said quickly, his expression softening as he looked me over. "I was worried something bad might have happened to you."
His words made me pause slightly.
Worried?
About me?
"And why are you worried?" I asked, narrowing my eyes slightly.
I couldn’t ignore the feeling creeping into my chest, as Daniel felt... off and more suspicious than ever before.
Especially after everything that had happened, and especially after he had even had the nerve to stab Davian.
My gaze hardened as I studied him more carefully.
"There is something you know that you are not telling me, isn’t there?" I asked, raising a brow at him.
The air between us shifted instantly and Daniel froze for a fraction of a second...just once but I caught it.
Then, just as quickly, he forced himself to relax again, regaining his composure like nothing had happened.
"Nothing, Maria," he said immediately, almost too quickly. "It’s nothing at all."
He shifted slightly on his feet, clearing his throat as if trying to steady himself.
"And about what happened in the Moonfall Pack..." he began, his voice lowering slightly. "I didn’t mean to stab—"
"Save that for the quadruplets," I cut in firmly, my tone leaving no room for argument.
My eyes sharpened as I took a small step closer.
"You hurt them," I added coldly. "Not me."
"But..." he tried to speak again, but I was already done listening.
I was not in the mood to entertain whatever explanation or excuse he was about to offer.
So without giving him another chance, I turned and walked away.
My steps were quick, firm, and final, but I had barely gone a few steps when I felt a sudden force behind me.
Before I could react, Daniel grabbed me and pulled me back toward him from behind.
"Maria, we need to talk!" he said firmly, his grip tight enough to stop me from moving forward.
His voice carried urgency, but it only irritated me more.
"There is nothing for us to talk about, Daniel!" I snapped immediately, struggling slightly against his hold. "Now get your hands off me!"
My tone was sharp, filled with frustration and warning.
But before he could respond, another voice cut through the tension.
"Yeah, get your hands off her."
The voice was calm, yet firm enough to command attention.
Both Daniel and I froze for a second before turning toward the direction it came from.
Vincent.
He was standing there like he had been there all along, his expression unreadable.
Daniel’s eyes widened slightly in shock.
"It’s you!" Daniel said, clearly surprised. "What are you doing here?" he asked sharply.
I frowned slightly, shifting my gaze between the two of them.
Confusion settled in my chest.
Didn’t they know each other?
I mean, Daniel had clearly come here...for Vincent.
So why were they acting like strangers suddenly?
I shook my head slightly, my eyes narrowing as I looked at Daniel. I couldn’t believe he was still trying to act innocent.
Something about all of this felt wrong.
And from the way things were unfolding, I couldn’t help but suspect something deeper was going on between them.
They were definitely connected.
Maybe even working together.
"I would advise you to watch your tone and language," Vincent said calmly, his voice steady despite the tension building in the air.
But Daniel was already boiling.
His expression darkened instantly, and before anyone could react, he stepped forward and grabbed Vincent by the front of his shirt.
"You rogue!" Daniel snapped. "I have been silently observing you...but let me make something clear; Stay away from Maria!" His grip tightened as he leaned closer, anger burning in his eyes. "How did you even get here?" he added harshly.
Vincent only let out a low chuckle, a calm, almost amused sound and that only made Daniel grip him tighter.
The air between them grew heavier, dangerous and tense.
And honestly, I already knew deep down that this situation was about to spiral out of control if it continued like this.
"Now stop this drama, Daniel!" I shouted firmly, stepping forward. "Stop pretending!"
My voice echoed through the space, sharp enough to cut through their confrontation.
Both men paused briefly.
I turned my gaze to Vincent as well, my frustration boiling over.
"What drama, Maria?" Daniel asked, clearly confused.
And for a moment, I actually had no answer.
Just silence.
Because right now, Daniel was making everything worse...and I was starting to feel completely sick of it.
