Rivera – POV
It's been a day since I woke up—still alive—after being poisoned in an assassination attempt. Not a single soul came to visit me in the infirmary. No one, except Sir Asher, who sat by my side. His eyes were weary, though his posture remained alert. He must have stayed up keeping watch, making sure no one struck again while I was vulnerable.
"Lady Rivera," a voice called from the doorway.
Austin stood there, his ever-present secretary Rina at his side. She was more than just a secretary—also a capable knight in her own right.
"What brings you here?" I asked, rising from the bed despite the heaviness and soreness weighing down my limbs. I couldn't let them see weakness. Not Austin. Not his mother. Not her wretched daughters.
"I came to check on my dear sister. I heard you survived," he said smoothly.
But I knew what he really wanted—to see me suffering. That sadistic smirk tugging at his lips betrayed him.
