Page 117 of Trial of Deceit

He spat on Navene’s body.

Just like his father had done earlier.

Chapter thirty-three

“You’regoingtopayfor Mommy’s death,” Treasure gritted out.

“Is that a threat or a promise?”Jediah asked.

“A promise.”

“Good luck with trying to kill me,” Jediah said with a nonchalant shrug.“Navene woulda alive right now if she did play her role well."

“She was his wif—”

Malia smashed her wine glass against the table.It shattered, clear liquid seeping into the table cloth.Before anyone could process what was happening, Malia lodged the pointed edge of the broken glass into the softest spot of Treasure’s neck.

Jediah gasped.He jumped backward, causing his chair to topple over.His crew drew their guns, but they didn’t fire.Dimitri rushed forward, ready to protect Jediah if need be.

Everyone watched in shock as Malia stabbed Treasure in the neck, over and over while Treasure sputtered.

Treasure reached for her neck, blood rushed to her mouth, staining her teeth.Her other hand shot out, grabbing onto the edge of the table.

Malia dropped the weapon onto the floor beside herself, then raised her hands into the air at the same time Treasure’s body fell to the side, dragging the cloth and everything it had on it, onto the floor.Treasure’s wide, lifeless eyes stared up at the glistening chandeliers in the ceiling.

“I’m going to lower my hands,” Malia said, snatching Jediah’s focus.“Tell them not to shoot me.I’m not your enemy, Jediah.”

“Yu expect mi fi give dem order when yu just kill yu own ally?”

“Ally?”Malia scoffed.“She was a Thorne.A naive girl obsessed with the woman her mother dreamt of being.Give me your word, Jediah.”

Jediah’s eyes darted to Treasure.Her blood pooled around her body — the vivid red a stark contrast to the white tiles.

“Give me your word, Jediah,” Malia said again.“I’m not your enemy.I am your mother.”

That word.

That one, loaded word.

“Dimitri,” Jediah said.

Dimitri gave the order before returning to his position.Jediah scanned the room, ensuring all guns were lowered, before he fixed his chair and sat.

Malia lowered her hands, laying one atop the other on the table.“Could you get the kitchen staff to bring us a new bottle of wine?That foolish girl spilled the one we had.Oh, and some alcoholic wipes.Those should be enough to get her blood off me until I get home.”

Perplexed by Malia’s behavior and motive, Jediah gave the order.The staff — accustomed to how bloody his private reservations could get — were careful not to cross-contaminate with the body on the floor.After they placed a new table cloth, wine in a cooler, and glasses on the table, they disappeared into the kitchen.

“Home?”Jediah asked, watching Malia clean beneath her manicured fingernails.

Humming, Malia swapped the wipes for the wine glass.She moved the glass to her lips.After taking a sip, she placed it atop the table.Her eyes darted to his arm — watching his hand as he played with the family heirloom ring — before settling on his face.“Where to begin?I want to tell you that you’ve grown so much, but that’s not what we’re here for.”

“Exactly.”

“After Cedella told Kayon that I received a few bruises and a minor concussion from the accident, he became angry.He made Errol lock me in the hospital and limited my visits to Cedella while I healed.I thought about you and Reine every day.Every night.Wondered how scared you must have been without me.”Malia paused.She sucked in a long breath while closing her eyes, something Jediah had always found himself doing without truly understanding why.“Then, came the conjugal visits — and that’s exactly what I’ve always called them because my new life felt even more like prison — and a baby I definitely didn’t want.”

Jediah stopped breathing.“B-baby?”

“Yes.Jordyn Valcourt,” Malia confirmed as her eyes opened.

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