Page 85 of Trial of Deceit

“You should be ashamed,” Jediah said, his voice laced with anger and disgust.He dropped the empty bottle to the ground.The bottle rolled away.Not sparing Dimitri a second glance, Jediah marched toward the door.Outside the room, he told the man guarding the door, “Turn it up louder.”

Cedella withdrew the needle from Kayon’s skin.Dedrian handed her a bandage, and Cedella taped it over the skin.Cedella secured the vacutainer tube with the rest of her medical supplies, then faced Jediah, who stared at her expectantly.

“Well?”he asked.

“I’ll let you know what’s happening after I run some tests,” Cedella said.She glanced at Kayon, who’d fallen asleep during the procedure, and her brows furrowed.“This new medicine has a tweak to the chemical structure he’s used to.It might take a while for his body to adjust to it.Let’s keep our fingers crossed that this is just another situation like the one we had ten years ago when I had to change his medicine due to a recall.”

“Can you remind me why you’re giving him new medicine?”Jediah asked.Sure, he didn’t have the best relationship with his father, but the man was still the one who raised him.If he were to completely lose the one parent he had left, he’d be unsure how to process his complex feelings.

“I’mnot the one who did it,” Cedella stated, offended by Jediah’s remark.“Medicine is constantly evolving.Scientists have created this new medicine that will work just as effectively without the need for as many daily injections.It has been in use for quite some time now.”

“Why are you just giving it to him?”Jediah asked, his eyes narrowing in scrutiny.He’d already had a long day and didn’t have time for Cedella’s antics.His mind was running wild with thoughts of his fractured relationship with Ashari and him visiting Dimitri in the chamber a little over an hour ago.

“Because Kayon’s body never recovered from the initial accident.I found a medicine that worked great for him, and I was hesitant about introducing him to the new medicine.”

“Until now…”

“Until my stock depleted,” Cedella snapped, and Dedrian shot her a worried glance.Cedella released a ragged breath.“Please don’t let me lose my composure, Jediah.I’ve told you several times — I work for this family.It’s in my best interest to keep you all alive.”

Jediah mulled over her words.“If his body rejects the medicine, what will happen?”

Cedella was quiet for a moment.Dedrian shuffled about on her feet.Jediah forgot how to breathe.It felt like the air got sucked out of the room.

Finally, Cedella spoke, “I will see if my contacts can search the black market and find me a re-up before all the stock in the world becomes obsolete… For a price.”

The corner of his mouth ticked as he almost smirked.“I didn’t expect anything less from you.”

Smiling, she looked at Kayon.“Maybe we’re worried for nothing.It might not even be the medicine…” She trailed off and looked at Dedrian.“Has there been a change in his diet?Daily routine?”

“No, ma’am,” Dedrian replied with a shake of her head.“Everything’s still the same, including him refusing to go on walks for fresh air, even if I remind him of your orders, and if Reine offers to be with him.”

Jediah stiffened as he recalled the last time Kayon came out of the house.It’d been the day the police were on the estate — snooping around his mother’s grave, and tossing him into the back of a police vehicle for reasons he still believed were unjust.

Cedella hummed, bringing Jediah back to the present.“I’ll run the tests and let you know.”

Over the next couple of days while Dimitri suffered in the chamber, Kayon’s health took a turn for the worse.The old man’s weakening state wasn’t a surprise to Jediah.In fact, he was surprised Kayon had lived this long.

But, right now, Jediah couldn’t find the effort to care about his father’s well-being.

His mind was too occupied with Ashari.She wasstillyet to have a civil conversation with him.He’d turned the air conditioning in their bedroom down to a near arctic temperature, but every night, instead of cuddling up to him like she used to do, she hissed for him to stop hogging the blanket, seconds before she yanked it off him.The tension was getting to him, distracting him from work.Elias was catching on.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you need to make things right with Ashari,” Elias advised as Jediah moved the cigar — his third one for the day — from his mouth to fix his gaze on the older man.“You’re distracted, and it’ll cost the family.Go make things right.I’ll handle all the business meetings for the rest of the day.”

Jediah cleared his throat and straightened himself.“Yu sure?”he asked, and Elias nodded.He left the wholesale and went home.He went to the dungeon first, ignoring Dimitri’s chamber and going straight to the one Ashari had been scarred in.Reaching a hand out toward the door, he hesitated.He couldn’t do it.

He called over a guard and gave him an order, to which he complied.He went back to the house, entering through the door of the kitchen like he always did.

Reine was at the island juicing fruit.It was too noisy that she didn’t instantly notice him.She must’ve been making drinks for herself and Kayon.Since his health had been deteriorating, Reine had been spending more time than usual with him.

Jediah moved to the liquor cabinet and grabbed the strongest alcohol he could find.He turned the bottle to his head and chugged, grimacing as the alcohol went down.

“Wa you a do?”came a yell while the juicer turned off.

Jediah moved the bottle from his mouth.He curled a fist and put it to his mouth.“You’re talking to me now?”

“Yes,” Reine gritted out.“So answer.”

“I’m not doing anything,” he answered and glanced at the bottle.He needed to do a few more chugs.He had to be strong for what was coming.

---