Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 343: A Cold Dish Waiting

Chapter 343: A Cold Dish Waiting

Talia after chiding herself for losing her composure in front of Lady Magdalene went to meet Vivian. Arthur was talking to the doctor about his father’s health and seeing Talia, he joined her.

"I’m losing my propriety Fred. I acted like an uncultured swine in front of Lady Magdalene," she closed her face with her hands while walking.

"Uncultured swine?" Arthur laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulder to guide her. If she says she was that terrible by her standards, she might not have been that terrible by average people’s standards.

And what’s with her walking with her eyes closed?

When they got to Vivian’s room, they saw Cyril standing outside concealing his anger. "Want to grab a smoke?" Cyril asked Arthur after he greeted them both. "He is here," Cyril added noticing Arthur’s doubtful eyes.

"We can meet your friend afterwards Iris. Let’s leave now," Arthur held her hand. He really didn’t want to meet Jordan. With what face did he dare to come here?

"Fred, wait for me a while. I’ll be back soon. Don’t smoke though," Talia said looking at Arthur in his eyes. She didn’t want to run away from Jordan.

"If he tries to do something, make sure he ends up-"

"Sure." Talia smiled as she didn’t know what to make of Arthur. Just this morning he was so confident that Jordan wouldn’t have hurt her actively and now he’s all suspicious of him.

Is he pretending in front of Cyril?

Arthur let go of her hand and Talia opened to door. Contrary to her expectation, the room was extremely silent and for a moment Talia wondered if she’d gone entirely deaf.

She walked in and was welcomed by the cheery voice of Vivian, "Talia! You’re here!" as she was sitting on the bed. Elizabeth was peeling an apple standing beside the table and Marcella was sitting by Vivian’s foot and she stood up seeing Talia and did a curtsy.

She heard a slight rustling to her left and she could sense a figure standing at a distance leaning on the wall and she took efforts not to look at him.

Jordan that dog! He hurt my Fred.

Talia politely nodded at Marcella and looked at Vivian. "How are you feeling?"

"I’m fine... at times my head hurts like it would split and I have nausea since I had a concussion, otherwise I am fine." Vivian waved her hand and pointed Talia to the chair besides her gesturing to sit.

"Your Royal Highness, please accept this," Elizabeth offered her the slices of the apple she peeled just then in a bowl and Talia accepted it.

"Thank you, Minister Greene."

"Just call me ’Elizabeth’ or ’Lizzy’, Your Royal Highness," Elizabeth smiled and Talia nodded.

"You can call me Talia too, Elizabeth."

"I heard you got eight stitches. It is going to scar, isn’t it?" Talia was really sad to see Vivian’s perfect face with a blemish. And she is someone who earns with her beauty. It must be hard for her. "What did the doctors say about scar-removing surgery?"

"They say it would be easy to remove the scar if they do it right as it is healing. Cyril arranged for Dr. Garcetti. He’s the best and I’m not worried about it. How are you feeling? You still can’t hear in one ear? Which one?" Vivian asked.

"Right one. But I’m feeling fine otherwise. It will get better as long as I don’t let it get infected." Talia answered.

"A casual lunch to meet up friends turned this way thanks to my little brother," Marcella sighed and glared at Jordan.

"Now then Marcella, calm down," Elizabeth rubbed her back. It seemed like Elizabeth was not that mad at Jordan like Marcella is, Vivian’s gaze was indifferent as she glanced at Jordan.

"Talia, can I speak with you?" Jordan asked and Talia turned to look at him. He looked terrible with the bags under his eye and he was still wearing the same dirty clothes from the previous day.

"What is it?" she asked. Honestly she didn’t know what to feel about what Jordan did. Arthur told her how he was the one who brought Sophia inside bypassing the security. And his sister got hurt and Mr. Ed almost died.

But one thing is for sure. He hurt Fred.

"Can we-"he hesitated seeing his sisters around and wanted some privacy.

"It’s fine. You can say what you want here. And Fred is standing by the door and I don’t know what he’d do if he sees you," Talia didn’t hesitate to speak her mind. Usually she wouldn’t speak to anyone in this tone in front of their family, but this guy angered her a lot.

"I want to apologise for bringing Sophia who had evil intensions to you. She said she wanted to speak to you in person and apologise for her behaviours towards you. Also she wanted to ask about her brother who disappeared after meeting The President in the morning and I... I really believed that’s what she wanted to do. I regret for not seeing through her plans as my judgement was clouded with my past feelings towards her."

"She wanted to apologise for her behaviours towards me? I don’t remember ever meeting her in person in the past year and what did she possibly do to me that warranted an apology from her? And why did you think I’d know where her brother was?" Talia sighed. "Of course if you were thinking with your brain and not with that certain part between your legs, you’d have realised that. I hope that sleeping with a lunatic like her was worth screwing over a friendship that was cultivated for more than a decade."

Seeing Jordan’s eyes getting clouded, Talia didn’t feel any pity. In her book, there are some mistakes that can be forgiven and then there is betrayal of trust. Even if Fred forgives Jordan for his betrayal, she wouldn’t.

"I know you’re mad at me and rightfully so. But can you please talk to Arthur for me?"

"How long Jordan? How long after she tried to frame you in the parking lot did you begin to spy for her?" Talia waved her hand with a sigh stopping Jordan from answering. "I don’t want to know how much dignity you have. And you’re wrong. I’m not angry at you. Sure you wanted to get in her pants and put mine and your sisters’ life in danger, but I was doubtful of you these past few weeks and I was not that surprised."

"I did not sleep with her. We just talked," Jordan refuted and Talia was lost for words.

She was that good a manipulator to pull something like this without even offering something in return? She should have become a spy or something and she could have made a career out of her crooked and manipulative mind!

Elizabeth face-palmed. "You just talked? How stupid are you?"

"Anyways..." Talia composed herself from the shock of meeting the embodiment of stupidity standing in front of her. How can a man who is smart enough to be the trusted assistant of Arthur, be this stupid with a woman? She now believed stories about great rulers who succumbed to the temptations of women and got destroyed. "I will not ask Arthur to forgive you. I know you were against him pursuing me some months back as you cared for him. I understand that. In the same way, after your betrayal of trust, I will not speak for you. I hope you can understand that. Of course you can talk to him and it is up to him to decide whether he wants to forgive you or not. I won’t interfere on his decision." Talia spoke bluntly.

"I understand," Jordan went silent after that. He got her point. He didn’t like her much but he could see how much she cared for him.

At first when Sophia sent him those messages trying to apologise for what she did, he ignored her. But then that day when he saw her sitting by the pond, barefoot and crying, his heart melted. He guessed she’s contacting him to get details about Arthur’s schedule as she wanted to meet him, and he was always careful not to reveal anything confidential. Maybe she held hopes that she still has a chance since the official announcement of the annulment of engagement wasn’t made, she was just not worried.

But she didn’t contact him for two days after the announcement of annulment and for some reason he got worried. So he went to the pond and there she was... sitting serenely feeding the ducks. ’I’m going to change my ways and I won’t go after Arthur anymore. I decided to give up on him. Will you help me?’ she asked.

Her hair was messy and waved in the wing, and in her eyes he thought he saw peace. He thought she had finally come to terms with it all and agreed to help her by being her friend. He thought he should help her in her path to redemption. He wanted to be her support.

But everything she said to him that day... it all meant different. She wanted to hurt Talia. But he, like a fool, believed she wanted to mend her ways.

---

"Aww, poor thing... This is the final dose and you’ll be free of everything from now on...I’m sorry, I don’t leave loose ends." the man in the janitor uniform gently traced his finger over Sophia’s forehead as he hid the syringe in his pocket.

"You tried to help me and so I’ll tell you. No, I won’t kill her now. I changed my mind. She seems to be happy. She should get happier. Her grandfather should be happier thinking the only grandchild he acknowledged is happy. And then one day, when they least expects it..." his lips curled to a smirk as he made a fisting gesture. "She’d be no more and I will watch old Jerome writhe in pain as he dies just like he let my mother die..."

---

"You don’t want to grab a smoke? Really?" Cyril raised his brows. "Is it because she asked you not to? Are you a King who obeys his woman?" he asked in a mocking tone.

"What about you? You clearly don’t want Jordan anywhere near your fiancée but here you are standing vigil while she is with him." Arthur smirked.

Cyril sighed not having any word to retort.

"When will they start interrogating her?" Arthur asked.

"I forced them to start today. The explosives... there is no way-"

Cyril paused as there was commotion in the hallways.

"That criminal lady had lost her mind!"

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