Adrian Spoke in Full Sentences
Chapter 08 - Adrian Spoke in Full Sentences
Adrian’s recovery accelerated after doctors administered treatment for the toxin.
Three days after the wedding, he could speak in short sentences.
His first complete statement was recorded with Ortiz, Elias and a judge present.
Marcus had confronted him the night before the ceremony. He demanded postponement of the Crown Renewal Act and threatened to release fabricated evidence claiming Sophie received illegal foreign donations.
Adrian refused.
Marcus then said, “You have always mistaken being loved for being safe.”
At the cathedral, Adrian noticed the ceremonial water tasted bitter. He gripped Sophie’s wrist before she drank because he realized the poison might be in the cup.
He remembered Owen watching from behind the altar.
He did not remember collapsing.
When Adrian named Marcus as the person with motive and knowledge, prosecutors prepared an arrest request. Yet Adrian’s testimony alone did not prove Marcus placed the toxin in the cup.
Marcus went on television.
He denied every accusation and described himself as a loyal brother framed by Owen, a corrupt officer acting independently. He said Adrian’s memory had been affected by oxygen loss and medication.
Then he revealed Sophie’s family history.
Her late father had once been investigated for leaking royal hospital documents. Marcus suggested Sophie pursued Adrian to complete her father’s campaign against the Crown.
The old investigation had ended without charges. The documents had exposed unsafe patient conditions.
Still, the accusation divided public opinion.
Crowds gathered outside the hospital—some supporting Sophie, others calling her a traitor wearing a stolen tiara.
Adrian watched from bed.
He asked Sophie whether she regretted agreeing to marry him.
She removed the tiara and placed it on the bedside table.
“I regret believing the palace would let us become ordinary enough to be honest.”
Adrian touched the wedding ring.
“We never finished the vows.”
“We are not finishing them in a hospital room to reassure the country.”
He smiled weakly.
“That sounded very much like a vow.”
Sophie leaned against his shoulder.
May you like
Beyond the door, the investigation widened.
Inside, they allowed themselves five minutes in which survival mattered more than succession.
