Reborn I Refuse To Save The Traitors (Margaery) novel Chapter 14

**TITLE: Whispers Shape Distant Tomorrows by Aren Cole Vale**
**Chapter 14**

The air was thick with tension as Paige’s words reverberated in the chilly atmosphere, her gaze fixed on Margaery with a fierce intensity that spoke volumes.

“Should I thank you for your concern?” Margaery responded, her lips twisting into a sardonic smile, the mockery evident in her tone. “My name’s already mud—do you think I care if it sinks lower?”

Her eyes gleamed with a steely determination, a stark contrast to the girl Paige once knew.

Paige hesitated, her confidence faltering under Margaery’s icy demeanor. “What are you plotting?” she whispered, a tremor of fear creeping into her voice.

Deep down, Paige understood that Margaery had transformed; the tears that once flowed freely during the banquet were now replaced by a resolute challenge. This afternoon, she had boldly confronted Avery, demanding the return of her healing recipe.

Gone was the Margaery who had once cowered before the lords and ladies, seeking their favor only to be met with disdain.

Now, before Paige stood a woman reborn, forged in the fires of adversity.

Paige’s heart sank as dread washed over her.

“I can’t banish you from this estate,” Margaery stated, her gaze sharp and unyielding like the frost of winter, “but if I were to offer Tessa’s cure in exchange, do you think Father would choose to send you away—or me?”

The thought of Tessa, the family’s cherished jewel, sent a shiver down Paige’s spine. Just the night before, Tessa’s suffering had kept the household awake, with Raul keeping a vigil by her bedside until dawn’s first light.

Avery and Dominic had attempted to storm the apothecary, only to be met with fierce resistance—warnings that would have left them battered had it not been for Raul’s intervention.

If Margaery were to dangle that recipe before their father, Paige knew she would be the one to suffer the consequences.

With a heavy heart, Paige swallowed hard, rising to her feet. “I’ll leave, my lady. You won’t see me again.” With that, she covered her face, her emotions overwhelming her, and fled the scene.

Margaery, clutching her precious herbs, made her way to brew the remedy that could change everything.

As she stepped into the courtyard, a figure approached—a man impeccably dressed, yet his face bore the marks of a brutal encounter, bruised and battered as if he had recently faced a butcher’s knife.

His eyes, locked onto hers, swirled with a tumult of emotions. “Margaery,” he said cautiously, “who was that man you sent us to last night?”

Margaery regarded him with a cool gaze, then allowed a sweet smile to grace her lips, though the venom laced within her words was unmistakable. “Why, Lord Dominic, is that you? I nearly mistook you for a hog that escaped from a winter feast.”

The sting of her mockery was palpable, and Dominic’s fists clenched involuntarily.

Her derisive “Lord Dominic” cut him deeply, the comparison to a swine slicing through his pride like a sharpened blade.

Yet, the urgency of Tessa’s need for the recipe forced him to suppress his wounded ego.

“When did we grow so distant?” he inquired, stepping closer, his brow furrowed with concern. His voice softened, almost pleading. “Last night… was it revenge?”

The whispers of Dashnell and the renowned healer-warrior had sown seeds of doubt in Dominic’s heart. Had he misjudged her? Why would such men pursue a woman he had deemed unworthy?

The thought ignited a possessive fire within him. He could not let her slip away—not yet. If she were to fall, it would be by his own hand.

With a forced smile, he leaned in closer. “Margaery—”

“No,” she interrupted, stepping back to maintain a distance that felt insurmountable. “You wanted the recipe, didn’t you? I told you where I got mine. What’s wrong with sending you there?”

Dominic frowned, her words a riddle he struggled to decipher. For Tessa’s sake, he curbed his temper and coaxed her gently, “Enough games, Margaery. Please, just tell me who he is. I’m begging you.”

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