Reborn I Refuse To Save The Traitors (Margaery) novel Chapter 188

**Whispers Shape Distant Tomorrows by Aren Cole Vale**
**Chapter 188**

Callum stood there, momentarily frozen, as if the world around him had paused. “What did you say?” His initial shock morphed into a frown, the muscles in his jaw tightening. “Are you implying that she’s playing games with me?” The fury that had been simmering beneath the surface erupted like a volcano, raw and uncontained.

The guard, sensing the tempest brewing, dared not utter a word. Instead, he lowered his gaze, understanding the gravity of the situation. Callum’s eyes narrowed, a predatory glint flickering within them. “Go to the fabric store,” he commanded, his voice low and dangerous. “Have someone deliver a message to Tessa. She needs to come and see me—immediately.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the guard replied, quickly exiting the room, eager to escape the storm of Callum’s wrath.

“Bitch!” Callum spat, his gaze fixed menacingly on the Chancellor’s estate in the distance. He clenched his fist tightly, feeling the heat of his anger radiate through his body. “Even a pawn dares to usurp the host!” The words dripped with venom, echoing his sense of betrayal and rage.

*****

Inside the Chancellor’s estate, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Avery and Tessa sat in Clyde’s dimly lit room, the air heavy with unspoken fears. Clyde lay on the bed, his face twisted in frustration and despair, a stark reflection of his inner turmoil.

“I can’t believe that woman had the audacity to harm you like this!” Avery exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief as he surveyed the wounds that marred Clyde’s body. The sight was almost too much to bear.

Clyde had suffered humiliation in Sinderin City, and upon encountering Avery in Pinewoods, he had unleashed his pent-up anger, igniting a fire that had now spiraled out of control. Avery, in a fit of rage, had encouraged Clyde to confront Margaery, suggesting he take his frustrations out on her. Yet, he had never anticipated the fallout would be this catastrophic.

“Is there any depth she won’t sink to?” Clyde’s fists trembled at his sides, his desire for revenge burning fiercely within him. “She’s severed ties with Dad; she’s no longer a Wallen daughter!” The words came out like a growl, filled with contempt.

Tessa, her heart heavy with the weight of the revelation, lowered her eyes and spoke cautiously, “Indeed, it appears that way. I never imagined she would turn out to be my foster mother’s biological daughter.” The realization struck her like a thunderbolt, leaving her reeling.

Tears began to pool in her eyes, and Avery, taken aback by her emotional response, quickly regained his composure. “You mean, she’s the midwife’s daughter?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, as if afraid to speak the truth aloud.

Avery’s mind raced, the implications of this connection dawning on him. “Are you saying she’s that midwife’s daughter?” The shock was palpable, his voice tinged with disbelief.

“The whole city knows it now,” Clyde scoffed, casting a sidelong glance at Tessa. “Tessa is our true sister.” The weight of the revelation hung heavily in the air, a truth that felt both liberating and suffocating.

Avery sighed deeply, the reality settling in. “No wonder she’s so wicked,” he mused, as if the very essence of her being was tainted by her lineage. It was as though being the midwife’s daughter had cursed her with malevolence.

In that moment, the Chancellor’s estate felt like a sanctuary amidst a world steeped in darkness. “It wasn’t unjust for Dad to have your mentor eliminate her,” Avery stated, his tone resolute.

As memories of his own downfall at the Royal Medical Hall flooded back, Avery felt a strange sense of relief wash over him. ‘I lost my future; Margaery deserves to perish,’ he thought bitterly, the flames of vengeance igniting within him.

“So,” he said, sitting up straighter and fixing his gaze on Tessa, “Dad called me back primarily to prescribe medicine for you.”

“Come with me to Sunbeam Court. I’ll write the prescription and send someone for the medicine. You need to rest, and I’ll reach out to Sullivan of Lakeburgh to take decisive action.”

His voice hardened as he added, “Tonight will mark Margaery’s end!”

“Thank you, Avery,” Tessa replied softly, her head bowed, yet a secret smirk danced in her heart.

She had no intention of taking that abortion medicine. ‘If I take it and lose the child, how will I manipulate Callum?’ she thought, a cunning plan already forming in her mind.

But she couldn’t share her true intentions with the Wallens; she would need to devise a strategy for when the time came to take the medicine. With that, they bid Clyde farewell and made their way to Sunbeam Court.

Avery, still feeling a twinge of embarrassment, couldn’t help but glance at Tessa. “You really are something else. How on earth did you end up pregnant? I heard Dominic refuses to acknowledge it—so whose child is it, really?”

‘Getting pregnant before marriage; what a disgrace if this gets out!’ he thought, his mind racing with the implications.

Even if he hadn’t lost his position at the Royal Medical Hall, the scandal surrounding Tessa would have tarnished his reputation beyond repair.

Tessa felt the sting of tears at his words. “It’s Dominic’s; he just won’t admit it. You have no idea how cruel he was to me while you were away, all to win Margaery’s favor,” she confessed, her voice trembling with emotion.

As she spoke, her sobs broke free. “If I had known his true nature, I would never have fallen for his lies!”

Tessa smiled, her heart racing as she hurried out. She held little hope that Keaton could cure her, knowing too well that he had been by her side for years without finding a solution.

‘If he could cure my illness, why has he waited until now?’ she pondered, warmth blooming in her chest at the thought of the Shadow Doctor. In truth, everything she had told the Wallens was a fabrication; even the midwife had been threatened by her, the Shadow Doctor, and Callum.

The one person who had truly raised her was the Shadow Doctor. After a year apart, they were finally on the verge of reuniting. Tessa felt a flutter of joy, her steps lightening with anticipation.

Little did she know, her every move was being watched, tracked by the people Wayne had stationed nearby. Moments after she entered the fabric store, a man with a false mustache slipped in through the back door.

It was Callum. “Your Highness, why did you summon me so urgently?” Tessa greeted him earnestly, her heart racing at his presence.

But Callum’s expression was anything but welcoming; his gaze bore into her, and he struggled to suppress the urge to throttle her.

“Where is the item? Why didn’t you hand it over?” he demanded, his voice low and menacing.

Marcus was at a low point, and Callum had intended to strike hard while the iron was hot. Yet, Tessa had faltered at the crucial moment.

Recalling the humiliation he had endured in the palace that day, Callum found it hard to muster any sense of joy.

Tessa’s eyes widened in confusion. “I didn’t, Your Highness…”

Just as she began to formulate an explanation, Callum’s temper flared. He seized her by the neck, pinning her against the wall. “Still playing innocent?”

Tessa gasped, her mouth opening in a silent plea for air. “Your Highness, please let me explain…” she stammered, desperation creeping into her voice.

Yet deep down, a storm of doubt raged within her. ‘How did Callum know I’ve obtained the defense map? Could he have a spy in the Chancellor’s estate?’ she questioned, her mind racing.

In that fleeting moment, the name Halle crossed her thoughts.