The Prison-Made Queen novel Chapter 1028

Back at the ward.

Once Dante was officially admitted for observation, Callahan and Letty returned to the suite.

Checking the time, Leilani turned to Callahan. "Since you and your mom are here with him, I need to head out. There's something I have to take care of."

"I need to take Payton to the lab and test the antidote. I'll come back as soon as I have the results."

Callahan nodded, tossing her his car keys. "Take my car. Drive safe, and call me if anything happens."

After everything they had been through in Northern Myanor, Callahan had a solid understanding of Leilani's background and exactly how much Payton meant to her. He knew how critical this antidote was.

Leilani caught the keys, her fingers curling tightly around the metal. "I will. I'll let you know the second the results are in."

She lowered her eyelashes, masking the faint ripple of warmth in her chest, and walked out of the room.

An hour later, inside the lab.

The low, steady hum of the centrifuge was the only sound in the room.

Leilani stood with her back to Payton, hyper-focused on calibrating the machine. Yet, the slight drop in her shoulders proved that with Dante out of the woods, a fraction of her overwhelming stress had dissipated.

Payton sat on an examination table a few feet away, watching her slender, focused silhouette with a deep, paternal warmth. After a long silence, the wrinkles around his eyes softened.

Thinking back on the sheer terror of the past few weeks, and how fiercely and flawlessly Callahan had protected her in Northern Myanor, Payton finally spoke up. "Leilani."

His voice felt exceptionally gentle in the quiet lab.

"Yeah?"

Leilani didn't turn around, her fingers expertly punching in commands on the keypad. "Are you getting tired of sitting, Payton? The results will be out soon. Just hang in there."

She assumed he was getting anxious about the wait.

"I'm in no rush."

Payton shook his head slowly. He folded his hands in his lap, sitting up a little straighter, his tone shifting into the solemn gravity of a protective father figure.

"I actually wanted to talk to you about the Langley boy."

Leilani's hand froze mid-air. Her fingers twitched. She had no idea why Payton was bringing up Callahan right now.

Behind her, Payton paused, carefully choosing his words. "I've spent my whole life reading people. I might be blind, and my legs might be useless, but my instincts are as sharp as ever."

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