The Prison-Made Queen novel Chapter 1033

"I gave him a preliminary exam," she murmured. "Since he just took it, there are no immediate side effects. We won't know anything for sure until we observe him overnight."

She could only pray the night would pass without any horrifying surprises.

She lifted a hand to rub her temples, the dark circles under her eyes betraying days of sheer exhaustion.

Callahan noticed the deepening shadows and felt a sharp pang of sympathy.

"Try not to worry. He's going to pull through."

"That guy was so arrogant, so utterly convinced we'd die in that explosion, he probably left the real antidote just to mock us."

"Even the most cunning players slip up eventually. He couldn't have predicted everything."

His calm, logical reassurance worked. Leilani felt the tight knot in her chest loosen significantly.

She let her forehead rest gently against his shoulder. When she spoke, her voice was muffled and thick with emotion.

"I know... It's just, seeing him make such a desperate choice broke my heart."

Her fingers unconsciously twisted the fabric of his shirt, betraying the lingering anxiety she was trying to hide.

Callahan could feel the faint, continuous tremors running through her body. She felt like a startled animal seeking shelter from a storm.

He began rubbing her back, his palm warm and his rhythm steady, grounding her.

"I completely understand," he said softly. "But you know how he is. Once he makes up his mind, there's no changing it."

She buried her face deeper into his shoulder. "I'm just so scared... scared he's forcing himself through hell just for my sake."

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