The War God Alpha's Arranged Bride (Evelyn and Alexander) novel Chapter 56

**Steps Along Forgotten Roads**
**By Sophia Reed**
**Chapter 56: Trapped**

[Evelyn’s POV]

What the hell is happening?! Son of a bitch!!

Panic surged through me like a tidal wave. Oh God! I’m trapped!

“Please! Someone! Anyone! Help me!!” My mind screamed, but no sound escaped my lips. I felt utterly ensnared, ensconced in a prison of my own consciousness, with no way to break free.

Trapped. It was the only word that could encapsulate this suffocating sensation. I was ensnared, locked away in the recesses of my own mind, stripped of any semblance of control.

My eyelids felt weighted as if they were sealed shut by some unseen force. It was as though my body had been forcibly severed from my thoughts, leaving me helpless and immobile. No matter how fiercely I willed my limbs to obey, they remained stubbornly still.

Every muscle in my body felt as if it had been clamped in a vice, an unyielding grip that offered no chance of escape. Then came the searing heat, a fiery current that surged through my veins, spreading like wildfire. It was a sensation that sent chills of terror coursing down my spine.

And then, amidst the chaos, I heard it—a voice. Soft yet resolute, it reached out to me, a lifeline in the darkness.

“…Evelyn…”

My heart raced, a wild drumbeat against my ribcage. Alexander.

A flicker of hope ignited within me, knowing he was here, searching for me in my paralyzed state.

Wrapped in a warm shroud of security, I felt a fleeting sense of safety wash over me. Wait—was he holding me? But just as quickly as that warmth enveloped me, it vanished, replaced by an oppressive heaviness that felt like being submerged in water.

I was desperate to make my presence known, to show that I was still fighting to exist. In my mind, I was practically screaming, a silent cry echoing in the void.

“I’m here! Please, don’t leave me alone.”

“… We don’t know what poison you ingested. But something tells me that it’s not going to be entirely easy to flush out of your system right away… But whatever happens, I promise that I’m not going to leave your side…”

Poison?

The memories came flooding back with startling clarity. I was in the tent adjacent to the greenhouse, preparing to test a new blend of tea for shipment. I had carefully brewed the mixture, taking a few sips to assess the balance of flavors.

But something had been terribly off. That elusive ‘something’ was what had sent my body spiraling into chaos. I had sensed it, a flavor that didn’t belong.

It took me far too long to identify it, but once the realization struck, there was no denying the truth.

“Cherries,” I murmured, my voice barely a whisper.

I could vividly recall the sweet, yet bitter taste of cherries lingering on my palate. But the issue was, I hadn’t added anything to the dry mixture that could impart such a flavor.

Then, like a flash of lightning, it struck me. My studies in agriculture, my knowledge of various herbs and flowers, flooded back.

Certain dried flowers and herbs, when rehydrated, could produce unique flavors that mimicked fruits like cherries. Unfortunately, the first plant that came to mind was one notorious for its dangers.

“Belladonna.”

Belladonna was a perilous plant to handle. If not measured with the utmost care, one could easily risk a severe overdose, with unpredictable effects. In the medical field, it was primarily used as a sedative, a natural muscle relaxer—which explained my current state of immobility.

It was never advisable to brew it into a tea, as everyone had their own method of preparation. The longer the mixture steeped, the greater the risk of its potent effects.

But the burning question remained… How the hell did Belladonna end up in my tea blend?

It was a plant I had always approached with caution, aware of the significant risks it posed.

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