As he spoke, he carefully wiped away the mud from her feet with disinfectant wipes, bit by bit. Each white, tender toe emerged from under the grime, and instead of feeling disgusted, Alaric's heart ached for her.
If only she hadn't gone out to buy that tie clip for him, none of this would've happened. Deep down, he blamed himself. He had thought leaving her alone for a few hours would be safe, but someone had taken advantage of the opportunity.
Emerald winced as he touched a particularly painful spot on her foot. Wanting to distract herself, she quickly changed the subject.
"Aric, how did you find me? And… who was the one who wanted to hurt me?"
Alaric's expression darkened. "She didn't want to kill you. She wanted to destroy your reputation."
Emerald's eyes widened in shock. Gripping his wrist anxiously, she pressed him for answers. "You've found out? Who was it?"
"Ariza."
"It was her?" Emerald's voice was filled with disbelief.
