Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 172: How Long You Survive

"Caroline—"

Ezekiel walked straight to his wife’s cell. For a moment, she simply stared before relief broke through her face. "I am here now," he said, placing his hand over hers where they gripped the iron bars.

"Ezekiel—look at this—look at what they’ve done to me," Caroline cried, her fingers tightening against the bars as if she could squeeze reassurance from the cold iron. "I didn’t do anything—please... please take me home."

Ruelle, who stood at the back watched Ezekiel move his hand past the iron bars, wiping away Caroline’s tears as they fell.

"Look at me." There was a gentleness as he spoke, "You didn’t do anything. I know that. I will get you out of here."

Ruelle watched the way Caroline clung to Ezekiel’s hand, her sobs gradually softening beneath his reassurances. There was no hesitation in him and he looked every bit the worried husband.

"You shouldn’t have been brought here," Ezekiel murmured, his brows pulling together as if the thought itself pained him. His thumb brushed beneath his wife’s eye, catching another tear before it could fall. "I can’t believe they thought you did this."

Caroline let out another cry and lowered her head against the bars. In the meantime, Ruelle’s lips pressed together and she turned to look at Lucian, whose eyes were fixed on Ezekiel.

"No one listens," Caroline cried. "They think I am lying..."

"You don’t need to upset yourself," Ezekiel comforted her and somehow Caroline’s frantic breathing slowed beneath his voice alone. "I am here now. I will make sure you aren’t punished for something you didn’t do."

"Ruelle..." Caroline’s voice trembled. "Please tell them I didn’t do it."

Before Ruelle could answer, Lucian questioned, "Mr. Henley, when was the last time you saw your wife wearing the lost chain?" The dungeon turned quieter after his voice entered it.

Ezekiel turned to look at Lucian properly for the first time properly. Dark eyes met pale red ones.

"It was around the time my in-laws came to stay with us," his response came smooth and rehearsed as if he had prepared for this question. "She mentioned later that she couldn’t find it, but we assumed it had simply been misplaced among her other things."

"Yet your wife seemed convinced it had been stolen and the complaint was filed," Lucian said, his tone even. "You didn’t share that suspicion?"

Ezekiel’s expression remained composed. He replied,

"The chain was precious to her and Caroline can become emotional when distressed. Filing the complaint seemed to calm her mind at the time, while I still believed it would eventually turn up somewhere in the house."

Ruelle watched the exchange between the two men. Everything about Ezekiel looked normal. And if Lucian had not spoken to her earlier about her brother-in-law, she would have never questioned anything. She then heard Lucian ask,

"It must have been a precious chain," Lucian’s gaze shifted from Ezekiel to Caroline. "If you decided to dismiss all the servants over it."

Caroline looked taken aback. Her tear-filled eyes widened before uncertainty flickered across her face and her feeble voice came out, "I–I didn’t do that."

Ruelle noticed how Ezekiel placed his hand back on Caroline’s hand as if to soothe her and he replied,

"Emotions in the house were tense at the time. The servants had already begun accusing one another after the complaint was filed. I thought it would be better to replace them rather than allow the situation to worsen further. Especially with my in-laws staying at the house."

"Interesting," Lucian’s gaze remained on Ezekiel. "That you chose to dismiss the servants rather than keeping them until the chain was recovered."

Ezekiel’s expression stilled. He asked, "Is there something you are implying, Mr. Slater?"

Lucian’s gaze lingered on Ezekiel before it shifted to Caroline. He spoke calmly,

"Pity. The servants might have been useful in proving your innocence, Mrs. Henley."

Caroline stared at Lucian for a moment as if processing his words before the colour in her face drained. She quickly turned to her husband and said,

"We should bring them all here! They will say I am innocent! Ezekiel, bring them back and let them speak to the ministers. They’ll tell them I didn’t do anything. Where are they?!"

Ezekiel tried to calm Caroline, though his attention remained fractured. His eyes couldn’t quite focus on her face anymore as he was calculating now.

He hadn’t been able to properly look at Ruelle since entering the dungeon. Not with Lucian Slater standing there watching everything with those eyes that seemed to be waiting for him to take a misstep.

Yesterday, Ezekiel had been pleased knowing Ruelle wasn’t bought by anymore. But the truth about what Harold Belmont said hadn’t left him. His jaw tightened faintly. First Dane Slater hovering around her, then the prince and now Lucian himself. And what irritated Ezekiel most was the simple fact that he hadn’t managed to get a moment alone with her. He responded to his wife’s words,

"They were dismissed weeks ago. Some returned to their hometowns and others already found jobs elsewhe—"

"I can arrange for them to be brought in. You only need to provide their names and current addresses," Lucian remarked, his cold gaze returning to Ezekiel. A pause followed before he added, "Assuming those haven’t gone missing as well."

Ruelle watched hope enter Caroline’s face. The panic and tears still lingered in her sister’s expression, yet desperation flickered through it now. But before her sister could thank, Ezekiel stated,

"How convenient, though, that the man in charge of the investigation also happens to be the same person who destroyed the Belmont house. First their home and Mr. Belmont’s arms," he continued. "And now Caroline sits in a cell under your authority."

Caroline, who hadn’t been aware about this, her mouth fell open as she stared at the pureblooded vampire. Ezekiel added politely,

me, Mr. Slater. If I find it difficult to

sent her behind the bars? Caroline’s lips parted in disbelief, but he was only a student

gaze quickly

at

was stunned at how volatile her sister was right

we were children!" Caroline accused her. "You were angry because Father always loved me, and now—now this pureblooded vampire is keeping me locked in here because of

again, whatever bond they had

truly cared, you would have asked him to let me out of here. That I wasn’t the

want," Ruelle

her own wants. Rarely stopping to see how things had been for Ruelle instead. A bitter smile appeared on the older Belmont

knew you hated me!" Her fingers tightened

stared at her

Caroline could construct such elaborate stories of maltreatment while remaining blind to her own role in everything that had occurred. But she could already sense the distraught accusations that would

truly think far too highly of my influence

Caroline could lash out, Lucian

Henley." The dungeon quietened almost immediately beneath his voice. "I would like a

exactly would require my attention at a time like

I can easily arrange for

two men before Lucian raised his hand, motioning for the halfling to

side, watching little insects flying around it. He then followed Lucian out of the

from having you here?" Ruelle asked, her eyes slightly dazed. Before Caroline could answer, she continued, "At this moment, I already have everything

before," Caroline huffed with a deep frown on her

things were going to hurt me, yet you said them anyway," Ruelle murmured before a sigh escaped her

between the sisters. Ruelle then began to walk toward the exit, when Caroline

"Where are you going?!"

and turned to look at the empty cell next to her, before she calmly responded,

the vampiress follow after

the dungeon, the air had turned sharper with

husband. Even if the pureblooded vampire felt that he had something to do with the murders, there was no way for him to be sure of

stood with his hands buried in his coat pockets, his expression unreadable

to talk about?"

back to Ezekiel. "I imagine you would rather have your wife beside you than

Mr. Slater," Ezekiel’s response came smoothly. "I am just surprised you arrested her," the words came with

her chain to end up near the vicitim’s body," Lucian agreed, his tone matching Ezekiel’s false concern perfectly. "Especially when it appears someone went to considerable effort to ensure it was

faint silence settled between them, and neither

continued to stay on Ezekiel, his gaze patient and relentless like a predator who had already decided where to bite. "Who benefits from

alongside Peyton. Soon, one of the guards approached the vampiress and leaned down to whisper about the elder minister summoning her. Peyton gave a small nod before turning toward Ruelle briefly and then she stepped away, leaving Ruelle standing alone

than

if the chain did somehow end up there

where he stood. He then remarked, "I heard your marriage is yet to reach a year. And that

his attention faltered at the footsteps that approached from behind. "I

how devoted you are to your duties at Sexton. I heard you spent more time within its walls than at your own house," Lucian remarked

gaze shifted absently when Ruelle came to stand next to Lucian, and then he

process what he was looking at. A dark mark rested against the side of her neck, which was elegant and

time, the halfling had believed there was still time. That Ruelle remained untouched despite the men circling around her. But this...his

Mr. Henley," Lucian stated, his gaze shifting toward Ruelle and the back of his gloved hand brushed her cheek with a familiarity that brought warmth to her face. She instinctively turned to

bed alone long enough to concern myself with anything else." The pureblooded vampire’s eyes then moved to the corner like a predator

there it was, thought

face. It lasted barely a second, along with the way the halfling’s eyes lingered on the flush spreading across

widened. What exactly was Lucian saying in front of another person? And while her heartbeat

was quick to disappear

has the luxury of neglecting responsibilities so easily, Mr. Slater. Some of us still

replied, "I heard you sold your house to spare Mrs. Henley from the bidding." His hand rested lightly against

irritation spread sharply beneath his skin. Something about the pureblooded vampire’s gaze made the simple sentence feel

on Ezekiel as he asked, "I assumed you enjoy gardening." After a pause he continued, "In the meantime, bring Mr. and Mrs. Belmont here tomorrow. As the people closest to Mrs. Henley, I

gave a nod.

behaved with her at Sexton. When he had planned for Caroline to take the

before glancing at Ruelle who was still red and affected by what the pureblooded did.

turned and watched Ezekiel walk away. She then said, "I didn’t know you liked gifting

from the past," Lucian hummed as he focussed back on

a chamber here?" the surprise in her voice was genuine. Her eyebrows rose, impressed by the thought as they stepped back inside the building. "You must have worked hard for

in her voice was unmistakable. To have an office here,

bribe so that I continue my work here," his words

came to settle on

is it?" Lucian asked,

thoughts. She then said, "I was just thinking if Caroline’s thoughts would change with her time in the dungeon." When life