Jamie's POV
The room was shrouded in darkness, the only source of light being the faint glow of the moon filtering through the heavy curtains.
I sat on a plush velvet armchair, waiting anxiously for Thomas to return. The air was heavy with tension, my heart pounding in my chest.
I was lucky my mother would not be returning today as she had to be somewhere in the next kingdom working with some women there to get extra income.
I had the house to myself. But that didn't make it any better.
I had thought she would be dead but after going to the palace that day I had found out that she was still alive.
The people who had tried to kill her had been killed by the prince himself.
It was getting frustrating that I could no longer get trustworthy people anymore.
How could he tell me that he would do his job only to have failed?
I knew his mission had failed, and the consequences were dire.
Now I would also have to deal with Trina and that woman didn't play nice.
I could hear the approaching sounds of a horse and when it stopped I prepared myself to confront him.
He had no idea who he was playing with and he was about to regret his actions.
Finally, the door creaked open, and Thomas stepped into the room. His face was filled with exhaustion and defeat. I could see the pain in his eyes, the weight of his failure burdening his every step. I rose from the armchair, my anger bubbling to the surface.
"You failed, Thomas," I spat, my voice filled with venom. "You had one job - to eliminate the woman who posed a threat to my life by actually being alive. And yet, here you are, standing before me empty-handed. What happened? Can you explain to me what happened out there?"
Thomas's shoulders slumped, his voice barely a whisper. "I'm sorry, my love. From the reports I got, they were outnumbered. The prince was prepared for our attack. They did everything they could, but..."
I cut him off with a swift slap across the face, my rage boiling over. "I paid you handsomely with my body, Thomas. I entrusted you with the task of protecting me, of eliminating anyone who stood in my way. And what do you do? You fail me.
"Do you think I'm silly to give you the advice of being careful when you're going there? I know that before you left for the army I followed you to advise you all to be careful and to hire the best of the best. She had the prince beside her, you didn't think this would be easy did you?"
Tears welled up in Thomas's eyes, his voice filled with desperation. "Please, forgive me my love. I promise I'll make it right. I'll gather another team, a stronger one. We'll bring her to you, alive."
I scoffed, my voice filled with rage. "Alive? What use is she to me alive? I wanted her dead, Thomas. Dead and gone. You know the risks, the danger she poses to me. And yet, you come here with promises of kidnapping her? How foolish do you think I am?
"How hard is it to kill one goddamn blind girl? She's not even fast or strong or has magic or anything. She's a disabled person! She's blind! By the gods, you all keep making me feel like this woman actually has powers.
"And if she really had powers, her name would be Lady Luck because how is she still alive after all I've done to her? I've kidnapped her twice, I've hired you to do your thing, even sending assassins didn't work. This is crazy. Now I'm out of options. There is nothing I can do anymore."
Thomas's voice trembled as he pleaded. "I thought it would be easier to take her alive, my love. If we take her alive, we can learn from her, use her to our advantage. She might have valuable information that could help us. Please, let me try again."
My eyes narrowed, my anger simmering beneath the surface. "You think this is some army drill? Do I look like someone who would need that bitch alive? You think I need information? What I need is for her to be eliminated, Thomas. I need you to do what I paid you for - to protect me at all costs and kill her. She is a threat to me. Her being alive is a threat and a danger to me."
Thomas's voice was filled with desperation as he fell to his knees. "I will not fail you again, my love. I promise you, I will gather a team, a stronger one this time. We will not rest until she is brought to justice."
A moment of silence hung in the air as I thought about his words. He had betrayed me, failed me when I needed him the most. But was there still a light of hope at the end of the tunnel? Could he redeem himself?
Finally, I spoke, my voice was cold. "Very well, Thomas. I will give you one more chance. But remember, failure is not an option. Bring her to me, dead or alive, and only then will I consider forgiving you."
The man's eyes lit up with relief. "Thank you, my love. You won't be disappointed. I swear it. I already have a team on the ready. A stronger one this time. All I need to do is make sure she's not going to wiggle out of my defenses but other than that, she's mine."
With that, he rose from his knees and left the room, his footsteps echoing down the corridor. I sank back into the armchair, the weight of the situation settling upon me.
I had placed my whole trust in Thomas, and he had let me down. But there was still a light of hope that he could make amends.