In this chapter, Larissa reveals to Finley that she has poisoned him with a unique toxin for which only she holds the antidote. She warns him that the poison will cause unbearable pain unless he behaves, promising to provide the antidote regularly if he complies. When Finley expresses disbelief, Larissa demonstrates the poison\u2019s effect, causing him intense agony. Defeated and in despair, Finley realizes his fate is entirely controlled by Larissa.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Larissa then instructs Haskell to take care of the severely weakened Finley, who is carried out of the factory by Crispin. With Finley and his bodyguards secured, only Larissa and Haskell remain in the dimly lit space. Larissa, curious about Haskell\u2019s past, asks him to share his story. He suggests moving to a more peaceful location, and they go to a quiet countryside spot by a mountain with a small gazebo.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
As they settle there, Larissa teases Haskell about his previously privileged life and lack of real hardship before his accident. Haskell opens up about how losing the use of his legs changed everything, causing people to treat him with disdain rather than respect. Larissa remarks that such treatment is common when someone falls from grace, and only those who stay through tough times truly matter. Haskell looks at Larissa, wondering if she was one of those rare people who stayed by his side. Larissa laughs it off, calling their relationship more of a mutually beneficial arrangement based on attraction and advantage. The chapter ends with Larissa moving closer to Haskell, asking to see his legs.<\/p>\n
Chapter 45<\/p>\n
\u201cJust a poison for which only I hold the antidote,\u201d Larissa said casually, her tone almost teasing. \u201cDon\u2019t worry, it\u2019s not deadly. But when it kicks in, it\u2019ll bring you unbearable pain. If you behave from now on, I\u2019ll give you the antidote regularly. Otherwise, you\u2019ll just have to suffer through the torment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Finley stared at her, disbelief clear in his eyes. \u201cI\u2019ve never heard of a poison that powerful before\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Before he could finish his sentence, Larissa snapped her fingers sharply. A fierce, burning pain erupted inside him, twisting through his organs so violently he thought he might collapse. The agony was unlike anything he\u2019d ever experienced.<\/p>\n
When the searing pain finally eased, Finley was left shattered and defeated. He bit his lip hard, glaring at Larissa with a silent fury he dared not voice aloud. It was painfully clear\u2014his fate was now entirely in her hands.<\/p>\n
That thought crushed him, and he closed his eyes, swallowed by despair.<\/p>\n
Larissa clapped her hands together lightly. \u201cFinley\u2019s badly hurt, so he can\u2019t just return to the Judson estate like this. I\u2019ll leave him with you for now. I\u2019ll come back for him tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course,\u201d Haskell replied without hesitation.<\/p>\n
He motioned to Crispin, who approached and carefully lifted Finley over his shoulder. Crispin then carried him out of the factory toward the waiting car. His men took custody of Finley\u2019s four bodyguards as well, ensuring no one was left behind.<\/p>\n
Before long, only Larissa and Haskell remained in the dimly lit factory.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow that we\u2019re alone,\u201d Larissa said, her curiosity genuine, \u201ctell me your story.\u201d<\/p>\n
Haskell smiled softly. \u201cAlright. But this place feels a bit gloomy. Let me take you somewhere more peaceful.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sounds perfect,\u201d Larissa agreed eagerly.<\/p>\n
The tranquil spot Haskell led her to was tucked away in the countryside, near a mountain where a gentle creek babbled quietly. Nearby stood a small gazebo, its stone pillars weathered but sturdy.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t tell me you built this gazebo too,\u201d Larissa said, leaning casually against one of the pillars. She stretched, savoring the cool evening breeze that brushed through her hair.<\/p>\n
Haskell nodded. \u201cMm. Sometimes, when I\u2019m feeling down, I come here to sit and clear my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n
Larissa smirked, teasing him. \u201cWhat could have possibly put you in a bad mood before your legs were injured? You came from a wealthy family, lived a life without worries. Probably just stressed about having too much money and nowhere to spend it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The setting sun bathed his handsome face in a warm golden light, making her heart flutter unexpectedly.<\/p>\n
Haskell chuckled. \u201cYou\u2019re not wrong. My life was smooth sailing before. I never really faced any real hardships. My so-called worries were just about my company not meeting my own high standards.\u201d<\/p>\n
He sighed, a bittersweet smile tugging at his lips. \u201cThen came the accident. Losing the use of my legs changed everything. The respect and concern I once received vanished, replaced by sneers and avoidance. Now, when people smile at me, it all feels so hollow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Larissa shrugged. \u201cThat\u2019s normal. When you fall from a great height, all the goodwill you once had seems to evaporate. Most people just want to kick you when you\u2019re down. The ones who stay by your side during tough times are the only ones who truly matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Haskell turned to look at her, his eyes searching. \u201cLike you? When everyone else kept their distance, you were willing to accept me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Larissa paused, a short laugh escaping her lips. \u201cMe? I wouldn\u2019t say I was a safe harbor in a storm. It was more of a mutually beneficial arrangement. I admired your good looks, and you just happened to be able to provide them.\u201d<\/p>\n
She rose and moved closer, crouching down beside him. \u201cLet me see your legs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland\u2019s breathtaking cold.<\/p>\n
Wings of Broken Time by Alina Das 45 Wings of Broken Time by Alina Das 45 Summary In this chapter, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[89],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30564","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-throne-of-thorns-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30564","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30564"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30564\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30564"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30564"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30564"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}