The Prison-Made Queen novel Chapter 453

"That's why I assumed you knew something," Abel said, chopping a carrot.

He paused, then lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Once, though... I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and saw him in the courtyard. He was holding a knife."

Leilani’s hand paused in mid-air. "A knife?"

Abel nodded, looking visibly shaken by the memory. "Yeah. One of those incredibly thin daggers. He was playing with it—flipping it, spinning it—even with his eyes closed. ‘Swish, swish, swish.’ It was terrifying..."

Leilani’s eyes flickered with thought, but she didn't press further.

After dinner and a shower, Leilani’s head hit the pillow, and her consciousness immediately sank into darkness. The day’s treatment, the training, and studying Paulina’s manuscript had drained every ounce of her energy.

She slept deeply, so soundly that she didn't hear her phone buzzing on the nightstand. It wasn't until the fifth vibration that she groggily opened her eyes, fumbling for the device. Her voice was thick with sleep when she answered. "...Hello?"

It was obvious she had just been dragged out of a dream.

On the other end of the line, Callahan’s deep voice came through. "Did I wake you?"

Leilani rubbed her eyes and checked the time. It was already 1:00 AM. She sat up, surprised, and glanced out the window. The sky was pitch black.

"Mmm..." Leilani lay back down, pulling the covers up. She murmured an explanation, her voice soft and drowsy. "I was so tired today, I just passed out. I forgot we were supposed to talk."

Before moving to the new house, Leilani and Callahan had agreed to call each other every day. But tonight, exhaustion had wiped her memory clean.

On the other end, Callahan seemed to envision her reaction, a warmth filling his eyes. "Are you getting used to the new house?" he asked.

"Yeah," Leilani whispered. "It's nice. Much quieter than the old district."

She hesitated for a moment before adding, "Also... Payton and Abel moved in with me."

Callahan raised an eyebrow. "They moved in? Payton agreed to that?"

Leilani had previously given Callahan a rough idea of Payton’s situation, so he knew Payton wasn't in good health. He hadn't expected someone with such pride to agree to live in another person's home.

Leilani chuckled softly and explained the sequence of events. "It took some effort, but I managed to convince him."