Darling, You Lose

Chapter 28: The Poison Plan

“I’ll kill him myself,” Alexander growls, slamming his fist down on the table, making the glasses on it rattle. His jaw is clenched, his eyes dark with rage. Elena watches him, her heart pounding. She’s never seen him like this—so consumed with anger, so desperate. And for good reason. Rafael has pushed them both to the brink.

Elena’s own hands tremble as she sits across from him. “Alexander, we have to be smart about this,” she says softly, trying to steady herself. The weight of their plan is heavy, pressing down on her chest, but she knows they can’t back out now. “We can’t just go in guns blazing. We need to be careful.”

Alexander glares at her, frustration written all over his face. “Careful?” He scoffs, shaking his head. “This isn’t about being careful anymore, Elena. This is about survival. Rafael is never going to let us go. You know that. He’s going to keep hunting us down, using you, using me, using everyone. We have no choice.”

Elena looks down at her hands, twisting them nervously in her lap. He’s right. They don’t have a choice. She can feel the walls closing in around them every day that passes. Rafael is tightening his grip on her, on everything she cares about. And if they don’t do something soon, they’re both doomed.

“I know,” she whispers, her voice barely audible. “But we need a plan. A foolproof plan. One that’ll make sure he’s gone for good, without anyone finding out.”

Alexander sighs, his hand running through his hair in frustration. “I’ve been thinking about it all day. He’s always so careful, so damn cautious. But he drinks whiskey every night. Same glass, same time, right in front of us. We slip the poison in there, and by the time he realizes what’s happening… it’ll be too late.”

Elena’s stomach churns at the thought, but she knows it’s the only way. They can’t risk him coming after them again. Not after everything they’ve been through. “You’re sure it’s slow-acting?” she asks, looking up at him.

Alexander nods grimly. “It’ll take hours, but by the time it hits, he won’t be able to do anything. It’ll be undetectable—no one will know he was poisoned. He’ll just slowly fade.” His eyes narrow as he speaks, his voice low, like he’s trying to convince himself as much as her. “He won’t even see it coming.”

Elena nods, swallowing the lump in her throat. She doesn’t like the idea, but it’s the only option left. The poison will work without a trace, and once it’s done, Rafael will be gone, and they’ll be free.

“Okay,” she says, her voice trembling a little. “We’ll do it tonight. When he has his drink, we’ll slip it in. And then… then we can finally breathe again.”

Alexander looks at her, his eyes dark but softening. “We’ll be free, Elena. I swear we’ll get through this.”

The hours leading up to the event feel like they drag on forever. Elena’s mind is racing, her body tense with anticipation. She keeps checking the clock, watching the minutes tick by as they wait for Rafael’s usual routine. Every time she hears a door creak or a footstep echo down the hallway, her heart leaps into her throat. She can’t afford to make a mistake.

Finally, the moment comes. She and Alexander are in the private room, waiting, watching as Rafael enters the room with that cold, confident smile he always wears. He greets them casually, not suspecting a thing. Elena forces a smile, trying to hide the fear creeping up her spine.

“Good evening,” Rafael says, his voice smooth, the usual arrogance laced in every word. “I trust you two are ready for the night?”

Elena nods, her heart pounding in her chest. “Of course. Everything’s set.”

Rafael’s eyes flicker briefly toward the drink sitting on the table—his usual glass of whiskey. The glass gleams under the dim light, and Elena can feel the poison burning a hole in her pocket. She forces herself to breathe, focusing on the task at hand.

Alexander, sitting beside her, is calm on the surface, but Elena can see the tension in his shoulders. He’s ready. They both are.

Rafael takes a seat at the table, motioning to the waiter for another drink. Elena watches as the waiter sets the whiskey down in front of him. Her pulse quickens. She and Alexander exchange a brief, almost imperceptible glance. It’s time.

As Rafael is distracted, talking about business, Elena slips the poison into the glass with a steady hand. The liquid dissolves almost instantly, blending seamlessly into the whiskey. If anyone looked closely, they wouldn’t even notice.

She takes a deep breath, praying that everything goes as planned. She watches as Rafael picks up the glass, swirls it slightly, and then takes a sip.

Elena’s stomach drops. She forces herself to breathe, focusing on his face. Rafael doesn’t seem to notice anything unusual. He just smiles, setting the glass back down with a satisfied look.

Alexander watches, his eyes sharp, waiting for the moment to see if the poison begins to take effect. He looks at Elena with a small, reassuring nod. They’ve done it.

But then, just as Elena’s about to exhale in relief, Rafael does something unexpected. He picks up his glass again, but this time, he doesn’t drink it. Instead, he looks at Elena with that predatory smile of his and hands the glass over to her.