The Villianess's Redemption (HYUNJIN ff) ✓

23.Veil of Betrayal

Chapter 23: Veil of Betrayal
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Hyunjin’s POV

As I was having the conversation with Isabella,the door behind me suddenly opened. Eliza and Jasmine rushed into the room and went straight to Isabella.

I couldn’t shake the lingering unease that had settled in the pit of my stomach. Something about the events of the day didn’t add up, and as I looked at Isabella—her pale face, her tired eyes—I knew I needed answers.

Eliza reached Isabella first, her hand trembling as she took hold of Isabella’s. I watched her closely, trying to read her expression. There was genuine concern in her eyes, but there was something else, too—a guilt that seemed to weigh her down.

“Isabella,” Eliza whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there with you… I should have been there.”

Isabella’s smile was small and strained. “It’s okay, Eliza. You couldn’t have known what would happen.”

But I wasn’t as easily reassured. Something didn’t sit right with me, and I needed to understand why Eliza had left so abruptly, leaving Isabella vulnerable.

“Eliza,” I said, my voice calm but with an edge of suspicion, “why don’t you tell us what happened? Why did you leave so suddenly?”

Eliza looked at me, her eyes wide with worry, and took a deep breath before she began to explain. “It was Felix… The knight who came to get me said that Felix needed me urgently. There was no time to lose, so I had to rush. I looked around for you, Isabella, but I couldn’t find you. When I stepped outside, I saw Mary, and I asked her to let you know that I had to leave for something urgent. I didn’t want to worry you, but I had no choice.”

I listened to her explanation, but the unease in my chest only grew. Felix had needed her urgently? It was possible, but why had it been so sudden, and why had it coincided so perfectly with Isabella’s kidnapping? The timing was too convenient, too suspicious. I couldn’t help but feel like there was more to the story, something Eliza wasn’t saying.

I glanced at Isabella, who was watching Eliza intently, her brow furrowed in thought. She seemed to sense the same thing I did—that something wasn’t adding up. But before I could voice my concerns, Jasmine spoke up.

“Isabella,” Jasmine said softly, “you’ve been through so much today. You need to rest. Hyunjin and Eliza, maybe it’s time to let her get some sleep.”

There was a tension in the air, thick and unspoken. I could see the concern in Jasmine’s eyes, and I knew she was right—Isabella needed to rest. But I also knew that we couldn’t ignore the questions that were beginning to pile up.

Before leaving, Jasmine added, “I’ll stay a little longer, just to make sure Isabella is comfortable. You both should get some rest as well.”

Eliza and I exchanged a brief glance, and though I didn’t say anything, I could tell she was relieved to leave the room. She gave Isabella’s hand one last squeeze before standing up and quietly exiting the room with me.

As we walked down the hallway, my mind was spinning with thoughts and suspicions. There was something off about Eliza’s story, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it was. The urgency of Felix’s message, the timing of her departure, the way everything seemed to fall apart the moment she left—it all felt too coincidental.

When we reached the entrance, Eliza turned to me, her expression still filled with guilt. “Hyunjin, I’m sorry for leaving Isabella alone. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”