Reborn To Change My Fate-Chapter 315 - Three Hundred And Fourteen

Marissa knelt in the quiet main hall of the temple. She finished her final prayer for her husband’s safety. She opened her eyes and slowly stood up, smoothing the dark blue fabric of her skirt. She turned to walk toward the waiting room to meet Beatrice.

As she walked down the long, cold stone corridor, she noticed a sudden change in the atmosphere. The peaceful silence was broken. Two young temple workers ran past her, their sandals slapping loudly against the floor. Their faces were pale with panic.

"The dowager has collapsed," one of the workers whispered loudly to a priest. "In the waiting room!"

Marissa stopped walking. Her heart skipped a beat. She froze for a second, processing the words.

"What?" Marissa murmured to herself. Her eyes widened in shock. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

She did not wait for an explanation. She reached down and grabbed the heavy fabric of her long skirt in both hands. She lifted the skirt above her ankles and began to run.

She raced down the corridor as fast as she could. Her leather shoes clicked rapidly against the hard stone. Fear tightened her chest. Beatrice was old, and her health was already fragile after the shock of Derek’s death from the war. If something terrible happened to the old matriarch, the Thompson family would be thrown into deeper chaos.

Marissa turned the corner sharply. She saw the open oak door of the waiting room. A few priests were already gathering outside, looking scared and confused. Marissa pushed past them without apologizing.

She rushed into the room.

The first thing she saw was the spilled tea on the small wooden table. Then, she saw the wooden cane lying on the floor.

Finally, she saw Beatrice. The old woman was lying flat on the hard stone floor, completely motionless. Her eyes were closed, and her face was terribly pale.

"Grandmother!" Marissa exclaimed. Her voice was loud and filled with pure fear.

She dropped to her knees right beside the old woman. The hard stone bruised her knees, but she did not care. She leaned over Beatrice, her hands shaking.

First, Marissa bent her head low, placing her ear near Beatrice’s nose and mouth. She held her own breath. She listened carefully. A second later, she felt a very faint, shallow puff of warm air against her cheek.

She is breathing, Marissa thought, a tiny wave of relief washing over her.

Next, Marissa reached out with her trembling fingers. She placed two fingers gently against the side of Beatrice’s wrinkled neck, searching for the main vein. She waited in the terrifying silence.

Thump... thump... thump.

The pulse was there. It was very weak, and it was beating much too slowly, but it was there. Beatrice is still alive.

Marissa turned her head and looked fiercely at the crowd of temple workers and priests who were standing uselessly in the doorway. Her eyes were sharp and commanding. She was no longer just a worried family member; she was the Grand Duchess taking charge of an emergency.

"Fetch a physician immediately!" Marissa ordered, her voice ringing out with absolute authority. "And send a messenger to the estate. Inform my husband right now!"

The priests jumped at her loud command. They quickly scattered, running down the halls to find the temple doctor and a fast horse.

Because the dowager Duchess of Denver had collapsed, a massive commotion broke out in that part of the temple. More workers rushed into the room carrying bowls of water and clean cloths. The priests began to chant loud prayers for healing. People pushed against each other, trying to see what was happening. The small waiting room became crowded, noisy, and highly confused.

Marissa stayed on her knees, trying to unbutton the high collar of Beatrice’s dress to help the old woman breathe better. She was completely focused on saving Beatrice. She did not look at the people crowding behind her.

"Leave! All of you!" She shouted at the onlookers. " Get out! She needs air!"

During this slight unrest, a man in a dirty brown temple worker’s uniform slipped into the room. He kept his head down, hiding his face beneath a cheap cloth cap. It was Carlos.

He moved silently through the distracted crowd as they left the waiting room. No one paid attention to a lowly servant holding a white cloth. Everyone has already dispersed and the waiting room was now empty.

Carlos sneaked up directly behind Marissa. His eyes were filled with a dark, bitter hatred. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thick handkerchief that smelled strongly of sweet, sickening chemicals. He had soaked it in a powerful sleeping drug.

"Has the physician arrived?" Marissa asked without looking back, hearing the sound of footsteps.

There was silence then Carlos moved with sudden, desperate speed.

He lunged forward and wrapped his left arm tightly around Marissa’s waist, pinning her arms to her sides. At the exact same time, he used his right hand to shove the drugged handkerchief hard over her nose and mouth.

Marissa gasped in shock, but the gasp forced her to inhale the strong, sweet fumes.

Her eyes widened in absolute terror. She knew instantly she was being attacked. She tried to scream, but the thick cloth muffled her voice into a quiet groan.

Marissa fought back fiercely. She kicked her legs backward, trying to hit his shins. She threw her head back, trying to smash her skull into his nose. She twisted her body with all her strength.

But Carlos was a man, and he was fueled by desperate anger. He held her tight, pressing the cloth harder against her face.

The drug was incredibly fast. Within seconds, Marissa’s struggles began to weaken. The loud noise of the room faded into a dull buzz. Her vision blurred, the edges turning black. Her arms lost their strength. Her mind went completely blank.

Marissa went limp in his arms, totally unconscious.

Because the crowd was shouting and focused on the physician who had just arrived at the entrance, no one noticed the servant dragging the sleeping Grand Duchess backward into the shadows of the hallway. Carlos pulled her out of the room and disappeared into the dark servant corridors.