Chapter 3

Ellie Gilbert POV:

The image of Jace and Fallon dancing, their bodies silhouetted against the glittering lights of the polo club, was seared into my brain. I spent the night staring at the ceiling of my cold, empty bedroom, the pain in my abdomen a dull, throbbing counterpoint to the sharp agony in my chest. Each tick of the grandfather clock in the hall was a second closer to my escape.

I finally managed to limp back to the penthouse in the early hours of the morning, my body screaming in protest with every step. I just wanted to crawl into bed and let the darkness take me.

Jace was in the living room, a tumbler of whiskey in his hand. For a fleeting moment, a flicker of concern crossed his face as he saw me hobble in, my face pale and drawn. "Are you alright?"

Before I could answer, the door to the master suite flew open and Fallon stormed out, her face a mask of theatrical fury. She was holding a small, exquisite Fabergé egg, one of Jace's most prized collectibles.

"Jace!" she shrieked, her voice cracking with manufactured tears. "It's gone! The little sapphire that was on the top-it's missing!" She threw the egg onto the plush carpet, the delicate object thankfully remaining intact. "It was my mother's favorite piece in your collection! She always said it reminded her of my eyes."

Fallon then pointed a trembling finger at me. "It was her! I saw her lurking around the display case yesterday! She's jealous! She's trying to destroy everything I love!"

Jace's brief moment of concern for me evaporated. He rushed to Fallon's side, his expression hardening as he looked at me. "Ellie? Did you take it?"

"Of course not," I said, my voice weary. "Fallon, I haven't been near that case."

"Liar!" she sobbed, burying her face in Jace's chest. "She hates me, Jace. She hates that you love me."

Jace's arms wrapped around Fallon protectively. He looked over her head at me, his eyes filled with suspicion and contempt. He issued a new decree, his voice laced with ice. "From now on, you are not to touch anything in this house that belongs to me or to Fallon. You are a guest here, Ellie. A temporary one. Do you understand?"

The words hit me with the force of a physical blow. A guest. In the home I had shared with him for five years. In the bed where I had conceived his child.

He led the still-sobbing Fallon back to their room, whispering soothing words to her, words he once whispered to me.

Fallon, however, wasn't finished. She paused at the door, her eyes, red-rimmed from crocodile tears, fixing on me. "Jace, darling," she whimpered. "I'm so upset, I can't eat a thing. But I'm craving those little almond cakes from Cecconi's. The ones with the marzipan flowers."

My blood ran cold. I have a severe, life-threatening allergy to almonds. Anaphylactic shock. Jace knew this better than anyone. He had been there once, years ago, when I'd accidentally ingested a trace amount and had to be rushed to the emergency room. He had held my hand the entire time, his face pale with fear.

"Of course, my love," Jace said immediately. "I'll have the kitchens prepare them."

"No," Fallon said, her voice turning sly. "I want to share them with Ellie. As a peace offering. It's time we buried the hatchet, don't you think?" The look she gave me was pure venom.

"Fallon, that's not a good idea," I said, my voice shaking. "Jace, you know I can't-"

"She's trying to make peace, Ellie," Jace interrupted, his tone sharp with annoyance. "The least you can do is accept her apology."

"It's not an apology, it's a death sentence!" I cried out, desperation clawing at my throat. "I'm allergic, Jace! Dangerously allergic!"

Fallon looked at him with wide, innocent eyes. "Allergic? Oh, I had no idea. Is she telling the truth?"

Jace' s expression was unreadable. "It's a mild sensitivity. She's being dramatic." He turned to me, his voice dropping to a low command. "You will sit down with Fallon, and you will eat the cake she offers you. We will put an end to this ridiculous feud tonight."

"No," I said, backing away. "You can't make me."

He took a step towards me, his face a thundercloud. "I can and I will." He grabbed my arm, his grip like a vise. "Don't make me force you, Ellie."

"I won't do it!" I screamed, trying to pull away.

His patience snapped. With a guttural roar of frustration, he twisted my arm behind my back and shoved me towards the dining table. Two security guards appeared as if from nowhere, holding me down in a chair.

A few minutes later, a plate was set before me. On it sat a delicate almond cake, its sweet, cloying scent filling the air, a scent that to me was the smell of death. Fallon sat opposite me, a triumphant smirk on her face.

Jace stood behind me. "Eat it," he commanded.

Tears streamed down my face. "Please, Jace. Don't do this."

He grabbed a fork, scooped up a piece of the cake, and brought it to my lips. "Open your mouth."

I clamped my jaw shut, shaking my head frantically. He swore under his breath and signaled to one of the guards. The man pinched my nose, forcing my mouth to open for air. In that instant, Jace shoved the cake inside.

I choked, I sputtered, trying to spit it out, but he clamped a hand over my mouth, forcing me to swallow.

The reaction was immediate and violent. My throat began to close, the air turning to fire in my lungs. My skin erupted in angry, red hives. I clawed at my neck, desperate for breath, my vision starting to blur at the edges.

Through the roaring in my ears, I could hear Fallon's light, tinkling laughter. "Oh dear," she said, feigning concern. "Perhaps she wasn't exaggerating after all."

The last thing I saw before I blacked out was Jace, standing over me, his face not one of concern or panic, but of cold, clinical observation. He had a phone to his ear. "Yes, Dr. Evans. It seems we have an allergic reaction. You can come up now."

He had planned it. He had the doctor on standby. He wanted to see for himself. He wanted to prove a point.

And in that moment, I knew. His love hadn't just died. It had mutated into something monstrous.