Chapter 5 Weakness as a weapon
Marionette didn’t look up.
“I don’t pretend.”
Silence settled between them.
Cassius watched her more closely this time. Not with the distant politeness he had maintained before, nor the calculated indifference. This was sharper. As though he were studying her, taking her apart piece by piece.
Marionette ignored it.
Her focus remained on the wound, though her fingers slowed ever so slightly.
Something was wrong.
The blood loss was too much. Even with his control, his body was beginning to betray him. The tightening of his jaw. The slight delay in his breathing. The subtle tremor he could no longer fully suppress.
If this continued, he would not last the night.
Marionette stilled, then moved her hand slowly to her waist.
His gaze settled immediately on the pouch at her waist.
Her fingers slipped inside. She hesitated for a second before drawing one out.
A single pill rested on her palm.
She lifted her hand toward him.
“Take it.”
Cassius did not move immediately. His eyes lingered on the pill, then lifted to her face, searching, weighing.
Slowly, the corner of his lips curved.
Not amusement. Not surprise.
Something else.
“I was wondering how long it would take you.”
Marionette’s eyes sharpened.
Cassius leaned forward slightly.
Close enough that she could feel the shift in the air between them.
“Faster than I expected.”
The certainty in his voice settled coldly in her mind.
Her hand stilled.
Understanding followed.
“You set this up.”
Satisfaction flickered across his expression.
“You walked into it.”
He did not wait for her response. He took the pill from her palm and swallowed it without hesitation.
Marionette watched him.
Closely.
Cassius leaned back, his eyes closing briefly as he exhaled. When he opened them again, that same smirk remained.
“Just like before,” he said quietly.
Her brows drew together.
Before?
Her thoughts moved quickly before the realization settled coldly in her mind.
He had planned this.
Her fingers curled slightly at her side.
“So this was the plan.”
Cassius said nothing.
He did not need to.
The answer was already there.
Marionette looked at him, recalculating everything she had misread.
Then her hand moved.
Fast.
There was no warning.
The sound of the slap split the silence.
Cassius’s head turned slightly with the impact.
Her hand remained there for a brief second before she lowered it.
Neither of them spoke.
Cassius let out a low laugh, quiet but edged with something sharper.
Marionette’s expression did not change.
“Next time,” she said evenly, “try not to gamble with your life.”
She rose, closed the case in one smooth motion, and walked away without hesitation.
The door shut behind her.
Silence returned.
A moment later, Cassius laughed again, softer this time, as if the memory lingered longer than it should have.
Inside her room, Marionette remained by the door, her hand still resting on the handle.
His laughter reached her, low but unmistakable.
She closed her eyes briefly.
The tension she had been holding settled into something heavier.
Fatigue.
She exhaled slowly, then moved.
Her fingers pressed the service panel.
“Nanny Irina.”
Her voice remained steady.
“Please attend to Mr. Volkov.”
She stepped away.
Marionette sat on the edge of the bed, intending to rest only for a moment.
Her body gave in before her mind could argue.
When she opened her eyes again, morning light had already filled the room.
Marionette pushed herself up slowly.
The tension from last night had dulled slightly.
After freshening up, she dressed and walked to the door.
Her fingers paused on the handle before she opened it.
At the same moment, the door across the corridor opened.
They stepped into the corridor at the same time.
Cassius was already looking at her, as though he had expected it.
Her eyes moved over him briefly.
He was impeccably dressed. A black suit tailored perfectly to his frame, dark gloves covering his hands, and a walking stick resting beneath his grip.
Her gaze dropped to his leg.
There was no tremor now.
Marionette gave a small nod of satisfaction.
Cassius noticed.
His gaze lingered a moment longer than necessary.
“Dinner is at eight.”
The words came too smoothly.
Marionette blinked, then turned slightly to glance at the clock inside her room.
8:00 AM.
She looked back at him.
“What happened to breakfast and lunch?” she asked calmly. “You don’t eat those?”
Cassius stilled.
His grip on the walking stick firmed.
Then he turned and walked away without a word.
Marionette watched him disappear down the corridor, still unable to decide whether he was ridiculous or dangerous.
The dining hall was already set when Marionette arrived.
Long table.
Minimal noise.
Everything is precise, arranged with quiet luxury.
She had barely taken her seat when the doors opened.
Adrian stepped in.
“Mr. Volkov. Mrs. Volkov.”
He inclined his head respectfully, a small black box held in his hands.
Marionette returned the gesture with a composed nod. “Good morning.”
Adrian moved toward Cassius, stopping just at his side. He leaned slightly, voice lowered enough to remain private.
Marionette did not hear the words.
But she saw the effect.
Cassius’s expression remained unchanged at first.
Then, slowly, something shifted.
The ease in his posture vanished instantly.
He rose smoothly, standing tall without support as though the weakness from the previous night had never existed.
Marionette watched carefully.
Cassius reached for the walking stick beside him, then he turned and lowered himself into the wheelchair with calm ease, as though it had always been his intention.
Understanding flickered through Marionette’s eyes.
So that was it.
It was never an inability, it was a choice.
The slightest curve touched her lips.
Cassius noticed immediately.
His gaze lingered on her for a while.
Adrian stepped forward and placed the black box carefully in front of Marionette.
“I had your remaining belongings retrieved,” Cassius said.
His tone had already returned to its usual calm composure, giving nothing away.
“I’ll be leaving for a while. If you require anything, inform Nanny Irina.”
Marionette rested her hand lightly on the box.
“Thank you.”
Their eyes met briefly, both unreadable.
Then Cassius turned his wheelchair and left the dining hall, Adrian following closely behind.
The doors closed softly after them, and silence settled over the room once more.
Marionette lowered her gaze to the box in front of her.
She lifted the lid carefully.
Her phone rested on top.
Beneath it was a photograph.
Her fingers stilled as she picked it up.
Cherry blossoms bloomed behind them beneath the spring sunlight. Her mother was caught mid-laugh, warm and alive, while a younger Marionette smiled beside her without restraint.
For a brief moment, the dining hall seemed to fade away.
Her thumb brushed gently across the surface of the glass.
“I thought I lost you,” she murmured softly.
She placed the photograph beside her plate before reaching for her phone.
The moment the screen lit up, notifications popped in endlessly.
Missed calls and messages flooded the screen as the phone vibrated in her hand.
Before she could go through any of them, an incoming call interrupted everything.
Davina.
Marionette answered immediately.
“Finally!”
Davina’s voice burst through the speaker, sharp with worry and frustration.
“Are you okay? Where are you? Why weren’t you answering? Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?”
