#Chapter 144: Pride & Envy

Iris I bolt upright, drenched in a cold sweat with a scream dying in my throat. Veronica. A serpent’s tail. Invisible hands pulling me down into an ocean of crimson blood. I reach for Arthur beside me, but my hand finds only rumpled sheets, still warm from his body heat but empty. Panic flares in my chest, made worse by my half-asleep and half-frantic state. Where is he? Did he— No. It was just a dream. Arthur would never— Before I can come to my senses, I throw off the covers and grab my robe from the hook on the bathroom door, cinching it tight around my waist as I hurry out of the bedroom. The apartment is quiet except for the faint sounds coming from the kitchen—the clatter of dishes, Miles’s high-pitched giggles, and Arthur’s low voice. I follow the sounds, practically falling down the stairs in my haste. The scene that greets me in the kitchen instantly melts away the lingering dread from my nightmare. Arthur is standing at the stove, fli