Obsessed with a High-Ranking Esper (BL)-Chapter 233: Alarna’s downfall

She snapped a suppression ring around her neck, and instantly her guide powers were subdued, snuffed out like a candle.

They dragged her up and threw her into the armored car, where her mother was already seated, restrained on the bench. The door slammed shut, sealing them inside.

Alarna kicked at it furiously, her boots thudding against the reinforced steel. But it was pointless. The car didn’t budge. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Breathing heavily, sweat dripping down her temples, she finally collapsed onto the floor.

Her mother looked at her, eyes weary and voice sharp. "Are you done?"

Alarna humphed, defiant even in chains. "Wait until Ci-ge comes. They will regret this."

Her mother sighed, exasperated, shaking her head. "How stupid."

Alarna’s gaze snapped up, fierce and burning.

Her mother met it without flinching. "You think he doesn’t know what’s going on? He knows. He just doesn’t give a shit."

The words cut deeper than any restraint, leaving Alarna’s arrogance trembling on the edge of collapse.

Her eyes blazed with defiance, her voice trembling but unyielding. "No. He will come to save me. I am his benefactor."

Her mother’s laugh was sharp, bitter. "Are you really?"

Alarna froze, stunned. She had told her parents countless times that on that night she had guided Jian Ci, that he had imprinted on her. But the way her mother looked at her now, cold and knowing, made her stomach twist.

Her mother’s heel lashed out, kicking her hard. "Do you think I am fucking stupid? If he really touched you that night, no matter what illness he has, he would be fawning over you. He wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off you. Tsk. How did I raise such an idiot?"

Alarna shook her head violently, denial spilling from her lips. "No, that’s not true!" The words broke into a hiss of pain as her broken arm throbbed, forcing her to clutch it.

Her mother scoffed, her voice dripping with contempt. "We can’t rely on him. We need to get a good lawyer. Your father is the one who committed the crimes, so why should we be implicated?"

Alarna heard her, but the words slid past her like smoke. She clung to her belief, her hope. Jian Ci would come. He had to. He would save her.

But hope was a fragile thing.

When the charges were finally laid bare, both mother and daughter realized the truth. The accusations weren’t minor infractions, weren’t crimes that could be twisted or defended in court. They were treason, treason against the imperial lord himself. The entire Leung family was implicated.

There would be no trial, no defense and no chance to plead innocence. Only judgment.

Madam Leung’s face drained of color. Her body swayed, and before anyone could catch her, she collapsed in a faint, her chains clattering against the floor. They had to carry her to the spacecraft.

Alarna, meanwhile, was in a daze, her mind fogged and spinning. She barely registered the cold bite of shackles on her wrists as she was dragged toward the prison spacecraft. Her arrogance had evaporated, leaving only confusion and dread.

One of the soldiers walking beside her leaned down, his voice low but cutting.

"His Highness Jian Rui just wanted you to know... he knows you poisoned his highness that night. And, um... your family’s downfall is because of you."

The words struck like a blade. Alarna’s soul seemed to leave her body, her face turning ashen.

Her obsession with Jian Ci, her desperate dream of marrying into the royal family, had led her here. She had put a target on her own back the day she lied to him, weaving falsehoods to bind him to her.

She could have chosen another prince. There were many, but each belonged to factions where marriage was a battlefield, concubines wielding power like weapons. Jian Ci had seemed perfect. He had no mother to meddle, no frivolous habits, and a kind heart that made him easy prey. Jian Rui was docile, Jian Wei consumed by his work. Together, they looked like the perfect family to plant her roots in but she had miscalculated.

The Jian brothers were not pushovers. They were monsters cloaked in sheep’s wool, their kindness a mask for the steel beneath.

Alarna’s chest tightened as the armored doors slammed shut, sealing her inside with her fainted mother. It was too late to regret.

Her entire family had collapsed, their empire reduced to rubble, because she had underestimated them. And now, chained and powerless, she finally understood the truth: she had destroyed herself.

***

Leane stirred awake, the soft glow of dawn filtering through the curtains. Elias lay beside her, his breathing slow and heavy, still lost in sleep. She reached for her communicator, swiping it open, and immediately her floating screen lit up with a flood of notifications. Most of them were from the forum.

Her brows furrowed. ’Why is everyone so active this early?’ she thought, curiosity tugging at her. She tapped into the most active thread, and as the words scrolled across the screen, her hand began to tremble.

Alarna had been taken away. The Leung family had been declared traitors to the empire.

Leane’s breath caught. When she had given Yu Xi the information she had, she thought Alarna would simply lose Jian Ci, that her schemes would collapse quietly. But Yu Xi had gone further. He had taken out the entire family, exposing their crimes for all to see.

Leane would never cross Yu Xi. She knew better. Yet, for the first time, a cold sense of fear coiled in her chest.

Her screen blinked. An unknown contact appeared.

Unblock me. We need to talk.

Her stomach dropped. She instantly knew who it was. It was Jian Ci.

Leane licked her lips nervously, her mind racing. Was it a good idea to speak to him about this? Should she get permission from Yu Xi first?

Before she could decide, Elias stirred. He rolled over in his sleep, his arm wrapping around her waist. His voice was groggy and tender. "Baby... where are you going?"

Leane froze, her heart pounding. Elias had been especially enthusiastic last night, and now he was wiped out, clingy, holding her close as if he couldn’t bear to let go.

She glanced at the blinking message again, then made her choice.

Leane lay back down, nestling into Elias’s embrace. "I am not going anywhere," she whispered.

The two of them cuddled, and for now, Jian Ci’s message remained unanswered, hovering like a shadow at the edge of her screen.