It had never been Griswold’s intention to implicate his own partner.

From the very beginning, Warren had simply been someone useful enough to keep around, but now that every plan they had put in place was collapsing one after another and the walls were slowly closing in around him, Griswold knew he could no longer afford to keep him alive.

If Warren was caught first, it would only be a matter of time before his fear got the better of him and he started talking.

Therefore, Griswold quietly planted false evidence against him, ensuring that all suspicion would fall on Warren while buying himself enough time to come up with another strategy.

Besides, Warren had always been weak. He had never possessed the resolve Griswold admired. Even when Rebecca and Julian had first been abducted, Warren had already begun wavering.

"How about we no longer pursue this plan anymore?" he had asked nervously, his voice trembling with uncertainty.

Griswold had known then that Warren lacked the backbone for anything this dangerous. A man like that would eventually become a burden, and burdens had to be discarded before they became threats.

Since Warren could no longer be trusted to keep quiet, Griswold reached out to someone inside the palace and paid handsomely to ensure that Warren would never speak another word.

Ironically, it happened on the very night Rowan ordered Warren brought in for questioning.

"I had nothing to do with this... They’re all lies against me, Your Majesty," Warren pleaded, his entire body shaking as he knelt before the throne. "I have a family. I would never think of hurting another family. I swear to you, I had nothing to do with any of this."

Rowan studied him silently before asking, "Then what about the embezzlement of royal funds?"

The colour drained completely from Warren’s face.

"I didn’t do that either, Your Majesty. I am being framed. Please... I beg you, investigate this matter properly before passing judgment."

Although Rowan could tell the man was speaking honestly about some of the accusations, he also knew Warren wasn’t entirely innocent. There were truths hidden beneath those desperate pleas, and he intended to uncover every one of them.

He raised a hand, and the guards immediately stepped forward.

The moment Warren saw them, panic seized him.

"Your Majesty, please!" he cried desperately. "Please don’t do this!"

"Take him away," Rowan ordered calmly. "He will remain in custody until further questioning."

The guards seized Warren by both arms and dragged him from the throne room despite his frantic resistance. His pleas echoed through the corridor long after he disappeared from sight, and only when the sound finally faded did silence return to the hall.

Unfortunately for Warren, one of the guards escorting him was secretly working for Griswold.

His orders were simple.

Before another interrogation could take place, Warren had to die.

Later that night, after the other guards had finished their rounds and the dungeon had grown quiet, the man slipped back toward Warren’s cell.

The faint sound of approaching footsteps drew Warren’s attention, and he immediately looked up.

"What are you doing here?" he asked cautiously.

The guard stopped before the iron bars. "Griswold sent me," he answered quietly.

Hope instantly flickered across Warren’s face. "Did he send you to rescue me?" he asked eagerly before his expression slowly stiffened.

"Wait... how did he even know I was here?"

Realisation suddenly dawned on him. "...Did he frame me?"

A cold smile touched the guard’s lips.

"He said he’ll help you," he replied. "You won’t have to worry anymore."

As he spoke, he slowly drew a knife from beneath his cloak, and its blade caught the pale moonlight filtering through the narrow window.

The hope in Warren’s eyes vanished.

His face twisted in horror as he stumbled backwards, but before he could scream for help, the guard lunged forward and drove the blade into the side of his neck.

The sharp tip emerged through the opposite side.

Blood poured from Warren’s mouth as he desperately clawed at the blade lodged in his throat, but no sound escaped him except broken choking noises. His trembling hand reached weakly toward the guard before all strength left his body and he collapsed lifelessly onto the floor.

The guard pulled the knife free, wiped the blood from the blade, and quickly made for the exit.

Unfortunately for him, another palace guard had just entered the corridor.

Seeing someone hurriedly leaving the dungeon at such an unusual hour immediately stirred his suspicion, but before he could stop the man, the stranger disappeared around the corner.

Frowning, he continued toward Warren’s cell.

The moment he looked inside, his eyes widened in horror.

"Emergency!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "There is a killer!"

His cry echoed throughout the dungeon and spread through the palace within moments, throwing everyone into confusion and fear.

Rowan and Cedric arrived almost immediately.

The moment Rowan saw Warren’s lifeless body lying in a pool of blood, his jaw clenched tightly.

One assassin had already been captured, yet another killer had managed to move freely within the palace itself. Whoever was behind this was far more dangerous than he had imagined.

While Rowan examined the scene, Cedric questioned the guard who had nearly crossed paths with the murderer.

"...He was wearing the same uniform as the rest of us," the guard explained, his voice trembling. "I thought he was one of our own until I noticed how strangely he was behaving. By the time I went to check, Warren was already dead."

Cedric exchanged a grim look with Rowan.

"I want every guard, every servant, every maid, and every palace worker questioned," Rowan ordered, his voice cold and unwavering. "The enemy is no longer outside these walls. Someone inside this palace is helping them."

Cedric nodded immediately.

"I’ll also double the palace security and have every entrance watched around the clock."

Rowan gave a single nod of approval.

However, Griswold had no intention of stopping there.