"Wife—"
"Samuel, DROP IT."
Their banter continued as they walked back, neither willing to fully admit the growing emotional connection between them.
### The Old Master's Decline
Over the following days and weeks, the old Master's health began to deteriorate steadily. Even the household physician couldn't determine what was wrong.
"His symptoms don't match any illness I'm familiar with," the doctor admitted, looking frustrated. "Weakness, periodic pains, difficulty breathing, confusion... but no fever, no visible injury, no clear diagnosis."
Heena, however, had absolutely no problem identifying the truth. The symptoms were obvious: Maya was poisoning him. It was a classic technique—small doses over time, symptoms that mimicked a natural illness, leading to a gradual decline that passed for age-related deterioration.
