“Who the hell knows what makes Fabian tick?” I smile faintly when he snorts in agreement. “Do you want to look into it?”
His eyes light up. “Can I?”
“Well, Lorik is still investigating, and I plan to look into it on my own too, but it could be a fun little project for you.” I lean back, studying him. “Think you’ve got what it takes?”
“Fuck you.”Atëraises a middle finger at me. “I taught you everything you know about this business. I’ll find proof before either you or Lorik even knows where to look. You’ll see.”
My smile widens. “I would like to see you try, old man.”
7
KATIE
Is this the job I was hired to do?Fucking asshole.
I’ll show him exactly what I was hired to do.
I ease my bedroom door shut behind me, careful not to wake the other maids as I step into the moonlit night.
Why did I ever think he was handsome? With his stupid man-bun and sharp, judging eyes that see too damn much.
I tug my cap low, keeping my face shadowed as I move across the lawn, away from the lamplit main paths. Silence hangs over the grounds, broken only by the distant rustle of leaves and faint voices drifting from the guards’ posts. All security focuses on the main house, the entrance, and the men's quarters—because nobody thinks the maids could be dangerous.
An advantage for me.
A quick scan of my surroundings, then I slip into the thick shadows of the woods. Trees that will soon be chopped down to clear space for Roan’s precious restaurant and whatever other grand ideas he has for making this estate self-sufficient.
The darkness deepens the farther I go, yet my eyes, longadjusted, guide me smoothly over roots and through tangled branches, heartbeat slow and steady.
I glance around again, making sure I’m alone, though I don’t really need to bother. The woods get little attention—nothing here is worth protecting. At least, that’s what they think.
One morning weeks ago, I’d wandered in here out of curiosity and found what looked like a sealed well. Fascinated, I’d broken the rusted padlock and peered inside, expecting to find stagnant water. But it wasn’t a well at all—it was an old, abandoned sewer line leading straight out of the compound. A secret escape route no one remembered existed.
I wasthrilled.
Now, I navigate to the entrance again, fingers finding the new padlock I installed—because I’m not stupid enough to leave it unsecured for someone else to come across. I fish out the key from my back pocket, unlock it with a quiet click, then glance around the area one last time.
Nothing but the wind stirring leaves and shadows.
With a gentle tug, the cover lifts, and I carefully lower myself onto the rungs leading down, dragging the cover back over my head as I descend. Darkness swallows me whole, and I take a deep breath—immediately regretting it as the smell of rot and damp stone fills my lungs.
God, this never gets easier.
When my feet finally touch solid ground, I exhale shakily and pull out my phone. The screen’s light is almost blinding, forcing me to squint as I activate the flashlight. Its thin beam cuts through the dark tunnel, catching wet walls stained with moss and decades of grime.
Step by careful step, I move deeper, the tunnel swallowing the sound of my breathing. A tight knot forms in my chest, making me fidget with the phone until I finally check my messages. Thumb hovering over the screen, I hope, I pray?—
Nothing.
Fuck.
No word from my investigator in over a week. The silence is becoming unbearable, each day that passes without contact sending my anxiety spiraling higher. Did he find my sister or not? Did he even track down the man holding her like he claimed?
The last time we spoke, he said he had a lead on Long Island and promised to update me on his findings when he returned. Radio silence since then. Was he caught? Is he dead? Did he reveal who sent him?
I was given strict warnings not to search for Kayla, but I’m done being led by the nose with my sister dangled over my head. What sort of life could she have even lived all these years, knowing she was being held over me? It needs to stop.
The silence from my investigator is a major problem. Which means I need someone new—like yesterday.
