The voices became clear enough to hear now, so I sucked in a slow, steady breath and closed my eyes, just listening.
“They’ve been here more than ever,” Arielle complained. “And you can’t claim it’s because you have an overabundance of contracts for them to work on.”
“If they’re spending time around Elrich, does it matter?” Darla asked. “It’s not as if you want to be saddled with him more than necessary.”
“Tell that to Papa,” Arielle grumbled. “He tried to send Elrich to the club with me last night.” My stomach curdled at the disgust in her tone, so different from the perpetual cheeriness she usually delivered my way. It reaffirmed the decision that settled deep inside me.
I needed to leave.
“You know the importance of appearance,” Darla chided her.
“Oh?” Arielle shot back. “Then tell that to Ursuline. How does public appearance view a cecaelia lurking around my fiancé all the time?”
“It’s better they’re occupied,” Darla responded, the footsteps so close they had to be right near the door. I barely dared to breathe. “We don’t want them asking questions. There’s a reason they’re prohibited from going back down to New Atlantis.”
My blood chilled. Darla said the phrase so casually, but I knew why Ursuline had to stay up here. Why they’d been tied to the Triton family for so long.
What was the family hiding from them?
“Ugh,” Arielle said. “I don’t understand why you two have clung onto them for so long. With the money you have, there are a million and one lawyers out there.”
“Even the highest sum can’t beat contracted loyalty,” Darla said as her voice sounded right outside the room. The breath caught in my throat, and I didn’t dare expel it. My whole body froze as I tensed, waiting to get caught. For one of them to pause and sense that I hid here.
“Whatever,” Arielle said. “I’m just saying other options are out there.”
Their footsteps continued past the door, and their chat didn’t pause, but my ears rang, my mind buzzing from the conversation. My hands were slick with sweat, my breath stuck in my throat, ready to burst out, and my muscles taut, as if I’d need to run any second now.
Their discussion grew quieter as they walked farther down the hall, and the creak of a door echoed before the sounds hushed.
I let out my held breath.
What were they hiding from Ursuline down in New Atlantis? My gut soured. Hearing Arielle talk like that in private had shown me more about her personality than I’d seen in the entire span of time I’d been here. And I couldn’t marry someone like that, even if it were in name only.
I definitely couldn’t further this despicable family’s aims.
I couldn’t stay.
But would Ursuline? I chewed on my lower lip until I tasted copper. The quiet remained for minutes, enough time that I dared to crawl out from where I’d stuffed myself under the desk. If they emerged again, I’d run into worse trouble. Better I try to escape now.
My limbs creaked as I rose to a stand and tiptoed over to the door. My heart thrummed. At any moment, if Arielle and her mother headed back this way, I was screwed. And neither of them held me in any sort of regard, based on their discussion. I swallowed hard and peeked past the doorframe.
The hall was clear to the left and clear to the right.
Before I could second-guess myself, I plunged back down to the right, traveling the way I came.
My shoulders prickled as I walked as quietly as possible along the corridor.Please don’t come back out. Please don’t find me.
My hands trembled, and my breaths were shallow and shaky. I bypassed the open rooms from before, along with the closed doors, trying to remain silent, wary of the floor beneath me. Sweat trickled down my back, tickling the whole way.
Up ahead lay the staircase leading down, along with the reading room. If I could just get there…
I quickened my pace—not quite a run, but a fast, silent stride.
I lunged forward, right in front of the doors leading to the reading room.
A creak sounded from farther down the hall I’d come from. My whole body tensed. Fuck.
Except I was clearly in sight. I whipped around to face that direction. Arielle poked her head out, her long ponytail swinging with the movement. I offered a wave, hoping she didn’t notice how my limbs trembled. She gave a polite wave back before flouncing to another room in the hallway—probably hers.
