"I'll wait for you then."
Olei turned and gave me a sweet smile, then ran back to his room.
Once his footsteps faded, I carried the tape to the screening room and loaded it into the player. The screen flickered to life. My smile died.
The scene wasn't the manor. It was... my apartment. My bedroom, to be exact.
The familiar nightstand. The familiar lamp. The familiar sheets. The camera angle was calculated, capturing the entire bed. A sleeping figure lay there. Me. I wore a nightgown, one strap sliding off my shoulder, the hem bunched at my waist. My pulse went wild. Dread swallowed me whole.
A tall figure appeared in the frame. Silas. I watched him strip down to his underwear and climb onto the bed.
What is this? No. This isn't real. Stop. Please stop. My blood ran backwards.
But the screen didn't care about my prayers. Silas kept moving. He stroked my face, fingers trailing down my jaw to my lips. Then he kissed me. But in the video, I stayed asleep. Unconscious. Unaware.
Bile surged up my throat. I clamped my hand over my mouth, but my whole body shook.
I looked at the date in the corner. The day before I'd found the mark on my neck. That mark hadn't been from a bug bite. Not from a stranger. Silas had done it. He'd broken into my apartment, installed cameras, and while I slept—
I couldn't watch anymore. My hands trembled as I hit the remote. The screen went black.
I collapsed on the couch, every ounce of strength drained from my body. The strange dream that night. The soreness when I woke up. It all made sense now. And I'd been stupid enough to let this man—this man who'd invaded my home and violated me—help me change my locks.
"Mommy?" Olei's voice cut through the fog.
I jerked my head up. He stood in front of me, eyes full of worry.
"Mommy, I called you so many times. You didn't answer." His voice was careful. "What's wrong? You look awful."
I sucked in a breath and forced myself steady.
"I'm fine, baby." I stood, keeping my voice even. "Mommy's just not feeling well. Did you... finish your homework?"
Olei nodded, searching my face. "Mommy, were you crying?"
"No, baby. I wasn't." I crouched in front of him and forced a smile. "Let's go out, okay? I want to take you somewhere."
I had to get Olei out. Away from this manor. Away from this lunatic. Olei looked confused but nodded. I grabbed his hand and my bag, then bolted down the hallway. But a tall figure appeared at the other end.
Silas stood backlit, face unreadable, but he looked terrifying. He walked toward us slowly, stopping right in front of us.
I finally saw his expression. No different from usual. His gaze swept over my face, landed on Olei beside me, then settled on my bag.
"Where are you going?" His voice was low.
I didn't answer. I just stared at this man I'd thought had changed. This liar I'd almost believed in again.
His brow furrowed slightly. "Anthea, what happened? You look strange."
"Olei," I knelt, keeping my voice gentle, "go to your room, okay? I need to talk to Daddy."
Olei looked between us, nodded uneasily, and let go of my hand. He kept glancing back as he left. Once he disappeared around the corner, I turned to Silas.
"You put cameras in my apartment. You broke in while I was sleeping. You violated me while I was unconscious. You bastard!" I hurled my bag at him.
He didn't dodge. Just let me vent.
"Anthea, let me explain—" He looked into my eyes.
