Olivia stood frozen for a second, then grabbed my arm. "This is exactly what we told you," she said, her voice tight. "She does this. She wanders. She doesn't understand—"
"I'll help find her," I cut in.
Arthur looked at me, desperate now. "She can't have gotten far."
I headed toward the back of the estate. Toward the lake.
We found her by the water. Exactly where I knew she'd be. She had changed back into her too-small clothes—the new ones were hidden somewhere—and she was wet and shivering. She looked exactly like the "unwell" girl they wanted her to be.
"Oh, Chloe, baby," Olivia said, her voice dripping with fake honey as she reached for her. "You scared us so much. Why would you run away?"
Chloe didn't look at her. She stared at a spot over Olivia's shoulder and began to hum."Summertime... and the livin' is easy..."
Arthur looked at me, his face a mask of embarrassment. "I'm so sorry you had to see this, Killian. She has these... episodes. She wanders."
Ava hurried up beside him, her voice dropping into something softer, false. "Baby, you can't just run off like that. You scared us."
Still nothing. Chloe just hummed louder and rocked slightly on her feet, her fingers twisting in the fabric of her dress. This performance was Oscar-worthy.
I stepped forward. "She probably got overwhelmed," I said evenly. "Needed air." I looked at Chloe as if she were a slow-witted child. "It's alright, Arthur. She just wanted to see the water, didn't you, Chloe? It's a big, blue lake. Very pretty."
I reached out and patted her head. Infantilizing a woman I knew was perfectly capable made my skin crawl, but I caught the tiny, microscopic glint of a wink in her eyes before she slumped her shoulders.
"Let's get her upstairs," Arthur snapped, the "kind father" mask finally slipping. "Ava, get the sedation ready. She needs to rest."
I watched them lead her back to the house, my teeth gritted. Olivia’s hand was gripping her arm too tightly; Arthur’s face was flushed with a barely contained rage. Chloe didn't look back at me, but her shoulders were relaxed. She was okay with this.
I stood in the humid twilight, my hands shoved deep into my pockets, feeling the weight of the day we'd shared. Feeling like a man who was destined to save the princess from the monsters.
Chapter 14: Chloe
They shoved me back into the attic. The door slammed. The lock clicked.
Ava’s voice echoed from the hallway. “She’s getting worse, Arthur. We can’t keep doing this—”
“Go back downstairs,” Olivia cut in, calm and controlled. “I’ll handle it.”
There was silence, then the soft click of heels. Olivia stepped inside like she owned the air I breathed. Her face was so contorted with rage it almost made her look ugly. She closed the door behind her.
“That goddamn tree,” she snapped.
My stomach dropped, but my face stayed blank. My breathing remained steady.
“That little escape route you love so much?” she continued, stepping closer. “I should have them cut it down.” Her lips curved into a cruel smile. “No…”
She crouched in front of me, close enough that I could smell her perfume. “Iwillhave them cut it down.”
My chest tightened. I needed that tree for just a few more days. But I didn’t move. Her hand came out of nowhere—grabbing my chin, forcing my face up.
“Look at me.”
I didn’t. My eyes stayed fixed on a point just past her shoulder. Her thumb brushed under my eye; the touch was so light it was almost gentle.
“You know what I think?” she whispered. “I think you understand everything.”
My pulse pounded in my ears.
“And I think you’re smart enough to stay quiet.” Her grip tightened just enough to hurt. I counted in my head through the pain. “Because if you don’t…” She smoothed my hair back into place. “They won’t just lock you up here.”
