For a second, I think he’s going to. But then… “Right now? I’m telling you we need to tighten security.”
Just like that, the door slams shut again.
I step back because that hurt more than anything else he’s said.
“Okay,” I say, flat and final. “Then here’s my compromise.”
His brow furrows slightly.
“I’ll follow your protocols,” I continue. “Driver to work, check-ins, whatever you need to feel like you’re doing your job. But you don’t get to shut me out. You don’t get to make decisions for me without at least telling me why. Or else I leave the manor.”
His eyes widen exponentially. I think I can hear his heart rate pick up tenfold. “Okay,” he says, the reluctance gone from his voice.
I nod once. “Okay.” I didn’t want to go there, but I knew it would work.
“I ran a DNA test on you.”
Chapter 37
Liv
My ears are still ringing. At first, the words didn’t make sense. They just kept echoing in my head. It felt kind of like my brain had disconnected from my body, the whole of me going numb.
It takes an uncomfortable amount of effort to get my mouth to work. Even then, my voice sounds hollow and lost. “…W-what?”
“I ran your DNA,” he repeats.
The room tilts slightly. I blink at him, waiting for the rest, some kind of explanation or justification to explain this away. I wait for the part where this makes any kind of sense.
It doesn’t come.
“You-” I laugh once, sharp and disbelieving. “That’s not funny.”
“I’m not joking.”
My stomach drops. I feel cold, all over.
“You’re serious.”
“Yes.”
“H-how?” My voice is quiet now.
He hesitates and that hesitation tells me everything before he even says it.
“A hair sample,” he admits.
Something inside mesnaps. “You took my DNA.”
“I needed to-”
“You took my DNA,” I repeat, louder now, the words hitting harder the second time. “Without telling me. Without asking me.”
“Liv-”
“No,” I cut him off, stepping back like I need distance just to breathe. “No, don’t- don’t say my name like that.” Like he’s pained, like I’m hurting him when I’m the one hurting so fucking badly. My hands are shaking. Not just shaking, trembling. Because suddenly everything clicks into place. The tension, the secrecy, the way he’s been watching me like I’m something he needs to figure out instead of someone he’s supposed to trust.
“How long?” I demand. “How long have you been planning that?”
