Chapter 7 No.7

Elise's world had shrunk to the bedroom and the garden.

She was pacing the perimeter of the rose garden. It was the only place the guards let her go alone.

Elise heard the tap-tap of the cane before she saw him.

"Jayden" approached her. He was moving better today.

"You shouldn't challenge Mother publicly," he said softly.

Elise spun around. "And you shouldn't watch your sister-in-law get hit and do nothing."

He winced. "I am in a difficult position, Elise."

He stepped closer. He invaded her personal space. Elise could smell the antiseptic, but underneath it was that cologne. Jarret's cologne.

"Give me the POA," he whispered. "I can protect you if I control the money. Jarret wanted me to look after you."

Elise laughed. It was a bitter, jagged sound. "Jarret wanted to look after me? Jarret used his mistress's birthday for his safe code."

His face twitched. A tiny spasm near his eye.

He knew. Because he was Jarret.

"He was a complicated man," he said defensively.

Elise backed away. "You sound like him. You sound too much like him."

He froze. Then, deliberately, he took a step back and leaned heavily on the cane. "We were twins. We shared DNA."

Elise turned and walked away. Her skin was crawling.

That night, she couldn't sleep. Elise sat by the window in the dark, watching the grounds.

The moon was full. It illuminated the secluded bench in the rose garden.

Two figures were there.

One was wearing a shimmering dress. Cristine.

The other was a man. "Jayden."

They were standing close. Too close.

Cristine reached up. She grabbed his lapels. She pulled him down.

She kissed him.

It wasn't a comforting kiss. It was hungry. Passionate.

And he didn't push her away. He kissed her back. His hands went to her waist, sliding down to her hips with a familiarity that made Elise's stomach drop.

Then, Elise saw it.

He let go of the cane. It fell to the grass.

He didn't stumble. He stood perfectly straight. He pulled her closer, his legs strong, supporting both of their weight.

The limp was fake.

Elise gasped. She grabbed her phone from the nightstand. Her hands were shaking so hard she almost dropped it.

She aimed the camera. She zoomed in. It was grainy, but clear enough.

The cane on the grass. The lovers intertwined.

Why would Jayden, the brother, be with Cristine, Jarret's mistress? Unless Jayden was just as morally bankrupt?

Or...

The thought that had been nagging Elise, the terrifying impossibility, bloomed in her mind.

The dropped cane. The safe code. The entitlement to the chair. The eyes.

Elise needed to get closer. A photo wasn't enough. She needed to hear his voice when he wasn't performing.