Chapter 6 6

The Maybach pulled to a smooth stop in front of the massive stone fountain of the Wyatt Estate.

The head butler was already standing at the top of the wide marble steps, his hands clasped behind his back.

Rudy opened the rear door. Alois stepped out first. He turned around and held his large, calloused right hand out to Hayden.

Hayden looked at his hand. A painful lump formed in her throat. Without a second of hesitation, she placed her uninjured right hand into his palm.

Alois's fingers closed around hers. He gave a gentle pull, guiding her out of the car. The cool night wind whipped her thin skirt around her legs.

They walked side by side through the massive double doors into the brightly lit foyer. The butler and a line of maids immediately bowed their heads.

Hayden looked around the grand hall. In her past life, she had fought tooth and nail to escape this place. Now, the sight of the crystal chandelier and the dark wood paneling made her chest ache with relief.

She took a deep breath. She needed to break down the cold wall Alois was still keeping between them.

As they approached the sweeping marble staircase that led to the second floor, the physical toll of the night finally caught up with her.

She lifted her foot to step onto the second marble stair, but a sudden, violent wave of dizziness crashed over her brain. Her vision swam with dark spots. Her legs, completely drained of strength from the blood loss and sheer exhaustion, simply gave out beneath her. She let out a sharp, breathless gasp as her body pitched uncontrollably backward into the empty air.

Alois was walking half a step behind her. His eyes had never left her.

Alois, clouded by his own deep-seated paranoia, immediately assumed it was another one of her clumsy, manipulative tricks. The corner of his eye twitched in irritation. But his body moved faster than his brain. His long arm shot out, wrapping securely around her narrow waist before she could hit the hard stone.

Hayden immediately spun around in his grip. She grabbed the lapels of his suit jacket with both hands and buried her face into his solid chest.

She tilted her head up. She widened her eyes, making them look as innocent and wet as a frightened deer's.

"My legs are like jelly," she whispered, her voice soft and sweet. "I can't walk. Will you carry me up?"

A few feet away, the butler stared at the floor, completely expressionless. He subtly waved his hand, silently ordering all the maids to disappear from the hall.

Alois looked down at her. A cold, mocking light flashed in his dark eyes.

He knew this girl better than anyone. She was arrogant and selfish. She would never lower herself to act this pathetic unless she wanted something massive.

She's doing this for Erick, Alois thought, his jaw clenching. She thinks this cheap acting will lower my guard.

Alois sneered internally. If you want to play this game, let's see how far you're willing to go.

He didn't call out her lie. He bent down and scooped her up into his arms, carrying her up the marble stairs with steady, heavy steps.

Hayden rested her head against his shoulder. The corner of her mouth curled up into a small, relieved smile. She thought her plan was working.

She leaned closer to his ear. "Alois," she whispered. "I promise I'll be really good and obedient from now on."

Alois's footsteps faltered for a fraction of a second. His Adam's apple bobbed hard.

He carried her down the long second-floor hallway and kicked open the door to her bedroom.

He walked over to the massive bed and dropped her onto the soft mattress. The second her back hit the sheets, he stepped back, putting three feet of distance between them.

"Go to sleep," he said coldly. "Stop playing games."

He turned and walked out of the room.

The heavy wooden door clicked shut, sealing her inside. Hayden lay frozen on the massive bed. She gripped the silk bedsheets so tightly her knuckles ached. She stared unblinking at the thin sliver of light beneath the door, desperately forcing her lungs to take in air. He's coming back, she repeated frantically in her head. He's just getting medicine. He's coming back. But with every passing second of dead silence, the shadows in the corners of the room seemed to stretch and crawl toward her. The walls of the luxurious bedroom felt like they were slowly, agonizingly closing in, threatening to crush her lungs.

Meanwhile, out in the hallway, Alois leaned his back against the wall. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver lighter.

He lit a cigarette. Through the thick, curling smoke, his eyes turned pitch black, filled with a dark, obsessive paranoia.