Chapter 5

"Declan," Faye sobbed, burying her face in his chest. "Alana had another attack... I tried to help her, but Coleton came in and pushed me down. He was yelling at me."

"She was just watching!" Coleton insisted, his voice raw with fury. "She had Alana's inhaler and wasn't doing anything!"

"That's enough!" Declan's voice was sharp. He glared at my brother. "Faye is the one who always reminds the staff to check Alana's medication. She would never hurt her."

I tried to speak, to tell him the truth, but my throat was raw and I could only manage a hoarse croak.

Declan' s cold eyes fell on the empty inhaler in my hand. "You' re so careless, Alana," he said, his voice dripping with disdain. "Every time you have one of these episodes, you cause a scene. You disrupt everyone's lives. You disrupt my life."

He helped Faye to her feet, wrapping a protective arm around her. As they walked away, I heard Faye whisper in his ear, "I think Coleton is a bad influence on her. He's making her hate me."

Coleton helped me back to my room, his hands, though still healing, surprisingly steady. "Why are you still here, Alana? He's a monster."

I didn't answer. I just sank onto the bed, exhausted.

Later, a maid came to my door. "Mr. Lamb requests your presence downstairs. It's Miss Faye's party."

It was a party to celebrate Faye winning some meaningless socialite award. I wanted nothing to do with it.

Then my phone buzzed. A text from Declan. Be at the party. Don't make me remind you what happens when you upset Faye. I' m sure Coleton wouldn' t want another trip to the pier.

The threat was clear. I was a prisoner, and my brother was the collateral.

I went downstairs. The house was filled with Faye' s vapid friends. A group of them cornered me, their words like tiny, sharp jabs.

"I can't believe Declan is still with her after that stunt at the gala."

"She's so lucky. If I were her, I'd be worshipping Faye, not trying to compete with her."

One of them "accidentally" bumped into me, spilling champagne all over my dress. They all roared with laughter.

I clenched my fists, my knuckles white. I looked across the room and saw Declan watching the whole thing, a look of bored indifference on his face. He didn't care.

Behind him, Faye caught my eye and gave me a triumphant, mocking smirk.

I felt a familiar tightness in my chest. I couldn't breathe. I had to get out.

As if on cue, Faye let out a theatrical gasp and slumped against Declan. "Declan, I feel... dizzy."

While everyone's attention was on her, I slipped out of the crowded room and into the cold night air of the garden.

After a few minutes of deep, calming breaths, I knew I had to go back inside. I couldn't give Declan another reason to be angry.

But when I re-entered the ballroom, it was in chaos.

Faye was gone.

And Declan was looking for her like a man possessed. "Where is she? Where is Faye?"

Then his frantic eyes landed on me. "You. You were gone too."

"I was just in the garden," I said, my voice trembling.

"Security! Pull up all the surveillance footage! Now!" he bellowed. His eyes were burning with a terrifying rage.

The footage showed Faye leaving the ballroom, followed a few minutes later by me. But the cameras covering the garden and the mansion's exits were all mysteriously malfunctioning.

To Declan, it was an open-and-shut case. "You lured her out there," he hissed, his voice dangerously low.

"No, I..."

His men grabbed me, their grips like iron.

He stepped in front of me, his face inches from mine. He grabbed my chin, his fingers digging into my skin. The crowd of guests watched in stunned silence.

"Take her to the old mine," he said to his men, his voice a venomous whisper. "Keep her there until Faye is found."

"Declan, please, I didn't do anything!" I cried, struggling against his men.

He didn't listen. He didn't believe me. He never would.

They dragged me out of the house, my pleas lost in the night. They took me to a dark, abandoned mine on the edge of his property.

One of his men spoke into a walkie-talkie. "We're here. The pit has been cleared out, and the... items... have been placed inside, as requested."

My blood ran cold.