Chapter 9: Chapter Nine

I woke up on the couch, my body stiff and aching.

How did I get here?

Blinking, I sat up slowly, trying to shake off the dizziness clouding my head. My neck ached like I’d slept in the worst possible position, and my mouth was dry.

The last thing I remembered was getting into bed, pulling the blankets over me, and closing my eyes. But now, I was in the living room, curled up in a blanket I didn’t remember using.

My chest tightened.

This wasn’t the first time.

For days now, I’d been waking up in random places—the guest room, the bathroom floor, once even in the bathtub. At first, I brushed it off, thinking maybe I was too exhausted to remember crawling there in my sleep. Stress could do that to people, right?

But now… now it is  happening too often.

And every time, my memory felt hazy, like someone had reached into my head and scrambled things around. Like there were gaps where my thoughts should have been. I wasn’t drinking, I wasn’t on any medication, so what the hell was going on?

I ran a shaky hand through my hair, trying to shake off the eerie feeling creeping up my spine. Maybe Claire had seen something. Maybe she’d noticed me sleepwalking or something.

Dragging myself off the couch, I made my way to the kitchen, my legs feeling like they weren’t fully mine.

Claire was sitting at the counter, flipping through a magazine with a cup of coffee in front of her. She looked up as I walked in, her eyes narrowing.

“You look terrible,” she said bluntly.

“Thanks,” I muttered, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. “That’s exactly what I needed to hear first thing in the morning.”

She shrugged. “Just being honest.”

I twisted the cap off my water and took a long sip, my throat still dry. “Have you noticed anything… weird about me lately?”

Claire frowned. “Weird, how?”

I hesitated, feeling ridiculous even saying it out loud. “I keep waking up in different places. And I don’t remember how I got there.”

Her expression shifted, her playful smirk fading into something more serious. “That’s… not normal.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” I sighed, rubbing my temples. “I don’t feel normal, Claire. I feel… off. Like I’m not even in control of my own body sometimes.”

She studied me for a long moment, then set her cup down. “Maybe you should see a doctor.”

I wanted to agree. But deep down, I knew a doctor wouldn’t help. A doctor wouldn’t explain why my thoughts felt scrambled or why my body felt like it wasn’t mine half the time.

Before I could say anything else, Julia walked in, carrying a tray.

“Good morning, ma’am,” she greeted smoothly, placing a cup of tea in front of me.

I froze.

Every time I drank it, I felt worse.

I stared at the cup, my stomach twisting.

“I don’t want it,” I said quickly.

Julia tilted her head slightly, her polite smile never faltering. “It’ll help with your exhaustion, ma’am.”

Claire glanced between us, her brows knitting together. “Adrianna, maybe you should—”

“I said no.”

The words came out sharper than I intended, but I didn’t care.

Julia didn’t react sharply. She simply set the tray down on the counter. “Of course, ma’am. Let me know if you need anything.”

Then she turned and walked away like nothing had happened.

Claire watched her go before turning back to me. “Okay… what was that about?”

I exhaled, gripping my water bottle. “I don’t trust her.”

Claire’s expression darkened slightly. “Then you need to do something about it.”

That night, I locked my bedroom door.

I didn’t care if it seemed odd. I couldn’t keep waking up like this. Not again.

Climbing into bed, I curled under the blankets, my body already heavy with exhaustion. My limbs ached, and my head felt foggy.

I forced myself to take slow, deep breaths. I closed my eyes.

The first thing I noticed was the cold floor beneath me.

A sharp inhale escaped me as my eyes flew open.

I wasn’t in bed.

I was lying in the hallway.

Panic surged through me. I scrambled up, my hands trembling. My bedroom door was wide open.

But I locked it.

I know I locked it.

I turned back toward my room, only to find the door shut.

Confused, I reached for the handle and twisted.

It didn’t budge.

My heart pounded against my ribs.

I yanked harder. Nothing.

I turned, rushing toward Claire’s room. I knocked, then tried the handle. Locked.

A sick feeling crawled up my spine.

I was trapped.

My breaths came faster, my palm felt damp and cold. This wasn’t an accident.

Someone had done this.

Julia.

I swallowed hard, pressing my back against the wall.

Why was she doing this?

What the hell was going on?

I needed to get out.

Meanwhile, Nicholas sat at his desk, scrolling through emails when his phone buzzed.

A message from Claire.

“Something’s wrong with Adrianna.”

His brows pulled together, “What do you mean?”

“She’s not herself. She’s forgetful, exhausted all the time. I think something’s happening to her.”

Nicholas exhaled, running a hand down his face.

He’d noticed Adrianna had been distant lately, but he assumed it was because of their situation. The tension between them had been growing, and she barely spoke to him anymore.

But now Claire was saying something was wrong.

A tight feeling formed in his chest.

“I’ll check on her.”

He set his phone down, pushing away the uneasy feeling creeping up his spine.

Somewhere Else in the House…

Julia moved through the penthouse quietly.

Adrianna had stopped drinking the tea.

An issue, but not a big one.

She could adjust.

She slipped into Adrianna’s closet, her fingers running over the rows of expensive dresses.

Perfect.

She picked one, something elegant but not over-the-top. Something Adrianna would wear.

She changed quickly, smoothing the fabric over her body. Then she reached for Adrianna’s perfume, spraying just enough.

She studied her reflection in the mirror.

Close enough.

Grabbing a clutch, she made her way out.

Nicholas was waiting for her.

Or at least… he thought he was.