Chapter 37 Now You See me, Now You Don't
The morning sunlight was too bright and way too cheerful for the way Elena felt.
She lay under the duvet, her body stiff and her eyes squeezed shut as she heard the familiar click of the bedroom door opening.
Every muscle in her body was on high alert. She heard the soft clink of breakfast on the table, and then the sound of Julian’s footsteps approaching the bed.
She didn't move. She kept her breathing slow and shallow, pretending to be lost in sleep.
She felt the mattress dip as he sat on the edge.
"Elena?" His voice was as low and gentle as usual, but today, it just made her skin crawl.
She let out a long, fake sigh, fluttering her eyes open and squinting against the light. "Julian?"
"I didn't mean to wake you," he said calmly. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright. You seemed distressed last night."
Elena pulled the covers up to her chin, her mind racing.
She could almost see the blood on his shirt from the night before, the blue lights of that hidden hospital flickering in the back of her mind.
She wanted to scream, to ask him who Cassandra really was and what was hidden under their home. But she didn't. She couldn't. Not yet.
"I'm fine," she murmured instead, putting on her best sleepy voice. "Just a long day. I think I just needed to crash."
Julian tilted his head. "Did anything disturb you? At night? I had some late-night work to attend to in the study. I hope the noise didn't wake you."
Elena’s heart skipped a beat. He was testing her. "No," she lied, her voice steady. "I slept like a log. Why? Was there a noise?"
"Just the old pipes," Julian said and reached out, brushing a stray hair from her forehead. "I’m sorry about yesterday, Elena. About making you upset. I had work that couldn't wait, and I didn't want to disturb your rest by coming to bed so late."
"It’s okay," Elena said, forcing a small, apologetic smile. "Actually, I should apologize. I was... I was acting out. I shouldn't have been so snappy about the contract. I was just tired and emotional."
Julian seemed to relax, just a fraction. "It’s forgotten. We’re both under a lot of pressure." He stood up and pulled a black credit card from his wallet, laying it on the breakfast tray. "I have to work late again today. Why don't you go out? Go shopping, buy whatever you want. Get some fresh air. You’ve been cooped up in this place for too long."
"No," Elena said quickly. "I think I’ll just stay in. Mandy is away on a business trip, and I don't really have anyone else to hang out with in the city. I’m feeling a little tired. I might just sleep in."
"If that's what you want," Julian said. He checked his watch. "I'll try to get back early so we can spend the evening together. Properly this time."
"Okay," Elena said. As he turned to leave, she blurted out, "Julian? Kiss me goodbye."
He stopped, his back to her for a second before he turned around.
His expression was one of genuine surprise. "You told me last night not to touch you. You were very specific about boundaries, Elena. I don't want to cross them if you aren't ready."
"I was being stupid," she said, her voice small. "I'm a little emotional today. Please?"
“Your monthly flow?"
Elena blushed and nodded. “Yes," she lied.
Julian walked back to her. He leaned down, his face inches from hers.
For a moment, she looked at his lips and almost lost her senses as he pressed his lips to hers. It was a soft, lingering kiss that felt far too real to be a pretense.
He kissed her like he truly meant it.
"I'll see you tonight," he whispered.
Elena listened to the sound of his footsteps retreating and finally, the heavy front door closing.
She leapt from the bed and rushed to the window, watching from behind the curtain as his car rumbled and pulled out of the driveway, beyond the estate gate and into the city.
The second the sound faded, she threw off the covers.
Elena dressed quickly, pulling on a pair of denim shorts and a plain T-shirt that gave her room to move.
She tied her hair into a tight, high ponytail, her eyes scanning the room. She picked up her phone, she needed video evidence before making any moves and demanding a divorce.
Also, she needed something for protection.
She ran down to the kitchen. The butlers were already busy getting ready for the day.
"Mrs. Thorne? You aren't having breakfast?" the head butler asked, noticing her hurried pace.
"No, I don't have an appetite," Elena said with a tired voice. "I’m going back upstairs to nap. I don't want to be disturbed for any reason. Don't come up, don't knock. Understand?"
"Of course, ma'am. But Master Julian mentioned—"
"I don't care what he mentioned," she snapped impatiently. "I need sleep."
She grabbed a sharp knife from the butcher block when they weren't looking and tucked it into the waistband of her shorts, the cold steel biting into her skin.
She felt like a prisoner in this place and she was done playing the role of the quiet wife.
She marched to the study, her heart was hammering against her ribs so loud she thought it might burst.
She pressed her thumb to the biometric scanner, and the door flipped open with a soft beep.
She paused in the doorway. “Why is my print still in the system?” she wondered.
If Julian was hiding a secret lair, why would he leave the keys in the hands of the person he was lying to? Was he that arrogant? Or was it something else?
She shook the thought away and headed straight for the bookshelf.
She found a button, triggered the keypad, and entered her birthday. The wall slid open, revealing the dark tunnel.
"Here we go," she whispered, gripping the handle of the knife as she went in.
She descended into the darkness, her breath hitching as she reached the bottom where the glass partition should have been.
She burst into the room, ready to face the strange hospital and take a video of it to show to Julian when confronting him.
But she stopped, frozen as she stared in shock.
The room was empty. There was no hospital, just a blank dusty hall.