Chapter 104 Chapter 104
Hailey’s POV
My heart was pounding so hard I thought it might burst out of my chest as I stood frozen with my hand on the door handle of Elena’s room.
The footsteps had stopped right outside. Any second now, someone was going to discover me inside the sealed room where I had no business being.
I braced myself, preparing to come face to face with whoever it was.
But then the footsteps moved past the door. Kept going down the hallway.
I waited, barely breathing, pressed against the wall beside the door.
After what felt like an eternity, I carefully cracked the door open and peeked out.
Just an ordinary guard walking away down the corridor, his back to me, checking doors as part of his routine patrol.
Relief flooded through me so intensely my knees nearly buckled.
He hadn’t been coming for Elena’s room specifically. He’d just been doing his rounds. And he’d walked right past without even trying the handle.
I was lucky. So incredibly lucky.
But also disappointed. Part of me had been bracing for confrontation, for having to explain myself, and the anticlimactic reality left me feeling strangely deflated.
I waited until the guard disappeared completely around the corner, then quickly slipped out of Elena’s room, pulling the door shut behind me as quietly as possible.
I started walking back toward the main part of the house when I heard voices coming from one of the rooms ahead.
Isabella’s voice. And Sophia’s.
I slowed my steps, moving quietly closer to the partially open door.
“Please don’t leave me,” Sophia was saying, her voice thick with tears and desperation. “I need you here. You’re the only one who understands me.”
“Sophia,” Isabella said firmly. “If I don’t go, more elders of our family are going to keep dying in this war between us and the Morelli mafia family.”
I pressed myself against the wall beside the door, listening intently.
“I don’t care about them!” Sophia said harshly, her voice breaking. “I care about YOU! Don’t leave me here alone!”
“You’re not alone,” Isabella replied, though her tone lacked conviction. “Your father is here. The guards are here.”
“Dad barely looks at me anymore,” Sophia said, genuine pain evident in her voice. “He’s chosen Hailey over me. Everyone has chosen her over me. And now you’re leaving too?”
I heard movement inside the room, the sound of someone being pulled into an embrace.
“This isn’t forever,” Isabella said, her voice softer now. “Just until the situation stabilizes. Just until we can secure the family in Italy.”
“When are you leaving?” Sophia asked, her voice small and frightened.
“My departure is already arranged for tomorrow morning,” Isabella said.
Tomorrow. Isabella was leaving tomorrow.
I didn’t wait to hear more. I had heard enough, and I needed to get these keys back to Louis before anyone noticed I’d had them for too long.
I moved quickly and quietly away from the door, my hand instinctively going to my pocket where I’d hidden Elena’s journal entry about the safehouse not being safe.
But as I turned the corner, I nearly collided with Louis.
“Miss Hailey,” he said, looking slightly surprised. “There you are. I was looking for you.”
My heart jumped into my throat. “Oh? Why?”
“The keys,” Louis said, his eyes dropping to my hand where the key ring was still clutched. “I need them back. I’ve been looking for you for the past twenty minutes.”
“Of course,” I said, trying to sound casual even though my pulse was racing. “I was just exploring a bit. Getting familiar with the house.”
I needed to give him back the keys. But first, I needed to remove Elena’s room key without him noticing.
I fumbled with the ring, pretending to have trouble getting it off my finger where I’d looped it.
“Hold on, it’s caught on my ring,” I said, turning slightly away from him.
In that brief moment, I slipped Elena’s room key off the ring and tucked it quickly into the pocket of my gown, my movements hidden by my body.
“There,” I said, turning back and holding out the key ring to Louis. “Sorry about that.”
Louis took the keys, glancing at them briefly before clipping them back onto his belt. He didn’t seem to notice one was missing.
I started to move past him, hoping to escape before he thought too much about which rooms I might have accessed.
But Louis stayed where he was, shifting his weight from foot to foot.
“Miss Hailey,” he said. “Can I ask you something?”
I paused, trying not to show my impatience. “Of course.”
“It’s about Miss Benita,” Louis said, and something in his tone made me look at him more carefully. “How is she doing? Really doing?”
“She’s struggling,” I said honestly. “She lost someone very important to her. It’s going to take time for her to heal.”
“I’ve noticed,” Louis said, his voice soft. “I’ve been trying to help when I can. Make sure she’s eating, that she’s not completely isolating herself. But I don’t want to overstep or make things worse.”
I studied his face, seeing something there I hadn’t noticed before. The way his expression softened when he talked about Benita. The concern in his eyes that went beyond professional duty.
Louis had feelings for Benita. Or was developing them.
And that was dangerous. Not because Louis was a bad person, but because Benita was vulnerable right now. Broken. Looking for anything to fill the void that Marco’s death had left.
“Louis,” I said, my voice taking on a more serious tone. “I need to tell you something important.”
“Yes, Miss Hailey?”
“Benita is going through grief right now,” I said carefully. “Real, devastating grief. And when people are in that state, they’re vulnerable. They’re not thinking clearly about relationships or feelings or the future.”
Louis’s expression shifted slightly, becoming more guarded.
“What I’m trying to say,” I continued, “is that you need to be careful. She’s vulnerable, and I don’t want anyone leeching off that vulnerability because she’s weak and might accept comfort from anyone who offers it.”
“I would never take advantage…” Louis started, looking genuinely offended.
“I’m not saying you would intentionally,” I interrupted. “But it can happen without anyone meaning for it to. Ever since Marco’s death, She’s mourning, broken. And any relationship that starts in that space isn’t built on solid ground. It’s built on pain and need, not genuine connection.”
Louis was quiet for a long moment, his jaw working as he processed my words.
Then he scoffed slightly, shaking his head.
“I appreciate your concern for Miss Benita,” Louis said, his voice more formal now. “And you’re right to be protective of her. I’ll be careful. I won’t push anything or take advantage of her grief.”
“Thank you,” I said, then moved to step past him. “I should go rest now. All this walking around has tired me out.”
“Of course,” Louis said, stepping aside.
But as I walked away, I could feel his eyes on my back.