Chapter 133 Chapter 133
Hailey’s POV
I’d spent hours in the bedroom searching for where Damien had hidden the key to Elena’s room.
I’d been through his desk drawers when he was out, carefully moving things and putting them back exactly as I’d found them. I’d checked his nightstand, his closet, even the pockets of jackets hanging in his wardrobe.
Nothing.
The key had to be somewhere in this room, he told me it was inside his drawer yesterday.
I knew the sapphire hadn’t just disappeared into thin air. Someone had taken it. And more importantly, Elena’s second journal was still hidden in that room, containing secrets I desperately needed to know.
Secrets about who had betrayed Damien three years ago. About who might have killed Elena.
I was on my hands and knees checking under the bed when I heard footsteps in the hallway.
I scrambled up quickly, smoothing down my clothes and trying to look casual as Benita and my mother walked into the room.
“What are you doing on the floor?” my mother asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I thought I dropped an earring,” I lied smoothly. “But I can’t find it anywhere.”
“Mmm,” my mother said, clearly not entirely convinced but not pressing the issue.
Benita flopped onto the bed with a dramatic sigh. “Did you hear that Sophia got moved to the other end of the hall? She was screaming about it this morning. Throwing a complete tantrum.”
“Good,” my mother said, settling into the chair by the window.
“Maybe some distance will cool down all this hostility. The girl needs to learn that actions have consequences.”
“She’s never learned that lesson in her entire life,” Benita said. “Why would she start now?”
“Because Damien is finally enforcing boundaries,” I said, abandoning my search and sitting on the edge of the bed. “He took her spare key to Elena’s room too. Locked it up so she can’t get in anymore.”
“About time,” my mother muttered. “That girl has been out of control since day one.”
They continued gossiping about Sophia’s behavior, the slap, the accusations, the general entitlement and drama. I pretended to listen while my mind kept circling back to the problem of the key.
Where would Damien hide something he wanted to keep secure?
There was a knock at the door, and Nina, one of the housemaids, entered carrying a tea service.
“Miss Hailey,” she said with a small smile. “I brought you some tea.”
“Thank you, Nina,” I said gratefully. “That’s very thoughtful.”
Nina set the tray down on the bedside table, arranging the cups carefully.
As she was turning to leave, she paused and looked at Benita.
“Oh, Miss Benita,” Nina said. “Louis asked me to give you a note earlier. But Miss Sophia saw me carrying it and got very angry. She snatched it from my hands before I could give it to you.”
Benita’s expression darkened. “Sophia took my note?”
“Yes, miss,” Nina confirmed. “I’m very sorry. I tried to get it back, but she locked herself in her room.”
“Of course she did,” Benita muttered.
Nina left, closing the door quietly behind her.
“What do you think Louis wanted?” my mother asked.
Benita sighed heavily. “Probably the same thing he’s been wanting for days now. To talk. To explain his feelings. To ask me out.”
“He really does like you,” I observed.
“I know,” Benita said, and there was sadness in her voice.
“And honestly, in another life, maybe I could have seen it. Louis is kind. He’s gentle. He’s actually a good guy.”
“But?” my mother prompted.
“But I already had my fair share of drama with Marco,” Benita said, her voice breaking slightly on his name. “I loved him so much, and look where it got me. Heartbroken. Traumatized. Taking antidepressants just to get through the day.”
“Benita….” I started.
“And Louis is sweet, but he’s still a guard,” Benita continued. “Still in this dangerous world. Still working for a crime family. I told him I rejected him because I need a guy with a legal job. Someone normal. Someone safe. Someone who won’t end up dead in a warehouse.”
The pain in her voice was raw and real.
My mother stood up and moved to sit beside Benita, putting an arm around her shoulders. “You deserve safety and normalcy,”
she said gently. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting that.”
“I know,” Benita said, wiping at her eyes. “It’s just hard. Louis is so persistent. And part of me wants to give him a chance. But the smarter part of me knows it would just lead to more pain.”
They sat there together, my mother comforting Benita, and I felt a pang of guilt for not being more present for my best friend’s struggles.
After a few minutes, my mother stood up. “I’m going to go make sure the kitchen has everything we need for dinner,” she said. “I’ll be back later.”
She left, and suddenly it was just Benita and me.
The silence stretched for a moment before I spoke.
“I have a feeling that one of the guards took the sapphire,” I said quietly.
“You think so?” Benita raised an eyebrow.
“Yes.”
“I don’t know anything for certain,” Benita said slowly. “But I caught Vincent researching jewels earlier.”
“Really?” I asked and she nodded.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” I asked.
“Because it wasn’t really my place to mention it,” Benita said. “I mean, maybe he was just curious. Maybe he was trying to help find it by researching what it was worth. I didn’t want to accuse someone without proof, especially after what happened with your mother being accused.”