Prey walks right in

Prey walks right in
KAIA’S POV ~

I exhale softly.

The sound comes out shaky, like a quiet release I didn’t plan. My chest rises and falls slowly, the breath almost trembling out of me.

I can still feel his lingering touch on my skin, the heat of it, the firmness, the strange electricity that refuses to fade. His eyes… they sure look dangerous. That kind of danger that holds both warning and pull. But danger is my specialty. It’s something I’ve learned to live with, to use, to dance with, especially when my son’s life is at stake.

I walk back to my room, trying to shake the feeling off, each step heavy but sure. My mind keeps replaying that brief moment, but I push it aside as I sit on the dressing chair. The wood feels cold against my skin, grounding me back to reality.

While the housekeeper styles my hair, I let my thoughts drift. Planning. Calculating. Quietly building my moves for today.

Since Elena is his daughter, I’ll get close to her slowly, carefully, without suspicion. I’ll slip into her life like comfort itself, like warmth she didn’t know she needed. I’ll play a mother’s role in her life, slowly. Gently.

I already assume she doesn’t have a mother as I didn’t see any lady during dinner last night. No presence beside Vittorio, no trace of a woman’s perfume, no feminine laughter at the table. Just silence.

That tells me all I need to know.

And it makes my task smoother.

Easier to move without being noticed.

I’ll find out more about her mother, learn what happened, and then fill the void she left behind. That’s where the bond will begin.

Getting to the child affectionately will win a spot in her father’s, Vittorio’s heart.

It’s the simplest way in.

I’ll make due use of every opportunity to make my way into her heart, no matter how small.

But first… I need to get this bandage changed.

The discomfort has grown unbearable. It feels like the skin beneath is suffocating, like it’s begging for air. I can’t keep ignoring it.

“You look beautiful, ma’am,” the housekeeper says softly, bringing my attention back to my reflection in the mirror. Her words pull me out of my head, back into the room.

She did a good job.

Actually, she did an excellent job.

She made good use of the floral hairpins, arranging them neatly, like little petals woven into my hair, and she made my hair fall just the way I want it, cascading softly beside me.

“Thank you, dear,” I say quietly, my voice calm, but my eyes stay fixed on my reflection. I study the woman looking back at me. She's composed, steady, unbothered. But behind the calm, I can see the storm waiting to break if I ever lose sight of my goal.

The housekeeper bows politely and leaves, shutting the door softly behind her.

Silence again.

I sit there for a moment, the quiet wrapping around me. I feel the weight of everything pressing lightly against my chest, the plan, the risk, the lies I’ll have to wear with a smile.

I feel this sudden urge to go out, to sit in the garden, breathe in something real, something fresh. To let nature clear my head.

Just a few minutes in that garden would revive me, I can tell. I could use the calm before I start another day of pretending.

But first, like I said earlier, I need this bandage to get changed. It’s become unbearable. The throbbing under the wrapping reminds me with every pulse that I’m still human, fragile, hurting, and alive.

I reach for my phone and scroll through the media mindlessly. Nothing catches my interest. No messages, no posts, no entertainment. Everything feels flat. Empty.

Nothing entices me anymore.

I resigned from work for this task, I left behind my entire life, every routine, every comfort. Because nothing matters more than this.

Because even when I’m done, when I finish this task and finally get my son back, whole and safe but I won’t go back to LA.

No. That place is done for me.

I’ll relocate elsewhere with Kaia and start all over again. Somewhere far, quiet, untraceable. Just me and him, beginning again from scratch.

That’s why I need to preserve all that I’ve saved for. Every penny, every plan, every ounce of energy. Nothing can go to waste. I can’t afford a single mistake.

A knock comes on my door, snapping me out of my thoughts.

It’s soft but steady.

I blink, straighten my back slightly, clearing my throat. “Come in,” I respond.

The door creaks open.

“Good morning, Miss Eirlys,” a familiar voice says.

My brows lift a little. That voice… I know it.

That’s Elena.

I turn my gaze toward the door, and there she is.

Yes, it’s her.

Her presence fills the doorway, gentle yet noticeable. My heartbeat steadies, then quickens slightly.

Oh, goodness…

You sure deliver my preys into my hands, don’t you?

It’s almost too perfect.

“Come in, dear,” I say softly, masking every thought behind an easy smile. My voice comes out warm, welcoming, smooth, exactly how it needs to sound.

She steps in slowly, and I can feel my mind already calculating again. Every move from this point must be deliberate. Every word must land just right.

But I keep my face calm.

Inside, though… I can feel that quiet rush, that silent thrill that comes when things start aligning exactly how I need them to.

It’s beginning.

Everything is falling into place.

And all I need to do now is play my part……flawlessly.