Chapter 5

LYRA

I sat in the back seat, watching the city pass through the tinted windows while my body continued to ache. Everything hurt, and having Zade sitting right beside me wasn’t helping.

The guy barely said a word, and honestly, neither did I. After that kiss, I had no idea what to say to him. I couldn’t even figure out why I’d let it happen in the first place.

So, yeah, we rode in silence.

When the car finally pulled up outside his penthouse building, I leaned forward to get a better look. Holy crap. The place was huge, with glass walls that reflected the city lights and security guards standing near the entrance. I’d seen expensive houses before, but this was on another level.

Zade stepped out first, and I followed him inside. He didn’t bother explaining anything or asking if I was okay. He just walked ahead, expecting me to keep up.

The inside was just as ridiculous as the outside. Everything looked expensive, from the shiny floors to the furniture arranged so perfectly that I felt like I’d mess something up just by touching it.

The place was spotless, too. Not a single thing seemed out of place, and somehow, that only made it feel colder.

Zade took me down a hallway and stopped in front of a set of double doors.

“This is your wing,” he said, opening them.

My mouth nearly fell open.

The bedroom alone was bigger than the room I’d slept in back at the packhouse.

And the bed?

It was at least three times bigger than mine. There was a sitting area, a private bathroom, and a walk-in closet that could probably fit my entire old bedroom inside it.

Seriously, what did this man need all this space for?

I turned to him. “So, am I staying here permanently, or is this another one of your temporary arrangements?”

“You’re staying here until I say otherwise.”

I stared at him. “Wow. You really know how to make a girl feel welcome.”

His expression didn’t change. “Do you have a problem with that?”

Of course I did. The man acted like he could make every decision for me and expect me to smile about it.

Still, I swallowed my response. I knew why I’d agreed to come here. I needed the money for my kidney transplant, and I couldn’t afford to screw up my one shot at getting the surgery.

So, for now, I’d keep my mouth shut and play along.

Zade was about to leave when an older woman walked into the room. She wore a neat black dress, and her silver-streaked hair was pulled into a tight bun.

There was something about the way she carried herself that told me she wasn’t the kind of person who liked being told the same thing twice.

“Mrs. Hale runs the household,” Zade said. “If you need anything, ask her.”

Mrs. Hale turned to me with a polite smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Lyra.”

“You too.”

She nodded, but her eyes kept drifting back to me. She tried to hide it, but I noticed.

Honestly, I couldn’t blame her. If Zade suddenly brought a woman home and gave her an entire wing of his penthouse, I’d have questions too.

The difference was that I wasn’t about to explain myself to her.

“Your meals can be served whenever you like,” she continued. “I’ll also arrange for someone to take your measurements and get you whatever clothes you need. If there’s anything else you’d like, just let me know.”

“Wow. You guys really do everything around here, huh?”

Her smile stayed in place. “We do our best to make sure the household runs smoothly.”

Okay. Definitely a woman who took her job seriously.

I slipped my hands into the pockets of my pants. “Can I ask you something?”

“Certainly.”

“Does he always bring strangers home and give them an entire wing of the house?”

For the first time since she walked in, Mrs. Hale looked caught off guard. It only lasted a second before she straightened her shoulders and folded her hands in front of her.

“I’m afraid that’s not something I can comment on, Miss Lyra. I follow my employer’s instructions.”

“Right. Got it.”

I wasn’t expecting her to spill Zade’s secrets, but I figured it was worth a shot.

“Make sure she gets whatever she asks for,” Zade cut in. “I don’t want to hear about any problems.”

Mrs. Hale immediately nodded. “Of course, sir.”

He hadn’t even asked what I needed. He’d simply decided that I’d get whatever I wanted and expected everyone to fall in line. Typical Zade.

Once he left, Mrs. Hale turned back to me.

“Would you like me to have dinner brought up to your room?”

“No, thanks. I’m pretty tired, so I think I’ll just get some rest.”

“Very well. There’s a telephone beside your bed. You can use it to reach me anytime you need something.”

“Okay. Thanks, Mrs. Hale.”

She gave me another polite nod before leaving, closing the door behind her.

I waited until her footsteps faded down the hallway before shutting the bedroom door properly. Then I let out a breath I’d been holding without even realizing it.

Mrs. Hale’s suspicion didn’t bother me much. She could wonder about me all she wanted. I had bigger things to worry about.

Like the fact that Zade seemed determined to keep me under his roof, whether I liked it or not.