Caught in the Dark

“Lie to me again,” Arthur whispered.

He stepped so close that my back hit the wall. I locked my jaw and held my breath. I couldn’t say a word. If I opened my mouth, he’d hear the tremble in my voice, and he’d know.

His fingers came up, taking my chin in a tight grip and tilting my face up. His eyes moved over my features. The way he stared made my skin crawl. It felt like he was looking straight through my skull, reading every hidden thought I was trying to bury. A cold spike of terror ran down my back.

Slowly, his hand shifted. His fingers hovered barely an inch over my shoulder without touching me. He leaned in, his nose brushing near my skin as he took a short, sharp breath.

The warmth of him pressed against my chest. My nipples hardened… a response I couldn’t control.

A cold chill hit my spine.

He knew. He saw the lie sitting right there on my face, and he was choosing not to call it out. Not yet.

I froze, unable to move.

“My parents are coming,” Arthur said, his voice dropping into a low, quiet threat. “They’ll be staying here for a few days. You had better be on your best behavior, Sophie.”

Before I could react, the sudden, harsh ring of his phone broke the silence.

Arthur pulled back instantly, reaching into his pocket. He checked the screen and went dead still. Whatever he saw was urgent. Without another word, he turned and hurried out, heading straight down the hall toward his study.

He was in such a hurry that the heavy bedroom door didn’t latch. It stayed slightly open, leaving a thin crack of light from the dimly lit hallway.

He had forgotten to lock it.

My heart thudded against my ribs like a trapped bird. I waited three long seconds, listening to his fast steps fade down the corridor. This was my chance. I needed to see how many guards were posted in the main hallway after dark and map out a real exit path.

Barefoot, I crept out into the hallway, keeping low in the dark as I moved along the wall. My heart wouldn’t stop hammering. Somewhere below, a door closed. I froze. Footsteps echoed, then faded.

Up ahead, warm light spilled out onto the floor from the cracked double doors of Arthur’s study. I needed to know if he was occupied so I could move without getting caught.

I reached the doorway and pressed close to the frame, peeking inside.

Arthur stood by his desk with his back to the door. His shoulders weren't tense… his whole body looked relaxed. And his voice was soft, low… dripping with a warmth I’d never heard from him before.

“I know,” he murmured into the phone, his tone gentle. “I miss you too. Just give me a few days to handle my father, baby.”

Baby. Hearing him say that word made my stomach drop.

My chest tightened. There was no doubt who was on the line. Hearing him speak to my sister like that… giving her the softness he never gave me… hit harder than any cruelty. He was capable of being human. Just not with me.

He leaned against the desk, his free hand running through his hair. An easy, genuine laugh slipped from his lips. I had never heard him sound so gentle.

My fingers curled into fists.

Before I could pull back, a heavy palm clamped hard over my mouth, suffocating my gasp. An arm snatched my waist, yanking me into the darkness until my back hit a broad, solid chest.

An icy voice whispered right against my ear:

“You shouldn’t be wandering in the dark.”