All Chapters of The Mistress: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Gideon sat beside the bed staring at the unconscious woman. She had bruises all over her body, a broken leg and the MRI had shown some swelling in her brain. She'd been in the ICU for the past three days and was only transferred to the normal ward yesterday evening. The doctor had said she was lucky she didn't break her neck. Or even the spine. She could have ended up paralyzed for the rest of her life. Assuming she lived to tell the tale. He still couldn't understand what had possessed her to go to his house. It was her fault she was in that position. He'd told her to lay low and avoid the press at all costs. Why didn't she listen to him? No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't figure out why she'd done it. Especially since she knew he wasn't there. What was so important that couldn't wait? Why hadn't she called him? Their faces were plastered everywhere on the internet. People criticized and cursed him for using a good woman to elevate his status and not having the ba

"What is your name?" "Why are you asking me useless questions instead of calling the police?" They had to have her background information since she'd been admitted. Why pretend they didn't know who she was? The doctor smiled "Please answer the questions, Miss" "Thalia Ashcroft" "And how old are you?" "Forty-two" "What is the last thing you remember?" "I... The last thing... It's all foggy. But I know I'm married to that bastard and we have two kids" "See? I told you she'd lost her mind" Gideon said smugly. She threw him a glare and then grabbed the doctor's hand to get his attention. "He hasn't left this room. If you search him, you'll find the needle with Heparin and know I'm telling the truth. Get security to hold him down" "I understand your concern, Miss. But first..." "First what?" She snapped getting angry. Why weren't they listening to her? How hard was it to detain Gideon and confiscate the evidence? The moment he left that room he could get rid of it. Then

"Miss Ashton, we ran some..." "It's Ashcroft." She corrected the doctor for probably the tenth time that day. Thalia didn't understand why they kept getting her name wrong. It wasn't as if Ashton and Ashcroft sounded the same. And what sort of doctor didn't know his patient's name? That was how they mixed up results and ended up giving patients the wrong diagnosis. As soon as she got a hold of Jennifer, she was leaving that hospital. "Ma'am," the doctor said "We ran more tests on you and they came back normal" "Why does that sound shocking? There's nothing wrong with me" "Except for the fact that you keep insisting your name is Thalia Ashcroft" "Because it is" "I'll have one of the nurses bring in a mirror. You can look at it and tell me who you see. Tell me if the name matches the face" Thalia peered up at the man. He was middle aged and since they let him treat patients, she assumed he was qualified. But his methods of treatment were concerning. She'd barely slept after

Gideon read the message for a second and then a third time because he couldn't believe it. Where had that crazy bitch gotten the audacity to order him around? Had Natalia lost her mind? He regretted not distancing himself from her earlier. He should have ended their relationship when she showed up at Hale's birthday. Maybe all that wouldn't have happened. With the way things were going, he knew without a doubt she was going to be a problem. Thalia's lawyer had gotten in touch with him and told him to attend the reading of her will which would take place the next week. He wasn't sure what was more surprising. The fact that she hadn't trusted her best friend Hale with her will or that he had to be there. Was it possible she'd left him something? Perhaps he'd been right about her being murdered. He hadn't visited the cottage yet because Cameron and Celia had moved to the estate and he wanted to give them time before talking to them. But if his hunch was right, it would mean Thalia didn'

Three bedrooms. One of them had been transformed into a gym with a treadmill and a few other workout equipment. Although, judging by how new most of the stuff was, it didn't look like she used the room a lot. The other one had a bed and a mattress. Nothing else. The master bedroom must have been where Natalia spent most of her time. Everything was carefully picked. The bedding included plush throws, knit blankets, and pillows in shades of white, cream, and soft taupe. Floor-to-ceiling drapes in a matching beige shade framed sheer white curtains and a large rug covered the floor. Two night stands with golden lamps sat on either side of the bed and a minimalist abstract painting hung above it. Despite being in Natalia's body, Thalia wondered if it was okay to be in her space. What if she wasn't dead? Maybe her soul had ended up in someone else's body too. It was also possible they were sharing the same body. What if they took turns being conscious? Was there a limit to her time in that