The Truth

Ch.14: Doging Bullets

I'd never really learned how to apologize properly, and what I just did back there? That was a sorry excuse for an apology. But honestly, he deserved it. I was all set to deliver some grand, dramatic apology, but of course, he had to ruin the moment by calling me a dog. Sick bastard.

Fuming, I stormed off toward my quarters, my footsteps echoing down the empty hallway. Just as I rounded a corner, I almost smacked right into Tyson. Great. Just what I needed-another man to deal with. It was late, and with Ryan home, I didn't expect Tyson to be wandering around like this. Shouldn't he be in bed, or with Alessia...doing whatever it is they do?

"You're still awake?" he asked, his tone laced with surprise.

I felt a wave of nausea roll over me. Men like him-cheaters, liars-they all made my skin crawl. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from making a face, to keep him from getting suspicious.

"I was just checking the kitchen and making sure everything was in order," I replied, quickly diverting my eyes away from his.

He hummed, nodding like he actually believed me. "You're always out at this time? 9 PM?"

His tone had shifted, growing colder, more probing. But I wasn't about to be intimidated by him.

"No," I lied smoothly. Why? Because if he knew the truth, Alessia would definitely figure out that I had caught on to their little affair. And I'd like to keep my head attached to my body, thank you very much.

Tyson just nodded again, clearly not satisfied but not pushing further either. As soon as he was done, I turned on my heel and walked away before the conversation could continue, my heart pounding in my chest. I had to be careful-one wrong move, and I could be in deeper trouble than I'd ever imagined.

As I hurried away, I could feel Tyson's eyes boring into my back, but I didn't dare look over my shoulder. The hallway felt longer than usual, each step echoing louder in my ears, amplifying my anxiety.

What if Tyson started suspecting me? What if Alessia found out that I knew? The mansion suddenly felt like a maze of traps, with me tiptoeing around, trying to avoid setting anything off.

I finally reached my quarters, my hand trembling as I turned the doorknob. Once inside, I leaned against the door, my heart still racing. The room was quiet, but my mind was anything but. I'd never been one to keep secrets like this-it felt like holding a live grenade, just waiting for it to explode.

And yet, here I was, tangled up in the mess of this twisted mansion, trying to keep my head above water. I couldn't help but think back to Ryan's cold, unwavering gaze and that stupid dog comment. What was it with these men and their complete lack of concern? It was infuriating.

But what was I supposed to do? Confront them all and risk everything? Or keep playing along, pretending I hadn't seen a thing? The more I thought about it, the more I realized how deep in this I really was.

All I could do now was wait-and hope that my secrets stayed buried a little longer.

Morning duties came with the usual routine, but today had a twist I hadn't seen coming. There I was, just cleaning the counter, when Lady Alessia swept into the room, her arms loaded with Chanel bags and whatever other overpriced crap she'd bought.

Kira moved to help her immediately, while Hazel and I exchanged a glance that screamed, *Here we go again.* We both quickly bowed our heads.

"Good morning, My Lady," I said, trying to keep my voice neutral.

Alessia's gaze locked onto me, and she smiled-too wide, too sweet. Oh, crap. Kira, sensing danger, grabbed my hand like she was ready to whisk me away, but Alessia's next words made it clear there was no escape.

"No, I want Angelica to serve me today. You two are dismissed; have a rest for the day."

Kira looked like she was about to argue, but Hazel, ever the diplomat, dragged her out, giving me a thumbs-up that I wasn't entirely sure I deserved.

"Sure," I mumbled, trying to steady my voice as Alessia's laser-focused gaze pinned me in place.

"Take a seat, dear," she said, her smile still unnervingly bright. I plastered on my best fake smile, though inside I was screaming.

"I heard you had some interesting conversations with Ryan last night," she began, her tone as syrupy as ever. I had to bite my tongue to keep from rolling my eyes. Seriously? Acting all possessive when you're the one playing around? The nerve.

"It was just about some reports. I made a small mistake," I lied, or half-lied. I did occasionally mess up on purpose, just to see how Ryan would react, but he never did much-just fixed it himself without a word.

Alessia opened her mouth to say something else when the front door slammed so loudly that it nearly knocked us all off our feet.

"Sir, I'll make sure to handle the call," Louis said in a hurry, and I turned to see Ryan storming past the kitchen, looking like he was about to murder someone. It was the first time I'd seen him this angry.

Alessia seemed to forget all about me, her attention snapping back to her husband as he passed by without even glancing our way. Just as I was hoping I could slink away unnoticed, she turned back to me with another sickly sweet smile.

"You're dismissed," she said, but before I could even move, Ryan's voice cut through the room like a knife.

"I need Angelica in my office," he commanded, not even bothering to acknowledge Alessia's presence.

Oh, fantastic. I'd just barely dodged one bullet, and now I was about to walk right into another. What the hell had I gotten myself into?