Hello, It's Mrs. Hyde

Chapter 23: No More Secrets

They arrived in a spiral of magic, Hyde standing outside a quiet Victorian home wrapped in dusk and soft lamp light.
The Evil Queen stood beside him. He turned to her with a low breath.
"Stay hidden," he said. "Her brother's already suspicious. If he sees you, he'll assume I've come to harm her."
She scoffed, tossing her curls over her shoulder. "Fine. Half hour. Don't waste it." With a whirl of purple smoke, she vanished.
Hyde stared at the door.
His chest felt... wrong. Tight.
In all his years of manipulation, precision, and control, this—this—was the first time in a long time he hesitated. His hand raised to knock and paused midair.
He'd been pushing her away. Pushing hard, believing it was for her good. But two days locked in her room?
It no longer felt like protection.
He had been falling for her—slowly, dangerously. A woman who looked him in the eye without flinching. A woman who bled magic and brilliance and had still chosen to stand by him. Losing her was never part of the plan. Not really.
He knocked.
Footsteps sounded. The door opened.
Jefferson stood tall and unimpressed, arms crossed over his chest.
"So," he said, voice like frost, "you must be Mr. Hyde."
"I take it you've heard the worst of me."
"Actually," Jefferson said, "I've heard my sister speak highly of you. Said you gave her purpose. That you protected her when no one else would." He paused. "And then you tossed her aside and left her to deal with your other half—who, might I add, this town still thinks is the good one."
Hyde swallowed the sharp sting of guilt.
"I didn't think Dr. Jekyll would still have an interest to harm her," he said quietly. "I thought she'd be safer without me. I see now that I was wrong." He met Jefferson's gaze directly. "I need to see her."
Jeff's jaw twitched. Then, with a tired sigh, he stepped back. "Be my guest. I've tried everything short of breaking the damn door down. Maybe you'll get through to her."
As Hyde stepped inside, he was greeted by a small voice.
"Wow! Aunt Jess was right—your eyes are really pretty!"
Hyde turned in surprise to see a bright-eyed girl standing at the base of the stairs. She couldn't have been older than eight.
He blinked, then crouched to her level, visibly thrown. "Thank you. Most people find them... unsettling."
Gracie beamed. "Aunt Jess says people are just scared of what they don't understand."
Hyde's lips tugged into something gentle. "She would be right. As usual."
Jefferson called from the hall, "Gracie. Bedtime."
She groaned but ran past them, waving as she went. "'Night, Daddy. 'Night, Mr. Hyde!"
Hyde stood there, stunned.
She knew who he was. Jessica must've told her. Told her family everything.
It sparked something deep in his chest—an emotion long since buried. Something like... warmth.
Jefferson's voice cut through it. "Come on."
He led Hyde up the hall, stopping at a plain white door.
"She's in there. And Hyde?"
He paused on the stairs.
"Try not to fumble again."
And with that, he walked away.
Hyde stood alone at Jessica's door, bracing himself. One hand hovered just above the wood.
And then... he knocked.
The hallway outside Jessica's room was dim, quiet except for the faint creaking of wood under Hyde's deliberate, heavy footsteps. The entire home was asleep, the kind of sleep that only came with peace—or in Jessica's case, pure exhaustion from too much pain. Hyde stood before her door like a shadow stitched into place, unsure if his knuckles would betray his nerves the moment they met the wood.
He knocked.
No response.
He knocked again, firmer this time. "Jessica," he said softly, "it's me."
The door flung open with a bang.
"I told you, Jefferson—I just want to be alo—" Jessica's voice cut off, breath snatched from her throat.
Her eyes locked with his.
She froze, blinking in confusion, her anger suspended midair like a dropped vase that hadn't shattered yet. Jessica was wearing one of Jefferson's oversized shirts, the collar sagging just slightly off her shoulder. Her eyes were rimmed red, puffy beneath, evidence of sleep deprivation and far too many tears. Her hair was unbrushed and wild, her posture defensive—but Hyde only saw her, the woman who haunted him every minute she wasn't by his side.
"I need to speak with you," he said, voice quiet but steady.
Jessica let out a sharp, bitter laugh that didn't reach her eyes. "That's rich. You told me to leave you alone—and I did. I'm just following orders, sir."
She went to slam the door, but Hyde's hand shot out and caught it with firm pressure.
"For two days?" he said, stepping forward, the tension in his voice sharpening. "Jessica, I know you. I know how you disappear when something's wrong. You might be in a new town, but don't insult us both by pretending I don't know your M.O."
She scowled, backing up but not quite slamming the door in his face. "Don't act like you still get to know me after what you did. You shoved me out like I was nothing. And what—now you want to waltz in and, check on me?" Her voice cracked. "Or did you come for the necklace?"
Hyde blinked. "What?"
Jessica folded her arms tightly across her chest. "Don't play dumb. You made it painfully clear I wasn't needed anymore. Got yourself the Evil Queen as a new lab partner and everything."
Hyde's jaw clenched. "That wasn't about replacing you."
"No?" Her voice was razor-sharp. "Because it felt like it."
Hyde's expression softened. "I only told her what she wanted to hear. I wanted her help getting out of that cell so I could come here—to you. To talk. No holding back. No pushing you away. Just the truth."
He stepped forward, lowering his voice. "Why did you take the necklace?"
Jessica's throat bobbed as she tried not to cry. Her voice was low, almost ashamed. "Because I knew it'd make you come back."
He went still. His mouth parted, but nothing came out.
She sniffed, brushing at her face with the sleeve of her shirt. "I knew you'd have to come see me if I had something you needed. Pathetic, right?"
Hyde's brows furrowed in pain. "No," he said. "It's not."
Jessica turned and walked across the room. Hyde stepped inside, cautiously, watching her with unreadable eyes.
She opened the top drawer of her dresser, pulled out a delicate lace chain. The cameo necklace lay nestled on a folded silk handkerchief. She took it out, hesitated, then walked back over to him.
She placed it into his gloved hand gently, like she was giving him something fragile.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
The words hit him harder than he expected. Her voice had no edge to it—just raw truth.
Hyde looked down at the necklace, then back up at her.
There was something in her eyes now—something so vulnerable it gutted him. She wasn't hiding. Not anymore.
His fingers closed around the necklace.
And then something inside him snapped loose—something that had been caged for too long.
"I want you to tell me everything," he said softly, intensely. "Every terrible thing you've ever had to face. And let me love you anyway."
Jessica's face faltered. She stared at him, wide-eyed, as if she hadn't heard him correctly. Her breath hitched.
"That's all I've ever wanted," she admitted, voice breaking, "but I didn't think I could. I didn't think I could let you."
"Why?"
"Because what I've faced is dark, Hyde." She shook her head, her voice trembling. "Because I carry things no one should have to hear, and if I told you... if I told you what Jekyll did, I'm scared it would break you. Or worse, I'd lose you to your rage."
Hyde stepped forward. Slowly. He reached up and cupped her face in his hands. His touch was cool, gentle—steady.
"You won't lose me," he said. "But I need to know. I need to make sure it never happens again. Please."
Her eyes welled with tears, and she nodded.
And then she told him.
All of it.
Every sickening detail of what Jekyll had done—the experiments, the manipulation, the moments of waking in agony and confusion, the horror of feeling powerless, used. Even the nights she felt something more had happened... violated in the most unspeakable ways.
Hyde's face twisted with something beyond fury. His knuckles whitened. He gritted his teeth so hard his jaw ached. But he said nothing—he let her finish.
When she was done, he stood there in shock, burning silence.
Finally, he whispered, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Jessica looked up at him, blinking tears. "Because I wanted to finish what we started. I wanted you to be free. And I knew if you found out—if you really knew—you'd send me away sooner than you had. And I couldn't take it. I didn't want to lose you."
Hyde exhaled, gutted. "You didn't lose me."
"You pushed me away," she said. "Same difference."
He gently pressed his lips to her forehead. "This ends now. With this necklace I'll use it to lure Dr. Jekyll to take it. From there I'll be able to find him, if you would be so kind as to use a locator spell on this necklace."
"Well, my magic might not work on him but I can still use it to help you get to him"
With a wave of her hand the necklace glowed for a moment before returning to normal
"There. Now wherever you or he takes it I'll know"
"Thank you, my little doe"
Then he kissed her—soft, sure, and so full of feeling it made Jessica's heart splinter with all the emotions she'd tried to burry.
When they pulled apart, he looked at her as if memorizing her face. "I'm going to finish this. He won't hurt you again. I promise."
Jessica nodded slowly, brushing a tear from her cheek. "Okay. Just...please be careful. Don't trust the Evil Queen. Not even a little."
His mouth quirked. "That, my love, was never going to be a problem."
She smiled faintly, pulling her sleeves over her hands. "Good. Now go. I'm going to shower then harass Jefferson for some food."
"I'm happy to hear"
Hyde smirked, kissed her once more, and turned toward the door.
As he stepped out, he glanced back just once.
Jessica stood at the edge of her room, the door half-closed, watching him leave with something that looked like hope lingering in her tired eyes.
And Hyde—he walked away with a single, clear purpose:
Kill Jekyll. End it. Protect her.
For good