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I narrowed my eyes at him. May every god in recorded history have mercy on his soul if he was saying what I thought he was saying. “What?”
Adrien looked like he was in physical pain. “Alice texted me before you woke up. He’s here.”
My heart hurled itself into my ribs, trying to get a go at him. “Are you fucking with me right now?”
He shook his head. “There’s only one route back to the house and it’s in full view of the main patio where they’re all having brunch. We were invited. I said we weren’t in the mood, so my mom brought us fruit instead. And… she took our laundry with her. Your clothes are with the household staff.”
I was pretty sure I was having an out-of-body experience. My pulse was thrashing against my eardrums, the ringing in my right ear growing louder and louder.
“My stuff is in there. The main house,” I whispered. If she’d taken our laundry that meantallmy stuff was now at the main house, except for my phone, purse, and… maybe that’s all I needed. Who the hell cared about my suitcase and a few clothes—
My passport.
My passport was in my suitcase. My drunk brain had packed it even though my flight had been domestic. I couldn’t just leave my passport here, could I?
“I know,” Adrien said, even though I’d been talking to myself. “I can bring it all to you, but you’ll still have to follow the same path to leave the property and go to the airport.”
My eyes refocused. “Youbrought me here!Yousaid I could leave all my stuff in the other room and just bring a handful of clothes!” I accused with a pointed finger. And I’dlistened.
He rolled his lips, nodded grimly.
I was beyond livid.
“Adrien,I’m going to fucking kill you.” I barely managed to pry my jaw open enough to hiss the threat. My skin was bruising purple. I could feel it.
He released a resigned breath. “At this point, I don’t think I’ll stop you.”
33
I needed an escape plan.One that didn’t include me having to interact with the man who’d ruined my life at eighteen.
According to the most recent update from Alice, the main house was currently a frenzy of hired staff setting up for the big party tomorrow. And since the weather was so “uncharacteristically nice for this time of year,” it didn’t sound like their group was too keen on moving indoors anytime soon.
These updates from Alice were the only reason I’d let Adrien live this long. It really wasn't easy. He kept offering to have me airlifted out of the front yard.
“I've got a helicopter on standby,” he said at one point, tapping away at his phone. “Never mind. Pilot says there’s enough room to land, so you can just get in.”
I’d always had my suspicions that too much money made people crazy. This confirmed it.
I ignored him as my frustration and impatience boiled over, and stormed back into the bedroom we’d been using so I could change into the single pair of jeans and crumpled long-sleeved tee that hadn’t been in the laundry bag Adrien had handed over to his mother this morning. I shut the door in his face when he tried to follow me.
“I can fix this. Can you please just talk to me?”
I threw on the clothes, bunched my hair into a messy ponytail, swiped on some deodorant, and stormed back out with my heart hammering in my throat.
Adrien was still standing outside the room when I tore out of it. “Give me ten minutes. I just need you to listen.”
Right. Except he could spend an entire lifetime inventing a myriad of elaborate excuses for why he’d done what he’d done, and it wouldn’t make a difference. I wouldn’t believe a word that came out of his lying mouth.
I shoved past him, heading straight for the front door. It opened exactly one inch before his hand pressed it shut. It was official. The man had a death wish.
“Talk to me.”
I whipped around, glowering up at him with my fists heavy at my sides. “I don’twantto talk to you anymore, Adrien. We’ve been talking nonstop for a week and everything you’ve said up to this point has apparently been total bullshit!”
“That’s not true. If you’d just let me explain—”
“Adrien, listen to me carefully,” I ground out through my rising anxiety and frustration. “I. Don’t. Care. I don’t care if you have more excuses or sob stories. It’s not going to change a damn thing. So do us both a favor and fuck the fuck off!”
