Page 47 of Her Wicked Plan

I screamed for them not to let those men take me, that I would change. Although I was lying through my teeth, I spewed out any bullshit they wanted to hear to keep me at home.

It happened after the trial. The options were prison or this place. Even though I pled insanity, which sent me to the asylum, that didn’t mean I was excited to be sent away. Kicking and screaming in the back of the courthouse. That’s how I went out.

My father’s face was blank. No emotion was gleaming from his face, but my mother... I saw a few tears escape. She wasn’t crying for the daughter being taken away from her. She was crying for the daughter I never was. The one that she somehow failed to raise to be perfect.

My mother didn’t fail me. Neither did my father.

This was who I was destined to be.

I’d been walking blindly, but that didn’t matter because I could navigate these halls while wearing a blindfold or with the lights off—maybe even both simultaneously—and still end up where I wanted to be.

I reach the lobby door, peering through the window to take a peek. Edith was sitting behind the desk, working on her computer as usual.

From here, I get a full view of what goes on behind the desk. Shelves are full of boxes, most likely information about the asylum and new patient documentation. There is, however, a safe underneath where the computer is.

What could be so important that they have to keep it locked up?

It’s as if Edith senses my gaze because her head turns. She offers me a warm smile and a silent invitation to hang out in the lobby. The old woman knows I won’t do it, but that doesn’t keep her from trying.

One day, we will see. She’s been kind to me since day one, and if one of these patients lashes out and does anything to harm her, I’ll kill them.

Plastering on a fake smile, my stare rips away from her, and I twist on my heels. In case of an emergency, the wing would be closer to the entrance because the doctors and nurses should be the first out. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure that out.

Why would they bother saving us when there are guards on duty?

My feet move without a hurry while I stroll down the dim hall. This hallway is empty except for two doors. Art on the walls would be very much appreciated, but Dr. Bennett says no. He worries we will break the glass and use it on ourselves or each other.

The door to my left is the same one I came through. To my right, there is another door. My eyes scan down the metal, seeing no keypad on it. Why does it feel like this door appeared out of nowhere?

My hand reaches out, the tips of my fingers tracing over the cold handle. What if it is permanently locked? A wing sealed off for some mysterious reason? I guess there is only one way to find out.

Wrapping my fingers around the handle, I push down, and it lets me in. Opening the door, I step softly into a short hall. Two more doors in this area are further apart. I head straight to the one on the left.

Through the glass, I can see a longer hallway lined with doors. It looks familiar, which means it’s not what I’m looking for. With my hands behind my back, I make my way over to the next door.

It is the same as the others—metal with a window in the center. The hallway beyond the door differs from what I’ve seen before, lined with potted plants and furniture. It is homey. This is definitely where the doctors and nurses sleep.

Testing my luck, even though there is a lock on this one, I try the door handle. It doesn’t budge. Why the hell did I even think it would work? I could snag someone’s badge to get me past this door.

Maybe show up to Leo’s room one night. Seduce him. The corner of my lip tugs upward at the thought of that. Fuck, he would enjoy it.

“Veronica?” The female voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

Turning my head toward the person who spoke to me, I am surprised to see her standing there. “Scarlet.”

“What are you doing over here?” Her voice is full of sweetness mixed with confusion. I could ask her the same damn thing. If the hall in front of me houses all the doctors and nurses, she could easily stay there. Or does each ward have its own spaces for doctors and nurses?

Fire burns in my chest at the thought of her being so close to Leo. With how they flirt and everything. He could sneak into her room at night with ease. My jaw tightens at the idea.

“Did you have a session with Dr. Madden?” she questions, still staring at me with unease hidden behind her eyes. “If so, you are at the wrong door. You’ll have to get to his office through that one.”

I scan my eyes to where she is gesturing. That’s why it looks so familiar. That door leads to the offices. I’ve only seen it from the side I enter through. It makes sense for them to have another way to get to their rooms.

“I don’t have a session with him until tomorrow.” My eyes find hers again.

“Okay.” She nods hesitantly. “Then may I ask why you are in this hall?”

“I’m exploring the building. I’ve been here for two years, and there are places I still haven’t seen.” I scan my eyes over her body before looking down the hall I desperately want to be in. “I hear you are the facility's unofficial tour guide.”