She spun around and left, too angry for words. When she got pushed to her limit, her mind just went completely blank.
This wasn’t the first time he’d pulled something like this. So why did she keep falling for it, every single time?
Clara stormed out, almost bumping straight into Aiden as he came in.
Aiden took one look at her face—clearly fuming—and asked, “Ma’am, what happened?”
Clara didn’t even slow down. She took a deep breath and tossed over her shoulder, “Ask him yourself.”
She didn’t have the energy to explain.
With a sharp slam, she shut herself in the guest bedroom, feeling more agitated than ever.
Meanwhile, Aiden opened the master bedroom door and finally noticed the doorknob was busted.
By the window, Dylan sat with his chin resting on his hand, idly stirring his soup, a faint smile on his lips—like he was in a surprisingly good mood.
Aiden could guess why. Dylan always seemed to get what he wanted.
Deciding it was none of his business, Aiden just called for someone to come fix the doors in the morning.
Back in her room, Clara flopped onto the bed, still restless and upset.
She couldn’t sleep.
She got up, headed to the bathroom, and stared at the dark circles under her eyes. With a sigh, she splashed her face with cold water.
But it didn’t help. She still felt like a frog in slowly boiling water—trapped, helpless, and getting more anxious by the minute.
This couldn’t go on.
She needed to get out of Palm Bay. Soon.
She changed clothes and started wandering around the house. As she reached one of the outer walls, she looked up.
That’s when she heard it—a soft, almost whispery voice in the dark.
“Go forward two hundred steps and turn left. There’s a side door. Nobody’s there right now.”
She thought she was imagining it. She looked around but saw no one.
Still, she followed the directions. And there it was—a side door she’d never seen open before, now quietly ajar.
Clara’s heart pounded. Dylan’s Palm Bay was supposed to have ironclad security. Why was there suddenly a gap?
A thrill shot through her, and she almost stepped outside. But then she hesitated.
If Dylan had been punished by Walter, that meant Walter knew about their marriage. If anyone could break through the security here, it would be Walter.
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