The idea of spending the rest of the day thinking of the number of ways to gut a snake was unhealthy. Especially when I thought of a million ways with accurate precision, and the methods that came with it.

The most frustrating of all was that my entire room reeked of Zade, and it wasn’t just the smoke. After tossing the ashtray into the trash can, it did nothing. The problem was his scent; it stank of tobacco and cedarwood.

I could honestly tell that the bastard was smirking wherever he was right now, knowing he’d succeeded in tainting my room and heavens help me, my body too.

Everything screamed of him, from the hickeys to the red imprint on my butt.

The horror when I saw my ass was enough to knock the wind out of me. I could barely recognize it!

Hearing a purr, I leveled my gaze on Boba in my arms. He didn’t let me leave the room in peace, so I had no choice but to bring him along.

My fur baby was so relaxed, his eyes drowsy with sleep, and his tail curled softly.

"Quite fashionable for a pet."

At Elliot’s words, I glanced upward to find his warmly amused eyes pinned on Boba. His little blue shirt fit him perfectly, making him look even more adorable.

"Is there a problem?"

His lips twitched into a subtle grin. "No, I think it suits him."

Yeah, that’s right.

"So, when are you resuming the academy?"

His sudden question caught me off guard.

"I assumed today was the day. Unless you’re planning next week?"

I thought the shoes and the director’s call were just Zade’s trick to get him to come to him.

When I didn’t answer, Elliot threw a look at me.

"I’ll assume next week..." he mentioned, making a turn. "Already familiar with the kitchen, yes?"

When Elliot mentioned he wanted to show me something. It turned out to be an exclusive tour of the haunted manor.

He has already shown me the enormous garage. Polished floors and rows of luxury cars lined neatly like a showroom. I lost count of them in a matter of seconds.

"Yes..." I replied.

He shot me a curious look. "You never leave the room during the day, so the only explanation is during night hours."

"..."

He chuckled lightly, and I’m suddenly reminded of Zade, a violent shiver running through me.

I readjusted Boba in my arms as we continued our stroll. Honestly, I’m not really up for this tour, but it seemed like a good way to pass the time.

Elliot showed me the main sitting room: leather sofas, a fireplace, and large windows with that timeless sophistication.

The attention to detail and the paintings hung on the wall added to that vibe. There was a shit ton of money lying around in just one place, and I could only begin to imagine how much that vase cost or that damn rug.

I bet I could take a piece of wood here and it’d still cost a fortune.

Elliot showed me the ballroom next. Yes, a ballroom. The kind where there was a huge chandelier and multiple windows. The perfect place to host those grand balls. They could pull something like that off and call it a day.

The tour continued with more exploration, but I had a feeling Elliot didn’t show me much... There were a few places we passed by that he didn’t mention.

I was already tired from all the walking. This was one of the worst times to wear heels, but I can’t help it; they were a part of me.

"That’s about all the interior..." Elliot said. "I think we’ve covered most of them."

Seriously?

"That was fun..." I replied dryly. "I feel like I know the whole place like the back of my hand already."

"Ah... I forgot one more thing..." He walked, and I followed. "You’re welcome to dive in as much as you want."

The outdoor pool stretched behind the manor, surrounded by stone terraces, trimmed hedges, and the same old-world elegance carried throughout the estate.

Now this was the best part of this tour. I have a shit ton of bikinis I couldn’t wait to try on.

"Looks neat," I said.

"I hoped giving you a tour would lift your spirits a little bit, but it seems like you’re not having a good time."

I paused. Is that why he did this in the first place?

"Why would you care?" I blurted.

I have been in this household for a while, and no one has ever... I don’t know... consider if I was having a good time.

"I do care, Ana."

I couldn’t help the scornful scoff that rolled off me. "Yeah, right, the same person who told me I’d walk willingly down the aisle or be dragged. You’re basically the most caring man I have ever met."

He exhaled softly. "That was the truth. Should I have sugarcoated it?"

"No..." I agreed.

That was the kick-start I needed. The moment I knew running away wouldn’t do a damn thing.

"I understand your need to... be defensive," he began as if he knew a trace of my life. "I just want you to understand that this place isn’t a cage, and you’re not trapped here."

I was almost shocked by his words. Almost

A humorless smile curled my lips. "Tell that to your Don."

Elliot sank his hands in his pockets, standing in front of me.

"My brother, he..." he froze mid-sentence. "He practically raised us... had bigger shoes to fill when others his age thought of the next Nintendo toy to have."

He stared into space as if the memories caught up to him before adding under his breath. "He never had a childhood."

I don’t know much about the Salveros’ parents; there wasn’t much mentioned about them, but the stories said Zade stepped into the role of Don too young and somehow became terrifyingly good at it. Hence why the nickname stuck.

Imagine the great deal of not being able to off a kid when you think he’s at his most vulnerable. Yeah, that’s right... Zade wasn’t just feared by name alone... it was the things he had done from an age no one could ever imagine and what he made himself into. No one could rival that.

I once walked in on a group of my father’s men talking about him. I could still remember the dread that clung to their tone as if they talked about some... god.

I recalled feeling the same fear, too, even though I have never met him in person.

"Why are you telling me this?" I questioned.

"Because he’s your husband, and you should know about him."