Page 59 of Picture Perfect

I exhale, relief washing over me. "Of course. I only want to do what's best for the family." Liar.

"Naturally. A lady must make sacrifices." She waves a hand. "Continue to indulge the boy. As for dinner, you’ll eat nothing. I'll have the cook prepare broth only going forward."

My empty stomach twists, but I nod meekly. "Yes ma'am."

I escape to my room, emotions warring within me. Relieved to avoid severe punishment. Giddy that I’ll be allowed to eat real food should Saint continue to indulge his need to feed me.

Chapter twenty-nine

Saint

The car's engine hums a low, steady lullaby as I park under the veil of night. There are no street lamps to give away our location, but I can't get close enough to set up proper surveillance.

I could probably hide myself among the ridiculous shrubbery and watch from closer, but it's fucking cold outside. I wouldn't be able to hear anything from there anyway and I can see enough from the safety and warmth of my car.

The princess's second-story window isn't illuminated, not fully anyway. There's definitely some light streaming from inside, enough to see her silhouette moving around, but it's dimmed.

I'm not even sure why I'm here. The Ice Princess is still untouchable and austere. Lately, though, there's been a subtle shift, a softening around the edges whenever she's with us. It's like watching the frost recede at the first hint of spring. My plan is working.

It's hard to deny the satisfaction I feel when I see the weight she's gained. Or the strange stirring in my chest when she smiles. But it doesn't mean anything, right?

She's still a job. A means to an end.

Whatever it is, the glow of Addy's window cuts through the darkness like a beacon, drawing my attention and refusing to let go. Inside the car, Chess’s fingers dance over his keyboard—a soft, rhythmic clacking that's become as familiar as my own heartbeat. Dre, beside me, leans forward in his seat, his ice-blue eyes lasered on the second-story of the Winthrop fortress.

"Anything interesting?" I murmur, not taking my eyes off her window, where shadows move and secrets hide.

"Same old bullshit," Chess replies without looking up. "Though, I did manage to—"

"Shh." Dre cuts him off, his voice low and urgent. "Something's off."

I turn to him, finding his gaze still fixed on the window. "What is it?"

Dre frowns, the lines around his mouth deepening.

I watch as the princess's silhouette move across the window. A shadow passes behind her, a male figure that stirs a primal alertness within me. I can't make out his face, but the sight sends a surge of possessiveness through my veins, a feeling I've got no right to claim.

"Who the fuck is that?" I mutter, the words coming out harsher than I intend. She's just a pawn in the game, the key to getting what we want from her so-called family. Yet, the thought of her plotting without me, possibly against me, it gnaws at my insides. Despite everything, I can't shake her from my thoughts.

My grip tightens on the steering wheel, leather creaking under the strain. I watch intently as the guy moves with a familiarity that sets my teeth on edge. He leans close to her, too close, and something flares inside me, raw and unbidden.

"Keep it together, Saint," I command myself silently. "She doesn't mean anything to you."

But who am I kidding? The more I tell myself she's nothing, the more she becomes something... someone impossible to ignore. I lean forward, trying to catch a glimpse of what they're doing, but the distance is a chasm I can't bridge from here.

"Damn it," I exhale, frustration simmering beneath my skin. The mystery man steps out of view, and the princess is alone again, her posture rigid, like she's bracing against a storm only she can feel.

"Princess," I say softly, though she can't hear me, "what are you up to?"

I can't just sit here, stewing in my own suspicions. I need to know. I need to see for myself what this is about. With one last look at the house that feels more like a fortress with each passing second, I cut the engine and step out into the cool night air.

"Time to get a closer look," I resolve, my heart pounding a rhythm of anticipation and dread as I move towards the shadows of the Winthrop estate.

"Let's do this then," Dre says as he opens his door, stepping out into the cool night.

We move like specters across the lawn, our steps silent, our presence nothing more than a whisper against the grandeur of the Winthrop estate. The ivy that clings to the side of the house offers a natural ladder, and we climb with practiced ease.

"Watch it," Chess whispers when a loose vine threatens to betray us with its rustling. We freeze, collectively holding our breath until the danger of detection passes.

---